With OTAs across the NFL set to begin, another major landmark in the NFL offseason has hit. Before you know it, we'll be talking about Week 1 being right around the corner. Amidst all of the power rankings we've done, taking a look at the top head coaches in the NFL is a good idea.
Without a strong head coach, no NFL team is going to sustain any sort of success, and it's clear that there aren't 32 solidified head coaches in the NFL. Finding the right coach isn't quite as hard as finding the franchise quarterback, but it's not easy.
Let's power-rank all 32 head coaches in the NFL for the 2026 season, using the coaches' tenure, thus far in their career, as the primary basis for these rankings, but taking a peek back at 2025 is also considered here, too.
Updated NFL head coach rankings as OTAs begin for 2026
Unranked: Mike LaFleur, Jesse Minter, Joe Brady, Todd Monken, Klint Kubiak, Jeff Hafley
There are going to be six first-time head coaches in the NFL for 2026, so we have not assigned them a ranking. It wouldn't necessarily be fair or accurate to give a ranking to any of the coaches listed above until they actually begin coaching games and building something notable, one way or another.
Someone like LaFleur with the Arizona Cardinals could be a rough situation, as the Cardinals were the last team to hire a head coach, and could be the worst team in the NFL right now, and might be one of the worst teams in professional sports.
Minter headed to Baltimore after a great stint as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator, so finding year one success could be likely. Brady and Monken are two sharp offensive minds, and Brady takes over for a Buffalo Bills team that gets into the playoffs each year.
Kubiak is the son of Gary Kubiak and just won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. Hafley, after a solid tenure as the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator, heads over to try and revive the Miami Dolphins franchise.
26. Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
Aaron Glenn honestly looked to be in way over his head as a rookie head coach in 2025. Sure, the New York Jets had a bad roster, but Glenn's decision-making and weird sparring with the media at times really did do him any favors.
Glenn is in a slightly better situation for the 2026 season, as the Jets did get active to try and shore up the defensive side of the ball, and a ton of young talent entered the equation on offense, as well.
Geno Smith should at least be able to raise the floor, but Glenn is really going to have to take a sizeable step forward as head coach if he wants to survive into 2027, a year where the Jets will have three first-round picks in the NFL Draft.
25. Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans
Robert Saleh previously coached the Jets, but now he's back as the coach of the Tennessee Titans. A sharp defensive mind, Saleh's first stint as a head coach didn't go as planned, but with a more stable franchise, Saleh could rise among the head coach hierarchy.
Saleh's Titans were active in the offseason with a defensive focus, but quarterback Cam Ward did get a new weapon in Carnell Tate in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Titans could be a frisky team, but it would take the Saleh-led defense to hit it off immediately, and for Ward to take a notable step foward in year two.
24. Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons
Kevin Stefanski was a two-time Coach of the Year with the Cleveland Browns, but the tenure felt rather rocky. Now with the Falcons, Stefanski doesn't exactly have an ideal quarterback situation, and he's lost more than he's won, so this isn't some special coach we're talking about at the moment.
23. Kellen Moore, New Orleans Saints
Kellen Moore and the New Orleans Saints did win four of their final five games of the 2025 season, so there is reason for hope with this team. Moore didn't step into a great situation, but then-rookie quarterback Tyler Shough did play quite well, and the defense quietly took a step forward.
This year two is going to be massive for Moore, as the NFC South is very winnable, but it's not a guarantee that Moore is going to be able to elevate this operation. If he does, and if the Saints finish with a winning record, at least, they'll officially be on the right track and could become a contender in 2027 and beyond.
22. Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike McCarthy is back in the head coaching ranks, and is now coaching his hometown team, which is a neat story. McCarthy does have a long history of being a competent head coach, but he's not really done much in the playoffs for years now, and many have questioned this hire.
McCarthy, at this stage of his career, is definitely more of a floor-raiser than anything else at this point. With Aaron Rodgers also back in the mix, this feels like a 9-8 or 10-7 team for 2026.
21. Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers
Dave Canales has been a losing head coach thus far, but the Carolina Panthers were able to win eight games and the NFC South title. This third season for Canales could make or break his tenure. If the Panthers can make a jump in 2026 like they did in 2025, it'll likely represent a few more wins and another divisional title.
There was a lot to be excited about with this team in terms of growth in 2025, but with many coaches in this tier, it's about if that next step can be reached.
20. Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys are on the right track. This team was 6-5-1 at one point in 2025 before a late-season collapse squashed any hope of a playoff berth. Schottenheimer did his job, but it was really the defense that ruined things.
With Schottenheimer clearly having the authority to oversee a remake of that unit, Dallas could flirt with double-digit wins in 2026. Schottenheimer is a strong offensive mind and really only needs his defense to be average. With a top-7 scoring offense led by an efficient quarterback, the Cowboys could threaten in 2026.
19. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Starting 7-1 in 2025, Shane Steichen and the Indianapolis Colts were building something notable, and for a minute there, it finally felt like the Colts were on the right track. Indy then collapsed and won just one more game the rest of the way, but Steichen should get a ton of credit for the offense that he was able to put on the field.
Indy's front office botching the quarterback room isn't necessarily his fault, but with an overall lack of notable success thus far, Steichen doesn't come in very high in our power rankings.
18. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
It just feels like Zac Taylor hasn't really been 'the guy' for the Cincinnati Bengals. Having missed the playoffs three years in a row now, you get the sense that 2026 has to be a notable year, or major changes could be coming. Taylor feels like an average head coach who could get a bit of a boost thanks to an elite quarterback in Joe Burrow.
17. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
Now 17-17 as the Washington Commanders head coach, Dan Quinn is entering a crucial third year, and based on how 2025 went, it makes us feel like 2024 was a massive outlier. Quinn has coached a ton of games in the NFL and has always been a strong defensive mind, but his massive regression year in 2025 has us asking way more questions.
16. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles has been a steady head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but nothing special. He's overseen division-winning teams and has been in the playoffs rather regularly, but there really isn't anything coming from this tenure that jumps off the page at the moment.
The Bucs took a notable step back in 2025 and entirely missed the playoffs. Bowles and the Bucs have to get back on track in 2026. The NFC South is a winnable division, and this entire operation is proven enough to take it back.
But ever since those few Tom Brady seasons, the post-Brady Bucs have never really felt like a legitimate contender, even at their best.
15. John Harbaugh, New York Giants
John Harbaugh missed the playoffs with the Baltimore Ravens in 2025 and takes a hit in our power rankings. You almost wonder if, like McCarthy for example, the game is passing Harbaugh by. The Ravens hadn't won multiple playoff games under Harbaugh since that Super Bowl season back in 2012, which felt like a fake statistic.
And now with the Giants, there is another level of uncertainty here. Sure, Harbaugh could stabilize things in New York, but there isn't any recent indication that a Super Bowl could come at some point.
14. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota Vikings are in a weird spot. O'Connell is clearly a solid head coach, but the lack of a consistent quarterback situation has thrown a wrench into this tenure. Part of that blame has to fall on O'Connell's shoulders, too.
At best, the Vikings could win double-digit games and flirt with the NFC North title, but that's also asking a lot from Kyler Murray, the likely starter.
13. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
Nick Sirianni has not necessarily presided over the most stable team in recent years. The Philadelphia Eagles have been an 'every other year' team, having made the Super Bowl in 2022 and 2024, but having gone one-and-done in the playoffs in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
Sirianni is the head coach of this team and should take much of the blame for the Eagles not being able to find stable success, but if nothing else, this team has won double-digit games in each of the previous four seasons.
12. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
We're now starting to get into some great head coaches who haven't been on the job for very long or have left some meat on the bone. Jim Harbaugh has won everywhere he has gone, whether that be in the NFL or college, but the Chargers have capped themselves the past two seasons, going 11-6 in each year and losing in the Wild Card Round both times.
There is a clear ceiling at play here, and unless something major changes, that is going to remain the case. This team has truly been the same exact club in each year of the Harbaugh era, so why should be we believe that the Chargers go from 'good' to 'great?'
11. Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Liam Coen went 13-4 in his first year as the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, winning the AFC South but losing in the Wild Card Round to the Buffalo Bills. The amount of success that Coen was able to find on year one was outstanding, but this could also be a team primed for a regression.
Coen can slam the door on that in 2026, if the Jags are able to avoid it, and only having one year on the job can't land him much higher in our power rankings. We did really see the offense come into view near the end of the 2025 season, so that keeping up into 2026 will help things.
10. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
Another first-year head coach who had a stellar season, Ben Johnson helped lead the Chicago Bears into the Divisional Round and helped this franchise do a total 180. If this keeps up in 2026, Johnson is going to skyrocket up these rankings and help the Bears become Super Bowl contenders.
9. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
Matt LaFleur is one of the more consistent head coaches in the NFL, but the Packers have been another 'good not great' team throughout his tenure. LaFleur knows how to win games and get into the playoffs, but taking that next step simply hasn't happened.
8. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
Now with three years under his belt as the Houston Texans head coach, DeMeco Ryans has really found his groove with the team. Houston has advanced into the Divisional Round in each year, so there's been an early ceiling at play here, but the Texans franchise has turned around for the better, and it's clear how dominant his defenses have been. Ryans is just inside the top-10 in our power rankings.
7. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions, despite missing the playoffs in 2025, still finished with nine wins, and his teams have won at least nine games four years in a row now, so there is a very high floor at play here, but we have also seen the Lions win 15 regular season games as recently as 2024.
Campbell took some time to cement himself as one of the best head coaches in the league, but at this point, you can't dispute it.
6. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid's Kansas City Chiefs won just six games in 2025 and entirely missed the playoffs, so his standing in our power rankings takes a hit. Reid is clearly still among the best in the league, but the Chiefs suddenly have an uphill battle to climb for 2026.
Some have wondered if Reid's offenses are beginning to lack creativity, as the Chiefs haven't been that threatening on offense in multiple years now.
5. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan has been to two Super Bowls as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, and any time his teams do not battle the injury bug, they're among the best in the league. Even last year, despite a ton of injuries, the 49ers managed to win 12 games and were quite close to the NFC West title.
There isn't much Shanahan hasn't done outside of the Super Bowl, but he's still been there twice.
4. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton's Denver Broncos likely would have made the Super Bowl had Bo Nix not broken his ankle in the AFC Divisional Round. Payton's teams have won 8, 10 and 14 regular season games in his three years on the job, which only further proves that Payton is still among the best in the NFL.
On paper, the Broncos are as talented as they were in 2025, and it really would not be a shock if Denver managed to win it all in 2026. Payton lands at No. 4 in our rankings.
3. Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
Making it to the Super Bowl in his first year as the New England Patriots head coach, Mike Vrabel's quick work with the franchise was insanely impressive, regardless of how easy the schedule was. Sure, the schedule gets a lot harder, but Vrabel has already been known as a coach who gets the most out of his players.
That should continue in 2026, but getting blown out in the big game is still notable and obviously doesn't do him any favors.
2. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams came within one game of the Super Bowl in 2025. McVay has already won the Super Bowl and may be well on his way to the Hall of Fame one day. A mastermind of an offensive coach, McVay's Rams are, on paper, the most talented team in the NFL, depending on who you ask.
The Rams have also been one of the winningest franchises in the NFL since McVay took over way back in 2017.
1. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
The Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks are doing just about everything right. Mike Macdonald's defense was impossible for the Patriots to figure out, and his tenure is off to a solid 24-10 start, as Seattle still won 10 games in his first year back in 2024.