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NFL head coaches might not earn as much as some of the star players under their tutelage, but those long hours spent drawing up plays in the dark of night do not go unnoticed, and coaches are well remunerated for their efforts.
On average, NFL coaches make $6-7 million annually, but of course, the megabucks are dished out only to those who have achieved elite honors in the game: Conference wins; NCAA finals; playoff runs; Super Bowl victories -- you get the picture.
Take a look at the top five highest-paid coaches in the NFL right now:
Top Five Highest-Paid NFL Coaches
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5. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens — $9 million
John Harbaugh has been a giant success in Baltimore. The former special teams coach has been in charge of the Ravens for twelve years and has posted winning seasons in nine of them.
Harbaugh has been Baltimore's watchmaker, overseeing the teams' evolution from Super Bowl-winning (2013) QB Joe Flacco and the great defense of the early 2010s to the current day incarnation that makes the most of modern-day QB Lamar Jackson's athleticism outside of the pocket.
Harbaugh, a great coach, is well worth the money Baltimore agree to pay him.
4. Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints — $9.8 million
Sean Payton arrived in New Orleans in 2006. Since taking up the hot seat down in the Bayou, Payton's Saints have been crowned NFC South Division Champions on six occasions and have registered 17 playoff victories to boot. Payton also took New Orleans all the way to a Super Bowl championship in 2009.
Though there's no doubting that the Saints faithful were left bitterly disappointed that Payton -- and long-standing QB Drew Brees -- was unable to add a second Super Bowl win to the list of honors before the latter retired, the Saints have come so close to the final in so many recent seasons.
Regardless, Payton's legacy in the Big Easy is assured. The former Leicester Panther has put together one hell of a playbook over the years and fans love his inventive and versatile offensive playcalling.
He might not have the rings to back it up but, in my opinion, Payton is the best coach in the league.
3. Jon Gruden, Las Vegas Raiders — $10 million
Jon Gruden began his head coaching career with the Raiders back in 1998, winning 38 games in four years.
Knock on wood if you hear me
Tampa Bay came knocking for his signature in 2003; Gruden embraced the idea of change and, in his very first season in charge, helped the Buccaneers to the franchise's first Super Bowl title.
Success never lasts forever (unless you live in New England, it seems) and the Bucs fired coach Gruden during the 2009 offseason, prompting him to retire.
It took nine years, but the Raiders praised Gruden out of retirement in 2018, offering a 10-year contract that nets Gruden a cool $10 million annually.
2. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks — $11 million
Pete Carroll has been the coach of the Seattle Seahawks for 11 years, winning 176 games and registering a 64% win rate
Carroll has also coached the Seahawks through 21 playoff games and taken the franchise all the way to Super Bowl glory back in 2014.
1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots — $12 million
New England's Bill Belichick has the third-most wins in NFL coaching history, the third-highest win percentage among coaches, and the most playoff wins ever. At this point, it's hard to argue that he isn't the greatest coach of all time, so with that in mind, it's hardly a surprise that The Hoody makes more money than any other coach in the league.
Bellichick has guided different incarnations of his Patriots team to Super Bowl glory on six separate occasions, more than any other coach in the history of the NFL. He's also a three-time Coach of the Year winner.
The only thing left for Belichick to do now is to go and win a Super Bowl without Tom Brady.
New England have acted early to bring in some top quality talent during the offseason so far: the likes of EDGE Matt Judon, CB Jalen Mills, WR Nelson Agholor, and TE duo Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, as well as the return of EDGE Kyle Van Noy, should significantly strengthen the Patriots depth chart in time for the autumn.
If Belichick can cap off a great offseason with some expert shopping at the 2021 NFL Draft (scheduled to get underway on April 27), there's a chance that the Patriots will be competitive again in the AFC and beyond come autumn.
What do you think of the top five? Is there a coach here who isn't giving value for money to his employers? Sound off in the comments section below:
