Top 5 active NFL coaches by winning percentage
Being an NFL coach with a winning record is one of the most challenging jobs in the sports world, as the pressure and responsibilities that come with this position are unparalleled. However, it is also one of the most coveted jobs, as the thrill and joy of winning an NFL game or a winning season is an experience many people can only dream of.
Throughout the league's 103-year-old history, there have been 518 coaches who have taken on the task of leading teams to victory. While a select few have enjoyed immense success and led their teams to new heights, many have found the job overwhelming and have below-par results.
Here is a list of the top five active NFL coaches with the best winning percentage in over 100 games:
#5 John Harbaugh (60.7%)
John Harbaugh was hired by the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 after a 10-year stint as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. Harbaugh immediately took off with the team with an 11-5 regular-season finish and took them to the AFC championship game, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harbaugh led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win in the 2012 season after another loss in the AFC championship game the previous season against the New England Patriots. In Harbaugh's 15 years as the Ravens coach, he has taken them to the playoffs ten times.
Harbaugh has a winning percentage of 60.7%, winning 147 of his 242 games as head coach.
#4 Mike McCarthy (61.4%)
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy started his NFL coaching career as the coach of the Green Bay Packers, leading the team between 2006-2018. Before that, he was the offensive coordinator for many teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints.
He led the Packers to a Super Bowl victory in the 2010 season and went ahead and took the team to eight consecutive playoff appearances. He is just one of four coaches to have done this. The Packers fired him in 2018 following a string of bad performances by his team.
McCarthy was hired by the Cowboys in 2020 and has taken the team to two playoff appearances in three seasons. McCarthy has a winning percentage of 61.4%, having won 155 of his 254 games as head coach.
#3 Mike Tomlin (63.6%)
Mike Tomlin was appointed the head coach of the Steelers in 2007 and led the team to a Super Bowl win in 2008. Tomlin was the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2006 before being hired by the Steelers.
Tomlin held the record for being the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at age 36 but lost the record in 2021 when Sean McVay, head coach of the LA Rams, won the Superbowl at 35.
Mike Tomlin.
16 seasons.
0 seasons with a losing record. https://t.co/Rojw8NcRT5
Tomlin also holds the NFL record for never having a losing record in his 16 years as head coach. Tomlin has a winning percentage of 63.6% after winning 163 of his 258 games as head coach.
#2 Andy Reid (64.1%)
Andy Reid, known for his unique offensive play calls, is the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Reid started his career as an NFL head coach in 1999 when he was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles. Reid coached the Eagles for 14 seasons, during which he took them to the playoffs nine times.
That man Andy Reid not just in his bag he in that birkin bag!! @Chiefs https://t.co/dAdhETzbHQ
Reid left the Eagles after the team declined and their inability to win a Super Bowl with the team despite four appearances in the NFC championship game and an appearance in the Super Bowl, which they lost to the Patriots.
Reid joined the Chiefs in 2013. He has led the team to nine playoffs in his ten years as head coach. The Chiefs have been the AFC division leaders for seven consecutive years.
They have made appearances in the AFC championship game every season since 2018 and have been to two Super Bowls. They won the Superbowl in the 2019 season.
Reid has a winning percentage of 64.1%, having won 247 of his 385 games as head coach.
#1 Bill Belichick (66.2%)
Considered by many to be the greatest NFL coach of the Super Bowl era, Coach Belichick has been the coach of the Patriots for the past twenty-three years. Hired in 1991 by the Cleveland Browns following a successful stint as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, winning two Super Bowls.
Belichick left the Giants in 1995 after five seasons. He then resigned as the head coach of the New York Jets after just one day to take on the role of head coach for the New England Patriots.
As head coach of the Patriots, Belichick has won the Super Bowl a record six times in nine appearances, been to the AFC championship game 13 times, and led the Patriots to 17 AFC East division titles. Belichick also holds the record for most playoff wins with 31.
Belichick has a winning percentage of 66.2%, having won 298 of his 450 games as head coach.
Note: Sean McVay has won 60 out of his 98 NFL matches as the head coach of the Rams (61.2%). However, he falls just short of being included on this list, as he has not yet coached a total of 100 games.