Super Bowl Winning & Losing NFL Head Coaches with Most Appearances

The ultimate goal for almost every player in the NFL is to win a Super Bowl. It’s no different for the head coaches. It’s an equally challenging feat. Especially with how short of a leash these guys are on nowadays.

This table takes a look at the head coaches who have guided their team to the big game more than once. As you can see, it’s not a long list. While there are 23 who have been to the title game at least twice as a head coach, only 12 have made it 3 or more times.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots have represented the AFC 9 times since he took over in New England back in 2000. He’s three appearances ahead of runner-ups Don Shula and Andy Reid, who each took a team to the big game on 6 different occasions.

Of the 23 coaches who have made multiple trips, nine have made it to the final game 4 or more times.  The only other active head coach who has made multiple trips to the Super Bowl is Mike Tomlin (Steelers). Pete Carroll will also be on the list next season as he takes over the job for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.

You will notice that coaches who have gone to the most championship games typically have better odds to win this year’s Super Bowl than the rest of the league.

Which Head Coaches Have Appeared in the Most Super Bowls?

Super Bowl 50 Milestones

Super Bowl 50 wasn’t just a milestone for the game, it also had two head coaches make history. The game featured Gary Kubiak of the Denver Broncos against Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers.

Kubiak accomplished something no one in the NFL had done before. He became the first to reach the Super Bowl both as a player and a head coach with the same franchise. Kubiak was the backup to John Elway for 3 Super Bowls back in the late ’80s (1986, 1987 & 1989).

Rivera also accomplished a rare feat. He was just the 2nd Latino head coach to take a team to the championship game. Rivera missed out on adding his name to the list of winning both as a player and a head coach. Rivera was on the Chicago Bears 1985 team that defeated the Patriots 46-10.

Most Wins, Losses, and Records in the Super Bowl by Coach

As you know, getting to the game is one thing. Winning it is a whole different story. This table lets you look at the win/loss records and win percentage. Just keep in mind that this is only for coaches who have made two or more appearances.

Believe it or not, there are eight coaches who have made it multiple times and never suffered a loss. The best of the bunch is Chuck Noll, who owns a perfect 4-0 record.

On the flip side of this, there are four head coaches who have made multiple appearances without a win. Three of them share the dismal record of 0-4. Those being Dan Reeves, Marv Levy, and Bud Grant.

Winning/Losing Head Coach of Every Super Bowl

Some interesting notes.  Technically Lovie Smith was the first black head coach to lead his team to the Superbowl since the Chicago Bears won the NFC Championship before Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts won the AFC back in 2007.  Dungy became the first African American to win.  Now they have been joined by Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jim Caldwell of the Indianapolis Colts.

Tom Flores was the first Latino to coach in the Super Bowl when he lad the LA Raiders to a win in 1984.  Ron Rivera was the second when he took the Panthers to the title game in 2006.