Best Head Coaches in NFL- 2012

     As we head into the upcoming season, let's examine which teams have the advantage in the head coach department. Coming in at number ten is new Rams coach Jeff Fisher. After years of coaching the Tennessee Titans, Fisher is back hoping to carve the Rams into the same, consistent franchise the Titans were in Fisher's time. Tennessee's lack of consistency was seldom and while they never won a Super Bowl, they were always a team that you had to take seriously. Without a lot of talent in St. Louis right now, an immediate turnaround this season will be in part because of Fisher leading the charge.
     Next in the rankings is the infamous Rex Ryan. The Jets have taken a lot of heat recently because the failed to make the playoffs last year and though it is only the preseason, the prognosis for the 2012 season is bleaker than usual. While the Jets are heading in the wrong direction, it speaks to the job Ryan has done because he has set the bar so high. In his first two seasons, he lead the Jets to back to back AFC Championships. Ryan's motivational tactics may be a hit or miss at times, but to appear in two AFC Championship games in three seasons is very, very good, which puts Ryan as one of the top ten head coaches in the league.
     At eight is Andy Reid. Few coaches have had the longevity of Andy Reid and while his tenure in Philly has been unstable at times, he has managed to lead the Eagles to five NFC Championship game appearances and one Super Bowl appearance. Reid has been to the playoffs with three different quarterbacks and has succeeded with different personal on his roster, securing his status as a top tier head coach.
    Next is Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers. In his first season as an NFL head coach, he turned San Francisco from a 6 win team to a 13 win team that was one or two miscues away from a Super Bowl appearance. Not bad for his first season. Harbaugh is one of the most passionate coaches in the game and if he continues to take the 49ers to new heights, he will continue to move up this list.
    Jim Harbaugh has nothing on his brother John Harbaugh, who ranks at six in this year's list of top head coaches. The Ravens are one of the NFL's most stable franchises and starts at it's core with Harbaugh. Baltimore was on the verge of breaking through and getting to the Super Bowl before falling just short. In Harbaugh's tenure, the Ravens have been one of the most successful playoff teams including the most road playoff victories since 2008 by a large margin.
    Cracking the top five is Mike McCarthy, head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He has a Super Bowl ring and his Packers went 15-1 last season before falling short of a repeat. McCarthy is proven as one of the more innovative offensive coaches in the league, as exemplified by Aaron Rodgers putting together one of the most prolific seasons in NFL history in 2011. 
     As we move on closer to number one, at four is Mike Tomlin. Tomlin has taken the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances, winning one. The Steelers are a perennial contender, establishing Tomlin as one of the game's best coaches in terms of motivation and consistency. 
     Next is Tom Coughlin, head coach of the defending champion New York Giants. Some may make the argument he should be at number two, but though he has two Super Bowl rings, the Giants are at times inconsistent and fall short of expectations. That being said, Coughlin is a veteran and his leadership and expertise has guided the Giants on two remarkable Super Bowl runs.
     Number two is suspended New Orleans coach Sean Payton. Bountygate scandal aside, Payton took over the Saints in 2006 and lead them to the NFC Championship in his first year. Three years later, the Saints claimed their first Super Bowl title, a complete 180 turnaround from where the Saints were four years prior. Payton is one of the game's best offensive minds which is a big reason why the Saints are so difficult to stop offensively.
     And finally, the best coach in the NFL has been and remains Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. Three Super Bowl victories, five Super Bowl appearances, nine division titles in eleven years and an undefeated regular season. Some of his minor achievements are leading a Tom Brady less team to an 11-5 record with unproven Matt Cassel at quarterback. Belichick is not only the best coach in the game right now, he is one of the greatest coaches the NFL has ever seen.