Where every head coach in Super Bowl history graduated high school

Bill Walsh, Andy Reid, John Madden headline 17 head coaches from California that have been on the sideline for the NFL's biggest game.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Zack Poff
By
Feb 6, 2026, 10:00am
Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel are two days away from coaching in the biggest game of their careers Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Super Bowl LX. 

Macdonald will join Dan Reeves, Sean McVay and Ken Whisenhunt as past head coaches from Georgia to coach in a Super Bowl. He graduated from Centennial (Roswell) in 2006. 

Vrabel will become the fourth head coach from Ohio joining Chuck Knoll, Don McCafferty and Don Shula. He graduated from Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls) in 1993. 

California leads the way by a landslide with 17. Some notable names include Pete Carroll, Jeff Fisher, Joe Gibbs, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Holmgren, John Madden, Andy Reid, George Seifert, Kyle Shanahan, Dick Vermeil and Bill Walsh. 

Texas has had the second-most with six headlined by Jimmy Johnson and Tom Landry. 

Georgia will join Illinois and Pennsylvania as the only states with five. Marv Levy, Sean Payton and Mike Shanahan were the most notable from Illinois. Bill Cowher and Mike Ditka headline the list from Pennsylvania. 

Bill Belichick has coached in more Super Bowls than any other coach and is the lone representative from Maryland. He graduated from Annapolis in 1970. He coached in nine Super Bowls during his 24-year tenure with New England and went 6-3. 

In total, 16 states have produced at least one head coach that has coached in a Super Bowl.
Arkansas (1)
Barry Switzer, Crossett: Super Bowl XXX

California (17)
Brian Billick, Redlands (Redlands): XXXV
Pete Carroll, Redwood (Larkspur): XLVIII, XLIX
Jim Fassel, Anaheim: XXXV
Jeff Fisher, Taft (Woodland Hills): XXXIV
Tom Flores, Sanger: XV, XVIII
John Fox, Castle Park (Chula Vista): XXXVIII, XLIX
Joe Gibbs, Santa Fe (Santa Fe Springs): XVII, XVIII, XXII, XXVI
Jim Harbaugh, Palo Alto: XLVII
Mike Holmgren, Lincoln (San Francisco): XXXI, XXXII, XL
John Madden, Jefferson (Daly City): XI
Mike Martz, Madison (San Diego): XXXVI
Andy Reid, Marshall (Los Angeles): XXXIX, LIV, LV, LVII, LVIII, LIX
Ron Rivera, Seaside: 50
George Seifert, San Francisco Poly (San Francisco): XXIV, XXIX
Kyle Shanahan, Saratoga: LIV, LVIII
Dick Vermeil, Calistoga: XV, XXXIV
Bill Walsh, Hayward: XVI, XIX, XXIII

Georgia (4)
Dan Reeves, Americus: XXI, XXII, XXXIII
Sean McVay, Marist (Atlanta): LIII, LVI
Ken Whisenhunt, Academy of Richmond County (Augusta): XLIII
Sam Wyche, North Fulton (Atlanta): XXIII

Illinois (5)
Bill Callahan, Mendel Catholic (Chicago): XXXVII
Marv Levy, South Shore (Chicago): XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII
Red Miller, Macomb: XII
Mike Shanahan, East Leyden (Franklin Park): XXXII, XXXIII

Indiana (3)
Weeb Ewbank, Richmond: III
Jon Gruden, Clay (South Bend): XXXVII
Hank Stram, Lew Wallace (Gary): I, IV

Maryland (1)
Bill Belichick, Annapolis: XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, XLVI, XLIX, LI, LII, LIII

Michigan (3)
George Allen, Lake Shore (St. Clair Shores): VII
Tony Dungy, Parkside (Jackson): XLI
John Harbaugh, Pioneer (Ann Arbor): XLVII

New Jersey (3)
Ray Malavasi, Clifton: XIV
Bill Parcells, River Dell (Oradell): XXI, XXV, XXXI
Dan Quinn, Morristown: LI

New York (3)
Tom Coughlin, Waterloo: XLII, XLVI
Vince Lombardi, St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows): I, II
Nick Sirianni, Southwestern (Jamestown): LVII, LIX

Ohio (3)
Chuck Knoll, Benedictine (Cleveland): IX, X, XIII, XIV
Don McCafferty, Rhodes (Cleveland): V
Don Shula, Harvey (Painesville): III, VI, VII, VIII, XVII, XIX

Oklahoma (1)
Zac Taylor, Norman: LVI

Pennsylvania (5)
Bruce Arians, William Penn (York): LV
Bill Cowher, Carlynton (Carnegie): XXX, XL
Mike Ditka, Aliquippa: XX
Mike McCarthy, Bishop Boyle (Homestead): XLV
John Rauch, Yeadon: II

Texas (6)
Raymond Berry, Paris: XX
Forrest Gregg, Sulphur Springs: XVI
Jimmy Johnson, Thomas Jefferson (Port Arthur): XXVII, XXVIII
Gary Kubiak, St. Pius X (Houston): 50
Tom Landry, Mission: V, VI, X, XII, XIII
Lovie Smith, Big Sandy: XLI

Virginia (2)
Bobby Ross, Benedictine (Richmond): XXIX
Mike Tomlin, Denbigh (Newport News): XLIII, XLV

Washington (1)
Doug Pederson, Ferndale: LII

Wisconsin (2)
Jim Caldwell, Beloit Memorial (Beloit): XLIV
Bud Grant, Central (Superior): IV, VIII, IX, XI

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