Top 5 coaches now

Top 5 in my mind:

5. Tony Dungy (Put together some of the best defenses ever in Tampa Bay, won superbowl last season)

4. Andy Reid (Went to four straight NFC Championships and superbowl with the Eagles)

3. Mike Shanahan (Had one of the most consistent winning teams in the AFC with the Broncos)

2. Mike Holmgren (The guy has always had some great offenses with Green Bay and Seattle. Also has went to 2 Superbowls with 2 different teams)

1. Bill Belichek (I don't think you can argue this choice. Has completely turned around the Patriots by winning 3 superbowls)

I would of loved to put Joe Gibbs up there, and if this was a question about the best coaches in the league right now over all-time, Gibbs would probably be near the top.

You just cited all-time stats for all the above coaches, and Gibbs' credentials are as good if not better than any of them.

Wow, no mention of Wade Phillips?

j/k

Gruden had a shot at the top 5 before the last couple of years but not now.
I'd go with:

1) Bill Belichek - even though I agree with whoever thought he was a cheater. I can't put my finger on it but I swear he's doing something outside of the rules of the game somehow.

2) Andy Reid - hard to argue with 4 straight NFC championship games plus last year's amazing finish.

3) Herm Edwards - I just think he is a very focused man and knows how to maximize the resources he has onhand.

4) Mike Holmgren - Been coaching for a long time and taking two teams to SuperBowls is a great accomplishment.

5) Joe Gibbs - homer reasons only; but I'd like to add that I really love his commitment to the team and his selfless ability to step down and bring in topnotch coaches. If you're not buying that then just stick Shanahan in there even though I think he cheats (no proof) as well.

Wow, no mention of Wade Phillips?

j/k

Gruden had a shot at the top 5 before the last couple of years but not now.
I'd go with:

1) Bill Belichek - even though I agree with whoever thought he was a cheater. I can't put my finger on it but I swear he's doing something outside of the rules of the game somehow.

2) Andy Reid - hard to argue with 4 straight NFC championship games plus last year's amazing finish.

3) Herm Edwards - I just think he is a very focused man and knows how to maximize the resources he has onhand.

4) Mike Holmgren - Been coaching for a long time and taking two teams to SuperBowls is a great accomplishment.

5) Joe Gibbs - homer reasons only; but I'd like to add that I really love his commitment to the team and his selfless ability to step down and bring in topnotch coaches. If you're not buying that then just stick Shanahan in there even though I think he cheats (no proof) as well.

Herm Edwards? Really? And yes Belichick is a cheater in more ways than one!

Collier: Cheating pays dividends for Patriots and Coach What's-his-name (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04023/264687.stm)
Sports Law Blog (http://sports-law.blogspot.com/2006/11/bill-belichick-trying-to-delay.html)

I'll say, in no particular order:

Joe Gibbs
Mike Holmgren
Tony Dungy
Jeff Fisher
Bill Belichick

Kind of tempted to find some spot for Brian Billick there

Herm Edwards? Really? And yes Belichick is a cheater in more ways than one!

Collier: Cheating pays dividends for Patriots and Coach What's-his-name (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04023/264687.stm)
Sports Law Blog (http://sports-law.blogspot.com/2006/11/bill-belichick-trying-to-delay.html)

Wanted to put Herm in here for a little change of pace from the standard set of responses. This could very well be THE defining year for Herm. He's not inheriting Parcell's team nor an offensive juggernaut that the Chiefs were with Trent Green and Saunders. This this season it's all on him to win games.

cant have two losing seasons out of three and be one of the top 5 coaches in the NFL

Who's your top 5 Chief?

Eric Mangini and SEan Payton have "done it" for all of one season at the moment. Both of them may turn out to be Hall of Fame coaches sometime 20 years in the future; but as of now, they are as likely to be "one-hit wonders" as they are to be in the Top 5 coaches of their time.

Bill Belichick has to be on the list somewhere. If anyone proposes a list without him then every coach on that person's list would be suspect.

Tony Dungy has to be on the list of the Top 5 at this time. He's been highly successful in two places.

Andy Reid has to be on the list of the Top 5 at this time. He took over a team in 1999 that had the worst record in the NFL and has produced 4 years of NFC Championship games and 1 Super Bowl. Not bad.

I happen to think Jeff Fisher has gotten more done with the talent at his command and the circumstances of his stewardship than just about anyone else. Remember, Fisher's Oilers played to "home crowds" that did not support the team once it was a given that the team was headed elsewhere.

I can be talked into several folks for the 5th slot on this list. HOWEVER, Joe Gibbs is NOT one of them. Since his return - and this is about the Top 5 coaches NOW - Joe Gibbs has a losing record and a series of teams that bear no resemblence to the dedicated professionals that he had in the past.

I"d be tempted to put Marty Schottenheimer on this list - - except, he's not in the NFL at the moment due to some STRANGE thinking in San Diego.

I'd put MIke Shanahan here except that he has never won anything important in the playoffs since some guy named Elway retired - - and that was quite a while ago.

By default, I guess Mike Holmgren belongs as the fifth guy on the list...

Eric Mangini and SEan Payton have "done it" for all of one season at the moment. Both of them may turn out to be Hall of Fame coaches sometime 20 years in the future; but as of now, they are as likely to be "one-hit wonders" as they are to be in the Top 5 coaches of their time.

Bill Belichick has to be on the list somewhere. If anyone proposes a list without him then every coach on that person's list would be suspect.

Tony Dungy has to be on the list of the Top 5 at this time. He's been highly successful in two places.

Andy Reid has to be on the list of the Top 5 at this time. He took over a team in 1999 that had the worst record in the NFL and has produced 4 years of NFC Championship games and 1 Super Bowl. Not bad.

I happen to think Jeff Fisher has gotten more done with the talent at his command and the circumstances of his stewardship than just about anyone else. Remember, Fisher's Oilers played to "home crowds" that did not support the team once it was a given that the team was headed elsewhere.

I can be talked into several folks for the 5th slot on this list. HOWEVER, Joe Gibbs is NOT one of them. Since his return - and this is about the Top 5 coaches NOW - Joe Gibbs has a losing record and a series of teams that bear no resemblence to the dedicated professionals that he had in the past.

I"d be tempted to put Marty Schottenheimer on this list - - except, he's not in the NFL at the moment due to some STRANGE thinking in San Diego.

I'd put MIke Shanahan here except that he has never won anything important in the playoffs since some guy named Elway retired - - and that was quite a while ago.

By default, I guess Mike Holmgren belongs as the fifth guy on the list...

See on the one hand, you say that Mangini and Payton shouldn't be on the list because they haven't done enough. But then you say Gibbs shouldn't be on the list because he's not one of the best now. But then, with that logic, shouldn't Mangini and Payton be on the list. While they may be "one-hit wonders" at the moment. Their moment is now, seeing as to how it was just last season they had their success (although Gibbs did beat Payton :) ).

On one hand you cite guys like Fisher, and Reid and their success from-with the exception of the Eagles' SB appearance in 2005-even before Gibbs came back. On the other hand, you seem to ignore what Gibbs did before he came back.

I guess what I'm getting at is, why do we mean by now? Do we mean the best coaches of this past year? Or the best coaches over the course of their careers who happen to currently be coaching.

best coaches in the last 5 yrs still coaching i would think