Independent Country

James Leroy Wilson's one-man magazine.

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Rating every Super Bowl coach

 Welcome to the MVP Chase, where I look for, or chase, the best objective criteria in determining greatness without personal bias.



Photo credit: Torsten Bolten


Yesterday I ranked every Super Bowl quarterback. Today, I'm ranking every Super Bowl coach. 


It is based on winning percentage, conference/league titles, and Super Bowl wins. I break the rankings into four categories:


  • Short careers (1-7 years). For one reason or another, the coach did not last long. For instance: Don McCafferty inherited Don Shula's monster Colts team in 1970 and won a Super Bowl. He was fired less than two years later for refusing to bench aging star Johnny Unitas. He then led the Lions to a 6-7-1 record before dying of a heart attack. Others in this group may have just been poor head coaches who caught lightning in a bottle but whose services were not in demand long after. Also, several active coaches are on this list; it's no reflection on Zac Taylor that he ranks low now, but he has time to move up.

  • Established careers (8-14 years). Coaches who had time to really prove themselves.

  • Long careers (15-21 years). These coaches were often entrenched in one team for a long time because they won a lot of games.

  • Lifers (22+ years). 


Depending on today's Super Bowl outcome, Nick Sirianni can take over first place in the "Brief Career" category,  or Andy Reid can move up in the "Lifer" category.


The number preceding the coach's name is his rating. After is the number of Super Bowls he has won.


I also mention the number of different teams each has coached. Where they had success only with the team they took to the Super Bowl and failed at another stop, I only mention the number of teams they coached. Where they had some success at two or more stops, I mention it. If I say "Both had winning seasons") I mean "both teams had winning seasons at least once" (also, "both went to the playoffs at least once" and "both went to the Super Bowl at least once"). 


Active coaches are in bold and Hall of Fame coaches are in italics.


1–7 years


  1. 7.62 Sean McVay -1  (6 years, 1 team) 

  2. 7.26 Nick Sirianni -0 (2 years, 1 team)

  3. 7.25 Barry Switzer -1 (4 years, 1 team)

  4. 7.20 Don McCafferty -1 (4 years, 2 teams) 

  5. 6.95 Jim Harbaugh -0 (4 years, 1 team)

  6. 6.95 Red Miller -0 (4 years, 1 team)

  7. 6.74 Mike Martz -0 (6 years, 1 team)

  8. 6.38 John Rauch -0 (5 years, 2 teams)

  9. 6.31 Doug Pederson -1 (6 years 2 teams, both went the playoffs)

  10. 6.04 Jim Caldwell -0 (7 years, 2 teams, both teams to the playoffs)

  11. 6.02 Raymond Berry -0  (6 years, 1 team)

  12. 5.81 Kyle Shanahan -0 (6 years, 1 team)

  13. 5.72 Jim Fassel -0 ((7 years, 1 team)

  14. 5.68 Ray Malavasi -0 (6 years, 2 teams)

  15. 5.56 Dan Quinn -0 (6 years, 1 team)

  16. 4.88 Zac Taylor -0 (4 years, 1 team)

  17. 4.80 Ken Whisenhunt -0 (8 years, 2 teams)

  18. 4.69 Bill Callahan -0 (3 years, 2 teams)


7-14 years


  1. 10.88 Vince Lombardi -2 (10 years, 2 teams, both had winning seasons)

  2. 9.09 Bill Walsh - 3 (10 years, 1 team)

  3. 8.59 John Madden - 1 (10 years, 1 team)

  4. 8.48 George Seifert -2 (11 years, 2 teams)

  5. 7.68 Tony Dungy -1 (13 years, 2 teams, both went to playoffs)

  6. 7.62 George Allen -0 (12 years, 2 teams, both went to playoffs)

  7. 7.56 Jimmy Johnson -2 (9 years, 2 teams, both went to playoffs)

  8. 7.27 Tom Flores -2 (12 years, 2 teams)

  9. 7.24 Bruce Arians -1 (8 years, 3 teams, all went to playoffs) 

  10. 6.60 Mike Ditka -1 (14 years, 2 teams)

  11. 6.46 Brian Billick -1 6 (9 years, 1 team) 

  12. 6.22 Gary Kubiak -1 (10 years, 2 teams, both went to playoffs)

  13. 5.90 Bobby Ross -0 (9 years, 2 teams, both went to playoffs)

  14. 5.71 Ron Rivera  -0  (12 years, 2 teams, both went to playoffs) 

  15. 5.29 Lovie Smith -0 (12 years, 3 teams, 2 had winning seasons)

  16. 5.19 Forrest Gregg -0 (11 years, 3 teams, 2 had winning seasons)

  17. 4.90 Sam Wyche -0 (12 years, 2 teams)


15-21 years


  1. 9.71 Joe Gibbs -3 (16 years, one team - 2 separate tenures; went to playoffs in both)

  2. 8.21 Bud Grant -0 (18 years, 1 team, 2 separate tenures)

  3. 8.19 Bill Parcells -2 (19 years, 4 teams, 2 to Super Bowl, 2 others to playoffs)

  4. 7.92 Mike Holmgren -1 (17 years, 2 teams, both to Super Bowl)

  5. 7.86 Mike Tomlin -1 (16 years, 1 team)

  6. 7.79 Marv Levy -0 (17 years, 2 teams, both had winning seasons)

  7. 7.74 Hank Stram -1 (17 years, 2 teams) 

  8. 7.73 Bill Cowher -1 (15 years, 1 team)

  9. 7.52 Mike Shanahan -2 (20 years, 2 teams, both to playoffs)

  10. 7.39 Pete Carroll -1 (17 years, 2 teams, both to playoffs)   

  11. 7.31 Tom Coughlin -2  (20 years, 2 teams, both to playoffs))  

  12. 7.31 Sean Payton -1 (15 years, 1 team (through 2022 season) 

  13. 7.14 Mike McCarthy -1 (16 years, 2 teams, both to playoffs) 

  14. 7.07 John Harbaugh -1 (15 years, 1 team)  

  15. 7.02 Weeb Ewbank -1 (20 years)  ( 2 teams, one to Super Bowl; the other pre-Super Bowl NFL championships)

  16. 6.74 Dick Vermeil -1 (15 years, 3 teams, all went to playoffs)

  17. 6.20 John Fox - 0 (16 years, 3 teams, 2 went to Super Bowl) 

  18. 6.11 Jon Gruden - 1 (15 years, 2 teams, both went to playoffs)


22+ years


  1. 14.12 Bill Belichick (6) (28 years, 2 teams, both to playoffs)

  2. 10.77 Don Shula -2  (33 years, 2 teams, both to Super Bowl)

  3. 9.66 Chuck Noll -4  (23 years, 1 team)

  4. 9.57 Tom Landry -2 (29 years, 1 team)

  5. 8.91 Andy Reid -1  (24 years, 2 teams, both to SB) 

  6. 7.35 Dan Reeves -0 (23 years, 3 teams, 2 to Super Bowl, 1  to playoffs)

  7. 5.62 Jeff Fisher -0  (22 years, 2 teams) 


 Regardless of category, the ten highest-rated coaches are:


  1. Bill Belichick

  2. Vince Lombardi

  3. Don Shula

  4. Joe Gibbs

  5. Chuck Noll

  6. Tom Landry

  7. Bill Walsh

  8. Andy Reid

  9. John Madden

  10. George Seifert


Of the 60 head coaches listed, 28 had at least some success with two or more teams. This suggests that they were very good coaches who weren't just lucky to be in the right situation. Another 21 coached only one team. Eleven had success with their Super Bowl team but failed elsewhere.


Failing with the 2nd team may have delayed Geoge Seifert's induction to the Hall of Fame. After eight years, two Super Bowl titles, and the highest winning percentage in NFL history with the 49ers, Seifert ended his career going 8-8, 7-9, and 1-15 for the Carolina Panthers. I recall that Tom Flores had to wait more than 25 years before getting the call because of his disastrous run with the Seahawks.


There are 20 head coaches in the Hall of Fame whose careers were entirely within or substantially part of the Super Bowl era. Likewise, there are 21 quarterbacks that fit the description. Not all of them coached or played in the Super Bowl, but it seems appropriate that the number of coaches and quarterbacks are in alignment. In addition to Seifert, I see Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin, and Dan Reeves as strong candidates, although Bill Belichick and Andy Reid are sure to move to the head of the line if they retire soon.


James Leroy Wilson writes The MVP Chase, Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, and JL Cells. Thanks for your subscriptions and support! You may contact James for your writing, editing, and research needs: jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.
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