There have been some amazing head coaching jobs done this year. Let's power rank all 32 after Week 5 action. Not only that, but there are some head coaches who have struggled a ton this year and might be trending toward being shown the door here in the coming weeks.
In the coming weeks as the NFL trade deadline nears, we could also see some in-season head coach firings, as there are always a handful that happen before the season is over. This can benefit teams by getting a bit of a head start in their search for the new head coach.
Week 5 was filled with a ton of action, and we now turn our attention to Week 6 beginning with the Eagles and Giants on Thursday Night Football. Let's power rank the head coaches right here.
Updated head coach power rankings approaching Week 6
32. Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
There truly hasn't been much of anything positive with the first five games of Aaron Glenn's tenure with the New York Jets, as it seems like this hyped-up offseason hire was all smoke. Glenn and the Jets are the lone winless team in the NFL, and they have not forced a turnover in their first five games.
The defense has allowed a whopping 11 touchdown passes, and besides them being able to run the ball well, there is nothing else to note with this team, and it's unlcear when they'll win their first game.
31. Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans won their first game of the Cam Ward era thanks to the Arizona Cardinals being an undisciplined mess. The Titans are still among the worst teams in the NFL, as a sloppy win doesn't really change much with them. Brian Callahan is likely being shown the door at some point before 2026 rolls around, as it does not seem like he has a good grip on being a head coach in the NFL.
30. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Another head coach trending in the wrong direction is Mike McDaniel. The Miami Dolphins blew a lead against the Carolina Panthers, and unless some unlikely turnaround happens, McDaniel isn't going to last the rest of the season.
29. Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
Jonathan Gannon's sideline interactive with Emari Demercado has not been a good look, and to top it all off, the Cardinals have lost three games in a row after a solid 2-0 start. I do believe Gannon will get into the 2026 NFL Season, but things are trending in the wrong direction.
28. Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders
Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders are a giant mess, and many people should have seen this coming. The game has clearly passed Carroll by, and his QB, Geno Smith, whom the Raiders traded a third-round pick for in the offseason, has already thrown nine interceptions. The roster itself is among the worst in the NFL, and they are currently riding a four-game losing streak. This has been a disastrous season and even worse coaching job.
27. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Brian Daboll is not a good head coach, but he's never really been given competitive rosters, either. Jaxson Dart was one of their first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he's clearly the last player who could save Daboll's tenure. The Giants face the Eagles and Broncos in the coming weeks, so a 1-6 start is on the table.
26. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski is no. 26 in our head coach power rankings. I do believe he is still a good coach, but it's obviously been the QB position that has spiraled his tenure out of control, and it might soon be time for a fresh start for both sides. Stefanski knows offense in and out, but the Browns have not been able to sustain anything noteworthy on that side of the ball for years now.
25. Kellen Moore, New Orleans Saints
Kellen Moore and the New Orleans Saints took care of business against the New York Giants in Week 5. Second-year QB Spencer Rattler actually looks quite good, and you get the feeling that slowly but surely, things are trending in the right direction for the Saints with Rattler and Moore, a duo that could emerge as something special in the 2026 NFL Season.
However, the Saints are 1-4 for a reason, so we can't overlook that. Moore is 25th in our head coach power rankings after Week 5.
24. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals are unraveling, and sure, Joe Burrow being out would make any coach's job impossible, but Taylor has been an iffy coach in this league for a while now. I do believe that the Bengals front office hasn't really done Taylor any favors, but there has never been a point in time during his tenure that we're like "yep, he's an elite coach."
In my eyes, things are trending toward him being shown the door by the end of the 2025 NFL Season, and with yet another season-ending injury from Joe Burrow, the Bengals simply need to wash themselves from this period and start fresh.
23. Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers
The 2-3 Carolina Panthers aren't the worst team in the NFL, so that is saying something. I am still pretty far 'out' on Bryce Young, but it's not like Dave Canales was with the team when Young was drafted, so if he does not pan out fully this year, I would not be shocked to see Carolina going in a different direction.
The jury is still out on Canales, but he is absolutely more 'unproven' in this league than he is a proven coach, so time will be the deciding factor here. Canales is 23rd in our power rankings.
22. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens are in rough shape this year. Now 1-4 on the season, it's unclear how this team is going to be able to rebound and get into the playoffs, as they are likely having to win eight of their final 12 games to finish with nine wins, which might be enough in the AFC.
Many have wondered when the Ravens would pull the plug on the John Harbaugh era, as he's clearly not been able to get over the hump. Baltimore has last won multiple games in the postseason all the way back in 2012, so with this 1-4 start, his seat might be warming up.
21. Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
Maybe the most 'whelming' coach in the NFL, Raheem Morris is 22nd in our power rankings and has the Falcons at 2-2 heading into their Monday Night Football showdown at home against the Buffalo Bills. There really isn't anything special with the Falcons this year, and I believe that is a good representation of their head coach.
20. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans have now won two games in a row, but they have come against the Tennessee Titans and the Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens, so it's been nothing special. Ryans is a very good coach, but it's been the offense that has really thrown a wrench in things for Houston.
This is a well-coached team, but the buck stops with Ryans, and it does not seem like he's been able to find that spark that was present during the shocking 2023 season.
19. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid and the Chiefs are 2-3 and feel like the most average team in the NFL. The roster is nothing special, and we're beginning to see their already razor-thin margins totally evaporate, so I am not all the way sold on them for the remainder of the season. Reid is one of the best head coaches in the history of the NFL and is well on his way into the Hall of Fame, but he's done nothing of note here in 2025.
18. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
All of a sudden, the LA Chargers once two-game lead in the AFC West has totally gone away, and the Denver Broncos are coming. The Bolts have gotten bit by the injury bug, so it'll be interesting to see how Jim Harbaugh navigates that. This still feels like a good-not-great team, but a lot of that is due to the average roster GM Joe Hortiz has assembled.
Harbaugh is 18th in our power rankings.
17. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
The 3-2 Seattle Seahawks are a good team, but they don't feel appreciably better from the 2024 NFL Season, a year where they were the only double-digit win team that did not make the postseason. Mike Macdonald clearly knows how to coach up a defense, but you really don't get the sense that this team is anything special at all. The second-year coach is 17th in our latest coach power rankings.
16. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
Riding a two game win streak into their Week 5 bye, the Chicago Bears may have found something on offense, and second-year QB Caleb Williams might be hitting his stride. He's played a lot better this year and seems to be trending in the right direction, but at 2-2, the Bears haven't done anything overly special, so I can't really justify ranking Ben Johnson much higher than this.
15. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
Matt LaFleur lost and tied their two games before the bye, so the Green Bay Packers are now 2-1-1 on the season. On paper, this is one of the best teams in the NFL, and with how well Jordan Love has played this year, the Packers should be able to ascend into that next tier.
However, they'll have to begin stacking some wins after the bye, but a bad loss to the Browns and a really shaky tie against the Dallas Cowboys doesn't give me a ton of confidence.
14. Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
Briah Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys have an electric offense that can lead them to a winning record this year, but the defense has been a massive problem thus far. Schottenheimer has been coaching in the NFL for quite some time and is getting his first crack at being a head coach.
If Matt Eberflus can get this defense sorted out a bit, the Cowboys might be able to hit nine or 10 wins this year. Dak Prescott is playing at an MVP level, and Schottenheimer deserves a lot of credit for that.
13. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders were without Jayden Daniels, but they are now 3-2 on the season after a very strong win against the Los Angeles Chargers. When this roster is healthy, it is certainly capable of making a deep run, as we saw in the 2024 NFL Season.
But I am not sure this roster is great, so a lot falls on the shoulders of Quinn and the coaching staff. He's gone 15-7 in the regular season since taking over as their head coach back in 2024 and is again doing a quality coaching job, but the Commanders don't just have making the playoffs as their only goal this year.
Can they get over the hump?
12. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were on their bye in Week 5 and are 3-1 through the first month of the 2025 NFL Season, and with Mike Tomlin, it's never really a notable coaching issue - he has never finished any season of his head coaching career with the Steelers with a losing record, but the ceiling has been quite low. It's going on 10 years since the Steelers last won a playoff game, and that's been the main issue with Tomlin.
He's doing another solid coaching job, but it's nothing special.
11. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are enduring a bit of a Super Bowl hangover, and new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has been downright awful this year. Saquon Barkley touched the ball just nine times in their Week 5 stinker against the Denver Broncos. That simply cannot happen.
The Eagles' starting QB, Jalen Hurts, is also not a passer who can continually beat defenses with his arm, so that presents an issue. Philly is 4-1, but their four wins this year were by slim margins, and I am honestly getting 2023 Eagles flashbacks with this team.
10. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
A bad loss against the New England Patriots is not nothing. Sean McDermott and the Buffallo Bills probably just want to fast-forward to the postseason, but they have to win the AFC East first. Buffalo is a nicely-run operation, but they do have some weakneses on the defensive side of the ball that need talked about, and they really do not feel like a Super Bowl-caliber team at all.
9. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Carson Wentz of all people is the Minnesota Vikings' starting QB, and if he can keep this team in a good spot, I am not sure the Vikes will insert JJ McCarthy back into the lineup until Wentz proves he can't hold things down. With how well Sam Darnold has played this year, you wonder if the Vikings are regretting letting him go...
8. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
The 3-2 Los Angeles Rams lost a disappointing game on Thursday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. While that should have absolutely been a win, the Rams will be fine and are continually a top team in the NFL with Sean McVay in the picture. He's going to get this ship on the right track, and it would not shock me if the Rams did end up winning the NFC West yet again.
An elite head coach who is probably going to end up in the Hall of Fame one day, McVay is eighth in our head coach power rankings approaching Week 6.
7. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton is doing another great coaching job through the first five weeks. Denver had a short week after their Monday Night Football win over the Cincinnati Bengals, as they traveled across the country and played the Eagles in a 1:00 PM early-window game in Week 5. The Broncos being able to mount a fourth-quarter comeback at Philly was really something, and it now seems like Payton and the Bo Nix-led Broncos have their signature win that could really open things up.
With two more very winnable games coming up in the coming weeks against the Jets and Giants, the 3-2 Broncos could go from 1-2 to 5-2 in the blink of an eye. Payton-coached teams typically turn it on in October as well, so the breakout could continue this month as well.
6. Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
The New England Patriots look significantly better in 2025 than they were at any point in 2024. The team is now 3-2 on the season after a huge win over the Buffalo Bills, and it's really not a shock that the Patriots are trending in the right direction. This team has won three of their last four games after a sloppy Week 1 loss against the Raiders.
All in all, Vrabel is up to his old tricks again and has done an amazing job with this upstart team. Second-year QB Drake Maye has played out of his mind, and it feels like this team is plenty good enough to get into the postseason this year. Vrabel is sixth in our head coach power rankings.
5. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 4-1 on the season after a huge win against the Seattle Seahawks. Simply put, this is one of the best teams in the NFL, and they have been insanely consistent in the Bowles era. Baker Mayfield is playing MVP-level football, and the entire operation is just well-run and well-coached.
Bowles deserves a ton of credit for helping this franchise stabilize after both Tom Brady and Bruce Arians left the picture several years ago. He's fifth in our head coach power rankings, as the Bucs look poised to again win the NFC South and earn a top seed in the playoffs, but a deep playoff run has eluded them for a while now.
4. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
It's hard to find many head coaches in the NFL who have done a better job this year than Kyle Shanahan, who somehow has his 49ers' team at a great 4-1 start. Yet again, the Niners have been bitten by the injury bug, but they have somehow managed to come out the other side of it thus far. Winning just six games in all of 2024, San Francisco is nearly at their win total from a year ago.
If the team can get healthy as the season goes on, they might be in great shape to make a deep playoff run this year.
3. Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
It is quite insane how quickly a single player or coach can turn a franchise around. Liam Coen seems to be precisely what the Jacksonville Jaguars have been searching for. Coen and the Jags held the fort down at home and beat the three-time defending AFC champs. The defense has been outstanding, and Coen has gotten this run game turned around.
You definitely want to see more from Trevor Lawrence, but a 4-1 record through Week 5 is nothing to scoff at.
2. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Who would have thought that Daniel Jones was the QB to get things going for the Indianapolis Colts? Jones and the Colts are 4-1 on the season and good enough to win the AFC South this year. Shane Steichen was never a bad head coach, as the front office just bungled the QB position for years, but they have a solution now.
1. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
The 4-1 Detroit Lions are clearly the best team in the NFL, and Dan Campbell is quickly proving himself to be a top-tier head coach once again. Many wondered if the Lions would regress after losing Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, and the answer has been a resounding no thus far. Campbell should be seen as the front-runner for Coach of the Year thus far.