Ranking all 32 NFL head coaches as training camp gets underway

According to Over The Cap’s website, nearly half of all rosters changed from one year to the next in the NFL. With that level of turnover and reshuffling, a coach’s ability to see how all the incumbent and current pieces fit becomes even more critical. As teams report to training camp to see what they’re working with, we’ll get to work by ranking all 32 NFL head coaches. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

Someone had to occupy the lowest spot in the pecking order. Given the Panthers’ inability to identify the right person for the job in recent years, Canales seems like as good a person as any to begin with. Having said that, Sporting News and others have called him a quarterback guru, which is just what they need to get Bryce Young to improve in his second season.

Tennessee decided to move on from Mike Vrabel in order to give Callahan a chance to mold the Titans’ offense. He might have a leg up in the trenches right away, as Brian brought in his father, noted offensive line coach Bill Callahan, to develop the group that will protect Will Levis. Brian told the Titans’ website that he’s thankful to have his father on his staff.

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Pierce has brought a lot of enthusiasm and energy to Las Vegas since being named the interim head coach midway through the 2023 campaign. The Raiders gave him the job this offseason, and his spirit (as evidenced by a Players Tribune article he wrote) can’t be questioned. It’ll be interesting to see whether the Raiders can translate the exuberance into wins.

New England decided to go with an “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” approach this offseason, naming longtime Patriots player and defensive coach Jerod Mayo as their new head coach. Whether Mayo can establish his own identity as the leader in New England will be something to monitor, as the New York Times reported that he was selected because he saw the game similarly to Bill Belichick.

Sports Illustrated has tracked the praise that Seattle continues to receive for the hiring of Macdonald, who is viewed as an emerging defensive mind in the NFL. He was the defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens the last two seasons, and helped make them one of the most ferocious units in the league.

We start the group of men who have actually been a head coach in the NFL, with Allen. The problem for Saints fans is, he hasn’t been particularly adept in that role. He has a 24-46 career record as a head coach for the Raiders and Saints, and it doesn’t feel like he is going to elevate New Orleans to the league’s elite in 2024 either.

The New York Times and Sports Illustrated wrote about how happy Atlanta was to land Morris during this coaching cycle. It’s possible that he’s learned lessons from his previous experience as a head coach, as he has just a 21-38 career record. NBC Sports reports that Morris’ coaching staff is larger than usual, and that he wants to be as prepared for anything as possible.

Eberflus doesn’t exactly have a sparkling career record with Chicago, but he did oversee a four-game improvement for the Bears from 2022 to 2023. His roster has been completely revamped, most notable on offense. Eberflus will most likely be shown the door if the Bears don’t compete for a playoff spot. Yahoo Sports weighed whether he will snap or thrive under this pressure.

Gannon told Arizona Sports’ website that the Cardinals’ 4-13 record in 2023 was “not good enough.” It’s hard to argue against that, but Gannon had his shorthanded club competing in many games last season. Gannon feels like the team did establish a culture that will allow them to improve in 2024, and a healthy Kyler Murray should also help to that end.

Things changed pretty drastically for Steichen and the Colts when dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson was ruled out for the season just four games in. Steichen adjusted and helped coax a Gardner-Minshew led Indianapolis team to the brink of the playoffs. 2024 should be more revealing with regard to what Steichen can creatively do on offense.

The Jets continue to be the popular caveat team in the NFL, as many believe they can have a strong season if they remain healthy. New York has been beset by injuries and bad quarterback play during Saleh’s tenure, but he also hasn’t necessarily done anything to overcome that, either. 2024 will be yet another make-or-break year for Saleh and the franchise.

Sports Illustrated believes that Daboll and the Giants are facing a defining season. The feeling surrounding Daboll and his ability to lead New York could not have changed more drastically. In 2022, he was seen as a genius for doing the most with less, and leading the Giants to the playoffs. In 2023, he was seen as someone who had no answers for a sinking ship.

Quinn returns to the head coaching ranks with Washington after serving three seasons as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. He’s a respectable hire for the Commanders, who are looking to usher in a new era under rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Quinn has a career 43-42 record as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Bowles seems like an often-criticized NFL head coach, but teams could do worse. Athlon Sports places him in the “Class B” tier of coaches, which feels about right. Tampa Bay elevated him to the top job ahead of the 2022 campaign after Bruce Arians retired, and Bowles feels like he’s pretty safe from a job security standpoint, unless things fall off the rails.

There’s a world in which Harbaugh reclaims his position as one of the elite coaches in the NFL, but it’s been a while since fans have seen him on a professional sideline. He last coached in the NFL in 2014 with the San Francisco 49ers, and has since turned around Michigan’s football program. We’ll see if he can step in and recapture his magic touch with the Chargers.

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It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Sirianni lately. His second year with Philadelphia saw him lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance. However, he looked pretty ordinary in 2023, as his two coordinators from 2022 (Steichen and Gannon) got head coaching jobs. The Eagles brought Vic Fangio and Kellen Moore in to upgrade those spots in 2024.

Fox 9 Minneapolis highlighted that some media outlets believe that O’Connell is in the top third of coaches in the NFL. We wouldn’t quite go that far, but we think he’s probably right in the middle. He did a great job playing to Kirk Cousins’ strengths, but fans will find out how valuable he is as he tries to mold J.J. McCarthy into a long term answer under center.

Pederson has had some triumphant highs and some barren lows in the last few seasons. He was the head coach of the Eagles when they won it all in 2017, and was riding high when the Jaguars completed a historic comeback in the 2022 NFL playoffs against the Chargers. At various other points, though, he’s seemed like an average option at best.

We can admit that we might be a little too low on Stefanski, who was slotted in at number 10 in the Locked On NFL Scouting podcast. He’s done a great job stabilizing a rudder-less franchise, and adjusting to different types of players under center (Baker Mayfield, Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco etc). Stefanski is hoping he can take his talented club one step further in 2024.

The DNVR’s website took a closer look at what makes Payton one of the best offensive playcallers in NFL history, as his acumen has been lauded for the better part of two decades. With that said, Payton had a rocky first year with the Broncos. If he can’t jumpstart the offense under handpicked rookie Bo Nix, his reputation could take a sizeable hit.

CBS News and Fox Sports have written about McDaniel’s cheat code revolutionary offense, which puts blazing fast players in motion to give defenses headaches before the snap. However, that formula has not worked so well down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs, so McDaniel will be forced to come up with an adjustment as games get more important.

The situation heading into Ryans’ second year with the Texans could not be any different than it was 12 months ago. The outside world didn’t believe Houston had much blue chip talent on offense or defense, and Ryans ended up taking them to the AFC Divisional Round. Now, the Texans are viewed as a Super Bowl contender with the additions of Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon.

McCarthy is one of the most maligned coaches in the NFL, but a lot of people would take three straight 12-win seasons over the alternative. Perhaps a Sports Illustrated headline from January 2024 said it best “We all expect Jerry Jones to fire Mike McCarthy, but only because it’s the Cowboys.” They ended up sticking with him, and Dallas will likely be a playoff team again in 2024.

The Bills’ playoff woes have been consistently documented, but McDermott has served as a steady hand in Buffalo. As Athlons Sports pointed out, the franchise has only had one losing season in the seven years McDermott has been at the helm. This ranking might be his ceiling, however, if he can’t get the Bills to a Super Bowl appearance.

McVay is viewed as the prototype for what a younger, fresher-minded head coach should bring to the NFL. His philosophy has constantly pushed the boundaries of what a traditional offense looks like, some of which the New York Times took a closer look at in 2023. He seems to have a knack for putting his best players in a position to succeed, early and often.

With good reason, many wondered whether LaFleur’s early success as a head coach was thanks to the brilliance of Aaron Rodgers. LaFleur proved in 2023 that he brings a boatload of positive attributes to the team, as evidenced by the development of Jordan Love. NBC Sports wrote that his ascension has been a quiet one, but he deserves to be recognized as one of the game’s best.

Taylor is a chip off the McVay block, as the former came over from the Rams to take Cincinnati’s head coaching job in 2019. He’s had exceptional talent to work with, but Taylor’s intangibles might not get enough attention. The Bengals’ website spoke about Taylor’s efforts to keep everyone connected in the offseason, even as their coaching staff underwent change this winter.

Perhaps no coach in recent memory has willed a franchise to new unthinkable heights as much as Campbell has in Detroit. His indefatigable attitude and belief that his team will be left standing at the end of the day has the Lions as a legitimate Super Bowl contender in 2024. Quarterback Jared Goff told MLive’s website that Campbell is the greatest leader he’s been around.

The amazing streak continues for Tomlin and the Steelers, despite many signs that Pittsburgh would take a step back. The organization has not had one losing season in the 17 years Tomlin has been at the helm. There’s no reason to think that this would be snapped anytime soon, as Tomlin has proven to be one of the best motivators in the NFL.

He often gets overlooked, but Harbaugh is an institution with the Ravens. Regardless of the cast of characters around him, Baltimore can be counted on as a tough out in the AFC year in and year out. CBS News reported on a project he launched in May 2024 that will help coaches on various levels learn from one of the best.

Many NFL coaches’ professional lineage can be traced via the Mike Shanahan tree; Kyle Shanahan is Mike’s son, and seems to be a chip off the old block. Sports Illustrated wrote in July 2024 that many NFL analysts believe Kyle is the pre-eminent offensive mind in the league today, since he’s had so much success without elite quarterback play in his career.

With Bill Belichick out of the fold for now, it’s hard to argue that any coach is more accomplished or more well-oiled in his role than Reid is. While there was chatter that Belichick could break Don Shula’s all-time wins record, it’s Reid who might actually have the better chance of being on top in that category when all is said and done.

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