There's a reason why the NFC North is so competitive. It's in part due to the wealth of talent at quarterback, but also the head coaches.
Put any one of the division's coaches on the open market, and they'd walk into another job immediately. All four have led their teams to NFC North titles, creating fascinating battles within the division.
But who is the best? It's a tough debate, but one we'll try to settle right here, right now.
All four NFC North head coaches, ranked
4. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
- Regular-season record: 43-25 (.632)
- Playoff record: 0-2 (.000)
- Division titles: 1
- Playoff appearances: 2 in 4 years
- Best playoff performance: NFC Wild Card Round (2022, 2024)
Someone had to go in the No. 4 spot, which is unfair on Kevin O'Connell, who is a fantastic coach.
Take last season as an example. Even a quarterback guru like O'Connell effectively had one arm tied behind his back with J.J. McCarthy leading the offense. McCarthy completed 57.6 percent of his passes with just 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, yet somehow, some way, the Vikings finished with a winning record at 9-8. When McCarthy was unavailable, O'Connell had Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer throwing passes.
And there's no doubting O'Connell's track record with quarterbacks.
Kirk Cousins threw for 6,878 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions in 25 games under O'Connell, with the Vikings going 17-8. He made a Pro Bowl in 2022. A year later, Sam Darnold rejuvenated his career in O'Connell's offense, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 picks for a 102.5 rating. Minnesota went 14-3. Don't be surprised if Kyler Murray takes his game to another level with the Vikings.
So, what's holding O'Connell back?
For starters, it's the inconsistency. In 2022 and 2024, the Vikings went a combined 27-7 and won two NFC North titles. But in 2023 and 2025 combined, they went 16-18 with no playoff appearances.
The biggest concern is their inability to push on once they reach the playoffs. In 2022, the Vikings went 13-4 but suffered a shock first-round exit at home to the New York Giants. In 2024, despite the Vikings dominating in the regular season with a 14-3 record, the Los Angeles Rams ended their season with a comfortable 27-9 win in the wild-card round.
O'Connell is the only active head coach in the NFC North without a playoff victory. That needs to change.
3. Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
- Regular-season record: 11-6 (.647)
- Playoff record: 1-1 (.500)
- Division titles: 1
- Playoff appearances: 1 in 1 year
- Best playoff performance: Divisional Round (2025)
If Ben Johnson leads the Bears to another division title, he'll soon soar up these rankings. His lack of experience is what holds him out of the top two spots. He still has a lot to prove.
Talk about making an impact, though. Johnson inherited a Bears team that had become an embarrassment in Matt Eberflus' final year. A pairing with Caleb Williams came with high expectations, but the two took Chicago far deeper than anybody expected, even the most optimistic of Bears fans. He led Chicago to an 11-6 record, an NFC North title, and, as much as it hurts for us Packers fans, an all-time comeback playoff win.
They had every chance of taking down the Los Angeles Rams a week later at Soldier Field but fell heartbreakingly short.
It wasn't perfect. Williams' six fourth-quarter comebacks led the NFL, which is an elite trait to develop, but there's the other side of that coin. The only reason Chicago had to fight back in so many games was due to their slow starts.
Per Team Rankings, the Bears ranked 19th in first-half points but third in second-half points. No team averaged more points per game in the fourth quarter than Chicago's 9.5.
Williams deserves praise for his coolness under the brightest lights, as does Johnson for instilling that never-say-die attitude into his team. Relying on fourth-quarter comebacks is a dangerous game to play, though, and the Bears must find ways to take control of games earlier.
Johnson's biggest win was the culture change. He displayed confidence (you could call it arrogance) and revved up the Green Bay rivalry to 11 with his "F--- the Packers" comments and awkwardness with Matt LaFleur. His team reflected that edge, and it'll serve them well moving forward.
His biggest test will be helping Williams reach a true All-Pro level, but they made an excellent start together in 2025.
2. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
- Regular-season record: 53-43-1
- Playoff record: 2-2 (.500)
- Division titles: 2
- Playoff appearances: 2 in 5 years
- Best playoff performance: NFC Championship Game (2023)
Dan Campbell is a phenomenal head coach. In terms of pure leadership, you won't find many better. Campbell is the type of coach you'd run through a wall for.
And there's no denying the success he has brought to Detroit after inheriting a mess in 2021. Campbell turned the ship around after a nightmarish start to the 2022 season, barely falling short of the playoffs with a 9-8 record.
Then came his best work, guiding the Lions to a 27-7 record across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, securing back-to-back NFC North titles while reaching the NFC Championship Game in his first postseason voyage.
Campbell might come across as an old-school leader with his tough, no-nonsense approach, but he has been at the cutting edge of the modern-day aggressive mindset. His Lions have gone for it on fourth down 104 times over the past three seasons. Only three teams have made more fourth-down attempts in that time, and they're all teams often trailing in games, increasing the need to go for it (Panthers, Giants, Browns).
Few took Campbell seriously when he delivered his "bite a kneecap off" speech in his introductory press conference, but nobody is laughing now.
So, why No. 2 in the rankings?
It comes down to two things. The first is playoff success. Even if we forget the rebuild years, the Lions have boasted one of the league's best rosters for the past three seasons, but they have just two playoff wins to show for it. Detroit threw away a 24-7 lead against San Francisco in the 2023 NFC Championship Game. A year later, the Lions went 15-2 and cruised to the top seed, only to suffer a humiliating 45-31 home defeat to Washington in the divisional round.
The other concern is how Campbell's team fell apart without his top two coordinators in town, specifically Ben Johnson. Despite entering 2025 as the two-time defending division champions, the Lions slumped to a 9-8 record and finished at the bottom of the North. Was Campbell too reliant on Johnson and Aaron Glenn?
Still, Campbell is an outstanding leader and has proven he can make the Lions a dominant team. The next step is going all the way in the postseason.
1. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
- Regular-season record: 76-40-1 (.654)
- Playoff record: 3-6 (.333)
- Division titles: 3
- Playoff appearances: 6 in 7 years
- Best playoff performance: NFC Championship Game (2019, 2020)
Rivals fans will shout "homer." Bring it on. I'm going to break down exactly why Matt LaFleur is the best head coach in the NFC North.
Wins? Consistency? LaFleur runs rings around the competition here. He has 76 career victories compared to Campbell's 53, O'Connell's 43, and Johnson's 11.
"But LaFleur has been coaching longer, so of course he has more wins."
I can already hear the pushback.
That just makes his superior win percentage (.654) even more impressive, then. Johnson has a .647 percentage, O'Connell .632, and Campbell .554.
LaFleur has taken the Packers to the playoffs six times in seven seasons, failing only once. Campbell's Lions have made the postseason just twice in five years, O'Connell's Vikings twice in four attempts, and Johnson's Bears once on his only try.
Campbell is the best leader among the four coaches but has struggled as a play-caller. That's where the other three shine. LaFleur still has the edge, though. Under his guidance, Aaron Rodgers doubled his MVP tally, Jordan Love developed into one of the NFC's top passers, and Malik Willis completely rejuvenated his career, helping him land a $67.5 million deal to replace Tua Tagovailoa in Miami.
Even after losing Rodgers, the Packers never missed a beat and have made the playoffs with the league's youngest roster three years in a row.
LaFleur became the first coach in NFL history to win 13 games in three consecutive seasons. His win percentage ranks 16th in league history.
Is LaFleur perfect? Absolutely not. His team has developed a tendency to fall apart in big moments, none more infamous than throwing away a 21-3 halftime lead at Soldier Field in January's wild-card round. That can't continue. They've also been one-and-doned three times in the playoffs, including a game at Lambeau Field as the No. 1 seed in 2021.
There's undoubtedly pressure on LaFleur to take the Packers on another deep playoff run after falling at the first hurdle two years in a row. He also needs to improve his overall postseason record. But with LaFleur's undeniable resume and consistency, he remains in first place.
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