Yea, we got the great and the worst ones… It sucks to be the worst list but hey what can you say.
Not all coaches are created equal. Some are true strategists ready to get into the X’s and O’s of the game, while others are more of the hands-off, CEO flavor. There is, however, one piece of the business that is unescapable: the blame or glory that comes with how you fare when the lights are shining at their brightest.
Let’s take a look at the 5 BEST—and five worst Super Bowl head coaches to ever do it.
GREATEST- Bill Belichick
With six Super Bowl victories as head coach of the New England Patriots, Belichick’s strategic genius and ability to adapt his game plans to exploit opponents’ weaknesses have made him the most successful head coach in Super Bowl history.
Belichick’s recently terminated tenure with the New England Patriots, depressing as it may have ended, is unparalleled in NFL history, marked by six Super Bowl victories that ranged from the early 2000s all the way through the last few years of the 2010s. Perhaps his most remarkable Super Bowl was LI, where he and Tom Brady led the Patriots back from a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to win in overtime, showcasing Belichick’s calm under pressure and his team’s resilience. His legacy is defined not just by his tactical genius but also by his ability to cultivate a winning culture, making him the most successful head coach in Super Bowl history.
WORST – Dan Reeves
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Dan Reeves was known for his gruff, no-nonsense approach and an offensive philosophy that favored a physical running game, particularly later in his career. Unfortunately, he was also known for being one of the worst Super Bowl head coaches of all time.
Despite an otherwise successful coaching career, Reeves’ Super Bowl record is 0-4, with three losses with the Denver Broncos (XXI, XXII, XXIV) and one with the Atlanta Falcons (XXXIII). It is safe and, well, sad to say—that was otherwise an extremely productive career was overshadowed by his teams’ inability to win the big game.
It wasn’t just the continued failures that weigh down his legacy, but also, the abject failures once they arrived there. Take Super Bowl XXIV for example, where Reeves’s Denver Broncos were overwhelmed by the San Francisco 49ers 55-10, one of the most lopsided defeats in Super Bowl history.
GREATEST – Chuck Noll
It may have fallen apart for Chuck Noll at the very end of his career, which, let’s face it—it does for many… But during his prime, Noll transformed the Pittsburgh Steelers into a dynasty in the 1970s, winning four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, XIV). His philosophy emphasized a strong defense, known as the “Steel Curtain,” and a potent running game. Super Bowl IX saw the Steelers secure their first-ever championship, with a defense that allowed the fewest points in a Super Bowl at the time. Noll’s ability to build and sustain success over a decade set a standard for excellence.
Noll set the mold for how to consistently generate postseason success and subsequently the standard for what it meant to be a truly great NFL head coach.
WORST – Bud Grant
There is no denying that Bud Grant was one of the most iconic figures in NFL history. He carved his path toward Canton with the Minnesota Vikings, leading them to four Super Bowl appearances in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX, and XI. Grant was known for his stoic demeanor, rarely showing emotion on the sidelines, which became a trademark of his coaching style. He instilled a sense of pride and determination in his teams, and thus, made them perennial contenders in the NFL.
Despite the remarkable achievement of reaching the Super Bowl four times during his tenure with the Vikes, Grant’s teams routinely fell short of clinching the championship in each attempt, leaving a bittersweet note on an otherwise impressive career. Particularly when you consider how embarrassing some of the defeats were in nature, like the thumping they received at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX.
GREATEST – Joe Gibbs
While today’s fans may better remember the old-timer version of Joe Gibbs that was brought out of retirement in the 2000s to try and rescue the then-Washington Redskins franchise, there was a time when he stood alone atop the NFL coaching echelon. Gibbs has the rare distinction of having secured three Super Bowl victories with three different quarterbacks, showcasing his versatility and ability to tailor his schemes and game plans to the strengths of his players.
Perhaps Gibbs’s best work coaching in the Super Bowl came in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos, where after seeing his team get off to a slow start and trail by 10 points at the end of the first quarter, Gibbs rebooted the gameplan and got his team fired up to jump all over the Broncos. Washington would score 35 points in the second quarter alone eventually securing the victory.
WORST – Marv Levy
Marv Levy’s tenure as head coach of the Buffalo Bills in the early 1990s is remembered as one of the most successful but, simultaneously, heartbreaking chapters in NFL history. Under Levy’s guidance, the Bills accomplished the extraordinary feat of making four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1990 to 1993 (Super Bowls XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII), however, each ended in devastation for the people of Western New York.
Levy had compiled a group with undeniable talent—and with Jim Kelly under center, there was no doubting the synergy of the team, but the Bills were never able to secure a victory in any of these championship games.
GREATEST – Bill Walsh
Bill Walsh, affectionately dubbed “The Genius” within the football community, left an indelible mark on the NFL through his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers. His innovative mind and strategic brilliance led the 49ers to three Super Bowl victories in the 1980s (Super Bowls XVI, XIX, and XXIII), establishing a dynasty that like his legendary West Coast offense is celebrated to this day.
The West Coast offense, characterized by its emphasis on short passing plays as an extension of the running game, was a stark departure from the conventional, run-first mentality that dominated the NFL at the time—and made Walsh’s teams a problem for opposing defenses. Simply put, Walsh was an innovator ahead of his time and one of the best head coaches we’ve seen both in the regular season and the Super Bowl.
WORST – Raymond Berry
Before he was a head coach, Raymond Berry was actually a Hall of Fame wide receiver with an illustrious playing career in its own right. That said, people were still shocked when he took over as head coach of the Patriots in 1984 and led the team to the Super Bowl in just his second season, especially given the Patriots’ history and the competitive landscape of the NFL at the time. Not to mention the fact that he was able to lead New England to three straight road playoff wins to get there.
Unfortunately, Berry is best remembered for the way that his Pats were dispatched by the legendary ’85 Bears 46 to 10.
GREATEST – Vince Lombardi
It would be tough to finish off this list without including the legendary Vince Lombard. After all his name is synonymous with excellence, leadership, and success in the NFL. So much so that the Super Bowl trophy literally bears his name. As the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi’s teams won the first two Super Bowls (I and II), a testament to his innovative coaching methods, motivational prowess, and unwavering commitment to the Packers organization. These triumphs transcended mere victories; they were foundational moments that helped shape the NFL and solidify Lombardi’s legacy as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. Especially when you factor in what a dumpster fire of a team the Packers were prior to his leadership.
WORST – Jim Caldwell
Jim Caldwell’s tenure as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts is a period marked by both significant achievements and notable disappointments. The problem for Caldwell was that he had Peyton Manning under center, arguably the best quarterback in the game, and the team always seemed to fall apart once playoff time rolled around. The output never seemed to match up with the potential.
The rubber met the road for Caldwell in 2009 when he and Manning were beaten down by the New Orleans Saints 31 to 17 in Super Bowl XLIV.
Caldwell has been praised for his character, his approach to coaching, and his positive influence on teams and individual players, but he left a lot to be desired when it came to coaching in the Big Game.
