Written by John Clayton at ESPN.com
Eleven head coaches of the 31 who have won Super Bowls have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Those Hall of Fame coaches have accounted for 22 Super Bowl titles
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick — who’s headed for the Hall of Fame eventually — has a chance to get Super Bowl title No. 5 next Sunday in Super Bowl LI.
So where does Belichick rank among the coaches who have won Super Bowl titles? Not No. 1. I have him second — for now. Check out my 1-31 ranking below.
A couple of notes about my ranking:
- I’m only including coaches who have won Super Bowls, not AFL or NFL titles, though some of these coaches have won both.
- Titles matter, but so does regular-season success.
- How each coach impacted the sport and helped it evolve is also a big part of my ranking.
Here goes: No. 1 is …
1. Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers
Overall record: 96-34-6 | Playoff record: 9-1
Super Bowl titles: I, II (also won NFL titles in 1961, 1962, 1965)
Lombardi set the standard for coaching in the NFL, winning the first and second Super Bowls. In the 1960s, the game was more about running and defense than the quarterback play, but he made everything work. He had a Hall of Fame quarterback in Bart Starr. Lombardi demanded perfection and received it.
2. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Overall record: 237-115 | Playoff record: 25-10
Super Bowl titles: XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX
Belichick is closing in on overtaking Lombardi as the greatest coach in NFL history. In fact, if Belichick beats the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI and captures his fifth title, I’m ready to put him No. 1. That would put his record at 5-2 in Super Bowls, and he has been to 11 conference championship games in 16 years.
3. Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers
Overall record: 193-148-1 | Playoff record: 16-8
Super Bowl titles: IX, X, XIII, XIV
The franchise didn’t win before his arrival, and he established perhaps the best dynasty in NFL history. The Steel Curtain zipped through four Super Bowls in six years and featured nine Hall of Fame players. His teams were the best prepared in the league, and he coached the Steelers for 23 seasons.
4. Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers
Overall record: 92-59-1 | Playoff record: 10-4
Super Bowl titles: XVI, XIX, XXIII
Walsh changed the game. He established a West Coast offense that advanced the NFL from a running-oriented league in the 1970s into the start of a passing league that featured routes that were run like basketball plays. He was perhaps the smartest and most innovative coach in NFL history.
5. Don Shula, Miami Dolphins
Overall record: 328-156-6 | Playoff record: 19-17
Super Bowl titles: VII, VIII (also won NFL title in 1968 with Baltimore Colts)
Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history, won championships in Baltimore and Miami. The Dolphins were in Super Bowl contention almost every year after he left the Colts. Plus, he had the league’s only Super Bowl team that went undefeated (1972), creating his annual champagne celebration.
6. Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins
Overall record: 154-94 | Playoff record: 17-7
Super Bowl titles: XVII, XXII, XXVI
Gibbs won Super Bowl titles with three different starting quarterbacks. He also coached through a few years of labor disputes, showing that he could get teams focused in distracting times.
7. Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys
Overall record: 250-162-6 | Playoff record: 20-16
Super Bowl titles: VI, XII
Landry, who had a stoic look — and signature hat — along the sidelines, established the Cowboys as America’s Team. Landry produced some great defenses, making five trips to the Super Bowl in his 29 seasons in charge.
8. Bill Parcells, New York Giants
Overall record: 172-130-1 | Playoff record: 11-8
Super Bowl titles: XXI, XXV
Parcells’ vision as a defensive coach put Lawrence Taylor in position to be one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. Parcells always seemed to be two steps ahead of the league defensively. He was a master of challenging his players to perform at a high level. Parcells also took the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI.
9. Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys
Overall record: 80-64 | Playoff record: 9-4
Super Bowl titles: XXVII, XXVIII
Johnson came out of college football and changed the way things were done in the NFL. He was one of the most aggressive traders in league history, and theHerschel Walker deal was one of the best ever. He knew how to put together fast, aggressive defenses. Had he not clashed with owner Jerry Jones, Johnson might have had a few more Super Bowl titles.
10. Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos
Overall record: 170-138 | Playoff record: 8-6
Super Bowl titles: XXXII, XXXIII
In Denver, Shanahan established a creative offense that eventually helped John Elway win two Super Bowl rings that were long overdue.
To continue reading this article, click here.
