Ranking current head coaches

[hawkfan68]

How would you rank the current head coaches for this season? Here are my rankings for top 5:

1. Pete Carroll
2. Andy Reid
3. Sean Payton
4. Chuck Pagano
5. John Fox

And...the worst coach:
Greg Schiano

 

[TheRealDTM]

Bellichek
Andy Reid

huge drop off


but really it's hard to rank coaches, are we talking inspiration? Pete Carroll number one sure. We talking offensive genius? Sean Paytons number 1 then. Best Mastermind? Bellichek

Schiano is probably the worst current NFL coach

 

[SoHo9erFan]

LOL

 

[halps80]

Interesting question. Not sure I can agree with your list, as it really is a compilation of the coaches who happen to have the best records this season, YTD. Great coaches have bad years, and blind squirrels occasionally find nuts. The best ones build bad teams into great teams, then sustain that greatness.

Based on the body of their respective work, I'd personally not rank Andy Reid in the top five, maybe not even top ten. Much like Jeff Fisher, his resume says he's great at building mediocre to good teams, but not a getting them to the next level. I could be biased against him being in the Philly area, and watching him for 14 seasons.

Payton certainly belongs, as was evidenced by how poorly his team performed when he wasn't on the sideline, and how they rebounded once he was. It takes a special kind of greatness to take such a moribund and snakebitten franchise to the promised land.

Any list of the best coaches is incomplete without Belichick, like him or not.

Tom Coughlin needs to be on the list, despite this year's debacle.

John Fox is a good coach, having taken Carolina to a SB and close to another. He looks like a genius, thought, with Peyton.

Pagano looks great right now, but Arians did a helluva great job with that team last year. Perhaps more impressive due to the roster overhaul and rookie QB.

Pete has certainly done a wonderful job in 3.5 seasons. If he gets them to a SB or two, he will solidify his greatness. He's trending into the top 5, but might still have to prove a few things. Same goes for Jim Harbaugh.

Top five is rarefied air. If I had to rank them now, I'd go:

1. Bill Belichick
2. Tom Coughlin
3. Sean Payton
4. Mike McCarthy
5. John Harbaugh

Honorable mention or trending upward:
Pete
Jim Harbaugh
John Fox
Chuch Pagano

Overrated, IMHO:
Mike Tomlin (two rings can't be argued, but seems to be taking a once-great team steadily downward)
Andy Reid (having a great season, but history says he will fall short)
Jeff Fisher (highly respected and well-liked, but has a history of mediocrity and unsustained success)
Mike Shanahan (was great with a guy named Elway, Meh ever since)

 

[SoHo9erFan]

Mike McCarthy deserves to be on that list over Fox. Both Harbaughs are on that list. If you asked a nonbiased NFL analyst, I think it would be:

Belichick
Harbuagh
Harbaugh
McCarthy
Payton

 

[SoHo9erFan]

Good post by halps80 too.

 

[Scottemojo]

Top level:
John and Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick.
Andy Reid, Mike McCarthy, Tom Coughlin.

2nd level: Pete, Pagano, Tomlin

3rd level: Mike Smith, Lovie, Kubiak, Fox.

 

[SoHo9erFan]

Top level:
John and Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick.
Andy Reid, Mike McCarthy, Tom Coughlin.

2nd level: Pete, Pagano, Tomlin

3rd level: Mike Smith, Lovie, Kubiak, Fox.

I would put Pete above Coughlin at this point. Sure, Coughlin historically has had mroe success, but tat this point Pete is better

 

[Scottemojo]

Top level:
John and Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick.
Andy Reid, Mike McCarthy, Tom Coughlin.

2nd level: Pete, Pagano, Tomlin

3rd level: Mike Smith, Lovie, Kubiak, Fox.

I would put Pete above Coughlin at this point. Sure, Coughlin historically has had mroe success, but tat this point Pete is better

Coughlin is tough for me to evaluate, as is Tomlin. Both struggling with winning at the moment, but I have no doubt that when they get their personnel straight they will win a lot again.
But yeah, Coughlin down a notch is not a problem with me.

Pete needs to clean up his end of half and end of game decision making before I can call him top level.

 

[amill87]

Before this season, I was wondering about Carroll. He struggled with getting too emotional in key moments during a game. He seemed to really struggle with challenges and when to go for it or take the field goal. With that said he appears to have really focused on improving those things.

But on top coaches? It depends how you look at it. If we are going straight up in game coaching and coaching players, my list would be:

Belichick
Jim harbaugh
John harbaugh
Payton
McCarthy

If we are going off coaching coaches and building up the team:

Carroll
Belichick
Mike smith
Jeff fisher
Andy reid

 

[Scottemojo]

I forgot Payton. I think he is damn good too.

 

[Happy]

Are we talking in-game coaching or program building?

As a game day coach, I don't think Pete is a top drawer guy. His strong suit seems to be installing and orchestrating the football program as whole. He has a system he believes in built on a clearly defined set of principles, he hires people who are willing to completely buy in, he puts everyone in a position to be successful, and then he cheers them on. However he will pull someone's card without blinking if he thinks something isn't right. He's really quite brilliant at it.

 

[amill87]

Are we talking in-game coaching or program building?

As a game day coach, I don't think Pete is a top drawer guy. His strong suit seems to be installing and orchestrating the football program as whole. He has a system he believes in built on a clearly defined set of principles, he hires people who are willing to completely buy in, he puts everyone in a position to be successful, and then he cheers them on. However he will pull someone's card without blinking if he thinks something isn't right. He's really quite brilliant at it.

My mind always go back to some interview when people were talking to Pete about how much do preseason games matter? He responds with something along the lines with they are incredibly important because he wants to build the experience of winning. That interview sums up exactly why we are where we are now and likely why Pete one day gets that ring.

 

[kearly]

Pete's hard to rank because he is so unique. Most great coaches are successful because they can mold franchise QBs or they can get their team on the same page or they make excellent "by the book" type decisions during games. Pete is only slightly responsible for Wilson's success, his team plays sloppy, undisciplined football, and he often fails to make obvious decisions during games, particularly in the realm of 4th downs (punting at the opponent's 34 yard line, etc).

However, when it comes to team identity and coaching up players, Pete isn't just the best in the NFL, he's one of the best ever. He's also a good politician off the field and has a knack for making seemingly stupid roster decisions look brilliant in retrospect, a clear indicator that he's smarter than just about everyone else. He also displays that intelligence with daring and unique schemes that actually work, plus he's one of the best coaches in the league for half time adjustments.

Pete's also different because he's more than a coach, he's a team builder. Only a few other coaches have his level of control and of that group, only Belichick really compares in terms of how many fingerprints he has on his team. Even Jim Harbaugh, who is also elite in this category, inherited most of his team from his predecessor.

That Pete took the 2009 equivalent of the current New York Giants and turned it into one of the most talented teams in NFL history in just three years, to me that makes Pete an easy choice for #1. Even if he's got some issues regarding decision making at times, the fact is, if you are starting a new franchise in the NFL and you could pick any coach, you pick Pete, and it's not a hard choice, IMO.

 

[hawkfan68]

My bad folks, I left out "this season" in the OP. I've now corrected that.

 

[Happy]

Are we talking in-game coaching or program building?

As a game day coach, I don't think Pete is a top drawer guy. His strong suit seems to be installing and orchestrating the football program as whole. He has a system he believes in built on a clearly defined set of principles, he hires people who are willing to completely buy in, he puts everyone in a position to be successful, and then he cheers them on. However he will pull someone's card without blinking if he thinks something isn't right. He's really quite brilliant at it.

My mind always go back to some interview when people were talking to Pete about how much do preseason games matter? He responds with something along the lines with they are incredibly important because he wants to build the experience of winning. That interview sums up exactly why we are where we are now and likely why Pete one day gets that ring.

I'm paraphrasing here, but something I've heard pete say repeatedly goes along the lines of he has a crystal clear vision of what he wants his football team to be and his job is to articulate the vision to his staff and his players and make sure everyone is as clear on what is going on as he is. That's why the browner quote the other day regarding his benching caught my attention. Pete gets people's minds right, he is very good at that.

 

[nanomoz]

I struggle to separate Pete the coach from Pete the talent evaluator/personnel guy. And I like that.

I would say his in-game coaching decisions, particularly clock management, often leave a lot to be desired. But in terms of installing a system and a vision players buy into, he ranks at the top.

 

[DavidSeven]

Personally, I think too much focus is placed on very transparent in-game decisions like 4th down calls. This is a tiny part of the game in the grand scheme of things, but it gets a lot of attention because it's so easy to point out. What do we usually consider "good coaching" at the amateur level? It's the ability to teach and motivate your players. Is there a better person at doing that than Pete Carroll? He's certainly among the elite in that category.

In terms of game plans and in-game adjustments, I don't see the flaws. This team has consistently exploited other teams weaknesses and gotten better as games have gone on. How about general scheming? Well, the entire NFL is trying to emulate what Pete is doing on defense right now, so that should answer that question. In terms of the characteristics that really matter as a coach, Pete is at the top of the game. Whether you agree with his decision to forego a single FG attempt is small potatoes.

 

[amill87]

I'm paraphrasing here, but something I've heard pete say repeatedly goes along the lines of he has a crystal clear vision of what he wants his football team to be and his job is to articulate the vision to his staff and his players and make sure everyone is as clear on what is going on as he is. That's why the browner quote the other day regarding his benching caught my attention. Pete gets people's minds right, he is very good at that.

Absolutely. How many times does a player get benched in the NFL for sloppy play and than come back the next week with one of their best games? In my opinion, Pete is getting better as a coach. That move is brilliant coaching.

Pete's hard to rank because he is so unique. Most great coaches are successful because they can mold franchise QBs or they can get their team on the same page or they make excellent "by the book" type decisions during games. Pete is only slightly responsible for Wilson's success, his team plays sloppy, undisciplined football, and he often fails to make obvious decisions during games, particularly in the realm of 4th downs (punting at the opponent's 34 yard line, etc).

However, when it comes to team identity and coaching up players, Pete isn't just the best in the NFL, he's one of the best ever. He's also a good politician off the field and has a knack for making seemingly stupid roster decisions look brilliant in retrospect, a clear indicator that he's smarter than just about everyone else. He also displays that intelligence with daring and unique schemes that actually work, plus he's one of the best coaches in the league for half time adjustments.

Pete's also different because he's more than a coach, he's a team builder. Only a few other coaches have his level of control and of that group, only Belichick really compares in terms of how many fingerprints he has on his team. Even Jim Harbaugh, who is also elite in this category, inherited most of his team from his predecessor.

That Pete took the 2009 equivalent of the current New York Giants and turned it into one of the most talented teams in NFL history in just three years, to me that makes Pete an easy choice for #1. Even if he's got some issues regarding decision making at times, the fact is, if you are starting a new franchise in the NFL and you could pick any coach, you pick Pete, and it's not a hard choice, IMO.

It seems like something Pete has done is built something bigger than him. People don't dare come into this environment and try to stir things up. The players will have none of it. The coaches will have none of it. I can't think of a team off the top of my head that ever embodied such an identity as much as the Seahawks have. Everything in the organization flows from one single thought process and everyone follows it.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

John Fox? LOL.

John Fox minus Peyton Manning = .500 coach.


1. Bellicheat (He's an ass, but he's arguably the best schemer of all time, and has 3 rings)
2. Payton (Tremendous offensive mind, and look no further than how good the Saints are with him and without him for leadership ability)
3. Tomlin (No coach gets more out of nothing than Tomlin)
4. McCarthy (something like 50-17 over the past 4 years, great judge of talent)