The NFL has seen many prolific coaching trees emerge over the years. Andy Reid's is one that rightly draws a lot of attention, as does that of Sean McVay.
However, the one amassed by both Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan during their respective careers may be among the best to date.
At least one Shanahan has been coaching in the NFL since 1984 when Mike first accepted a job with the Broncos as the team's wide receivers coach. While the elder Shanahan retired following a four-year stint with Washington in 2013, Kyle has continued to follow in his father's footsteps, reaching three total Super Bowls as an offensive coordinator and head coach.
Both Shanahans have also helped to develop premier coaching talent around the NFL. Many members of the Shanahans' coaching tree are currently NFL head coaches, and a few are thriving. At the very least, a few coaches are showing that they have the potential to be great if all breaks well for them.
Who is the best coach to branch off Mike and Kyle Shanahan's expansive coaching tree? Sporting News is ranking all of the NFL head coaches who were tutored by the Shanahans during their careers.
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Note: This article excludes Jim Bates and Terry Robiskie from the coaching tree, as neither was ever named a full-time head coach.
1. Sean McVay
- Experience: Rams (2017-present)
- Record: 70-45
McVay worked under Mike Shanahan and alongside Kyle Shanahan as a part of the famed 2013 Washington staff. His hiring in '17 — alongside the hiring of Kyle as his intradivisional rival — helped to transform the NFL's hiring process into a young man's game.
McVay spent his first seven seasons in the NFL as the league's youngest coach. He brought to Los Angeles an innovative offense that has allowed him to get the best out of both Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford while developing other players, including Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, and more into bona fide NFL stars.
McVay's offense began as one of the most unique in the NFL, as it featured far more pre-snap motion than most across the league. In recent seasons, other teams have mimicked what McVay has schemed up to reap the rewards of reading pre-snap coverages, but he was at the forefront of that trend and deserves credit for making it a league-wide staple.
In his seven seasons, McVay has just one losing season. He has posted five campaigns with double-digit wins and has made it to two Super Bowls, winning one. Incredibly, he is still just 38, yet he's already becoming one of the NFL's longest-tenured coaches.
That makes McVay one of the best; and as long as he keeps coaching, it's hard to imagine any of the other Shanahan disciples surpassing what he has achieved.
2. Gary Kubiak
- Experience: Texans (2006-13), Broncos (2015-16)
- Record: 82-75
McVay isn't the only Shanahan disciple to win a Super Bowl as a head coach. Kubiak also took home a Lombardi Trophy when he led Peyton Manning and the Broncos to a Super Bowl 50 win in his penultimate season as an NFL head coach.
Kubiak overlapped with Mike Shanahan in Denver, serving as the team's offensive coordinator for 11 years before landing the Texans job. Kubiak fared well considering that the Texans were a recent expansion team when he jumped aboard in 2006. Houston had a winning record in five of Kubiak's eight seasons, and the Broncos had a winning record in each of his two seasons as Denver's head coach, as well.
Kubiak's Texans ranked top-10 in total yardage four times from 2008-12 and also ranked top-10 in scoring four times over that same period. He did this with Matt Schaub at quarterback, developing the former third-round pick into the team's first-ever starting quarterback.
Everywhere Kubiak went during his career, he got the most out of his offenses. That's how he won a Super Bowl despite Manning's declining skill set, and it's part of the reason that he won three Super Bowls as an offensive coordinator.
While Kubiak's record may not jump out to many on paper, his steady success with the Texans was truly impressive and helped get the new franchise pointed in the right direction.
3. Matt LaFleur
- Experience: Packers (2019-present)
- Record: 56-27
The Packers hired LaFleur after he spent just one season as an offensive play-caller with Mike Vrabel's Titans. The move proved to be a smart one, as the disciple of the Shanahan and McVay coaching trees has established himself as one of the NFL's best young coaches.
The Packers won 13 games in each of LaFleur's first three seasons and they have made the playoffs four times during his five years as head coach. The only time they missed the postseason came when they lost a win-and-in game to the Lions in the final week of 2022, narrowly missing out on the No. 7 seed.
LaFleur has developed quarterbacks well, as evidenced by Aaron Rodgers' back-to-back MVP seasons under his watch. Jordan Love's first full season as a starter was also a success, as Green Bay went 9-8, made the playoffs, and upset the Cowboys while the former first-round pick completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,159 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
LaFleur could leapfrog Kubiak in the not-so-distant future if LaFleur can lead the Packers on a Super Bowl run. That said, his 3-4 postseason record is a bit troubling, and some of his late-game decisions in those contests have been a bit off-kilter.
Still, there's no denying that LaFleur is among the best branches of the Shanahan tree. He figures to be a long-term rival to McVay and the younger Shanahan as all do battle in the wide-open NFC.
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4. Art Shell
- Experience: Raiders (1989-94, 2006)
- Record: 56-52
The Shell that younger NFL fans remember is the one who went 2-14 with the Raiders in 2006 before being promptly dismissed ahead of the following season. However, in his younger years, Shell — a Hall of Fame offensive tackle — was a rock-solid coach who consistently kept the Raiders competitive.
The Raiders went 54-38 during Shell's original tenure from 1989-94 and routinely boasted defenses that ranked top-10 in yards allowed. Their offenses were more middle-of-the-pack, but Shell still led the Raiders to two 10-win seasons and a conference championship game appearance.
Shell could never get over the hump in his original stint, so then-Raiders owner Al Davis fired him after the 1994 season. Since then, the Raiders have had 12 different full-time coaches. Only two — Jon Gruden and Jack Del Rio — have posted winning records.
It's easy to see why Davis eventually admitted his initial dismissal of Shell was a mistake, per ESPN. While he tried to atone for that in 2006, Shell's prime had passed. Thus, it's better to judge him on the merits of his early career, during which he led the Raiders to the type of consistent success that they haven't enjoyed in the 30 years since his initial firing.
5. Mike McDaniel
- Experience: Dolphins (2022-present)
- Record: 20-14
McDaniel may eventually be able to climb over Art Shell if he continues to perform as well as he has in his first two NFL seasons. The former 49ers offensive coordinator, who got his start under the elder Shanahan on Washington's staff in 2013, has established himself as one of the NFL's best offensive minds, turning Tua Tagovailoa from a potential bust into an MVP candidate at quarterback.
Tagovailoa led the NFL in passer rating in McDaniel's first season with a mark of 105.5. In 2023, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and completed a career-high 69.3 percent of his passes for 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Perhaps more impressively, the Dolphins averaged a league-best 5.0 yards per carry last season with Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane leading the way. McDaniel's scheme simply produces high-quality rushing performances, and that should allow him long-term staying power in the NFL.
Of course, McDaniel's résumé isn't without its warts. He failed to win a playoff game in his first two seasons despite making the postseason in each campaign, and the Dolphins have been uneven against higher-end competition.
Still, their offense can drop 50 points on any opponent. That gives the 40-year-old plenty of upside as he searches for a way to even out his top-ranked offense's performance in the postseason.
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6. DeMeco Ryans
- Experience: Texans (2023-present)
- Record: 10-7
A case could be made that Ryans belongs ahead of McDaniel. After all, the Texans coach won a playoff game in his first season and may have both the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year on his roster.
That said, it's dangerous to elevate a coach in that small a sample size ahead of one who has proven that his first-year performance wasn't a fluke. So, Ryans checks in here after a 10-win season during which the Texans made a surprise run to take the AFC South crown.
Ryans' Texans ranked top-13 in both yards and points per game, and the were top-15 in both yards and points allowed on defense. All told, they are a well-balanced, hardworking team that, in many ways, reflects the playing style of Ryans from his NFL days with the Texans and Eagles.
Houston has a lot of reasons to be optimistic about Ryans, who is the first Texans coaching hire not to be a one-and-done since the original hiring of Bill O'Brien. He appears to be yet another fruitful branch from the Shanahan tree.
7. Anthony Lynn
- Experience: Bills (2016 interim), Chargers (2017-20)
- Record: 33-32
Lynn had a positive record with the Chargers and, in retrospect, performed better than his replacement, Brandon Staley. Still, he had some shortcomings that will likely prevent him from being anything more than a middling coach if hired again.
Lynn's biggest issue was time management, as he often had trouble managing late-half situations with the clock running down. One of his most notable gaffes came in 2020 when he tried to send his field goal unit out with 10 seconds left on a running clock after Justin Herbert failed to get a first down on a 3rd-and-1 quarterback sneak.
The result? The Chargers didn't get a play off.
Errors like that were common during Lynn's time in Los Angeles. His work with Justin Herbert was strong — he completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 4,336 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in his Rookie of the Year campaign — but that wasn't enough to overcome Lynn's issues in close games.
Lynn's Chargers made the playoffs just once during his tenure and posted a 1-1 record. So, while he wasn't the worst coach in the NFL, he certainly wasn't anything better than middling even when the Chargers were performing well.
8. Jim Haslett
- Experience: Saints (2000-05), Rams (2008 interim)
- Record: 46-61
Speaking of middling, that's probably the best way to describe Haslett. Yes, he was the Coach of the Year in 2000 after leading the Saints to a 10-6 record and a playoff win, but aside from that, his best teams routinely hovered around .500.
Haslett never posted more than nine wins after his 10-win 2000 season and bottomed out at the end of his time in New Orleans. He went just 3-13 in his last season with the Saints, as his teams struggled to generate consistent offense.
Haslett got a chance to redeem himself as the Rams' interim coach in 2008, but he posted just a 2-12 record. It became clear at that point that while he was a fine defensive coordinator, he just didn't have the head coaching chops needed to succeed consistently in the NFL.
Still, his Coach of the Year award is a feather in his cap, and it allows him to stay ahead of some of the other lower-bar options on this list.
9. Ray Rhodes
- Experience: Eagles (1995-98), Packers (1999)
- Record: 37-42-1
Rhodes' first two seasons as the Eagles' coach were solid. He led his team to a 10-6 record in each campaign and made the playoffs twice, posting a 1-2 record.
After that, however, things went downhill for Rhodes. His defenses declined, and Philadelphia's offense simply couldn't support the team in full. The same thing happened in Rhodes' lone season in Green Bay when the Packers went 8-8 despite having an offense that ranked top 10 in both yards and points per game.
Like Haslett, Rhodes was named the NFL Coach of the Year once, taking home the honors in 1995. One could make a case to elevate him above Haslett, as Rhodes has the better record, but Haslett's performance was a bit more consistent. Plus, Rhodes was responsible for the Packers' only non-winning season from 1992 to 2004 and went 0-15-1 in his last 16 road games with the Eagles. That's enough to drop him below Haslett.
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10. Raheem Morris
- Experience: Buccaneers (2009-11), Falcons (2020 interim; 2024-present)
- Record: 21-38
It may not be fair to include Morris on this list just yet. After all, he didn't spawn from the Shanahan tree. He just ended up working with the two Shanahans during their time together in Washington.
Prior to that, Morris was the NFL's youngest head coach with the Buccaneers from 2009-11. He led Tampa Bay to a 10-6 record in his second season but narrowly missed the playoffs. The Bucs went 7-25 in the seasons that sandwiched that one, and Morris was let go after the 2011 campaign amid the team's inconsistent performance and defensive struggles (30th in yards and 32nd in points allowed).
Morris has gradually rebuilt his status as a worthwhile coaching candidate in the years since his early opportunity. The Rams gave him rave reviews before he was hired by the Falcons during the 2024 NFL offseason, and it seems like the 47-year-old commands a lot of respect league-wide.
As such, Morris' leadership skills give him a real chance to climb these rankings if things go well for him in Atlanta. However, based on his performance to date, it's hard to justify ranking him any higher than this.
11. Robert Saleh
- Experience: Jets (2021-present)
- Record: 18-33
The Jets were the NFL's bottom-ranked defense during Saleh's first season with the team. They allowed more points and yards per game than any other team in the league, and it seemed like they would have to undergo a rebuild on that side of the ball.
Instead, Saleh found a way to turn that unit into one that ranked fourth in yards and points allowed in 2022 and third and 12th, respectively, in those categories in '23. So, in that way, the Jets coach has done his job well.
However, the Jets haven't been able to consistently win because of their issues at the quarterback position. That hasn't strictly been Saleh's fault — the front office deserves some blame for thinking Zach Wilson was the answer — but Saleh's inability to find anything that works on offense has been troubling.
Saleh is getting a fourth year with the Jets, mostly because he only got to enjoy four snaps with Aaron Rodgers in 2023. However, if the New York offense doesn't improve in 2024, that will likely prove that Saleh is merely a great defensive coordinator and not quite a head coach.
If the Jets do make strides on offense, Saleh could suddenly find his arrow pointing up toward Anthony Lynn territory — provided that New York's defense continues to thrive.
12. Steve Wilks
- Experience: Cardinals (2018), Panthers (2022 interim)
- Record: 9-19
Wilks never got much of a chance to prove himself as a head coach. He was one-and-done in Arizona after going 3-13. Following that, he went 6-6 as Carolina's interim coach four years later.
However, Wilks' issue was that his defenses typically weren't great when he was a head coach. In 2018, Arizona ranked 20th in yards per game allowed and 26th in points per game allowed. In his interim Panthers stint, Carolina ranked 22nd and 19th in those categories, respectively.
Perhaps with a better opportunity — and a more patient owner — Wilks could emerge as a decent head coach. He's getting a chance to work with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco for the first time, so that could boost his overall football IQ.
Still, Wilks looks like the worst head coach on the Shanahan tree to date.
