Top 10 Coaches In NFL History – The Wright Way Network

The game of football has been around for over 100 years. Over the course of that time the game has evolved in a multitude of ways, the style and pace of play, the physical makeup of the players, etc. What hasnt changed is the importance that head coaches have on the game and their team.

Down below is my list of the top 10 coaches in NFL history. There may be some names on this list that some people have never heard of. But now, you are going to embark on a history lesson and learn about some of the greats that have anchored the sidelines in NFL history.

1. Bill Belichick

First off, this is an easy one. Bill Belichick is without a doubt the greatest football coach of all time. Since taking over the New England Patriots he has won the most Super Bowls (six), most playoff wins (31), and has the third most wins of all time with 290, and much more to his resume.

He was the genius who saw something in Tom Brady when no one else did, and has overseen one of the greatest dynasties in the history of sports. In 22 seasons with the Patriots he has missed the playoffs only four times, one of those seasons he went 11-5 with Matt Cassel having to fill in for Brady.

Over the course of his tenure he has managed to continuously win, without spending a lot of money, and getting the best out of players that arent regarded as stars, while also finding ways to replace star players when they depart.

He may be boring, his assistants may stink when they become head coaches, but hes undoubtedly the goat.

2. Vince Lombardi

The Super Bowl trophy was named after Vince Lombardi for good reason. Although he was only a head coach for ten years, (nine with the Green Bay Packers, one with the Washington Redskins) he accomplished a whole lot in that short amount of time.

In nine years with the Packers he won five tiles, three NFL titles (what they called the championship before the Super Bowl), and two Super Bowls. He lost ONLY ONE playoff game with a record of 9-1 in the postseason. His regular season record was 96-34-6, which is equivalent to a 74% winning percentage.

Lombardi was known as a great leader, who knew how to inspire his players with rousing speeches, and made his players work extremely hard to be better than everyone else. He always thought that his role as a coach was similar to a teacher, and he felt it was his job to teach his players the skills they needed to win.

One of the things that worked well for Lombardi and made him such a great leader was that he didnt play favorites among his players and always emphasized a team first mentality. He made each player believe that they could accomplish anything.

Lombardi was one of the original quote machines in football, except instead of saying things that were controversial, he said things that were motivational. When he spoke, people listened, his quotes are used constantly, not just in sports but in all forms of life.

3. George Halas

George Papa Bear Halas entire life revolved around the game of football. For 40 years Halas coached the Chicago Bears. In that time he won eight NFL titles and 324 games. He coached on and off from 1920-67, and left a mark on football that cannot be understated.

Halas was the first person to start holding daily practice sessions, watch film of opponents, place assistant coaches in the press box, put tarp on the field, publish a club newspaper, and to broadcast games on radio. The Bear legend was also an owner for a long period of time, which means that his influence and power over the franchise was absolute in many ways.

Halas was a master of his craft, and the Bears havent really been as dominant since. They had periods of success with Mike Ditka who won a Super Bowl in 1985 and Lovie Smith who got the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006, but none have been able to come anywhere close to filling the shoes of Halas.

4. Don Shula

There are few better than this man in the picture above in the stylish glasses and sleek teal jacket. Don Shula was the man for the Miami Dolphins for 25 years from 1970-1995. Prior to that he was the head coach of the Baltimore Colts for 6 years from 1963-69, finishing his Colts tenure with a record of 71-23-4 winning 76% of his games. In Baltimore he established himself as one of the best young coaches in the sport. He coached superstar players like Johnny Unitas, Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore, John Mackey, and many more.

But it was Miami where he was most known. Shulas greatest achievement was going 14-0 in 1972 and winning the Super Bowl with the Dolphins. Nobody has been able to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl since. Many have tried and all have failed. They went on to win the Super Bowl in 1973 as well.

The biggest thing that hurts Shulas legacy is the fact that he was never able to win a Super Bowl with Dan Marino, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Another was losing to the 1968 New York Jets in Super Bowl III, in a game where the Colts were significant favorites and the much better team on paper.

But, Shula is the winningest coach in NFL history with 347 total wins when you combine the regular season and playoffs which gives him a winning percentage of .665.

Another thing that I think shows Shulas impact is the fact that in the 25 years since he retired the Dolphins have MADE the playoffs seven times. When Shula was the coach they made the playoffs 15 times. They havent been anywhere close to as good since his retirement.

5. Tom Landry

The man in the silhouette was always dressed for success with his fedora, suit and tie. For 29 seasons, Tom Landry led the Dallas Cowboys to great success and made them Americas Team.

For the first six seasons, Landry failed to get the upstart Cowboys into the playoffs. But over the course of the next 19 seasons, the Cowboys missed the playoffs only twice. In that stretch they also made four Super Bowl appearances, winning two.

He invented the 4-3 defense which is commonly used in the NFL today, as well as the shotgun offense. His 250 wins put him fourth on the all time wins list. He had 20 consecutive winning seasons and during that time, he won 13 division titles and had 18 playoff berths.

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Top 10 Coaches In NFL History - The Wright Way Network