Without a top-end head coach, no franchise in the NFL is going to sustain any sort of success. And, much like the quarterback position, a head coach can usually show that he's got "it" sooner, rather than later.
There is a good bit of head coaching turnover in the NFL. It feels like each offseason cycle brings at least five different openings, and this past cycle was definitely a big one, as long-time head coaches like Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh were let go by their now-former teams.
However, there are some teams that could not be in more of a stable position with their current head coach. Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, we power-ranked the 10 best coaches in the NFL. Where did we go wrong?
2026 NFL Power Rankings: Head coach rankings with the NFL Draft rapidly approaching
10. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
It's hard to not have Dan Campbell on this list. Despite the Detroit Lions missing the playoffs in 2025 in shocking fashion, this team was still in a position to yet again win the NFC North, but some injuries and a poor defensive finish is what ended things.
However, in the Campbell era, the Lions have turned into a total juggernaut after being the laughingstock of the league for years. Campbell's rugged, hard-nosed personality and clear results are an indicator that he is still among the best in the NFL, even after a down season. Following his first season as the Lions head coach back in 2021, when they went 3-13-1, Detroit has since gone 45-23. which is a .671 winning percentage.
9. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
Through two years with the Los Angeles Chargers, there does appear to be a ceiling with Jim Harbaugh. In both seasons, the Chargers have gone 11-6 in the regular season and one-and-done in the playoffs, losing in brutal fashion. Still, though, Harbaugh has won wherever he lands, and that's been the case with the Chargers.
Sporting a brutal offensive line was the main reason for LA's lack of playoff success, so if that unit can get shored up for 2026, Harbaugh's career would make you believe that a deep playoff run is possible.
8. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
While the Houston Texans have failed to advance past the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs in DeMeco Ryans' tenure, it's clearly been a hugely successful start for Ryans and this era of football. He's won double-digit games in all three years of his coaching career, and Houston did capture the AFC South title in the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
His fingerprints are all over the defense, and once again, Houston should be primed for another playoff campaign. Ryans came in and immediately changed the direction of this franchise and is absolutely among the best in the league.
7. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
In year one, Ben Johnson led the Chicago Bears to an 11-6 record, NFC North title, and an appearance in the Divisional Round. Given how quickly this franchise saw success under Johnson, it'd be hard to not put him on this list.
Sure, you could argue that he isn't as proven as others given it's only been one year, but the opposite could be more true - it's all that more impressive that he found success in year one. Chicago's progression on offense was extremely evident, too. Johnson should only get better and better.
6. Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Another first-year head coach that shattered expectations, Liam Coen did have the Jacksonville Jaguars alive for the AFC's top playoff seed near the end of the season. And during that second-half stretch, the offense really came together. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence began to heat up and was an MVP candidate by the time the year was over.
Coen took a franchise stuck in the mud and led them to a division title. This impressive lift in year one land's Coen at no. 6 in our power rankings.
5. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Despite all of the injuries the San Francisco 49ers had in 2025, they still managed to win 12 games and were still alive for the NFC's top seed in the playoffs. It was injuries that ended up ending the season, as the Niners just did not have an answer on either side of the ball in the Divisional Round, but it was another insane showing by Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan has already appeared in two Super Bowls and has been among the best since taking over way back in 2027. When his teams don't get hurt, which has been an unfortunate theme, a deep playoff run always occurs.
4. Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
The results and turnaround led by Mike Vrabel was flat-out insane to witness. Sure, the New England Patriots did have an incredibly easy schedule, but that doesn't guarantee much. New England got blown out in the Super Bowl and did see that easy schedule catch up to them, but going from one of the worst teams in the NFL to one of the best in a year is worthy of praise.
Vrabel was also a successful head coach with the Tennessee Titans, so that can't be discounted. This isn't his first rodeo, and the Titans have since taken a nosedive.
3. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton continues to prove people wrong with the Denver Broncos. Most of the NFL world was flat-out wrong about Bo Nix, but Payton and the Broncos weren't. Had Nix not gotten hurt, there is an argument that the Broncos win the Super Bowl, or at least make it.
Payton's Bill Parcells-ian way of doing business has sustained success for nearly two decades as a head coach. Denver has gone 24-10 in the regular season since the Nix era began in 2024, only further proving that Payton made the right move and knows how to build this team and keep it successful.
2. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay is a mastermind and a likely future Hall of Famer. It was another successful year for the Los Angeles Rams, but some defensive shortcomings ended up being the deciding factor in the Rams not making it to the Super Bowl.
McVay has continually had the Rams among the best in the NFL while also sporting some of the league's most efficient offenses. His success speaks for itself, as the Rams did win it all back in 2021 and have a ton of division titles and playoff success under McVay.
1. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
It's only fair to have the Super Bowl-winning head coach this year atop the list. Mike Macdonald is a defensive mastermind and helped mold the Seahawks into a Super Bowl champion. Despite going 10-7 in 2024 but missing the playoffs, Macdonald oversaw a ton of positive changes and surely had a hand in a lot of this decision-making.
Not only is his judgment clearly top-tier, but defensive prowess might already be approaching generational status. Macdonald is no. 1 in our head coach power rankings ahead of the NFL Draft.