The NFL record for career wins by a head coach is not one of the more well-known numbers in sports but it's received more focus as of late as Bill Belichick creeps closer to the mark. There's speculation that he's hanging on only to earn the honor yet if that's true then he should be very concerned about another current coach who has the ability to pass him in a few years. Below is a list of the 10 most prolific sideline succeeders in league history based on regular-season wins.
10. Dan Reeves (190-165-2, .535 winning percentage)
At age 37, Reeves took over control of the Denver Broncos and promptly won 10 games. During his 12 years at the helm he reached the double-digit mark seven times and complied 184 victories, capturing three AFC championships but going 0-3 in Super Bowls. From 1993-1996 he was with the New York Giants and reached the playoffs only in his first year. Then in 1997 he jumped to the Atlanta Falcons and was the mind behind their spectacular 1998 year in which they went 14-2 and made the Super Bowl, eventually losing to, ironically enough, the Denver Broncos.
9. Chuck Noll (193-148-1, .566)
Noll started the tradition of coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers forever, turning the franchise into a juggernaut that won four Super Bowls from 1974-1979. All told he spent 23 seasons on the sidelines, reaching 10 wins on eight different occasions and only posting one sub-6-win year.
8. Marty Schottenheimer (200-126-1, .613)
Perhaps the most accomplished coach to never reach a Super Bowl, Schottenheimer excelled with the Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, and San Diego Chargers and had an 8-8 year with the Washington Redskins. His teams reached 10 wins in 11 of his 21 campaigns.
7. Paul Brown (213-104-9, .672)
Paul Brown won every championship he could win from 1946-1950 with the Cleveland Browns then added back-to-back crowns in 1954 and 1955. After 17 years with that franchise he went to the Cincinnati Bengals and posted a 55-56 record so his eye-popping win percentage could have been even more astounding.
6. Curly Lambeau (226-132-22, .631)
Lambeau spend his first 29 years with the Green Bay Packers and won six championships before spending two seasons in both Chicago and Washington. All but 17 of his victories came in Northeast Wisconsin and his iconic name still lives on.
5. Tom Landry (250-162-6, .607)
Landry was leading the Dallas Cowboys as they became what they are today, spending all of his 29-year coaching career on the sidelines dressed to the nines. He won two Super Bowls and brought his team to three others.
4. Andy Reid (252-139-1, .644)
Reid amassed 130 wins with the Philadelphia Eagles and won at least 10 games in half of his 14 years there, which included an unsuccessful trip to the Super Bowl. All he's done in Kansas City is win almost 73 percent of his game, reach three Super Bowls, win two, and continue to build what could ultimately be the winningest career in history. Five more years of Patrick Mahomes would allow him to easily surpass the 300-win mark. Maybe significantly more.
3. Bill Belichick (299-157, .656)
Belichick piloted the Cleveland Browns from 1991-1995 then had to patiently wait for his next opportunity, which came in 2000 with the New England Patriots. Tom Brady came a year later and the rest is history. Nine Super Bowl appearances, six wins, and an elevation to the most revered coach across all sports of his lifetime. Not bad. Including his playoff wins, Belichick is only 17 wins behind Shula, but as you can tell the coach will be hard-pressed to meet his Dolphins counterpart's regular-season win record.
2. George Halas (318-148-31, .682)
Halas spent 40 years with the Bears in a career that spanned 1920-1967. It was a different time. In all he won six championships and is on the city's Mount Rushmore. There will never be this type of two-way loyalty again and it's impossible to separate him from the franchise he built.
1. Don Shula (328-156-6, .677)
Everyone knows that Shula was incredible with the Miami Dolphins, where he went to five Super Bowls and won two, led that undefeated 1972 team and amassed 257 wins. But he started his career with a 71-23-4 stint with the Baltimore Colts and won hardware there too. He's at the top of the mountain for now.
This article was originally published on thebiglead as Ranking NFL Coaches by Most Career Wins.
