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 2022 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 Dec. 11, 2022. Active head coaches are denoted in italics.
Top 50 List of NFL Head Coach Wins Leaders
1. Don Shula – 347
2. Bill Belichick – 327
3. George Halas – 324
4. Tom Landry – 270
5. Andy Reid – 262
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
14. Jeff Fisher – 178
15. Mike Shanahan – 178
16. Mike Holmgren – 174
17. Joe Gibbs – 171
18. Bud Grant – 168
19. Pete Carroll – 170
20. Mike Tomlin – 167
21-30
21. Sean Payton – 161
22. Bill Cowher – 161
23. Mike McCarthy – 163
24. Steve Owen – 155
25. Marv Levy – 154
26. John Harbaugh – 157
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. Bill Walsh – 102
47. Ron Rivera – 100
48. Lou Saban – 97
49. Jack Del Rio – 94
50. Lovie Smith – 93
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.
MORE: Top 32 Quotes From NFL Players and Coaches
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 325 wins. He has 294 regular-season wins and an incredible 31 playoff wins, 11 more than anyone else.
Belichick is just 22 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 fifth with 256 wins. Reid is just 14 games behind Tom Landry in fourth but is 68 wins off 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.
Pete Carroll and Mike Tomlin reside 19th and 20th, respectively, on this list. Carroll is 34 wins outside of Dan Reeves in 10th. However, at 71 years old, it’s touch and go as to whether he will coach long enough to break 200 total wins and jump into the top 10.
Tomlin is the really intriguing name on this list. With 164 wins, he is 37 wins outside the top 10. However, at 50 years old, there is every chance we could see Tomlin inside the top 10 and potentially challenge to make the top five of the list of NFL head coach wins.