The Kansas City Chiefs solidified a dynasty with a third Super Bowl trophy in five years. In the three specific years that they didn’t win the Lombardi Trophy, they lost in a conference championship game in 2018 to the Patriots, in the Super Bowl versus the Buccaneers in 2020, and another AFC title game to the Bengals the following year, respectively. Now what is a dynasty in sports you may ask. A dynasty is a period in which a team dominates its competition with multiple world titles in that span. In football, examples of this are the Cowboys of 1992-95, the Steelers of 1974-79, and the Patriots of 2001-04.
With dynasties come legendary players and coaches. Cowboys had Tom Landry and Jimmie Johnson, Steelers had Chuck Noll, Patriots had Bill Belichick, and the 49ers had Bill Walsh. Chiefs have Andy Reid. Reid was hired by the Chiefs in 2013 after being fired from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs in 2012 had the worst record in the league, going 2-14. The very first season in the Reid era resulted favorably with an 11-5 record and a wild card berth. Kansas City continued to stack winning records and playoff appearances through 2017 but would fail to make it past the Divisional Round.
This prompted the franchise to make a big gamble at the QB position. They were led by a respectable veteran in Alex Smith but scouted a young gunslinger from Texas Tech by the name of Patrick Mahomes II. The Chiefs drafted him by trading up to the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft and anointed him the starter in 2018. The Chiefs’ dominance has reigned supreme ever since. With a handful of Super Bowl rings, Andy Reid is now catapulted into the discussion of the greatest coaches to ever pace an NFL sideline. Now where does he rank is the question.
In 14 years of coaching the Eagles, he posted eight double-digit win records, eleven winning records, and five conference title game appearances with their lone victory in 2004. In his time in Kansas City, he has ten playoff appearances, six straight conference title game appearances with a 4-2 record, and three rings. Not to mention not a single losing record in the meantime. Now how does this stack up to the field? Granted some coaches that are mentioned in this discussion had different eras, rules, and evolutions to the sport. There wasn’t a 17-game schedule or seven-team playoff conference format for Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Tom Landry, or Joe Gibbs. They also didn’t have the benefit or challenge of free agency so the great teams in history could remain intact.
Bill Parcells for sure is in the minds of NFL players, media, and pundits who observed him throughout his career. Four different teams (Giants, Patriots, Jets, Cowboys), four different rebuilds, and Parcells made the teams he coached for a respectable unit or a champion in winning a conference title in New England and two Super Bowls with the Giants. Joe Gibbs in Washington won three Super Bowls with three different QBs. Don Shula still holds the most victories of any coach in history and led the only undefeated Super Bowl Champion ever. Some forget he also won an NFL championship with the Baltimore Colts before the 1970 merger. Bill Belichick cannot be excluded with the most Super Bowl rings for a head coach at six. Chuck Noll with the great Pittsburgh Steelers of the 70s. Last but certainly not least, Vince Lombardi with five combined championships both pre and post-merger.
So, with all your candidates jotted down and their resumés, this is my listing of the greatest coaches of all time:
1. Vince Lombardi – There’s a reason why they call the Super Bowl “The Lombardi Trophy”
2. Chuck Noll – This man helped make the city of Pittsburgh a football town. He put the city on the sports map
3. Don Shula – He may not have as many titles as you would like but this guy won in two different football leagues and was successful for three decades
4. Bill Belichick – Most Super Bowls in history but his struggles in coaching the Browns and losing record with the Patriots with Tom Brady not under center hurts his claim for the number one spot. Mind you, I make no mention of a couple of cheating scandals that he has been involved in.
5. Andy Reid – Three losing records in his entire career with two different franchises along with three rings puts “Big Red” in the top five
6. Bill Parcells – A man who won and improved the culture of every team he was in charge of. He also was the guy who put Belichick in place as defensive coordinator with the Giants.
7. Joe Gibbs – Winning 3 titles with three different QBs in nothing to scoff at but the first one was in the 1982 shortened season due to a labor strike from the players
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