5 Coach Nominees advance for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2027

Group to meet Nov. 17 to choose 1 Candidate for possible election

Five former head coaches in the National Football League, each of whom reached multiple Super Bowls, comprise the list of individuals who have advanced in the process for possible election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027.

Members of the Coach Subcommittee made their selections from a list that originally included 14 nominees. The subcommittee will discuss the five individuals at length when it meets virtually Nov. 17 to select one Candidate to present to the full Selection Committee for its consideration when it casts ballots for the new class of enshrinees in early 2027.

The five individuals still under consideration in the Coach category this year are Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan.

All five reached this stage of the selection process last year, with Belichick ultimately chosen as the Candidate from the category for possible election with the Class of 2026. Holmgren advanced to the annual selection meeting in 2020 and 2025. The last Coach elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame was Don Coryell with the Class of 2023.

Here are brief bios on the five nominees: 

• Bill Belichick: NFL coach from 1975-2023 with head coaching jobs with the Cleveland Browns (1991-95) and New England Patriots (2000-2023). Career record: 333-178 (including playoffs) with six Super Bowl titles as a head coach and two others as an assistant.
• Tom Coughlin: Spent 20 years as an NFL head coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-2002) and New York Giants (2004-2015). Including playoffs, posted a 182-157 record and led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles. Also won a title with Giants as an assistant coach.
• Mike Holmgren: Head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992-98 and the Seattle Seahawks from 1999-2008; won a Super Bowl ring in two Super Bowl trips with the Packers and appeared in another Super Bowl as head coach of the Seahawks. Career record: 174-122 (including postseason). Also won two Super Bowls as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers.
• Dan Reeves: Head coach of the Denver Broncos (1981-1992), New York Giants (1993-96) and Atlanta Falcons (1997-2003). Career record: 201-174-2 (including postseason). Led Broncos (three times) and Falcons (once) to the Super Bowl. Won a title as an assistant with the Dallas Cowboys.
• Mike Shanahan: Head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders (1988-89), Denver Broncos (1995-2008) and Washington Redskins (2010-13). Won back-to-back Super Bowls with the Broncos while compiling a 178-144 career record (including playoffs). Also won a title with the San Francisco 49ers as an assistant coach.

Reduction voting also is occurring in the Players and Contributor categories. On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame announced the names of the five Contributors who have advanced in the process: Ralph Hay, Robert Kraft, Virginia McCaskey, Doug Williams and John Wooten.

Eventually, 15 Finalists will be presented at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl LXI: 13 Modern-Era Players, one Coach and one Contributor.

While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the Hall of Fame’s selection process bylaws stipulate that between three and seven new members will be selected.

This year’s voting will be completed with oversight from the firm EY LLP, a Hall partner since 2019. EY’s Agreed-Upon Procedures include validating the completeness of the ballots and tabulating the ballots in accordance with the bylaws established by the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027 will be announced at “NFL Honors” in Los Angeles in February and enshrined next August in Canton. 

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