Being an NFL head coach is arguably the most stressful job in the sport. Head coaches are expected to maintain a high level of success, and even if they achieve that, failing to capture a Super Bowls, or even one losing season could have fans calling for their jobs.
We never know how many years an NFL head coach will be around before he is replaced if he doesn't perform up to expectations. It is a job with a high turnover rate, yet there have been some figures in the league's history who have defied the odds and stayed in their role the longest.
Here, we take a look at the longest head coaching tenures in NFL history with the caveat that we are looking at the longest stints with one team, without a break. So if a head coach like George Halas has multiple stints with a team, their longest stint is the only one considered.
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1. Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys, 29 years (1960-1988)

Tom Landry was named the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 21, 1959. He was the first head coach in the organization's history. Dallas finished 0-11-1 in its inaugural season. Landry was the head coach through the 1988 season, and Dallas finished 3-13 in his final year. Overall, while at the helm of the Cowboys, the team went 250-162-6 under Landry, with 18 postseason appearances and wins in Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl XII.
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2. Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers, 29 years (1921-1949)

The interesting thing about Curly Lambeau becoming the head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1920 is that he played for the Packers through the 1929 season. Over his 29 years coaching Green Bay, Lambeau had a 209-104-21 record in 334 games. He led them to NFL Championships in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939 and 1944.
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3. Don Shula, Miami Dolphins, 26 years (1970-1995)

Don Shula is the first head coach on this list who is ranked for a job that wasn't his first coaching gig. Shula had spent seven years as the head coach of the then-Baltimore Colts before he was named the Miami head coach ahead of the 1970 season. Over the 257 Dolphins games he coached, the team went 257-133-2 in the regular season and 17-14 in the playoffs. Shula helped Miami win Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII.
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4. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, 24 years (2000-2023)

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Bill Belichick had been the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1995. After getting fired, he took assistant coaching jobs with the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. Belichick was set to become the new head coach of the Jets for the 2000 season, but ahead of his introductory press conference, he resigned on a napkin and became the head coach for the Patriots.
It was a move that would serve him well. He went 266-121 during the regular season in New England and 30-12 in the postseason. Belichick coached the Patriots to wins at Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXXVIII, Super Bowl XXXIX, Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII.
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T5. Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers, 23 years (1969-1991)

Chuck Noll had one head coaching gig in his career, and it was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He took the job in 1969 and didn't retire until 1991, when Bill Cowher took over. The Steelers went 1-13 in Noll's first season and 7-9 in his last year in 1991. Overall, Noll went 193-148-1 as a head coach in the regular season and 16-8 in the playoffs.
Noll helped the Steelers win four of their six Super Bowls, including Super Bowl IX, Super Bowl X, Super Bowl XIII and Super Bowl XIV.
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T5. Steve Owen, New York Giants, 23 years (1931-1953)

Steve Owen's official start date with the New York Giants makes it hard to determine whether he or Noll was technically tenured longer as head coach with their respective franchises, so they are tied in the rankings.
Owen played for the Giants from 1926-1931 and again in 1933. He took over as the head coach in 1930. At the helm, New York went 7-6-1 in its first season in 1931. Overall, Owen went 153-100-17 in the regular season and 2-8 in the playoffs. Owen led the Giants to NFL Championships in 1934 and 1938.
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7. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers, 19 years (2007-present)

The defensive-minded Tomlin took over for Cowher as the head coach of the Steelers in 2007. After making the playoffs in 2007, he won the organization's sixth Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLIII) in his second season. Expectations were extremely high for Tomlin, and while another Super Bowl win has eluded him, he has made it a habit to always finish above .500 in any season.
Tomlin has a 183-107-2 record heading into the 2025 season, and is 8-11 in the playoffs.
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8. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, 18 years (2008-present)

John Harbaugh's first head coaching job came with the Baltimore Ravens in 2008. He began his tenure with five straight playoff appearances, culminating in the 2012 season with Super Bowl XLVII. Harbaugh has a career 173-107 record in the regular season and a 13-11 record in the playoffs.
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9. Bud Grant, Minnesota Vikings, 18 years (1967-1983)

Bud Grant coached the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for two years, starting in 1951, and used that experience to become the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1967. He coached the Vikings through the 1983 season, retired, but was then re-hired in 1985 for one more season when his replacement was fired. Overall, in the long stretch of his tenure, Grant helped Minnesota go 151-87-5 and then added another 7-9 season in 1985. He and the Vikings qualified for the playoffs 12 times during his tenure, but never won a Super Bowl. Their best finish was losing in Super Bowl IV, Super Bowl VIII, Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl XI.
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10. Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, 17 years (1946-1962)

Brown became the head coach of the Browns in 1946 and remained with the team through the 1962 season. After being away from coaching for 5 years, he became the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is why Paul Brown Stadium, now Paycor Stadium, was in Cincinnati and not Cleveland.
With the Browns, Brown had a total record of 111-44-5, and went 4-5 in the playoffs. He and Cleveland won the NFL Championship Game in 1950, 1954 and 1955. Brown coached the Browns when the franchise was still in the AAFC, and won four consecutive championships in that league once he became the head coach in 1946.