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20 sats \ 22 replies \ @grayruby 30 Apr \ parent \ on: I asked ChatGPT who are the top 5 NFL Head Coaches... Stacker_Sports
Shanahan has more playoff wins than all of these guys besides Reid since 2017. Let's not pretend the Rams roster wasn't stacked when they won the Super Bowl. If they played the Chiefs that year they wouldn't have won. The 49ers did play the Chiefs. Both games they were leading in the 4th.
Shanahan could have coached both Super Bowls better for sure. But they were in position to win both and players didn't execute. Also, he had Jimmy G in the first Super Bowl and the NFC Championship game against the Rams. If he had Stafford like McVay did, he would have won both of those games.
Look around the NFL. Shanahan and McVay coaching tree everywhere. Any NFL executive would tell you those guys are both top 5.
Eagles probably don't go to the Super Bowl two years ago if Brock doesn't get hurt on the first series. 49ers probably win the 2020 Super Bowl if not for a dropped INT in the endzone. 49ers definitely win the 2024 Super Bowl if not for the OLineman missing an assignment on Chris Jones on 3rd down forcing 49ers to kick a FG right away instead of running out the clock for a game winning FG. Is that lack of preparation maybe but sometimes things just need to go your way.
And I think Marv Levy probably has more playoff wins and Super Bowl appearances than all of them, but he wouldn't be in a top 5 all-time great conversation either. Gotta earn the rings!
My knee-jerk reaction was to almost agree with you about Jimmy G. I do think Shanahan brought the best out of a quarterback who was average at-best, but I also think if he had a better QB, it wouldn't have been the difference maker. Shanahan just can't close it out when it's late.
I definitely think if Brock wasn't injured in the championship game they would have cruised passed the Eagles. Who knows, maybe they would have beaten the Chiefs. If they did, then yeah, no question, in my eyes, he'd be a top 3. But all those missed opportunities and under-achieving (considering the roster) put him outside of the top 5,, IMO.
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We are not talking about top 5 all time. We are talking top 5 right now. And yes when Marv Levy was coaching he was a top 5 coach even though he lost 4 Super Bowls.
I agree that Shanahan has struggled closing out huge games even some of the playoff wins have been more of a struggle than they should have been. He deserves criticism. He abandons the run in big games. He is too loyal to players and coaches that aren’t performing. He doesn’t care enough about quality offensive line play.
You also have to remember Shanahan has a lot more power than a guy like Sirriani. Shanahan picked his own GM. Besides the owner signing off on salary he gets the last say on all player and personnel decisions. I don’t think that’s the case in Philly. Seems like Howie is the big dog. I bring this up to say that if you are going to knock Shanahan for losing Super Bowls with a super team you also have to give him credit for building those teams and getting the best out of guys that were late round draft picks and became pro bowlers.
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I asked ChatGPT why it omitted Shanahan from the top 5…
Great catch — and a really thoughtful question!
Kyle Shanahan’s absence from the top 5 list reflects how recent rankings weigh results (especially postseason and Super Bowl wins) alongside reputation and innovation. While Shanahan is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant offensive minds in the NFL, a few key factors likely kept him just outside:
1. Super Bowl record: Despite leading the 49ers to three NFC Championship games and two Super Bowls, Shanahan has yet to win a title as a head coach. His teams have had painful collapses (2016 Falcons as OC, 2019 and 2023 49ers), which critics still hold against him.
2. Perception of late-game management: Fair or not, Shanahan’s clock management and conservative play-calling in critical moments have been scrutinized, leading some analysts to rank others (like Reid or McVay) ahead for their finishing ability.
3. Competition at the top: Andy Reid’s Super Bowls, McVay’s win + rebuild, and rising stars like Nick Sirianni and Dan Campbell have earned attention for either delivering hardware or turning around struggling franchises.
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ChatGPT has never watched a football game. You are really grasping at straws to confirm your bias. You should ask it why it included Dan Campbell whose teams have choked in the playoffs two years in a row. Including blowing a 17 point lead against the 49ers in the NFC Championship, making multiple stupid 4th down calls in the process.
If Championships and not blowing playoff games late is the criteria why is Campbell there?
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The opposite, I have to look past my own personal bias that would favor Shanahan. Although I didn’t personally know Kyle Shanahan, he grew up in the next town over, and we had a lot of the same mutual friends.
Personal feelings aside, I don’t see him in the top 5, but if he wins a ring, I’d leapfrog him ahead of Harbaugh for sure and maybe even McVay.
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You think Dan Campbell is a top 5 coach but not Kyle Shanahan? That's wild. Campbell wasn't even the best coach on his team. That guy now coaches the Bears.
Where is Campbell's ring since your only criteria is Super Bowls.
Agree with you, I’d pull Campbell and put Tomlin.
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