Another Top Ten coaching ranking for Mike Zimmer

We’ve got another set of NFL head coaching rankings, this one courtesy of Elliot Harrison of NFL.com. While he does think pretty highly of Minnesota Vikings boss Mike Zimmer as a coach, his ranking here isn’t quite as high as some of the others that we’ve seen so far this offseason.

Harrison has Zimmer ranked at #10 on the list of the 32 NFL head coaches. Here’s what he has to say about that ranking.

Zimmer proved his mettle once again last season, leading the Vikings to an NFC Championship Game appearance despite losing his starting quarterback and tailback early in the season. Even without Sam Bradford and Dalvin Cook, Minnesota won the NFC North with ease. Zimmer rode a fine season from Case Keenum, while keeping the media from building up his backup QB too much. Managing the locker room, as well as building a championship-level defense, are two big reasons Zimmer is in the top 10 on this list.

Once again, Zimmer is ranked behind at least a couple of guys that I don’t think he should be behind. Harrison is another person that. . .for whatever reason. . .has Green Bay Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy ahead of Zimmer in his coaching rankings, placing McCarthy at #6 on his list. I wonder where Zimmer would rank on lists like these if he had Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. . .as opposed to McCarthy, who likely wouldn’t be on the list at all because he’d be unemployed.

Speaking of unemployed, Zimmer is also behind a coach that was just unemployed for a decade on Harrison’s list. Harrison has new Oakland Raiders’ head coach Jon Gruden at #9, despite the fact that it’s been 10 years since Gruden last coached in an NFL game. I know that Gruden was a pretty damn good coach in his time, but until we see how he adapts to the changes that the NFL has undergone since the last time he was on the sidelines, I’d have a hard time putting him in the Top Ten of NFL coaches.

Zimmer is the second-highest ranking coach on this list without a championship on his resume, as Harrison has Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on the list at #7. As far as the remaining NFC North head coaches, Harrison has Detroit’s Matt Patricia and Chicago’s Matt Nagy at #24 and #25, respectively.

What’s your impression of Elliot Harrison’s head coach rankings?