The list of potential coaching candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame has been trimmed to 12 individuals, featuring notable two-time Super Bowl champions such as Tom Coughlin, Mike Shanahan, and George Seifert. The selection was revealed on Thursday by the Hall’s Blue Ribbon committee dedicated to coaches, which consists of nine members.
Next, the committee will narrow down the candidates to nine semifinalists in the coming weeks. Eventually, one coach will be selected to compete for a spot in front of the entire Hall selection committee early next year. The chosen coaching candidate will be evaluated alongside one contributor and three senior candidates. Ultimately, between one and three of these five finalists can be inducted if they receive at least 80% of the committee’s votes.
Coughlin, Shanahan, and Seifert are part of a select group of 14 coaches who have each secured multiple Super Bowl victories. Out of these, nine coaches have already been inducted into the Hall, while Bill Belichick and Andy Reid are yet to reach eligibility. Coughlin had a two-decade-long coaching career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Giants. He remarkably led the Jaguars to their first AFC title game during just their second season and repeated this achievement in 1999. However, his most significant accomplishments came after joining the Giants in 2004, where he guided the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2007 by defeating the previously undefeated Patriots, and then again in 2011 against New England. Coughlin’s overall record stands at 170-150 in regular-season games.
Seifert contributed to San Francisco’s success by winning two titles as a defensive coordinator under the legendary Bill Walsh, and then capturing two more championships as the head coach after taking over for Walsh in 1989. Over his eight seasons with the 49ers, Seifert achieved a remarkable record of 98-30, boasting a winning percentage of .766—the highest for any coach managing a single team with at least 100 games coached. However, he faced challenges replicating that level of success during his three years with the Carolina Panthers, finishing with a 16-32 record.
Shanahan previously served as the offensive coordinator for Seifert’s 1994 championship-winning team and later claimed back-to-back Super Bowl titles as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 1997 and 1998. Compiling a career record of 170-138 with the Raiders, Broncos, and Washington, Shanahan’s lasting impact on the sport can be felt through his coaching legacy, particularly among current NFL head coaches such as his son Kyle, who leads the 49ers. Notably, several head coaches, including Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, Matt LaFleur, and Raheem Morris, all worked under Shanahan in Washington, benefiting from the offensive system he introduced that melds the outside zone run scheme with the passing game—an approach that continues to thrive in today’s NFL.
Mike Holmgren, another Super Bowl-winning candidate, served as the offensive coordinator before Shanahan in San Francisco, leaving an indelible mark on future coaches like Reid and Jon Gruden, who both clinched Super Bowl titles after coaching under Holmgren in Green Bay. He boasts a career record of 161-111 while coaching the Packers and Seahawks, securing a championship title in 1996 and making two Super Bowl appearances thereafter.
Other noteworthy candidates include Jeff Fisher, who coached the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans, and the Rams; Chuck Knox, recognized for his Coach of the Year accolades with the Rams, Bills, and Seahawks; Dan Reeves, who led teams to four Super Bowls with the Broncos and Falcons; and Marty Schottenheimer, known for his impressive 200 regular-season victories and 13 playoff appearances across 20 seasons with teams such as Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, and San Diego.
The candidate pool also features lesser-known assistants like Bill Arnsparger, who played a crucial role in Miami’s perfect season in 1972; Richie Petitbon, who called defenses for three Super Bowl champions in Washington; and long-time offensive line coach Alex Gibbs, who was instrumental in Denver’s two titles in the 1990s and popularized the zone blocking scheme. Finally, Clark Shaughnessy stands out as an innovative figure recognized as the “father of the T formation” and three-receiver set. His career included a notable period as an adviser to legendary Bears coach George Halas during the team’s iconic 73-0 title game win over Washington in 1940, as well as coaching roles with the Rams and serving as a defensive coordinator in Chicago.