Top 10 Head Coaches heading into 2023 NFL season
NFL Head Coaches need to be good at a lot of things. Running tactics, communicating with every aspect of the organisation, developing talent and the overall management of a roster are no easy tasks, especially given the high stakes and expectations to win quickly.
Many have built their reputations over the years as effective winners, while a new breed of leaders has emerged in recent seasons. With that, there is a great range in the top coaches in position today, and a lot riding on their ability to produce results in 2023.
As we get ever closer to the new NFL season, let’s rank the top ten best head coaches in the NFL today…
Honourable mentions: Doug Pederson, Sean McVay, Sean McDermott
10. Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
2022 was notably an off year for the Titans, and there seems is now a fair bit of pressure on Mike Vrabel to turn a lacklustre Tennessee roster around. But given his track record and ability to get the best out of his players, I wouldn’t write off the Titans just yet.
Vrabel is the run-game heavy, defensive mastermind who can get his players up for any occasion. He may still chasing true postseason results, and until last season, he had matched or improved his win total every year since taking the job.
9. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
Sirianni might have one of if not the most complete rosters in the league, but great teams need great leaders to make them effective. After being brought in two seasons ago, Sirianni got his head coaching career off to an amazing start with a surprising playoff appearance during his first year in charge, and has played a pivotal role in the rise of QB Jalen Hurts. Sirianni has already proven to be one of the best in-game strategists in the NFL, rarely missing an opportunity to add win probability.
Having led the Eagles to a 14-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance in 2022, the sky is the limit for Sirianni and his team for the coming season.
8. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
It’s the big head coaching appointment of the year. Back after a season in the wilderness, Sean Payton has taken the helm in Denver, ready to transform the fortunes of Russell Wilson and his offense after a torrid year for the Broncos.
A proven winner, we’ve seen Payton revitalise a franchise before with the New Orleans Saints, and by this track record alone, we know he’ll be successful. He’s still one of the best offensive minds in the business.
7. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
John Harbaugh has had to deal with a lot over the past decade in Baltimore, transitioning from Joe Flacco to Lamar Jackson, who he helped develop the former first-round talent into an MVP, while dealing with constant injuries to key players and some turmoil off the pitch. In recent years, the Ravens have overcome more health issues than another team to grab postseason appearances in in 2021 and 2022.
Harbaugh aggressive and believes in his all of his players abilities to make a difference. That’s the number one trait that makes you effective as a head coach.
6. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll proved in 2022 that he’s been the one steering the ship in Seattle that has brought his team so much success over the past decade. So many were quick to write off the Seahawks following the Russell Wilson trade, but in finishing 9-8 with a playoff appearance, helping the re-born Geno Smith to being one of the best QBs in the league and in developing a host of hidden gem talent, Carroll showed us why he’s still one of the best.
We might be coming to the twilight period of his career, but the final chapter of Carroll’s NFL journey could be set for a storybook ending with the roster he’s re-built with the Seahawks.
5. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
In his first year as a head coach, Brian Daboll took the league by storm, winning the Coach of the Year award after leading the Giants to a playoff appearance. His achievements as a rookie HC shattered many commentators expectations that the Giants were on course for a low record, but even with a roster with plenty of holes, Daboll led his team to defy the odds.
No question that New York needs to add talent to the roster, but Daboll has already proved he can get the most out of what he’s given and win football games.
4. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Arguably the best offensive play-caller in the NFL, Kyle Shanahan has transformed the 49ers into one of the dominant sides in the NFL, all without a high-calibre quarterback at the helm. Having been forced to turn to seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy following season-ending injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, Shanahan and the 49ers still managed to make the NFC title game and were just a couple of injuries away from the Super Bowl.
He may have lost yet another coordinator this offseason, with DeMeco Ryans joining the Houston Texans, but Shanahan has proven time and again he can handle brain-drain issues and replace talent instantly. His win-at-all-costs mindset makes San Francisco one of the feared teams in the league, year in year out.
3. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
It cannot be underestimated just how much of an achievement it is that Mike Tomlin has never posted a losing record as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers since taking over in 2007. His ability to churn out results, even in the most difficult of situations, is what makes Tomlin so good.
Recent years have shown just how impactful a coach he is for his team, having managed at least nine wins in each of the past two seasons despite issues with Pittsburgh’s offensive structure. Tomlin has successfully rebuilt his side on a number of occasions, and having brought in seven AFC North titles and a Lombardi Trophy, he deserves a huge amount of respect.
2. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Belichick may be the undisputed head coaching G.O.A.T, but it has been a difficult couple of years without Tom Brady in New England. Nonetheless, it has hard to argue with six Super Bowl victories and 298 total career wins.
2023 might be the last year we see Belichick, with question marks over his future. He might not have anything left to prove, but could a resurgence with Mac Jones — or another quarterback — add to the legacy of his legendary career? It would be an incredible ending.
1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
After winning another Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023, Andy Reid has cemented his position as one of the great head coaches of all-time, and certainly top of the tree in terms of the current crop.
Yes, Reid’s post-Philadelphia renaissance certainly has something to do with a certain Patrick Mahomes, but he always gets the best out of his QBs, and that’s never been more apparent than with his current star. The blend of attacking styles and fancy trickery works perfectly for the quarterback, and Reid has been an to repeatedly replace and develop playmakers across his roster.
Reid has the ability to get his team to score at well, and until his teams stop doing that, it’s hard to crown anyone else as the best in the business.
