NFL coach rankings: Belichick, Dungy rise to top
July 24, 2008

War Room scouts
For Sporting News

Scouts' position rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | LB | DB

Coaching in today's NFL involves a delicate balance of motivation, coddling and discipline, along with a healthy dose of X's and O's. The most successful coaches are the ones who relate well to their players, and more importantly, adapt to changes in personnel and game situations while choosing the right offensive and defensive systems to suit the elite athletes at their disposal.

Our team of scouts argued and debated and almost came to blows a few times before they settled on this list of the top 10 coaches in the NFL:

1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots. Spygate aside, Belichick is the standard for modern NFL head coaches, maybe for all time. Few coaches spend as much time as he does breaking down film and studying tendencies, which is why his teams are always so well-prepared. Argue all you want about the moral and ethical implications of his video-taping: It has little to do with his ability to guide his team to victory.

2. Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts. During his long, successful coaching career, Dungy has made a point of doing things "the right way." In the process, he has gained the respect of just about every one of his peers, and it's hard to find a player or coach who doesn't like him. His positive, upbeat presence, calm demeanor and ability to relate to players on a personal level have helped him build winners in Tampa Bay and Indy.

3. Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos. Although his teams have slipped a bit in recent years, Shanahan did lead the Broncos to two Super Bowl titles. His strength is his ability to build offensive schemes around the personnel he has, which led to his implementation of the zone-blocking scheme--almost to perfection--regardless of the running back or linemen he's had on hand. With quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall coming into their own, we might see Shanahan reach into his old 49ers playbooks and change his stripes again.

Training camp previews

AFC East | AFC North

AFC South | AFC West

NFC East | NFC North

NFC South | NFC West

4. Mike Holmgren, Seattle Seahawks. The league's winningest active coach says he is retiring after this season, leaving behind quite a legacy. Another offensive mind out of the Bill Walsh school, Holmgren has groomed many a quarterback in the West Coast offense and started his own coaching tree. But in the later part of his career he also has lived by the "adapt and survive" mantra, first placing the burden of the offense on running back Shaun Alexander, and then opening up the playbook and handing his team to Matt Hasselbeck when injuries hindered the running game. While some coaches force schemes on players, Holmgren has carved out his place in the coaching ranks by matching schemes to personnel.

5. Jon Gruden, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Dungy might have built a winner in Tampa Bay, Gruden is the one who finally delivered a championship to the organization. He is the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl and gained a reputation as a creative offensive coach, learning at the feet of Holmgren in Green Bay. Gruden is another legendary preparer, arriving at his office at 3 a.m. for the first peek at game film. That doggedness, coupled with his intensity on the field, helps his teams compete year in and year out. Despite a perceived recent downturn, Tampa has won the NFC South twice in the last four years, and Gruden has the team back on the upswing in 2008.

6. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants. No matter where he has been, all Coughlin has done is win. A longtime member of Bill Parcells' staff, Coughlin used an old-school approach to mold the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars into perennial playoff contenders in the 1990s. In 2004, he brought the same fire to the Giants, winning the NFC East in 2005. But it wasn't until he adjusted his approach and became more player-friendly that he earned his first Super Bowl ring as a head coach last season. His ability to balance tough, disciplined football with a better understanding of today's player again has his star on the rise.

7. Jeff Fisher, Tennessee Titans. Fisher never seems to have a full deck of cards in Tennessee, yet he gets his team into the winner's circle. His teams perennially overachieve, and that's why he joins Shanahan as the longest-tenured coach in the league. Defense, learned at the right hand of Buddy Ryan, is his forte. The mark of his career is his ability to motivate players and keep his team competitive, no matter the personnel. That, combined with fundamentally sound football--run the ball and stop the run--has kept his team alive through salary-cap purges.

8. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles. Reid is another sharp offensive mind and has taken home NFL Coach of the Year honors twice. He also comes from the Holmgren coaching tree and has established the Eagles as a perennial contender (when healthy) by turning castoffs into stars. Donovan McNabb was a scrambling QB coming out of Syracuse. Reid took him in the first round and turned him into a Pro Bowl pocket passer, finding a fit for McNabb's running ability within the scheme. Running back Brian Westbrook was too small to be a feature back in the NFL; Reid incorporated him into the receiving corps and altered the running game to fit Westbrook's strengths. The list goes on and on.

9. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars. A Pro Bowl linebacker during his playing days, Del Rio has led his Jags to the postseason in two of the last three seasons and has them perched among the top contenders in '08. Del Rio brings a no-nonsense approach to his job and preaches toughness and discipline, but as a former player he also has the awareness of what buttons to push and when to back off.

10. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers. McCarthy directed one of the quickest turnarounds in recent memory, leading the Pack to the NFC championship game in just his second season. His ability to tutor future Hall of Famers such as Brett Favre (who had one of his best seasons as a pro in 2007) and Joe Montana (in Kansas City) and develop young players like running back Ryan Grant and wide receiver Greg Jennings has helped him put the Packers back in the postseason picture. He's a star on the rise and has the personnel to make Green Bay a fixture in the playoffs for the foreseeable future.

Maybe next year?

The top breakout candidate to crack the top 10 for '09:

Ken Whisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals It's a long road for Whisenhunt, but his pedigree as a longtime NFL tight end and assistant coach has him building the program the right way in the desert. He has built from the line of scrimmage up, establishing a running game and a strong defense. If Whisenhunt can bring out the best in Matt Leinart the way he did for Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, we won't be the only ones singing his praises this time next year.

War Room scouts, a group of former NFL scouts, analyze NFL players and teams exclusively for Sporting News. Scouts' position rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | LB | DB