Coaching Trees

A coaching tree shows who learned from whom in the NFL. A coach who spent years working under another coach usually carries that mentor's playbook, terminology, and tendencies with them when they get their own job. This matters for fantasy football because schemes follow coaches.

If a new offensive coordinator comes from the Sean McVay tree, you can expect a wide-zone running game, a heavy dose of play-action passes, and a featured number-one running back. If a new head coach comes from the Andy Reid tree, expect more spread formations, lots of pre-snap motion, and tight ends getting fed.

This page lists the major trees and links to the coaches who belong to each.

The Major Trees

Andy Reid Tree

Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs head coach) has produced more current NFL head coaches than any other living coach. The Reid system favors spread formations, motion before the snap, and tight ends in the passing game.

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Sean McVay Tree

Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams head coach) revolutionized the wide-zone running game and play-action passing in the late 2010s. His disciples run very similar offenses.

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Bill Belichick Tree

Bill Belichick's system is more defense-focused but his offensive disciples often run a heavy pre-snap motion attack with versatile running backs and tight ends.

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Kyle Shanahan Tree

Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers head coach) shares roots with the McVay tree but his version leans even harder on the wide-zone run and motion. His running backs and tight ends usually have outsized fantasy value.

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Mike McDaniel / Outside-Zone Branches

Smaller branches connected to the Shanahan and McVay trees. McDaniel (Miami Dolphins) is the most visible example.

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Sean Payton Tree

Sean Payton (Denver Broncos head coach) runs a complex passing attack with route combinations that target running backs and slot receivers heavily.

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Defensive Trees (Belichick, Vic Fangio, Wink Martindale)

Defensive trees matter less for fantasy on the offensive side, but they shape how team defenses are valued as fantasy units.

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Why This Matters for Fantasy

• A new coordinator from a known tree gives you a head start on guessing how a player will be used in week one.
• Disciples carry the mentor's strengths AND weaknesses. If McVay's RBs always get 70% snap share, the next McVay-tree OC's RB1 is probably a smart draft pick.
• When a coach gets fired and replaced, the existing roster may not fit the new scheme — watch for value drops on players whose strengths don't match the new system.

Open Questions

See [[Fantasy Football Open Questions]] for unresolved questions tied to coaching trees.