There was a huge overhaul of head coaches in the NFL after the season. The NFC East is a division that saw three of its four teams hire new head coaches. The NFC is an extremely competitive conference with some of the best coaches in the league. Here are the power rankings of the current head coaches entering the 2020 offseason.
16. Matt Patricia, Detroit Lions
It does not get worse than Patricia in the NFC. Detroit could have fired Patricia after his first season but they decided to give him a couple more chances. The Lions are 9-22-1 in Patricia’s first two seasons. They have turned into one of the more irrelevant teams in the league under Patricia and a change could be coming soon.
15. Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons
Quinn is somehow surviving in Atlanta. The Falcons have made the playoffs twice in his five years as head coach. Quinn led the Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance and blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots. There are plenty of coaches that overstay their welcomes in the NFL and right now, Quinn is at the top of that list.
14. Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals
Kingsbury’s claim to fame is coaching Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech. He is looking to create an air-raid offense in Arizona with Kyler Murray under center. His first season as a head coach was not a complete failure, but there was not much success. We just need to see more of Kingsbury as a head coach and we will get the chance over the next few years.
13. Joe Judge, New York Giants
This is Judge’s first head coaching job in the NFL. He spent time as a wide receivers coach for the New England Patriots. The unknown lands him near the bottom of this list. Judge is taking over a team with a young quarterback and a bad team around him. There is some work to do if he wants to lead the Giants back to the top.
12. Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers
Rhule was one of the hottest candidates on the coaching block this offseason which is why this ranking may rub some people the wrong way. There is no way of knowing if Rhule is going to be a good NFL head coach. It is all opinion and speculation. Rhule spent one season as the assistant offensive line coach of the Giants. This is his first NFL head coaching job. Simply put, a few years at Temple and Baylor plus a good press conference is not enough to put him above proven coaches at the professional level.
11. Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs made a good move when they hired Arians as their head coach. Heading into the offseason, Arians has some moves to make in Tampa Bay. The Bucs are in need of a new quarterback and will need someone who can fit into Arians’ system. He is a coach who likes to throw the ball a lot and that did not work in 2019 given the 30 interceptions from Jameis Winston.
10. Ron Rivera, Washington Redskins
The Redskins hired Rivera just days after their Week 17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Washington has gone through a complete culture change by hiring Rivera and firing long-time President Bruce Allen. Rivera has made some strong hires to his staff highlighted by new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. The Redskins seem to have finally made a smart move with their coaching staff.
9. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
It was a strange season for LaFleur and the Packers. They finished 13-3 and made it to the NFC Championship Game where they were steamrolled by the San Francisco 49ers. LaFleur will make some adjustments in year two. He looked like a rookie head coach in 2019 when it came to game plans and in-game adjustments.
8. Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears
Nagy was prematurely labeled as an offensive guru in 2018 when the Bears finished 12-4. He is not that but Nagy is still a really good football coach all around. The Bears dealt with a ton of injuries on the offensive line and Mitch Trubisky looked bad all season long. Nagy is the right coach to lead the Bears back to the top of the NFC North.
7. Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
It would be hard to find a more underrated coach in the league than Zimmer. He has had a record of .500 or better in five of his six seasons in Minnesota. The Vikings have made the playoffs three times under Zimmer and made one appearance in the NFC Championship Game. The Vikings have not been able to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl but their window is open with Zimmer as their coach.
6. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
Has the league figured out McVay? The Rams’ offense looked human in 2019 after a Super Bowl appearance the season before. Regardless, McVay is one of the best offensive minds in the game and he will be around for a long time given his age. McVay is 33-15 in his first three seasons in Los Angeles.
5. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
McCarthy had an ugly breakup in Green Bay but that does not mean that he is not a great coach. He spent 12 years in Green Bay and led the Packers to four NFC title games. In 2010, Green Bay won their first Super Bowl since 1996. McCarthy will now coach a team that is desperate for success.
4. Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles
Pederson has led the Eagles to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. They have two NFC East titles and of course, Pederson led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. He is an aggressive coach who has his own style and does not change up no matter what. Pederson has an impressive ability to win important games which is why he is high on this list.
3. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
The top three is where this get interesting. Payton has been in New Orleans since 2006. He has solidified his spot as one of the league’s best coaches. Payton has led the Saints to the playoffs eight times and delivered on Super Bowl. Over the last few seasons, the Saints have run into some bad luck and have not been able to take that next step. Regardless, Payton is still one of the top coaches in the NFL.
2. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Recency bias automatically plays a factor in an individual’s mind but that does not change the fact that Shanahan is a genius. He took over a 49er team that was 2-14 the year before he arrived. Shanahan survived Jimmy Garoppolo’s ACL injury and returned his team to grace a lot faster than expected. The 49ers are coming off a Super Bowl loss but it is likely that they will return in the near future under Shanahan.
1. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
What Carroll has built in Seattle with Russell Wilson is incredible. Carroll has been the coach of the Seahawks for 10 years and has made the playoffs eight times. He is 10-7 in the playoffs including a championship in 2013. The Seahawks have not had a losing season since 2011 under Carroll. Right now, he is the top coach in the NFC.
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