Super Bowl Head Coach Experience History & Trends: Which Coach Has History on Their Side?
I'm exploring the Super Bowl head coach history and trends as three of the four remaining head coaches look to win their first NFL championships with their current franchises.
Who does history favor between Mike Vrabel, Mike Macdonald, and Sean Payton? Let's break it down as part of our NFL Conference Championship predictions.
📜 Super Bowl head coach history and trends
A total of 32 coaches hired during the Super Bowl era have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, according to The Associated Press' Josh Dubow.
Second-year head coaches (eight) have most commonly won their first Super Bowl with a team, ahead of fourth-year coaches (seven) and fifth-year coaches (five). No coach has won their first Super Bowl in their ninth-to-13th seasons with a team.
As we break down the four remaining coaches ahead of the 2026 Conference Championship, we're excluding Sean McVay as he's already won a Super Bowl with the Rams. Currently in his ninth season with Los Angeles, McVay won his first Super Bowl in his fifth campaign. Meanwhile, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has a Super Bowl ring, but he won it with the New Orleans Saints in his fourth season there.
| Season with team | Number of coaches to win Super Bowl |
|---|---|
| 1st | 4 |
| 2nd | 8 |
| 3rd | 4 |
| 4th | 7 |
| 5th | 5 |
| 6th | 1 |
| 7th | 1 |
| 8th | 1 |
| 14th | 1 |
🪖 Mike Vrabel: First season as head coach of Patriots
Mike Vrabel is the heavy betting favorite by the NFL Coach of the Year odds and now has the Patriots back in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2019 in his first season in charge.
Four other head coaches have won the Super Bowl in their first season with a team, most recently accomplished by Gary Kubiak with the Broncos in 2016. Vrabel made it to the AFC title game as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans but never reached the Super Bowl.
The Patriots franchise has appeared in an NFL-record 11 Super Bowls while tying the Steelers for the most titles with six. They travel to Denver to take on the Broncos on Sunday, looking to punch their ticket to Santa Clara, Calif.
Patriots Super Bowl odds: +255 via DraftKings
🟢 Mike Macdonald: Second season as head coach of Seahawks
It didn't take Mike Macdonald long to realize his vision for the Seahawks. Seattle finished with the league's top scoring defense in the regular season and kept the 49ers out of the end zone in the Divisional Round.
Second-year head coaches are the most common to win their first Super Bowl with a team, most recently done by the Buccaneers' Bruce Arians in 2021.
After knocking out San Francisco, the Seahawks will have to eliminate another NFC West rival, the Rams, to advance to their first Super Bowl since 2015.
Seahawks Super Bowl odds: +150 via bet365
🐎 Sean Payton: Third season as head coach of Broncos
Sean Payton has the Broncos back in contention in his third season with the team, looking for his second championship title as a head coach.
Seven head coaches have led multiple franchises to the Super Bowl, but no one in NFL history has won a ring as the head coach of two different teams.
There have been four third-year head coaches to raise their first Lombardi Trophy with a team, last accomplished by Dick Vermeil with the Rams in 2000.
Denver is a Super Bowl odds long shot (+1300) following Bo Nix's season-ending injury in the Divisional Round. Inexperienced backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham gets the start on Sunday against the Patriots.
Broncos Super Bowl odds: +1300 via BetRivers
📊 Super Bowl odds 2026
2026 Super Bowl odds via our best Super Bowl betting sites.
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