NFL head coach (including Cowboys Schottenheimer) power rankings for '26
· Yahoo Sports
Opinions remain split on just what the Dallas Cowboys have in their head coach, Brian Schottenheimer. Upon his hire, fans threw their arms in the air at yet another Jerry Jones disaster. Schottenheimer entered his January 2025 meeting with the Jones family looking to convince them to retain him as offensive coordinator for whomever the next head coach would be. He somehow convinced them into believing they had a great candidate whom the rest of the NFL world was overlooking.
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A year later, have opinions changed? The Cowboys always undertake a strange path in their coaching decisions. It's part of the reason they haven't won in three decades. They should've fired Mike McCarthy heading into 2024 instead of their lame-duck, no new pieces approach, and then they should've done a more exhaustive search in 2025 even if they still landed on Schottenheimer. But now that the dust has settled on his opening campaign, and with a robust 10 new hires during this last cycle, where does he rank among his peers?
The criteria here is pretty simple. Who would you rather have as the coach preparing for a Super Bowl with basically even rosters?
32 Mike LaFleur, Cardinals
First-time head coach of a struggling franchise without a franchise QB.
31 Todd Monken, Browns
It's the Browns.
30 Aaron Glenn, Jets
It's the Jets.
29 Jeff Hafley, Dolphins
The Dolphins are stripping things down to the bolts.
28 Joe Brady, Bills
This one will be interesting as the Bills have a strong history of being competitive enough, but they are now looking to figure out how to turn the corner. The longtime OC is now in the big chair.
27 Jesse Minter, Ravens
The former Chargers DC returns to his first pro game home to take over a team that is ripe for success.
26 Klint Kubiak, Raiders
Putting some faith here on the SB-winning OC who will get his franchise QB to begin his career.
25 Kellen Moore, Saints
It took Moore a little longer than many would've thought, but after getting a job he has a strong chance to shoot up these rankings if Tyler Shough is really a starting QB like he looked down the stretch.
24 Kevin Stefanski, Falcons
Stefanski is a two-time coach of the year, which probably means he should be higher here.... but we're waiting to see.
23 Robert Saleh, Titans
He's escaped the Jets and almost immediately got right back into the head coaching realm. He's well regarded in the league, but now has to show it.
22 Todd Bowles, Buccaneers
Bowles was below .500 as the Jets coach, and basically .500 as the Bucs coach. He'll be on the hot seat this season, too.
21 Zac Taylor, Bengals
How much credit should Tayler receive for such a loaded offense? He's likely on the hot seat this season.
20 Dan Quinn, Commanders
Quinn was a couple plays away from being a SB champion, but man are his teams unorganized and undisciplined since.
19 Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys
Schottenheimer has one of the best presences as a HC, but can he actually coach? The number of star coaches hired in the 2024 and 2025 cycles speaks more volumes than he can. MacDonald, Vrabel, Johnson, Coen, Harbaugh... none interviewed in Dallas.
18 Shane Steichen, Colts
Steichen can rise quickly this season, and would've been higher if the Colts didn't collapse after Daniel Jones' injury.
17 Dave Canales, Panthers
Bro got Bryce Young to the playoffs. Weak division or not, that's impressive.
16 Kevin O'Connell, Vikings
He ressurected Sam Darnold, and then went on a great end-of-year run in 2025.
15 Ben Johnson, Bears
It's only been one year, but the change from Matt Eberflus to Johnson was the biggest upgrade of 2025.
14 Matt LaFleur, Packers
A lot of regular season success, not much playoff vibes as of yet.
13 Liam Coen, Jaguars
The turnaround for Trevor Lawrence was incredible to witness. Year 2 demands even more.
12 Dan Campbell, Lions
A lot will need to be proven after the up-and-coming Lions fell down to earth after losing their OC and DC in the same offseason.
11 Mike Vrabel, Patriots
The Patriots had a ton of fortunate circumstances in 2025, but no one can deny how differently they played after replacing Jerod Mayo with Vrabel.
10 Jim Harbaugh, Chargers
Combining what he did in San Francisco before his work at Michigan, it's impossible not to have this Harbaugh in the Top 10.
9 Mike McCarthy, Steelers
All he does is win double-digit games every time out. He's one of seven active coaches with a Lombardi; he has to be in the Top 10.
8 Nick Sirianni, Eagles
My momma said if you don't have anything nice to say...
7 John Harbaugh, Giants
Adding Harbaugh to the NFC East isn't ideal for the Cowboys. His championship pedigree is well known, but the question is does his team control match what the Ravens front office was able to provide him.
6 Kyle Shanahan, 49ers
Shanahan hasn't been able to win, but his ability to find top-tier assistants, and be competitive in catastrophic injury scenarios is undeniable.
5 Demeco Ryans, Texans
Get him a quarterback, Texans ownership.
4 Mike Macdonald, Seahawks
The reigning world champion has been incredibly impressive since taking over in the Pacific Northwest. Longevity is the only thing he has left to prove.
3 Sean Payton, Broncos
After an incredible run in New Orleans, Payton finds himself in the mountains and taking control of the AFC West. He has Bo Nix ready to ascend but his defense under DC Vance Joseph is currently the Broncos' calling card.
2 Sean McVay, Rams
The boy genius is now a tenured veteran and has returned to championship pedigree teams after a short rebuild. Biggest testament to a head coach.
1 Andy Reid, Chiefs
Three world championships with the Chiefs after years of top teams with the Eagles. He's the gold standard now.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: NFL head coach power rankings for '26