The Green Bay Packers have a storied history of successful head coaches, beginning with founder Curly Lambeau in 1921 and continuing through present head coach Matt LaFleur in 2020. Here are my top five head coaches in Packers history.
5: Matt LaFleur (2019-2020)
Before you judge me for including current head coach Matt LaFleur on my list of all-time greats in the Packers organization, I challenge you to think of a better candidate for number five on the list. The only other Packers head coach (not later included on this list) who had a winning record during his first season is Mike Sherman (2000-2005), who finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs in 2000. Despite LaFleur’s short tenure with the team, he set the bar for success early, with a 13-3 season that finished one game short of Super Bowl LIV. Although the case could be made for Mike Sherman, LaFleur has already taken the Packers to an NFC Championship game, which Sherman never did in his six seasons as head coach. Nevertheless, LaFleur still has a lot to prove in the next three (or four, if given the option) seasons of his contract. Here are LaFleur’s stats (so far) as head coach of the Packers:
- 13-3 overall record (not including playoffs)
- 1-1 playoff record
- .813 W/L% (regular season)
- 1 division championship
- 0 conference championships
- 0 league championships
4: Mike McCarthy (2006-2018)
As the second-most experienced Green Bay Packers head coach on this list (204 games), its nearly impossible to forget about Mike McCarthy. McCarthy led the Packers to nine winning seasons, including their most recent Super Bowl victory in the 2010-2011 season. Furthermore, he led the team to eight straight playoff appearances from 2009-2016. However, McCarthy couldn’t seem to get past the metaphorical “hump” after 2010, as he never made it to another Super Bowl with the Packers. McCarthy will be continuing his NFL coaching career as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys beginning in the 2020 season. Here are McCarthy’s stats as head coach of the Packers:
- 125-77-2 overall record (not including playoffs)
- 10-8 playoff record
- .618 W/L% (regular season)
- 6 division championships
- 1 conference championship
- 1 league championship
3: Mike Holmgren (1992-1998)
Before Mike Holmgren’s emergence as the Green Bay Packers head coach in 1991, Packers fans suffered through decades of sub-par, losing teams. Holmgren was able to turn around the Packers franchise in his first season, when he led them to a 9-7 season. The Packers made the playoffs the next six seasons straight, and never had a losing record with Holmgren at the helm. Moreover, Holmgren brought Super Bowl glory back to Green Bay in 1996, the first championship since Super Bowl II 29 years prior. Holmgren also brought the Packers back to the Super Bowl in 1997, winning an NFC championship en route to Super Bowl XXXII. His two NFC championships are what separate him as a top three head coach in Packers history. Here are Holmgren’s stats as head coach of the Packers:
- 75-37 overall record (not including playoffs)
- 9-5 playoff record
- .670 W/L% (regular season)
- 3 division championships
- 2 conference championships
- 1 league championship
2: Earl “Curly” Lambeau (1921-1949)
Unquestionably, Curly Lambeau is one of the most influential figures in Green Bay Packers franchise history. Lambeau, alongside George Whitney Calhoun, founded the Packers in 1919. He was simultaneously a coach and player from 1921-1929, but this list will only consider his coaching achievements. Firstly, Lambeau is the winningest head coach in Packers history. He is also tied with legendary Chicago Bears head coach George Halas for most NFL championships with six. Yet football was different in these decades: it was disorganized due to depression and war, and took a backseat to baseball in popularity in the United States. Still, Lambeau deserves respect as one of the pioneers of the game, and it isn’t called Lambeau Field for no reason. Here are Lambeau’s stats as head coach of the Packers:
- 209-104-21 overall record (not including playoffs)
- 3-2 playoff record (NFL championship games)
- .668 W/L% (regular season)
- 5 division championships (divisions established 1933)
- 0 conference championships (not yet established)
- 6 league championships (NFL)
1: Vince Lombardi (1959-1967)
Considered one of the greatest coaches of all time, it is no surprise that Vince Lombardi is at the top of this list of Packers head coaches. In only nine seasons, Lombardi brought the Green Bay Packers to six championship games, and won five of them. He led the Packers to a three-peat from 1965-1967, which included Super Bowls I and II against the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, respectively. Only John Madden and Vince Lombardi have a winning percentage of over .700, two all-time greats. Lombardi was so well-respected that the Super Bowl trophy was posthumously named after him in 1970 after he died from colon cancer. To quote one of the best, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Here are Lombardi’s stats as head coach of the Packers:
- 89-29-4 overall record (not including playoffs)
- 9-1 playoff record
- .754 W/L% (regular season)
- 6 division championships
- 2 conference championships (after AFL-NFL merger)
- 5 league championships (3 NFL, 2 Super Bowls)
Did I rank the top five head coaches in Packers history correctly? Let me know in the comments down below!
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