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My list of the 20 Greatest College FB coaches ever
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:32 am
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:32 am
Warning: I don't have Eddie Robinson or John Gagliardi or any coach who started their careers in the 1890s like Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding Yost, Walter Camp, and John Heisman listed because the level of competition and rules they coached under were radically different. Rockne's the only coach on the list who didn't coach in the poll era but I felt like I had to put him on the list because he was such an integral figure in the history of college football.
1. Bear Bryant
2. Bobby Bowden- Had Bowden above Paterno because I felt like he was the better coach against elite competition, also 14 straight top 5 finishes blows away anything that Paterno has done
3. Joe Paterno
4. Knute Rockne
5. Tom Osborne
6. Bud Wilkinson
7. Robert Neyland
8. Woody Hayes
9. Nick Saban
10. Barry Switzer- One of the most controversial coaches in NCAA history but his accomplishments speak for themselves, had a 12-5 head-to-head record against Tom Osborne
11. Darrell Royal
12. Frank Leahy
13. Pete Carroll- Might be a little high but the manner in which Carroll's USC teams dominated CFB for a decade and how he was nearly unbeatable against elite competition has him ranked very high on my list
14. John McKay
15. Steve Spurrier
16. Ara Parseghian
17. Urban Meyer
18. Bo Schembechler- Amazing consistency but zero national championships and horrific bowl record (especially in Rose Bowls) prevents me from ranking him any higher
19. Johnny Vaught
20. Lou Holtz- only coach to take six different programs to bowl games but NCAA troubles followed him wherever he went
1. Bear Bryant
2. Bobby Bowden- Had Bowden above Paterno because I felt like he was the better coach against elite competition, also 14 straight top 5 finishes blows away anything that Paterno has done
3. Joe Paterno
4. Knute Rockne
5. Tom Osborne
6. Bud Wilkinson
7. Robert Neyland
8. Woody Hayes
9. Nick Saban
10. Barry Switzer- One of the most controversial coaches in NCAA history but his accomplishments speak for themselves, had a 12-5 head-to-head record against Tom Osborne
11. Darrell Royal
12. Frank Leahy
13. Pete Carroll- Might be a little high but the manner in which Carroll's USC teams dominated CFB for a decade and how he was nearly unbeatable against elite competition has him ranked very high on my list
14. John McKay
15. Steve Spurrier
16. Ara Parseghian
17. Urban Meyer
18. Bo Schembechler- Amazing consistency but zero national championships and horrific bowl record (especially in Rose Bowls) prevents me from ranking him any higher
19. Johnny Vaught
20. Lou Holtz- only coach to take six different programs to bowl games but NCAA troubles followed him wherever he went
11
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:34 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
disagree with you on Robinson his accomplishments should land him in the top 20
This post was edited on 2/5/12 at 12:36 am
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:36 am to KingwoodLsuFan
Yeah but he was a Division 1-AA coach. It's almost impossible to compare him to someone like Bear Bryant because the level of competition was so different.
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:42 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
His talent was equal to the elite when the colleges were segregated.
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:42 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
the atlantic coast conference, elite competition
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:43 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
quote:
Yeah but he was a Division 1-AA coach. It's almost impossible to compare him to someone like Bear Bryant because the level of competition was so different.
Robinson's teams played with kids who were in the same division as his opponents. The "level of competition" thing is total BS.
This post was edited on 2/5/12 at 12:44 am
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:45 am to twelvegauge
quote:
the atlantic coast conference, elite competition
They played Miami and Florida every year along with other strong non-conference teams.
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:46 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
quote:
Carroll's USC teams dominated CFB for a decade
not even close.
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:50 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
How can you not have Les Miles on your list when you have Urban Meyer? Is is because of the Jan 9th debacle? Would you have Miles there if LSU had won the BCSNCG this year?
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:52 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
could wallace wade get mentioned? helped put southern football on the map while at alabama between 1923-1930 and then at duke from 1931-1950. took alabama to 3 rose bowls and DUKE to 2.
Posted on 2/5/12 at 12:54 am to rickgrimes
quote:
How can you not have Les Miles on your list when you have Urban Meyer? Is is because of the Jan 9th debacle? Would you have Miles there if LSU had won the BCSNCG this year?
Meyer does have 2 crystal balls and a sugar bowl win with Florida and a Fiesta bowl win with Utah. Les has a Sugar bowl win and 1 crystal ball
This post was edited on 2/5/12 at 12:55 am
Posted on 2/5/12 at 1:25 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
quote:
11. Darrell Royal
My gf sees him often. Sounds like a wonderful guy. Never heard of him until we got here
Posted on 2/5/12 at 1:28 am to crankbait
so five of the greatest coaches ever we active at the start of 2010 season?
Posted on 2/5/12 at 7:38 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
The names are fine on most of the list but the order is always going to be a controversy.
Paterno is a product of coaching for 50 years; great coach but the 3rd best ever? I have no idea. I do know he only won 2 national titles (could have more based on the bowl system now).
Osborne has 3 NCs but an 835 WP. Hayes has 5 national titles for example.
You can argue Saban higher based on the reduced scholarship numbers vs when there were 10 good teams every year, 30 teams who were average, and 70 bad, vs like 30 good teams now with another 50 average ones (my opinion).
My top 5 would probably be:
Bryant
Rockne
Hayes
Bowden
Saban
But that's the fun of debates like this
Paterno is a product of coaching for 50 years; great coach but the 3rd best ever? I have no idea. I do know he only won 2 national titles (could have more based on the bowl system now).
Osborne has 3 NCs but an 835 WP. Hayes has 5 national titles for example.
You can argue Saban higher based on the reduced scholarship numbers vs when there were 10 good teams every year, 30 teams who were average, and 70 bad, vs like 30 good teams now with another 50 average ones (my opinion).
My top 5 would probably be:
Bryant
Rockne
Hayes
Bowden
Saban
But that's the fun of debates like this
Posted on 2/5/12 at 9:29 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
Good list, but I would have Red Blaik on the list.
ETA: I'd add Blaik and probably drop Vaught.
ETA: I'd add Blaik and probably drop Vaught.
This post was edited on 2/5/12 at 9:39 am
Posted on 2/5/12 at 9:40 am to COTiger
quote:
Unbiased Bama Fan
quote:
1. Bear Bryant
Come now. Unbiased.
A lot of people outside of the South have a lot of trouble with the overwhelming love for "the Bear."
He played a mostly all whitey! schedule - ergo, he was not playing against the best competition the nation had to offer...ala Boise State.
A segregated SEC was weak. Playing an incestuous pasty schedule like Kentucky in basketball isn't something to brag about.
When he played integrated teams and conferences - he lost.
This post was edited on 2/5/12 at 9:43 am
Posted on 2/5/12 at 9:44 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
If we are going by pure accomplishment Frank Leahy is the clear #1.
1937 is when they started to classify football teams as "major and minor" before that you had Notre Dame playing against the West South Bend Catholic Church team.
1937 is when they started to classify football teams as "major and minor" before that you had Notre Dame playing against the West South Bend Catholic Church team.
This post was edited on 2/5/12 at 9:50 am
Posted on 2/5/12 at 9:54 am to Buckeye06
Also Urban Meyer and Pete Carroll are the best coaches of this era.
Posted on 2/5/12 at 9:57 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
quote:
Bobby Bowden- Had Bowden above Paterno because I felt like he was the better coach against elite competition
I would have going in the other direction, since Bowden had losing records against both of his rivals (Miami & Florida)
It would be tough to leave Jimmy Johnson off of the list, but who take off.
Posted on 2/5/12 at 11:23 am to Unbiased Bama Fan
quote:
Warning: I don't have Eddie Robinson or John Gagliardi or any coach who started their careers in the 1890s like Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding Yost, Walter Camp, and John Heisman listed because the level of competition and rules they coached under were radically different.
then bear bryant shouldn't be on the list. it's your list but it's terrible biased. it's wrong to leave off eddie robinson, pop warner alonzo stagg and others. and then to add lou holtz and urban meyer. you are not unbiased, you are insulting.
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