Philadelphia has a storied NFL franchise, but the history of head coaches reads like a list of unfinished business and mediocre shelf lives.
One of the gold standard organizations in the league, the Eagles only have eight coaches to win a playoff game in franchise history, with Doug Pederson and Nick Sirianni adding to the list over the past five years.
With training camp for 2023 fast approaching, we’re ranking the top ten head coaches in franchise history from top to bottom.
Our list includes coaches who coached at least 15 games as an Eagles head coach. In our book, wins and losses are essential, but not the only factor determining the ranking.
10
Rich Kotite 1991-1994
Kotite was 36-28 over four seasons, winning one of two playoff games.
His 36 wins are top ten in franchise history.
9
Ray Rhodes 1995-1998
Rhodes went 29-34-1 overall, reaching the playoffs in each of his first two seasons.
The final two years were difficult, as Rhodes went 6-9-1 and 3-13 before being fired.
8
Chip Kelly 2013-2015
Kelly makes the list over Jim Trimble (1952-1955) thanks to his playoff appearance.
He went 10-6 in each of his first two seasons as head coach after exiting Oregon.
Kelly moved on from LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson, and was eventually fired with one game remaining after a 6-9 season.
That departure allowed Howie Roseman to return to power and the rest is history.
7
Buck Shaw 1958-1960
Shaw was 19-16-1 in his two seasons as Eagles head coach, but he’s one of three coaches with a Championship after defeating The Packers with Vince Lombardi and Bart Starr in the 1960 title game.
6
Buddy Ryan 1986-1990
Ryan’s 43 wins are fourth all-time in franchise history, and he’s responsible for leading Philadelphia to three straight postseason appearances in the late 80s.
5
Nick Sirianni 2021-present
Sirianni gets the nod over Buck Shaw because of his 23 wins in the first two seasons and a Super Bowl appearance thanks to Philadelphia winning a franchise record 14 games in 2022.
In his first two years with the Eagles, Sirianni is 23-11 overall and now one of only five coaches in Eagles history to win multiple playoff games, one of only four to coach a team to a Super Bowl and one of two to lead his first two teams to the postseason (along with Rhodes) per Reuben Frank.
4
Dick Vermeil 1976-1982
Philadelphia was a laughing stock prior to Vermeil’s arrival and all he did was go 42-22 from 1978-1981.
Vermeil led the Birds to an appearance in Super Bowl XV, and was 54-47 overall as Eagles head coach.
3
Doug Pederson 2016-2020
Pederson gets the nod over Dick Vermeil in part for his 2017 regular season and Super Bowl win over the Patriots.
Pederson went 42-37-1 overall in his five years with Philadelphia, logging four playoffs wins, 2nd-most in franchise history behind Andy Reid.
2
Greasy Neale 1941-1950
Neale spent ten seasons with Philadelphia, going 63-43-5 over 111 games coached.
Neale’s stint as Eagles coach is second-longest to Reid in franchise history, reaching the Championship game three times and winning back-to-back titles.
1
Andy Reid 1999-2012
Greasy Neale won two championships, but Reid gets the nod due to his consistency and overall wins.
Philadelphia won two playoff games in the previous 20 years before Reid arrived from Green Bay, and the coach hit the ground running as the Eagles reached the postseason nine of 11 years from 2000 through 2010.
Reid’s ten playoff wins in Philadelphia set the standard, and per Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia, he accounts for 40 percent of all Eagles postseason wins in their 90-year history.
Reid’s coaching tree also gives him the nod in our book, with ten former assistants becoming head coaches.
