Job security is rare in the NFL, but a certain group of coaches have proven themselves to be true difference makers from the sidelines. Here are the top six coaches in the NFL right now:
6) Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers
The leader of perhaps the most underrated undefeated team in the NFL, Rivera has taken the Panthers from a 2-14 team to back-to-back NFC South champions, the first team to accomplish that feat in the division.
5) Marvin Lews, Cincinnati Bengals
Lewis has been the head coach of the Bengals since 2003, taking them from AFC North bottom-dwellers to a perennial playoff team. He's posted a 106-90-2 record in Cincinnati, but hasn't won a playoff game despite making the postseason each of the past four years. Still, he has the Bengals looking like the best team in football.
4) Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers
Yes, the Packers have been one-and-done in two of the past four postseasons, but this team has made it every season since 2009, including a Super Bowl in 2010. McCarthy is a great play caller on top of being an overall head coach, and is close to passing the great Vince Lombardi in all-time wins.
3) Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals
Arians won the Coach of the Year in two of the past three seasons and has won everywhere he's been. Arizona has clinched a playoff spot even though they had four different starting quarterbacks last year, and his "next man up" philosophy has been embraced by everyone in the locker room. He's turned the Cardinals into winner in the toughest division in pro football, and has this team trending upward.
2) Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
Carroll went 7-9 in his first two seasons with the Seahawks, but has now made two straight Super Bowls. He's turned Seattle into one of the best teams in the league that is feared by everyone they play, and has created a fun atmosphere for players that other teams around the league have tried to emulate. Seattle has righted the ship after a 3-3 start to the season last year, and Carroll looks like he has them poised to do the same after a 2-4 start this year.
1) Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Is anyone surprised by this? He's led the Patriots to the playoffs in 12 of his 15 years at the helm, and has been to six Super Bowls, winning four - more than anyone else currently in the league. He's turned New England into a machine that somehow puts a championship contender on the field year after year, despite losing key players seemingly every season.
Back to the NFL Newsfeed