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Debates often rage across every sport about which coaches or managers have had the biggest impact and that rings true in the NFL.
Throughout the storied history of the competition, some incredible motivators and innovators have graced American football’s flagship league and their place in NFL folklore is secured.
For many onlookers and punters, backing a team with a game changing coach is always a favourable move, with a unique play or move, often capable of changing the dynamic of any given NFL fixture.
All the greatest NFL coaches are revered by gamblers and American football betting sites alike and as a consequence, markets can move, based on the coach in charge of a particular franchise.
With that in mind, here is a rundown of the best ten coaches to have ever graced the NFL and how their minds have changed the game:
Vince Lombardi
Having the competition trophy named after a coach who changed the game seems fitting for Vince Lombardi, who revolutionised the NFL to such an extent, that the current crop of players now compete for the cup named in his honour.
Not making the grade as a player only seemed to inspire Lombardi more in his youth, who did the hard yards in the game, as both a college and assistant coach, before being handed the reins at the Green Bay Packers in 1959.
From there, Lombardi turned the Packers into a winning machine, lifting the NFL West title on five occasions and backing it up with wins in the Superbowl on each occasion.
His legacy within the game transcended in the NFL and despite dying at the relatively young age of 57, Lombardi’s impact on the sport is still felt today.
Don Shula
Winning games of football is the metric that every NFL coach is measured on and nobody in the history of the competition has won more matches as a coach than Don Shula.
His quarter of a century at the helm with the Miami Dolphins yielded two Super Bowl titles and some incredible individual and team accolades, that see him stand up favourably in the grand pantheon of NFL coaches.
A distinguished player in his time, Shula’s defensive prowess shaped the NFL for years to come and his impact on the game is still being felt today.
Bill Belichick
Modern day football has evolved hugely since the start of this century and the influence of Bill Belichick on the NFL cannot be understated.
Having joined the New England Patriots in 2000, Belichick oversaw an era-defining period on the East Coast, with the Patriots amassing an incredible six Super Bowl titles and revolutionising the game, both on and off the field of play.
Belichick’s no nonsense style and attention to detail saw the Patriots reach unthinkable heights and he continued to have an impact upon both the franchise and the wider NFL until he left the Patriots in 2023.
Bill Walsh
Bringing success to previously unsuccessful franchises is never easy in the NFL but Bill Walsh delivered big time for the San Francisco 49ers in the late 1970’s and 1980’s.
Progressing from a stellar coaching career in the college ranks, Walsh left Stanford to join the 49ers and he never looked back, overseeing three Super Bowl titles in 1981, 1984 and 1988.
He left the NFL at the very top, following that iconic win for the 49ers over the Cincinnati Bengals and his legacy continued as a key administrator in San Francisco until his passing in 2007.
Andy Reid
There have been plenty of swashbuckling sides in the modern era of the NFL but very few have transcended the game in the way that the Kansas City Chiefs have, and Andy Reid has played a huge part in that.
Having progressed through the ranks within the franchise, Reid has been responsible for the most successful era in the history of the Chiefs, with three Super Bowl triumphs coming in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
He continues to lead the Chiefs, and he will be hoping to secure his legacy as one of the all-time NFL coaches in the years to come.
Bud Grant
Longevity and stability in the NFL coaching sphere has always held plenty of weight and very few head honchos were as stoic as Bud Grant.
The man at the helm with the Minnesota Vikings for the best part of 20 years, he became synonymous with the franchise, both on and off the field of play and he cultivated one of the most iconic coaching trees of all time.
Grant was known for being tough, yet cool, calm and collected, a mantra which he instilled into his players, and his defensive organisation had a big impact on the way in which the game was played.
Chuck Noll
Like so many of the coaches on this list, Chuck Noll enjoyed a solid playing career for the Cleveland Browns before transitioning into a coach after hanging up his cleats.
That transpired to be the best decision Noll ever made, as he worked his way through the ranks to become head coach at the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1969, where he oversaw an incredible era of success with the black and gold.
Four Super Bowl titles followed, as his reign stretched 22 years and Noll was widely recognised as one of the most successful NFL coaches in the 1970’s and 1980’s, who pushed the envelope in terms of how the game is played.
Tom Landry
Modern incarnations of any sport often owe a great deal to those players and coaches who have come before and Tom Landry’s impact on the NFL is still being felt, almost a century later.
A two-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, Landry’s coaching achievements remain hugely impressive, but it was his tactical innovations and foresight that have secured his legacy.
He is credited with being responsible for the 4-3 defence, which remains commonplace in the modern game and throughout his career, Landry was always looking to cultivate methods that would push the game further.
Joe Gibbs
The career of Joe Gibbs makes for fascinating reading and while he may now be known more for his success in the world of NASCAR, his football coaching methods certainly changed the NFL.
Having started out as an offensive coach within many franchises, Gibbs was constantly making significant interventions behind the scenes, which entrusted the Washington Redskins to give him the head coach role in 1981.
What followed was incredible, with Gibbs bagging three Super Bowl titles in nine years in the capital and his offensive-minded approach, made his sides instantly watchable.
George Halas
American football before the initiation of the NFL now feels like quite a primitive operation but George Halas’s impact on the game is still being felt today.
An accomplished player in his own right, Halas turned the now Chicago Bears into one of the biggest franchises in world sport, in a frantic post second world war period.
Halas oversaw no fewer than eight NFL Championship (now Super Bowl) wins and set the foundations for the game to grow, not only in Chicago but across America.
