Bill Belichick coached the New England Patriots for 24 seasons, ending what was one of the longest head coaching tenures with one team in NFL history. Only George Halas (40 years), Curly Lambeau (29), Tom Landry (29), and Don Shula (26) had longer head coaching tenures with one organization.
With Belichick and New England parting ways, does any head coach currently in the NFL have any chance of matching his 24 seasons? Here’s a current look of the longest active NFL head coaches with Belichick searching for a new team:
*List by order of day being hired
1. Mike Tomlin (17 years)
- Team: Pittsburgh Steelers (2007-present)
- Record: 173-100-2 (.633 win percentage)
Tomlin takes the mantle of the longest-tenured head coach in the league, never having a losing record in Pittsburgh — the longest streak to begin a career in NFL history. He has one Super Bowl title, seven division titles, 11 playoff appearances, and an 8-9 postseason record.
2. John Harbaugh (16 years)
- Team: Baltimore Ravens (2008-present)
- Record: 160-99 (.618 win percentage)
Harbaugh has been in Baltimore for 16 years now, winning the Super Bowl in the 2012 season and compiling an 11-9 playoff record. He has 12 winning seasons and five AFC North titles with 11 playoff appearances.
3. Andy Reid (11 years)
- Team: Kansas City Chiefs (2013-present)
- Record: 128-51 (.715 win percentage)
Counting his stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reid has actually coached for 25 consecutive seasons. Reid has made the playoffs in 10 of his 11 seasons with the Chiefs, having a winning campaign in every season. He has two Super Bowl titles and has reached the conference championship game in five consecutive years. Reid has won the AFC West eight years in a row.
4. Sean McDermott (7 years)
- Team: Buffalo Bills (2017-present)
- Record: 73-41 (.640 win percentage)
The Bills have five consecutive 10-win seasons under McDermott, with four consecutive AFC East titles. McDermott has just one conference championship game appearance and a 4-5 playoff record, yet this is the Bills’ greatest stretch of success since Marv Levy’s reign in the late 1980s to early 1990s. The Bills have made the playoffs six times in seven seasons under McDermott.
5. Sean McVay (7 years)
- Team: Los Angeles Rams (2017-present)
- Record: 70-45 (.609 win percentage)
McVay already has a Super Bowl title in his stint with the Rams, compiling a 7-3 postseason record (five playoff appearances). The Rams have won three NFC West titles and two conference championships under McVay, having six winning seasons in seven years.
6. Kyle Shanahan (7 years)
- Team: San Francisco 49ers (2017-present)
- Record: 64-51 (.557 win percentage)
Shanahan has been to three conference championship games in the last four seasons with the 49ers, compiling a 6-3 postseason record. He has three NFC West titles and a Super Bowl appearance. He has four winning seasons.