In over a century of history, the NFL has had its share of memorable coaches.
Every single decade of the league’s existence has witnessed legends on the sidelines making noteworthy play calls and guiding their teams to world titles.
In fact, many of the NFL’s coaching fraternity are considered the best motivators and leaders of any sport.
Here are the top-five coaches in NFL history in terms of number of career wins including playoffs.
5- Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys, 1960-1988, 270 Wins
Before becoming the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Landry played in the All-American Football Conference and the NFL for seven years primarily as a punter.
During his playing career, Landry led the AAFC and the NFL in punting yards three times.
In 1954, Landry became the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants while still playing for the organization.
He continued to coordinate the defense through the 1959 season while Vince Lombardi ran the Giants’ offense.
Two legends. Future Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, # 49, talks to Vince freakin' Lombardi on the sidelines of a New York Giants game, 1950s. pic.twitter.com/Cl8VN9FZR3
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) December 28, 2019
Then, in 1960, the Dallas Cowboys began their first season in the NFL with Landry as the team’s head coach.
By 1966, the franchise was already playing in the NFL Championship game (a loss to Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers).
Landry and the Cowboys then lost again to the Packers in the Championship game in 1967.
After the 1970 season, Dallas advanced to Super Bowl V, losing to the Baltimore Colts.
It wasn’t until 1971 that Landry finally coaxed a championship out of the Cowboys with a 24-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.
With the Patriots loss, Tom Landry streak with the Cowboys of 20 consecutive winning seasons still stands! 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/0hdPDSM6df
— Steve ✭ (@SteveOcspydor) December 21, 2020
Dallas would win another world title in 1977 after beating Denver in Super Bowl XII.
There were several more close calls through the years but Landry and his crew came up short.
Following the 1988 season, the Cowboys were sold to businessman Jerry Jones who promptly fired Landry and hired his former Arkansas Razorbacks teammate, Jimmy Johnson.
While coaching, Landry was responsible for a number of advancements to the game including the “4-3” and “flex” defenses that were run to perfection by his “Doomsday Defense” units of the 1960 and 1970s.
Landry’s final coaching record is 270-178-6 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
4- Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, 1999-present, 291 Wins
Reid experienced great success in the NFL before becoming a head coach.
From 1992 through 1998, he held several positions for the Green Bay Packers and was a member of the staff when the franchise won Super Bowl XXXI after the 1996 season.
In 1999 Reid was named the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
During his 14 years with the club, Reid led the Eagles to numerous appearances in the playoffs.
Andy Reid has the most wins in Eagles history with 130.
He's tied with Hank Stram for most wins in Chiefs history with 124.He could become the first coach in NFL history to own the wins record for multiple franchises and he could do it by beating the Eagles.
Poetry in motion. pic.twitter.com/ni4kuBKRbR
— 🗣🎙‼️ (@LanceTHESPOKEN) November 9, 2023
Between 2001 and 2004, Philly advanced to the NFC Championship each season and played in Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005, losing to the New England Patriots.
The Eagles advanced to the NFL title game again following 2008, but lost to the upstart Arizona Cardinals.
When the 2012 season ended with Philly finishing 4-12, the Eagles gave Reid his walking papers.
It wasn’t long before the Kansas City Chiefs jumped at the chance to hire Reid only weeks after the Eagles fired him.
Right off the bat, Kansas City experienced success with Reid at the helm and made the postseason in three of his first four seasons.
In 2017, the Chiefs drafted Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Since then, the organization has reached unprecedented heights.
Andy Reid since the Eagles fired him in 2012:
103-42 regular season record
6 consecutive AFC West titles
7 playoff wins
3 consecutive AFC Championship appearances
2 consecutive Super Bowl appearances
1 Super Bowl championship pic.twitter.com/d4pY1V8mEw— 🗣🎙‼️ (@LanceTHESPOKEN) January 12, 2022
Remarkably, Kansas City has reached the AFC Championship game each of the past six years, played in a Super Bowl in four of those years and repeated as world champions in 2023.
During his coaching career, Reid has been lauded for his sharp offensive mind and for his work with quarterbacks such as Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Alex Smith and Mahomes.
Reid is still coaching the Chiefs and his record midway through the 2024 season is 291-160-1.
3- George Halas, Decatur, Chicago Staleys, Chicago Bears, 1920-1929, 1933-1942, 1946-1955, 1958-1967, 324 Wins
As most professional football diehards are well aware, Halas practically jump started what is now the NFL.
In 1920, he was among a group of businessmen that founded the American Professional Football Association (APFA).
The APFA then became the NFL in 1922.
Halas was the head coach of the Decatur, Illinois, Staleys in 1920 and the franchise became the Chicago Staleys in 1921.
55 years ago today, George Halas retired as head coach of @ChicagoBears.
The legacy of "Papa Bear" continues to remain a vital part of the Hall of Fame, which fittingly sits at 2121 George Halas Dr NW in Canton. pic.twitter.com/zKWaGzqTqb
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) May 27, 2023
One year later, the organization changed its name again, this time to the Chicago Bears.
Halas coached the Bears through the 1929 season.
During that time the NFL did not have playoff games.
Beginning in 1933, Halas once again guided Chicago from the sidelines and remained in that position through the first five games of 1942.
During that particular stretch, the Bears won three NFL Championships and lost two others.
In 1946, Halas returned as head coach through 1955 and added another NFL title in ‘46.
Not able to resist the coach’s whistle for very long, he was back to lead the team for the fourth and final time in 1958.
George Halas and Vince Lombardi#Bears–#Packers
Wrigley Field, Chicago
November 1961 pic.twitter.com/aJKeTfofB2— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) September 10, 2023
Halas guided the Bears to yet another NFL Championship in 1963 before stepping away as coach for good following the 1967 season.
Before, during, and after his stints as coach, Halas was the owner of the Bears as well as an executive.
He also owned the Akron (Ohio) Bears, Newark (New Jersey) Bears/Bombers (both franchises played football), and the Chicago Bruins (a hoops team in the American Basketball League).
Along with his eight NFL Championships, Halas had an overall coaching record of 324-152-31 and was one of the inaugural members inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
2- Bill Belichick, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, 1991-1995, 2000-2023, 333 Wins
Belichick’s contributions to the sport of football are legendary.
He began his NFL coaching career in 1975 as an assistant.
In 1979, Belichick was hired by the New York Giants and worked his way up to the defensive coordinator’s job in 1985.
The G-Men in the 1980s had one of the best assemblages of talent on both sides of the ball in recent memory.
Names like Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, and Pepper Johnson were seared into the brains of every opponent New York faced.
That collection of menace led the franchise to a victory in Super Bowl XXI over the Denver Broncos.
Then, following the 1990 season, the Giants played the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV.
New York wasn’t expected to win that day and the Bills high-powered offense was favored by a touchdown before the contest.
However, Belichick crafted a gem of a defensive strategy for the Giants, limiting Buffalo to only 19 points as New York won, 20-19.
The unique — and ultimately successful — game plan of #Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick entering Super Bowl XXV, designed to derail the #Bills' lethal "K-Gun" offense.
• Often deploy only two down linemen
• "Allow" Thurman Thomas to gain 100 rushing yards
• Create… pic.twitter.com/pc4FebNnLM— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 27, 2024
His game plan was considered so masterful that it has been placed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Because of his work in Super Bowl XXV, Belichick was hired in 1991 to be the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
Bill Belichick’s first win as HC was with the Browns in 1991 … against the Patriots.
His 300th win came on Sunday … against the Browns 🤯 pic.twitter.com/y0RJAeWDmK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 28, 2019
As hard as it is to fathom, Belichick’s Cleveland tenure didn’t go as planned.
In five years the Browns only had one winning season, in 1994, and the coach was fired following 1995.
After stints as an assistant with the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, Belichick was handed the reins of the Patriots in 2000.
January 27, 2000: Bill Belichick is introduced as the Head Coach of the Patriots (🎥 via NFL) pic.twitter.com/DL4uHrE2eK
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) January 28, 2024
The following season, second-year quarterback Tom Brady was named the starter and the duo never looked back.
Joined at the hip, Belichick and Brady advanced to no less than nine Super Bowls, winning six, between 2001 and 2018.
Furthermore, the Pats appeared in four AFC Championship games during that span before losing each time.
After 24 years as New England’s head coach, Belichick was fired after 2023.
Although he is 72 years young, many football people feel that Belichick is not done being a head coach in the NFL.
Believed to be one of the best historians of the sport, Belichick is also considered a master tactician known for his “situational football” preparation.
His overall coaching record is 333-178.
1- Don Shula, Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins, 1963-1995, 347 Wins
If there was ever a man born to coach football, it was Don Shula.
He played in the NFL from 1951 through 1957 as a defensive back before pivoting to coaching.
BOTD Don Shula
Don picks off Bobby Layne#Colts #Dolphins pic.twitter.com/Sy0VfdBRDU— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) January 4, 2023
In 1960, Shula was hired as the defensive backs coach for the Detroit Lions and remained in the Motor City through 1962.
Then, in 1963, the Baltimore Colts hired him to be their head coach.
OTD 1963: Legend Don Shula's first game as an NFL head coach, Baltimore Colts vs. New York Giants. pic.twitter.com/QPeXEAZcUP
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) September 15, 2020
In seven years, the Colts had one of the best rosters in pro football, led on the field by quarterback Johnny Unitas.
Baltimore lost the NFL Championship game to the Cleveland Browns in 1964 then lost to the New York Jets and signal-caller Joe Namath in Super Bowl III following 1968 despite being heavy favorites.
Needless to say, Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom was not happy with Shula after losing to the Jets.
He really wasn’t happy when Shula and Baltimore won just eight games in 1969 and missed the postseason altogether.
By that time, the animosity between the two was at fever pitch.
Thankfully, the Miami Dolphins were looking for someone to lead them and reached out to Shula.
The coach was only too happy to leave for warmer weather and headed south in 1970.
Baltimore and Rosenbloom’s loss was Miami’s gain.
In just his second year with the club, Shula had the Fins playing in Super Bowl VI.
Miami lost that day but would return to the league’s biggest game the next two seasons, winning both Super Bowls VII and VIII.
The 1972 Dolphins also made NFL history by becoming the only franchise to go undefeated, finishing the year 17-0.
A decade later, Shula and the Fins advanced to Super Bowl XVII with David Woodley at quarterback and a 7-2 record during a strike-shortened season.
Don Shula coached the Dolphins for 26 seasons (70'-95') and only twice did they have losing records during that time (76' & 88') 🐬🐬🐬 pic.twitter.com/PiHHcgAHU6
— Dolfan Derek (@Dolfin55) April 14, 2021
Miami lost to the Washington Redskins, but were back in 1984 with quarterback Dan Marino.
Although the signal-caller was easily one of the best young QBs in the NFL, Marino went head-to-head with San Francisco and quarterback Joe Montana, losing Super Bowl XIX, 38-16.
Unfortunately, Shula couldn’t get Miami back to the Super Bowl before retiring after 1995.
During three plus decades of coaching, Shula had only two losing seasons, an astounding feat for any head coach.
In addition to winning two Super Bowls, and appearing in four more with two franchises, Shula was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
#Dolphins HOF Coach Don Shula has passed away at the age of 90…
He was a HC for 33 seasons, and had some great achievements…
• 347 Career Wins (Most in NFL)
• Coached only perfect season in #NFL History
• 2x SB Champ (VII, VIII)
• 1968 NFL Champion
• 4x COYRIP Legend pic.twitter.com/NzlM0yNT6e
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) May 4, 2020
His overall coaching record is 347-173-6, the most wins by a head coach in NFL history.
NEXT: The Life And Career Of Lomas Brown
“Outstanding post! The research quality and clarity blew me away. The way you’ve structured each point shows your deep understanding of the topic. I’ve learned so much from your expert insights.”