Ranking every NFC North head coach before 2024 preseason

All four NFC North head coaches return for another season in 2024, but who is the best?

Matt LaFleur is the most experienced coach in the division, entering his sixth season with the Green Bay Packers. Dan Campbell and Kevin O'Connell are winners of the previous two NFC North titles, while Matt Eberflus leads the Chicago Bears into a new era.

LaFleur and O'Connell once sat under the Sean McVay learning tree, and their offenses reflect that. Eberflus is the only head coach in the division who comes from a defensive background.

The NFC North is arguably the most competitive and fascinating division in the league, but which team has the best leader?

NFC North head coaches ranked from worst to best in 2024

4. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears

• Career record: 10-24 (.294)
• NFC North record: 2-10 (.166)
• NFC North titles: 0

Matt Eberflus is on the hot seat this season. The Bears have given him time as he oversaw a rebuild, but expectations are rapidly increasing in the Windy City. First-overall pick Caleb Williams leads an offense featuring DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and first-rounder Rome Odunze.

Eberflus likely saved his job in the second half of last season. The forecast looked gloomy after Chicago started 2-7, but the team won five of its remaining eight games. Importantly, Eberflus' defense allowed just 17.4 points per game during that stretch.

It's unfair to expect a team with a rookie quarterback to make a fast start, especially in a tough division, but Eberflus needs instant results after two disappointing seasons.

3. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings

• Career record: 20-14 (.588)
• NFC North record: 6-6 (.500)
• NFC North titles: 1

Kevin O'Connell is one of several coaches from the Sean McVay tree who landed a head-coaching job, and like Matt LaFleur and Zac Taylor, he is off to a good start. O'Connell served as McVay's offensive coordinator for two seasons, which is evident when watching how the Vikings' offense operates.

Kirk Cousins threw for 6,878 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions with a 96.2 passer rating in O'Connell's offense, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2022.

With Cousins in Atlanta, O'Connell faces a new challenge. Can his offense reach the same heights with Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy under center? The Vikings' 2023 season quickly deteriorated after Cousins suffered a torn Achilles last year, going 3-6 down the stretch. But it's hard to put too much blame on O'Connell, with the Vikings rotating between Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs, and Jaren Hall at quarterback.

It's a big season for O'Connell.

2. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

• Career record: 29-33-1 (.468)
• NFC North record: 11-7 (.611)
• NFC North titles: 1

Dan Campbell deserves all the credit in the world for changing the culture in Detroit. Alongside general manager Brad Holmes, Campbell has raised the bar for the Lions and ended their 30-year division title drought.

Campbell is one of the most aggressive coaches in the league. Per Team Rankings, only the Carolina Panthers averaged more fourth-down attempts per game than Campbell's Lions last term. Carolina was often behind in games and had no choice, but Campbell was more than happy to roll the dice. It will be fascinating to see whether he reins it in at all this season after his attacking approach to fourth downs burned the Lions in the NFC Championship Game.

Campbell's passion is admirable, and his players have bought into his philosophy.

They enter a new situation in 2024. No longer the Same Old Lions, Campbell's team must meet sky-high expectations. After finally bringing a division title back to Detroit, can he lead his team to the Super Bowl?

1. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers

• Career record: 56-27 (.675)
• NFC North record: 22-8 (.733)
• NFC North titles: 3

Matt LaFleur is beginning to get the respect he deserves around the league. The incredible start to LaFleur's head-coaching career was often dismissed due to "having Aaron Rodgers," despite the fact no other coach in NFL history had won 13 games in three consecutive seasons. LaFleur helped reignite Rodgers' career, with the future Hall-of-Famer enjoying two MVP campaigns under his watch.

The post-Rodgers era will define LaFleur's tenure, and he took a step toward silencing his critics last season.

Leading the league's youngest roster with a first-year starting quarterback came with its challenges, but despite starting 3-6, he guided them to the brink of the NFC title game. LaFleur's offense is a quarterback's paradise, and Jordan Love reached an MVP level in the second half of last season.

LaFleur won three division titles and has guided the Packers to the postseason four times in five years. He must now prove he can lead this team to the next level.

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