As the season rapidly approaches, CBS Sports’ NFL experts ranked the top 10 head coaches leading teams into battle this year.This exercise produced a wide variety of responses. Some coaches are offensive gurus; others are defensive geniuses. Still others don’t specialize on one side or the other and are rather CEO-type leaders. Think Dan Campbell or the Harbaugh brothers, Jim and John. None of those three will call plays for either side of the ball this season, meaning their choices for who will handle those responsibilities are crucial.Of course, just because they don’t call plays doesn’t mean they’re not involved. The best coaches are intimately involved in every aspect. And that, of course, includes being a leader in and outside the locker room, designating roles and much, much more.Each voter ranked their top 10 head coaches, and each spot was assigned a point value: 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for a second-place vote and one for a 10th-place vote.
Getty Images
1. Sean McVay, RamsPoints: 108 | Highest rank: 1 | Lowest rank: 2McVay, who sports a sterling 92-57 record (.617 win pct) and delivered winning seasons in eight of his nine years, has a near stranglehold on the top spot. Only two voters didn’t have him first, and both had him second. McVay has been bold, pushing for the Matthew Stafford-for-Jared-Goff swap, even though he had been to a Super Bowl with Goff. It worked marvelously: Stafford and McVay won the Super Bowl in their first year together, and the two were on the doorstep of another trip last year.
McVay can clearly handle big-name superstars in the locker room, but his organization’s grassroots talent recognition and development has also been crucial. There are so many mid- and late-round players who have turned into solid starters at the very least. Some, such as Puka Nacua, have become stars. McVay has also been adept at finding strong defensive coordinators: Raheem Morris, Wade Phillips, Brandon Staley and Chris Shula. On offense, his coaching tree includes current head coaches Liam Coen, Matt LaFleur, Mike LaFleur, Kevin O’Connell and Zac Taylor.
Simply put, there’s a reason there’s a Wikipedia page for the “Sean McVay effect.” He has changed the game.
2. Mike Macdonald, Seahawks
Points: 85 | Highest rank: 1 | Lowest rank: 6
Macdonald has been simply outstanding, and like McVay, he’s done so while being bold. After a strong 10-7 debut season in Seattle, he was fine shipping Geno Smith off to the Raiders and firing offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, simply because Macdonald had a different vision for his team. The Seahawks brought in Sam Darnold and Klint Kubiak and went on to win the Super Bowl. It’s been impressive to see him transition to that aspect of head coaching responsibilities so easily.
It’s no surprise that Macdonald has excelled defensively. He was an elite defensive coordinator in Baltimore before landing the top gig in Seattle, and he has absolutely flummoxed opponents at both stops. Last year, the Seahawks ranked first in scoring defense and sixth in total defense. Macdonald was terrific on the biggest stage, sending blitzers from all over against Drake Maye in the Super Bowl. Seattle’s defense forced Maye into three turnovers and sacked him six times.
Macdonald’s defensive designs, his knowledge of when to use them, and his ability to teach them to (and tailor them to) his players make him truly special.
3. Kyle Shanahan, 49ers
Points: 84 | Highest rank: 2 | Lowest rank: 5
Shanahan’s ability to get the most out of his quarterbacks is second to none. He went 38-17 and reached a Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo, whose play outside the Bay Area has been lackluster. He is 30-15 with Brock Purdy as his starting quarterback, and when Purdy missed time last year, Mac Jones stepped in and went 5-3.
That adaptability seems to spread across the team, too. Shanahan’s 49ers went 11-6 last year and won a playoff game despite just six players — Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, Colton McKivitz, Dee Winters Kalia Davis and Deommodore Lenoir — starting all 17 games. San Francisco was without George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Purdy and many other top players for long stretches.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the Super Bowl. Shanahan has blown second-half leads in both Super Bowls he’s been in with the 49ers, and he was the offensive coordinator for the Falcons’ infamous 28-3 collapse against the Patriots. If he doesn’t ever lift a Lombardi Trophy, he will go down as one of the ultimate “so close yet so far” coaches, though at 46, one would think he has time.
Shanahan was at fault in a serious car accident this offseason and is on the mend, expecting to be available for Week 1.
4. Andy Reid, Chiefs
Points: 80 | Highest rank: 2 | Lowest rank: 7
Reid came in eighth in CBS Sports’ 20 best NFL coaches of all time, so how is he “only” fourth among the active coaches? Well, it’s a “What have you done for me lately?” sort of business, and Reid is coming off a 6-11 season in which Patrick Mahomes and company looked simply ordinary. In truth, the offense has been just OK over the last three years, though Reid still has a Super Bowl title and a Super Bowl appearance during that span.
This will be a big year for Reid. The Chiefs are in a semi-reset after losing several top players, and Mahomes is on the mend from a torn ACL. Another down offensive year would be a tough look and lead to more questions. Overall, though, it’s hard to question the three Lombardi Trophies, 279 wins and .640 winning percentage Reid has accrued.
Getty Images
5. Sean Payton, Broncos
Points: 58 | Highest rank: 3 | Lowest rank: 8
There is a steep drop-off here, and Payton is in fifth. But it’s a pretty remarkable rise for Payton regardless. The offensive guru navigated the financially unprecedented release of Russell Wilson and took the Broncos to the playoffs each of the last two seasons anyway. Last year, they were likely a horribly unlucky Bo Nix ankle injury away from going to the Super Bowl.
Payton has a .630 career winning percentage and has won 13 or more games five times, including a career-high 14 last year. He is a brilliant offensive mind, though in an interesting twist, he is handing off play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Expect Payton to still be heavily involved, though.
6. Ben Johnson, Bears
Points: 51 | Highest rank: 3 | Lowest rank: Unranked
Johnson exceeded even the highest of expectations last year, going 11-6 and winning a playoff game in his debut season. Johnson is the recent offensive whiz kid, but this somehow feels different, given Johnson’s ability to win over the locker room and elevate what had been a downtrodden franchise.
Johnson, 40, proved his short but incredibly successful time as the Lions’ offensive coordinator was no fluke. He is excellent, especially in his blocking schemes. Guard Joe Thuney and center Drew Dalman were both Pro Bowlers last year, and guard Jonah Jackson and tackle Darnell Wright took huge steps forward. Caleb Williams had one of the league’s lowest sack rates after struggling majorly in that facet as a rookie, and Chicago was among the best rushing attacks in the NFL.
7. Jim Harbaugh, Chargers
Points: 38 | Highest rank: 3 | Lowest rank: Unranked
Harbaugh’s .679 career win percentage speaks for itself; it’s a top-10 rate ever and second among active coaches behind only the Eagles’ Nick Sirianni. A former quarterback, Harbaugh is taking a big leap of faith this year after parting ways with longtime offensive coordinator/confidant Greg Roman and bringing in Mike McDaniel, who could not be in a starker juxtaposition. Harbaugh will also hope his newest defensive coordinator hire, Chris O’Leary, works out as well as his last one, Jesse Minter, did.
Getty Images
8. Mike Vrabel, Patriots
Points: 34 | Highest rank: 4 | Lowest rank: Unranked
Vrabel’s value can be seen in how organizations perform when he’s not there. Vrabel went 54-45 and made the postseason three times in six years with the Titans before being fired. The Titans are an NFL-worst 6-28 since. The Patriots went 4-13 in 2024, hired Vrabel and went 14-3 and made the Super Bowl last year. Numbers don’t lie. Vrabel’s off-field involvements have been the topic du jour this offseason, but make no mistake: He can really coach.
9. DeMeco Ryans, Texans
Points: 25 | Highest rank: 5 | Lowest rank: 10
Ryans appeared on every ballot this year, joining McVay, Macdonald, Shanahan, Reid and Payton in an elite group. A former linebacker, Ryans is closely involved with the defensive game-planning, but the actual play-calling belongs to defensive coordinator Matt Burke. The Texans have built a world-class defense under Ryans’ watch, but in order for both Ryans and Houston to take the next step forward, they have to get it right on offense with C.J. Stroud. This year is a crucial one for all parties involved.
Ryans has won at least 10 games in all three of his seasons as a head coach after two excellent years as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
10. Matt LaFleur, Packers
Points: 14 | Highest rank: 6 | Lowest rank: Unranked
On one hand, Matt LaFleur’s resume includes a terrific .654 win percentage; the resurgence of Aaron Rodgers (who won MVP in 2020 and 2021 — LaFleur’s second and third years on the job); and just one losing season. On the other hand, LaFleur is just 3-6 in the postseason and has lost five of his last six playoff games. Much like his current quarterback, Jordan Love, it feels like his team is always scratching at the surface of breaking into the upper crust but never quite getting there. Is a breakthrough coming?
Also receiving votes …
- Dan Campbell, Lions (Points: 9 | Highest rank: 7)
- John Harbaugh, Giants (Points: 6 | Highest rank: 8)
- Kevin O’Connell, Vikings (Points: 6 | Highest rank: 8)
- Mike McCarthy, Steelers (Points: 4 | Highest rank: 7)
- Liam Coen, Jaguars (Points: 3 | Highest rank: 8)
