5 Point Stance: Longest Tenured Head Coaches

We have reached October, where the winning teams are being analyzed as how good they really are and the struggling ones who may be looking to clean house once the regular season concludes. The NFL is a high profile pressure cooker for coaches, where job security can be altered in the blink of an eye. With many coaches getting fired 3 or 4 years in, it is no small feat for a head man to stay on for many seasons, especially when changes in the game force those long tenured coaches back to the drawing board to keep up with the next big trend. These are the five longest tenured head coaches with their current team, those who have remained actively employed (sorry, Jon Gruden). Win-loss numbers listed here were current at the beginning of the 2018 season.

1. Bill Belichick, New England (Hired 2000) No surprise, right? While the dour faced head coach may be considered a living saint in Massachusetts and called more than a few unsavory names elsewhere in the country, his accomplishments cannot be denied. His 278 victories places him third all time, trailing only George Halas and Don Shula. His 5 Super Bowl wins and 8 AFC Championships are records. The Patriots' ubiquitous presence in the league championship picture for nearly 20 years is virtually unheard of in the Super Bowl era. The only way Belichick loses his job security is when either Tom Brady walks away or starts to fade out, and his standoffish demeanor grates on Patriot fans and ownership. While the latter may be less tolerant, the former may feel after such success Belichick can leave however he wishes. But for right now, his place is secure among the league's greatest in history.

2. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati (2003) This is a particular anomaly amongst our other entrants. Lewis is the only head coach that has a tenure of longer than ten years that doesn't have a playoff win. Four of five here have at least one Lombardi Trophy to their credit, while Lewis is holding steady at a 0-7 postseason record and a middling 125-112-3 (.527 win pct). With many coaches given their pink slip with better bonafides, Lewis' long run with the Bengals is serving more as an indictment on the ownership of Mike Brown, long regarded as a financial skinflint and incompetent general manager (as Brown, like Dallas' Jerry Jones, serves as his own GM). Lewis signed for two more seasons at the end of 2017, and given Brown's penchant for not buying out contracts, which means 2019 may be the next time this job comes open.

3. Mike McCarthy, Green Bay (2006) McCarthy has enjoyed a great deal of success in Wisconsin, becoming the third Packer head coach to bring home a Super Bowl title in 2010, joining Titletown royalty in Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren. However, since reaching that zenith, McCarthy has lost his luster after a series of poor playoff showings after dominant regular seasons and, combined with previous general manager Ted Thompson's outright refusal to be perennially active in the free agent market, seemingly riding the coattails of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers for all he has been worth. Fissures in the relationship between the quarterback and the head coach could wind up forcing one of Green Bay. With Rodgers financially locked in with a record setting contract until 2023 and McCarthy under contract until the end of 2019... It's doesn't take a nuclear scientist to figure out who goes first. But if the Pack get hot and make a deep playoff run, this conversation will be moot.

4. Sean Payton, New Orleans (2006) 2006 was an incredible time in Louisiana. The city of New Orleans was recovering from the catastrophic effects from Hurricane Katrina, with their beloved Saints playing games in Baton Rouge and San Antonio as the Superdome laid in ruins. As the city rebuilt, so did the Saints. Two key moves were made; the signing of free agent quarterback Drew Brees fresh off rotator cuff surgery and the hiring of one of the league's hottest assistants in Payton. What would transpire would be an 11 year run the Crescent City and the Pelican State had never witnessed from its pro football team. Super Bowl XLIV champions, twice in the NFC Championship game, consistent playoff appearances, with Brees becoming one of the game's greats at its most high profile position, even if that is overlooked due to other greats playing at the same time. Payton has become the Saints' best head coach in their history, and will probably be allowed to go out his way.

5. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh (2007) Tomlin's appearance here was just a matter of time, as the Steelers tend to stick with their head coaches longer than other franchises, reaping the benefits of some good old fashioned patience. For his part, Tomlin has brought home some goodies; a sixth Lombardi Trophy and two more Lamar Hunt Trophies to add to the Steelers' hardware collection. But Steeler Nation is getting a little restless as of late. Their last Super Bowl triumph was ten years ago, the team leads the league in penalties, both in quantity and yardage marked off, and seem to be losing ground to their AFC North rivals. While the Rooney family won't drop Tomlin in a panic, fans will grow impatient if they do not see their Steelers at least somewhere in the title picture.