I’m sitting here at my dinner table wondering who are the top-five head coaches in the NFL right now? I can think of only four.
- John Harbaugh. The current title holder. When he took over the Ravens in 2008, that franchise hadn’t won a playoff game since 2001. Since 2008, the Ravens are 9-4 in the postseason. John Harbaugh is the most consistently good head coach in the NFL right now.
- Tom Coughlin. He has won two Super Bowls in the last six seasons, and for that you could make an argument he should be No.1 on this list. But he’s inconsistent. The Giants have missed the playoffs three of the last four seasons. Still, Coughlin seems to have Jim Harbaugh’s and Bill Belichick’s number.
- Jim Harbaugh. I’m ranking him over Super Bowl winners. Jim Harbaugh beat Bill Belichick in Foxboro. Jim Harbaugh chose Colin Kaepernick and developed him. Jim Harbaugh instantly turned around the 49ers, turned them into contenders. Jim Harbaugh is an excellent head coach, but he needs to win the Super Bowl to climb this list.
- Bill Belichick. He used to be the best head coach in the NFL, winning three Super Bowls in four seasons, but he has not won a Super Bowl since 2004, and over the past five seasons the Patriots are 3-4 in the playoffs.
That’s the top-tier of NFL head coaches. No one else belongs in that class right now. I suppose you could make a case for Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin and Saints’ head coach Sean Payton, but Payton didn’t coach last year and Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game in two seasons.
How would you rank the best NFL head coaches right now? Can you think of a Number Five?
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1)Jim Harbaugh; NFC Championship each season, Super Bowl in 2nd yr.
2)Tom Coughlin; somehow finds a way to motivate his players to Super Bowls, every 2 years.
3)Bill Belichick; No Super Bowl in 9 seasons, he’s no Walsh, but still good.
4)Mike Tomlin; Pittsburgh is the team everyone seems to forget.
5)John Harbaugh; Took a veteran roster and unsuprisingly won early on, had to have a Super Bowl stolen to win it. Jim > John.
I think a case could be made for Pete Carroll in Seattle. As generally unlikable as he can be, he has many believing that the Seahawks can outmaneuver the 49ers atop the NFC West next year and he’s doing it with another relatively inexperienced QB/tenacious defense.
Heresy.
Wait for Pete to be more than a one-year wonder. Don’t forget, he had runs with the Pats and Jets as HC, too.
Not very good ones I might add.
I thought he was the 49ers D Coordinator on their ’94 Super Bowl Team.
Razor: Ray Rhodes was D coordinator in 1994.
Stinky Pete was the Niners DC 95-96.
Gotcha! I knew it was close. I remember now, Ray left to take the Eagles job. Then the 49ers hired stinky Pete.
I hate to admit it, but the Schneider / Carroll combination has done wonders in Seattle.
I’m waiting for Carroll to come crashing down to earth, but this year, I am really concerned. They have a young team and tons of salary cap space.
In summary, yes I agree with you for what he’s done the past year.
Im not worried about anyone if we can fix our secondary. We stil only have 1 good wr. and Kap is unstoppable. Im sorry maybe carrol is a good coach but our offense will shine even more with a whole offseason and new weapons. I think manningham wwill have an outstanding year next year. He will finally get another qb with an arm like eli. but kaps is better. so no im not worried about the hawks. in my opinion we can only stop ourselves
Monte Poole on KNBR? sounded so much like Jerry the guy crying to Jessica on those State Farm commercials.
A total cave in by Monte. Complete.
I thought Jim Harbaugh was overrated!!! No?
Those are the top 4, but would put Coughlin below the Harbaugh’s based on their collapse in the second half of 2012, and near collapse in 2nd half of 2011 when they caught lightning in a bottle and used 2 muffed punts to get to the Super Bowl.
Tomlin could be 5th. Steelers have struggled the last 2 years due to injuries at QB and RB.
Coughlin has two rings. JH – 00000000000000000000 as in zero.
Let’s not forget John Harbaugh’s team collapsed down the stretch in 2012 losing 3 of their last 4.
The Giants have won 17 games over the last 2 regular seasons combined.
John
Jim
Bill
Mike
Tom
in the Not For Long sense of the NFL, i think the rank has to be:
1. John Harbaugh – SB champ, altho he inherited a team with a lot of talent
2. Jim Harbaugh – takes a 6-10 team, albeit one with some talent, and…
3. Belichick- he takes crap ingredients and makes it a playoff contender
4. Coughlin or someone else. but remember, NYGs fans were continuously trying to run him out of town, even after he won his first SB
Measured over a career, Belichick is the hands down winner. And he’s still pretty dangerous. But based on his first 2 years, JH is coming on like fricking Man O’ War.
I agree with nyour list Grant, you could make an argument for any one of them to be the top coach. I do however not agree with you that Coughlin has Harbaugh’s number. You can’t have somebody’s number when you’re
2-1 against them, especially when one was an OT win decided by a couple of individual blunders. That’s not as bad as the media and Hawks fans claiming ‘they have our number’ when the Hawks are 1-3 against them the last 2 years though.
I would add Jeff Fisher. I always thought as him as a solid coach. And he was right about Vince Young.
Pete Carrol..like he’s on steroids because he’s gotten better the older he gets. Sneaky Pete isn’t to be taken lightly.
Fisher had quite a few non-productive years with Oilers, yet, managed to keep his job. Think he was there with Adams for 17 years and went to the play-offs around 7 or 8 seasons. I do think he is going to make the Rams a better NFC West foe, and definitely do believe he has Greg Roman’s number.
Fisher has averaged 8.3 wins per year. Average.
Yes, Jack, and Fisher has 6 playoff appearances in 19 years as a HC.
Stinky Pete will have a formidable unit, but so will the Rams. Both of those teams have our undivided attention.
Chan Gailey
lovey Smith
Ken Whisenhunt
Romeo Crennel
I would make Pete Caroll 5th and Jeff Fisher 6th. I personally do not like Pete Caroll, but dislike and good are two different things!
Sean Payton look what happened to that team without him for a year.
1. John Harbaugh
2. Tom Coughlin
3. Bill Belichick
4. Mike Tomlin
5. Sean Payton
Honorable Mention:
Jim Harbaugh
Pete Caroll
Mike McCarthy
In the last 2 seasons, 3 teams(coaches) have played the most games. Jim, John and Bill. I’ll put them in that order since Jim did it with the supposed worst team! Then Coughlin, Tomlin.
Grant,
Remove the refresh tag from the page, it’s really annoying and makes it difficult to even type a post.
Hear Hear!
Can we get a comment on this from Coach Jim Harbaw.
Just imagine: rated #3 on the list…
BEHIND YOUR OWN BROTHER…. OUCH..!!!
It is going to be such a long, long, long off-season this year.
Troll alert
1 oneniner
2 ds
3 Claude balls
4 ex golfer
5 LSX
Oh wait. This is my list of top 5 idiots.
Oooooops. My bad. ;-/
Where’s prime on that list?
Anyone who wants Staley off the team should go straight to the top of the idiot list, right @bay??
:] <grimace. GOL
: )
Hard to argue with that logic lol.
can’t forget staleygate. the infamous grin after ck errantly pitched the ball to the st louis rams for a td.
The same grinning jerk that went into harbaughs office to get his boys back? Yeah he was happy. I will never like that clown again. Waaaaa! My buddy got benched for a better player. Waaaaa.
And as far as top of the list. All smith backers. So it’s no wonder Albert and Jdilla would bring out his best buddie for the ride. For they’re smither extras!!!
@md
Cue up the Perry Mason theme. LOL
First of all, get this straight. FACT: One can be
both a Smith supporter and a Kaep
supporter at the same time.
I’m sure that applies to the Niner players and posters like myself.
Want Alex Boone cut too? I read he’s one of AS’s best friends.
Remember the team would be divided, if AS wasn’t a TEAM player.
Only idiots would want to break up the strongest unit on the team.
Making and backing idiotic comments based on a facial expression are credibility killer.
Lol Albert whoever you are.
I backed smith and ck an hammered morons questioning the coaches decision.
Strike 1!
Alex Boone wasn’t smirking after a turnover with points for the other team.
Strike 2!
Go question Gores cred when he lost it with teammates that were smiling and laughing on the sidelines after losing big.
Strike 3!
Now beat it!
ninermd is associated with a list of idiots?
No surprise there.
You mean the ones who called Alex smith a back up an were right? Tell you what Claude. Learn what a cover 2 defense is then get back to me. If bet my life you’ve never played sports in your life. Nerd!
Look, it’s the Dunning-Kruger poster boy. How are things in your world? Confusing, I bet.
Oh… I kinda miss Dennis Greene …
“……. They are who we thought they were ….”
Jimbo has the potential to be one of, if not THE best.
Jimbo also has the potential to flame out hard and die of a heart attack at 49.
How he handles the stress in the coming few years will make the difference.