The Pro Football Hall of Fame has named nine Coaching Semi-Finalists, which has been reduced from a group of 12 that was previously cut down from a group of 14.

This Pro Football Hall of Fame Coaches Committee will meet virtually on November 19, putting forth one Finalist for the Full Selection Committee.

The Semi-Finalists are:

Bill Arnsberger.  Arnsberger is one of the most heralded defensive minds in NFL history, first working for the Baltimore Colts (1964-69) where his defense brought the Colts to Super Bowl III.  He would join his Cots Coach, Don Shula, to Miami, where his “No-Name Defense” led the Dolphins to back-to-back Super Bowl wins.  He took a shot as a Head Coach with the New York Giants, but after that failed, he returned to Shula and built up another potent defense (The Killer B’s) that won another AFC Title.  Afterward, he went to LSU, then Florida, and returned to the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, where again, as the Defensive Coordinator, he helped the Bolts make their first Super Bowl.

Tom Coughlin:  Coughlin worked his way up the ranks and became the Head Coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.  He was their Head Coach for eight years, bringing them to two AFC Championship Games, the first of which was in the franchise’s second year.  After being fired, he joined the New York Giants, where the stoic leader led the G-Men to two Super Bowl wins (XLII & XLVI).  He retired with an overall record of 170-150 and is already a member of the New York Giants Ring of Honor and Pride of the Jaguars.

Mike Holmgren.  Holmgren won two Super Bowls with San Francisco, first as a Quarterbacks Coach and then as their Offensive Coordinator, and it propelled him to the Head Coaching job at Green Bay in 1992.  He led the Packers to a Super Bowl win at SBXXXI.  Holmgren accepted the Seattle Seahawks coaching job and took them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2005.  A member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor, Holmgren had a career record of 161-111.

Chuck Knox:  An Offensive Line Coach with the New York Jets (1963-66) and for Detroit (1967-72), Knox was elevated to the Head Coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 1973, where he won the AP Coach of the Year as a rookie.  He later coached Buffalo (1978-82) and Seattle (1983-91), where he won Coach of the Year Awards for both clubs, and he concluded his career three years back for the Rams.  He had an overall record of 186-147.

Dan Reeves.  Reeves won a Super Bowl as an Assistant Coach in Dallas and was hired by Denver as their Head Coach in 1981.  He led the Broncos to three AFC Titles but could not punch their ticket into a Super Bowl win.  After he was let go by Denver, he signed with the Giants and won the 1993 AP Coach of the Year.  Later, he took over as Atlanta’s Head Coach, leading them to their first Super Bowl appearance, a loss to his former team (Denver), though he did win his second Coach of the Year.  He had an overall record of 190-165-2 and is a Broncos Ring of Honor member.

Marty Schottenheimer.  Working his way through the Giants and Lions as the Linebackers Coach, Schottenheimer landed the Defensive Coordinator job in Cleveland in 1980 and was promoted to their Head Coach in 1984.  He brought Cleveland to the AFC Finals twice but left for Kansas City in 1989 with another (unsuccessful) trip to the AFC Championship Game (1993).  Schottenheimer took some time off and was lured back by Washington, but that lasted only one year.  He returned for the San Diego Chargers the season after, where he twice took them to the playoffs.  He had an overall record of 200-126-1 and is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.

George Seifert.  Seifert joined the San Francisco 49ers as their Defensive Backs Coach in 1980 and was elevated to Defensive Coordinator in 1983.  He won three Super Bowls as an assistant, and in 1989, he was again promoted to Head Coach. Here, he led the Niners to two more Super Bowl wins and to five NFC Championships Games overall.  He concluded his career with three years as Carolina’s Head Coach and had an overall record of 114-62.

Mika Shanahan.  Shanahan joined Denver as their Wide Receivers Coach in 1984, and a year later, he began a three-year stint as their Offensive Coordinator, where he caught the eye of Raiders owner Al Davis, who hired him to replace Tom Flores.  That did not last long, and he was back in Denver but was let go due to a dispute between Quarterback John Elway and Dan Reeves.  He went to San Francisco, where he won Super Bowl XXIX as their Offensive Coordinator, and he returned to Denver again in 1995, this time on a 14-year run where he took the Broncos to their first two Super Bowl wins (XXXII & XXXIII).  He finished his career with three years at Washington and had an overall record of 170-138.  He is also a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame.

Clark Shaughnessy.  Arguably one of the first great Assistant Coaches in NFL history, Shaughnessy was a very successful college coach (150-117-17) and became the Washington Redskins Advisor in 1944.  He later was the Head Coach for the Rams for two years and served as Chicago’s Defensive Coordinator from 1951 to 1962.

Jeff Fisher, Alex Gibbs, and Richie Petitbon were eliminated.

We congratulate the candidates who have made it to this stage.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame reduced the 2025 Contributor candidates to 14 from 12.  In a couple of weeks, the Blue Ribbon Committee will reduce this group to nine, and eventually, one name will be put forth as a Finalist.

The names considered are:

Bill Arnsberger.  Arnsberger is one of the most heralded defensive minds in NFL history, first working for the Baltimore Colts (1964-69) where his defense brought the Colts to Super Bowl III.  He would join his Cots Coach, Don Shula, to Miami, where his “No-Name Defense” led the Dolphins to back-to-back Super Bowl wins.  He took a shot as a Head Coach with the New York Giants, but after that failed, he returned to Shula and built up another potent defense (The Killer B’s) that won another AFC Title.  Afterward, he went to LSU, then Florida, and returned to the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, where again, as the Defensive Coordinator, he helped the Bolts make their first Super Bowl.

Tom Coughlin:  Coughlin worked his way up the ranks and became the Head Coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.  He was their Head Coach for eight years, bringing them to two AFC Championship Games, the first of which was in the franchise’s second year.  After being fired, he joined the New York Giants, where the stoic leader led the G-Men to two Super Bowl wins (XLII & XLVI).  He retired with an overall record of 170-150 and is already a member of the New York Giants Ring of Honor and Pride of the Jaguars.

Jeff Fisher.  A Super Bowl Champion with the Chicago Bears, Fisher followed his mentor, Buddy Ryan, to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he became their Defensive Line Coach and then, at 30, was the youngest Defensive Coordinator in the league.  He took over in 1995 as the Houston Oilers Head Coach, where he followed the team to Tennessee, helmed them for 16 years, and brought them to their first Super Bowl (XXXIV), a loss to the St. Louis Rams.  He later became the Rams Head Coach for five years (2012-16).  Fisher had an overall record of 173-165-1.

Alex Gibbs.  An Assistant Head Coach and/or Offensive Line Coach for 27 years, working for Denver (1984-87, 1995-2003 & 2013), the Los Angeles Raiders (1988-89), San Diego (1990-91), Indianapolis (1992), Kansas City (1993-94), Atlanta (2004-05), Houston (2008-09) and Seattle (2010).  He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos.

Mike Holmgren.  Holmgren won two Super Bowls with San Francisco, first as a Quarterbacks Coach and then as their Offensive Coordinator, and it propelled him to the Head Coaching job at Green Bay in 1992.  He led the Packers to a Super Bowl win at SBXXXI.  Holmgren accepted the Seattle Seahawks coaching job and took them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2005.  A member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor, Holmgren had a career record of 161-111.

Chuck Knox:  An Offensive Line Coach with the New York Jets (1963-66) and for Detroit (1967-72), Knox was elevated to the Head Coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 1973, where he won the AP Coach of the Year as a rookie.  He later coached Buffalo (1978-82) and Seattle (1983-91), where he won Coach of the Year Awards for both clubs, and he concluded his career three years back for the Rams.  He had an overall record of 186-147.

Richie Petitbon:  A decent player in his own right, Petitbon joined the Washington Redskins staff as their Defensive Backs Coach and was promoted to their Defensive Coordinator in 1981, where he helped Washington win three Super Bowls.  He is currently in the Commanders Ring of Fame.

Dan Reeves.  Reeves won a Super Bowl as an Assistant Coach in Dallas and was hired by Denver as their Head Coach in 1981.  He led the Broncos to three AFC Titles but could not punch their ticket into a Super Bowl win.  After he was let go by Denver, he signed with the Giants and won the 1993 AP Coach of the Year.  Later, he took over as Atlanta’s Head Coach, leading them to their first Super Bowl appearance, a loss to his former team (Denver), though he did win his second Coach of the Year.  He had an overall record of 190-165-2 and is a Broncos Ring of Honor member.

Marty Schottenheimer.  Working his way through the Giants and Lions as the Linebackers Coach, Schottenheimer landed the Defensive Coordinator job in Cleveland in 1980 and was promoted to their Head Coach in 1984.  He brought Cleveland to the AFC Finals twice but left for Kansas City in 1989 with another (unsuccessful) trip to the AFC Championship Game (1993).  Schottenheimer took some time off and was lured back by Washington, but that lasted only one year.  He returned the season after for the San Diego Chargers, where he twice took them to the playoffs.  He had an overall record of 200-126-1 and is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.

George Seifert.  Seifert joined the San Francisco 49ers as their Defensive Backs Coach in 1980 and was elevated to Defensive Coordinator in 1983.  He won three Super Bowls as an assistant, and in 1989, he was again promoted to Head Coach. Here, he led the Niners to two more Super Bowl wins and to five NFC Championships Games overall.  He concluded his career with three years as Carolina’s Head Coach and had an overall record of 114-62.

Mika Shanahan.  Shanahan joined Denver as their Wide Receivers Coach in 1984, and a year later, he began a three-year stint as their Offensive Coordinator, where he caught the eye of Raiders owner Al Davis, who hired him to replace Tom Flores.  That did not last long, and he was back in Denver but was let go due to a dispute between Quarterback John Elway and Dan Reeves.  He went to San Francisco where he won Super Bowl XXIX as their Offensive Coordinator, and he returned to Denver again in 1995, this time on a 14-year run where he took the Broncos to their first two Super Bowl wins (XXXII & XXXIII).  He finished his career with three years at Washington and had an overall record of 170-138.  He is also a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame.

Clark Shaughnessy.  Arguably one of the first great Assistant Coaches in NFL history, Shaughnessy was a very successful college coach (150-117-17) and became the Washington Redskins Advisor in 1944.  He later was the Head Coach for the Rams for two years and served as Chicago’s Defensive Coordinator from 1951 to 1962.

We congratulate the candidates who have made it to this stage.

Today, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 12 Finalists in both the Senior and Coach/Contributor categories. The Senior Players were reduced from 31 Semi-Finalists and 29 in the Coach/Contributor category.

The Senior Finalists are:

Ken Anderson: Quarterback, CIN 1971-86: Ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com. Anderson is a Finalist once again, and seeks to become the third Bengal to gain enshrinement. He brought the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance and was the consensus MVP in 1981. Anderson went to four Pro Bowls, was a one-time First Team All-Pro, and also won the coveted Walter Payton Man of the Year. Statistically, he threw for 32,838 Yards, 197 Touchdowns, led the NFL in Passing Yards twice, and Pass Completion Percentage three times.

Maxie Baughan: Linebacker, PHI 1960-65, LAR 1966-70 & WAS 1972. Ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com. Baughan went to nine out of 10 Pro Bowls throughout the 1960s, and was also chosen for one First Team All-Pro and five Second Team All-Pros.

Roger Craig: Running Back, SF 1983-90, RAI 1991 & MIN 1992-93: Ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com. A three-time Super Bowl Champion with San Francisco, Craig made history as the game’s first player to obtain for 1,000 Rushing Yards and 1,000 Receiving Yards in the same season. He is a four-time Pro Bowl, one-time First Team All-Pro and was the 1988 Offensive Player of the Year.

Randy Gradishar: Linebacker, DEN 1974-83. Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com. Gradishar was the 1978 Defensive Player of the Year and would collect seven Pro Bowls. He is also a two-time First Tea All-Pro.

Joe Jacoby: Offensive Lineman, WAS 1981-93: Ranked #41 on Notinhalloffame.com. Jacoby won three Super Bowls and was a four-time Pro Bowl and two-time First Team All-Pro.

Albert Lewis: Cornerback, KAN 1983-93 & RAI/OAK 1994-98: Ranked #129 on Notinhalloffame.com. Lewis was a Finalist for the first time in his last year on the modern ballot, and is here on his first Senior ballot. The Defensive Back had 42 Interceptions, four Pro Bowls and two First Team All-Pros.

Steve McMichael: Defensive Tackle & Nose Tackle, NWE 1980, CHI 1981-93 & GNB 1994: Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com. McMichael is a surprise here, as he was not a Semi-Finalist last year. He won a Super Bowl with Chicago and was a two-time Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro.

Eddie Meador: Cornerback & Safety, RAM 1959-70. Ranked #81 on Notinhalloffame.com. Meador recorded 46 Interceptions and went to six Pro Bowls in the 1960s along with obtaining two First Team All-Pros.

Art Powell: Split End, Defensive Back & Wide Receiver, PHI 1959, NYT 1960-62, OAK 1963-66, BUF 1967 & MIN 1968: Ranked #171 on Notinhalloffame.com. Twice leading the AFL in rushing, Powell was a five-time AFL All-Star and two-time First Team All-Pro.

Sterling Sharpe: Wide Receiver, GNB 1988-94: Ranked #28 on Notinhalloffame.com. Sharpe’s career was cut short due to injury, but still managed five Pro Bowls, three First Team All-Pros and twice led the NFL in Receptions. He also once led the NFL in Touchdown Receptions.

Otis Taylor: Wide Receiver & Flanker, KAN 1965-75: Ranked #13 on Notinhalloffame.com. Taylor is a Super Bowl Champion with the Chiefs and he has an AFL All-Star and two Pro Bowls on his ledger. He was also the NFL’s leading receiver in Yards in 1971.

Al Wistert: Tackle, Guard & Defensive End, 1943-51: Ranked #38 on Notinhalloffame.com. Wistert won two NFL Championships with the Eagles and was honored with four First Team All-Pro Selections.

This means that the following did not advance:

Ottis Anderson: Running Back, STL 1979-86 & NYG 1986-92. Ranked #54 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Carl Banks: Linebacker, NYG 1984-92, WAS 1993, CLE 1994-95. Ranked #253 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Larry Brown: Running Back, WAS 1969-76. Ranked #109 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Mark Clayton: Wide Receiver, MIA 1983-92 & GNB 1993: Ranked #222 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Charlie Conerly: Quarterback, NYG 1948-61: Ranked #23 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Henry Ellard: Wide Receiver, RAM 1983-93, WAS 1994-98 & NWE 1998: Ranked #71 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Lester Hayes: Cornerback, OAK/RAI 1977-86. Ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Chris Hinton: Offensive Lineman, BAL/IND 1983-89, ATL 1990-03 & MIN 1994-95. Ranked #152 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Cecil Isbell: Tailback, GNB 1938-42: Ranked #59 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Billy “White Shoes” Johnson: Wide Receiver & Returner, HOU 1974-80, ATL 1982-87 & WAS 1988: Ranked #110 on Notinhalloffame.com

Mike Kenn: Offensive Lineman, ATL 1978-94. Ranked #85 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bob Kuechenberg: Offensive Lineman, MIA 1970-83: Ranked #35 on Notinhalloffame.com.

George Kunz: Offensive Lineman, ATL 1969-74 & BAL 1975-80: Ranked #98 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jim Marshall: Defensive End, MIN 1960-79: Ranked #21 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Clay Matthews Jr.: Linebacker, CLE 1978-93 & ATL 1994-96: Ranked #99 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Stanley Morgan: Wide Receiver, NWE 1977-89 & NO 1990: Unranked on Notinhalloffame.com

Tommy Nobis: Linebacker, ATL 1966-76, Ranked #27 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Tasker: Special Teams, HOU 1985-86 & BUF 1986-97: Ranked #112 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Everson Walls: Cornerback, DAL 1981-89, NYG 1990-92 & CLE 1992-93: Ranked #88 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The Coach/Contributor Finalists are:

Tom Coughlin: Coughlin won a Super Bowl with the Giants as an Assistant Coach, and was later Jacksonville’s first Head Coach. After taking the Jaguars to two AFC Championship Games, he would become the Giants Head Coach in 2004, and would win two Super Bowls. He had an overall coaching record of 170-150.

Mike Holmgren: Holmgren coached the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998 and would lead them to a Super Bowl Championship. He later served as Seattle’s Head Coach from 1999 to 2008 and lead them to a Super Bowl Appearance. Holmgren also has two Super Bowl Rings as an Assistant Coach and has an overall record of 151-111.

Bucko Kilroy: Kilroy won three Super Bowls as an executive with New England, and before that he was a scout in the 1960s, helping Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas find talent.

Robert Kraft: Kraft is the long-time owner of the New England Patriots, having bought the team in 1994. Since his acquisition, the Patriots became one of the most successful franchises in Football, winning six Super Bowls.

Buddy Parker: Parker was Detroit’s Head Coach from 1951 to 1955, where he led them to two NFL Championships. He was also Pittsburgh’s Head Coach from 1957 to 1964 and had an overall record of 104-75-9.

Dan Reeves: Reeves was the Head Coach for Denver from 1981 to 1992, and brought them to three Super Bowls, though they were unable to defeat their NFC opponents. He was later the Giants Head Coach (1993-96) and then took over in Atlanta (1997-03) and brought them to their first Super Bowl, though he lost to his former team, Denver. His overall record was 190-165-2.

Art Rooney Jr.: A member of the legendary Rooney family that has always owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rooney Jr. is the current Vice President and former Personnel Director.

Marty Schottenheimer: Schottenheimer was the Head Coach for four different teams (Cleveland 1984-88, Kansas City 1989-96, Washington 2001 & San Diego (2002-06), and had an overall record of 200-126-1.

Mike Shanahan: Shanahan was Denver’s Head Coach from 1995 to 2006, and it was under his watch that the Broncos won their first two Super Bowls. He also has a Super Bowl Ring as an Assistant Coach with San Francisco. His overall record was 170-138.

Clark Shaughnessy: Shaughnessy had a long career in both College and the pro ranks, the latter where he was an Assistant Coach and Consultant for Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Lloyd Wells: Wells was football’s first full-time African-American Scout and he focused on HBCUs in a career with the Kansas City Chiefs.

John Wooten: Wooten won two Super Bowls; one with Dallas and one with Baltimore, for his roles as a scouting executive.

This means that Bud Adams Jr., Roone Arledge, C.O. Brocato, Alex Gibbs, Ralph Hay, Eddie Kotal, Elmer Layden, Jerry Markbreit, Virginia McCaskey, Rich McKay, John McVay, Art Modell, Carl Peterson, Jerry Seeman, George Seifert, Seymour Siwoff and Jim Tunney did not advance.

The respective committees will meet next month, and announce their Finalists at a date to be determined.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate all the Finalists for the 2024 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.