With John Harbaugh’s firing by the Baltimore Ravens this week, the list of the longest-tenured coaches in NFL history abruptly changed. The NFL turnover at head coach is nonstop, even for once successful leaders.
Only one NFL head coach was hired before 2013, and even Mike Tomlin’s status as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is tenuous.
Let’s take a closer look at the list of longest-tenured NFL head coaches and some takeaways.
More than 75% of NFL head coaches were hired since 2021
Looking at the list before of the longest-tenured NFL head coaches, you’ll see only seven were hired before 2021. More than three-quarters of the coaches have been upended since COVID. And fans of several of those coaches have been antsy this offseason calling for moving on from Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott, Matt LaFleur, and Zac Taylor with varying degrees of intensity.
Almost 25% of the NFL will have a new coach in 2026
At least seven of the 32 teams will have a new man on the sideline for the 2026 season opener. On average, the modern NFL turns over seven coaches per hiring cycle. It was seven in 2025, as well.
Super Bowl wins is a key metric for head coach longevity, but they don’t guarantee it
Obviously in the NFL, the Lombardi trophy is the ultimate goal. Of the five coaches that have been around for more than six years, only Sean McDermott and Kyle Shanahan don’t have a Super Bowl victory and only McDermott doesn’t have a Super Bowl appearance.
There is turnover even with Super Bowl winners. Only four coaches have won Super Bowls with their current teams; Mike Tomlin, Andy Reid, Sean McVay, and Nick Sirriani. Reid is the only active coach with multiple Super Bowls with his current team.
In the last handful of years, Bill Belichick was fired by the Patriots, Doug Pederson was fired by the Eagles, Pete Carroll was fired by the Seahawks, John Harbaugh was fired by the Ravens, and Mike McCarthy was fired by the Packers despite winning the big one for the franchise.
Full list of NFL coaching tenures
Vacant: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans
