The Las Vegas Raiders made a wise decision to hire Pete Carroll as their new head coach. Let's power rank the head coaches in the AFC West now. Could the division now have the best group of head coaches in NFL history?
I mean, what other division in the history of the league would have had four head coaches of this tier? It's flat-out insane, and let's give credit where it's due; the Las Vegas Raiders made a great decision to hire Pete Carroll. Carroll is a very good head coach and a culture-builder.
He is going to turn this franchise around at some point and will leave them in a great spot. Carroll is well into his 70s, so I don't see him holding this job for more than a few years, but that is enough time to rebuild a team and perhaps groom a head coach in waiting.
Let's power rank all four head coaches in the AFC West following the Raiders hiring Pete Carroll.
NFL Power Rankings: Ranking AFC West head coaches after Pete Carroll hire
4. Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders (170-120-1)
Pete Carroll has won 58.6% of his games in the NFL and has an 11-11 playoff record. He's got four losing seasons in 18 years as a head coach in the NFL, which is an insane rate.
The Seattle Seahawks moved on from Carroll following the 2023 NFL Season, and he was not a head coach at any point in 2024. He does bring a Super Bowl title from his 2012 season with the Seattle Seahawks. This will be his fourth head coaching stop in the NFL, having also coached the New England Patriots and New York Jets.
Carroll is 'last' in our head coach power rankings.
3. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers (55-25-1)
Jim Harbaugh has been a head coach in the NFL for five seasons; four with the San Francisco 49ers and one with the Los Angeles Chargers. He's won 68.5% of his games and also has a 5-4 playoff record. Since he scurried back to Michigan for about a decade, Harbaugh isn't going to rack up 200+ wins as a head coach in the NFL.
However, he has won everywhere he's been between the NFL and collegiate ranks, and went 11-6 with the Los Angeles Chargers in his first year. He has one losing season in his five years as a HC in the NFL.
2. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos (170-105)
Sean Payton has won 170 games in the regular season as a head coach and has a 9-9 playoff record. Payton is at his second head coaching stop and has been a head coach in the NFL for 17 seasons now.
Payton was working with house money in 2024 and helped lead the Denver Broncos to a shocking 10-win season with a playoff berth. It's clear that Payton coming from the Bill Parcells' tree is a huge reason why he is able to establish a tough and strong culture.
He is the second-best head coach in the AFC West in our power rankings. His head coaching job in 2024 with the Denver Broncos was more impressive than Jim Harbaugh's coaching job with the LA Chargers.
1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs (273-146-1)
Andy Reid has won 65.1% of his games across 26 years of head coaching between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. He also has a 28-16 playoff record, which is just bananas.
He's coached the Chiefs now for 12 years and had a 14-year tenure has head coach of the Eagles. Many have speculated that Reid could be in his last couple of years as a head coach in the NFL.
There really isn't much else to say - he's one of the best head coaches in the history of the NFL and is one win away from his fourth Super Bowl title. Of course, Patrick Mahomes being who he has has made life a lot easier for Reid, but in the five years that Reid and the Chiefs were starting Alex Smith, they won double-digit games in four of the five years.
There is no disputing how good of a head coach Andy Reid is, and until further notice, he is the best head coach in the AFC West and best head coach in the NFL.