Every year, we see football players sign massive, illustrious contracts with their respective teams, but have you ever wondered who the highest-paid coaches in all of football are? And we’re not just talking NFL coaches, but college football coaches, as well – they get paid, too!
In fact, you’d be surprised at how much teams – college and professional – are willing to pay for a quality coach. It might not be anywhere near what top players receive – especially with college players signing NIL deals now – but the highest-paid coaches in football are taken care of well.
Today, we’re going to have a little fun and compare the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football to the 10 highest-paid coaches in the NFL. From Jimbo Fisher to Nick Saban, and Sean McDermott to Sean McVay, how many of the highest-paid coaches can you guess right?
RELATED: Nick Saban Signs Illustrious Contract Extension With Alabama
Who Are the 10 Highest-Paid Coaches in College Football?
It’s easy to overlook, but a Division I college football coach will make an average of nearly $2.5 million per year – that’s across all 131 schools in the FBS. Not only that, but schools are getting more and more generous with contracts, especially if the coach instills a culture of winning.
Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss) gets $7.25 million per year, Jim Harbaugh (Michigan) gets $7.05 million per year, and James Franklin (Penn State) receives $7 million per year. That’s a lot of money, but still, none of those coaches are among the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football.
As a collective, the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football receive approximately $94.245 million per year – that’s almost $100 million every single year! Of course, that only includes base salaries and doesn’t take into account any sponsorships and/or endorsements they have.
Without further ado, let’s meet the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football today:
10. Jimbo Fisher, $7.5 million per year
Jimbo Fisher currently has a 117-37 career record as a college football head coach, including a 34-14 record with the Texas A&M Aggies – where he has been the head coach since 2018. He has led the Aggies to a 3-0 record in bowl games, despite having to drop out of one last year.
Before joining Texas A&M, Fisher was the head coach of the Florida State Seminoles – leading the team to an 83-23 record in eight seasons. He won three consecutive ACC titles and even won a National Championship as part of a perfect 14-0 season in 2013. He’s worth every penny.
9. Mario Cristobal, $8.0 million per year
Mario Cristobal currently has a 62-60 career record as a college football head coach, with most of his success coming with the Oregon Ducks between 2017 and 2021 – he led the team to a 35-13 record in five seasons, including two Pac-12 Conference titles and three divisional titles.
The 2022 season will be a change of pace for Cristobal, who’s entering his first season as head coach of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes. He signed a 10-year, $80 million contract with the team on December 6, 2021 – replacing Manny Diaz, who led the team to a 21-15 record since 2019.
8. Dabo Swinney, $8.370 million per year
Dabo Swinney currently has a 150-36 career record as a college football head coach, all of which coming with the Clemson Tigers. He has come a long way from his first season with the team, which ended with a 4-3 record in 2008. He immediately improved to 9-5 in 2009.
Since posting a 6-7 record in 2010, Swinney has won at least 10 games in every single season – including 14 wins three times and a perfect 15-0 campaign in 2018. He’s 9-5 in bowl games and 2-2 in National Championship games – winning his first in 2016 and second in 2018.
7. David Shaw, $8.925 million per year
David Shaw currently has a 93-45 career record as a college football head coach, all of which coming with the Stanford Cardinal. He enjoyed most of his success early on, posting a 34-7 record in his first three seasons and an 82-26 record in his first eight seasons as head coach.
Unfortunately, things haven’t gone as smoothly since. Between 2019 and 2021, he led the Cardinal to a disappointing 11-19 record. They haven’t been to a bowl game since 2018, though the team is 5-3 in bowl games under Shaw. With a 3-9 record in 2021, improvement is required.
6. Ryan Day, $9.5 million per year
Ryan Day currently has a 34-4 career record as a college football head coach, all of which coming with the Ohio State Buckeyes – a team he has led since being named acting head coach in 2018. He replaced Urban Meyer and won the final three games of the season.
Since 2019, Day has helped the Buckeyes win three-straight divisional titles and two Big Ten Conference titles. They’re 2-1 in bowl games under his control and 0-1 in national championship games – losing 24-52 to Alabama on January 11, 2021. The team is coming off an 11-2 season.
5. Mel Tucker, $9.5 million per year
Mel Tucker currently has an 18-14 career record as a college football head coach, including a 13-7 record with the Michigan State Spartans – a team he has led since 2020. After posting a 2-5 record in the COVID-19 shortened season, he improved to 11-2 with the team in 2021.
Before accepting his job at Michigan State, Tucker was head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes – leading them to a 5-7 record in 2019. Believe it or not, Tucker also has experience in the NFL, serving as interim head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011 – the team went just 2-3.
4. Brian Kelly, $9.5 million per year
Brian Kelly currently has a 263-96-2 career record as a college football head coach, including very successful stints with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2010-19), Cincinnati Bearcats (2006-09), Central Michigan Chippewas (2004-06), and Grand Valley State Lakers (1991-03).
Kelly has a lot to prove in 2022 after abruptly leaving Notre Dame to sign a 10-year, $95 million contract with the LSU Tigers. He’s replacing Ed Orgeron, who has led the team to just an 11-12 record since going 15-0 and winning a national title in 2019 – the same year Joe Burrow left.
3. Lincoln Riley, $10 million per year (approx.)
Lincoln Riley currently has a 55-10 career record as a college football head coach, all of which coming with the Oklahoma Sooners between 2017 and 2021. He has never lost more than two games in a single season, but has struggled in bowl games – Oklahoma went 1-3 in five years.
Riley faces a new challenge in 2022 and beyond, signing a massive deal in November of 2021 to become the new head coach of the USC Trojans. The team went just 4-8 last season under Clay Helton and Donte Williams. Riley is expected to turn the team back into a Pac-12 giant.
2. Kirby Smart, $11.25 million per year
Kirby Smart currently has a 66-15 career record as a college football head coach, all of which coming with the Georgia Bulldogs – a team he has led since 2016. He’s coming off his best season as a coach in 2021, finishing as National Champions with an impressive 14-1 record.
He also just cashed in, signing a 10-year, $112.5 million contract extension to keep him with the team through 2031. At the time of the signing, he was the highest-paid coach in all of college football. Of course, that all changed when Nick Saban signed his newest contract extension.
1. Nick Saban, $11.7 million per year
Nick Saban currently has a 269-67-1 career record as a college football head coach, including a 178-25 record with the Alabama Crimson Tide – a team he has led since 2007. In that time, the Crimson Tide have won six national championships under Saban and appeared in nine total.
Of course, Saban was a winner well before landing a job at Alabama. He coached Toledo to a 9-2 record in 1990, the Michigan State Spartans to a 34-24-1 record between 1995 and 1999, and LSU to a 48-1 record between 2000 and 2004 – winning another national title in 2003.
Who Are the 10 Highest-Paid Coaches in the NFL?
Contrary to popular belief, the highest-paid coaches in the NFL have similar annual incomes than those in college football. The difference is that an NFL head coach makes an average of $6.5 million per year – across all 32 teams – compared to just $2.5 million per year in college.
Ron Rivera (Commanders) gets $7 million per year, Nick Sirianni (Eagles) gets $6-7 million per year, Kliff Kingsbury (Cardinals) gets $5.5 million per year, and Matt LaFleur (Packers) and Robert Saleh (Jets) get $5 million per year. Still, none of those coaches are in the top-10.
As a collective, the 10 highest-paid coaches in the NFL receive approximately $100 million per year – roughly $5 million more per year when compared to the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football. Either way, it’s a good time to be a quality coach in the football world today.
Without further ado, let’s meet the 10 highest-paid coaches in the NFL right now:
10. Sean McDermott, $8 million per year
Sean McDermott currently has a 49-32 career record as a head coach in the NFL, all of which coming with the Buffalo Bills – a team he has led since 2017. After going 15-17 in his first two seasons with the team, they’ve gone 34-15 since – including back-to-back AFC East titles.
For a team that went without a playoff game for 17 years prior to his arrival, McDermott helped bring the Bills out of turmoil. They’ve not only been in seven playoff games since, but have won three of them and were one game away from the Super Bowl in 2020, a year they went 13-3.
9. Andy Reid, $8 million per year
Andy Reid currently has a 233-135-1 career record as a head coach in the NFL, including a 103-42 record with the Kansas City Chiefs – a team he has led since 2013. During that time, the Chiefs have gone 9-7 in the playoffs and 1-1 in the Super Bowl, defeating the 49ers in SB LIV.
Despite his recent success with the Chiefs, let’s not forget that Reid was a winner well-before joining the team. Between 1999 and 2012, Reid led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 130-93-1 regular season record and 10-9 record in the playoffs. The team also appeared in SB XXXIX.
8. Mike Tomlin, $8 million per year
Mike Tomlin currently has a 154-85-2 career record as a head coach in the NFL, all of which coming with the Pittsburgh Steelers – a team he has led since 2007. During that time, Tomlin has gone 8-9 in the playoffs and 1-1 in the Super Bowl, defeating the Arizona Cardinals in 2009.
Entering his 16th season with the team, Tomlin has already posted nine seasons of at least 10 wins – doing so most recently in 2020, when the team went 12-4. His best record was 13-3, which he achieved in 2017 – though the Steelers lost to the Jaguars in the Divisional Round.
7. Matt Rhule, $8.5 million per year
Matt Rhule currently has a 10-23 career record as a head coach in the NFL, all of which coming with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and 2021. To be frank, he doesn’t deserve to be on this list. There’s still time for him to turn things around, but there’s no doubt that time is running out.
Before accepting his job in the NFL, Rhule was the head coach of the Baylor Bears (19-20 record between 2017 and 2019) and Temple Owls (28-23 record between 2013 and 2016). He has never had a good first two seasons, but has always turned it around in the third year.
6. Frank Reich, $9 million per year
Frank Reich currently has a 37-28 career record as a head coach in the NFL, all of which coming with the Indianapolis Colts – a team he has led since 2018. The team made the playoffs in 2018 (10-6) and 2020 (11-5), but missed the final cut last season with just a 9-9 record.
After a 14-year career as a quarterback in the NFL, Reich decided to turn his focus towards coaching. He was a quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach, and offensive coordinator for a number of NFL teams before joining the Colts as head coach. He still has so much to prove.
5. John Harbaugh, $9 million per year
John Harbaugh currently has a 137-88 career record as a head coach in the NFL, all of which with the Baltimore Ravens – a team he has led since 2008. During that time, his Ravens have gone 11-8 in the playoffs and were also named Super Bowl XLVII champions in 2013.
Harbaugh had a down year in 2021, finishing in last place in the AFC North with an 8-9 record – he went 35-13 the previous three years. It was the first time Baltimore has missed the playoffs since 2017. He’s the older brother of Jim Harbaugh, head coach at the University of Michigan.
4. Kyle Shanahan, $9.5 million per year
Kyle Shanahan currently has a 39-42 career record as a head coach in the NFL, all of which coming with the San Francisco 49ers – a team he has led since 2017. After going 10-22 in his first two seasons, he improved to 13-3 in 2019 before losing to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
The 49ers had a down year in 2020, finishing just 6-10 and in last place in the NFC West. They improved to 10-7 last season and were one win away from another Super Bowl berth, despite a third-place finish in their division. It’ll be interesting to see how they do with Trey Lance at QB.
3. Pete Carroll, $11 million per year
Pete Carroll currently has a 152-104-1 career record as a head coach in the NFL, including a 119-73-1 record with the Seattle Seahawks – a team he has led since 2010. During that time, the Seahawks have gone 10-8 in the playoffs and 1-1 in the Super Bowl, winning it all in 2014.
Carroll also has a 6-10 record with the New York Jets in 1994 and a 27-21 record with the New England Patriots between 1997 and 1999. He enjoyed a successful stint in the NCAA, leading the USC Trojans to a 97-19 record between 2001 and 2009 – winning two national titles.
2. Bill Belichick, $12.5 million per year
Bill Belichick currently has a 290-143 career record as a head coach in the NFL, including a 254-99 record with the New England Patriots – a team he has led since 2000. During that time, the Patriots have gone 30-12 in the playoffs, winning a total of six Super Bowls with Tom Brady.
Before being named head coach of the team, Belichick led the Cleveland Browns to a 36-44 record between 1991 and 1995. The team suffered four losing seasons in five years, but had an impressive 11-5 season in 1994 – which ended in a loss to the Steelers in the Divisional Round.
1. Sean McVay, $15-18 million per year
Sean McVay currently has a 55-26 career record as a head coach in the NFL, all of which coming with the Los Angeles Rams – a team he has led since 2017, when they made him the youngest head coach in NFL history. He has at least 10 wins in four of his five seasons.
Up until last season, McVay was 3-3 in the playoffs – including a loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII (his second season with the team). In 2021, he finally won it all, leading the Rams to a 4-0 record in the playoffs and defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI.
Who Are the Highest Paid Coaches in Other Sports?
College football and NFL head coaches make a significant amount of money for their efforts on and off the field, but how do their contracts compare to those of head coaches in other sports? Once you see the numbers, you can see why many football coaches today are living large.
The NBA comes close – the top-10 highest-paid coaches make a collective $76.7 million per year, topped by Gregg Popovich and his $11 million per year. In the NHL, there are five head coaches that make $5 million per year, topped by Joel Quenneville ($5.25 million per year).
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MLB managers make even less, with only a few making more than $4 million per year. Meanwhile, we have players like Dak Prescott, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Max Scherzer, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant making more than $40 million per year.
20 of the Best Coaches of All Time
Coaches are often asked to do a lot when turning their team into a consistent winner and while most coaches will fail, the best coaches of all-time did the opposite. They exemplified greatness with every win they celebrated and loss they suffered – always choosing to lead by example.
The best coaches of all-time knew how to win and they did it regularly, but the impact they have on their players – and team as a whole – goes far beyond what the statistics will ever show. They’re not only teachers of football, but act as role models and mentors to those under them.
It’s not about just teaching the player, it’s about teaching the person – the individual. The best coaches of all-time knew how to get the most out of their team and it’s something that was reciprocated throughout the community they represented. They were and still are legends.
RELATED: 25 of the Best College Football Coaches of All-Time
Who Are the Best Coaches of All-Time?
Trying to determine who the best coaches of all-time are in one sport is difficult, let alone across all sports, but that’s exactly what we’re going to do today. It’s not going to be easy, we’ll have to make some extremely hard decisions, and we’ll likely even have some questionable calls.
For example, we can already tell you several names that won’t be on the list – Marian Vajda (tennis), Nick Bollettieri (tennis), Connie Mack (MLB), Eddie Robinson (NCAAF), Amos Alonzo Stagg (NCAAF), Toe Blake (NHL), John McGraw (MLB), and Chuck Noll (NFL).
It’s not that the coaches above weren’t successful or good enough to be on this list – they definitely are – but it goes to show just how impactful and memorable the best coaches of all-time really are. Don’t worry, we’re going to detail our 20 best coaches of all-time below!
20. Bobby Knight (NCAAM)
Bobby Knight is a Hall of Fame college basketball head coach that compiled a 902-371 record over 1,273 career games with Army (1965-1971), Indiana University (1971-2000), and Texas Tech University (2001-2008). He won three National Championships, all of which with Indiana.
Knight was hired by Indiana ahead of the 1971-72 season and had the first 30-win season of his coaching career by 1974 – going 31-1 that season. The following year, he went a perfect 32-0 and won his first national title. He would go on to have two more 30-win seasons with Indiana.
19. Gregg Popovich (NBA)
Gregg Popovich is a future Hall of Fame professional basketball head coach that currently has a 1,344-701 record in 2,045 career games as an NBA coach – all of which with the San Antonio Spurs. He has led the team to five NBA Championships during his illustrious 26-year tenure.
Popovich was originally an assistant coach for the Spurs between 1988 and 1992, and the Golden State Warriors between 1992 and 1996, before being named head coach of the Spurs. He is the longest-tenured head coach in NBA history and also has an Olympic gold medal.
18. Tom Landry (NFL)
Tom Landry is a Hall of Fame professional football head coach that retired with a 250-162-6 record in 418 career games as an NFL coach – all of which with the Dallas Cowboys. He led the franchise to five NFC Championships and two Super Bowl titles during his 29-year tenure.
Landry didn’t win a game his entire first year as head coach of the Cowboys, finishing the 1960 season with an 0-11-1 record. Between 1966 and 1985, he helped turn the franchise around and led them to a winning record each season – including 16 seasons with at least 10 wins.
17. Pat Riley (NBA)
Pat Riley is a Hall of Fame professional basketball head coach and executive that retired with a 1,210-694 record in 1,904 career games as an NBA coach. He spent nine seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, four seasons with the New York Knicks, and 11 seasons with the Miami Heat.
During his time as a head coach, he led the Lakers to six Western Conference Championships and four NBA Championships. He also led the Knicks to an Eastern Conference Championship and the Miami Heat to an Eastern Conference Championships and NBA Championship.
16. Joe McCarthy (MLB)
Joe McCarthy is a Hall of Fame professional baseball manager that finished his career with a 2,125-1,333 record in 3,458 career games as an MLB manager – five years with the Chicago Cubs, 16 years with the New York Yankees, and three years with the Boston Red Sox.
McCarthy won the NL Pennant with the Cubs in 1929, but a majority of his success came with the Yankees. Between 1932 and 1943, he led the Yankees to seven World Series titles (four straight) and eight AL Pennants. He finished with at least 100 wins on six different occasions.
15. Knute Rockne (NCAAF)
Knute Rockne is a Hall of Fame college football head coach that retired with a 105-12-5 record in 122 career games as a college football coach – all with the University of Notre Dame. He led them to 5 undefeated seasons and 3 National Championships during his 13-year tenure.
Rockne would’ve achieved a lot more with the Fighting Irish, but was diagnosed with an illness in 1929 and tragically passed away in a plane crash on March 31, 1931. He’s known for bringing Notre Dame into relevance in college football and helped popularize the forward pass play.
14. George Halas (NFL)
George Halas is a Hall of Fame professional football head coach that compiled a 318-148-31 record in 497 career games as an NFL head coach – all of which with the Chicago Bears. He won six NFL Championships during his 40-year tenure, including another league title in 1921.
Although his stats show him as head coach, Halas was actually the founder and original owner of the Bears’ organization – as well as co-founder of the American Professional Football Association (now known as the NFL). He was much more than a coach, he was an innovator.
13. Casey Stengel (MLB)
Casey Stengel is a Hall of Fame professional baseball manager that finished his career with a 1,905-1,842 record in 3,747 games as a major league manager. He struggled most of his career, compiling a 756-1,146 record with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Braves, and New York Mets.
Of course, that doesn’t include the 1,149-696 record he had with the New York Yankees between 1949 and 1960. During that legendary 12-year span, Stengel led the Yankees to 10 AL Pennants and seven World Series titles. His best season came in 1954 with a 103-51 record.
12. Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant (NCAAF)
Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant is a Hall of Fame college football head coach that retired with a 323-85-17 record in 425 career games as a NCAA head coach. He enjoyed 13 successful seasons with Kentucky, Maryland, and Texas A&M before spending 25 illustrious years with Alabama.
Before joining Alabama, Bryant already had three bowl wins under his belt. During his 25 years at Alabama, he won 12 bowl games, 13 conference championships, and six national titles. He had a perfect season on three different occasions – two of which were championship years.
11. Dean Smith (NCAAM)
Dean Smith is a Hall of Fame college basketball head coach that compiled a 879-254 record in 1,133 career games as an NCAA head coach. He was an assistant at Kansas, Air Force, and North Carolina before earning the Tar Heels’ head head coach job ahead of the 1961-62 season.
Smith spent his entire 36-year coaching career with North Carolina, leading them to 13 ACC Tournament Championships, two National Championships, and 11 Final Four appearances. His team finished with at least 30 wins on four different occasions – including 34 wins in 1992-93.
10. Pat Summitt (NCAAW)
Pat Summitt is a Hall of Fame women’s college basketball head coach that finished her career with a 1,098-208 record in 1,306 games. She spent her entire 38-year career with the University of Tennessee and currently has the third-most wins in college women’s basketball history.
During her time with the school, the Lady Volunteers won the SEC Tournament 16 times, the NCAA Tournament eight times, and made 18 Final Four appearances. In 38 years, she never missed the NCAA Tournament and the Lady Volunteers never had a losing season under her.
9. Red Auerbach (NBA)
Red Auerbach is a Hall of Fame professional basketball head coach that compiled a 938-479 record in 1,417 career games as an NBA coach. He coached the Washington Capitols for three seasons and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks for one season before building a dynasty in Boston.
Auerbach went on to coach 16 seasons with the Celtics. During that time, he led the franchise to nine straight Eastern Conference Championships, 10 straight NBA Finals appearances, and nine NBA Championships (including eight straight) before handing the team over to Bill Russell.
8. Don Shula (NFL)
Don Shula is a Hall of Fame professional football head coach that finished his 33-year coaching career with a 328-156-6 record in 490 games. He spent seven seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and 26 seasons with the Miami Dolphins, winning a league title with both teams.
Shula first won the NFL Championship with the Ravens in 1968 before moving on to Miami in 1970. The Dolphins were AFC Champions in 1971, had the legendary perfect 14-0 season in 1972 that resulted in back-to-back Super Bowl titles. They also won the AFC in 1982 and 1984.
7. Scotty Bowman (NHL)
Scotty Bowman is a Hall of Fame professional hockey head coach that had a 1,244-573-314 record in 2,141 career games as an NHL coach. He spent time with the Penguins, Sabres, Canadiens, Blues, and Red Wings, famously winning a Stanley Cup with three of the five teams.
Bowman coached four mediocre seasons with the Blues before leading Montreal to five Stanley Cup titles in eight years. He then coached seven mediocre seasons with the Sabres before leading the Penguins to one Stanley Cup and Red Wings to another three Stanley Cup titles.
6. Nick Saban (NCAAF)
Nick Saban is a future Hall of Fame college football head coach that currently has a 274-67-1 record in 342 career games as an NCAAF coach. He spent the first 11 years of his college coaching career with Toledo, Michigan State, and LSU before being hired by Alabama.
In five seasons with LSU, he won three bowls – including his first National Championship in 2003. He was hired by Alabama in 2007 and has a 178-25 record ever since. He has led the school to six National Championships and has the most title wins by a college head coach.
5. Mike Krzyzewski (NCAAM)
Mike Krzyzewski is a Hall of Fame college basketball head coach that just retired from the game following a 47-year coaching career – five seasons at Army and 42 legendary seasons with the Duke Blue Devils. He finished his career with a 1,202-368 record in 1,570 games.
Although he didn’t achieve much at Army and had three mediocre seasons to start his Duke career, things were lights out ever since. The Blue Devils would go on to win the ACC Tourney 15 times, the National Championship five times, and made 13 Final Four appearances.
4. Bill Belichick (NFL)
Bill Belichick is a future Hall of Fame professional football head coach that currently has a 290-143 record in 433 career games as an NFL coach. He was an assistant for nearly 10 years before being hired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1991, where he spent five years.
He didn’t achieve much in Cleveland, except for one 11-5 season in 1994. He took over as head coach of the New England Patriots in 2000 and won his first Super Bowl in 2001. By 2004, he had three Super Bowl wins and has seven total to date – all with Tom Brady at quarterback.
3. Phil Jackson (NBA)
Phil Jackson is a Hall of Fame professional basketball head coach that retired with a 1,155-485 record in 1,640 career games as an NBA coach. After spending five seasons as an assistant NBA coach, he was hired as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, where he spent nine seasons.
During that nine-year stint, Jackson won six NBA Championships – all with Michael Jordan. After taking a season off in 1998 following his second three-peat, he joined the Lakers and won three more titles in his first three years. He won two more titles later on for 11 total as a coach.
2. Vince Lombardi (NFL)
Vince Lombardi is a Hall of Fame professional football head coach that compiled a 96-34-6 record in 136 career games as an NFL coach. He would’ve coached much longer, but passed away of cancer in 1970. While he only coached 10 seasons, his impact will live on forever.
Lombardi spent the first nine seasons of his coaching career with the Green Bay Packers. He led the franchise to six Conference Championships, five NFL Championships, and two Super Bowl victories – the first ever Super Bowls. He went 7-5-2 in his lone season with Washington.
1. John Wooden (NCAAM)
John Wooden is a Hall of Fame college basketball head coach that finished his legendary career with a 664-162 record in 826 career games as an NCAAM coach. He spent his first two years as head coach at Indiana State before a legendary 27-year tenure with the UCLA Bruins.
During that stint with the Bruins, Wooden led the school to 10 NCAA Championships in a 12-year period – including seven-straight between 1966 and 1973. He also led his team to a record 88 consecutive wins, which included two of his four total undefeated seasons.
Who Are the Best Coaches Right Now?
The best coaches of all-time helped inspire the new generation of coaches we see in sports today. In fact, some of the coaches listed above are still active in their respective sport – we’re looking at you, Belichick, Saban, and Popovich. Their legacies are still some of the best ever.
Other coaches worth highlighting today are Erik Spoelstra (NBA), Steve Kerr (NBA), Andy Reid (NFL), Sean McVay (NFL), Mike Tomlin (NFL), Peter Laviolette (NHL), Mike Sullivan (NHL), Kevin Cash (MLB), Terry Francona (MLB), Tara VanDerveer (NCAAW), and Dabo Swinney (NCAAF).
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If the coaches listed above continue their bright careers, they very well could find themselves on our list of the best coaches of all-time someday. Of course, they could also become one of the many all-time great coaches we had to leave off the list – even though we didn’t really want to.
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