Vince Lombardi

Legendary Disciplinarian

In the course of winning his five championships, Vince Lombardi established an enduring legacy. Lombardi's coaching tree » GalleryPhoto Gallery   No. 1: Lombardi » Worst coaches » Rank 'em »

ESPN Illustration
  • Vince LombardiCoaching Tree

  • No. 2: WalshGreatest Coaches

  • Bill WalshCoaching Tree

  • George HalasCoaching Tree

  • Paul BrownCoaching tree

GREATEST COACHES IN NFL HISTORY

Coaching roots
Follow along as we reveal ESPN's top 20 coaches of all time.
Rank the Top 20 »

  • No. 20: Tony Dungy | No. 19: Mike Shanahan
  • No. 18: Sid Gillman | No. 17: Marv Levy
  • No. 16: Hank Stram | No. 15: Bud Grant
  • No. 14: Tom Coughlin | No. 13: Jimmy Johnson
  • No. 12: John Madden | No. 11: Bill Parcells
  • No. 10: Curly Lambeau | No. 9: Joe Gibbs
  • No. 8: Tom Landry | No. 7: Bill Belichick
  • No. 6: Paul Brown | No. 5: Chuck Noll
  • No. 4: George Halas | No. 3: Don Shula
  • No. 2: Bill Walsh | No. 1: Vince Lombardi

  • PREVIOUSLY ON ESPN.COM

  • Thompson: Vince Lombardi lived here
  • O'Connor: Lombardi championed gay rights
  • Merrill: Under the hoodie of Bill Belichick
  • Wickersham: The epic book of Bill Walsh
  • Merrill: Chuck Noll's legacy alive and well
  • Fleming: Tony Dungy's quiet excellence
  • Maisel: Pac-12 coaching pipeline to NFL
  • Whittier roots: George Allen, Don Coryell
  • Active NFL head coaches list

FEATURED WRITERS

Mike Sando
FA Grades For Every Team

Many teams created buzz, but who has done the best work in free agency? We hand out grades.

Story » Archive »

John Clayton
Sticking With 12 Teams

Mailbag: We explain why expanded playoffs are on hold and discuss overtime rules and extra points.

Story » Archive »

Kevin Seifert
NFL Has A Humility Problem

Will the NFL eat humble pie when revenues and TV ratings are at an all-time high?

Story » Archive »

Mel Kiper Jr.
Perfect Draft Pairings

The draft is about fit. Here are the perfect destinations for some of this year's top prospects.

Story » Archive »

Todd McShay
Mock Draft 4.0

Marcus Mariota still doesn't trump Jameis Winston, but he makes a lot of sense for Tennessee at No. 2.

Story » Archive »

David Fleming
Hot Read: Kroenke's Vision

Stan Kroenke is a reclusive sports mogul, but he's making noise with his efforts to move the Rams to L.A.

Story » Archive »

Jason Reid
Winston Shouldn't Skip Draft

Jameis Winston is expected to be the No. 1 pick of the draft. It would look bad if he wasn't there.

Story » Archive »

Jim Trotter
Shining A Light On Depression

NFL retirees want their peers who are battling depression to know they aren't alone in the struggle.

Story » Archive »

NFL BLOG NETWORK

NFL Nation

Extending Vikings star Justin Jefferson: what it could cost, possible sticking points (about 14 days ago)

With coaching staff in place, what's next for Carolina Panthers? (2/23, 6:00 AM ET)

NFL Nation Blog »

NFC East

New York Giants likely to buck norm, make safety Xavier McKinney defensive playcaller (8/13, 6:00 AM ET)

'This guy has been rehabbing unbelievable': Giants' Nick Gates vows return from gruesome injury (7/30, 6:00 AM ET)

NFC East Blog »

NFC North

Extending Vikings star Justin Jefferson: what it could cost, possible sticking points (about 14 days ago)

Bills' Von Miller to Ravens: Pay quarterback Lamar Jackson (9/30, 6:02 PM ET)

NFC North Blog »

NFC South

With coaching staff in place, what's next for Carolina Panthers? (2/23, 6:00 AM ET)

'I know that I can’t do that': DJ Moore says unsportsmanlike penalty cost Panthers (10/30, 7:52 PM ET)

NFC South Blog »

NFC West

'He's got all the help he needs': Trey Lance won't have to be savior for loaded San Francisco 49ers (about 210 days ago)

With Chris Carson gone, can Rashaad Penny 'take off' as Seattle Seahawks' RB1? (about 231 days ago)

NFC West Blog »

AFC East

Bills' Von Miller to Ravens: Pay quarterback Lamar Jackson (9/30, 6:02 PM ET)

Mac Jones, Patriots express confidence in 'new offense' despite growing pains (8/14, 6:00 AM ET)

AFC East Blog »

AFC North

Steelers work to keep playoff hopes, Mike Tomlin's streak alive (12/31, 6:00 AM ET)

With Ben Roethlisberger retiring, who's the next Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback? (1/27, 1:00 PM ET)

AFC North Blog »

AFC South

Trevor Lawrence: Jaguars have confidence, motivation for 2023 season (about 28 days ago)

A.J. Brown's second half energizes Tennessee Titans in win over 49ers (12/23, 11:26 PM ET)

AFC South Blog »

AFC West

Las Vegas Raiders' defensive tackles key in allowing edge rushers Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones to thrive (8/25, 6:00 AM ET)

Las Vegas Raiders running backs the 'heartbeat' of the new regime's offensive attack (8/18, 6:00 AM ET)

AFC West Blog »

GREATEST COACHES SERIES

Follow along as we reveal ESPN's top 20 coaches of all time.
Coaching roots »


OVERVIEW

  • A deep route from Gillman to Harbaugh
  • Rick Reilly: Why my selections make sense
  • Herm Edwards' ballot | Chat transcript
  • NFL Nation's Mike Sando reveals his ballot
  • SportsNation vote: Rank the Top 20
  • DJ Gallo: Worst coaches in NFL history
  • Garber: Top 20 snubs | Future greats

COACHING TREES

  • The godfather: Paul Brown | Gallery Photo Gallery
  • Weeb Ewbank, Brown's first lieutenant
  • Sid Gillman's aerial legacy | Gallery Photo Gallery
  • Don Coryell: Building on Gillman's plan
  • Chuck Noll: Gillman's disciple on defense
  • Bill Parcells' Super tree | Gallery Photo Gallery
  • Bill Belichick's coaching impact, influence
  • Schottenheimer, Cowher | Gallery Photo Gallery
  • Tom Landry: Dignified excellence | Gallery Photo Gallery
  • George Halas: Man for all seasons | Gallery Photo Gallery
  • George Allen: Mentor to Levy, Vermeil
  • Walsh: West Coach patriarch | Gallery Photo Gallery
  • Holmgren: Mentor to Gruden, Reid, Mariucci
  • Vince Lombardi: Mayor of Titletown | Gallery Photo Gallery

TOP 20 COACHES OF ALL TIME

  • No. 20 -- Tony Dungy: Quiet inspiration
  • No. 19 -- Mike Shanahan: Make it a double
  • No. 18 -- Sid Gillman: Airing it out
  • No. 17 -- Marv Levy: Manager of egos
  • No. 16 -- Hank Stram: Winner, innovator
  • No. 15 -- Bud Grant: Model of consistency
  • No. 14 -- Tom Coughlin: Two Super rallies
  • No. 13 -- Jimmy Johnson: Filling big shoes
  • No. 12 -- John Madden: More than a game
  • No. 11 -- Bill Parcells: Turnaround artist
  • No. 10 -- Curly Lambeau: Packers founder
  • No. 9 -- Joe Gibbs: Dominance in D.C.
  • No. 8 -- Tom Landry: Stoic, inventive
  • No. 7 -- Bill Belichick: Attention to detail
  • No. 6 -- Paul Brown: New ways to win
  • No. 5 -- Chuck Noll: Key to a franchise
  • No. 4 -- George Halas: There from the start
  • No. 3 -- Don Shula: Unmatched winner
  • No. 2 -- Bill Walsh: Offensive patriarch
  • No. 1 -- Vince Lombardi: Simply the best

COMMENTARY

  • Fox: Nemesis Giants held Belichick back
  • Fox: Jim Harbaugh could be next Bill Walsh
  • Chadiha: Johnson should've been best ever
  • Chadiha: Stram judged talent, not race
Menu

ESPN

  • scores
  • NFL
  • NBA
  • NCAAM
  • NCAAW
  • NHL
  • Soccer
  • …
    • MLB
    • NCAAF
    • Golf
    • Tennis
    • Sports Betting
    • Boxing
    • CFL
    • NCAA
    • Cricket
    • F1
    • Horse
    • LLWS
    • MMA
    • NASCAR
    • NBA G League
    • Olympic Sports
    • Racing
    • RN BB
    • RN FB
    • Rugby
    • WNBA
    • World Baseball Classic
    • WWE
    • X Games
    • XFL
  • More ESPN
  • Fantasy
  • Listen
  • Watch
  • ESPN+
  • NFL
  • Home
  • Draft
  • Scores
  • Schedule
  • Standings
  • Stats
  • Teams
  • Depth Charts
  • Players
  • Transactions
  • Injuries
  • Super Bowl LVII
  • Fantasy Football
  • Coaches
  • Football Power Index
  • Weekly Leaders
  • Total QBR
  • PickCenter
  • NFL History
ESPN.com: Help | Press | Advertise on ESPN.com | Sales Media Kit | Interest-Based Ads | Do Not Sell My Info | Corrections | Contact Us | Site Map | Jobs at ESPN
© 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Your California Privacy Rights, Children's Online Privacy Policy and Interest-Based Ads are applicable to you. All rights reserved.