Top 10 best NFL football coaches of all-time

One of the most glorious chapters in NFL history has officially come to an end as Bill Belichick, who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, bids farewell to the team after 24 seasons. At the age of 71, Belichick is not only a symbol of resilience but also the embodiment of success in the modern world of football. In an era of free agency and strict salary caps, he proved that winning dynasties can still thrive. But nothing lasts forever, and on Thursday, Belichick and Kraft agreed to part ways. On this occasion, Premiumsoccertips.net will rank the top 10 best NFL football coaches of all-time, with Belichick’s name surely being mentioned for many years to come.

Top 10 Best NFL Coaches of All-Time

10. Curly Lambeau

The first head coach in Packers history, Lambeau, who also played as a halfback/cornerback for the Packers during his first nine seasons as coach, led Green Bay to six NFL championships, including three consecutive titles from 1929-31 (before the NFL established a final game to determine the champion in 1933). Lambeau’s 1929 team was the first in NFL history to go undefeated, with a 12-0-1 record. Overall, Lambeau’s Packers posted a 34-5-2 record during that time and became the first team in league history to win three consecutive championships.

From 1936-44, Lambeau guided the Packers to five NFL Championship Games, winning three of them. Over 29 seasons with the Packers, Lambeau compiled a record of 212-106-21. After leaving the Packers following a 2-10 season in 1949, Lambeau spent two seasons with the Cardinals and Redskins, posting a 17-28-1 record during that time.

9. Joe Gibbs

Joe Gibbs spent his entire 16-year NFL coaching career with Washington, where he led the Redskins to three Super Bowl titles from 1982 to 1991, becoming the only coach to win three titles with three different quarterbacks: Joe Theisman, Doug Williams, and Mark Rypien. Gibbs had a regular-season record of 154-94 and a postseason record of 17-7.

In the highly competitive NFC of the 1980s and early 1990s, Gibbs’ Redskins were a dominant force, reaching more Super Bowls than any other team. Only the 49ers matched that achievement, also appearing in four Super Bowls during that period. Gibbs’ Redskins defeated several strong teams, including a win over the 49ers in the 1983 NFC Championship Game and a victory over the defending champion Bears in 1986. His team also triumphed over John Elway’s Broncos and Marv Levy’s Bills in Super Bowls.

Notably, Gibbs won two of his three championships in seasons affected by strikes. The 1982 Redskins finished 8-1, winning four playoff games with help from Hall of Famer John Riggins and the offensive line known as “The Hogs.” In 1987, with a replacement player roster, they won the Super Bowl with a 42-10 victory over Denver, scoring a record 35 points in the second half.

However, Gibbs faced a painful defeat in Super Bowl XVIII, losing 9-38 to the Raiders. His second tenure (2004-2007) was less successful, with a 30-34 record and just one playoff win.

8. Tom Landry

Ranked fourth all-time for most wins by an NFL head coach, Landry patrolled the sidelines in Dallas for the first 29 seasons of the Cowboys’ history. His teams posted winning records in 20 consecutive seasons and made 18 playoff appearances during that time.

After losing two NFC Championship Games to the Packers and the Cowboys’ first appearance in the Super Bowl in 1970, Landry’s Cowboys finally broke through in 1971, holding the Dolphins of Shula to just three points in Dallas’ victory over Miami at Super Bowl VI. In the 1970s, the Cowboys appeared in five Super Bowls, defeating the Broncos in Super Bowl XII and losing to the Steelers twice, both by a four-point margin — in Super Bowls X and XIII. Landry’s Cowboys remained competitive throughout most of the 1980s, with three consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances from 1980 to 1982.

Landry was a creative coach on both sides of the ball. His 4-3 Flex defense destroyed opponents’ offenses, while his shotgun-based offense, led by Roger Staubach, was ahead of its time.

Landry’s 20-16 playoff record and 2-3 Super Bowl record are among the reasons he is not ranked higher on this list.

7. Bill Walsh

Bill Walsh, one of only two coaches on this list who did not achieve 100 regular-season wins, left a lasting legacy despite coaching for just 10 seasons in the NFL. The creator of the “West Coast” offensive system, Walsh helped the 49ers, with Joe Montana at the helm, win three Super Bowls in the 1980s, introducing a new, efficient style of play to move the ball down the field. More than 30 years after his final game, NFL teams still implement variations of this offensive system.

Walsh’s 1984 49ers team is considered one of the strongest in NFL history, becoming the first to win 15 regular-season games before defeating Dan Marino and the Dolphins’ record-breaking offense 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX, completely shutting down Marino in the second half. Four years later, Walsh and Montana led the 49ers to a dramatic victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, with Montana delivering the game-winning pass to John Taylor with less than a minute left. After that Super Bowl victory, Walsh transitioned to an executive role, leaving a legacy as the team won another Super Bowl, becoming the fourth franchise to win two consecutive championships.

Though Walsh is an NFL legend, his legacy is not entirely complete due to a lack of long-term stability and playoff failures against the Giants in 1986 and Vikings in 1987, which affected his ranking on this list.

6. Chuck Noll

Chuck Noll was the mastermind behind the Steelers’ dynasty of the 1970s, transforming Pittsburgh from a losing team into an NFL powerhouse in just three years. After a 1-13 season in his first year, Noll led the Steelers to their first-ever AFC championship in 1972, and by 1974, they won their first Super Bowl, kicking off a run of four titles in six years. Noll’s team, with a perfect 4-0 Super Bowl record, remains the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice. Notably, the 1979 team was the last Super Bowl champion to be entirely made up of homegrown talent.

Noll’s success also came from his exceptional scouting ability. In 1974, the Steelers drafted four future Hall of Famers: Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster. Donnie Shell, an undrafted rookie that year, would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame as well. Previous drafts had also brought in stars like Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Blount, Franco Harris, and many others, forming what is considered one of the greatest Super Bowl-era teams.

Though the Steelers under Noll remained competitive in the 1980s, they were no longer at their peak, making only one AFC Championship Game in his final 12 seasons. Nevertheless, Noll’s legacy—the coaching style that embodied Pittsburgh’s blue-collar work ethic—continues to live on, cementing the team’s and city’s place in NFL history.

5. Paul Brown

The sixth-winningest coach in NFL history, Paul Brown won championships at both the high school and college levels before helping to establish the Browns in 1946. Cleveland found immediate success under Brown, winning four consecutive All-American Football Conference titles before joining the NFL in 1950. Despite facing tougher competition, the Browns continued to dominate, winning the NFL championship that season with a 12-2 record. Cleveland would go on to win back-to-back NFL titles in 1954 and 1955, becoming the dominant team of the decade.

However, Brown’s time in Cleveland ended on an unhappy note when he was dismissed after the 1962 season (the Browns would go on to win their fourth and most recent NFL title in 1964). Brown returned to the sidelines as the head coach of the expansion Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, leading them to three playoff appearances from 1970-75.

In many ways, Brown was a pioneer. He is credited with helping to lay the foundation for how coaches organize their weekly preparation schedules. Brown also mentored Bill Walsh, who served as his offensive coordinator at Cincinnati before achieving success at San Francisco.

4. George Halas

Ranked third in all-time wins, George Halas is the only NFL coach to win championships in four different decades. After securing his first NFL title in 1921, Halas won his final championship in 1963, showcasing his ability to adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of professional football. Overall, Halas, who also played from 1920-29, won eight NFL titles while compiling a career record of 318-151-31.

Halas is credited with being the first coach to conduct daily practice sessions, including film study of opposing teams. Under his leadership, the Bears also became the first professional football team to publish a team newspaper and broadcast their games on the radio.

So why isn’t Halas ranked higher on this list? His 1934 team, the first to achieve a 13-0 regular season, failed to complete a perfect season, losing to the Giants in the championship game. He also couldn’t guide the Bears to a championship in the later years of his coaching career, despite selecting Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers in the 1965 draft.

3. Don Shula

Don Shula holds the record with 328 regular-season wins and 347 total wins over 33 NFL seasons, with 31 winning seasons. His most significant achievement was leading the Dolphins in 1972 – the only team in NFL history to complete a season with a perfect record.

When Shula arrived with the Dolphins in 1970, he took over a team that had won only 15 games in the previous four years. In his first six seasons, the Dolphins went 75-19-1, winning three AFC titles and two consecutive Super Bowls. His team was the first to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls, with an overall record of 32-2 during the 1972 and 1973 seasons.

In the 1980s, Shula continued to lead the Dolphins to Super Bowl XVII and XIX, this time focusing on the passing game with Hall of Famer Dan Marino. He also contributed to modernizing the NFL by leading the Competition Committee in 1978, advocating for rule changes that enhanced scoring opportunities and made football America’s premier pastime.

Despite his impressive record, Shula had two regrets: the Colts’ loss to the Jets in Super Bowl III and failing to win a Super Bowl with Marino.

2. Vince Lombardi

Though his head coaching career was relatively short, Vince Lombardi left a lasting impact on professional football during his nine seasons as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. The only coach to win five championships in a seven-year span, Lombardi’s Packers were also the last team to win three consecutive NFL titles, including the first two Super Bowls.

A master at motivating his players, Lombardi was also a meticulous planner, with the Packers always appearing ready for whatever challenges their opponents presented. He was also a pioneer in relation to the draft, being the first coach to select African American players in the first round.

Along with a regular-season winning percentage of .738, Lombardi’s postseason record is even more impressive at 9-1, with the Packers defeating Jim Brown and the Cleveland Browns, Tom Landry’s Cowboys (twice), and Hank Stram’s talented Chiefs in Super Bowl I.

Lombardi’s influence on the NFL was so profound that the league decided to name the Super Bowl championship trophy after him shortly after his death in 1970.

1. Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick, ranked second all-time for most wins, is the only coach in NFL history to win nine conference championships and six Super Bowls. Under his leadership, the New England Patriots achieved 19 consecutive winning seasons, 17 playoff appearances, and 17 division titles.

Belichick is a master at building stable, competitive rosters in the free-agent era. From 2001 to 2019, he averaged nearly 12 wins per season and maintained a .705 win percentage in postseason play. From 2010 to 2018, the Patriots finished 1st or 2nd in the AFC and made eight consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances. Between 2001–2004 and 2014–2018, the Patriots won six Super Bowls in total, solidifying their place as the greatest team of the 21st century.

Before joining the Patriots, Belichick won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants and built a competitive team with the Cleveland Browns in the early 1990s. Although he was unable to lead a perfect team in 2007, Belichick has left an indelible mark on NFL history.

While the Patriots have faced challenges in recent years, Belichick’s legacy remains unaffected, cementing him as the greatest coach of all time.

Conclusion

With his remarkable achievements and lasting legacy, Bill Belichick has firmly established himself as one of the best NFL football coaches of all-time. Despite facing challenges in recent years, his influence and dedication to football remain undeniable. Belichick’s Super Bowl victories, ability to build teams, and flexible strategies created a golden era for the New England Patriots. Though no coach is perfect, Belichick has proven himself a legend, and his legacy will continue to shape the NFL for years to come.

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