Authoritative 2025 Head Coach Power Rankings and Tiers

[Stout]

Because Dan Campbell helped drive an organizational transformation with a historically sad-sack franchise in Detroit. The Lions were 14-33 in the three seasons before Campbell arrived; Philly was 22-25 with two playoff appearances before Sirianni was hired.

Good boxing quotables and post-game speeches alone don't get you where Tomlin and Harbaugh are. C'mon. Those guys are good ball coaches.

I've been consistent that making the playoffs consistently is harder and more important than a single run. I'd love to have the success that Tomlin has had in Pittsburgh; I was mystified when so many people here were ready to run Bruce Arians out of town on a rail.

Sirianni's special talent is probably dealing with Howie Roseman's crap.

Were. Or, rather, was. Tomlin was a good ball coach, past tense; Harbaugh still is.

 

[schutd]

There are some, but the ratio of defensive coaches and culture builders to offensive playcallers is pretty low.

I'd really like to know the guys who would rather have Gannon than the names above him for the Cards right now.

Ill take "off-season conversations meant to trigger the fan base" for 800, Alex.

 

[Chopper0080]

Were. Or, rather, was. Tomlin was a good ball coach, past tense; Harbaugh still is.

I disagree with your take on Tomlin. He has been given dog crap at QB and has kept the team relevant when many other coaches couldn't have. He is playing the hands he has been dealt, and doing so at a high level IMO.

 

[Chopper0080]

I have Kevin O'Connell higher as well as Sirianni. KOC might have a little TBD depending on how McCarthy goes, but he has done very well in MN. Nick has either been able to stay out of the way of a great roster or has helped keep a lot of ego's and focus in check. I feel like he shields Hurts from scrutiny which is valuable. Even if he ends up sputtering out and being new age Pete Carroll, he currently is on a high trajectory.

 

[DVontel]

I disagree with your take on Tomlin. He has been given dog crap at QB and has kept the team relevant when many other coaches couldn't have. He is playing the hands he has been dealt, and doing so at a high level IMO.

Refuse to believe that Tomlin has no say in the QB decision making.

 

[DVontel]

I have Kevin O'Connell higher as well as Sirianni. KOC might have a little TBD depending on how McCarthy goes, but he has done very well in MN. Nick has either been able to stay out of the way of a great roster or has helped keep a lot of ego's and focus in check. I feel like he shields Hurts from scrutiny which is valuable. Even if he ends up sputtering out and being new age Pete Carroll, he currently is on a high trajectory.

You and K9 fascinate me on this topic.

 

[Stout]

I disagree with your take on Tomlin. He has been given dog crap at QB and has kept the team relevant when many other coaches couldn't have. He is playing the hands he has been dealt, and doing so at a high level IMO.

Hard disagree. First of all, he's in large part to blame for the QB situation because he is well involved in all personnel decisions and Pickett was a Tomlin guy. Also, last year, when Russ was on a winning streak, he dared to go out and sling the ball around to win a game. In response, he was schooled to obedience and to play the painfully out of date "Steelers football" that Tomlin pushes at all costs. We saw the results.

This is a matter of national versus local. National loves him because he's friends with a lot of people, gives a good sound bite, and hasn't had the losing season. And that's great in certain times--when you have Duck Hodges and manage a non-losing season, well done! But when you refuse to get rid of the rotting corpse of Ben Roethlisberger and then belatedly replace him with your hand-picked replacement who fantastically crashes and burns, that is a you problem.

Tomlin is a has been. No guts at all.

 

[oaken1]

Refuse to believe that Tomlin has no say in the QB decision making.

which makes it even more baffling that they stay out of the young QB market and go after Rodgers...seems like a last gasp move from them.
I think its going to be a disaster...but if they actually get "Aaron Rodgers"...then they wont be able to draft a QB next year either.

 

[oaken1]

Hard disagree. First of all, he's in large part to blame for the QB situation because he is well involved in all personnel decisions and Pickett was a Tomlin guy. Also, last year, when Russ was on a winning streak, he dared to go out and sling the ball around to win a game. In response, he was schooled to obedience and to play the painfully out of date "Steelers football" that Tomlin pushes at all costs. We saw the results.

This is a matter of national versus local. National loves him because he's friends with a lot of people, gives a good sound bite, and hasn't had the losing season. And that's great in certain times--when you have Duck Hodges and manage a non-losing season, well done! But when you refuse to get rid of the rotting corpse of Ben Roethlisberger and then belatedly replace him with your hand-picked replacement who fantastically crashes and burns, that is a you problem.

Tomlin is a has been. No guts at all.

and it aint like he has a really tough division to compete in.
similar to Tom Brady being the goat...but for 20 years Miami, New Tork, and Buffalo were joke franchises..and as soon as they got good he moved to the south, where New Orleans, Carolina, and atlanta were jokes.
much easier to keep on winning games when you play against dysfunctional franchises a good portion of those games..easier to make the playoffs when nobody in your division can win 8 games too.
Tomlins only real divisional competition has mostly been Baltimore and they were pretty one dimensional for a long time...Cincy has Joe...but Joe doesnt have an O Line....and Cleveland never could get out of their own way.
Im with you on Tomlin...he preached that company tradition line all the way to a HC gig and some noteriety...but has been abstinent regarding shifting with the times to his detriment. He really needed to take one for the team a few years back and tank a season to get a top five pick. But that blue collar, nose to the grindstone, just get the job done old school pittsburgh mentality has him...it enamors him with the older fans but keeps him from doing what has to be done to raise the steelers back to former glory.
IMO, the best thing the steelers can do is hit Mike with the Peter Principal...promote him to assistant director of football operations or something,...then bring in a young coach to tank a season or two to rebuild the roster and get a QB.
it puts the team back in the thick of things while allowing Tomlin to maintain his ego on "never having a losing season"

 

[oaken1]

I have Kevin O'Connell higher as well as Sirianni. KOC might have a little TBD depending on how McCarthy goes, but he has done very well in MN. Nick has either been able to stay out of the way of a great roster or has helped keep a lot of ego's and focus in check. I feel like he shields Hurts from scrutiny which is valuable. Even if he ends up sputtering out and being new age Pete Carroll, he currently is on a high trajectory.

dude...I just woke up...was reading this thread when out of the corner of my eye I saw part of this post and ...KOC might have a little TBD,....and for just a moment it flashed me back.
only ever been one KOC here.

 

[Stout]

and it aint like he has a really tough division to compete in.
similar to Tom Brady being the goat...but for 20 years Miami, New Tork, and Buffalo were joke franchises..and as soon as they got good he moved to the south, where New Orleans, Carolina, and atlanta were jokes.
much easier to keep on winning games when you play against dysfunctional franchises a good portion of those games..easier to make the playoffs when nobody in your division can win 8 games too.
Tomlins only real divisional competition has mostly been Baltimore and they were pretty one dimensional for a long time...Cincy has Joe...but Joe doesnt have an O Line....and Cleveland never could get out of their own way.
Im with you on Tomlin...he preached that company tradition line all the way to a HC gig and some noteriety...but has been abstinent regarding shifting with the times to his detriment. He really needed to take one for the team a few years back and tank a season to get a top five pick. But that blue collar, nose to the grindstone, just get the job done old school pittsburgh mentality has him...it enamors him with the older fans but keeps him from doing what has to be done to raise the steelers back to former glory.
IMO, the best thing the steelers can do is hit Mike with the Peter Principal...promote him to assistant director of football operations or something,...then bring in a young coach to tank a season or two to rebuild the roster and get a QB.
it puts the team back in the thick of things while allowing Tomlin to maintain his ego on "never having a losing season"

They just signed him to a 3-year extension in the offseason. Rooney took a lot of flak here, especially when protesting "we've had some success here" when confronted with 8 years without a playoff victory.

 

[Chopper0080]

You and K9 fascinate me on this topic.

You think I am incorrect to have KOC and Sirianni higher than K9?

 

[Chopper0080]

Refuse to believe that Tomlin has no say in the QB decision making.

Of course he has a say, but I don't think he advocated for Russ and Fields. Maybe he advocated for a drafted QB, was given Pickett, and then said, in the future I would rather use a 1st rounder elsewhere if that is what my GM will get me with it.

 

[Chopper0080]

Hard disagree. First of all, he's in large part to blame for the QB situation because he is well involved in all personnel decisions and Pickett was a Tomlin guy. Also, last year, when Russ was on a winning streak, he dared to go out and sling the ball around to win a game. In response, he was schooled to obedience and to play the painfully out of date "Steelers football" that Tomlin pushes at all costs. We saw the results.

This is a matter of national versus local. National loves him because he's friends with a lot of people, gives a good sound bite, and hasn't had the losing season. And that's great in certain times--when you have Duck Hodges and manage a non-losing season, well done! But when you refuse to get rid of the rotting corpse of Ben Roethlisberger and then belatedly replace him with your hand-picked replacement who fantastically crashes and burns, that is a you problem.

Tomlin is a has been. No guts at all.

Maybe it is a national perspective, because I have never heard that he refused to get rid of Ben or that Kenny was his chosen QB. I am sure he signed off on Kenny, but I haven't heard he was the QB Tomlin wanted.

 

[kerouac9]

I disagree with your take on Tomlin. He has been given dog crap at QB and has kept the team relevant when many other coaches couldn't have. He is playing the hands he has been dealt, and doing so at a high level IMO.

People are acting like he's Jeff Fisher.

 

[kerouac9]

and it aint like he has a really tough division to compete in.

Yes, the famously mediocre AFC North.

 

[DVontel]

You think I am incorrect to have KOC and Sirianni higher than K9?

Misread. My fault.

 

[SECTION 11]

dude...I just woke up...was reading this thread when out of the corner of my eye I saw part of this post and ...KOC might have a little TBD,....and for just a moment it flashed me back.
only ever been one KOC here.

 

[kerouac9]

I have Kevin O'Connell higher as well as Sirianni. KOC might have a little TBD depending on how McCarthy goes, but he has done very well in MN. Nick has either been able to stay out of the way of a great roster or has helped keep a lot of ego's and focus in check. I feel like he shields Hurts from scrutiny which is valuable. Even if he ends up sputtering out and being new age Pete Carroll, he currently is on a high trajectory.

Where, though? Outside of the tiers construct.

KOC has two really good regular seasons with embarrassing playoff exits (they lost at home to Daniel Jones). I think he's a good coach, but I gotta see more.

I'm honestly confused about where people rank Sirianni. Do y'all think he's a top 5 head coach? Top 10? If you could have Dan Campbell or Nick Siranni, who would you choose?

I probably ranked Mike Vrabel too high. If I moved him behind Pete Carroll, would you be happy?

 

[BACH]

I'd really like to know the guys who would rather have Gannon than the names above him for the Cards right now.

Zac Taylor and Mike McDonald.

Several I would rate the same.

And even more if this season goes the way we hope/expect.

The reason for me is that Gannon has consistently shown that his teams play better than the talent should be able to. That is a big for my evaluation. The ability to elevate the team’s talent.

If we shift to the round ball in European soccer, the hottest coach this off-season was Frank (signed by Tottenham). He never won anything. He never coached a big team before. What he did over the last three season was producing the 12th best team in Britain while have the 36th budget for players, while having his star players that he developed signed by bigger teams every season

 

[oaken1]

Zac Taylor and Mike McDonald.

Several I would rate the same.

And even more if this season goes the way we hope/expect.

The reason for me is that Gannon has consistently shown that his teams play better than the talent should be able to. That is a big for my evaluation. The ability to elevate the team’s talent.

If we shift to the round ball in European soccer, the hottest coach this off-season was Frank (signed by Tottenham). He never won anything. He never coached a big team before. What he did over the last three season was producing the 12th best team in Britain while have the 36th budget for players.

Frank?? I thought that was Ted??

 

[Stout]

Of course he has a say, but I don't think he advocated for Russ and Fields. Maybe he advocated for a drafted QB, was given Pickett, and then said, in the future I would rather use a 1st rounder elsewhere if that is what my GM will get me with it.

It is 100 percent known that he advocated for Fields and has always loved him; Tomlin's on record that he would have drafted him first overall. Russ seemed just like a good value grab and not any more or less on Tomlin. He wanted picket personally as well; this is known. It was a Tomlin pick. Rodgers is also a Tomlin choice. By and large, he's been the one driving the QB selections and thus gets a large chunk of the blame for them having crap QB play.

 

[Stout]

Maybe it is a national perspective, because I have never heard that he refused to get rid of Ben or that Kenny was his chosen QB. I am sure he signed off on Kenny, but I haven't heard he was the QB Tomlin wanted.

You nailed it. Nationally Tomlin is a saint--see my earlier comments in the thread. Locally he has been sussed out.

I just heard the other day that in eighteen seasons, I think it was, he has only won playoff games in four of them. Wow!

 

[Stout]

People are acting like he's Jeff Fisher.

In the present, that is a good comp.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I'm impressed that people have such strong takes on head coaches.