Ranking NFC North head coaches before 2024 free agency

2. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

How can you not buy into what Campbell is selling? The personality, the identity, the fact that he's turned a three-win team into a 12-win, Super Bowl contender in only three years? And he did it all with Jared Goff! There are probably 25 NFL teams that are sitting around right now wishing they had given him a chance. There will always be two or three moments a year that Campbell makes news for a move that backfires, but that's how it goes when you coach as aggressively as he does. Not only is he a perfect fit for the city of Detroit and the culture of the Lions, but he emphasizes the run game in the way that a lot of teams don't while still valuing the competitive edge that analytics can provide when used properly. The Lions got a good one.

1. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers

At the risk of some homerism accusations, the best coach in the NFC North is pretty clearly Matt LaFleur. One of the original Sons of Sean McVay, LaFleur oftentimes is described as someone who runs McVay's offense, which is only kind of true at this point. Whether it's adjusting the offense because of Aaron Rodgers' preferences, or readjusting it based off of what Jordan Love does well, it's LaFleur's adaptability that's led to so much success in Green Bay.

The wins don't hurt, either: in five seasons as the Packers' head coach, LaFleur's only had one team finish under .500 – and that was in 2022, when a home loss to Detroit in Week 17 kept them out of the playoffs. After years of unflattering practice rumors, Love looked like a legitimate franchise quarterback this season, and their defense is always, at the worst, serviceable. An NFC North coach may make a run at LaFleur's crown eventually, but for the time being, it's his to lose.

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