As the decade comes to a close, we’re creating some Top 10 lists for 2010 to 2019. Up first, our Top 10 coaches.
1. Bill Belichick: The easiest choice on the board, Belichick has dominated the decade like no other coach since, well, since Belichick dominated the last decade. He’s the only active coach selected for the NFL’s 100th season All-Time Team, arguably the best coach ever and obviously the best coach of this decade and this century.
2. Pete Carroll: At the start of this decade, he was the newly hired coach from USC whom many doubted could cut it at the professional level. He won one Super Bowl in this decade, nearly won another, and has made the Seahawks consistent winners.
3. John Harbaugh: Won the Super Bowl with the Ravens heading into 2013, has the Ravens on top this year, and has shown an impressive ability to change his approach as needed with changing personnel.
4. Sean Payton: Started the decade by winning the Super Bowl on in February of 2010 and has won for most of the decade, although he did miss the playoff for three straight years and get suspended for another season over Bountygate. Has the Saints in prime position to go on another run heading into this year’s playoffs.
5. Andy Reid: Began the decade by winning the NFC East with the 2010 Eagles and has now been to the playoffs six times with the Chiefs. What still eludes Reid and keeps him from climbing higher on this list is a Super Bowl ring.
6. Mike Tomlin: Reached the Super Bowl in the first season of this decade and has kept the Steelers in contention throughout. The 2019 season may be his most impressive coaching performance to date, holding an injury-plagued team together and staying in playoff contention with a third-string undrafted rookie quarterback.
7. Ron Rivera: It may seem strange to put Rivera on this list just weeks after he was fired, but he twice won the NFL’s Coach of the Year Award in this decade, and got the Panthers to a Super Bowl.
8. Bruce Arians: It’s been quite a decade for Arians, who started it as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, briefly “retired” (actually got fired), became offensive coordinator of the Colts and ended up winning Coach of the Year for his work as their interim coach during Chuck Pagano’s illness, went to Arizona and won another Coach of the Year, “retired” again and is now coach of the Buccaneers.
9. Mike McCarthy: McCarthy won the Super Bowl after the first season of this decade and although he never reached those heights again in Green Bay, he did make the playoffs seven times in the decade.
10. Doug Pederson: Only has four seasons of experience as a head coach, but did one of the great coaching jobs ever in winning a Super Bowl in 2017 despite losing Carson Wentz. Also helped usher in a new era of football strategy through his reliance on analytics, which informed his decision to be the league’s most aggressive fourth-down coach in that Super Bowl winning season.
