NFL Head Coach Wins Leaders

When it comes to the leaders of the NFL head coach wins list, some legendary names sit among the top 10. With two of the top 10 remaining active into the 2023 NFL season, we could yet see movement in the list over the coming years.

Let’s take a look at which NFL head coach has the most wins in NFL history across the regular season and playoffs combined and who has a chance to challenge for the top 10 in the coming years.

This list is correct as of Week 16’s Saturday slate during the 2023 NFL season. Active head coaches are denoted in italics.

Top 50 List of NFL Head Coach Wins Leaders

1. Don Shula – 347
2. Bill Belichick – 332
3. George Halas – 324
4. Andy Reid – 279
5. Tom Landry – 270
6. Curly Lambeau – 229
7. Paul Brown – 222
8. Chuck Noll – 209
9. Marty Schottenheimer – 205
10. Dan Reeves – 201

11-20

11. Chuck Knox – 193
12. Bill Parcells – 183
13. Tom Coughlin – 182
T-14. Pete Carroll – 179
T14. Mike Tomlin – 179
16. Jeff Fisher – 178
17. Mike Shanahan – 178
18. Mike McCarthy – 176
19. Mike Holmgren – 174
20. Joe Gibbs – 171

21-30

21. John Harbaugh – 169
T-22. Bud Grant – 168
T-22. Sean Payton – 168
24. Bill Cowher – 161
25. Steve Owen – 155
26. Marv Levy – 154
27. Tony Dungy – 148
28. John Fox – 141
29. Hank Stram – 136
30. Weeb Ewbank – 134

31-40

31. Marvin Lewis – 131
32. Mike Ditka – 127
33. Dick Vermeil – 126
34. Jim Mora – 125
35. George Seifert – 124
36. Sid Gillman – 123
37. Jon Gruden – 122
38. George Allen – 118
39. Norv Turner – 118
40. Dennis Green – 117

41-50

41. Don Coryell – 114
42. John Madden – 112
43. Buddy Parker – 107
44. Tom Flores – 105
45. Vince Lombardi – 105
46. Ron Rivera – 105
47. Bill Walsh – 102
48. Lou Saban – 97
49. Lovie Smith – 95
50. Jack Del Rio – 94

Don Shula Tops the List With the Most Wins as an NFL Coach

Shula’s storied career as an NFL head coach spanned 33 seasons from 1963 through to 1995. He spent the first seven seasons with Baltimore before finishing his career with 26 seasons in Miami.

Shula’s time in Baltimore is somewhat forgotten, but it was incredibly impressive. He finished with a 71-23 regular-season record for a .755 winning percentage. He went 2-3 in the playoffs to finish 73-26 overall. Unfortunately, he was unable to win a Super Bowl in Baltimore, suffering a shocking loss to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.

In 1970, he moved to Miami, and within the span of four seasons, he had appeared in three more Super Bowls, winning two. In 1972, he led the Dolphins to a perfect 14-0 record as they won their first Super Bowl. They repeated as champions in 1973, going 12-2.

Shula would remain in Miami for another 22 years. While he would lead them to two more Super Bowls, they would not prevail in either game. He retired in 1995 with a 257-133 regular-season record — a 0.659 winning percentage. His playoff record in Miami was 17-14 for a 274-147 overall record and 0.651 winning percentage.

Which Active Coaches Could Finish in the Top 10 of NFL Head Coach Wins?

There are four head coaches currently active who sit in the top 20 of all-time NFL head coach wins. The highest of those is Belichick, who is second on the list with 329 wins. He has 298 regular-season wins and an incredible 31 playoff wins, 11 more than anyone else.

Belichick is just 18 wins behind Shula atop the list. If he coaches for another five years to match Shula’s 33 years, then he has every chance of topping the list.

Next on the list is Andy Reid, who sits fourth with 270 wins. Reid tied with Tom Landry, but over 50 wins away from the top three. He would need to coach for at least another five years if he is to have a real chance of finishing in the top three.