The 5 best head coaches in the history of the Washington Commanders

Like many franchises in the NFL, the Washington Commanders' success has largely been overseen by one legendary coach who has become synonymous with the franchise as a whole. The aura of Joe Gibbs has been difficult for other coaches to match.

Washington was one of the most successful teams in the league during the 1970s and 1980s, though recent coaches have often failed in spectacular fashion trying to get the organization back on track. Some, however, have had more success in this area than others.

These five coaches stand out as the most exceptional in franchise history. Washington's long period of poor play may eliminate a good chunk of the coaches who have ever tried (and often failed) to lead this franchise, but some diamonds do exist among the rough.

Criteria for selection

These coaches were chosen based on a combination of:

• Win-Loss record
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

5. Jack Pardee

This was a toss-up between Jack Pardee and Otto Graham, who created one of the most brilliant passing offenses in NFL history. Ultimately, Pardee gets the victory here because of the additions he helped make that would eventually set the foundation for the Gibbs era.

The late Pardee, fresh off leading the Chicago Bears to the postseason in 1977, jumped to Washington the following season. Unfortunately, he never made it to the postseason as head coach and finished with an even .500 record of 24-24 in just three seasons.

A former Washington player under George Allen, Pardee was unable to form a successful offense without John Riggins. However, the coach did have some tremendous years after leaving Washington, as he oversaw the Run-N-Shoot Houston Oilers with Warren Moon at the helm in the early 1990s.

4. Norv Turner

Yeah...Washington has had some stinkers as their head coach. The mastermind of the rival Dallas Cowboys' offenses in the early 1990s, Norv Turner was hired after Gibbs and Washington parted company. To say that he had an up-and-down tenure is an understatement.

Turner did have a winning record in four of his seasons in charge of Washington, and he did take his teams to the postseason in 1999. However, he was fired in 2000 despite a winning record for his inability to get this team over the hump. His issues in this area have translated over to other stops in his coaching career.

The Raiders and Chargers found out what Washington fans knew about Turner for a while. While he is competent enough to raise a team's floor and get them in the postseason picture in short order, his limitations made him largely ineffective when he needed to move on in the playoffs.

3. Ray Flaherty

While the greatness of Sammy Baugh hovered over the franchise in the late 1930s, it's easy to forget that Ray Flaherty also coached those teams.

Flaherty lost just 21 games in his seven years as a coach. He won two championships along the way behind Baugh's arm.

Flaherty's unique passing offense was good enough to turn Washington into a true offensive juggernaut that set them up for success. His momentum could only be blunted by World War II, which forced him to vacate his spot as coach to serve.

With eight All-Pro teams under his belt as a star player for the New York Giants and his rings with Washington, Flaherty has one of the most accomplished football lives in NFL history.

2. George Allen

George Allen may be the greatest coach to never win a championship, as his teams in both Los Angeles and Washington were among the very best in the game. He went 67-30 in the nation's capital, constantly fighting it out with Dallas for the title of top team in the NFC.

Allen, who became famous for trading away years worth of draft picks to acquire veteran players, was an old-school coach in every sense of the word. Favoring a strong running game and crunching defense, he never had a losing season as coach and won over 70 percent of his games.

The postseason is where he struggled, as Allen went just 2-7 in the playoffs and only won a knockout game in the 1972 Super Bowl run. While he milked as much talent out of Billy Kilmer and others as possible, his inability to win a ring prevents him from the very top tier of great NFL coaches.

1. Joe Gibbs

Gibbs may be the most underrated great coach in NFL history. Not only did he preside over a decade of elite play in Washington, but he won three Super Bowls (only four other coaches have done that) along the way. He also accomplished this remarkable feat with three different quarterbacks.

Winning with an NFL MVP like Joe Theismann is one thing, but winning two rings in five years with Doug Williams and Mark Rypien is sensational. Between 1981 and 1992, Gibbs won fewer than eight games just one time, making this the greatest era of Washington football.

Even when he came back for his second stint in 2004, he took teams with no business being as good as they were to the playoffs twice in three years. His legacy is secure in Washington, though his status as one of the greatest in league history needs to be promoted as such.

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