Top 10 Head Coaches going into 2023 season

[AnAngryAmerican]

Question is pretty straightforward - who are the top-10 HCs in the league entering the season? We were having this debate last week and everyone had a consensus top-7 or 8 but after that it got murky.

So have at it. Let’s kill sometime before camps start. 

[Ozzy]

Hard call, and honestly a few younger guys I did not include because I think of lot of their success is the roster they have as in Nick Sirianni, or the QB they have with Zac Taylor, Brandon Staley and used to be Matt LaFleur but we will see how LaFleur does without Rodgers.

 

 

Andy Reid
Kyle Shanahan
Bill Belichick
Mike Tomlin
Jon Harbaugh
Sean McVay
Pete Carroll
Doug Pederson
Mike Vrabel
Sean McDermott

 

 

 

Brian Daboll and DeMeco Ryans could soon be added to that list, both I feel will do very well especially Ryans in the next few years.  

[LLcheesehead12]

Might be a bit of a stretch but I'll go ...

1. Andy Reid obviously

2. Kyle Shanahan

3. Zac Taylor

4. Sean McDermott

5. Dan Campbell - a reach maybe but if Detroit has finally put the pieces together, and if those Fords finally quit screwing up good things when they have him, I think he's got a good chance to prove his case here

6. Nick Sirrani

7. Brian Daboll

8. Brandon Staley

9. Mike McCarthy

10. Mike McDaniel

[Ozzy]

 

3. Zac Taylor  No way is he this high without Joe Burrow as his QB, he is lucky to not lose Lou as a head coach somewhere but that might happen after this season.

 

5. Dan Campbell  He needs needs to prove it a bit more, it is impressive what they did last year and if they keep it up maybe he could sneak into the top 10

 

6. Nick Sirrani  I would never put him this high after what two seasons?  He needs more long term success before he is ahead of the likes of Tomlin and Belichick etc in my book.  All of those Eagles coaches benefited from having the best roster in the NFL especially if you do not look at the QB position.  Arguably one of if not the best OL, DL, WR core, DB unit etc.  

 

8. Brandon Staley  Again without Herbert as his QB no way he is that good as a team, and honestly that team has recently really disappointed and if they disappoint again next year he will be fired maybe after this year.  

 

9. Mike McCarthy  I was more impressed with Doug Pederson and what he did last year than McCarthy, McCarthy needs to start winning when it matters.

 

10. Mike McDaniel  After one season as a head coach he is top 10?  No way, and from recent coaches on the 49ers, I would say DeMeco Ryans will be better than McDaniel is long term and Robert Saleh has already shown he might be.  We will see if the Dolphins are good this year or not even with all that talent on the team.  

[notthatbluestuff]

16 hours ago, LLcheesehead12 said:

Might be a bit of a stretch but I'll go ...

1. Andy Reid obviously

2. Kyle Shanahan

3. Zac Taylor

4. Sean McDermott

5. Dan Campbell - a reach maybe but if Detroit has finally put the pieces together, and if those Fords finally quit screwing up good things when they have him, I think he's got a good chance to prove his case here

6. Nick Sirrani

7. Brian Daboll

8. Brandon Staley

9. Mike McCarthy

10. Mike McDaniel

This man has Brandon Staley in his top 10 with Bill Belichick nowhere to be seen.

[AnAngryAmerican]

It’s really an interesting debate, as many of you have alluded to as there are long established coaches - Belichick, Tomlin, Harbaugh, Carroll - who have had the time to install as system, build a culture and acquire players who fit what they want to do. 

Newer coaches - Siriani, Daboll, Taylor - have come in and turned things for their respective franchises around quickly, but how much of that is due to them or does more credit rest with their lot of talent; all 3 have young QBs on rookie contracts, which cannot be discounted.

For my friends and I who were discussing this - we’re here in Broncos Country - the debate began when I stated that this season will provide an interesting case study as to the level of impact coaching has in the NFL.

Nathaniel Hackett, who appeared so enormously out of his depth as a HC last year, was replaced with a guy in Sean Payton who has been a HC for 15 years, boasts a .630 career win record and owns a Super Bowl ring. Whether or not Sean is an “elite” HC is almost immaterial as he is certainly superior to Hackett. Furthermore, the Broncos’ roster did not undergo, sans some changes around the edges, major alterations from last year. 

FWIW, my top 10 going into the year would be, in no particular order, Reid, Tomlin, Shanahan, Belichick, Carroll, Harbaugh, McVay, Payton, Pederson and McDermott. Tough to choose between McDermott and duo of Siriani and Taylor but I’ll go with McDermott who took over a bare cupboard and has been to the playoffs 5 times in 6 years. 

[DawgX]

1 hour ago, notthatbluestuff said:

This man has Brandon Staley in his top 10 with Bill Belichick nowhere to be seen.

That's just one of the things wrong with his list.

[Ozzy]

3 hours ago, AnAngryAmerican said:

It’s really an interesting debate, as many of you have alluded to as there are long established coaches - Belichick, Tomlin, Harbaugh, Carroll - who have had the time to install as system, build a culture and acquire players who fit what they want to do. 

Newer coaches - Siriani, Daboll, Taylor - have come in and turned things for their respective franchises around quickly, but how much of that is due to them or does more credit rest with their lot of talent; all 3 have young QBs on rookie contracts, which cannot be discounted.

For my friends and I who were discussing this - we’re here in Broncos Country - the debate began when I stated that this season will provide an interesting case study as to the level of impact coaching has in the NFL.

Nathaniel Hackett, who appeared so enormously out of his depth as a HC last year, was replaced with a guy in Sean Payton who has been a HC for 15 years, boasts a .630 career win record and owns a Super Bowl ring. Whether or not Sean is an “elite” HC is almost immaterial as he is certainly superior to Hackett. Furthermore, the Broncos’ roster did not undergo, sans some changes around the edges, major alterations from last year. 

FWIW, my top 10 going into the year would be, in no particular order, Reid, Tomlin, Shanahan, Belichick, Carroll, Harbaugh, McVay, Payton, Pederson and McDermott. Tough to choose between McDermott and duo of Siriani and Taylor but I’ll go with McDermott who took over a bare cupboard and has been to the playoffs 5 times in 6 years. 

I forgot about Sean Payton, need to see how he does outside of New Orleans though but if he does well with the Broncos then yes of course he could be a top 10 coach in the NFL.  

 

Then again if Sean Payton did not have Drew Brees in New Orleans he would not have been nearly as successful over such a long period of time.  Curious how Russell Wilson will do with the short quick passing game, Wilson seems more like a deep ball play action passer type QB who scrambles to extend plays and make long throws downfield.  That was not Drew Brees even though he was super mobile and athletic, he was an accurate short passer in my book.

[LLcheesehead12]

On 7/19/2023 at 3:44 PM, notthatbluestuff said:

This man has Brandon Staley in his top 10 with Bill Belichick nowhere to be seen.

Well I'm mostly looking at who is currently sitting in that zone right here and now in 2023.  To clarify ...

If this list was more of a top 10 head coaches of all time list going back through the decades or something like that, obviously Bellichek would be number 1.  But I mean like right now looking at where each coach with each team is stacking up, I put him outside that range because post Brady he's gone 25-25 reg season with 2 losing seasons and 0-1 playoffs, his most recent being 8-9 and today, the Patriots are just not the AFC East power they once were.  Now yes I still consider him top of all time because he does have 7 Superbowl wins to his name, but in the here and now entering this season no.

[INbengalfan]

On 7/19/2023 at 7:43 AM, Ozzy said:

 

3. Zac Taylor  No way is he this high without Joe Burrow as his QB, he is lucky to not lose Lou as a head coach somewhere but that might happen after this season.

Does he not get credit for building a culture that has changed everything about the organization?  He also had the foresight to hire Lou Anarumo, whom most on this site considered hot trash.  They've been to two straight AFCCGs.

 

A very similar argument can be made for McDermott.

[Ozzy]

2 hours ago, INbengalfan said:

Does he not get credit for building a culture that has changed everything about the organization?  He also had the foresight to hire Lou Anarumo, whom most on this site considered hot trash.  They've been to two straight AFCCGs.

 

A very similar argument can be made for McDermott.

Very true, without Josh Allen on Buffalo, McDermott is probably fired a little while back and having Frazier as the DC really helps.  Will tell a lot how he does without Frazier this year.

 

As for Zac Taylor, well for one that little McVay coaching tree is a bit overrated and just look at McVay this past year without the talented roster he had years previous.  Was insane how many guys where hired just because of that McVay connection recently and the likes of Taylor and LaFleur both had all world QBs.  LaFleur will not now, will really tell who good he is, and with Zac Taylor say Burrow is out a month, that will tell a lot as well because there backup situation is a freaking joke.  No clue how they did not draft a guy in this past draft as a backup/developmental QB.  

 

Bengals are one of the top 5 teams in the NFL currently, but an absolute ton of that has to do with Joe Burrow in my opinion, take him out and no way they have that type of success.

[INbengalfan]

11 hours ago, Ozzy said:

Bengals are one of the top 5 teams in the NFL currently, but an absolute ton of that has to do with Joe Burrow in my opinion, take him out and no way they have that type of success.

Yeah sure, Burrow has a ton to do with it.  Is belichick a great coach, because he had Brady but hasn't done squat since?  How about Bill Walsh, who was saddled to Joe Montana and had Steve Young as a backup?  Tomlin had Little Ben, Payton had Brees, Parcells had Phil Sims, etc.  

 

All I'm saying is a lot of great coaches had great QBs.  You can't just ding the younger ones because of it.  

And I think you are overplaying the coaching tree angle.  It's great to have started under a great HC, but many of these guys go on to do their own thing and succeed.  Siriani just lost both coordinators, so he must be doing something right.  Both Bengals coordinators were finalists that lost to those other two from the Eagles.

[Ozzy]

42 minutes ago, INbengalfan said:

Yeah sure, Burrow has a ton to do with it.  Is belichick a great coach, because he had Brady but hasn't done squat since?  How about Bill Walsh, who was saddled to Joe Montana and had Steve Young as a backup?  Tomlin had Little Ben, Payton had Brees, Parcells had Phil Sims, etc.  

 

All I'm saying is a lot of great coaches had great QBs.  You can't just ding the younger ones because of it.  

And I think you are overplaying the coaching tree angle.  It's great to have started under a great HC, but many of these guys go on to do their own thing and succeed.  Siriani just lost both coordinators, so he must be doing something right.  Both Bengals coordinators were finalists that lost to those other two from the Eagles.

How much you want to bet one if not both of the Eagles coordinators that became head coaches will be fired within 5 years.

 

I am saying longevity matters a lot and until a head coach proves that they still have a long ways to go.  Of course QB play matters but Tomlin has won without Big Ben, Belichick has won without Brady, Payton will win without Brees and even won without him when he was hurt.  Sure maybe not win a Super Bowl but they have won games and been solid teams without great QBs.

 

To call a head coach top 10 in the NFL and he has barely even coached 10 years in the NFL is a bit much.  Then again talented personalities can rise up, but depends on what one looks for in a head coach.  I have way more long term faith in say DeMeco Ryans than the coordinators on the Eagles, because Ryans has been great on the 49ers despite changing parts he has stayed consistent much less his energy level is outstanding and as a player dude was legit.  But now a days all teams want is a QB friendly cool white guy coach it seems, which is getting a bit old.  Then again QB so important regardless to winning big and there is that.

[INbengalfan]

4 hours ago, Ozzy said:

How much you want to bet one if not both of the Eagles coordinators that became head coaches will be fired within 5 years.

 

I am saying longevity matters a lot and until a head coach proves that they still have a long ways to go.  Of course QB play matters but Tomlin has won without Big Ben, Belichick has won without Brady, Payton will win without Brees and even won without him when he was hurt.  Sure maybe not win a Super Bowl but they have won games and been solid teams without great QBs.

 

How does the two Eagles coordinators getting fired within 5 years have anything to do with Siriani?  

 

I've never said that Taylor or Siriani have to be included in the top ten, but with your measure for excluding them as you stated in the initial post, how does that not portend to coaches who have been around longer?  Truth is, having a good QB is the #1 thing that helps a coach succeed.  Number of years as the HC has no bearing in that.  Belichick, as great as he is, now has Mac Jones, and hasn't looked the same since Brady left.

[minutemancl]

Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, Sean Mcvay are still the top guys. Harbaugh, Carroll, Payton are behind those 4, so there's your top 7. You're right, the last 3 get murky. 

You've got guys like Pederson and Mccarthy who have won super bowls, but I've got 0 faith in Mccarthy to be honest. I think this is his last year in Dallas. Pederson is in the running.

Then you've got some solid young-ish coaches who have come close, but haven't won it all. Shanahan, McDermott, Taylor, Vrabel, Sirianni, and Lafleur. You've also got some new head coaches that are potential hotshots in McDaniel and Daboll. 

I think Pederson definitely makes it; he won a super bowl with a backup QB and took a team that won 2 games the previous year to the 2nd round of the playoffs. Shanahan seems to run a little hot and cold, but he's just as good of an offensive mind as Mcvay and he's come pretty close recently, also with a backup QB, so he gets the nod as well. The last spot in the top 10 I'm going to give to Vrabel. He's Tomlin-like to me in that no matter how bad the personnel is, he's getting you at least 7 wins every year. 

1. Bill Belichick

2. Andy Reid

3. Mike Tomlin

4. Sean Mcvay

5. John Harbaugh

6. Pete Carroll

7. Sean Payton

8. Doug Pederson

9. Kyle Shanahan

10. Mike Vrabel

Maybe it's a homer take, but I could easily see Brian Daboll rocketing up this ranking soon.