Having a good head coach gives a team a huge edge in the NFL.
Sometimes the head coach can make all the difference in a huge game.
There are some excellent head coaches in the league but also some undesirable coaches.
Typically the teams that are successful for an extended period all have a good head coach.
Meanwhile, several coaches get the pink slip at the end of each year due to a lack of success.
The head coach bears a lot of responsibility and when a team has a bad year, the head coach is the first to go.
Below, we will take a look at the top five and five worst head coaches entering the 2024 NFL season.
Head coaches ranked below are based on previous performances, expected performance for the upcoming season, play-calling, player development, clock management, and more.
Here is a chart of the top five head coaches in the NFL.
|
Rank |
NFL Head Coach | Team |
| 1 | Andy Reid |
Kansas City Chiefs |
|
2 |
Kyle Shanahan | San Francisco 49ers |
| 3 | Sean McVay |
Los Angeles Rams |
|
4 |
Demeco Ryans | Houston Texans |
| 5 | Matt LaFleur |
Green Bay Packers |
This was a slam dunk to put Andy Reid as the best coach in the NFL.
He is coming off back-to-back Super Bowl victories.
Reid has the best QB in the league.
His playcalling is sensational and creative.
Defensive players have developed very well for the Chiefs, despite never drafting high.
Kansas City is once again Super Bowl favorites and they seem to be a lock to at least play in the AFC Championship game each year.
Andy Reid reigns supreme over every other head coach in the league.
If Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers defeated the Chiefs in the Super Bowl last year, he would have been ranked first on the list.
Shanahan always has the 49ers go deep in the playoffs.
Last year they made it to the Super Bowl and the year before that they were in the NFC Championship game.
Shanahan has done wonders for QB Brock Purdy.
The offensive game plans and play calling are always spot on with Shanahan.
Defensively, the 49ers are stacked as well.
Shanahan has done a great job with his roster.
He is an offensive guru and the main reason for the success the 49ers have had in recent years.
Another offensive guru is Sean McVay.
He helped lead the Rams to win the Super Bowl in 2022.
Last year, the Rams had low expectations but they made the playoffs and gave the Lions a huge challenge before ultimately losing.
This year, once again people are sleeping on the Rams.
However, with McVay calling the plays and with Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams, the Rams will once again exceed expectations.
McVay has established himself among the top head coaches in the NFL.
This might be bullish after just one season as the head coach for the Texans but Demeco Ryans shined.
He helped turn around an organization that was 3-13-1 and last in the division two years ago to 10-7 and first in the division last year.
CJ Stroud looks like he will be elite for years.
Ryans helped Houston’s defense tremendously in one year.
This year, Houston’s defense will be even better.
Will Anderson Jr will enter his second year and the Texans brought in pass rusher Danielle Hunter.
This will further improve their defense.
Ryans was tremendous in his first year as a head coach and the sky is the limit for the Texans this year.
Matt LaFleur is another consistent coach that has the Packers competing each year.
He went from having Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love without missing a beat.
Love had the best second half of any QB last year.
LaFleur has helped Love progress tremendously.
Green Bay will once again have a good offense this season and Love will look to build on his strong second half from last year.
LaFleur is one of the best offensive-minded coaches in the NFL and will once again prove to be an elite head coach this season.
Head coaches ranked below are based on previous performances, expected performance for the upcoming season, play-calling, player development, clock management, and more.
Here is a chart of the five worst head coaches in the NFL.
|
Rank |
NFL Head Coach | Team |
| 32 | Jerod Mayo |
New England Patriots |
|
31 |
Brian Callahan | Tennessee Titans |
| 30 | Jonathan Gannon |
Arizona Cardinals |
|
29 |
Dennis Allen | New Orleans Saints |
| 28 | Mike McCarthy |
Dallas Cowboys |
Jerod Mayo already made a questionable decision before the season started.
He has stated that rookie QB Drake Maye has outplayed Jacoby Brissett but announced Brissett will open the year as the starter.
This contradicts Mayo’s statement that rookie Maye has outperformed veteran Brissett in the offseason.
Looking toward the season, the Patriots are the worst team in their division.
They do not have any expectations this year and will be at the bottom of the AFC.
Time will tell if Mayo’s decision to start Brissett will hurt Maye’s confidence and future but the Patriots are poised to be near the bottom of the AFC regardless.
Jerod Mayo will not have a successful season in New England.
Brian Callahan takes over the Titans’ head coaching job after they let Mike Vrabel go.
Vrabel did a good job with the Titans with a less talented roster than other teams had.
Vrabel won the AP Coach of the Year for the 2021-22 NFL season.
The players seemed to enjoy Vrabel and played hard for him.
Callahan takes over a roster that is not very good and takes over the head coaching job from someone who excelled.
The AFC South has three good teams (Texans, Jaguars, and Colts), so the Titans will find themselves in last place in the division.
Unlike Vrabel, Callahan will not be able to overcome a weaker roster.
Look for Callahan to struggle in his first year as Tennessee’s head coach.
Gannon was the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2021-2023.
A trend has been occurring in the NFL where defensive coaches have struggled when hired as a head coach, except for Demeco Ryans.
The NFL is geared more towards the offense and offensive-minded coaches have performed better in recent years.
Gannon did not do a good job with the Eagles’ defense last year as they took a major step back from the previous year.
He takes over a Cardinals roster that is the weakest in the NFC West.
Kyler Murray will look to stay healthy and they drafted Marvin Harrison Jr, who is expected to become an elite wideout.
However, their defense has a lot of holes.
Gannon will struggle in his first year as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Last year, the Saints brought in Derek Carr to become their starting QB.
They were in the weakest division in the NFL last year and many thought the Saints would win the division.
However, they finished 9-8, second in the division, and missed the playoffs.
Allen is a defensive-minded coach but New Orleans’ defense took a step back last year.
This year, the NFC South got better, especially the Atlanta Falcons.
Bryce Young will look to improve for the Panthers in his second year.
New Orleans could end up being third or last in the division this year as they do not have high expectations.
Allen could be on the hot seat after this year.
Mike McCarthy has gone three straight years of going 12-5 as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
However, in big games against good teams or the playoffs, Dallas always seems to falter.
They got embarrassed at home against the Packers in the wild-card round last year.
Dallas never seems fully prepared in games that matter a lot.
They beat up on inferior opponents but struggle against good teams.
McCarthy constantly gets out-coached, like he did last year against Matt LaFleur in the playoffs.
McCarthy is on the hot seat unless the Cowboys go far in the playoffs but it will be tough this year.
Their roster is not as good as in previous years.
McCarthy is in serious jeopardy of being let go after this year.
