By John Sarianides
Here are my top ten head coaches in the NFL right now. I am sure you know who heads the list but it is the rest of the list that is up for debate.
1. Bill Belichick, Patriots: Do I really need to explain Belichick’s place on this list? He is the best coach in sports right now nevermind the NFL. Belichick has won seven Super Bowls as a head coach and as a defensive coordinator. He is a football genius who has come up with some of the best defensive game plans in NFL history. Needless to say, Belichick will be atop this list for the rest of his career.
2. Pete Carroll, Seahawks: Belichick’s predessor revived his career at USC and parlayed that into another opportunity in the NFL. Carroll has made the most of that opportunity. He has a career record of 103-72-1 and he led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win in 2013.
Carroll is one of the top defensive coaches in the game. He pioneered the concept of the long cornerback that so prevalent around the league today. Patriots fans like to poke fun at Carroll but there is no denying he is one of the top coaches in the game today.
3. Mike McCarthy, Packers: McCarthy’s critics will tell you that his team’s come up short in the big games but McCarthy is the most consistent coach in the league outside of Bill Belichick.
The Packers have made the playoffs eight straight years. The only other team to do that during span is the Patriots. McCarthy has won five division titles and a Super Bowl. He is not only one of the top coaches in the game today, McCarthy is one of the top coaches in Packers history.
4. Mike Tomlin, Steelers: Tomlin has continued the Steelers tradition of stability at the top. Tomlin will be entering 11th season at the helm of the Steelers. He has a record of 103-57 in his career thus far.
Tomlin has led the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances in his tenure. The Steelers won it in 2009 and lost to the Packers in 2010.
Perhaps Tomlin’s greatest strength is his ability to relate to veteran players. It is a key to his success. Getting veterans like Ben Roethlisberger and James Harrison to buy in is a big reason why the Steelers are consistent contenders in the AFC.
5. Andy Reid, Chiefs: People routinely mock Reid’s game management skills but you cannot deny he is a winner who fields contending teams year in and year out.
Reid has turned the Chiefs around. They are no longer just a playoff contender. They are now a Super Bowl contender. It would help if the Chiefs actually got over the hump and got to a Super Bowl but that is a whole different story. Despite that, you cannot deny Reid’s success as a head coach.
6. Dan Quinn, Falcons: Look, Super Bowl meltdown aside, Quinn has done a great job changing the culture in Atlanta.
The Falcons were perennial underachievers prior to Quinn’s arrival but he has raised the bar in the ATL and his team responded last season by getting to the Super Bowl.
It will be interesting to see how the Falcons respond after collapsing in Super Bowl LI. 2017 could be a defining season for the Falcons and the rest of Quinn’s coaching career.
7. Ron Rivera, Panthers: Riverboat Ron has done a tremendous job in Carolina. In 2015, Rivera led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance. The Panthers went through a Super Bowl hangover last season but there is no doubt Carolina is a playoff contender in the NFC and Rivera’s leadership is a big reason for that.
8. Jack Del Rio, Raiders: I don’t think Del Rio gets enough credit for how good a coach he really is. He did a terrific job in Jacksonville in his first go around as a head coach and he has done a great job turning the Raiders around.
Del Rio is a players coach but he is also a terrific defensive coach who gets the most out of his players schematically. Del Rio led the Raiders to a 12-4 record last season and had Derek Carr not gotten hurt, there is no telling how far the Raiders could have gone in 2016.
9. Adam Gase, Dolphins: Yeah, I know Gase has only been a head coach for one season but he completely changed the culture in Miami and took the Dolphins to the playoffs in his first year.
Gase is one of the best offensive minds in the game. Don’t believe me? Ask Peyton Manning what he thinks of Gase. He swears by the guy.
Gase is the right guy for the job in Miami. The Dolphins will be competitive year in and year out because of his leadership and his play calling.
10. Bill O’Brien, Texans: The Texans have won back to back division titles which is impressive considering the fact that they haven’t had consistent quarterback play the last two years.
O’Brien is a Bill Belichick disciple who is head strong and can be tough to work with sometimes. Just ask Texans general manager Rick Smith. Despite that, he is an innovative offensive coach who gets the most out of his players.
The Texans will once again be a playoff contender in the AFC thanks to O’Brien’s leadership.
Others: Bruce Arians, Cardinals, Sean Payton, Saints, Marvin Lewis, Bengals, John Harbaugh, Ravens, Ben McAdoo, Giants, Jason Garrett, Cowboys, Jay Gruden, Redskins