The 20 Most Revered NFL Coaches of All-Time

As NFL owners and players continue to debate how $9 billion should be split up, the one group of people not being talked about are NFL coaches. 

For coaches during the lockout, it's a very frustrating time.  They can't talk to their players. For new coaches like Jim Harbaugh and Ron Rivera, that makes life especially tough.  But this isn't about the issues regarding the NFL lockout.

This article is about looking back on some of the most respected and beloved coaches this game has ever seen.  While we love our NFL stars, the fact is that most wouldn't be where they are without good mentoring and leadership from their coaches. 

That's why we take a look at 20 of the most revered coaches of all-time. 

20. Marty Schottenheimer

One of the better coaches to never win a Super Bowl, Schottenheimer enjoyed success wherever he went (aside from the recent NFL abyss that is Washington).

Though he never won the title, Schottenheimer came agonizingly close with the Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers. He helped resurrect the San Diego franchise that had been a laughing stock.  With over 200 wins, he was a coach players wanted to play for.  Just ask the Chargers team that was very vocally upset with their general manager when he was dismissed despite posting a 14-2 record in his final season.

Though he might be more known for what he did not accomplish, the consistent success he and his teams had during his tenure shouldn't be forgotten. 

19. Marv Levy

A 2001 Hall of Fame inductee, Levy and Schottenheimer share a very similar fate.  In nine seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Levy got his team to the playoffs eight times and went to a record four-straight Super Bowls.  The problem is, they lost every one of them, none worse than the gut wrenching 20-19 loss against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV.

Levy, though, is still regarded as one of the better coaches in recent memory, winning 143 games with the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.  He has been seen in Coors Light commercials recently and he was also the general manager for the Bills for several years in the past decade.

Had he won even one title, Levy would be much more highly regarded.  But one thing is clear: His players loved to play for him and hardly ever underachieved. 

18. Dick Vermeil

There is perhaps no coach who let the world see his emotions more than Dick Vermeil.  His win total isn't as impressive as that of other coaches, as he won "only" 120 games with the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.

However, Vermeil will be most known for resurrecting a dormant Rams franchise when he took the job there in 1997. Though he had a horrible first two years, he struck lightning in a bottle when Kurt Warner took the team over in 1999.  What transpired was an unforgettable season that culminated in one of the more exciting Super Bowl finishes in history.

A teary-eyed Vermeil left the Rams that year and returned in 2001 with the Chiefs, where he enjoyed moderate success.

One thing that was clear, though, was that Vermeil loved the players he coached and, by and large, his players returned the favor. 

17. Chuck Knox

No matter where he went, he got the most out of his players, especially at running back.  Knox coached the L.A. Rams, Bills and Seattle Seahawks in his 22 years of coaching, in which he had 13 winning seasons. 

He won 183 games in his career but he was never able to win the Super Bowl.  Still, Knox was able to enjoy success virtually everywhere he went, which cannot be said for many other NFL coaching greats. 

16. Joe Gibbs

Between head coaching and being a NASCAR owner, Gibbs had the respect of players and racers alike for decades.

In 12 seasons as Redskins coach, Gibbs led the Redskins to eight playoff appearances and three Super Bowl championships.  Even more, Gibbs was the only coach to have three different starting quarterbacks win those championships: Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien.

Gibbs got the coaching bug again in 2005 and returned to the Redskins, where he had marginal success before retiring again in 2007.  Overall Gibbs won 154 games and he was an impressive 17-7 in playoff games. 

15. George Allen

With 116 wins and zero Super Bowl titles, Allen may have one of the weakest resumes on this list.  However, he was also known as being one of the NFL's best motivators in his 12 years of coaching with the Rams and Redskins.  He helped heighten the rivalry between the 'Skins and Cowboys and he was one of the architects of modern day special teams.

Allen always got a great effort from his players, having had no losing seasons and seven playoff berths in his career. 

14. Bill Belichick

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots stands on the field during their 2011 AFC divisional playoff game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2011 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa

Belichick is possibly the most controversial coach in sports right now, thanks in no small part to the Spygate controversy that took place in 2007.  He's brash with the media and he has about as much personality as an English guard at Buckingham Palace. 

However, he is also the coach of a team that veteran players always have a desire to play for.  Whether it's Corey Dillon, Junior Seau or Randy Moss, who publicly praised the coach and franchise after he was traded from them last year, players respect Belichick and his coaching style.

He already has 148 wins and three Super Bowl titles. At 58 years old, he has a long time left to get over 200 wins.  Despite his cold personality, Belichick will almost certainly go down as one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. 

13. Mike Ditka

"Da Coach" is someone who is still ultra popular among players and fans today, despite the fact his successes came 25 years ago.  Ditka helped engineer perhaps the most dominant defense in NFL history when the Bears went 15-1 en route to a Super Bowl in 1985. 

Ditka won 121 games in his career, most of which came in his 11 seasons with the Bears.  Many fans don't remember (or try not to) his time with the New Orleans Saints, which was pretty much an epic failure.

However, this hasn't stopped Ditka from being one of the most respected and parodied coaches in history.  Currently on ESPN, Ditka continues to bring his unique perspective to the NFL every Sunday. 

12. Bill Cowher

There may be no more popular chin in football history.  Bill Cowher was an impressive 59 games over. 500 with the Steelers, going 149-90-1 in his time in Pittsburgh, culminating in a Super Bowl victory in 2005 over the Seahawks.

His teams came to play every Sunday and his teams went to the playoffs 10 times.  Cowher commanded the respect of his players as he was not afraid to get into his players faces, but he also deeply respected every man on his roster.

His success and popularity made him the No. 1 coaching target for any team looking for a new coach.  He's still relatively young, so the legend of Cowher is still likely to grow; just not nearly as big as his chin.

11. Hank Stram

There are few coaches more important to the league than Hank Stram, who in his career coached the Dallas Texans (which moved to Kansas City) and the New Orleans Saints.

His 131 victories won't set any records, but he helped command the Chiefs to a Super Bowl in 1969, the second one by an AFL team.  For all the Jets accomplished, Stram's Chiefs ensured to the football world that the AFL was here to stay.

In that Super Bowl, Stram was the first coach to use a microphone. His quotes from that game and others are still some of the more famous sound bites to this day.

Stram was also an innovator on offense, creating double tight-end formations as well as making the quarterback pocket much more mobile to better protect the man throwing the ball.

In all, Stram was one of the NFL's great innovators, and he is still remembered to this day for all he has done....and said. 

10. Tony Dungy

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INDIANAPOLIS - JANUARY 16: Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy and his child on the sideline before the Colts take on the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Lucas Oli Stadium on January 16, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

When you talk about revered coaches, it's hard not to put Tony Dungy higher on the list.  Dungy's accomplishments do not match the rest of his colleagues on the top of this list, winning 139 games and Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts.  It should also be noted that he was the first African-American coach to win the title. 

However, in terms of someone who was loved by his players, Dungy is simply one of the best.  Extremely calm and level headed on the sidelines, Dungy had the respect of the entire league. To this day, he mentors some of the more troubled players, including Michael Vick.

While his coaching days are supposedly done, Dungy continues to work with NBC and helps out the league on other ventures.  This won't stop players from hoping he will one day return to the sidelines, though. 

9. Bill Parcells

For two decades, there were few better than Bill Parcells when it came to motivating a team to do its best.  Parcells won two Super Bowls with New York, but he also enjoyed success wherever else he went, whether it was a Super Bowl appearance in New England, an AFC championship with the Jets, or helping to resurrect the Cowboys and Miami Dolphins from perpetual mediocrity. 

Though Parcells ripped into his players with the best of them, he also was well respected and, to this day, there are those who wish he'd return to the sidelines.  Parcells's record isn't the best on this list, going 172-130-1, but he also got every team he coached into the playoffs, a feat nearly unmatched. 

8. Tom Landry

To this day there are those that hate owner Jerry Jones.  They've hated him for so long, other fans don't know why.  It would be because of the issues he had with Tom Landry that led Landry, one of the more successful coaches in NFL history, to leave.

With 250 wins, two Super Bowls and an additional three Super Bowl appearances under his belt, Landry was undoubtedly one of the best coaches in history.  Though he had a rocky beginning, Landry and his famous hat helped lead the Cowboys to 20-straight winning seasons.  Landry preached calmness with his players, who responded by succeeding almost every year of Landry's 29-year career.

While Jones owned the team during another great run in Cowboy history, no one will ever forget what Landry did for the franchise for nearly 30 years. 

7. Chuck Noll

It's incredible to consider the Steelers coaching tree.  Mike Tomlin is currently making a name for himself, and justifying why the Steelers took a chance on the young coach.  You also had Bill Cowher, who is one of the more beloved coaches in recent history.  And then you have Chuck Noll, who won nearly 200 games and, oh by the way, four Super Bowls.

Noll was one of the masters of the NFL Draft in his time, and he helped put together one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history.  He still is the only coach to lead his team to two different back-to-back Super Bowl runs.

In 23 seasons, Noll's teams were over .500 in 15 of those, including 12 visits to the playoffs.  While Cowher and Tomlin have enjoyed success in Pittsburgh, it will be almost impossible to beat the records their predecessor set.

6. Don Shula

In the history of the NFL, no coach won more than Don Shula's 328 games, a record that may never be broken.  In 33 years of coaching the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins, Shula had an incredible 27 winning seasons, 19 trips to the playoffs, six Super Bowl appearances and two victories.  He, of course, was the coach of the famed 1972 Dolphins that went undefeated.

While Shula may not have been as influential to the game of football or his players as his colleagues, Shula knew how to win, pure and simple.  He was able to adapt to his roster better than any coach, which undoubtedly was a key reason to his long-term success.

5. Paul Brown

Another one of the more influential coaches in football history, Brown is actually responsible for the creation of not one, but two, current NFL franchises, the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. 

Brown coached for 21 years, winning 166 games with 16 winning seasons, 11 playoff berths and three championships (pre-Super Bowl).  He is also known, though, for being one of the better teachers of the game who players greatly appreciated.

He was the architect for modern-day substitutions and play calling, as he would substitute at least one player on every down in order to get a play in.  Between these innovations and the founding of two NFL franchises, it can be argued that Brown did more for the game than any other coach on this list. 

4. John Madden

Madden might be the only coach on here to be more revered for off-field contributions.  In his coaching career, he only won 103 games, though he lost just 37, giving him a very strong winning percentage. He was also the youngest coach to win 100 games.  He also led the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl title.

Many young NFL fans may not know this, however, and instead know him more for his outgoing and engaging commentary for Fox and CBS.  He also revolutionized the video game industry when he put his name on the football franchise EA Sports was running.  Today, the release of a Madden video game is a holiday for video game fans, with millions of copies being sold upon its release.

Though Madden did not win that many games, he was still well liked by his players and today is one of the more beloved figures in all of sports.

3. Bill Walsh

There is perhaps no more revered coach in modern history than Bill Walsh.  His passing was one of the darker days in the NFL over the past several years, as many players, and especially modern-day coaches, have some sort of connection to Walsh.

Walsh was the perfecter of the West Coast offense and helped create a coaching tree which has seen other great coaches branch out, such as: Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Mike Shanahan, Jeff Fisher, George Seifert, Tony Dungy, Brian Billick, Jon Gruden and more.

There are still coaches who are part of that tree including: Jack Del Rio, Lovie Smith, Mike Tomlin and recent Super Bowl-winner Mike McCarthy.  

His 92 wins won't win him any awards, but in a limited span, he won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers.  Walsh was also responsible for drafting many of the key pieces that made the 49ers one of the more dominant teams in NFL history.

2. George Halas

Without men like George Halas, there would never have been an NFL.  Halas is the godfather of the NFL, having won 315 games in 41 seasons, 35 of those winning ones.  He founded the Decatur Staleys which would later become the Chicago Bears. 

Halas demanded much of his players, with a take-no-prisoners attitude and he was a strict disciplinarian.   However, this style helped the Bears become one of the most successful franchises in all of football while he was the coach. 

In addition, Halas was also one of the great innovators of the game, as he was the first coach to have daily practices, the first to have his games heard on the radio and the first to use film to study the opponents weaknesses.

Decades after he helped start the league, Halas will forever be known as one of the leading figures who helped usher in the game we love today.

1. Vince Lombardi

Just how revered is Vince Lombardi?  They just made a Broadway play about his life this year.  That's not too shabby if you also consider the Super Bowl trophy is named after the man.

When people think old-time football, Vince Lombardi is one of the first people thought of.  The stern look, his unforgettable quotes and his coaching style helped define the very nature of the game of football. 

His unique sound bites often overshadow the success Lombardi had as a coach. In just 10 seasons, Lombardi won 96 games, including five league championships and two Super Bowls.  He coached in one of the most heralded games in history, the 1967 "Ice Bowl" between his Packers and the Cowboys.

Though he demanded excellence and accountability, his players by and large loved him.  Though he may have only coached for 10 years, Lombardi is a true legend of the game who will never be forgotten. 

Who do you feel should be a part of this list?  Sound off!