Those seeking shade may want to sit under Andy Reid’s coach tree.
While Reid has been a leader of some of the best offenses the league has ever seen, he also deserves a lot of credit for co-activating new leaders in his stops with the Eagles and Chiefs.
Coaching trees in the NFL are largely overrated, but there’s something about Reid’s tree that has borne good fruit. Three coaches have reached the Super Bowl, two have won it, and most of them have some playoff and divisional success in their NFL careers.
All but two of Reid’s assistants who had head coaching opportunities were still in the NFL in 2023. One of the two not in the league held an FBS offensive coordinator position, which speaks to the quality of assistants that “Big Red” has employed over the years.
With offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy waiting in the wings for a head coaching job, here’s a look at the many successes from Reid’s coaching tree:
Andy Reid Training Tree
Sean McDermott
- Experience: Buffalo Bills, 2017 to present
- Head Coach Record: 73-41
Sean McDermott, who served in various roles under Reid between 2001 and 2010, has been the man in charge at Orchard Park since 2017. Since then, the returns have been largely good, with McDermott’s Bills finishing under .500 just once time (6-10, 2018), and have four consecutive AFC East titles.
McDermott has done well to surround himself with an exceptional staff and has trained young talent to the best of his ability. McDermott has made the playoffs in six of his seven seasons to date, with his best campaign coming in 2022, when the team posted a 13-3 record. The only flaw on McDermott’s resume is that the Bills have yet to be in a Super Bowl under him.
John Harbaugh
- Experience: Baltimore Ravens, 2008 to present
- Head Coach Record: 160-99; Won Super Bowl 47
Hiring a special teams coordinator as a head coach isn’t all that common, but it really worked out for Harbaugh and the Ravens.
Harbaugh was the Eagles’ longtime special teams coach from 1998-2007, a year before Reid in Philadelphia. He got his first chance as a head coach with the Ravens, and it turned out to be the right move for both sides: the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012, led by Joe Flacco and a wonderful defense.
Harbaugh’s Ravens are now 61 games over .500 since he took over, with one Super Bowl ring and five division titles in a tough AFC North. Harbaugh, now 61, hasn’t returned to the Super Bowl since 2012, but he and Lamar Jackson were in the 2024 AFC championship game. Fittingly, however, Harbaugh’s Ravens lost to Reid’s Chiefs, giving him gave the Kansas City coach another victory over one of his former disciples.
Matt Nagy
- Experience: Chicago Bears, 2017-21
- Head Coach Record: 34-31
Nagy had to deal with a rather unfortunate quarterback situation in Chicago, which led to his ups and downs in the Windy City. While his QB situation was ruined, Nagy had the Bears in the playoffs in 2018 and 2020 and got what he could out of Mitchell Trubisky and others.
Nagy was often criticized for his decisions and game plans, and that was evident during his only season with Justin Fields at the helm. He was fired after the 2021 season with a 6-11 record and returned to work with Reid again as a member of the Chiefs.
David Pederson
- Experience: Philadelphia Eagles, 2016-2020; Jacksonville Jaguars 2022-present
- Head Coach Record: 60-53-1, won Super Bowl 52
When the Eagles moved on from Andy Reid, it was a divorce of boredom over contempt.
Well, when Doug Pederson was hired, it was a reunion of sorts for Reid and Philadelphia: Pederson was operating under Reid as offensive coordinator with the Chiefs when “Big Red” made the jump to Kansas City in 2013.
Pederson’s 2020 season turned out to be his last, with turmoil and tension between the Super Bowl-winning coach and owner Jeffrey Lurie bubbling to the point of Pederson’s firing. Pederson finished with the Jaguars in 2022 after taking a year away from the game, helping lead the Jags to an AFC South title and helping develop Trevor Lawrence in the process.
Pederson’s second season in Jacksonville was not as strong and featured a second-half collapse that saw the Jaguars blow the AFC South despite a significant lead. Still, the Jaguars posted a 9-8 winning season, Pederson’s fifth in his seven years as head coach.
Ron Rivera
- Experience: Carolina Panthers, 2011-19; Washington Football Team/Commanders, 2020 to 2023.
- Head Coach Record: 102-103-2
There are few who provide respect and integrity to the sport that Ron Rivera practices. Rivera worked with Reid as a linebackers coach from 1999 to 2003 before stretching his legs as a defensive coordinator with the Bears and Chargers. Then, he landed with the Panthers as head coach in 2010.
Along with Cam Newton, Rivera won the NFC South three times and reached Super Bowl 50, losing to the Broncos in a blowout. No shame, though: Rivera kept his job and his reputation for the next three seasons, making the jump to Washington following his dismissal from Carolina in 2020.
Despite a 7-9 debut season for the Washington Football Team in 2020, “Riverboat Ron” instantly brought a modicum of respect and competitiveness to a team that had lacked both for years. He helped steer the franchise through his messy divorce from Dan Snyder and two graceful name changes.
However, Rivera never understood the quarterback situation in Washington and the team’s defensive performance declined towards the end of his tenure there. That led to his firing after he finished the 2023 NFL season.
Todd Bowles
- Experience: Miami Dolphins (interim, 2011; New York Jets, 2015-18; Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2022-present.
- Head Coach Record: 43-58
Bowles had a few stops before landing under Reid for one season, leaving this as something of a tangential piece of Reid’s coaching tree. Still, Bowles built a pretty solid defense with the Cardinals between 2013 and 2014 before landing the Jets job in 2015.
Bowles’ ultra-conservative style didn’t help the Jets win games outside of his first year, but roster management and overall organizational dysfunction told more of the story of his tenure. He got his next opportunity as head coach after Bruce Arians retired with the Buccaneers, posting a disappointing 8-9 season in his first year at the helm.
Bowles went on to an impressive 9-8 record and won a playoff game despite Baker Mayfield replacing Tom Brady. Perhaps the change to offensive coordinator Dave Canales, now the Panthers’ head coach, was behind Mayfield’s rise; If so, Bowles will have to hope that new hire Liam Coen can help Mayfield keep his game up if he returns to Tampa Bay.
Pat Shurmur
- Experience: Cleveland Browns, 2011-12; Philadelphia Eagles (interim) 2015; New York Giants (2018-19)
- Head Coach Record: 19-46
Shurmur was Andy Reid’s longtime quarterbacks coach (2002-08) and worked with Reid since 1999. Shurmur finally got a chance as an OC with the Rams in 2009 and 2010 before landing the head coaching job. of the Browns in 2011.
What followed was not just one car accident of epic proportions, but two: Shurmur was a disaster with the Browns (9-23 in two seasons) and the Giants later (also 9-23). While Shurmur held on again as OC with the Broncos, he was fired along with Vic Fangio in 2022. Don’t expect him to reappear as head coach.
Leslie Frazier
- Experience: Minnesota Vikings, 2011-2013
- Head Coach Record: 21-32-1
Like Bowles, Frazier’s tenure with Reid was perhaps too tangential to put here (with the Eagles from 1999-2002). While Frazier’s stay with the Vikings ultimately wasn’t encouraging, he has remained in the league as a quality defensive coordinator for the better part of two decades.
Frazier spent the 2023 season working at NFL Network after leaving the Bills, but will now serve as Seattle’s assistant head coach alongside new hire Mike Macdonald. Perhaps a good performance there could allow Frazier to get more head coaching interviews as he looks for another opportunity at a head coaching position.
Steve Spagnuolo
- Experience: St. Louis Rams (2009-11), New York Giants (interim 2017)
- Head Coach Record: 11-41
Before winning a Super Bowl with the Giants as defensive coordinator in 2007, Spags spent time with the Eagles from 1999 to 2006 in various coaching roles. While his defense is intricate and complicated, that did not translate into victories as a head coach, as he failed in his stop with the Rams between 2009 and 2011. However, it did lead to him winning three championship rings as DC, one with the Giants and two back with Reid and the Chiefs in 2019 and 2023.
Brad Childress
- Experience: Minnesota Vikings (2006-10)
- Head Coach Record: 39-35
The curious case of Brad Childress remains the strangest story in Reid’s coaching disciple tree.
While Childress’ offenses were generally more good than bad, he never stuck as a coordinator after his departure from Minnesota, landing with the Chiefs and Reid again later in his career.
Childress would retire after 2017, eventually retiring to reunite with Matt Nagy (whom he worked alongside in KC), before retiring again in 2020.
Jugo Mobile’ Jacob Camenker also contributed to this report.
