NFL Training Camps Opening Is A Great Time For Coaches, So Let's Rank Them All
Every NFL team save one (the Pittsburgh Steelers) will have their full squad scheduled to report for training camp by this afternoon.
And that means it is football season.
Which means football coaches must begin to do their thing.
So as you hear chatter about how optimistic everyone is and how everyone believes they have a chance to be special, the truth is, some teams have a better chance than others. That's because they simply have better coaching.
What teams? Well, just look at OutKick's 2023 NFL head coach rankings.
NFL Head Coach Rankings Are Easy At Top
The rankings below are based on cumulative career accomplishments. The commentary is largely about 2022.
This year there are three first-year coaches who have never been head coaches before. They are Jonathan Gannon in Arizona, Shane Steichen in Indianapolis and DeMeco Ryans in Houston.
They're not rated here because they get a chance to show their work before they're judged for it. So the rankings start at No. 29.
Kind of like the NFL in 1995.
(Oh, yes, the entire Steelers squad is scheduled to report on Wednesday.)
The rankings:
Jets Have Talent But Saleh Still Unproven
29. Matt Eberflus (Bears): This is a rough place to put a very good defensive coach after his first NFL season as a head coach. But three wins a year ago leaves plenty of room and need for improvement. Eberflus wasn't playing with a full deck of talent last year. The roster is better now. It'll be interesting to see if this defensive specialist has the right people on staff to develop QB Justin Fields.
28. Josh McDaniels (Raiders): Someday he's going to find a quarterback he loves other than Tom Brady. But for now, the coach who drove out Jay Cutler in Denver and Derek Carr in Las Vegas last season has apparently settled on Jimmy Garoppolo. What are the chances McDaniels wins big with his former Patriots backup QB? That would be a tough bet -- even in Vegas.
27. Arthur Smith (Falcons): Yes, the club has been rebuilding. Vince Lombardi would have struggled with Atlanta's roster the past two years. But the Falcons weren't exactly proficient on offense either year and Smith is a former offensive coordinator. He has to start winning to avoid becoming a future offensive coordinator.
26. Robert Saleh (Jets): Those Super Bowl hopes in New York kind of overlook the fact Saleh hasn't proven anything as a head coach. The Jets definitely showed improvement in the coach's second season. But 2022's six-game losing skid at season's end was tough to watch. Much of Saleh's rankings next year will depend on how well he manages QB Aaron Rodgers.
Brandon Staley Hasn't Been Good Enough
25. Dennis Allen (Saints): Something has to happen this season for folks to stop thinking of Allen as a good defensive coordinator but not a good head coach. Maybe that something is getting new QB Derek Carr to put up enough points to improve the Saints' No. 22 scoring offense of a year ago. That would go a long way toward supporting the No. 9 scoring defense Allen still runs for the team.
24. Brandon Staley (Chargers): I'm sorry, but a 19-16 record in two years with Justin Herbert at quarterback is under-achieving. The Chargers have a very talented roster but are inconsistent. No, the injuries haven't helped. The Chargers curiously suffer tons of those. But how do you lose a playoff game in which you blow a 27-7 halftime lead after the other quarterback throws four interceptions?
23. Todd Bowles (Buccaneers): It was always something with the Bucs last year, and not even Tom Brady, in his final NFL season, could save them from finishing under .500. Yes, there were injuries but the defense, which is the Bowles specialty, didn't carry the team in big moments. The offense, meanwhile, was simply too reliant on passing despite the offensive line stinking. Bowles gets another chance without Brady this season but there's no telling what comes beyond that.
Kevin Stefanski Has To Produce Now
22. Kevin Stefanski (Browns): This feels like a defining season for Stefanski. He started great in 2020 but somehow that feels very long ago. Stefanski hasn't "fixed" the offense or defense. Both expect significant improvement this year with QB Deshaun Watson in his second Cleveland season and new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz running the other side of the ball.
21. Dan Campbell (Lions): The fruits of his labors started to blossom at the end of last season, as the team won five of its final six games. Campbell isn't an offensive wizard but has overseen the improvement of QB Jared Goff. He's not a defensive guru, but his unit plays with passion and urgency. He's simply an outstanding leader and players follow.
20. Frank Reich (Panthers): Reich had a winning season in three of his first four seasons in Indianapolis. Then things took a bad turn last season. Thing is, the Colts were 3-5-1 under Reich and we thought things were really bad. Then they won only one game in their final eight outings under interim coach Jeff Saturday. Reich has put together a fine, veteran staff in Carolina. Job 1 is to develop QB Bryce Young.
Reasons Mike McCarthy Isn't Ranked Better
19. Ron Rivera (Commanders): He knows how it should be done and what it should look like but he's been unable to put that consistently on the field in Washington. The troubling thing is he hasn't solved the QB issue. And with new ownership watching the development of unproven Sam Howell, Rivera might be getting his final chance to show he can raise a team to contention.
18. Mike McDaniel (Dolphins): His inexperience as a play-caller showed at times and was actually an issue in a postseason loss. But he took a QB the previous coaching staff disliked and rebranded him as a winner. And after learning some of the previous coaching staff's defensive coaches weren't good enough, he convinced the best coordinator available to join him. That's a lot of growth for one year.
17. Mike McCarthy (Cowboys): He's got a .614 win percentage in 16 seasons as a head coach, has a Super Bowl title to his credit, and has gotten his team in the playoffs in two of his three Dallas seasons. Why isn't he ranked higher? His teams struggle on the road and he hasn't figured out why, and the playoffs have left some people (not named Jerry Jones) wondering if someone else might be better.
16. Matt LaFleur (Packers): He successfully walked the tight rope of being a young coach managing a veteran super star QB his first three seasons but it didn't translate to getting a postseason berth last year. Last year was disappointing because he never solved the club's obvious issues with execution, experience, and chemistry early enough. Now he must show he can develop new QB Jordan Love.
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll interacts on the sidelines during the NFL match between New York Giants and Green Bay Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 09, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Brian Daboll Brought Discipline To Giants
15. Kevin O'Connell (Vikings): He raised players' confidence and taught them to win a lot of close games. This despite a poor defense and a smart but not elite quarterback. It was really an outstanding first-year coaching job.
14. Brian Daboll (Giants): Talk about doing more with less, that was the theme for the Giants in 2022. The coach had a flawed roster and knew it. But he didn't let anyone think that, least of all his players. The Giants played with discipline and urgency. And QB Daniel Jones suddenly becoming functional under Daboll, which by itself merited Coach of the Year votes.
13. Sean McDermott (Bills): He did amazing work overcoming injuries and drama both on and off the field during the 2022 regular season. But the offense felt unbalanced and the defense (McDermott's specialty) wasn't in any way dominant. The home playoff loss, in which the visiting Bengals showed more urgency and energy, was stunning.
12. Doug Pederson (Jaguars): He was hired to develop Trevor Lawrence and teach the Jaguars how to win. Lawrence threw 15 TDs and 2 interceptions the last nine games of the season and the Jaguars won their final five games of the season to capture the AFC South title. Oh, and they won a playoff game. Well done, Doug.
Head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals talks with referees during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 29, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Zac Taylor Has Emerged With Bengals
11. Sean McVay (Rams): A year ago he was in the top 3 and we were all discussing how brilliant he was. But we found out the same coach who could author a championship with championship talent couldn't salvage an injury ravaged season. The question now is can he develop players and rebuild his team?
10. Zac Taylor (Bengals): Yes, he has Joe Burrow and that makes all the difference. But that doesn't change the fact the Bengals have become the team to beat in the AFC North, have been to a Super Bowl and two AFC championship games, and played like champions at Buffalo last postseason.
9. Sean Payton (Broncos): He's a proven winner and knows how to maximize his roster -- at least until terrible calls kill his chances in playoff games. But this ranking requires he return QB Russell Wilson to an elite level.
Head coach Bill Belichick and Mac Jones #10 look on during pregame at Hard Rock Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Bill Belichick Not Same Without Tom Brady
8. Mike Vrabel (Titans): He often does more with less. And, yes, last season was disastrous but that happened after A.J. Brown was traded, QB Ryan Tannehill got injured, the offensive line was exposed, and other drama eventually led to a new general manager and offensive coordinator being hired. Vrabel's a tough dude and his team is a reflection of that.
7. Bill Belichick (Patriots) He was the best in the business with Tom Brady at quarterback. He's been mediocre without Brady since 2020, and what he did with his offensive coaching staff last year was malpractice in that it was shortsighted and progress impeding for his quarterback.
6. Kyle Shanahan (49ers): Yes, the roster is generally among the best. Yes, the postseason results have been disappointing. But what he did with a seventh-round backup rookie QB stepping in last year and reaching the NFC championship game was excellent.
Head Coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Nick Sirianni Among Top NFL Head Coaches
5. Pete Carroll (Seahawks): He's been there for two (maybe three) rebuilds, including last year when he made the playoffs with a rookie cornerback, rookie running back, rebuilt offensive line and career backup Geno Smith as the starting quarterback. Let that sink in.
4. Nick Sirianni (Eagles): He'd laugh off this high ranking because he's only been a head coach two seasons. But after working with Andrew Luck in Indy during the 2018 season, he arrived in Philly in 2021 and has developed Jalen Hurts. He's made the playoffs two consecutive years and won the NFC last year. That's a great head coach career start.
3. Mike Tomlin (Steelers): He corrected course quickly on starting Mitch Trubisky and turned to rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett before the season's first month was over. The team rallied and played better late in the season. That sets high expectations for this season.
2. John Harbaugh (Ravens): His team was 7-4 with a healthy Lamar Jackson and still managed to go 3-3 without its starting QB to make the playoffs. Now Harbaugh has a receiving corps, a new offense and a healthy Jackson. Let's see.
1. Andy Reid (Chiefs): Three Super Bowls the past four seasons and two championships. Says it all.