Who's the Best Coach in NFL History?

Vince Lombardi is regarded as the best coach in the history of the National Football League. He is best known for his motivational skills and for taking the struggling Green Bay Packers franchise to NFL titles. Vince Lombardi had been an assistant coach with the New York Giants prior to being chosen for the Packers' job in January 1959.

  1. Early coaching jobs

    • Lombardi's first football coaching experience came at Saint Cecilia High School in Englewood, New Jersey. He then became an assistant at Fordham University before accepting assistant postions with the Army football program and then the New York Giants, where he was the offensive coordinator.

    First season

    • Lombardi took over a Packers team that had won just a single game in 1958 and immediately made it a winner, finishing with a 7-5 record in 1959. He required the complete attention of his players and stressed fundamentals until his squad mastered every facet of the game.

    First title

    • After being defeated by the Eagles in the 1960 title game by a score of 17-13, Lombardi and Green Bay would not lose another post-season game. The Packers throttled the New York Giants 37-0 in 1961 for Lombardi's first NFL championship.

    Four more

    • Green Bay, led by Lombardi, would win the 1962 title as well as the 1965 through 1967 championships. The last two were the first two Super Bowls, which Green Bay won handily over the Kansas City Chiefs and then the Oakland Raiders.

    Accomplishments

    • Lombardi died from cancer on September 3, 1970, at the age of 57; the trophy awarded to the Super Bowl winner was quickly named after him. His overall record with the Packers was 89 wins, 29 losses and 4 ties. He is the only head coach to have ever won three straight NFL titles.