Ranking the NFL Head Coaches

[shatch62]

I was thinking last night as I watched our beloved Patriots destroy Minnesota on National TV that we are so lucky to be Pats fans. We get championships and we have players who are not T.O-like. These guys are easy to cheer for. I don’t want to say we take them for granted but in a way we sometimes do. Like with Belichick. There are a ton of us who are “in Bill we trust.†And there are others who have said that he has become arrogant and thinks he can win with anyone. It got me to thinking if Bill decided to hang it up after this year and the Pats could have any other Head Coach in the league who would you want? Lovie Smith? Tony Dungy? Seriously, name the one you would be excited to have. Here is a list of the head coaches in the NFL and their records:

New England Patriots (Bill Belichick) - Regular season record: 105-78; playoffs: 11-2
New York Jets - (Eric Mangini) - Regular season record: 4-4; playoffs: N/A
Buffalo Bills (**** Jauron) - Regular season record: 38-54; playoffs: 0-1
Miami Dolphins (Nick Saban) - Regular season record: 10-13; playoffs: N/A

Baltimore Ravens (Brian Billick) - Regular season record: 67-52; playoffs: 5-2
Cincinnati Bengals (Marvin Lewis) - Regular season record: 31-24; playoffs: 0-1
Cleveland Browns (Romeo Crennel) - Regular season record: 8-15; playoffs: N/A
Pittsburgh Steelers (Bill Cowher) - Regular season record: 143-87-1; playoffs: 12-9

Indianapolis Colts (Tony Dungy) - Regular season record: 109-58; playoffs: 5-8
Jacksonville Jaguars (Jack Del Rio) - Regular season record: 30-25; playoffs: 0-1
Tennessee Titans (Jeff Fisher) - Regular season record: 99-90; playoffs: 5-4
Houston Texans (Gary Kubiak) - Regular season record: 2-5; playoffs: N/A

Denver Broncos (Mike Shanahan) - Regular season record: 127-76; playoffs: 8-5
San Diego Chargers (Marty Schottenheimer) - Regular season record: 191-126-1; playoffs: 5-12
Kansas City Chiefs (Herm Edwards) - Regular season record: 43-44; playoffs: 2-3
Oakland Raiders (Art Shell) - Regular season record: 56-43; playoffs: 2-3

New York Giants (Tom Coughlin) - Regular season record: 90-77; playoffs: 4-5
Dallas Cowboys (Bill Parcells) - Regular season record: 167-126-1; playoffs: 11-7
Philadelphia Eagles (Andy Reid) - Regular season record: 74-46; playoffs: 7-5
Washington Redskins (Joe Gibbs) - Regular season record: 142-81; playoffs: 17-6

Chicago Bears (Lovie Smith) - Regular season record: 23-16; playoffs: 0-1
Minnesota Vikings - (Brad Childress) - Regular season record: 4-3; playoffs: N/A
Green Bay Packers - (Mike McCarthy) - Regular season record: 3-4; playoffs: N/A
Detroit Lions - (Rod Marinelli) - Regular season record: 1-6; playoffs: N/A

New Orleans Saints - (Sean Payton) - Regular season record: 5-2; playoffs: N/A
Atlanta Falcons (Jim Mora) - Regular season record: 24-15; playoffs: 1-1
Carolina Panthers (John Fox) - Regular season record: 40-32; playoffs: 5-2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jon Gruden) - Regular season record: 75-60; playoffs: 5-3

Seattle Seahawks (Mike Holmgren) - Regular season record: 142-89; playoffs: 11-9
St. Louis Rams - (Scott Linehan) - Regular season record: 4-3; playoffs: N/A
San Francisco 49ers (Mike Nolan) - Regular season record: 6-17; playoffs: N/A
Arizona Cardinals (Dennis Green) - Regular season record: 109-90; playoffs: 4-8

For me, the guy I would take is Jeff Fisher. I know his teams have stunk recently but I still think he is one of the better coaches. Lovie Smith would be on the list too.

Also I am sure these have been posted before but they are fun to look at in retrospect. Here are some coaching rankings that were printed several years back before Bill became the “geniusâ€.

2000
http://www.post-gazette.com/steelers/20000901fbncoaches3.asp
20. Bill Belichick
New England Patriots
First year
Career record: 36-44
Comment: Everyone keeps waiting for all those years working with Bill Parcells to rub off on Belichick. Guess what? It ain't happenin'.

2001
http://cbs.sportsline.com/b/page/pressbox/0,1328,3969965,00.html
30. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots. His players don't like him, the media doesn't like him, and his inflexibility is tiring. So why is he back running an NFL team? It's because he's a great defensive coordinator who is from the Bill Parcells' tree. Belichick is a much better coordinator than head coach, which the Patriots will find out.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Ouch! That's all you can say about those comments towards Bill!

I kinda like Cowher, Reid, Shanny. Maybe Mangini or Crennel will impress us, but the jury is still out.

I don't like Lovie Smith, with his little 'team of destiny' thing.

I don't like John Fox for similiar reasons. Arrogant players rule the roost.

I think Dungy is seriously overrated and flying high on a good offense. What big decisions does he make? Manning overruled the only decision I ever saw Dungy make. The Colts lose whenever they play good teams in the playoffs. These last few years they have had the easiest schedule IN THE LEAGUE. Dungy benefits from the lack of parity in the league right now.

Fisher is a small step down from the big boys in my opinion.

 

[SamBam39]

The guy you would want - hands down - far and away is Mike Shanahan.

He's the only one who comes anywhere close to having the insight of BB.

If you had to take someone else, the best two other candidates, in my opinion would be Mike Holmgren and John Fox.


But, none of tghem can come close to the level of knowledge and savvy of Bill Belichick. Gladly, he ain't going anywhere for a long time. He's just gonna keep gathering Lombardi trophies for the Pats for may more years! - isn't it great!

 

[Amnorix]

1. Belichick
2. Shanarat

[/big gap here]


3-8: Holmgren, Parcells, Gruden, Fox, Dungy, Cowher (mix them up however you want)

[big gap]

everyone else.

Lovie Smith, Marvin Lewis and a couple others look promising, but odn't have the track records, IMHO.

Marty Schottenheimer is a great regular season coach, but I wouldn't want him for my tema due to numerous playoff failures.

 

[SamBam39]

Exactly...but I hate the way he uses some really dirty technique...very borderline.

agreed, but what can you say? you's still take him for your team if no BB.

 

[Stokes]

Jeff Fisher comes to mind.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Those Walsh/Holmgren West Coach Offense coaches-HUGELY over-rated. Reg Season records nothing to be ashamed about-however, they can't coach worth a darn in the playoffs.

Parcells-jury is still out in Dallas. His undoing here has been his loyalty to his older players(Vinny, Drew, Key, and last year-he put Aaron Glenn in the wrong situations). But who knows? Romo is starting, and he looks to have lightened up recently.

Coughlin-finally, he's starting to get it. No longer is he micro-managing the game, and with very positive results. Won't surprise me if the Giants run the tables in the NFC.

Lovie Smith-WAY better than his former boss-'Nuff said.

John Fox-always will be a top 5 coach.

Marty-looks like he's lightened up a bit recently. Denver's going to fold like a 2tent, and the Chargers will over-take the AFC West.

 

[SVN]

jon gruden ?

 

[kptmorgan04]

somone needs to send that link to prisco and ask him to bring it up next time he does the rate the coaches bit... I am sure he would get a laugh out of it as lately he has been transformed into a believer.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I have no problem in selecting an successor. Its Nick Sabin. Why?

"Its elementary! my Dear Watson!" as Sherlock would say.

Nicks' system is Bill's system. We wouldn't waste a few years and lots of good players custom selected to play in this system, being forced to learn something new and maybe not fitting in to another system.

Consider.

Just who on the defense would qualify for a Lovie Smith/Tony Dungy's Tampa Cover two defense? The linemen are all too big and not one gap quicksters. The LBs are too big and slow. The secondary doesn't have enough speed in the safeties or the corners to play Lovies' cover two. So discard the starting eleven and the good depth and start over!

We can do the same idiocy on offense if you want trying to implement say Andy Reid's or Mike Holgren's WCO.

I'll even give you a couple of alternatives: Kirk Ferentz and Pat Hill. I 'd chose Pat Hill next behind the Nicktator. I think you want someone who has experienced what it is to be a Head Coach, which is different from a X's and O's assistant.

 

[bishbash]

Cast your own vote for BB here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/sportsnation/ratings