Ranking the AFC North head coaches

The AFC North may be the best division in the NFL heading into the 2023 regular season. Not only that, the division may be the best when it comes to its head coaches. How do they stack up against one another, though? These are the rankings of the AFC North head coaches from worst to best.

4. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

Stefanski is a solid head coach, but he has under-achieved in his time with the Browns. The team has gone above and beyond when it comes to acquiring talent, but they have just one playoff appearance since Stefanski took over in 2020.

The Browns are 15-19 over the last two seasons. If they fail to put a winning season together in 2023, Stefanski’s seat will be hot.

3. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

All three remaining coaches have appeared in a Super Bowl, Taylor being the one with the most recent appearance. The Bengals’ offense is one of the finest in the league, in large part because of their magnificent players, but also because of Taylor’s schemes and game planning ability. The Bengals will once again be amongst the favorites to win the Super Bowl, and it isn’t hard to see why- they have the roster, and they have the head coach.

2. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

I’d make the argument that Harbaugh is the most underrated coach in the NFL. Not many coaches could completely change their offensive strategy midseason to accommodate their dual-threat quarterback’s ability to run the ball- Harbaugh did and it led to the Ravens winning the division in 2018, and they have been one of the league’s top teams over the last five years. Even when Lamar Jackson has gone down, Baltimore has remained competitive. They were a playoff team in 2022, and were just one game outside of earning a playoff berth in 2021. All of that was made possible by their coach who gets the absolute best out of his roster year in and year out.

1. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

There is a vocal part of the Steelers’ fan base that will always refuse to give Tomlin his flowers, but those people are simply wrong. Of all coaches in NFL history with at least 200 games coached, Tomlin has the fourth-highest winning percentage. He is third among active head coaches in wins with 163, he’s appeared in two Super Bowls, won one, and the Steelers have been relevant every year that he has been at the helm. The lack of playoff success over the last half-decade is a very valid criticism of Tomlin, but there is no denying he is one of the three best coaches in the NFL today, and the best coach in the AFC North.