Pro Football Focus put out a list this week ranking the top ten head coaches in the National Football League as we head into the 2024 season.
The list was curated by PFF’s Gordon McGuinness and included some names you might expect, but also included one of the league’s rising stars, Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell.
Campbell has emerged as one of the better head coaches in the NFL, contributing to a significant resurgence for the franchise, and subsequently earning him the seventh position on the poll.
You can see PFF’s top ten returning coaches below.
The Top-10 returning head coaches in the NFL, per @PFF_Gordon [1] pic.twitter.com/WxHTTOe06L [2]
— PFF (@PFF) June 27, 2024 [3]
The top six, Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan, John Harbaugh, Sean McVay, Mike Tomlin, and Matt LaFleur, all seem to make sense.
Reid, Harbaugh, McVay, and Tomlin have all won Super Bowls, and Shanahan has been to two. While some might argue whether LaFleur deserves the six spot, he has pieced together some nice winning seasons and regardless of whether people think every spot was filled correctly, I think that we all will agree Campbell belongs somewhere in the mix.
Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson have revitalized Jared Goff’s career. The former No. 1 overall pick had his highest-graded season last year with an 85.7 PFF grade. He also signed a massive contract extension this offseason and married his longtime fiancée.
Campbell’s next challenge is getting the Lions to the Super Bowl, a goal that seems increasingly attainable.
Those listed below Campbell all make sense and seem worthy of a place in the top ten coaches. DeMeco Ryans, Kevin Stefanski, and Sean McDermott have all had notable careers thus far. Stefanski has two Coach of the Year awards and McDermott has made the playoffs in all but one season as head coach.
One thing is for certain, if the Detroit Lions continue their resurgence, Campbell’s ranking is only going to climb higher.
Did your coach make the list? Who should be in the top ten but was left off? Share your thoughts in the comments below