Coaches rankings: Give it up for Bill Belichick

The top NFL coaches are the grizzled vets who have proven their worth over time. But there are some young coaches pushing their way to the top and finding new ways to do things.

RealScouts, Sporting News' team of former NFL scouts, rank all the NFL head coaches:

1. Bill Belichick, Patriots. The smartest coach in the league. No one does a better job of adapting schemes and personnel to the opponent on a week-to-week basis. He always finds a way to win the matchup game.

2. Tom Coughlin, Giants. Preparation is the key for the detail-oriented Coughlin. His team is ready to play every Sunday.

3. Andy Reid, Eagles. No matter what is going on in and around his team, Reid has the Eagles contending at the end of the season.

4. Jeff Fisher, Titans. In the NFL, no coach gets to stay in one place as long as he has unless really, really good. A yard away from a Super Bowl title, he guided this team through a restructuring phase and back into contention.

5. Mike Tomlin, Steelers. He is smart and tough, but the best thing he does is delegate authority. He lets his assistants coach and his players play.

6. Sean Payton, Saints. He is an offensive genius who has built a juggernaut. With more talent on defense in '09, the Saints could be an NFC contender.

7. Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals. The desert has been a burial ground for good coaches, but Whisenhunt has conquered all the negatives and put the Pittsburgh stamp on the former laughingstock of the league.

8. Mike Smith, Falcons. He is a defensive-minded guy who took a rookie quarterback and a no-name defense and turned them into a contender in his first year.

9. John Fox, Panthers. He is a player's coach and a great motivator. The players love playing for him.

10. John Harbaugh, Ravens. Unlike most coaches, he has no ego but still is effective in front of the team. He gets the most out of every player and coach.

11. Brad Childress, Vikings. The team has gotten better every year under his watch, and last season he got the Vikings to the playoffs without a viable quarterback.

12. Tony Sparano, Dolphins. Like his boss, Bill Parcells, Sparano brings an attitude and toughness missing for several years in Miami. He is a block-and-tackle guy who boils everything down to fundamentals.

13. Norv Turner, Chargers. An outstanding offensive play-caller, Turner has enough presence and savvy to steady the ship in troubled times and keep the Chargers in Super Bowl contention.

14. Mike Singletary, 49ers. He is a hard-nosed, tough-minded, old-school guy who eventually will build this team in his image.

15. Wade Phillips, Cowboys. He takes too much blame for the troubles in Dallas. However, he is innovative defensive mind and can deal with some big egos.

16. Mike McCarthy, Packers. He has the necessary belief in his team to make bold changes and make them pay off. Last year, he dumped Brett Favre for Aaron Rodgers. This season, he moves his defense to a 3-4 scheme. He always is looking for ways to make the team better.

17. Jack Del Rio, Jaguars. His team is built in his image -- tough, physical and competitive. Last year was a tough one, but Del Rio proved himself as a leader by making tough offseason decisions.

18. Dick Jauron, Bills Though he came through the ranks as a defensive coordinator, his most prominent trait is that his players love to play for him.

19. Jim Mora, Seahawks. He was groomed for this job the past year, learning the Seattle organization as an assistant to the now retired Mike Holmgren. Mora is smart and will learn from his mistakes made in Atlanta.

20. Lovie Smith, Bears. A Tony Dungy disciple, Smith is the picture of stoicism. He is one of the first generation Tampa-2 guys on defense, and his group will be much better this season now that he is reunited with line coach Rod Marinelli. Smith's new quarterback, Jay Cutler, will make him and his team better.

21. Marvin Lewis, Bengals. It wasn't long ago that Lewis was considered the NFL's preeminent defensive mind. He is a good coach, but it's hard to be successful in Bengal Land.

22. Gary Kubiak, Texans. The Texans have one of the top two receivers in the game, a solid quarterback, an exciting young running back, an improved offensive line and productive young talent on defense. It's time for Houston to make the jump to the playoffs.

23. Jim Zorn, Redskins. Following Joe Gibbs is not an easy job, and a meddling owner makes it tougher. Things started well enough for Zorn in '08. He is a good coach, but we expected him to handle his players better. He must bounce back from a poor finish.

24. Rex Ryan, Jets. We will bet money Ryan will be higher on this list next year. He has all the tools to be a great coach and is finally getting his shot.

25. Eric Mangini, Browns. In the mold of his mentor, Belichick, Mangini is tough. But he is stubborn, which often limits his game plans and hinders his relationships with players.

26. Steve Spagnuolo, Rams. He is creative when it comes to using personnel groupings and alignments to create mismatches. He also has outstanding leadership characteristics. What he needs now is more talent.

27. Jim Schwartz, Lions. He is an excellent coach who has an excellent rapport with players. Detroit, however, is a tough place to prove your worth.

28. Jim Caldwell, Colts. Peyton Manning is the coach, captain and leader of this team. As long as the quarterback is in Indy, Caldwell will not drive the success of this team.

29. Todd Haley, Chiefs. He is a hard-nosed coach who comes into his first head coaching gig with high expectations. He also is an excellent play-caller, but the Chiefs lack talent. If Haley can weather the storm early, his front office should take care that problem.

30. Tom Cable, Raiders. He showed some fight at the end of last season, proving he can motivate his team. Despite all the good feelings now, the owner makes this a tough situation.

31. Raheem Morris, Buccaneers. The players in Tampa like him a lot. But he is a young coach (he turns 33 in September) with no head coaching experience. He might be in over his head.

32. Josh McDaniels, Broncos. No head coach, especially a rookie, makes a positive mark by trading the franchise quarterback. McDaniels already is in trouble.

Just as long as Rex Ryan isn't ahead of Sporano. lol

I like Tomlin ... a players coach but has the demeanor to reprimand players like an owner.

This article was in June...

Dang, you're right. I thought it said January.

BTW, what changes does a year make, eh?

They ranked Sparano kind of low for being 11-5 and winning a division in his only year.

Dang, you're right. I thought it said January.

BTW, what changes does a year make, eh?

I suspect that if the writer were to re-write the article now Sparano would be below Rex Ryan.

If this was written before the 2009 season, I am surprised at Payton ranking at number 6. He was only 2 games over .500 after three seasons (25-23) of coaching of which he went 15-17 in the past 2 of those three seasons.