Former Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist.
He joined Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren and Dan Reeves in this year’s group of coaching nominees, the Canton, Ohio, museum announced Thursday.
Belichick is the flashiest name on the list, particularly after he was snubbed during his first year of eligibility last year. The current North Carolina head coach led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl victories and three other appearances in the NFL’s championship game.
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Belichick’s 302 career regular-season wins — 36 across a five-year stint with the Cleveland Browns and 266 in 24 years in New England — rank third behind Hall of Famers Don Shula and George Halas.
“If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it. He’s incredible,” Tom Brady, the quarterback for each of Belichick’s titles, said of his initial snub.
The remainder of the nominees boast their own strong resumes.
Shanahan won a pair of titles with the Denver Broncos in the late 1990s, stacking 170 regular-season wins across his time leading Denver and Washington.
Shanahan, the father of current San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, is also highly regarded for introducing an offensive philosophy that has spread throughout the NFL. He blended West Coast passing philosophies with a zone-running scheme that led to constant success.
Holmgren won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and led the Seattle Seahawks to the championship game during a career that featured 161 regular-season victories.
Former New York Giants coach Coughlin won a pair of Super Bowls, defeating Belichick’s Patriots after the 2007 and 2011 seasons.
Reeves is the only coach among this year’s finalists who did not secure a Super Bowl title. He posted an 0-4 record in the NFL’s biggest games: three Super Bowl losses with the Broncos and one with the Atlanta Falcons.
Overall, Reeves, who died in 2022, participated in nine Super Bowls as a player, coordinator and coach. He retired after the 2003 season with 190 regular-season victories, tied for 11th in NFL history.
The upcoming Hall of Fame class will be reduced from the current crop of finalists later this month. The final list for consideration will feature one contributor, one coach and 13 players from the modern era.
The recently revamped 25-person selection committee can cast votes for up to six people. Finalists need 80% support to ensure their enshrinement. Hall of Fame officials previously said they expect to induct between three and seven players each year.
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.
• This story is based in part on wire service reports.
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