Ranked: The 15 most hated coaches in NFL history

Certain coaches tend to stay out of the spotlight and out of the way, as they want the focus to be on their players. However, that’s easier said than done for the head coaches on this list, who built a following of people that despise their every move. We’ve ranked the 15 most hated coaches in NFL history. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

He wasn’t an NFL head coach for very long, but Meyer left a path of despair and destruction in less than one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He went 2-11 in a tumultuous season. The Florida Times-Union wrote that his tenure there was “marked by one controversy after another, ending with player Josh Lambo saying Meyer kicked him during warmups.” Meyer was kicked out of town, never to be seen again in the NFL.

One thing you’ll notice about many coaches on this list is that they were highly successful in the NFL. Coughlin’s two Super Bowl victories put him in this category, but that doesn’t mean he was the easiest person to play for. He was infamously a stickler on time, wanting his players to be early to every meeting. Coughlin softened his ways eventually, but was a disciplinarian of the highest order for multiples decades.

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The Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” dynasty was supposed to roll seamlessly into the 2000s, as Martz, the famed offensive coordinator, took over as head coach for Dick Vermeil. It didn’t really work out that way, and Martz had his fair share of detractors. Former Rams receiver Isaac Bruce told USA Today of Martz: “The reason people don’t like him is the same reason people didn’t like Deion Sanders—he’s good, he knows it, and he doesn’t care what other people think.”

Glanville finished 60-69 in nine seasons as an NFL head coach, which didn’t set any records. However, his personality and willingness to embrace confrontation is what brought dislike upon him during his time in the league. The Los Angeles Times had a piece on him in 1989 calling his Houston Oilers “the meanest team in the NFL”, because they hit opponents late, supposedly with Glanville’s blessing.

Chicago Tribune columnist Steven Rosenbloom called Schwartz “undisciplined and stupid” when the latter was the head coach of the Detroit Lions. For a coach who went 29-51 during his five years in Detroit, Schwartz seemed to have much more bravado and bluster than was necessary or warranted.

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports wrote in 2016 about Ryan, “he likes to be the center of attention… The bold words and actions through the years earned him more publicity than he deserved. The backlash comes when he isn’t winning enough. His antics back up the perception that he runs a loose ship.” Ryan has never met a microphone he didn’t like, and that has often rubbed people the wrong way.

Gruden came into the public eye in the late 1990s as a young, innovative head coach with the then-Oakland Raiders. His personality has gotten him jobs on ESPN and with various media organizations, but he has a large faction of detractors. Things got really bad for Gruden when misogynistic and racist emails he wrote came to the public’s attention back in 2021.

McDaniels is a chip off of the old New England Patriots tree, which is vehemently disliked on its own. However, McDaniels has also drawn dislike from unsuccessful stints as head coach of the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. Additionally, he agreed to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, but backed out of the job.

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Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report wrote in 2012 that Williams’ “deceitful past has destroyed his coaching career.” Williams was the central figure in “Bountygate”, a scandal which rocked the NFL. When he was the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints, Williams allegedly paid his defenders to injure the opposition.

Matthew Walther of The Week wrote a piece back in 2017 called, “Why America loves to hate Jim Harbaugh.” He wrote that Harbaugh “likes winning and he is not always gracious about it. People hate that.” Whether Harbaugh has been at the helm of Stanford University, the San Francisco 49ers, or the University of Michigan, he’s always pushed the envelope with his never-ending self-confidence.

Parcells is one of the classic old school, no-nonsense coaches that will live on in NFL lore forever. In 1997, Mike Freeman of The New York Times wrote Parcells “can be bullying, manipulative, nasty and extremely complex.” Parcells once infamously threw New England Patriots ownership under the bus, asking how they could expect him to cook dinner if he couldn’t shop for the groceries.

Buddy Ryan is the father of Rex Ryan, which makes them the only father-son duo on this list. Buddy Ryan wasn’t afraid to stir the pot during his time as an NFL head coach. He once predicted that his Philadelphia Eagles would beat Washington so badly “they’ll have to be carted off in body bags.” Buddy Ryan also wasn’t afraid to run up the score against his fiercest rivals.

Mike Wilbon, formerly of the Los Angeles Times, wrote in 1993, “Did you see Ditka snatch the play list from his offensive coordinator on the sideline? Did you see Ditka throw gum at a lady at Candlestick Park?” Ditka was marked man when he was head coach of the Chicago Bears, but also ruthlessly traded his entire draft in 1999 to select Ricky Williams when he was with the New Orleans Saints.

Johnson’s signature line “how bout them Cowboys!” has annoyed his detractors since the 1990s. In the eyes of many, that epitomized the giant ego the former Dallas coach brought to the sideline. He also embraced the vitriol sent in his direction by opposing fan bases, which only fueled them to fire more in his direction.

The most hated head coach in NFL history has to be Belichick. He’s displayed next to no personality at press conferences, which has not endeared him to the public. Belichick also appeared to be behind Spygate, a scandal which involved Patriots employees videotaping other teams’ practices. His “Patriot Way” was supremely effective in winning games, but players had to tolerate him rather than embrace him.

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