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 »

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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

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NFL BLOG NETWORK

NFL Nation

Giants expect early impact from draft class led by Kayvon Thibodeaux, Evan Neal (5/23, 11:00 PM ET)

Why New England Patriots' selection of QB Bailey Zappe is lauded by former NFL GM (5/21, 11:00 PM ET)

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NFC East

Giants expect early impact from draft class led by Kayvon Thibodeaux, Evan Neal (5/23, 11:00 PM ET)

New York Giants' 2022 schedule: Only prime-time game is vs. Cowboys (5/12, 1:00 PM ET)

NFC East Blog »

NFC North

Why isn't the Vikings' spending on rush defense paying off? (10/4, 11:00 PM ET)

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers can still run for a TD, keep the Green Bay Packers rolling (10/4, 5:00 AM ET)

NFC North Blog »

NFC South

With Tom Brady back, can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make another Super Bowl run? (3/13, 11:00 PM ET)

With Tom Brady's retirement, what's next for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at quarterback? (2/1, 11:24 PM ET)

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NFC West

Can Coby Bryant start right away? Assessing how Seahawks' 2022 draft picks can make an impact (about 6 days ago)

Rams bring back old friend Troy Hill, draft four DBs to replenish secondary around Jalen Ramsey (5/15, 11:00 PM ET)

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AFC East

Why New England Patriots' selection of QB Bailey Zappe is lauded by former NFL GM (5/21, 11:00 PM ET)

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel clicks with players, creates 'different vibe' (5/19, 11:00 PM ET)

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AFC North

With Ben Roethlisberger retiring, who's the next Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback? (1/27, 5:00 AM ET)

How Eli Apple shook off early career struggles to become key Bengals contributor (12/31, 10:00 PM ET)

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AFC South

A.J. Brown's second half energizes Tennessee Titans in win over 49ers (12/23, 3:26 PM ET)

Jonathan Taylor dominates to help Colts run past the Jets (11/4, 4:50 PM ET)

AFC South Blog »

AFC West

Las Vegas Raiders emphasize versatility while shuffling their defensive line deck (5/19, 11:00 PM ET)

Los Angeles Chargers' draft not flashy, but necessary after splashy offseason start (5/1, 11:00 PM 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
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