The NFC South was the best division in the NFL last year. Each team in the division has a franchise quarterback. Additionally, three of the signal callers in the NFC South have won either a regular season or Super Bowl MVP.
The division also boasts three coaches who have either coached in or won a Super Bowl. It’s the most competitive division in the league, and it’s possible three teams from the NFC South reach the playoffs again in 2018.
Throughout the next month, we are ranking the coaches in each division. We started with the NFC East, and at the end of the month we are ranking the top five coaches in the NFL.
NFC South Coach Rankings
- Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As the only unproven coach in the division, Koetter has his work cut out for him in the upcoming year. The Bucs promoted Koetter from offensive coordinator to head coach due to his relationship with Jameis Winston. However, Koetter is an unremarkable 14-18 in two years in Tampa. Many analysts were surprised he survived after a 5-11 campaign in 2017.
If Winston and the Bucs don’t show substantial improvement, the franchise could be looking for its fifth head coach since Jon Gruden was fired in 2009. Competing in the NFC South is a difficult task since the other three teams are all ready to contend. But at the very least, Koetter needs to guide Tampa to a winning record and possibly even a playoff berth to earn a fourth year.
- Dan Quinn, Atlanta Falcons
Quinn has done an impressive job changing the culture in Atlanta in only three seasons. He still probably loses sleep after watching his team squander a 28-3 second half lead in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, but the Falcons bounced back and won a playoff game last season.
Now, the challenge is building on the success of the last two years. Atlanta has a franchise quarterback who is still in his prime in Matt Ryan. The Falcons are loaded offensively, and they added another weapon in the draft with receiver Calvin Ridley. Defensively, the Falcons not quite what Quinn had when he was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Nevertheless, Quinn still has a roster equipped to make another playoff run.
- Ron Rivera. Carolina Panthers
Only eight coaches in the NFL have been with their respective teams longer than Ron Rivera has been with the Panthers. Rivera and Cam Newton have reached the postseason in four of seven seasons. In fact, the last five years have been the best stretch in franchise history.
Similar to Atlanta in 2016, Rivera and the Panthers missed a golden opportunity to capture a Super Bowl in 2015. In all likelihood, Cam and Rivera won’t reach another Super Bowl while in Carolina. The NFC has produced a revolving door of conference champions. Ten of the last 12 NFC champions have been a different franchise; only the Seahawks and Giants have reached more than one Super Bowl since 2005.
Regardless, Rivera and Newton have been consistent winners, and their recipe for success shouldn’t change in 2018. It will be challenging to make the playoffs again, but Carolina still should be in the conversation.
- Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
Following three consecutive 7-9 seasons, Payton finally righted the ship and led the Saints back to the playoffs. New Orleans was a mainstay in the playoffs until Payton was banned from the league for a year as a result of Bountygate. It was an absurd suspension to begin with, and it took Payton and the Saints a few years to recover.
Interesting/ Crazy stat:
Only 5 coaches in the NFL have been coaching the same team since 2008 (10 years). The other 27, haven’t had the same luck.
(Coaches are Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, Marvin Lewis, Mike McCarthy)
— Will The Thrill (@WTTFootballPage) June 4, 2018
Last year, New Orleans tinkered with its offense a bit and relied less on Drew Brees and more on the combination of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram out of the backfield. Brees was still impressive despite being 38, and the Saints should be an explosive team again in 2018 unless he shows signs of aging.
Payton nearly had New Orleans back in the NFC Championship Game, but Minnesota’s last second Hail Mary ended the Saints’ season. As long as Brees is healthy and capable, Payton should have another playoff contender this season.
