Sportsnaut
If there’s one thing we learned from the 2025 NFL season, it’s that coaching make a big impact. Just look at how the New England Patriots went from 4-13 under Jerod Mayo in 2024, and 14-3 under Mike Vrabel in 2025.
Every offseason, franchises cycle through different leaders, hoping to find one who can press all the right buttons. If all goes well, the coach eventually leads them to a Super Bowl victory. But sometimes, coaching hires don’t pan out. Since first-year head coaches are all unproven, you won’t find any on this list of the best head coaches in the NFL right now.
There are so many good leaders in the NFL. Some coaches who may only be assistants right now will go on to become Super Bowl-winning head coaches. While this group didn’t make the list of top 10 NFL head coaches ahead of the 2026 season, a Super Bowl win would certainly earn them a spot. The coaches who just missed the cut are the remaining NFC North trio, Chicago’s Ben Johnson, Detroit’s Dan Campbell, Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell. We also have a pair from the AFC South in Houston’s DeMeco Ryans and Jacksonville’s Liam Coen. Each of these coaches have at least one 11-win season under their belts and/or playoff success.
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While he’s never won a Super Bowl as a head coach, Shanahan’s 49ers have been to two of them under his guidance. Four losing seasons hold him back, but only one has come in the past five years. He’s also been quite successful in the playoffs, holding a 9-5 postseason record, plus a regular season win-rate of 55%. With five seasons of double-digit wins on his record, there’s no doubt that Shanahan is one of the NFL’s best coaches today, especially because opponents are always pilfering plays from his scheme.
While he may not have as much head coaching experience as some of his peers, Vrabel’s track record is just as strong. Last year’s sharp turnaround, 10 more wins than the previous regime, while reaching the Super Bowl, is as impressive as they come. The two-time Coach of the Year winner is heading into his eighth season as head coach, and he’s had just two losing records. Vrabel’s 58.6% regular season win rate could be better, but perhaps he finally has what he needs in New England.
He may only have six seasons of NFL head coaching experience, but Jim Harbaugh’s results have been impressive. Amazingly, he’s never had a losing season, and he’s had just one year with fewer than 11 wins. He’s also taken his team to the Super Bowl, but that was back in San Francisco in 2012. Harbaugh is still trying to figure out how to get playoff wins with the Los Angeles Chargers, and...
