NFL Head Coach Rankings: Who's the Best in 2023?

It’s a fun water cooler conversation. It’ll start fights on Twitter. But asking who the best head coach is in the year 2023 is more of a debate than you might expect. Especially if we look at the last five years of play and don’t get caught up in the nostalgia of the past.

Is Bill Belichick still the best, or is he the best of all-time? Has Andy Reid taken the crown, or is a young up-start closing in on him?

We rank them all, 32 to 1.

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32. Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals (first-year head coach)

Despite the fact that he’s a walking Kendall Roy impersonation, Gannon got off to a rough start by costing the Arizona Cardinals precious draft capital due to a tampering allegation from his former employer, the Eagles. All the first year head coaches are ranked low on this list until they show something, but Gannon feels like a one-and-done candidate on a really bad roster.

31. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts (first-year head coach)

Steichen inherited a roster with a ton of work needed and added a rookie quarterback with unlimited potential but a question mark in terms of Day 1 readiness. We’ll find out very soon how much of his success as offensive coordinator in Philadelphia was based on Jalen Hurts, or head coach Nick Sirianni, or his own ability to scheme-up an offense.

30. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (first-year head coach)

Ryans is out to prove that you can go home again with his return to Houston, where he was a standout NFL player. Ryans is overseeing a complete rebuild with rookie cornerstones C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson with little pressure to win now. He’s been a de facto head coach of the defense in San Francisco and seems very well prepared for this job. He could be a fast riser on the list.