Jason Garrett (on left, now fired), Jon Gruden (middle) and Mike Tomlin (right) are among the rankings.
Going into the playoffs, @jack.f2c and @morelandforpresident rank the top coaches per division.
@jack.f2c’s Rankings:
AFC East:
Best: This is easy. Bill Belichick has dominated this division for the last two decades. The dynasty he has built with Tom Brady is like no other, winning six Super Bowls.
Runner-Up: This is somewhat difficult, as I am deciding between Brian Flores and Sean McDermott. I have to go with Sean McDermott only because of how he was able to develop QB Josh Allen into a strong, NFL ready quarterback and formulating a formidable defense. However, Flores is a coach that the league should keep a close eye on because he is going to accomplish a lot in his coaching tenure in Miami.
AFC North:
Best: When you lead a team to a 14-2 record, you become the best coach in the division. John Harbaugh is without a doubt the best coach in the division, especially with second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson likely winning the MVP honors.
Runner-Up: When Big Ben got injured, the Steelers season was lost. Throughout the season, there was constant uncertainty when it came to the quarterback position. The Steelers did not make the playoffs; however, Mike Tomlin was able to coach a below-average team with little to no star-power into a playoff team without their old core of Ben, Bell, and Brown, thus being the second-best coach in this division.
AFC South:
Best: Moving away from who was meant to be your franchise quarterback is difficult, especially picking him second overall. But, that change was a blessing in disguise, with Ryan Tannehill playing his career-best after replacing Marcus Mariota. When there is quarterback uncertainty, people usually look to the coach for guidance and Mike Vrabel was able to lead this team with Tannehill to the playoffs.
Runner-Up: This could go either way, but Bill O’Brien is only the runner-up because of all the adversity the Titans could rise from. In any other world, O’Brien would be the best coach in the AFC South this year.
AFC West:
Best: Andy Reid is too dominant to not be considered the top coach in this division. In fact, he makes a case to be one of the best in the league.
Runner-Up: Jon Gruden is a spectacular coach. He turned a lost team around by turning his draft picks into strong assets that provide high value to the team. However, the theme of leading a team to success through quarterback turmoil is the theme of this article. With this in mind, Vic Fangio leads his team to 7-9, using three quarterbacks including unknown Brandon Allen. Now, Fangio has a franchise quarterback in Drew Lock, who looked scary in his five starts.
NFC East:
Best: There is no runner-up. Three coaches in this division got fired. That leaves Doug Pederson as the default best coach. He was able to lead his team to the playoffs despite ending the season with a completely different receiving crew from Week 1.
Runner-Up: There is only one head coach in this division. Ron Rivera is the new Redskins head coach, but he has not coached the Redskins in a game so no one will be runner-up. That is pretty sad.
NFC North:
Best: There are too many Packers haters. Matt LaFleur leads his team to a 13-3 record in his first season coaching the team. I think that is very impressive.
Runner-Up: Mike Zimmer is one of the most consistent coaches in the league, earning another playoff berth with his Vikings. Props to him.
NFC South:
Best: Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 in his starts when Drew Brees was injured. Sean Payton is the most deserving of this award, especially after transforming his defense into one of the best in the league.
Runner-Up: Finishing the season 6-2, Dan Quinn managed to retain his Falcons coaching job. His team rallies behind him. They want him to be their head coach, and they play for him. That is an extremely important aspect of a coach that you want. Dan Quinn narrowly wins this runner-up position over longtime head coach Bruce Arians.
NFC West:
Best: 13-3 record. Kyle Shanahan was as stellar a coach as you could ask for. They had a top defense in the league while having enough offensive manpower to compete in high scoring games. Shanahan barely beats Pete Carroll for the best coach this year in the NFC West.
Runner-Up: Pete Carroll is another coach that one consider is the best in the league. However, after losing their final two games, one being against Shanahan’s team and another being an embarrassing loss to the Cardinals, he slots into the runner-up position.
@morelandforpresident’s Rankings:
AFC East:
Best: Bill Belichick
Runner-Up: Sean McDermott
AFC North:
Best: Mike Tomlin
Runner-Up: John Harbaugh
AFC South:
Best: Bill O’Brien
Runner-Up: Mike Vrabel
AFC West:
Best: Andy Reid
Runner-Up: Jon Gruden
NFC:
NFC East:
Best: Doug Pederson
NFC North:
Best: Mike Zimmer
Runner-Up: Matt Lefleur
NFC South:
Best: Sean Payton
Runner-Up: Bruce Arians
NFC West:
Best: Pete Carroll
Runner-Up: Sean McVay
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