There’s a lot of firepower here
It’s been an interesting several weeks since the 2023 regular season ended.
The Las Vegas Raiders gave interim head coach Antonio Pierce a well-earned promotion to the permanent position. The Los Angeles Chargers made arguably the biggest coaching move of the hiring cycle by hiring Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Andy Reid is preparing the Kansas City Chiefs trying to win their third Super Bowl in the past six seasons.
It’s a star-studded coaching division that boasts two head coaches that have won the Super Bowl (Reid and Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton) and a third in Harbaugh who has been a head coach in the Super Bowl. Harbaugh is returning to the NFL on the heels of leading Michigan to the National Championship last month.
Let’s rank the four AFC West coaches heading into the 2024 season:
- Andy Reid:
Big Red is probably at the top of the entire NFL. He’s built a dynasty. He is the perfect coach for Patrick Mahomes and his style kept the Chiefs on track after a late-season stumble. They won six straight games since losing to the Raiders on Christmas Day to win a another Super Bowl championship. He’s an all-timer.
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2. Jim Harbaugh:
It may be a bit of a risk placing a coach who hasn’t coached in the NFL in 10 seasons near the top of the list. But Harbaugh is different. He always wins. There is no reason to think that will stop. He has already built a strong supporting cast. I don’t know if the Chargers will win big and win big immediately, but they’re in good hands with Harbaugh.
3. Sean Payton:
Payton was considered a prize when the Broncos hired him last year after he took a break from a long, successful stint as the coach of the New Orleans Saints. The Broncos made strides under Payton and finished 8-9. He showed he still is a solid head coach.
4. Antonio Pierce:
Pierce galvanized the Raiders’ roster when he took over for the fired Josh McDaniels in week 9. He connects with his players and he’s a natural leader. Now, like all young coaches, Pierce must continue to grow in his role and build from what he started. Perhaps next year, Pierce will climb up this list against his impressive competition as he gains experience in the role.