NFL Coach Power Rankings Week 1: Who Is Already on the Hot Seat?

Teams come into a season with expectations, usually lofty ones. However certain teams disappoint a great deal and their coaches become the ultimate "scapegoat." 

At some point it becomes evident that a talented team isn't living up to expectations and their coach becomes the fall guy. There are a lot of circumstances that can lead to a coach being fired:

• His team isn't performing up to expectations and its clear he wont be the guy to help them take the next step.
• He loses the locker room and the team no longer "enjoy" playing for him.
• The general manager and front office don't see eye to eye with the head coach.
• A good team continues to regress and is no longer considered "elite."

These are just a couple things that could lead to the departure of a head coach in the NFL. There are a lot of other factors that could lead to a head coach getting the pink slip.

Today I am going to rank all 32 head coaches in the NFL and give you an idea of what coaches are on the proverbial "hot seat."

32. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals

Career Record: 60-67-1

Want to talk about being on the hot seat? That is exactly where Marvin Lewis sits this season. Many people did not expect him to be back with the Cincinnati Bengals following a disastrous 2010 season.

The Bengals were preseason darlings last season and many people expected them to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season. In fact some even believed they would contend for a division crown.

But it did not happen. Carson Palmer struggled a great deal and after having a solid season, Terrell Owens went down to injury.

The Bengals went from 10-6 in 2009 to 4-12 in 2010. One of the worst drops in recent NFL history.

This season the Bengals are going to be one of the worse teams in the entire league. They will be starting a rookie at quarterback, Andy Dalton. Both Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens are gone, while Cincinnati lost its best defender, Johnathan Joseph.

If the Bengals get off to a 0-5 start or something to that effect, Marvin Lewis could be the first head coach shown the door this season.

31. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

Career Record: 65-63

The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be a team in transition this season. Rookie first round pick, Blaine Gabbert, will be challenging Luke McCown for the starting quarterback position. If the Jaguars go with the young signal-caller from Missouri it will be a sign that they are not going to contend for a playoff birth.

If they go with McCown the entire season and fail to make the playoffs or it becomes evident they are not going to contend, Del Rio could be fired.

The defense is also in transition as the Jaguars attempted to upgrade through free agency. But this hasn't translated to the football field. Jacksonville's defense was among the league's worse during the preseason.

After making the playoffs in 2007 with a 11-5 record, the Jaguars have been existing in mediocrity the last three seasons:

2008: 5-11

2009: 7-9

2010: 8-8

They have been making slow but steady progress but if the Jaguars remain the same or take a step back Del Rio will be gone. 

 

30. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks

Career Record: 40-40

Pete Carroll's success in college has yet to translate to the NFL. His longest coaching tenure was with the New England Patriots from 1997-1999 but that didn't end well. He was fired prior to the 2000 season and replaced by Bill Parcells who would lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl.

Last season the Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs with a 7-9 record and shocked the defending Super Bowl champion, New Orleans Saints in the playoffs.

But this is not exactly the most talented team in the NFC. In fact they are not the most talented team in the weak NFC West.

If the Seahawks take a step back, which I expect them to, the Pete Carroll experiment may prove to be a failure.

Both the New York Jets and New England Patriots realized that Carroll wasn't an NFL-caliber head coach. And the Seahawks may come to that conclusion soon.

Sometimes a coach just belongs coaching in college football. Steve Spurrier is a prime example of this.  

29. Chan Gailey, Buffalo Bills

Career Record: 22-26

 I was extremely surprised to see Gailey get another chance at being a head coach in the NFL after his disastrous three year stint with the Dallas Cowboys.

After being fired by Dallas following the 1999 season, Chan Gailey was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2000 and 2001. The Dolphins would make the playoffs both seasons and Gailey's offense averaged over 20 points per game. 

After success with Georgia Tech no one expected Gailey to return to the NFL ranks but he did so last season. It was a tremendous struggle for the Buffalo Bills.

They would finished the season in last place with a 4-12 record. The Bills finished 28th in the NFL in both scoring offense and defense. 

Additionally, Buffalo lost seven games by ten points or less proving that they couldn't come through when it counted. This also showed that he was able to coach up a weak roster. 

The Buffalo Bills come into this season with little to no expectations. The Bills lost two of their best defensive players in Paul Posluszny and Donte Whitner to free agency. And they are lacking the offensive fire-power to compete in the AFC East.

The Bills front office will be looking for marked improvement in Chan Gailey's second season or he won't get a third. This doesn't mean they need to make the playoffs or finish above .500. 

An indicator of improvement would obviously be scoring more points, while allowing fewer. If the Bills finish in the low twenties in both offense and defense again, Gailey will probably not be back.

28. Pat Shurmur, Cleveland Browns

Career Record: First year as NFL head coach 

On the surface the hire of Pat Shurmur would seem like a no-brainer. After all, he led a much improved St. Louis Rams offense last season and has the resume to be a head coach in the NFL.

But that is just on the surface.

The Cleveland Browns remain a struggling franchise and could have used a bolt of energy be bringing in one of the top-tier coaching candidates.

Instead they bring in a guy with no head coaching experience at any level. 

Now this could turn out to be a genius hiring and I am not saying Shurmur will not be a good NFL head coach. I just wonder if there were more viable coaches out there. 

27. Mike Munchak, Tennessee Titans

Career Record: First year as NFL head coach

The Tennessee Titans fired their best best head coach in franchise history, Jeff Fisher. It was a hard pill to swallow as a football fan because Fisher represented what was good about the NFL. He was, if nothing else, committed to the Tennessee franchise.

It may sound euphoric but loyalty should still mean something in the NFL.

In hiring Mike Munchak the Titans were able to stabilize their coaching staff. After all, he has been with the franchise since 1982. First as a player, then as a coach for the last 13 seasons.

But does he have the resume to be a head coach? I am not too sure of that yet.

Munchak has yet to even be a coordinator in the NFL, which really should raise some eyebrows. The Titans are also a team in flux right now. They released Vine Young, drafted Jake Locker and signed Matt Hasselbeck. 

They are not in full-scale rebuilding mode but there is no way the Titans compete with the Houston Texans in the AFC South this season.

Munchak could prove to be a good hire but I am not sold on it yet.  

26. Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers

Career Record: 99-105-1

Still wondering aloud why the San Diego Chargers brought Norv Turner back for his fifth season as their head coach. I guess they think continuity is huge but does that make sense?

With the talent that San Diego has had over the course of the last four seasons there is absolutely no reason why they won nine games or less in two of their seasons under Turner.

At some point, and we saw this with Wade Phillips in Dallas, it becomes apparent that you are nothing more than a coordinator in the NFL. A real good coordinator.

If San Diego starts off slow out of the gate, which has been their MO under Turner, there remains a strong possibility he is shown the door. 

This is Turner's final chance to proving he is worthy of being an NFL head coach. 

25. Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans

Career Record: 37-43

Gary Kubiak seemed like a great hire for the Houston Texans prior to the 2006 season. The former Denver Broncos quarterback began his NFL coaching career as quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. After winning the Super Bowl it appeared that Kubiak's coaching accention would lead to a head coaching job sooner rather than later.

Well it didn't work out that way. Kubiak spent eleven seasons as the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan before getting his shot with the Texans.

With this type of pedigree it appeared that Kubiak was primed to be the next "great" head coach. But as of yet that hasn't happened.

Despite a lot of talent the Houston Texans have finished above .500 only once in Kubiak's five seasons as head coach.

By definition, Kubiak is on the hot seat and that cannot be denied at this point.

If the Texans fail to make the playoffs he will not be back on 2012. Moreover if they start slow Kubiak could be looking at a wait in the unemployment line before the new year. 

 

24. Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

Career Record: 25-23

The fact that the Miami Dolphins offered Jim Harbaugh a contract prior to him going to San Francisco isn't a good sign for Sparano. 

It would appear that Miami's brass isn't too confident in Sparano moving forward.

And for good reason:

After a surprising rookie campaign in which the Dolphins went 11-5 in 2008, they have regressed a great deal the last two seasons: finishing with a losing record in 2009 and 2010. 

Last season the Dolphins finished 30th in the NFL in scoring offense, scoring just over 17 points per game. That is an incredible five point per game regression from a 2009 season that saw them score over 22 points per game.

What does this all mean?

Tony Sparano is definitely on the hot seat and may not make it through the season. At this point the Miami Dolphins are closer to challenging the Buffalo Bills for the cellar in the AFC East than they are to challenging the Jets and Patriots for the division title. 

23. Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs

Career Record: 14-18

I had a hard time putting Haley this low on the list and I might get some slack for it. 

In fact, I expect to.

But here is my reasoning for it. Haley led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 10-6 record last season just one year removed from going 4-12. It would seem that things are on the upswing for the Chiefs right?

Well, this preseason was filled with in-fighting and horrible football for Kansas City. It started with the Jonathan Baldwin-Thomas Jones fight and continued on the field with some real bad football. 

It really seemed like Todd Haley did not have his Kansas City team ready to play. That is understandable because of the shortended training camp but 31 other coaches were dealing with the same thing. 

Kansas City's offense fluttered a great deal as it seems they miss former offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis, a lot. Could it be that he was the reason for the Chiefs offensive improvement last season?

That remains to be seen. 

It is extremely possible that I am reading too much into the preseason with Haley. Normally I attempt to avoid criticism during that time but I really couldn't in terms of Haley. 

I might be proved wrong and actually hope I am. 

22. Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers

Career Record: First season as NFL head coach.

Ron Rivera finally gets his chance to be a head coach after spending the last 15 seasons as an assistant and he deserves this shot. 

Rivera was the defensive coordinator for the 2006 NFC Champion, Chicago Bears. A team that went to the Super Bowl mainly because its defense. They finished third in the NFL in scoring defense.

So it is pretty safe to say that Rivera will be a defensive-minded head coach with the Carolina Panthers. But it isn't their defense that needs fixing.

The Panthers will be starting an extremely raw rookie quarterback, Cameron Newton, and don't have the offensive weapons to compete in the NFC South. It is going to be a two to three year plan for Carolina.

I think Rivera will be the answer in Carolina but you cannot put a coach much higher when his teams promises to win three or four games.  

21. Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings

Career Record: 3-3

Here is another coach that I am extremely high on. Frazier was a starting corner for the 1985 Super Bowl Champion, Chicago Bears. He had six interceptions and was a major reason they beat New England to win the title.

Since, Frazier has been an assistant coach for 11 NFL seasons, up until the Minnesota Vikings named him their interim coach towards the middle of last season. 

He did well for a banged and bruised Viking team, finishing with a 3-3 record. 

As a defensive minded head coach, the Vikings defense needs to worry Frazier a great deal this season. They will not have three quarters of their starting defensive line heading into the season. Both Pat Williams and Ray Edwards are gone, while Kevin Williams will be serving a suspension. 

The Vikings secondary also seems to be an issue at this point. 

Fast forward two or three seasons and Frazier promises to be much higher on this list. 

20. Hue Jackson, Oakland Raiders

Career Record: First season as NFL head coach

What Hue Jackson did with the Oakland Raiders offense last season was nothing less than a miracle. They finished sixth in the NFL in scoring offense and first in rushing offense. During a two game span against Denver and Seattle, the Raiders scored a whopping 92 points. 

If you watched that Denver beat-down as I did, you would have to say that was one of the best offensive performances in recent NFL history. The Raiders put up over 500 yards and nearly 30 first downs, while almost dropping 60 on the Broncos. 

This came on the heels of a 2009 season that saw Oakland finish 31st in the NFL in scoring offense.

Needless to say, Hue Jackson is an offensive genius. 

Expect Jackson to be a top ten head coach in the near future. I just hope Al Davis gives him an opportunity to do it with the Oakland Raiders. four different head coaches in the last six seasons doesn't help continuity. But I fully expect Davis to give Jackson an extended opportunity to bring Oakland back to the top of the NFL.

And it will happen. 

19. Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers

Career Record: First season as NFL head coach.

I will probably get some slack from Oakland fans for having Jackson at 20 and from 49er fans for having Harbaugh here.

But it is hard to put rookie head coaches ahead of others who have had success in the NFL as a head coach.

This doesn't mean that Jim Harbaugh wont be one of the best head coaches in the near future. I actually believe he has a chance to be an elite head man in the NFL. And this is why:

His 29-21 record at Stanford doesn't tell the entire story in regards to what Harbaugh did for the program. In 2007, Harbaugh took over a Stanford team that had won one game the previous season. For all intent and purposes their program was bordering on irrelevency.

Four years later the Cardinal went 12-1 and destroyed Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

 Harbaigh was also the quarterbacks coach for Oakland when they saw journeymen, Rich Gannon, become an NFL MVP caliber player in his mid thirties.

Harbaugh is a great offensive mind and brings the west coast offense back to San Francisco, a team that has struggled to stay relevant itself. He promises to lead San Francisco back atop of the NFC West.

I have Harbaugh rated as the best rookie head coach in the NFL for multiple reasons. But the primary one is that he was the hottest coach in the market this off-season. Multiple teams wanted a grab at him but he chose to stay home in the Bay Area. When so many teams want a piece of you, it shows your worth.  

18. John Fox, Denver Broncos

Career Record: 73-71

John Fox received the Jerry Richardson treatment in Carolina and became the fall guy for their epic 2010 collapse. But I am not going to mince words here. He deserved much more from a franchise that he led back to relevancy in the NFL.

Carolina had three double-digit win seasons under Fox and went to their first and only Super Bowl in 2003. Not bad for a franchise that had went 1-15 the year before Fox took over. 

John Fox will now be taking over a Denver Broncos team that is in the midst of their own transition. John Elway takes over in the front office as the Broncos look to move on from the disaster that was Josh McDaniels.  

They have everything in place to succeed in the future. A solid executive in Elway, proven head coach in Fox and a fan-base that remains one of the best in the entire league.

But they are not going to be able to turn it around over night. It is going to be a process and 2011 is the first season of that process. 

17. Ken Wisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals

Career Record: 32-32, one Super Bowl appearance

The reason I have Whisenhunt relatively low on this list is the fact that Arizona regressed a great deal during a disturbing 2010 season.

This was alarming considering that the Cardinals were the two time defending division champs and just appeared to give up on their coach last season. He didn't instill into the players the idea of playing for pride.

That is disturbing because I know what kind of coach Whisenhunt is, and he couldn't be happy with the players' performances during the last half of the 2010 season.

A lot of those issues arose because of the quarterback situation. And that me or may not be solved with Kevin Kolb.

Either way, the Cardinals need to progress this season otherwise the fans will start getting restless once more.  

16. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

Career Record: 5-3

The Cowboys had long groomed Jason Garrett to be Wade Phillips eventual successor. And it came following an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Green Bay Packers that saw Dallas lose 45-7 and lay completely down. 

That loss dropped Dallas to 1-7 on the season and cost Phillips his job. Enter into the equation, Garrett a former back-up to Troy Aikman. 

The Cowboys started to play better immediately. They beat the New York Giants in Garrett's first game, 33-20. 

They finished the season 5-3, including an impressive overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts. 

This season Dallas doesn't have huge expectations. They lost a number of key free agents and are in a hybrid rebuilding-reloading mode. 

Jason Garrett seems to be the perfect fit for this Cowboys team and my expectations for his tenure there are extremely high. 

It just wont happen in 2011. 

15. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams

Career Record: 8-24

Spagnuolo's career record is misleading. He took over the worse team in the NFL and was able to dramatically improve the roster and play. 

Following a disastrous 2009 season that saw St. Louis go 1-15, Spagnuolo was able to lead St. Louis to a 7-9 record last season. In fact, the Rams came one win from winning the NFC West.

Things are looking up for the Rams franchise right now. They have a franchise quarterback, had a solid draft and off-season and were able to pick up an offensive genius in Josh McDaniels.

At this point I would have to say that the Rams are the favorite to win the NFC West with San Francisco coming in a close second.

This is evidence of Spagnuolo doing an extremely good job as coach. 

14. Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins

Career Record: 152-108 (Two Super Bowl titles)

Mike Shanahan will probably be inducted into Pro Football's Hall-of-Fame at some point in the near future. He has been one of the most successful coaches in modern NFL history, leading the Broncos to two consecutive Super Bowl titles.

After a bad split with the Denver Broncos, Shanahan decided to take his talents to the nation's capital. His first season in Washington did not go so well.

Washington finished third in the NFC East with a 6-10 record and were in the bottom third in the league on both sides of the ball.

This season, they are going to go with the enigma that is Rex Grossman at quarterback and a bunch of other unproven offensive players.

The one constant will be pretty solid secondary play. But it wont be enough for Washington to contend with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

It remains to be seen whether or not Shanahan's tenure in Washington will be a long-lived success or short-lived failure. But one thing is for sure: Washington has a real solid head coach. 

13. Jim Schwartz, Detroit Lions

Career Record: 8-24

Schwartz has done one heck of a job with the Detroit Lions, a franchise that had existed among the league's worst for so many seasons prior to 2010.

Detroit didn't contend for a playoff spot last season but they were dramatically improved from the 2009 season. The Lions went from 2-14 to 6-10, but that doesn't tell the entire story.

After losing Matthew Stafford early in the season, Detroit was forced to start Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton at the quarterback position. And both did an extremely solid job, combining for 20 touchdown passes.

Seven of the Lions ten losses were by single digits and they ended up winning their final four games of the 2010 season.

Now, Stafford appears to be healthy and the Lions continue to build a talented, young roster. I fully expect them to contend for a playoff spot in 2011.

The future looks bright for this once dormant franchise and Schwartz is one of the primary reasons for it.

12. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears

Career Record: 63-49, One Super Bowl appearence

Who would have thought that a guy named "Lovie" would be the most successful Chicago Bears coach since Mike Ditka. 

His name and personal demeanor aside, Smith is one heck of a coach. 

After an extensive college coaching career that spanned 13 seasons and six programs, Smith was hired on to be Tampa Bay's linebackers coach in 1996. Well, how did that turn out?

From 1996-2000 Tampa Bay's defense was one of the best in the entire NFL and their linebacker group was the league's best. Smith coached the likes of Derek Brooks and Hardy Nickerson.

He then took over as the St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator and worked some magic with that make-shift unit.

Since taking over as the head coach the Bears have made the playoffs three times and won the NFC Championship in 2006. Prior to taking over as the Bears coach they had made the playoffs just once in nine years.

I really think that Chicago will take a step back in 2011 but Lovie Smith will not be to blame for that.  

11. Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons

Career Record: 33-15

It was a relatively quick rise to the top of the coaching ranks for this former small-college assistant coach. Prior to becoming a defensive assistant for the Baltimore Ravens in 1999, Mike Smith was coordinating the defense at Tennessee Tech,

But for some reasons the powers to be in Baltimore found something in him. And they turned out to be 100 percent correct.

Smith won AP Coach of the Year in his first season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2008, leading them to a 11-5 record and playoff berth. The year before Atlanta had finished 4-12 and in last place. 

After missing the playoffs in 2009, Atlanta returned with a vengeance last season to finish 11-5 and once again make it to the post-season. 

Right now it appears that Atlanta is primed to take the next step among the conferences elite teams. It will be up to Smith to lead them down that road. 

And I have no doubt that he is up for the task. 

10. Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts

Career Record: 24-8

Coach Caldwell had his dream job with the best possible personnel when he took over for Tony Dungy in Indianapolis. The Colts were a couple years removed from a Super Bowl title, Peyton Manning was still in his prime and Indianapolis was once again primed to compete for a conference crown. 

And they did.

Caldwell won his first 14 games as an NFL head coach and led the Indianapolis Colts to the Super Bowl in 2009. It was probably the best Colts team of this run but he couldn't bring home the Lombardi. Last season the Colts regressed a little bit and fell back to the pack with a 10-6 record: they were one and done in the playoffs.

Now, Jim Caldwell faces his toughest coaching job. Trying to find a way to win without the injured Peyton Manning. If he succeeds, Caldwell will be praised as a miracle worker.

However I have my doubts that Indianapolis will return to the playoffs in 2011.   

9. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants

Career Record: 240-133, One Super Bowl title.

Prior to the 2007 season it was well documented that Tom Coughlin was on the hot seat. In fact, many experts were surprised that the New York Giants didn't let him go that off-season. 

And it probably would have been warranted.

The previous season, New York fell from 11-5 to 8-8 and it appeared that Coughlin's coaching style just wasn't working in Jersey. However, they turned it around in a big way in 2007.

The Giants would go on to beat the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl and Coughlin's job was saved. Since, New York has finished at or above .500 in all three seasons.

But, is that enough?

I have my doubts. Coughlin may be right back in the hot-seat if the New York Giants fail to make the playoffs again in 2011. That said, it doesn't discount the fact that he has been a real good head coach in the NFL for the better part of 16 seasons.  

8, Rex Ryan, New York Jets

Career Record: 20-12

Let me be clear about this: I am not a fan of Rex Ryan, he talks too much and doesn't set a good example for New York Jets' players. 

But you cannot deny that fact that he is one heck of a head coach. Since taking over for Eric Mangini, Ryan has led to the Jets to two consecutive playoff appearances and two consecutive AFC Championship games.

He just seems to be the perfect coach for the big apple, it seems to fit Ryan's personality to a tee. But now expectations are huge in New York right now and anything less than a Super Bowl title would seem to be a disappointment.

We are really going to see what kind of head coach Rex Ryan is this season. And it is hard to bet against him at this point.  

7. Jon Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

Career Record: 32-16

When I first heard that Jon Harbaugh was hired by the Baltimore Ravens three seasons ago I actually had to do a double take on it. I really thought that the information was somewhat of a typo. You meant Jim Harbaugh, right? 

Well, no.

Harbaugh filled various roles for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1998-2007, including special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach. Was he really ready to be a head coach in the NFL?

Pedigree suggested so. His father Jack had been a long time college coach and his brother Jim was leading an up-and-coming Stanford Cardinal team. But, what exactly had he done?

This is why Ozzie Newsome is in the front office and I am not. Harbaugh turned out to be the perfect hire for the Baltimore Ravens.

In three seasons with the Ravens, Harbaugh has led them to the playoffs three times and they seem on the verge of becoming an elite team once again.

The Ravens are an incredibly well-coached team all around. And they have Harbaugh to thank for that.  

6. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Career Record: 13-19

Some will question why I have Morris so high on the list and it is a legitimate question. After all, he has a losing record in two seasons as an NFL head coach. 

Let me explain.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 3-13 in his first year with the team but were able to turn it around and win double-digit games last season.

They did so with a second year quarterback, undrafted rookie running back, and late round No. 1 receiver. Now, that is one heck of a coaching job if you ask me. 

Overall, the Buccaneers roster consisted of 21 rookies and their average age was just a bit over 25. Fits right into what Tampa Bay is looking to build long-term. Morris, himself, just turned 35 earlier this month.

To put that into perspective, Ronde Barber is six months older than his head coach. 

The future looks incredibly bright for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' franchise and they have Raheem Morris to thank for that. 

5. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

Career Record: 49-31, One Super Bowl title

Illinois' native son, Sean Payton had been a hot coaching commodity while he was an assistant coach for the the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-2005. In fact, the defending Super Bowl Champion, Green Bay Packers, had him as one of their finalists before deciding on Mike McCarthy. 

Sean Payton's success at New Orleans has been nothing less than miraculous. Prior to Payton taking over as their head coach New Orleans had made the playoffs just once since 1992.

Put it this way. The Saints have had as many double digit win seasons in five years under Payton than they had in nearly 20 years before him.

That is a sign of a great NFL head coach.

We all know the story of how the United States rallied behind post-Katrina New Orleans and cheered them on to a Super Bowl crown in 2009.

But there is something bigger going on here. The New Orleans Saints look to be a team on the verge of a dynasty and it all began with the hiring of Sean Payton.

4. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

Career Record: 41-21, One Super Bowl title, two appearances

Talk about continuity. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches since 1969, three. That is a sign of a stable franchise. 

Funny side note on that. the Oakland Raiders have had as many head coaches in the last four seasons.

Mike Tomlin didn't have to wait long to find a head coaching gig since joining the NFL as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001. Within six years he was leading one of the most heralded franchises in NFL history.

Under Tomlin, the Steelers have won nearly twice as many games as they have lost. They have been to the Super Bowl twice in four seasons, winning it all in 2008.

If history is any indication you are looking at Tomlin being a mainstay in the "Steel City" for at least the next decade.

How many Super Bowl titles will have had by then? My bet is that it wont be just one.  

3. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers

Career Record: 48-32, defending Super Bowl Champions

I had a hard time choosing between Tomlin and McCarthy for the No. 3 slot and it could have gone both ways. Maybe I just have a short attention span and go with the "what have you done recently" mentality. 

But I really loved what McCarthy did with the Green Bay Packers last year. At mid-season there was no one outside of Wisconsin that was thinking this team was Super Bowl material. By week 15, the Packers were 8-6 following losses to the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions. It looked as if they were going to miss out on the playoffs for the third time in McCarthy's five seasons as head coach.

This would have probably put him on the proverbial hot-seat.

Instead, the Packers won their final two games and got a wild-card bid. The rest is history. They ran off four consecutive postseason wins, culminating in a Super Bowl victory over the favored Pittsburgh Steelers.

This year the Packers look to be one of the best teams in the NFL once again. McCarthy went from being on the hot-seat to being the toast of Green Bay in the matter of less than two months.

And good for him. it was always apparent to me he was head coaching material.  

2. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles

Career Record: 118-73-1, one Super Bowl appearance

I know that having Reid up this high might not make much sense to most of you. He hasn't even won a Super Bowl right?

Through trials and tribulations, Andy Reid has continuously led the Philadelphia Eagles to the playoffs and conference title games. Listen, Philadelphia is probably one of the hardest places to coach in the entire country. But for some reason he seems to fit in there perfectly.

Through all the roster turnover and off-field issues, Reid has only missed the playoffs three times in 12 seasons as head coach with the Eagles. This is a team that has been constantly good for a long time and that needs to be rewarded.

I am not sure how much longer Reid will be around in Philadelphia because at some point it just makes sense to cut ties and move on. But I will say that he probably has his best chance at a Super Bowl in 2011.

1. Bill Belichick. New England Patriots

Career Record:  162-94 (126-50 with New England) Three Super Bowl titles, four appearances

Who else would I have at No. 1? Seriously, I would lost whatever credibility I had if Bill Walsh Jr. wasn't atop this list. 

Belichick has won two and a half more games than he has lost in New England. That is staggering by itself. However, it is the four Super Bowl appearances in 11 seasons that has to astonish you.

To put that into perspective that nearly matches what the San Francisco 49ers did from 1981-1990. Hence, the Bill Walsh comparison. 

There is no doubt that New England is a talented team. It isn't like he is coaching up a bunch of scrubs to win Super Bowl's. But this success hasn't been matched in the NFL recently.

The Patriots have won ten or more games in each of the last eight seasons and became the first and only undefeated team during the 16 game schedule in 2007. 

Belichick is already a future Hall-of-Fame coach, lets just sit back and see how many more Super Bowl titles he adds to that resume.