Who are the winningest head coaches in NFL history? Where does Bill Belichick rank?

Now in his 24th season in charge in New England, it could be that one of the NFL’s greatest coaches is about to be given the boot. At least that’s the word on the street. The question is, should that be the case? After all, is it not more a case of the roster needing an overhaul, than the coach needing to be replaced?

Bill Belichick & the Patriots are in a bad place

At 3-10 on the season, the New England Patriots are now well and truly out of the playoff picture with a record. Given the history of the franchise - the Pats won 6 Super Bowls between 2002 and 2019 - one can imagine that questions are being asked about both the coach and the roster. That’s before we consider the fact that since Tom Brady’s departure after the 2019-20 season, the team has struggled. This, of course, brings us to head coach Bill Belichick. Clearly under pressure in an already cutthroat business, the legendary coach is now under intense scrutiny, but is it deserved considering the body of work he has achieved?

Belichick could be No. 1 but will need another season or two

It is likely that the 70-year-old will be the lone person to hold the number two slot for some time to come. In theory, he could even clinch the No. 1 spot for himself, but that would almost certainly require another two seasons, especially considering the state of the Patriots. The winningest coach in NFL History is Hall of Famer, Don Shula, who amassed a staggering 347 wins. Indeed, Shula was the first and only coach to lead a team to an undefeated campaign when he guided the Miami Dolphins to a 14-0 record in 1972, then continued the run to win Super Bowl VII against Washington.

The only other active coach in the top 10 is the head coach of the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid. The 65-year-old currently has 278 wins under his belt as of Week 14 of the 2023 NFL regular season. Of course, with New England’s campaign more or less over, Belichick’s tally won’t be increasing this year i.e. Reid can close the gap. For a look at the top 10 winningest coaches in NFL history, take a look below.

Top 10 head coaches with the most wins

Super Bowl wins

Winning games is one thing, but winning the Super Bowl is a whole other matter. In this regard, Bill Belichick reigns supreme. He is number one on the list with an unmatched haul of six Lombardi trophies.