Is Andy Reid on the Head-Coaching Mount Rushmore?
After 21 long years of coaching in the NFL, Andy Reid finally secured himself some hardware.
After coming so close in Philadelphia over his 14-year stint, Reid and his Kansas City squad eventually came away as Super Bowl 54 champions after just seven seasons.
Philadelphia and their fan base relished with Andy during this victory despite him winning it while being in the bright red. After everything Andy Reid has done for the Philadelphia Eagles and their organization over his reign as head coach, cheering for Andy in Super Bowl 54 was a fan base simply showing gratitude.
Reid’s first Super Bowl victory marked his 222nd game as an NFL head coach. The 21-year head coach set an NFL record with the win: most career wins prior to winning a championship.
Photo: cbssports.com
Andy Reid, now known in Kansas City as Big Red, won his first-ever championship in the most unlikely way; a fourth-quarter comeback. Ah, poetic justice in its purest form. With 6:17 left in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs down 10 points, Andy and Patrick Mahomes worked their magic. Reid, however, hasn’t always been so fortunate in big games.
A few of Reid’s most notable losses over his coaching career:
- Reid and the Chiefs blew a 28-point third-quarter lead in the wildcard round versus the Colts (and Andrew Luck had two interceptions in the second half!)
- Losing to Dallas in back-to-back games: 24-0 in Week 17 and once again in the wildcard round, 34-14. They were an 11-5 team
- Losing 21-16 in the wildcard round due to a Michael-Vick interception with:30 left on the clock. The comeback was imminent, yet not meant to be
While Andy Reid certainly has had his fair share of mistakes, his success shines brighter than any single loss. He is a Super Bowl Champ and was awarded the 2002 Coach of the Year honors. His 2002 Philadelphia Eagles were well-accomplished.
During their 2002 campaign, the Eagles had an NFL-best win percentage and point differential while wielding the second-ranked scoring defense and the fourth-ranked scoring offense.
Photo: bleacherreport.com
Reid sustained his success from 2002 over the stretch of his entire career. Of his 21 seasons as a head coach, Andy Reid has finished below .500% three times. 14 of his teams finished with double-digit win totals; 11 of them totaling to 11 or more wins.
Quite possibly his most impressive accomplishment is the frequency in which he led his offense to top-10 finishes. Reid managed to produce a top-10 scoring offense in 13 of his campaigns; nine being in the top six.
Reid’s defenses have been nothing short of spectacular as well. Coincidentally, Andy Reid has created a top-10 NFL defense in 13 of his seasons. Even more remarkable, eight of those finishes were in the top five.
With such strong units on both sides of the ball, Reid and his 21 teams were able to have a top-10 point differential 17 times. Reid has constantly proven to be one of the best team builders & executors, and his track record backs this.
Reid’s 207 regular-season wins place him as the seventh-most winningest coach in NFL history. His teams have reached the postseason 15 times; tied for fourth-most.
As we have already established, Reid is no stranger to big losses and bad luck. He has the third-most playoff losses in NFL history; however, his 15 playoff victories push him to the sixth-ranked head coach.
Reid has accomplished all of this in a shorter amount of time than most coaches prior. His 21 seasons as a head coach is tied for the 12th-most seasons coached. His efficiency is off the charts, and he is only 62 years old.
Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest head coach to ever do it, was able to appear in four Super Bowl championships while walking away with three Lombardi trophies since turning 62. The Patriots head coach also sported a regular-season record of 74-22 (.771%) during that span.
The accomplishments that he has achieved thus far as a head coach make up to create a very compelling argument for the head-coaching Mount Rushmore. Is he a top-four coach ever? The evidence would lead one to believe so.
With Andy Reid and the Chiefs in possession of Patrick Mahomes — a league and Super Bowl MVP — there is no reason that Big Red can’t extend on his illustrious career and catch up to Bill Belichick and retire as the greatest coach to ever coach. That, however, is easier said than done.
Only five more Andy!
Featured Image: BleedingGreenNation.com All statistics via ProFootballReference.com unless stated otherwise
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