5 greatest NFL head coaches to never win the Super Bowl

By Matt Graves | May 28, 2020

CINCINNATI, OH - CIRCA 1971: Head Coach Paul Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on from the sidelines with quarterback Ken Anderson #14 during an NFL Football game circa 1971 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Brown coached the Bengals from 1968-75. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

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MINNEAPOLIS, MIN – OCTOBER, 1983: Head Coach Bud Grant of the Minnesota Vikings in practice in October 1983 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by ronald C. Modra/Getty Images) /

Andy Reid was going to be a great coach without a ring. Now, Reid finally has his ring, guiding the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl LIV victory.

There’s no denying that Andy Reid built himself an impressive resume as an NFL coach. If Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t hoist the Lombardi Trophy, there’s a good chance he’s still a Hall of Famer, but on a different tier.

For that matter, it’s not a bad thing if you don’t win it all as a coach. There have been coaches in the league who have left their mark on the game. Some coaches got so close repeatedly but couldn’t figure out how to get over the hump.

Many head coaches have earned the “he’s great” status but were never able to put a ring on the finger. Here are five respected coaches who never won the Super Bowl.

Greatest coaches to never win a Super Bowl: Bud Grant

Minnesota Vikings (1967-1983, 1985)

Regular-season record: 158-96-5 (.620)

Postseason record: 10-12 (.455)

Bud Grant attended the University of Minnesota as a three-sport athlete. Playing baseball, basketball, and football, Grant played for the Minneapolis Lakers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.

After his playing days were over, Grant accepted the Blue Bombers coaching position in Jan. 1957. He would coach Winnipeg to six Grey Cup appearances while winning four of them (1958, 1959, 1961, 1962).

The Minnesota Vikings, who had asked Grant to become their first head coach in 1961, finally hired him in 1967. Grant would continue his coaching success at the NFL level, instilling a disciplinarian attitude and a bunch of great Vikings defenses.

Grant’s coaching style led Minnesota to win 11 of 13 NFC Central titles and their first of four Super Bowl appearances. In 1969, the Vikings lost Super Bowl IV to the Kansas City Chiefs. Unfortunately, what Grant couldn’t do was bring a Super Bowl win to Minnesota, losing in Super Bowls VIII, IX and XI.

Grant won a combined 290 games between the CFL and NFL. The combined total puts the former NFL Coach of the Year behind George Halas, and Don Shula for career coaching wins.

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