The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

The NFL experienced a busy offseason on the coaching front. A whopping 10 teams changed coaches during the 2022 offseason, with the Buccaneers’ late-March switch pushing the number into double digits.

Fourteen of the league’s 32 head coaches were hired in the past two offseasons, illustrating the increased pressure the NFL’s sideline leaders face in today’s game. Two of the coaches replaced this year left on their own. Sean Payton vacated his spot in second on the longest-tenured HCs list by stepping down from his 16-year Saints post in February, while Bruce Arians has repeatedly insisted his Bucs exit was about giving his defensive coordinator a chance with a strong roster and not a Tom Brady post-retirement power play.

While Bill Belichick has been the league’s longest-tenured HC for many years, Payton’s exit moved Mike Tomlin up to No. 2. Mike Zimmer‘s firing after nine seasons moved Frank Reich into the top 10. Reich’s HC opportunity only came about because Josh McDaniels spurned the Colts in 2018, but Indianapolis’ backup plan has led the team to two playoff brackets and has signed an extension. Reich’s seat is hotter in 2022, however, after a January collapse. Linked to numerous HC jobs over the past several offseasons, McDaniels finally took another swing after his Broncos tenure ended quickly.

As 2022’s training camps approach, here are the NFL’s longest-tenured HCs:

1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2025
7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
10. Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018; extended through 2026
11. Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019; extended through 2027
12. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
13. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
14. Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team): January 1, 2020
15. Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
16. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
17. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
18. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
19. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
20. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
21. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
22. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
23. Nathaniel Hackett (Denver Broncos): January 27, 2022
24. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
25. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
26. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
27. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
28. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
29. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
30. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
31. Lovie Smith (Houston Texans): February 7, 2022
32. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022