Where Does Nick Sirianni Rank Among NFL Head Coaches?
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is going into his second season. He had an up and down first year but helped coach the Eagles to a wildcard spot. Where does Nick Sirianni rank among NFL head coaches? The list will start with the 22 coaches that made it through last season followed by the ten newly hired coaches.
Elite Coaches
#1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Belichick will be remembered as the greatest coach of all-time in the NFL. He is a six-time Super Bowl Champion as a head coach. Belichick and Brady’s dynasty is over, but he still coached the Patriots to a playoff spot with a rookie quarterback in 2021.
#2. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Reid has the second most wins out of active coaches with 252 total. He most recently brought the Chiefs to four straight AFC Championship games. He did the same with the Eagles from 2001-to 2004 in the NFC. The Chiefs will once again be one of the favorites going into 2022.
#3. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
McVay is still the youngest coach in the NFL at 36 years old. He got the Rams to the playoffs four out of the past five years with two different quarterbacks. McVay most recently coached the Rams to their first Super Bowl Championship since 1999.
#4. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Tomlin was once a little-known defensive coach that the Steelers hired to replace HOF coach Bill Cowher. He has not had a single losing season in his 15 years of coaching in Pittsburgh. Tomlin hasn’t won a Super Bowl since his second year but always puts the Steelers in playoff contention.
#5. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Harbaugh makes the Ravens a contender nearly every season. He has compiled 137 wins over the past 14 years as head coach. Harbaugh coached the Ravens to a Super Bowl Championship in the 2012 season. The Ravens will have a lot of players returning from injury in 2022, so expect Harbaugh to get the team back to winning.
Great Coaches
#6. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Shanahan had the 49ers in the Super Bowl in the 2019 season and the NFC Championship Game this past year. He fell short of winning the ultimate prize, but he found ways to win with Garoppolo at quarterback. It will be interesting to see if quarterback Trey Lance better fits his system going forward.
#7. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Taylor’s coaching era got off to a rough start. The Bengals went 2-14 in 2019 followed by 4-11-1, but he got them to the Super Bowl this past season. Cincinnati lost the big game, but all their star players are returning. Zac Taylor is just 38, so expect him to continue to rise on this list.
#8. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
LaFleur has the luxury of having Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. He has a 39-10 record in just his first three years as a head coach. The Packers had a shocking first-round exit this past postseason, but LaFleur was able to convince Rodgers to stay. Expect the Packers to be one of the best teams in the NFC this upcoming season.
#9. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
McDermott has coached the Bills to the playoffs in four out of his five years as a head coach. He fell short the past two years against the Chiefs late in the postseason. The Bills will have high expectations in 2022.
#10. Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Vrabel has a 41-24 career record in his four years coaching the Titans. He got them to the playoffs the past three seasons. Vrabel likes to rely on his defense and running game, but it has not translated into postseason success yet.
#11. Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawks
Carroll is at the end of his coaching career, but he is still a great coach. He has 152 regular-season wins plus an 11-10 postseason record. Carroll coached the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win during the 2013 season. The Seahawks will be rebuilding this year plus they play in a tough division.
Good Coaches
#12. Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts
Reich made a name for himself as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2017. Since coming to Indianapolis as a head coach, he has a 37-28 coaching record. He has not had stability at quarterback but got the Colts to two Wildcard spots.
#13. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
Sirianni was the most successful among new 2021 coaching hires. He got the Eagles to a 9-8 record after a dismal 2-5 start. The Eagles lacked the talent to compete with the elite teams but still managed to claim a Wildcard playoff spot. Sirianni will have to find ways to use Jalen Hurts effectively to take the team to the next level.
#14. Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
Staley is another successful 2021 coaching hire. He almost got the Chargers into the playoffs with a 9-8 record this past season. Staley had some play-calling moments that were perhaps too aggressive. The Chargers have a bright future ahead with Justin Herbert at quarterback.
#15. Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals
Kingsbury led the Cardinals to a 10-2 start this past season. It looked like the Cardinals were destined to make a run but went 1-4 to close out the season. Kingsbury has to figure out a way to close seasons out. He is on the last year of his contract, so he needs to at least get the Cardinals to the playoffs.
#16. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Stefanski failed to build upon the Browns’ 11-5 record in 2020. He had them at a disappointing 8-9 record in 2021 to miss the postseason. Stefanski also has plenty of drama to deal with in Cleveland. The team traded away Beckham Jr. last season and is currently dealing with quarterback Baker Mayfield wanting out. Cleveland most recently traded for Deshaun Watson, so it will be interesting to see how he plays after a year off.
Coaches With More To Prove
#17. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
McCarthy coached the Packers to a Super Bowl win back in 2010 but was eventually let go because his teams continually disappointed in the playoffs. The Cowboys hired McCarthy in 2020. He led them to a 12-5 record this past season but were quickly bounced out of the playoffs. McCarthy had a lot of in-game coaching errors and could have a tough time meeting Jerry Jones’ expectations.
#18. Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
Rivera led Washington to two straight seven-win seasons. He has a career 90-82-1 record between coaching the Panthers and Commanders. Rivera kept Washington competitive throughout 2021 despite injuries and players out with COVID-19. It will be interesting to see if he could figure out ways to win with Carson Wentz at quarterback.
#19. Matt Rhule Carolina Panthers
Matt Rhule was nearly let go after a 5-12 2021 season. He has just 10 wins in his two years as an NFL head coach. Rhule will need to figure out the Panthers quarterback situation for the team to get any better.
#20. Arthur Smith Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons hired Smith in 2021 and he led them to a 7-10 record. Atlanta is rebuilding, but Smith is just 39 years old. The Falcons will be looking for a new quarterback after trading away Matt Ryan, so it will be a tough year ahead for Arthur Smith.
#21. Robert Saleh New York Jets
Saleh is going into his second season, so he still deserves time to figure things out. The Jets went 4-13 in 2021. Additionally, the Jets really struggled defensively which was surprising as Saleh was a former defensive coordinator.
#22. Dan Campbell Detroit Lions
Cambell and the Lions had a rough 2021 season. They were 0-8 to start the year but ended with a 3-13-1 record. Fortunately, Dan Campbell found ways for the team to stay competitive despite the lack of talent.
New Coaches
These newly hired coaches are ranked at the bottom because they were not head coaches during the 2021 NFL season. They are ranked in how they are predicted to perform this upcoming season.
#23. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bowles takes over for a well-built Buccaneers team that won the Super Bowl just two seasons ago. He has a 26-41 record as head coach but will have the luxury of coaching Tom Brady in 2022. Bowles has been with Tampa since 2019 as defensive coordinator.
#24. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars hired former Eagles Super Bowl-winning coach, Doug Pederson. He has a 42-37-1 career regular-season coaching record in Philadelphia. Pederson will come to Jacksonville to help second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence develop.
#25. Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders hired Josh McDaniels as an offensive mind to improve Derek Carr’s game. McDaniels has lots of experience working with quarterback Tom Brady. He has a career 11-17 head coaching record for the Broncos. The Raiders will look to build upon last season’s 10-7 record.
#26. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
McDaniel will arrive in Miami to a team that added multiple free agents this offseason. The Dolphins had a winning record last season, so the expectations will be high for a brand-new head coach. McDaniel was the former offensive coordinator for the 49ers.
#27. Nathaniel Hackett, Denver Broncos
Hackett was previously the offensive coordinator for the Packers. He will now have Russell Wilson at his disposal. Expect the Broncos’ offense to get better, but they play in the toughest division in football.
#28. Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Allen has big shoes to fill as he replaces Sean Payton in New Orleans. Dennis Allen was previously the Saints’ defensive coordinator. The Saints have a good defense, but what will he do with the quarterback position?
#29. Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings
O’Connell was most recently the offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl Champion Rams. He will be looking to get the Vikings to the next level. The Vikings have not made the playoffs since they lost the NFC Championship to the Eagles during the 2017 season.
#30. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
Eberflus will become a head coach for the first time in his career at age 51. He was most recently the defensive coordinator for the Colts. The Bears only made the playoffs once out of the past 11 seasons, so the expectations will be low to start
#31. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Daboll has experience working with the all-time greats in football. He coached under Bill Belichick and Nick Saban. Daboll’s time as offensive coordinator in Buffalo coincided with the rise of quarterback Josh Allen. It will be interesting to see if he could improve the Giants’ offense.
#32. Lovie Smith, Houston Texans
Lovie Smith has the toughest job in the NFL. He will take over for the Texans who just had a 4-13 record. Deshaun Watson was traded away, so they will have to start from scratch. Smith has an 89-87 record as a head coach for the Bears and Buccaneers.
The Verdict
Nick Sirianni is ranked 13th out of the current NFL coaches. The ten newly hired coaches were ranked at the bottom because they have not proven themselves with their new teams yet. Take these ten guys out, Sirianni would be ranked 13th out of the 22 experienced coaches. This is about average and right in the middle of the pack. Sirianni also ranks ahead of all the 2021 coaching hires after just one season.
Sirianni goes into 2022 looking to build upon a successful first season as head coach. He is creative, a motivator, and a great communicator. Additionally, players seem to like his style, so fans should be optimistic about what is to come. Sirianni could rise or fall on this list depending on how the regular season goes.
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