5 current NFL coaches that will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Very few that play or coach in the NFL will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Coaches, in particular, face an extremely difficult task if they hope to one day wear the gold jacket.
In the past two years, only three former NFL head coaches have been inducted into the Hall of Fame: Bill Cowher, Jimmy Johnson, and Tom Flores. All three will now go down in football history as some of the greatest NFL coaches to ever live.
Watching Cowher, Johnson, and Flores get inducted into the Hall of Fame brings up an intriguing question: Will any current head coaches make the Hall of Fame?
While making the Hall of Fame is a real struggle, there are a few current head coaches that likely fit the billing as future Hall of Famers.
5 current NFL coaches that will be inducted into the HOF
#1 - Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick is a shoo-in for the NFL Hall of Fame. As a head coach, he's a six-time Super Bowl champion with a record of 280-136. That includes his below-average record with the Cleveland Browns. When just including his time spent in New England, Belichick is 244-92.
Beyond all the wins though, Belichick is simply a great football mind. He's notorious for his coaching on defense, but he's also got good coaching chops on the offensive of the ball too.
There are very few, if any, more prepared for a football game than Belichick. He's notorious for preparing his team for anything and everything that may occur during a football game. That kind of attention to detail is a big reason for his success.
#2 - Andy Reid
Like Belichick, Andy Reid has already cemented his status as a future Hall of Famer.
Reid has a career record of 221-130-1. He added his first Super Bowl ring to his resume in the 2019 season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
What makes Reid so great is his ability to coach on the offensive side of the ball. Look no further than the recent success of Patrick Mahomes. Yes, Mahomes is a great player, but Reid is a big part of how he's been able to develop so quickly.
A more underrated aspect of Reid's career is how much players genuinely love playing for the guy. Very few players will speak ill of playing on a Reid-coached team. That speaks volumes of his character.
#3 - Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll may not be the obvious Hall of Famer that Belichick and Reid are, but he's still very likely to make it to Canton one day.
Carroll's record as a NFL head coach is 145-94-1. That's not a bad record by any means, but it's less impressive than that of Belichick and Reid.
It's important to note though, that Carroll never really found his NFL home until being hired by the Seattle Seahawks. His time with the New York Jets and the Patriots never really worked out. However, in Seattle, he was a rockstar. Carroll captured his first Super Bowl during the 2013 season.
Carroll is a good schematic coach, but he's most known for developing close relationships with players and being an all-time great motivator. Having those important people skills is oftentimes just as important as drawing up plays on the field.
#4 - Mike Tomlin
The fact Mike Tomlin appears on this list at the age of 49 is an indictment as to just how successful he's been since becoming the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach.
Tomlin began as head coach of the Steelers in 2007 and won a Super Bowl ring shortly thereafter in 2008. Since then, Tomlin hasn't been back to the peak of the mountain top, but he has still won a ton of NFL football games.
His NFL coaching record thus far is 145-78-1. Even more impressively is that Tomlin has never had a losing record in his entire career as a head coach. That's unlike any other coach on this list. His consistency is as good as it gets.
Plus, with Tomlin being so young, expect him to rack up a lot more wins over the next decade in the NFL.
#5 - Sean Payton
Sean Payton earned himself the New Orleans Saints head coaching job in 2006 and he hasn't looked back since. Payton has a 143-81 record and one Super Bowl win, which took place in 2009.
Payton may not always be as consistent as someone like Tomlin, as evidenced by his four losing seasons in 14 years as a NFL head coach, but his teams always seem to bounce back.
A big test for Payton will be how he coaches this season without Drew Brees. If he continues to be successful, it will only strengthen his Hall of Fame argument.
Ultimately, what should get Payton in the Hall of Fame is his Super Bowl ring and his role in the evolution of the passing game in the NFL. With his great offensive mind, Payton helped shape the modern NFL offense into what it is today. That's an extraordinary accomplishment that shouldn't be overlooked.