Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick knew early in Jerod Mayo’s career that the All-Pro linebacker would one day become a head coach. With Mayo officially taking over as Belichick’s successor, it’s time to examine the best NFL players who became head coaches.
For many years, a majority of NFL head coaches were lifers who spent their 20s and 30s rising up the coaching ladder. However, Mayo’s promotion to head coach and the hiring of Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell means that two players from the 2008 Patriots draft class have become head coaches. With a recent trend developing, it’s worth looking at the history of coaches who also starred on the gridiron.
Here are the best NFL players who became head coaches.
Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots
Selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Patriots out of the University of Tennessee, Mayo immediately became a beloved player in Foxborough. A member of the Patriots’ All-2010s team and a Super Bowl XLIX champion, Mayo was a two-time Pro Bowl selection, won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned first-team All-Pro honors (2010). He was a leader off the Patriots’ defense and was heralded for his football IQ and work ethic. After injuries forced him to medically retire in 2016, Mayo joined the Patriots’ coaching staff as linebackers coach in 2019 and held that role through the 2023 season. Before being named head coach, the Patriots began grooming Mayo to become head coach in 2023.
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Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears
A member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, Mike Ditka is arguably the greatest example of a player transitioning to head coach. In his playing days (1961-’72), Ditka won two championships, earned five Pro Bowl selections, was named an All-Pro five times and was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary Team. As a head coach with the Chicago Bears (1982-’92) and New Orleans Saints (1997-’99), Ditka posted a 121-95 record (.560) in the regular season, winning Super Bowl XX and twice earning NFL Coach of the Year.
Art Shell, Las Vegas Raiders
One of the most beloved players in Raiders’ history, Art Shell went from a third-round pick out of Maryland State in the 1968 NFL Draft to being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After earning eight Pro Bowl selections, winning three Super Bowls and being included in the NFL 100th Anniversary Team, Shell became a coach. As the Raiders’ coach, Shell went 56-52 in seven seasons, making the playoffs three times with two seasons of double-digit wins.
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Mike Singletary, San Francisco 49ers
One of the smartest and most physical linebackers in NFL history with the Chicago Bears (1981-’92), Mike Singletary transitioned to coaching just over a decade after retiring as a player. After starting out as a linebackers coach with the Baltimore Ravens (2003-’04), he became the San Francisco 49ers interim coach in 2008 and kept the job through 2010. While Singletary only went 18-22 as a head coach, he also had one of the best coaching rants ever.
Dick LeBeau, Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers
Dick LeBeau entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick in the 1959 NFL Draft, only to be cut by the Cleveland Browns in training cam. He latched on with the Detroit Lions, becoming one of the best cornerbacks in franchise history. After retiring in 1972 and immediately becoming a special teams coach, LeBeau served as a defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals (1984-’91)m Pittsburgh Steelers (1995-’96, 2004-’14) and Tennessee Titans (2015-’17). It’s where he was most successful, but the member of the Lions All-Time Team also served as three-year stint as the Bengals’ head coach, posting a combined 12-33 record from 2000-’02.
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Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers
Bart Starr, arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the Green Bay Packers, spent his entire playing and coaching career at Lambeau Field. As the Packers’ quarterback, Starr won Super Bowl MVP twice, NFL MVP and brought five NFL titles to Green Bay. He wasn’t quite as successful as the Packers’ head coach, going 52-76-3 (.408) from 1975-’83, but he played every important role in the franchise (quarterback, head coach and general manager).
Forrest Gregg, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns
A teammate of Bart Starr’s with the Green Bay Packers (1956, 1958-’70), Forrest Gregg joins Starr as one of the best NFL players who became head coaches. A seven-time All-Pro selection and a member of the NFL’s 100th-anniversary team, Gregg hung up his cleats after 1971 and immediately became an offensive line coach. He climbed the ladder, becoming a head coach for the Cleveland Browns (18-23), Cincinnati Bengals (32-25) and Green Bay Packers (25-37-1).
Norm Van Brocklin, Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons
Selected in the fourth round of the 1949 NFL Draft, quarterback Norm Van Brocklin won NFL championships with the Los Angeles Rams (1951) and Philadelphia Eagles (1960). In addition, he was the NFL MVP in 1960 and a nine-time Pro Bowl selection. Years after he set the NFL record for passing yards in a game (554), Van Brocklin worked as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings (1961-’66) and Atlanta Falcons (1968-’74). As an NFL head coach, Van Brocklin went 66-100-7 (.398) in 13 seasons.
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Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders
One of the best NFL players to become a head coach, Otto Graham was a three-time NFL MVP and three-time champion with the Cleveland Browns (1946-’55). He only spent a few years in retirement, before becoming head coach of the United States Coast Guard Academy’s football team (1959-’65). It earned him a brief stint as Washington’s head coach, but after a 7-7 season in 1966, he went 10-15 the rest of the way. After posting a .436 winning percentage as an NFL head coach, Graham returned to coach the Coast Guard Bears (1974-’75).
Raymond Berry, Baltimore Colts and New England Patriots
While many modern NFL fans might not be familiar with Raymond Berry, the Pro Football Hall of Famer is one of the greatest examples of NFL players becoming successful head coaches. After helping the Baltimore Colts win two championships, during a legendary career that landed him on the NFL’s 100th anniversary team, Berry became a wide receivers coach following his retirement in 1967. After stints with the Dallas Cowboys (1968-’69), Arkansas Razorbacks (1970-’72), Detroit Lions (1973) and Cleveland Browns (1976-’77), Berry was named the New England Patriots head coach in 1984. He held that title from ‘84 to ‘89. Berry finished his career with 9,275 receiving yards, 66 touchdowns and a 48-39 record as the Patriots’ coach.
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