Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh were the two longest-tenured coaches in the NFL this season. Shortly after them in fourth was Sean McDermott. Now they’re all out after the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Buffalo Bills all decided to move in a different direction following another disappointing end to their seasons.
NFL’s longest-tenured head coaches after Sean McDermott, Mike Tomlin, and John Harbaugh out
Analyzing the new list of longest-tenured NFL head coaches now that Sean McDermott, Mike Tomlin, and John Harbaugh are out.
Getty Images
Matt Warren is Associate Director of NFL coverage for SB Nation and previously covered the Buffalo Bills for Buffalo Rumblings for more than a decade. If it has to do with math, he covered it, from NFL playoff standings to salary cap analysis.
Only one NFL head coach was hired before 2017.
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 some teams more than once.
More than 25% of the NFL will have a new coach in 2026 — again
At least 10 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 to eight coaches per hiring cycle. It was seven in 2025, but in 2024 and 2023 it was eight. In 2022 it was nine. Ten is the NFL offseason record and happened a few times before.
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 coaches that have been around for more than six years, only Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have a Super Bowl victory.
There is turnover even with Super Bowl winners. Only three coaches have won Super Bowls with their current teams; 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. Now Mike Tomlin is out, too.
Full list of NFL coaching tenures
Here’s the updated list after Tomlin’s departure.
- Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs | January 7, 2013
- Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams | January 12, 2017
- Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers | February 6, 2017
- Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers | January 8, 2019
- Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals | February 9, 2019
- Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions | January 10, 2021
- Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles | January 24, 2021
- Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings | February 16, 2022
- Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | March 30, 2022
- DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans | January 31, 2023
- Sean Payton, Denver Broncos | February 3, 2023
- Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts | February 14, 2023
- Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers | January 24, 2024
- Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers | January 25, 2024
- Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks | January 31, 2024
- Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders | February 4, 2024
- Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots | January 12, 2025
- Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears | January 21, 2025
- Aaron Glenn, New York Jets | January 22, 2025
- Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys | January 24, 2025
- Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars | January 24, 2025
- Kellen Moore, New Orleans Saints | February 11, 2025
- Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons | January 17, 2026
- John Harbaugh, New York Giants | January 17, 2026
Vacant: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills
See More:
