Fansided

5 greatest NFL head coaches to never win the Super Bowl

By Matt Graves

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)
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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San Diego Chargers head coach Sid Gillman congratulates flanker Lance Alworth (19) and quarterback John Hadl (21) following a 31-14 victory over the Houston Oilers on October 3, 1965, at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Charles Aqua Viva/Getty Images)
San Diego Chargers head coach Sid Gillman congratulates flanker Lance Alworth (19) and quarterback John Hadl (21) following a 31-14 victory over the Houston Oilers on October 3, 1965, at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California. (Photo by Charles Aqua Viva/Getty Images) /

Greatest coaches to never win a Super Bowl: Sid Gillman

Los Angeles Rams (1955-1959)

Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers (1960-1971)

Houston Oilers (1973-1974)

Regular-season record: 122-99-7 (.550)

Postseason record: 1-5 (.167)

Sid Gillman played one year in the AFL for the Cleveland Rams (1936). A year later, Gillman would become an assistant coach at Denison University, Ohio State University and Army. He would become the head coach at Miami University and the University of Cincinnati.

Gillman eventually found his way to the NFL in 1955 as the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. After five seasons, he jumped to the AFL to become the head coach of the Chargers organization. He would later coach the Houston Oilers for two seasons.

After his coaching days, he later served as the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and as the quarterback coach for Dick Vermeil’s Eagles in 1980.

In the first six years of the AFL, his Chargers won five division titles and one league championship in 1963. Despite having only one playoff victory to his name, Gillman’s influence on the modern game was something else. Chuck Noll, Bum Phillips, and George Allen are among the few who coached under Gillman.

Despite not making it to the Super Bowl, he profoundly influenced countless other well-known football figures. He inspired the likes of Vince Lombardi, Al Davis, and Joe Gibbs.

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