Coaching in professional sports is traditionally one of the most unstable jobs in America.
Every year, head coaches are fired before the end of their contracts due to poor performance by their teams.
This year was no different, with three teams making a change during the 2023 regular season and several more following suit on Black Monday and afterward. The biggest surprises came on opposite sides of the country, when the Seattle Seahawks moved on from Pete Carroll and the New England Patriots parted ways with Bill Belichick -- two Super Bowl-winning head coaches.
With Carroll and Belichick out of the picture, there are only a few head coaches left who have spent over a decade with their respective teams while enjoying championship success.
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Here’s a look at the longest-tenured NFL coaches – both active and in league history:
Who are the longest-tenured active NFL head coaches?
The league is currently turning over coaches at a rapid rate. Of the 32 NFL franchises, 26 have changed head coaches in the last five years (since 2019).
NFL
Here are the six coaches who have been with their team the longest:
1. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers, 2007-present
After winning a Super Bowl in his second season, Tomlin has sustained consistency all the way through 2023. He’s never had a losing season in 17 years, making 11 postseason appearances. Tomlin’s career regular season record is 173-100-2 and he’s won eight playoff games.
2. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, 2008-present
Harbaugh only has two losing seasons in 16 years with Baltimore. He has a 160-99 career regular season record, plus an 11-9 postseason record (entering the 2024 postseason) to go along with a Super Bowl. The Ravens are 2-5 in the playoffs since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in 2013, but they secured the No. 1 seed this season and could soon get back in the win column.
3. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs, 2013-present
Reid spent 14 consecutive seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he's now completed 11 seasons in Kansas City with two Super Bowl wins. He has amassed a 128-51 regular season record while paired with quarterbacks Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes, the latter of which helped get Reid his first title in the 2019 season and second in 2022.
T-4. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills, 2017-present
The Bills had been searching for stability at head coach, and they found it in McDermott. He has a 73-41 record and six postseason berths in seven seasons with Buffalo, including an active streak of four straight AFC East titles.
T-4. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams, 2017-present
McVay and Los Angeles were instantly a perfect match when the franchise made him the NFL’s youngest head coach in 2017. He is 70-45 in seven seasons, led the Rams to a Super Bowl loss in just his second year and became a champion to cap off the 2021 season.
T-4. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers, 2017-present
After two forgettable seasons to start his San Francisco tenure, Shanahan guided the 49ers to three NFC Championship Game appearances over the last four years before again earning the No. 1 seed this season. He crossed the .500 mark for his career in 2022, as he now owns a 64-51 record.
Who are the longest-tenured head coaches in NFL history?
No active coaches can match the longest-tenured coaches in NFL history, though Belichick was creeping up the list before he and the Patriots parted ways. His 24th season with the Patriots brought him even with Steve Owen for fourth on this list.
Here’s a look at the six coaches who spent the most consecutive seasons with one team:
T-1. Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys, 29 consecutive seasons
From 1960 to 1988, Landry patrolled the sidelines for the Cowboys. He had some highlights, with five Super Bowl appearances and two titles, and some lowlights, including six seasons of five wins or fewer. Landry went 250-162-6 in his career with Dallas.
T-1. Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers, 29 consecutive seasons
Green Bay’s stadium is named for Lambeau, and rightfully so. His first nine seasons with the team were spent as both a player and a coach, winning a title in 1929. The next 20 seasons, solely serving as a coach, produced five championships. He finished his Packers career at 209-104-21.
3. Don Shula, Miami Dolphins, 26 consecutive seasons
After losing Super Bowl III with the Baltimore Colts in 1968, Shula moved south to Miami in 1970 and didn’t leave for nearly three decades. He won three AFC titles and two Super Bowls in his first four years with the Dolphins. Shula retired in 1996 as the NFL’s all-time regular season wins leader (328), a record he still holds today.
T-4. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, 24 consecutive seasons
Belichick broke into a tie for the top five in 2022 and jumped into a tied for fourth in 2023, but his run came to an end there. He and the Patriots mutually parted ways following a disappointing 4-13 season, ending his run at 24 years with a 266-121 regular season record and six Super Bowl wins.
T-4. Steve Owen, New York Giants, 24 consecutive seasons
Owen’s first four seasons with the Giants were as a player-coach before he took over full-time coaching duties in 1934. That season went well, I’d say, as New York won the NFL Championship. Owen retired in 1953 with a 153-100-17 career record and two titles.
6. Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers, 23 consecutive seasons
Noll’s 23-year tenure in Pittsburgh spanned four decades – the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. The 70s were undoubtedly his happiest decade, when the Steelers won four Super Bowls in six seasons from 1974 to 1979. Noll retired in 1991 after totaling a 193-148-1 regular season record with 16 postseason wins.
