5. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers got bullied by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18, but that doesn't take away from the outstanding coaching job that Shanahan did this year. The Niners roster wasn't special to begin with, as the piling up injuries made things worse, but this team ended up controlling their own destiny for the NFC's top seed. Shanahan should receive some Coach of the Year votes.
4. Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
The AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars won 13 games in 2025, and we really saw Trevor Lawrence heat up as the season ended. The Jags are welcoming the Buffalo Bills to town in the Wild Card Round, as Coen's first year was truly a historic one. With head coaches, you can typically tell almost immediately if they have 'it' or not. Coen clearly does.
3. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Just two years ago, the Denver Broncos were 1-5 in 2023. Now sitting at 14-3 and atop the AFC, the Broncos have gotten some elite coaching and culture-changing from Sean Payton. For as much as Bo Nix gets hammered by the media, you'd think Payton's coaching job would be seen as the best in the league!
The Broncos are in good hands with Sean Payton, as the team is just two wins away from the Super Bowl and have home field advantage.
2. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
A year after going 10-7 and missing the playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks went 14-3 this year and are the first seed in the NFC. Mike Macdonald is already one of the best head coaches in the NFL, as he's a defensive mastermind and appears to be a top-tier motivator as well. Seattle is just two wins away from a Super Bowl berth.
1. Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
Given the situation, the best head coach this year has been Mike Vrabel. The Patriots quite literally went from a bottom-3 team to top-3 team in the matter of one season. Vrabel consistently gets the most out of his players, as the Pats' roster really isn't all that special, but that's just a reflection on how masterful of a job he did this year.
Vrabel takes the top spot in our final head coach power rankings of the season.