Ranking the NFL’s Head Coaches Heading Into the 2018 Season

We all know who tops the list, but from there it is a much tougher call.

Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Getty Images

With a record of 278–129 and five Super Bowls wins under his belt as a head coach in the National Football League, Bill Belichick is the top coach in the league by nearly any standard.

The question of who is second among coaches in the league, however, is a pretty good one.

In order to help provide some clarity, Yahoo Sports has examined all 32 coaches in the league and ranked them accordingly. In doing their analysis, Yahoo’s football experts took variables like degree of roster control, past experience, and each coach’s support staff into account.

After Belichick, Yahoo has Doug Pederson of the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles installed as the second-best coach in the league. It seems a little high considering this will only be his third year as a head coach, but winning it all does come with perks, including respect.

At No. 3, Yahoo has New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton. This picks seems about right as Payton has a Super Bowl win on his resume and consistently has his team ready to compete. Following Payton is Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings. Over the past three years of  Zimmer’s tenure, the Vikings haven’t been able to fully break through but they have been in the playoffs and competitive, so this pick also seems reasonable.

Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers is No. 5. While this rank may have been true a few years ago, it seems high given how poorly the Steelers have played in the playoffs the past few seasons. That said, the Steelers have never been below .500 with Tomlin at the helm.

Rounding out the top 10 on Yahoo’s list are Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 6 (hight), Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks at No. 7 (reasonable), Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams at No. 8 (reasonable), Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers at No. 9 (high) and Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers at No. 10 (high).

Win the Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Experience

Want the F1 experience of a lifetime? Here’s your chance to win tickets to see Turn 18 Grandstand, one of Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix’s most premier grandstands!