Longest tenured NFL head coaches: Mike Tomlin, Andy Reid lead list after John Harbaugh's Ravens firing

Very few NFL head coaches last longer than a few years with one team, and even then, most don’t get to finish on their own terms.

A handful of current head coaches have bucked that trend and made themselves fixtures with one team, even if no coaching stint is ever permanent.

Here’s a look at the NFL’s longest-tenured head coaches after John Harbaugh’s firing as Baltimore Ravens coach.

MORE: Why the Ravens fired John Harbaugh after 18 years

Longest tenured NFL head coaches

Here are the eight longest tenured active NFL head coaches:

1. Mike Tomlin, Steelers

• Year hired: 2007
• Record: 193-114-2

Mike Tomlin is the NFL’s longest-tenured coach and has been since Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season. Hired to replace a retiring Bill Cowher in early 2007, Tomlin has never had a losing season in 19 years as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers and has guided the team to two Super Bowl appearances, including a win in his second season. If Tomlin decides to stick around for 2026, he will reach two decades with the Steelers.

2. Andy Reid, Chiefs

• Year hired: 2013
• Record: 149-64

It's hard to believe the NFL's second longest tenured coach could have another head coaching stint that matches his current one, but Andy Reid is heading into his 14th season with the Kansas City Chiefs after 14 years with the Philadelphia Eagles. Hired to bring some stability after a tumultuous 2012 season, Reid has beaten all expectations with the Chiefs, guiding the team to three Super Bowl wins and five AFC championships with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback after a strong first five years on the job.

3. Sean McDermott, Bills

• Year hired: 2017
• Record: 98-50

No Buffalo Bills coach since Marv Levy had lasted more than four seasons until Sean McDermott came along. McDermott replaced Rex Ryan in 2017 and immediately guided the Bills to their first playoff appearance in 18 years, a preview of some of the success to come with Josh Allen at quarterback. While getting to the Super Bowl is still just a goal for McDermott, he has been one of the NFL's winningest coaches since he was hired in Buffalo.

MORE: Ranking the 6 best candidates to replace John Harbaugh

4. Sean McVay, Rams

• Year hired: 2017
• Record: 92-57

If you could start an NFL team today, there likely aren’t many — or any — coaches you would take over Sean McVay. A little-known 30-year-old wunderkind when the Los Angeles Rams hired him to replace Jeff Fisher in 2017, McVay led an instant turnaround of a downtrodden franchise and took the Rams to the Super Bowl in his second season. He reached the pinnacle with a Super Bowl win in his fifth season, and his tenure in L.A. Seems more likely to end on his terms than the team’s when all is said and done.

5. Kyle Shanahan

• Year hired: 2017
• Record: 82-67

After a bumpy first two seasons in San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan established himself as one of the NFL's premier coaches and has taken the 49ers to the Super Bowl twice in nine seasons on the job. Shanahan has navigated near-constant injuries and turned Brock Purdy into a franchise quarterback, making a Super Bowl ring just about all that eludes the franchise during his tenure.

MORE: Ranking all 14 teams' chances at winning Super Bowl 60

Longest head coaching stints in NFL history

Here are the five longest head coaching stints in NFL history, headlined by a pair of legends.

If Tomlin continues on as head coach of the Steelers in 2026, he will still need to coach the team through the 2030 season to match Belichick's 24-year run with the Patriots and through the 2035 season to tie the all-time mark of 29 years.