How Many Head Coaches Has Each NFL Team Had?
Contents
Many NFL teams have had several head coaches over the years. This blog will take a look at how many head coaches each NFL team has had.
How Many Head Coaches Does Each Team Currently Have?
As of the 2019 NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals have had the most head coaches in NFL history with 30. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had the fewest, with just three head coaches in their entire history.
How Many Head Coaches Have Teams Had Since 2002?
In the NFL, each team is allowed to have up to 53 players on their roster. They can have less, but no more. This number includes all of the starters, backups, and reserves. In other words, every single player that is on the team at any given time must be accounted for in that 53-man roster.
The same goes for head coaches. Each team is allowed to have just one head coach at a time. No more, no less. This rule has been in place since 2002, when the NFL instituted a hard cap on coaching staff sizes. Before that, there was no limit to how many coaches a team could have, and some teams would employ upwards of 10 or 20 assistant coaches. But now, each team is limited to a maximum of just six assistant coaches in addition to their head coach. That’s it.
How Many Head Coaches Have Teams Had Since 1992?
Since the 1992 season, when NFL teams were required to hire a head coach that met the “Rooney Rule” (which stipulates that at least one minority candidate must be interviewed for any head coaching or senior football operations vacant position), 24 teams have had just one head coach. That number is likely to increase by at least one this offseason, as the Arizona Cardinals are expected to hire a new head coach to replace Bruce Arians, who retired last week.
In total, there have been 41 different head coaches hired since 1992. Here’s a look at how many each team has had during that time period:
Atlanta Falcons: 2
Baltimore Ravens: 3
Buffalo Bills: 4
Carolina Panthers: 2
Chicago Bears: 4
Cincinnati Bengals: 2
Cleveland Browns: 6
Dallas Cowboys: 3
Denver Broncos: 4
Detroit Lions: 5
Green Bay Packers: 2
Houston Texans: 2*
Indianapolis Colts: 3 (Won Super Bowl XLI) Jim Caldwell Tony Dungy Chuck Pagano
How Many Head Coaches Have Teams Had Since 1982?
Since 1982, when the NFL instituted a 16-game schedule, there have been 322 different head coaches in the league.
The New England Patriots have had the fewest head coaches in that time with three: Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll and Bill Parcells. The Buffalo Bills have had the most, with 10.
Here is a breakdown of how many head coaches each NFL team has had since 1982:
Arizona Cardinals – 7
Atlanta Falcons – 7
Baltimore Ravens – 4
Buffalo Bills – 10
Carolina Panthers – 5
Chicago Bears – 9
Cincinnati Bengals – 8
Cleveland Browns – 9
Dallas Cowboys – 6
Denver Broncos – 8
Detroit Lions – 9
Green Bay Packers – 4
Houston Texans – 3
Indianapolis Colts – 5
Jacksonville Jaguars – 6
Kansas City Chiefs – 7
Los Angeles Chargers – 5
Los Angeles Rams – 5
Miami Dolphins – 8
Minnesota Vikings – 8
New England Patriots – 3
New Orleans Saints – 7
New York Giants – 7
New York Jets – 8
Oakland Raiders – 7
Philadelphia Eagles – 7
Pittsburgh Steelers – 6
San Francisco 49ers – 7
Seattle Seahawks – 6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 9
Tennessee Titans – 6
Washington Redskins – 8
How Many Head Coaches Have Teams Had Since 1972?
The Washington Redskins have had the most head coaches since the 1972 season, with 12 different men leading the team during that time. The New England Patriots have had the fewest head coaches over that same span, with just three. Bill Belichick has been the Patriots’ head coach for all 21 seasons since 2000, making him the longest-tenured current head coach in the NFL.
