Who is the longest-tenured coordinator for every NFL franchise?

Drulis spent 17 seasons with the Cardinals, working mainly as the team's top defensive lieutenant. Briefly the team's interim head coach in 1961, Drulis had been a defensive assistant in the years prior and an official D-coordinator from 1962-70. He is credited with devising the safety blitz, which took advantage of Hall of Famer Larry Wilson's talents. The former Chicago Cardinal player helped Wilson to Canton but his second stint as St. Louis' DC ended tragically. Drulis died from a heart attack during a team flight to a preseason game in 1972.

Campbell possessed considerable staying power in the NFL, serving as a coordinator or head coach from 1969 to 1989. He led the Falcons twice, during the 1970s and in a late-'80s comeback stint, and rose to the position of Eagles HC in between. He is also the longest-tenured Atlanta DC, leading the team's unit from 1969-73. Campbell produced top-eight defenses from 1971-73, playing a central role in defensive end Claude Humphrey building a Hall of Fame resume. Campbell's Atlanta DC tenure also covered part of Tommy Nobis' high-production career, though the Falcons were never a playoff team on Campbell's watch.

Set to play their 30th season since relocating from Cleveland, the Ravens have yet to see a seven-year coordinator. They have seen several long-running DCs, Lewis being the first. The future Bengals mainstay was the Ravens' first defensive coordinator, and that period (1996-2001) covered the smothering 2000 Super Bowl-winning unit. Pees stepped in after the previous two Baltimore DCs (Rex Ryan, Chuck Pagano) landed HC gigs, leading the unit from 2012-17. Pees collected a ring during this span as well. Known mostly for defensive excellence, the Ravens employed Cavanaugh as their non-play-calling OC (under Brian Billick) from 1999-2004 -- after which a forced resignation occurred.

A former Chief during their AFL days, Corey worked under Marv Levy during his stint as Kansas City's head coach. Corey did not follow Levy to the USFL, staying with the Chiefs under John Mackovic, but enjoyed his most prominent coaching gig under his former boss soon after. Levy hired Corey from the Chiefs after Mackovic's 1987 firing, and he remained the team's defensive boss until 1994. This included six playoff seasons and four straight AFC championships. The linebackers specialist oversaw Cornelius Bennett's work, while the Bruce Smith-powered defense posted three top-five finishes -- even if its work did not match that of Buffalo's explosive offense.

Two defensive minds hold the standard for duration here. Trgovac was Carolina's DC under John Fox, giving Jake Delhomme good protection during the team's Super Bowl XXXVIII appearance and its 2005 NFC championship game run via top-10 defenses. Trgovac turned down an offer to stay for the 2009 season. After Andy Reid fired McDermott two years later , he resurfaced under Ron Rivera. McDermott's defenses played big roles in Carolina's mid-2010s ascent; the Luke Kuechly-fueled unit posted a dominant playoff run to Super Bowl 50 after a 15-1 season. This led McDermott to Buffalo a year later.

A divisive figure in coaching history, Ryan did develop one of the greatest units in NFL annals. The Bears hired Ryan in 1978, four years before reuniting with Mike Ditka. Ryan's belief he should have gotten the Chicago HC job over Ditka created tension, but it remained a workable situation. Ryan lasted eight years in the Bears DC position. During that time, he unleashed the 46 defense -- an all-out-pressure scheme that keyed a mid-'80s rampage. The Bears' 72 sacks in 1984 remain the NFL single-season record, and they punctuated their relentless 1985 season with a 91-10 playoff scoring margin, leading to both Ditka and Ryan carried off the field at Super Bowl XX.

Nearly two decades before struggling as Bengals head coach, LeBeau was Sam Wyche's right-hand man on defense. The offense-minded HC hired LeBeau in 1984 and kept him on throughout his tenure. An assistant since 1973, the Hall of Fame DB and central Ohio native helped Wyche build a contender. Dominance on his Steelers level did not come in Cincinnati, as LeBeau fielded only one top-10 scoring defense -- and it came during an 8-8 1989 season. Holding the explosive 49ers to 20 points in Super Bowl XXIII, LeBeau saw his unit slip to last place in 1991 to help key a coaching staff turnover (which led to the Bengals' 1990s nadir). 

Paul Brown and Blanton Collier both had Brinker running the defense. The Browns founder and his successor relied on Brinker, who worked for the Browns from 1952-73. The final 20 years of that stay came as Cleveland's DC. Coordinator titles were much scarcer in this era, but while the Browns offense is better remembered from this period, Brinker's defense led the NFL -- a league the franchise only joined in 1950 -- in points allowed each year from 1953-56. That gave Otto Graham and Co. a safety net en route to back-to-back NFL titles. Brinker's defense later pitched a shutout (27-0 over the Colts) to elevate the Browns to their most recent championship in 1964.

Tom Landry brought a defensive background to Dallas; Stautner was his right-hand man. The Cowboys promoted the former Steelers defensive lineman to defensive coordinator in 1973; he remained in that post until Landry's spring 1989 firing. The Cowboys formed multiple incarnations of their Doomsday defense, and the D-line instructor oversaw Bob Lilly and the rises of Randy White, Harvey Martin and Ed "Too Tall" Jones. The Cowboys backed Roger Staubach and Danny White with reliable units, ranking in the top 10 nine times from 1973-84. Stautner's troops forced the Craig Morton-led Broncos into eight turnovers in Super Bowl XII.

Taking over the Broncos defense in 1972, Collier is known for introducing the 3-4 defense. Gradually, he put pieces in place for a dominant group to form. Booking no playoff berths in their first 17 seasons, the Broncos rode their Orange Crush defense to Super Bowl XII. Despite that batch only producing one Hall of Famer (linebacker Randy Gradishar) to date, it fueled Denver's rise. Denver muzzled AFC elites Pittsburgh and Oakland to reach its first Super Bowl and ranked behind only the Hall of Famer-laden Steel Curtain defensively in 1978. Five HCs kept Collier on staff through 1988. Over half of the NFL teams use the 3-4 scheme today.

The Lions used McPeak and David as their offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively, from 1967-72. The duo worked under Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt, a David Detroit teammate in the 1950s. The Lions of this period could not match up with the Packers and Cowboys, but they held their own, posting four consecutive winning seasons from 1969 to 1972. David oversaw Hall of Fame cornerback Lem Barney and deployed top-five defenses from 1967-70. Despite not having a well-regarded QB, McPeak -- a former Washington HC -- fielded three top-six offenses in the expanded NFL's first three seasons, helping the Lions to the 1971 playoffs.

Defensive coordinators decades apart, Bengston served as Vince Lombardi's top aide. Capers was in that role under Mike McCarthy. Bengtson oversaw a preposterous talent collection, coaching six Hall of Fame-bound mainstays from 1959-67. Lombardi came to Green Bay as an offensive mind; Bengtson's units backed him ably, ranking in the top three seven times. The Pack shut out the Giants in the 1961 NFL title game and held them to seven points a year later; Bengtson succeeded Lombardi as HC in 1968. Capers was on the sideline for Super Bowl XLV and the Pack's 15-1 2011, though the two-time expansion-team HC's units struggled to complement Aaron Rodgers in the years that followed.

Less than 25 years old, the Texans are represented here by a non-play-calling OC. Gary Kubiak called the shots in Houston, and after Dennison succeeded him as Mike Shanahan's OC in Denver, he wound up with the Texans after Shanahan's 2009 firing. From 2010 to 2013, Dennison rode shotgun to Kubiak. The O-line guru did help finetune Kubiak's zone-blocking approach, powering Arian Foster to the 2010 rushing title, and was aboard when the team made its first two playoff berths (2011-12). Chris Palmer also began four seasons, but the Texans fired their first OC early during the 2005 campaign.

Moore arrived ahead of Peyton Manning's rookie season and did not leave until after Super Bowl XLIV. While Manning was the closest thing modern football had to a player/coach, Moore unleashed the all-time great; four of Manning's record five MVPs came under Moore. A Steelers assistant in the 1970s, Moore gave Manning unparalleled freedom at the line of scrimmage and weaponized the Colts' no-huddle attack. Known to provide some memorable catch-phrases, Moore had the Colts as a top-nine offense in 10 of his 12 Colts seasons. The team won Super Bowl XLI two years after Manning broke Dan Marino's single-season TD pass record. He remains a Buccaneers assistant at 86.

Never rostering a top-tier quarterback, the Jaguars have not positioned themselves for coaching stability. Koetter came closest on offense, running the show from 2007-11 under Jack Del Rio. This period brought lows, but Koetter boosted David Garrard to a capable starter. The efficient passer led the Jags to a wild-card win in Pittsburgh. Smith served as Jacksonville's DC from 2003-07, riding the Marcus Stroud-John Henderson duo to four straight top-10 defenses and the Falcons HC job. Wash oversaw the 2017 "Sacksonville" defense that may have been a correctly officiated Myles Jack fumble-six from Super Bowl LII, though the unit cratered by 2019. 

Spagnuolo's seventh season breaks a tie with DC predecessor Bob Sutton. Illustrating a flaw in American sports discourse, no Patrick Mahomes-GOAT conversations exist without Spagnuolo, who immediately repaired Kansas City's defense in 2019. The Chiefs have gone to five Super Bowls in Spagnuolo's six seasons, adding three rings to a trophy case that already included a Giants title. Regularly dialing up well-timed blitzes, Spagnuolo has given suddenly mortal Chiefs offenses a boost in recent years, compensating for Mahomes falling back to merely "great." The DC's value peaked as the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII with the 15th-ranked offense.

Sumner was on the job longer than Ryan, but a USFL head coaching stint interrupted his 1980s stay on the Los Angeles sideline. Sumner was the Raider DC from 1979-83, collecting two Super Bowl rings. His unit's dominance in Super Bowl XVIII, when the record-setting Washington offense mustered nine points, goes overlooked. Mike Haynes and Lester Hayes became an all-time CB duo under Sumner, who returned to coach a Howie Long-fronted defense from 1987-88 as well. Ryan's tenure (2004-08) did not go as well. Amid a steep decline, the Raiders did do well to rank third defensively during a 2-14 2006 season that featured a woefully overmatched offense.

Simpson served as the Chargers defensive coordinator from 1974-80. Mostly an unremarkable Bolts period, Don Coryell provided an awakening in 1978. Although Coryell's offenses did not have steady defensive backing, the 1979 team -- which claimed the AFC's No. 1 seed -- did, as Simpson's unit finished second in points allowed. Housing Hall of Famer Fred Dean along with Pro Bowler Gary "Big Hands" Johnson, the Chargers saw a four-INT game from Oilers rookie Vernon Perry stymie the Bolts and prevent a Steelers clash. After a high-scoring 1980 AFC title game, Simpson became the Seahawks DC. He died while serving as Lions DC in 1983.

Eric Dickerson-powered offenses overshadowed Shurmur's unit in the 1980s, but John Robinson had him on as his DC from 1983-90. The Rams employed Dickerson and Hall of Fame right tackle Jackie Slater on an offense that later featured an explosive passing attack. Shurmur's defenses held their own for a period, helping a Jeff Kemp-quarterbacked Rams team to the 1984 playoffs and a Dieter Brock-piloted 1985 squad to the NFC title game. The Rams posted three top-six defenses under Shurmur, but an across-the-board 1990 regression brought a firing. 

Defensive coordinator under Howard Schnellenberger and Jimmy Johnson at Miami, Olivadotti resurfaced in South Florida in 1987 to helm a Dolphins defense that could not provide Dan Marino consistent support. While Don Shula's defensive boss delivered moments, most notably a fourth-place finish in the 1990 season with a 12-4 record, the Dolphins continued to top out as a mid-pack defense during Shula's final nine seasons on the sideline. The Dolphins could not find top-end pass-rushing or coverage help during this period, though Olivadotti's linebacker expertise did help John Offerdahl become a perennial Pro Bowler. 

Bud Grant entrusted Burns to run his offense for nearly two decades, making it quite strange when the Hall of Fame leader's first retirement led to Burns being passed over for the HC job. The ex-Vince Lombardi Packers staffer joined the Vikings in 1968. He called the shots for four Super Bowl teams, helping Joe Kapp to an MVP runner-up finish in 1969 and all-time great Fran Tarkenton to the 1975 MVP perch. Burns also deployed Chuck Foreman as perhaps his era's most versatile running back, giving the Purple People Eaters a high-powered attack to support. The Vikings did promote Burns to HC after Grant's second retirement (1986). 

A wildly unpopular head coach, McDaniels is still one of the era's premier offensive play-callers. Hired for a third time as Patriots OC in 2025, McDaniels initially landed the job at age 30 in 2006. This placement, however, covers McDaniels' second go-round as Pats OC. Fired in Denver and becoming a one-and-done OC in St. Louis, McDaniels resurfaced after Bill O'Brien became Penn State's HC. After elevating Brady to a high-octane passer in the 2000s, McDaniels helped the legend extend his prime in the 2010s. He collected three Super Bowl rings, as Rob Gronkowski morphed into the most dominant tight end in NFL history during this stretch.

Although Carmichael is best known as Sean Payton's non-play-calling coordinator, he did receive chances to run the show at points. Payton's 2012 Bountygate suspension led to one of Drew Brees' five 5,000-yard seasons, as the Saints ranked third in offense. Carmichael struggled without Brees and Payton while holding the call sheet from 2022-23. He played a central role in Brees' Hall of Fame path, though, and the Saints' 7,474 total yards in 2011 remains the NFL standard. Carmichael collected a Super Bowl ring two years earlier and remained on staff as Brees powered the Saints to a late-2010s surge. 

Bill Belichick served as Giants DC for six years, but Bill Parcells had Erhardt ahead of the defensive mastermind during his tenure. Parcells held a defensive background, giving the Giants an embarrassment of riches on that side of the ball. Meanwhile, Erhardt operated as the top offensive voice in the building. He served as Parcells' OC from 1982-90. Known as a ball-control team, the Giants carved up the Broncos behind a masterful Phil Simms showing in Super Bowl XXI. Erhardt's finale as Giants play-caller produced a Super Bowl XXV win -- a time-of-possession opus -- despite backup Jeff Hostetler needing to start all three playoff games.

Schottenheimer was not a sought-after candidate by the time he finally landed the Dallas HC job, but his New York stay did bring more attention. The second-generation coach joined as Jets OC under Eric Mangini in 2006 and stayed on under Rex Ryan. Schottenheimer's rookie coordinator season brought the first of Chad Pennington's Comeback Player of the Year honors, and while it was not especially pretty with Mark Sanchez, the Jets won four playoff games in the limited QB's first two seasons. This included upsets over the Chargers, Patriots and Colts. After a 2011 regression, the Jets fired Schottenheimer. 

Mentoring Andy Reid's current DC, Johnson was a blitz savant well before Spagnuolo received a coordinator chance. Reid tabbed Johnson as his first Eagles DC in 1999. Each of Philly's five NFC championship game journeys under Reid featured top-10 defensive protection for the all-time HC great's offense. Turning Brian Dawkins into one of the game's premier defenders, with the Hall of Fame safety's first Pro Bowl coming in 1999, Johnson regularly brought complex game plans to utilize his personnel best. Johnson, who also mentored Ron Rivera and Sean McDermott, died of cancer while still with the Eagles in 2009. 

LeBeau's Pittsburgh stays brought by far his best coaching work. Brought back by Bill Cowher in 2004, LeBeau revitalized the Steelers defense. In four of his second Pittsburgh DC stint's first eight seasons, the team allowed the NFL's fewest points. This included one of the most underrated defensive nuclei, as the 2008 group -- led by Troy Polamalu and James Harrison, a former undrafted free agent -- ran roughshod en route to a Super Bowl XLIII championship. Part of the team's 1990s "Blitzburgh" legacy (as DC from 1995-96), LeBeau was vital to Cowher and Mike Tomlin adding Super Bowl rings in the 2000s. He held on through the 2014 season, developing likely Hall of Famer Cam Heyward.

The Bill Walsh-era 49ers' legacy does not hinge on defense, as the West Coast Offense's innovator was ahead of his time. But Walsh had more room for error thanks to his top lieutenant. One of many Walsh assistants who became head coaches, Seifert held the DC role from 1983 to 1988. After the 49ers ranked 23rd defensively in 1982, Seifert restored them to fourth. During the team's 18-1 1984 season, the defense led the league. The 49ers overwhelming the Dolphins to spoil Dan Marino's record-smashing season in Super Bowl XIX is an underrated defensive gem, and the Ronnie Lott-powered defense ranked in the top eight in each of Seifert's six years running it.

A Chuck Knox lifer, Catlin coached under the veteran leader with the Rams, Bills and Seahawks. His longest stop on the coordinator level came in Seattle, with Knox bringing him to the Pacific Northwest in 1983. The mid-1980s Knox playoff teams could count on their defense, as Catlin bumped it from 24th -- as the team made a surprising run to the AFC championship game -- to fifth in a 12-4 1984 season. The Seahawks kept Catlin on under Tom Flores and later as Dennis Erickson's LBs coach. Catlin's 1992 DC finale brought an unusual awards development. A 2-14 team produced the Defensive Player of the Year (Cortez Kennedy). 

One of the all-time greats, Kiffin pioneered the Tampa 2 defense and played a vital role in the Buccaneers' rise from the NFL's basement . Tony Dungy brought Kiffin to Tampa in 1996, and he stayed on throughout Jon Gruden's tenure as well. Dungy and Rich McKay's mid-'90s overhaul included Kiffin in the cockpit, as he positioned Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber and John Lynch on Hall of Fame courses. Kiffin's masterpiece came in 2002, when the Bucs stormed to a Super Bowl XXXVII rout, finishing off a season in which the defense scored nine touchdowns and allowed only 12.3 points per game.

Schwartz's Lions HC years are a bit underrated by now; the team reemerged from its late-2000s abyss and booked a playoff berth. But he is better known as a coordinator. Schwartz's longest stint came in Tennessee (2001-08), which eventually landed him the Detroit gig. Jeff Fisher brought a defensive background, and it took a while for Schwartz to turn the corner. The Titans ranked in the bottom four defensively from 2004-06, but Fisher stuck with his mid-tenure hire. Behind Albert Haynesworth's short-lived interior dominance, Schwartz's 2007 and '08 units ranked in the top 10. The latter helped Tennessee to one of the more surprising No. 1 seeds in NFL history.

Joe Gibbs did not make battle plans without Petitbon, who arrived with the Hall of Famer in 1981 and was the choice to replace him as HC in 1993. Petitbon did not fare well (with an aging team) as a head coach, but he delivered as an assistant. A one-Pro Bowler 1982 Washington defense led the NFL in points allowed, and the team's next Super Bowl champion ranked sixth five years later. Petitbon's scab defense held a Cowboys team featuring notable picket-line crossers to seven points on a Monday night before the 1987 strike ended. Washington's 1991 team is among the greatest ever; the second-ranked defense dominated all three playoff foes.