The Super Bowl is back in the AFC for the fifth time in six years. Andy Reid led the Kansas City Chiefs to their first championship in 50 years, so where does that put him on the AFC coach power ranking?
The AFC is very top heavy when looking at its list of coaches. There is just one new hire in the AFC, which is far less than the NFC. The offseason is a busy time for all franchises and teams need a strong head coach to lead the way. Here is the current power ranking of head coaches for 2020.
16. Adam Gase, New York Jets
The Jets made the ultimate mistake when they hired Gase to be their head coach. He might be the worst coach in the league. Once Pat Shurmur and Freddie Kitchens were fired, Gase took over that title. That can be said and no one will bat an eye. Bottom line, it would be a surprise if Gase makes it through all 16 games in 2020.
15. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Stefanski is heading to Cleveland to attempt to do what many before him could not. That is make the Browns a winning team. Stefanski was a questionable hire to begin with and now he has to turn a team around that has not had a winning season since 2002. Does anyone really think this arrangement is going to work?
14. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Taylor is through year one as a head coach and it was not a good one. But the Bengals did end the season with a win and have a chance to draft Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick. Taylor will be judged on what he can do with his new young quarterback with high expectations. Not to mention, Taylor’s two wins in 2019 came against the bottom two teams on this list.
13. Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars
It is a miracle that Marrone still has a job in Jacksonville. He led the Jaguars to the AFC title game in his first season but they have quickly fallen from grace. Jacksonville is 11-21 over the last two seasons led by Marrone. Their defense has struggled and there is no good option at quarterback. The Jaguars have a bad situation right now and Marrone is not the coach to turn it around.
12. Vic Fangio, Denver Broncos
It was an interesting first season for Fangio. The Broncos finished 7-9 in what turned into a developmental period for Drew Lock. Fangio struggled in the locker room and that plays a huge part in his position in the ranking. His demeanor made it hard for him to connect with players and other coaches. It will be interesting to see how Fangio adjusts in year two.
11. Bill O’Brien, Houston Texans
O’Brien has won a bad AFC South division four times in six years as coach of the Texans. He is 2-4 in the postseason and has never made it past the divisional round. O’Brien is not a championship coach and the Texans seem fine with that considering they also made him their general manager. The poor coaching ability of O’Brien reared it’s ugly head when they blew a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs. This is not a coach you can feel good about.
10. Anthony Lynn, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers were 21-11 in their first two seasons under Lynn. He led them to the playoffs and picked up a road win in Baltimore. Los Angeles underachieved in 2019 and will move on from Philip Rivers. Lynn is another coach who will be judged on his ability to develop a young quarterback. The Chargers have talent to work with. Lynn just has to put it all together.
9. Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were the biggest surprise in 2018 when they won nine of their last 10 games and went on to dominate the Texans in the wild card round. They finished 7-9 in Reich’s second season. It is unfair to criticize Reich when his All-Pro quarterback Andrew Luck decided to retire weeks before the season. Jacoby Brissett did not work out the way they planned. All things considered, Reich did a good job with the Colts last season.
8. Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins started 0-7 and had a historically bad point differential. Flores decided to stop wasting time with Josh Rosen and start Ryan Fitzpatrick every week. This was supposed to be one of the worst teams ever and Flores got them to win five of their last nine games including a Week 17 triumph in Foxborough. Flores is a coach that gets his guys to play. That is hard to do after seven straight losses to start the season. Miami will draft their quarterback this year and we will get to see what Flores can really do.
7. Jon Gruden, Las Vegas Raiders
There might not be a more entertaining coach. Gruden came out of the Monday night booth to sign a massive deal with the Raiders. Gruden improved by three games from 2018 and they are only going to get better. He is a big time football mind. Having Gruden make decisions on the sidelines and in the front office bodes well for Las Vegas.
6. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
The Bills have arrived. Josh Allen took the next step as a franchise quarterback and their defense was one of the best in the game. McDermott made the playoffs in his first season in 2017 but the Bills fell off in 2018. He brought them back to grace in less time than was expected. This time, it looks like they are not going anywhere.
5. Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
What a run it was by the Titans in the postseason. Derrick Henry went nuts and the defense looked elite. Vrabel also showed the world that he is going to be successful for a long time. Vrabel pulled a Patriots in Foxborough during the first round when he instructed his players to move early so it would waste more clock. How about the video of Vrabel running through drills with his players in practice? He could turn into the next big thing in the NFL.
4. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Tomlin is one of the most controversial coaches in the league. Some people dislike him and some people love him. There were “Fire Tomlin” campaigns over the last few seasons but those ended when the Steelers were 8-5 in 2019, before losing their final three games. Regardless, Tomlin’s accomplishments speak for themselves. He is one of the longest tenured coaches and has made the playoffs eight times with one Super Bowl victory.
3. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Harbaugh was recently named the 2019 NFL Coach of the Year. This was after leading the Ravens to a 14-2 regular season and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. What is most impressive about Harbaugh was his ability to find success with a quarterback who has a completely different style than what the Ravens were used to.
Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson are extremely different players and Harbaugh has won with both. He delivered a Super Bowl with Flacco and will have many chances to do the same with Jackson.
2. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Reid has been one of the best coaches in the NFL for a long time in Philadelphia and Kansas City. The future Hall of Fame coach finally got that elusive Super Bowl this season. In seven years as coach of the Chiefs, Reid has not had a losing season, has won the AFC West in the last four years, and has made the playoffs five times. Something tells me that the Chiefs will not be going anywhere anytime soon with Reid as coach and Patrick Mahomes under center.
1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
This was an easy one. Belichick is arguably the best coach of all-time. The Patriots have had 19 straight winning seasons and have won 10 or more games in each of the last 17 years. They have won the AFC East in 11 straight seasons and 16 of the last 17. And of course, the six Super Bowl titles. Belichick has built something in New England that we will never see again.
Follow Us
Subscribe