Okay, folks – we are rapidly approaching that time! NFL football is right around the corner, and we had quite a few shake-ups this offseason with head coaches.
Not only with new faces in new places but also with coaches who are on the rise and some who are on the decline!
Let’s take a look around the NFL and rank all 32 teams’ head coaches from worst to first!
Who are the top head coaches in the NFL right now? 32. New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo
32. New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo
It feels strange to have a New England Patriots head coach this low after the standard that Bill Belichick set for so long…
But the Patriots have been on a downward trend since Tom Brady’s departure and now with Belichick gone—the organization is truly in rebuilt mode. Full stop.
So… Fair or not… We have to tag their new head coach, Jerod Mayo, who has zero head coaching experience at the professional level, as the worst coach in the NFL heading into 2024.
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Of course, as the season progresses, he’ll have a chance to prove otherwise with the results his team manages to produce on the field… However, the way that roster is shaping up and the recent decision to sell off one of their top players, Matthew Judon, for a third-round pick—doesn’t bode well for Mayo in terms of climbing the 2024 rankings.
31. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon
Jonathan Gannon enters his second season as the Cardinals’ head coach after a rocky 4 and 13 debut season.
Granted, he had his work cut out for him in his rookie year with Kyler Murray out with an ACL injury most of the year… But still, he is supposed to be a defensive minded coach and Arizona left a lot to be desired on that side of the ball as well.
Heading into 2024, Gannon will have to pick himself up and climb the ranks gradually… and with Murray re-entering the fold—he has no more excuses! It is time to deliver.
30. Carolina Panthers: Dave Canales
Dave Canales steps into his first head coaching role with the Panthers, taking over from Frank Reich, who was fired after a putrid 2023 season.
I mean… Reich got the boot after the offense produced 15 or fewer points for the fifth straight week and the seventh time in 11 games, during which they went 1 and 10—so… at least the bar to clear for Canales is low.
That said, he will at least have to show some sort of results to solidify his roles—not just in his temperamental owner, David Tepper’s mind, but also with the fans—who are going to expect him to help develop Bryce Young and the rest of that youthful offense.
29. Tennessee Titans: Brian Callahan
The Tennessee Titans’ decision to fire longtime head coach Mike Vrabel was not without controversy. He presided over an unprecedented six-year period of stability and built a reputation as a respected NFL head coach.
The roster, however, had been trending downward, and the one that Brian Callahan is going to inherit in 2024 leaves a lot to be desired.
It has all the makings of an extremely challenging year for the Titans and their rookie head coach.
If Callahan can manage to get this team sniffing the playoff hunt, let alone in actual contention, it will be impressive.
And for that reason we have to stack him at the bottom of our rankings… No experience, taking over a bad team—and little hope in sight!
28. Chicago Bears: Matt Eberflus
Matt Eberflus enters his second season with the Bears, and thus far, the results haven’t been pretty for the former Colts DC, as he has stacked together a 10 and 24 record as a head coach.
Eberflus is best known for his defensive pedigree, but his inability to do anything with the Bears’ offense, especially last year after they acquired DJ Moore, was a major red flag.
Now that they’ve successfully scapegoated Justin Fields and have moved on to USC alum Caleb Williams, the pressure will be on Eberflus in a big way.
The development of the aforementioned Williams is critical, and Eberflus will need to show significant improvement in 2024 to quiet the doubters.
27. Seattle Seahawks: Mike Macdonald
Mike Macdonald is stepping into a challenging situation in Seattle, taking over for a legend in Pete Carroll…
But there is some reason to believe that he’ll be among the most successful of the first-year head coaches in 2024.
Geno Smith has proven to be a serviceable starter—and Macdonald worked magic with the Ravens defense in the last couple of years… If he can reinstate the franchise’s proud defensive traditions, we could see Macdonald climbing the rankings surprisingly quickly this season.
26. Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris
Atlanta has finally said goodbye to Arthur Smith—and, hopefully, an era of perennial disappointment.
Raheem Morris actually has some previous experience as an NFL head coach, back in 2009 to 2011 with the Tampa Bay Bucs—and he served as the interim head coach for Atlanta in 2020.
Plus, he is inheriting one of the more talented rosters among the bottom dwellers on this list—and they brought in a legitimate QB1 in Kirk Cousins.
Granted, Kirk is coming off an Achilles injury, so the jury is still out on what he and this offense will look like, but Morris at least has the pedigree and the roster to establish himself this go around.
25. Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn is a respected veteran coach, though, mostly because of his work as a defensive coordinator. Although the Falcons excelled during his tenure as their head coach, it never really seemed like he got the whole “CEO of the Team” thing.
It will be interesting to see how he handles a far less experienced roster in Washington—and if he has picked up any valuable lessons during his most recent stint in Dallas coaching the Cowboys D under Mike McCarthy.
24. New Orleans Saints: Dennis Allen
Dennis Allen enters 2024 with a Saints team that has high expectations, particularly with Derek Carr expected to be at full strength.
Allen’s defensive background has kept New Orleans competitive in an admittedly weak NFC South, but the offense has been extremely inconsistent. Allen is heading into a make-or-break year… It is time for him to prove that he can facilitate successful offensive football and get the Saints into the playoffs.
23. Buffalo Bills: Sean McDermott
Sean McDermott has built the Bills into a perennial contender, but they have yet to reach the Super Bowl under his leadership.
Honestly… Despite what the media will tell you, they’ve been pretty damn far from it, all things considered.
Buffalo’s window for success is open as long as Josh Allen is under center, but the pressure is on McDermott to deliver in 2024.
22. Denver Broncos: Sean Payton
Sean Payton is one of the most accomplished coaches in the NFL, but his first year with the Broncos in 2023 was an unmitigated disaster.
Payton was brought in to fix Russell Wilson and deliver Denver back into contention, but the results were subpar, to say the least.
Now that he has jettisoned Wilson out of town, it is time for Payton to prove his worth in the Mile High City.
21. New York Jets: Robert Saleh
Robert Saleh is heading into his fourth season with the Jets, and the pressure is on… And understandably so… I mean, the team has posted an 18 and 33 record under his leadership.
He wouldn’t be this high on the list if he hadn’t done such a great job with that defense and suffered through Zach Wilson under center.
With Rodgers back from injury, it is time for Saleh to prove he is more than a DC and elevate this franchise to Super Bowl contention.
20. New York Giants: Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll had an impressive debut season with the Giants in 2022, leading them to the playoffs, but 2023 was a nightmare… Daniel Jones, whose development Daboll was initially credited for, regressed massively, and then he went down with an injury.
Daboll did a good job of keeping the locker room together down the stretch of a challenging year, but sooner or later the Mara Family is going to start demanding more results.
19. Philadelphia Eagles: Nick Sirianni
While you might expect Nick Sirianni to be near the top of the list, considering the success his Eagles have had in recent years, we are skeptical about his proficiency.
He seems like the sizzle-no-steak kind of NFL head coach who was riding off the creativity and expertise of his coordinators, who turned the Eagles into a juggernaut.
With the way that the team collapsed down the stretch last year—and his inability to get on the same page as his star quarterback, Jalen Hurts, there is serious reason to doubt Sirianni’s coaching chops.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Pederson
Doug Pederson was one of the hottest names in the NFL last year. Obviously, he won the Super Bowl with Philly a couple of years prior, and it looked like he was turning the Jaguars into a contender, but with the way that his squad fell apart and ended up missing the playoffs, his reputation has taken a major hit.
17. Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy has led the Cowboys to consistent success, but playoff disappointments have cast a shadow over his tenure. It’s not too dissimilar to what we saw out of him in Green Bay.
Though, at least with the Packers he was lucky enough to have Rodgers help carry him to a Super Bowl win… Otherwise his career would be viewed completely differently.
16. Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce
Antonio Pierce took over the Raiders last year after Josh McDaniels was unceremoniously fired and brought energy and stability to a team in turmoil, earning the full-time job.
This season will be crucial in determining the trajectory of his coaching career.
15. Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski
In his four seasons as head coach, the Browns are 37-30, good for a .552 -winning percentage, the highest the Browns have had over a four-year stretch since 1986-89… Success with such a cursed franchise is a heck of a feather to have in your cap.
Especially with the miracle we saw him pull off last year with Joe Flacco under center.
14. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin OConnell
After going 13 and 4 as a rookie NFL head coach, Kevin O’Connell hit a major sophomore slump in 2023… And unfortunately, once again, he will have to go through the year with a quarterback missing most of the season following the J.J. McCarthy injury.
O’Connell will have to pull a rabbit out of his hat with Sam Darnold if he wants to maintain his spot in the ranking.
13. Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel
Mike McDaniel was quickly tabbed one of the NFL’s most innovative offensive minds with the work he did as an OC in San Fran—and he’s done a great job meeting expectations with that Dolphins offense now that he is the head coach.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin remains one of the most respected coaches in the NFL, with a track record of consistent success, despite the Steelers having been in a transitional phase post-Big Ben.
Revitalizing either Russell Wilson or Justin Field’s career in 2024 would be another great accomplishment to tack on to his resume.
11. Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur
LaFleur’s early success in Green Bay was closely tied to Rodgers, but credit to him for the job he did turning that team around quickly in 2023 with Jordan Love under center.
This year, he and the Pack will have increased expectations. It will be interesting to see if he can rise to the occasion.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles
Towles is known for his defensive mind, but his track record as a head coach has been underwhelming, both with the Jets and now with the Bucs. That said, he deserves a ton of credit for the job he did on the Baker Mayfield reclamation project—and expediting the rebuild in Tampa Bay post-Tom Brady retirement.
9. Indianapolis Colts: Shane Steichen
Shane Steichen is entering his second season with the Colts, a team still very much in rebuild mode, but he and his young team showed a lot of promise last year…
Especially with the offensive schemes he cooked up around backup QB Gardner Minshew to keep the team in contention.
8. Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans
It is easy to see why DeMeco Ryans was one of the hottest head coaching prospects during his time as the DC in San Francisco…
The Texans head coach has done a masterful job of leading that young team into serious contention with a rookie quarterback—not to mention turning that defense around seemingly overnight.
7. Detroit Lions: Dan Campbell
Dan Campbell has brought new energy and toughness to the Lions, leading them to an impressive NFC Championship Game appearance.
Now… The Lions are a team on the rise, and expectations are higher than they’ve been in years. Let’s see what else Campbell has in the tank!
6. Los Angeles Chargers: Jim Harbaugh
Brandon Staley’s tenure with the Chargers has mercifully come to an end—and, thus, the Jim Harbaugh era has begun in Los Angeles.
Granted, Jim has been out of the professional ranks for a while now, but considering he is coming off a College National Championship—and all of the success he had as the head coach of the 49ers before that—he has to be viewed amongst the top coaches in the NFL.
5. Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh is one of the most successful and respected coaches in the NFL—and unlike his brother, he actually has a Super Bowl ring to his name. The Ravens are always competitive under his leadership—and with the squad they have heading into 2024—they are legit contenders.
4. Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor
Zac Taylor’s partnership with Joe Burrow has been instrumental in turning the lowly Cincinnati franchise around… but Taylor has also done a great job of building a playmaking defense to complement that offense.
3. Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay
Sean McVay remains one of the brightest young coaches in the NFL—and let’s not forget he already has a Super Bowl win to his name.
He will have a new challenge this year following Aaron Donald’s retirement, but best not to doubt McVay.
2. San Francisco 49ers: Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan continues to be one of the most innovative and successful coaches in the NFL.
The 49ers are going to be one of the favorites to come out of the NFC, and all that is left for him to prove is that he can win the big one!
1. Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid
Until further notice, Andy Reid has to be considered the top head coach in the NFL… And if we aren’t careful, he might sneak up on Belichick on the all-time rankings—the job he has done keeping the Chiefs performing at the top of the powers has been extremely impressive.
