As we gear up for the 2023 NFL season, it’s important to look into the head coaching positions around the NFL.
Whether you’re into fantasy football or sports betting, understanding the nuances of head coaches and researching the recent coaching changes can help you succeed.
Today, we’ll be breaking down the NFL head coaches for the 2023 NFL season. We have a nice mix of young offensive-minded coaches and seasoned veterans in the league.
Without further ado, here are my latest NFL head coach power rankings.
Head Coach Rankings 32-21
32. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
In his first season as the Bears’ head coach, Eberflus posted a 3-14 record. While it wasn’t entirely his fault, Chicago had one of the worst defenses in the NFL. That doesn’t bode well for a defensive-minded coach.
However, Justin Fields has shown some serious upside and could be the face of this franchise for years to come if he gets more consistent as a passer.
But if Chicago’s defense doesn’t improve after adding some talent this offseason, Eberflus won’t be around much longer.
31. Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
After spending the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, Gannon will get his first head coaching opportunity in 2023. While he has over 15 years of experience coaching in the NFL, Gannon has a rough road ahead of him.
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Arizona may be in contention for Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams when the 2024 NFL Draft rolls around, especially since Kyler Murray could miss significant time.
As is the case in Chicago, this defensive-minded coach will work with one of the worst defenses in the league.
30. Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Smith is entering his third season as the Falcons’ head coach. Atlanta has finished 7-10 the last two years and has yet to make a playoff appearance during his tenure.
The Falcons have a lot of potential with their young offensive weapons, such as Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts.
However, Smith will have to trust second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder if he wants to get the most out of this group.
29. Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Allen’s record as an NFL head coach is 15-38, and he has yet to lead a team to the playoffs.
However, that could change in his second season with the Saints, as the NFC South is totally up for grabs.
New Orleans has a solid defense, and its offense should improve with the addition of quarterback Derek Carr, who started four games as a rookie under Allen at the end of his previous head coaching tenure with the Raiders in 2014.
28. Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
Speaking of the Raiders, next up is McDaniels. With a career record of 17-28, McDaniels now has a chance to turn things around with Jimmy Garoppolo, who he worked with in New England and handpicked to come to Vegas.
Maybe this will be the year McDaniels finally makes it to the playoffs as a head coach, but I wouldn’t bank on it.
27. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers were a disappointment in 2022, and Bowles was a big part of that.
Tampa Bay’s offense struggled under the defensive guru, who has a 34-50 record and was entirely outmatched by Mike McCarthy in his first playoff game as a head coach last season.
While he might be better served as a defensive coordinator, Bowles has a solid group to work with on defense in Tampa. However, don’t be shocked if he’s on the hot seat if the Buccaneers continue to struggle.
26. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
The former Texans linebacker is one of the new faces on the NFL head coaching circuit. A two-time Pro Bowler as a player, Ryans served on the 49ers’ defensive staff for the last six years and coordinated the league’s top-ranked unit last season.
We’ll see how he handles a head coaching position as the Texans embark on a rebuild centered around rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
25. Robert Saleh, New York Jets
Saleh is heading into his third season as head coach of the New York Jets. In the first two seasons, New York had an 11-23 record and finished last in the AFC East twice.
However, the Jets have hit on their draft picks recently in a huge way with Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, and Breece Hall. And yeah, a guy named Aaron Rodgers has come to town.
The pressure is on Saleh to win now.
24. Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
After two seasons as the Chargers’ head coach, Staley needs to oversee some improvement this year. Justin Herbert has a ton of potential and could be one of the next top quarterbacks in the league.
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However, despite the talent level on the roster, Los Angeles has been a disappointment. More concerningly, the Chargers have fallen apart in two consecutive elimination games, including blowing a 27-point first-half lead in Jacksonville last season.
23. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
After spending the last four seasons as an offensive coordinator, Steichen earned his first head coaching position with the Colts.
Notably, the 38-year-old has worked with Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts. Now, he’ll have the opportunity to help groom dynamic rookie Anthony Richardson into an NFL quarterback.
22. Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
Rivera is entering his fourth season as the head coach of the Washington Commanders. However, this will be his 13th season as an NFL head coach.
“Riverboat Ron” hasn’t produced a winning season since 2017 but has consistently kept the Commanders around .500 and won the NFC East with a 7-9 mark in 2020.
21. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
Campbell will enter his third season as Detroit’s head coach with lofty expectations. The Lions surprised a lot of people, improving from three wins in 2021 to nine a season ago.
Jared Goff needs to pick up where he left off last year if this team is going to take the next step and win the NFC North.
While we don’t know how this team will perform in 2023, we know Campbell will bring a ton of energy to the sideline and locker room.
Head Coach Rankings 20-11
20. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
As is the case every year in Dallas, McCarthy and the Cowboys have high expectations. Over the last three seasons, the Cowboys are 30-20 in the regular season but 1-2 in the playoffs.
However, the defense has become a dominant unit, and Dak Prescott has proven himself plenty over the last few years.
But can they do it in the playoffs? That is always the question surrounding McCarthy and the talented quarterbacks he has been lucky enough to work with.
19. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Stefanski might be on the hot seat heading into his fourth season as the Browns’ head coach.
Although he has produced a 26-24 record and won a playoff game during his tenure, Cleveland has gotten progressively worse each year.
In 2023, Stefanski will benefit from an entire season with Deshaun Watson and this offense. But if things continue to go south for the Browns, don’t be surprised if they move on.
18. Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings
O’Connell heads into Year 2 after an impressive debut season with the Vikings. Despite losing at home in the wild-card round, Minnesota won the NFC North and turned in an impressive 13-4 record.
With arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL right now in Justin Jefferson, this offense has loads of potential. However, the Vikings will have to make significant strides on defense, which was a weak point last season.
(Check out where Jefferson ranks in our top 50 NFL wide receiver rankings.)
17. Frank Reich, Carolina Panthers
After getting fired by Indianapolis nine games into the 2022 season, Reich has fallen on his feet in Carolina.
The former quarterback, who played for the Panthers in 1995, managed to keep the Colts somewhat afloat despite consistent quarterback turnover in recent years. Moving forward, he’ll get to work with Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Carolina isn’t expected to be a serious contender this season, so we’ll see how this situation shakes out.
16. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
As fun and exciting as this Miami team is right now, McDaniel still has much to prove as an NFL head coach.
The 40-year-old led the Dolphins to a 9-8 mark in his debut season and helped quarterback Tua Tagovailoa showcase his talents to the league (when healthy).
However, the AFC East is a tough division, and it won’t be easy for McDaniel and the Dolphins to end the league’s second-longest playoff win drought (22 years).
15. Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
After a disappointing 2022 season, the Titans must get things back on track.
Vrabel, however, is trending in the right direction and has proven himself in six seasons with the franchise.
The former Patriots linebacker has amassed a career record of 48-34 during the regular season and a 2-3 mark in the playoffs.
14. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Despite being one of the newer head coaches around the league, Daboll enters his second season with a tremendous reputation.
Last year, the former Bills OC took a struggling roster and turned things around quickly. He helped quarterback Daniel Jones eliminate turnovers and produce the best season of his young career.
After an unexpected postseason berth, this franchise is heading in the right direction. While there is still work to do, Daboll could become one of the best head coaches in the NFL in short order.
13. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
After taking a season off, Payton is back and leading the Denver Broncos in what will be his 16th season as an NFL head coach.
After the team parted with significant draft compensation to acquire the Super Bowl-winning coach from the Saints, it’s safe to say expectations are high.
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Payton had a 152-89 record in New Orleans, going 9-8 in the playoffs and raising the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2009 season. He’ll be charged with getting Russell Wilson and this offense back on track.
12. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
Despite not winning a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers, LaFleur is still one of the best head coaches in the league.
He has a fantastic record of 47-19 in regular-season games. However, Green Bay endured its worst season in his four-year tenure in 2022, finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs.
Moving forward, we’ll see how LaFleur and the Packers transition to Jordan Love at quarterback.
11. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Pederson is an excellent example of how much coaching matters in the NFL.
In his debut season with the Jaguars, Jacksonville made a six-win improvement, going from worst to first in the AFC South. Trevor Lawrence made significant strides and is trending toward being one of the best young quarterbacks in the league.
Pederson will continue to play a significant role in his and the team’s development and don’t forget he led Nick Foles and the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory over the Patriots in 2018.
Head Coach Rankings 10-1
10. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
Speaking of Philadelphia, our top 10 kicks off with Sirianni, who has helped the Eagles to a 23-11 record and a pair of playoff appearances during his two-season stint.
With plenty of help from standout GM Howie Roseman, Sirianni led a loaded roster to the Super Bowl after crushing the 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship Game.
Many might think that Sirianni should be higher on this list, and if Jalen Hurts continues to ascend, he’ll rise accordingly in my rankings.
9. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Taylor is next on our list after leading the Bengals to back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances.
While the 2022 season came to a disappointing end, the Bengals remain a Super Bowl contender in the loaded AFC.
Taylor is now 5-2 in playoff games as a head coach, and with Joe Burrow and talented wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins leading the way, Cincinnati has a great future ahead with a fantastic offensive-minded leader in Taylor.
8. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
Caroll has consistently been one of the best head coaches in the NFL for the last decade-plus.
This season will be his 18th as an NFL head coach and 14th with the Seahawks. During that span, Seattle has won a Super Bowl, five division titles, and only missed the playoffs three times.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Seahawks make a deep playoff run, but Carroll continues to win games at an impressive rate. Not to mention, he helped Geno Smith put together a fantastic season last year.
7. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Entering his seventh season as the head coach in Buffalo, McDermott deserves consideration as one of the best coaches in the league right now.
The Bills have won 10 or more games in four straight seasons and should achieve that feat again this year.
With Josh Allen making strides as an MVP-caliber quarterback and Buffalo building a solid defense, McDermott’s squad will be a threat in the AFC for years to come.
6. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Harbaugh is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NFL, having led the Ravens for the past 15 seasons.
His impressive resume includes a Super Bowl ring, 10 playoff appearances, and four AFC North titles.
With Lamar Jackson and the organization agreeing on a long-term deal, Harbaugh should have the Ravens in contention for the foreseeable future.
5. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
McVay is one of the great young minds in the NFL.
In just six seasons, the 37-year-old has already made two Super Bowl appearances, winning one, and boasts a 7-3 playoff record.
Despite the disappointing 5-12 campaign in 2022, McVay is still a proven winner and one of the best in the business.
4. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Stop me if you have heard this before: Tomlin has never had a losing season as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Undoubtedly, there are concerns around quarterback Kenny Pickett as he enters his second season. However, Pittsburgh has a solid defense and a coach that can consistently get the best out of his players.
3. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
There’s no doubt that Belichick is one of the greatest NFL head coaches of all time. However, since losing Tom Brady, the Patriots are 25-25.
You could argue for moving Belichick lower on this list strictly for New England’s performance in 2022, but the Patriots did make the playoffs with Mac Jones the year prior.
At this point, we all know that heading to Foxborough to face Belichick and the Patriots is still one of the toughest matchups in the NFL.
2. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Heading into his seventh season as the top dog in San Francisco, Shanahan comes in at No. 2 on this list.
The offensive guru has brought the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game three times in the last four years, making one Super Bowl appearance, but San Francisco hasn’t been able to get over the hump.
Still, it feels like the 49ers are right on the precipice. And the combination of Shanahan’s offensive mind and arguably the best defense in the league should keep San Fran in contention again this year.
1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Coming off a Super Bowl victory, it is no surprise that Reid occupies the top spot in our head coach power rankings for 2023.
The 65-year-old has never had a losing record in Kansas City, boasting a remarkable record of 117-45 in 10 seasons with the franchise. He also has helped the Chiefs to five consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances, three conference titles, and two Lombardi Trophies.
There’s a reason why the Chiefs are the Super Bowl favorites once again heading into next season, and the combination of Reid and Patrick Mahomes is a massive reason why.