Celebrating Hall of Fame coaches on National Coaches Day

On National Coaches Day, the Pro Football Hall of Fame celebrates the 29 head coaches who have been enshrined into football’s most exclusive club. 

From the Class of 1963’s GEORGE HALAS and EARL “CURLY” LAMBEAU, to the Class of 2023’s DON CORYELL, and all those in between, each head coach left an indelible mark on the game of professional football. 

As pioneers of pro football, a majority of the philosophies used in the game today can be traced back to these great coaches. 

Credited as the first coach to use game film as a means to scout opponents, PAUL BROWN'S impact has been felt for decades. Brown also implemented a radio receiver in his quarterback’s helmet, face masks on helmets and coordinators calling the plays, to name a few innovations. 

TONY DUNGY changed the way defenses were schemed, executing his version of the Cover 2 defense, “Tampa 2.” CHUCK NOLL featured a similar defense during his days coaching the vaunted “Steel Curtain” Pittsburgh defense, which won four Super Bowls. 

The modern offense in today’s NFL can be attributed to both Coryell and BILL WALSH. Both coaches changed how an offense would dissect defenses, scheming short, horizontal passing routes to spread out the defense. Whether you call it the “Air Coryell” or “West Coast” offense, both coaches were well ahead of their time in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Some of these iconic coaches have left a mark so great their namesake continues to live on in various elements. After approaching JOHN MADDEN in the mid-1980s, Electronic Arts (EA) named their first football video game after the coach. Having won the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968, football’s most coveted trophy was named after VINCE LOMBARDI in 1970 after his passing. 

On Sept. 19, 1972, President Richard Nixon proclaimed Oct. 6 as National Coaches Day, as the “nation became increasingly sports-minded.”

More about the coaches in the Hall of Fame

Short bios for the 29 head coaches in the Hall of Fame: 

GEORGE ALLEN, CLASS OF 2002: Ranked 10th all-time in coaching victories at time of retirement … Had overall record of 118-54-5 … Adopted “Future is Now” theme, made 131 trades in career … Never had a losing season in 12 years as NFL head coach … Named Coach of the Year, 1967, 1971

PAUL BROWN, CLASS OF 1967: Exceptionally successful coach at all levels of football … Organized Browns in AAFC, 1946 … Built great Cleveland dynasty with 167-53-8 record, four AAFC titles, three NFL crowns, only one losing season in 17 years … A revolutionary innovator with many coaching “firsts” to his credit … Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame before Cincinnati Bengals tenure began

GUY CHAMBERLIN, CLASS OF 1965: Legendary grid hero at Nebraska … Became premier end of the NFL in the 1920s … Extremely durable two-way performer … Player-coach of four NFL championship teams: 1922-1923 Canton Bulldogs, 1924 Cleveland Bulldogs, 1926 Frankford Yellowjackets … Six-year coaching record 58-16-7 for a remarkable .759 percentage

JIMMY CONZELMAN, CLASS OF 1964: Multi-talented athlete, editor, executive, songwriter, orator … Began NFL career with Staleys, 1920 … Player-coach of four NFL teams in the 1920s, including 1928 champion Providence … Player-coach-owner of Detroit team, 1925-1926 … Knee injury ended 10-year playing career, 1929 … Coached Cardinals to 1947 NFL, 1948 division crowns

DON CORYELL, CLASS OF 2023: Revived the St. Louis Cardinals (1973-77) and the San Diego Chargers (1978-1986), leading both franchises to the playoffs after extended postseason droughts … AP’s NFL Coach of the Year in 1974 … UPI’s and PFWA’s NFC Coach of the Year in 1974… Led the Cardinals to the 1974 and 1975 NFC East Division crowns … 1979-1981 San Diego Chargers earned AFC West Division titles … Won 100 games coaching at both the collegiate (127-24-3) and professional (114-89- 1) levels

BILL COWHER, CLASS OF 2020: At age 34, succeeded legendary Hall of Famer Chuck Noll as Steelers head coach, 1992 … Second coach ever to lead team to playoff appearances in each of first six seasons … Advanced to postseason a total of 10 times during tenure … At the time of his retirement, was one of just six coaches to win eight division titles … Led Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl appearances with a victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL … Regular season record: 149-90-1, .623 … Postseason record: 12-9, .571 … Overall record: 161-99-1, .619

TONY DUNGY, CLASS OF 2016: Took over Bucs team in 1996 that had suffered 12 double-digit loss seasons in previous 13 years … By second season earned playoff berth first of four times under his leadership … Colts advanced to playoffs each season during his tenure … Indy won 10 games his first year, 12 or more every season after … First African American head coach to win Super Bowl … Overall record as head coach, 148-79-0

WEEB EWBANK, CLASS OF 1978: Only coach to win world championships in both NFL, AFL … His 1958, 1959 Colts won NFL crowns, 1968 Jets AFL, Super Bowl III titles … Took first pro head coach job at age 47 … Led both Colts, Jets to championships with patient, effective building programs paced by brilliant quarterbacks … Possessed great ability to judge, handle young talent … Coached 130 career wins

RAY FLAHERTY, CLASS OF 1976: Compiled 80-37-5 coaching record … Won four Eastern division, two NFL titles with Redskins, two AAFC divisional crowns with Yankees … Introduced behind-the-line screen pass in 1937 NFL title game … Two-platoon system with one rushing, one passing unit also a Flaherty first … Played end with Los Angeles Wildcats (first AFL), New York Yankees, New York Giants … AllNFL, 1928, 1932

TOM FLORES, CLASS OF 2021: Regular season record: 97-87-0 … Postseason record: 8-3 … Overall record: 105-90-0 … Guided Raiders to two Super Bowl Championships (XV, XVIII) … Flores’ led Raiders teams won 11 or more games in a season four times … Named AFC Coach of the Year after leading team to best record in AFC, 1982 … Raiders captured three division titles over four-year span … Coached Seahawks for three seasons

JOE GIBBS, CLASS OF 1996: NFL Coach of Year, 1982, 1983, 1991 … Noted for motivational skills, work ethic … Had 124-60-0 regular season record, 16-5-0 in postseason … Won 1982 NFC title, four NFC East crowns … Won Super Bowls XVII, XXII, XXVI with three different quarterbacks … Lost Super Bowl XVIII to Raiders … Won 10 or more games eight times … Assistant coach with Cardinals, Buccaneers, Chargers

SID GILLMAN, CLASS OF 1983: Innovative coach, dynamic administrator … Recognized as leading authority on passing theories, tactics … 18-year pro record: 123-104-7 … First to win divisional titles in both NFL, AFL … Won 1963 league, five division crowns in AFL’s first six years … Major factor in developing AFL’s image, impetus, respect … AFC Coach of the Year, 1974 … Played in first College All-Star game, 1934

BUD GRANT, CLASS OF 1994: NFL coaching tenure began in 1967 … NFL record: 168-108-5 … Led Vikings to 11 divisional championships in 1968 through 1971, 1973 through 1978, 1981 … Won 1969 NFL championship, NFC titles in 1973, 1974, 1976 … Nine-letter athlete at Minnesota … Played in NBA, NFL, CFL before embarking on coaching career in Winnipeg

GEORGE HALAS, CHARTER CLASS OF 1963: Truly “Mr. Everything” of pro football … Founded Decatur Staleys, attended league organizational meeting in 1920 … Only person associated with NFL throughout first 50 years … Coached Bears for 40 seasons and six NFL titles … Record mark of 324 coaching wins stood for nearly three decades … Recorded many “firsts” in pro coaching, administration … Also played end for nine seasons

JIMMY JOHNSON, CLASS OF 2020: Noted for evaluating talent … First draft with Dolphins landed eight players who earned starting roles as rookies … Transformed Cowboys franchise, going from 1-15 to playoff team by third season … First coach ever to win a college national championship and a Super Bowl … Led his teams to playoffs six times (three in Dallas, three in Miami) … Named NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, 1990 … Regular season record: 80-64-0, .556 … Postseason record: 9-4, .692 … Overall record: 89-68-0, .567

EARL “CURLY” LAMBEAU, CHARTER CLASS OF 1963: Founded pre-NFL Packers in 1919 … Coach-general manager for Packers until 1949 … Credited with keeping pro football alive in Green Bay … First coach to make forward pass an integral part of the offense … 33-year NFL coaching record: 229-134-22 with six championships in Green Bay … Played halfback for 11 years until 1929

TOM LANDRY, CLASS OF 1990: Noted for impassive, sideline demeanor … Perfected flex defense, multiple offense, revived shotgun (spread) offense … 29-year tenure with one team tied NFL record … Career record: 270-178-6 … 270 wins third most ever … Had 20 straight winning seasons, five NFC titles, two Super Bowl wins … Defensive back, punter with Yankees (AAFC), Giants (NFL), 1949-1955

MARV LEVY, CLASS OF 2001: Led Bills to unprecedented four straight Super Bowls … Had 154-120-0 overall record … His coaching victories ranked 10th in NFL history at time of retirement … Quickly improved Chiefs from 4-12 to 9-7 … Guided Buffalo to eight playoff appearances in 11 seasons … NFL Coach of the Year, 1988 … AFC Coach of the Year, 1988, 1993, 1995

VINCE LOMBARDI, CLASS OF 1971: Began head coaching career at age 45 … Transformed Green Bay into instant winner … Acclaimed NFL Man of the Decade in the 1960s … Gave Packers 89-29-4 record, five NFL titles, first two Super Bowl crowns in nine years … Led 1969 Redskins to first winning record in 14 years … Noted taskmaster, never had a losing season

JOHN MADDEN, CLASS OF 2006: Regular season record: 103- 32-7 … Post-season record: 9-7 … Overall record: 112-39-7 … His .759 winning percentage during regular season ranks as highest ever among coaches with 100 career victories … One of youngest head coaches in history when Raiders hired him in 1969 at age 32 … AFL Coach of the Year, 1969 … Under Madden, Oakland never suffered losing record … Led Raiders to Super Bowl XI … Team won 17 straight games between 1976-1977 seasons, one short of NFL record at time

EARLE “GREASY” NEALE, CLASS OF 1969: Extensive college coaching career preceded entry into NFL in 1941 … Quickly built second-division Eagles into a contender … Produced three straight Eastern Division crowns and NFL championships in 1948 and 1949 … Both NFL titles came by shutout scores … Using an assumed name, played end with the pre-NFL Canton Bulldogs

CHUCK NOLL, CLASS OF 1993: Only coach to win four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, XIV) … 23-year record: 209-156-1 in all games … Took over team that had never won title of any kind, 1969 … Building program stressed annual player draft … First team finished 1-13 … Steelers won first-ever championship (AFC Central), 1972 … Won nine AFC Central titles … Guard-linebacker for Cleveland Browns, 1953-1959

STEVE OWEN, CLASS OF 1966: Great defensive star of the 1920s … Captained Giants’ 1927 title team which held foe to record low 20 points … Coached Giants 24 years from 1930 to 1953 … Coaching record: 155-108-17, eight divisional, two NFL title teams … A-formation offense, umbrella defense, two-platoon system among his many coaching innovations

BILL PARCELLS, CLASS OF 2013: Reversed the fortunes of four NFL teams … Regular season record: 172- 130-1 … Postseason record: 11-8 … Overall record: 183-138-1 … Led Giants to Super Bowls XXI and XXV victories … Guided Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI appearance … Coach of best two-year turnaround of 1-15 team when led Jets to 9-7 record in 1997 and 12-4 record in 1998 … First to coach four different teams into the playoffs … NFL Coach of the Year 1986, 1994

FRITZ POLLARD, CLASS OF 2005: All-American halfback … A pro football pioneer … Began career in 1919 with Akron (Ohio) Pros … Helped Akron become NFL’s first champion, 1920 … One of just two African Americans in the NFL at time … NFL’s first African American head coach, 1921 … Exciting, elusive runner … Played and sometimes coached four different teams in NFL career

DON SHULA, CLASS OF 1997: Winningest coach in NFL history … Regular-season record: 328-156-6, .676 … Overall record: 347-173-6, .665 … Became head coach at age 33 … Led Colts to seven straight winning records … In 26 years in Miami, experienced only two seasons below .500 … Coached in six Super Bowls … Won Super Bowls VII, VIII … Completed only 17-0 perfect season in NFL history, 1972 … Played seven seasons as defensive back/halfback with Browns, Colts, Redskins

HANK STRAM, CLASS OF 2003: Overall record: 136-100-10 … Assistant coach at University of Miami when hired as first head coach of Dallas Texans (team moved to Kansas City, renamed Chiefs, 1963) of new American Football League, 1960 … Won 1962, 1966, 1969 AFL championships … Led Chiefs to two Super Bowl appearances … Devised “two tight end offense” and “stack defense” … Named AFL Coach of the Year in 1968

DICK VERMEIL, CLASS OF 2022: NFL’s first designated special teams coach in 1969 with the Los Angeles Rams … Led Eagles to NFC title in 1980 and an appearance in Super Bowl XV … Led Rams went 13-3 and won Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999 … Named NFL Coach of the Year twice by Sporting News (1979, 1999) once by the Associated Press (1999) … Regular season record: 120-109-0, .524 … Postseason record: 6-5, .545 … Overall record: 126-114-0, .525

BILL WALSH, CLASS OF 1993: Led 49ers to three Super Bowl wins (XVI, XIX, XXIII) in 10 years … Overall record: 102-63-1 … Got first head coaching job at age 47 … Led 49ers to first-ever NFL title in just three years … Won six NFC Western division titles, three NFC championships … NFL Coach of Year, 1981; NFC Coach of Year, 1984 … Widely recognized as passing offense expert with keen ability to evaluate talent