Greatest Coach Ever...Living or Dead

[mbanx]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Yet again...overboard.

Good way to be taken seriously.

ditto

[MissionCoach]

Originally Posted by percyhoward

Landry, hands down.

Why?

Because he did it all with only 5 Hall of Fame players.

That's 4 fewer than Noll, 5 fewer than Lombardi, and 6 fewer than Brown.

This deserves another round

[Doomsday101]

Tom Landry will always be the #1 coach in my eye's.

[THUMPER]

All-Time Greatest Coaches

Here are my rankings:

1. Paul Brown - Brown was one of the most innovative and creative coaches ever. He was willing to try almost anything and was an expert at setting up defenses, (getting them to think something was coming but he would run something completely different). He was also an outstanding motivator and would treat players differently based on what he thought would motivate them. With Graham he was like a father with Jim Brown he would never show that he was satisfied with his performance. He understood the players and what made them tick. The fact that his Browns had only one losing season between 1946 and 1962 and won 7 championships and a .757 winning percentage makes him the best ever.

2. Tom Landry - 20 consecutive winning seasons between 1966-1985, and 18 playoff appearances speak volumes about Landry's abilities as a coach but it is really his great understanding of the game that sets him apart. Like Brown, Landry was an innovator who examined how teams played and devised schemes to defeat them. His genius was recognized while still a player for the Giants in the early 50s. He was a DB/DC for a couple of years and made the Giants defense into one of the best in the league. After he retired from playing he became their fulltime DC and changed the way teams played defense. He instituted the "4-3" defense with it's "Middle" LB who would flow to the ball rather than the standard 5-2 with 5 down linemen and 2 LBs. When he became the Cowboys HC he had free reign to unleash his creative juices and his "Flex" defense was unlike any other ever used. Amazingly he showed just as much innovation on offense with his "Multiple Set" and complex plays designed to confuse the defense and keep them off balance. The only thing he really lacked as a HC was the motivational skills of a Paul Brown but his incredible knowledge of the game puts him 2nd on my list of all-time head coaches.

3. George Halas - "Papa Bear" was not the innovator that Brown or Landry were but he was no slouch either. He may not have invented many things but he recognized a good idea when he saw one and was willing to implement anything that might give his Bears an advantage. He had a great eye for talent and was an excellent motivator and teacher. He was owner, GM, and HC all rolled into one and was successful at it because he understood all 3 roles and was able to balance them well. He loved football and his Bears more than anything else in life and it showed.

4. Don Shula - Shula's biggest strength was his ability to adjust his system to fit the talent he had. He was a great motivator and got the most out of the players. A lot of his guys had average athletic ability but he was able to get them to play far beyond their skills and perform at a high level. His teams were always disciplined and made very few mistakes. He is the all-time winningest HC for a reason and his teams only had a losing record twice in his 33 years as a HC.

5. Curly Lambeau - Lambeau kept pro football alive in the smallest market in the NFL. He was an outstanding talent evaluator and motivator and his teams were consistently good. He is another guy who could change his scheme to fit his players. Picking up a skinny kid named Don Hutson, Lambeau recognized that he could utilize his skills by throwing the ball a lot more than he had in the past. Like Shula he got the most out of his players and made champions out of some pretty average teams. He was also a great promoter and kept the Packers a big draw even through the depression.

6. Sid Gillman - Gillman was no so much a great HC as he was the best OC ever. Today's offenses are all based on his passing attack. He was the first to really use the pass to set up the run and to throw to his backs as running plays. Bill Walsh owes his entire reputation to Sid Gillman and Don Coryell (another of Gillman's students). His biggest drawback was that he pretty much ignored the defensive side of the game and did not always draft well. Easily the best and most innovative offensive mind ever.

7. Vince Lombardi - Lombardi is often touted as the greatest HC ever but he isn't. His strengths were discipline, consistency, and simplicity. His playbook was miniscule compared to coaches like Landry, Brown, & Gillman but his teams ran those few plays to perfection. Execution was his mantra. He had a good eye for talent but many of his biggest stars on offense were already in place when he came on board in 1959. He did draft some excellent players on defense and his defenses are vastly underrated. The fact that he only coached the Packers for 9 seasons and the Redskins for one bring him down a bit as well because we never got to see if he could build a team like those ranked ahead of him. He motivated through fear and was quick to cut or trade a player who wasn't living up to his expectations but for those players who stuck with him he was the best.

8. Chuck Noll - Noll doesn't stand out in any one particular area, he was just an all around good coach with no weaknesses. His biggest strength was probably his ability to motivate and get the absolute most out of his players. He was also reluctant to give up on a player that he thought had potential. Any other coach would have cut Terry Bradshaw after his first few seasons but Noll stuck with him and was rewarded by Terry becoming one of the best QBs of the decade. His teams were well balanced and played with fire and discipline, a difficult combination to achieve.

9. Bud Grant - Grant was another guy who got a lot out of players that other teams would have given up on. Guys like Page and Eller were too small to be considered as NFL linemen but Grant turned them into all-pros. The biggest knock on Grant was his 0-4 record in the SB but his teams were consistently one of the best in the NFC. He was tough but was also very approachable and his players were very loyal to him.

10. Marv Levy - Like Grant he will always be remembered for his failures in the SB than for anything else but the fact that his team made it to 4 consecutive SBs is an awesome feat. He was another guy who was not afraid to try new things. His "K-Gun" offense, basically running the 2-minute drill for the entire game, kept defenses from making substitutions and made sure that HIS team was in control. Excellent eye for talent and a good motivator. He also had a knack for picking quality assistant coaches.

edit:
11. Bill Parcells - Parcells will probably move up my rankings once he is done coaching here, especially if he has some success in the next few years.

THUMPER

[yesfan]

Marv Levy should have let Frank Reich start,i think
he could have won atleast 1 super bowl.I also think Earl
Morrall should have played in the Dolphin sb,he took them to
the dance and then had to watch Griese get the glory.

[joseephuss]

Originally Posted by JrGaf

i also believe Mr Landry also was the Only Coach in the History of the league to coordinate the Offense AND the Defense. Its tough when you get to those top guys. My question is, IF parcells wins a SB here, where do you rank him. Building the Giants, Patriots, the Modern day jets, and bringing us back to where we belong. BP would have to be up there.

Jerry Glanville called on the plays on offense and defense when he was head coach. Basically why he said he did this was because as head coach he was the one that would get all the blame, so he felt he should earn it. That is probably the only thing I respected about him because he wasn't a good coach.

[ABQCOWBOY]

Not going to be popular, once again, but it's Paul Brown. 43 is Paul Browns defense. It's the base defense that is prevenlent in vertually all levels of football, anywhere in the world. The basic priciples of the 34 and the cover2 were also Paul Browns idea but perfected later by others. The WC, Run and Shoot, or really any multiple receiver offense is a dirivative of Paul Browns Ohio offense. Paul Brown taught it to Walsh when Walsh was with the Bengals and now everybody calls it Walsh's WC but it's not. It's Paul Browns Ohio offense that was run so succesfully by Graham. Flooding zones, pick routes, WR routes that are predicated on how the defense reacts to your first move is Paul Browns. Calling plays from the sideline was Paul Browns.

The first coach to hire a coaching staff full time is Paul Browns. The first scouting system for Pro players was Paul Browns. Intelligance testing was Paul Browns idea. Play books and class room education was Paul Brown. Film to study players and break down games was Paul Browns. Scouting teams you played was Paul Browns. Heck, teams eating and sleeping in the same hotels were Paul Browns.

This list goes on but all you really have to do is look at his record, Win/Loss, championships etc. Even in college, he was extremely succesful. The guy litterally built two franchises, the Bengals and the Browns.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is Paul Brown's influence on sports, all sports, due to his minority policy. Paul Brown was the first person in pro sports to hire black athletes to compete on his teams. In 1946, Paul Brown hired Marion Motley and Bill Willis to play football for him. This was a full year before Jackie Robinson was hired by O'Malley and the Dodgers. This changed the face of sports for ever, not to mention everyone's life in America, as we know it. The significance of this single act is more important then all of the football related accomplishments IMO. For this alone, he should be recognized as the greatest football coach of all time.

Paul Brown, and everybody else is really a distant second in my book. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Paul Brown may be the best coach of all time in any sport.

JMO of course.

[BrAinPaiNt]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Yet again...overboard.

Good way to be taken seriously.

[BrAinPaiNt]

It seems many left off Paul Brown.
Guy did so much for the game of football, had a big impact on both sides of the ball....was the original creator of a fundamental stripped down West Coast that Walsh later revised, adapted and perfected.

Thing of this as well....He had one football team named after him (the Browns) and then later left to Cincy and they started the Bengals (notice basically the same colors).

Now there is also the man who the SB Trophy is named after.
Many may say he was never an X or O's kind of guy, that he just made sure the players ran the few plays to perfection....well that is a big part of being a coach...making the players run the plays to perfection.

Tom Landry - We all know of his greatness so no need to go on about him.

Don Shula

Kind of hard I guess to name just one....many arguments, and good ones at that, could be made as to who was better or the best, but I don't think you could go wrong with picking any of those listed above.

Also consider there are different types of coaches that may have strong suits in one area where another coaches strong suits would be in another area.

[THUMPER]

Originally Posted by ABQCOWBOY

Not going to be popular, once again, but it's Paul Brown. 43 is Paul Browns defense. It's the base defense that is prevenlent in vertually all levels of football, anywhere in the world. The basic priciples of the 34 and the cover2 were also Paul Browns idea but perfected later by others. The WC, Run and Shoot, or really any multiple receiver offense is a dirivative of Paul Browns Ohio offense. Paul Brown taught it to Walsh when Walsh was with the Bengals and now everybody calls it Walsh's WC but it's not. It's Paul Browns Ohio offense that was run so succesfully by Graham. Flooding zones, pick routes, WR routes that are predicated on how the defense reacts to your first move is Paul Browns. Calling plays from the sideline was Paul Browns.

[View Full Quote]The first coach to hire a coaching staff full time is Paul Browns. The first scouting system for Pro players was Paul Browns. Intelligance testing was Paul Browns idea. Play books and class room education was Paul Brown. Film to study players and break down games was Paul Browns. Scouting teams you played was Paul Browns. Heck, teams eating and sleeping in the same hotels were Paul Browns.

This list goes on but all you really have to do is look at his record, Win/Loss, championships etc. Even in college, he was extremely succesful. The guy litterally built two franchises, the Bengals and the Browns.

Lastly, but certainly not least, is Paul Brown's influence on sports, all sports, due to his minority policy. Paul Brown was the first person in pro sports to hire black athletes to compete on his teams. In 1946, Paul Brown hired Marion Motley and Bill Willis to play football for him. This was a full year before Jackie Robinson was hired by O'Malley and the Dodgers. This changed the face of sports for ever, not to mention everyone's life in America, as we know it. The significance of this single act is more important then all of the football related accomplishments IMO. For this alone, he should be recognized as the greatest football coach of all time.

Paul Brown, and everybody else is really a distant second in my book. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Paul Brown may be the best coach of all time in any sport.

JMO of course.

Dang ABQ, we agree again and on another Cleveland Brown to boot! The worst thing is that I have always hated the Browns ever since they beat the Colts (and Johnny U who was one of my heroes) in the 1964 championship game. Then when they beat us in the playoffs in 1968 & 69 it just made it that much worse.

But there is no denying, that Brown was far and away the greatest HC of all time and Otto Graham was the greatest QB ever, not in my opinion anyway.

[MissionCoach]

Originally Posted by THUMPER

All-Time Greatest Coaches

Here are my rankings:

1. Paul Brown - Brown was one of the most innovative and creative coaches ever. He was willing to try almost anything and was an expert at setting up defenses, (getting them to think something was coming but he would run something completely different). He was also an outstanding motivator and would treat players differently based on what he thought would motivate them. With Graham he was like a father with Jim Brown he would never show that he was satisfied with his performance. He understood the players and what made them tick. The fact that his Browns had only one losing season between 1946 and 1962 and won 7 championships and a .757 winning percentage makes him the best ever.

[View Full Quote]2. Tom Landry - 20 consecutive winning seasons between 1966-1985, and 18 playoff appearances speak volumes about Landry's abilities as a coach but it is really his great understanding of the game that sets him apart. Like Brown, Landry was an innovator who examined how teams played and devised schemes to defeat them. His genius was recognized while still a player for the Giants in the early 50s. He was a DB/DC for a couple of years and made the Giants defense into one of the best in the league. After he retired from playing he became their fulltime DC and changed the way teams played defense. He instituted the "4-3" defense with it's "Middle" LB who would flow to the ball rather than the standard 5-2 with 5 down linemen and 2 LBs. When he became the Cowboys HC he had free reign to unleash his creative juices and his "Flex" defense was unlike any other ever used. Amazingly he showed just as much innovation on offense with his "Multiple Set" and complex plays designed to confuse the defense and keep them off balance. The only thing he really lacked as a HC was the motivational skills of a Paul Brown but his incredible knowledge of the game puts him 2nd on my list of all-time head coaches.

3. George Halas - "Papa Bear" was not the innovator that Brown or Landry were but he was no slouch either. He may not have invented many things but he recognized a good idea when he saw one and was willing to implement anything that might give his Bears an advantage. He had a great eye for talent and was an excellent motivator and teacher. He was owner, GM, and HC all rolled into one and was successful at it because he understood all 3 roles and was able to balance them well. He loved football and his Bears more than anything else in life and it showed.

4. Don Shula - Shula's biggest strength was his ability to adjust his system to fit the talent he had. He was a great motivator and got the most out of the players. A lot of his guys had average athletic ability but he was able to get them to play far beyond their skills and perform at a high level. His teams were always disciplined and made very few mistakes. He is the all-time winningest HC for a reason and his teams only had a losing record twice in his 33 years as a HC.

5. Curly Lambeau - Lambeau kept pro football alive in the smallest market in the NFL. He was an outstanding talent evaluator and motivator and his teams were consistently good. He is another guy who could change his scheme to fit his players. Picking up a skinny kid named Don Hutson, Lambeau recognized that he could utilize his skills by throwing the ball a lot more than he had in the past. Like Shula he got the most out of his players and made champions out of some pretty average teams. He was also a great promoter and kept the Packers a big draw even through the depression.

6. Sid Gillman - Gillman was no so much a great HC as he was the best OC ever. Today's offenses are all based on his passing attack. He was the first to really use the pass to set up the run and to throw to his backs as running plays. Bill Walsh owes his entire reputation to Sid Gillman and Don Coryell (another of Gillman's students). His biggest drawback was that he pretty much ignored the defensive side of the game and did not always draft well. Easily the best and most innovative offensive mind ever.

7. Vince Lombardi - Lombardi is often touted as the greatest HC ever but he isn't. His strengths were discipline, consistency, and simplicity. His playbook was miniscule compared to coaches like Landry, Brown, & Gillman but his teams ran those few plays to perfection. Execution was his mantra. He had a good eye for talent but many of his biggest stars on offense were already in place when he came on board in 1959. He did draft some excellent players on defense and his defenses are vastly underrated. The fact that he only coached the Packers for 9 seasons and the Redskins for one bring him down a bit as well because we never got to see if he could build a team like those ranked ahead of him. He motivated through fear and was quick to cut or trade a player who wasn't living up to his expectations but for those players who stuck with him he was the best.

8. Chuck Noll - Noll doesn't stand out in any one particular area, he was just an all around good coach with no weaknesses. His biggest strength was probably his ability to motivate and get the absolute most out of his players. He was also reluctant to give up on a player that he thought had potential. Any other coach would have cut Terry Bradshaw after his first few seasons but Noll stuck with him and was rewarded by Terry becoming one of the best QBs of the decade. His teams were well balanced and played with fire and discipline, a difficult combination to achieve.

9. Bud Grant - Grant was another guy who got a lot out of players that other teams would have given up on. Guys like Page and Eller were too small to be considered as NFL linemen but Grant turned them into all-pros. The biggest knock on Grant was his 0-4 record in the SB but his teams were consistently one of the best in the NFC. He was tough but was also very approachable and his players were very loyal to him.

10. Marv Levy - Like Grant he will always be remembered for his failures in the SB than for anything else but the fact that his team made it to 4 consecutive SBs is an awesome feat. He was another guy who was not afraid to try new things. His "K-Gun" offense, basically running the 2-minute drill for the entire game, kept defenses from making substitutions and made sure that HIS team was in control. Excellent eye for talent and a good motivator. He also had a knack for picking quality assistant coaches.

edit:
11. Bill Parcells - Parcells will probably move up my rankings once he is done coaching here, especially if he has some success in the next few years.

THUMPER

Good write up...I don't know that I would put Lombardi at 7 however, I do believe that his shorter tenure as a Coach has helped to create the Lombardi Legend. It would have been real interesting to see how things would have played out if Lombardi was able to Coach as long as Landry.

[ravidubey]

Originally Posted by Juke99

Hey...thanks for the quote...interesting stuff.

Lombardi was all fire and emotion. His attitude was "We're going to run a handful of plays to perfection and dare you to stop us even IF you know what's coming"

Landry was controlled and calculating. He believed in disguising his plays with multiple sets, motion, etc.

Really fascinating stuff...

I'm glad I was able to watch these two lock horns.

What was that like? I would have loved to see it in anything but the "highlights" of the Ice Bowl.

[ABQCOWBOY]

Originally Posted by THUMPER

Dang ABQ, we agree again and on another Cleveland Brown to boot! The worst thing is that I have always hated the Browns ever since they beat the Colts (and Johnny U who was one of my heroes) in the 1964 championship game. Then when they beat us in the playoffs in 1968 & 69 it just made it that much worse.

But there is no denying, that Brown was far and away the greatest HC of all time and Otto Graham was the greatest QB ever, not in my opinion anyway.

Yeah, I can honestly say that while I am a died in the wool Cowboys fan, I gotta call them like I see them. I believe Graham was the greatest QB but certainly not my favorite. That would be Roger. I believe that Brown was the greatest Coach but not my favorite. That would be Coach Landry. And while we're at it, I believe Jim Brown was the best RB of all time, but certainly not my favorite. That would be Earl Campbell.

People would be very surprised, I think, if they really looked at Paul Brown and Tom Landry. Landry learned a great deal from Paul Brown. In fact, they were very simular coaches. No surprise both had great success.

May also interest some to know that when the Browns came over to the NFL, they played in (you guessed it) the NFC East. Interesting little fact I thought.

[ravidubey]

Originally Posted by THUMPER

All-Time Greatest Coaches

Here are my rankings:

1. Paul Brown - Brown was one of the most innovative and creative coaches ever. He was willing to try almost anything and was an expert at setting up defenses, (getting them to think something was coming but he would run something completely different). He was also an outstanding motivator and would treat players differently based on what he thought would motivate them. With Graham he was like a father with Jim Brown he would never show that he was satisfied with his performance. He understood the players and what made them tick. The fact that his Browns had only one losing season between 1946 and 1962 and won 7 championships and a .757 winning percentage makes him the best ever.

[View Full Quote]2. Tom Landry - 20 consecutive winning seasons between 1966-1985, and 18 playoff appearances speak volumes about Landry's abilities as a coach but it is really his great understanding of the game that sets him apart. Like Brown, Landry was an innovator who examined how teams played and devised schemes to defeat them. His genius was recognized while still a player for the Giants in the early 50s. He was a DB/DC for a couple of years and made the Giants defense into one of the best in the league. After he retired from playing he became their fulltime DC and changed the way teams played defense. He instituted the "4-3" defense with it's "Middle" LB who would flow to the ball rather than the standard 5-2 with 5 down linemen and 2 LBs. When he became the Cowboys HC he had free reign to unleash his creative juices and his "Flex" defense was unlike any other ever used. Amazingly he showed just as much innovation on offense with his "Multiple Set" and complex plays designed to confuse the defense and keep them off balance. The only thing he really lacked as a HC was the motivational skills of a Paul Brown but his incredible knowledge of the game puts him 2nd on my list of all-time head coaches.

3. George Halas - "Papa Bear" was not the innovator that Brown or Landry were but he was no slouch either. He may not have invented many things but he recognized a good idea when he saw one and was willing to implement anything that might give his Bears an advantage. He had a great eye for talent and was an excellent motivator and teacher. He was owner, GM, and HC all rolled into one and was successful at it because he understood all 3 roles and was able to balance them well. He loved football and his Bears more than anything else in life and it showed.

4. Don Shula - Shula's biggest strength was his ability to adjust his system to fit the talent he had. He was a great motivator and got the most out of the players. A lot of his guys had average athletic ability but he was able to get them to play far beyond their skills and perform at a high level. His teams were always disciplined and made very few mistakes. He is the all-time winningest HC for a reason and his teams only had a losing record twice in his 33 years as a HC.

5. Curly Lambeau - Lambeau kept pro football alive in the smallest market in the NFL. He was an outstanding talent evaluator and motivator and his teams were consistently good. He is another guy who could change his scheme to fit his players. Picking up a skinny kid named Don Hutson, Lambeau recognized that he could utilize his skills by throwing the ball a lot more than he had in the past. Like Shula he got the most out of his players and made champions out of some pretty average teams. He was also a great promoter and kept the Packers a big draw even through the depression.

6. Sid Gillman - Gillman was no so much a great HC as he was the best OC ever. Today's offenses are all based on his passing attack. He was the first to really use the pass to set up the run and to throw to his backs as running plays. Bill Walsh owes his entire reputation to Sid Gillman and Don Coryell (another of Gillman's students). His biggest drawback was that he pretty much ignored the defensive side of the game and did not always draft well. Easily the best and most innovative offensive mind ever.

7. Vince Lombardi - Lombardi is often touted as the greatest HC ever but he isn't. His strengths were discipline, consistency, and simplicity. His playbook was miniscule compared to coaches like Landry, Brown, & Gillman but his teams ran those few plays to perfection. Execution was his mantra. He had a good eye for talent but many of his biggest stars on offense were already in place when he came on board in 1959. He did draft some excellent players on defense and his defenses are vastly underrated. The fact that he only coached the Packers for 9 seasons and the Redskins for one bring him down a bit as well because we never got to see if he could build a team like those ranked ahead of him. He motivated through fear and was quick to cut or trade a player who wasn't living up to his expectations but for those players who stuck with him he was the best.

8. Chuck Noll - Noll doesn't stand out in any one particular area, he was just an all around good coach with no weaknesses. His biggest strength was probably his ability to motivate and get the absolute most out of his players. He was also reluctant to give up on a player that he thought had potential. Any other coach would have cut Terry Bradshaw after his first few seasons but Noll stuck with him and was rewarded by Terry becoming one of the best QBs of the decade. His teams were well balanced and played with fire and discipline, a difficult combination to achieve.

9. Bud Grant - Grant was another guy who got a lot out of players that other teams would have given up on. Guys like Page and Eller were too small to be considered as NFL linemen but Grant turned them into all-pros. The biggest knock on Grant was his 0-4 record in the SB but his teams were consistently one of the best in the NFC. He was tough but was also very approachable and his players were very loyal to him.

10. Marv Levy - Like Grant he will always be remembered for his failures in the SB than for anything else but the fact that his team made it to 4 consecutive SBs is an awesome feat. He was another guy who was not afraid to try new things. His "K-Gun" offense, basically running the 2-minute drill for the entire game, kept defenses from making substitutions and made sure that HIS team was in control. Excellent eye for talent and a good motivator. He also had a knack for picking quality assistant coaches.

edit:
11. Bill Parcells - Parcells will probably move up my rankings once he is done coaching here, especially if he has some success in the next few years.

THUMPER

Excellent read. I'm glad you included Grant and Levy in your list, I would swap Parcells and Noll, and I think Joe Gibbs is kind of a glaring omission. Gibbs (along with Zampese) was the brains behind Coryell's offense, and the combination of using TE's to catch, RB's to pound between the tackles, and timing throws that attacked the whole field was nothing to sneeze at. That offense has won 7 superbowls and has otherwise led many teams deep into the playoffs.

Also, Lombardi's ability to elevate his players was very strong, so much so that many, including Sonny Jurgenson, who played for him that one year in Washington felt it was their best year. While not the most brilliant tactician (though he was excellent at that as well), he may have been the single best leader of men, and that is probably worth more than 7th.

[THUMPER]

Originally Posted by ravidubey

Excellent read. I'm glad you included Grant and Levy in your list, I would swap Parcells and Noll, and I think Joe Gibbs is kind of a glaring omission. Gibbs (along with Zampese) was the brains behind Coryell's offense, and the combination of using TE's to catch, RB's to pound between the tackles, and timing throws that attacked the whole field was nothing to sneeze at. That offense has won 7 superbowls and has otherwise led many teams deep into the playoffs.

Also, Lombardi's ability to elevate his players was very strong, so much so that many, including Sonny Jurgenson, who played for him that one year in Washington felt it was their best year. While not the most brilliant tactician (though he was excellent at that as well), he may have been the single best leader of men, and that is probably worth more than 7th.

It is always tough to rank players or coaches because it is so subjective. I value some things more than other people do and vice-versa.

To me, innovation was of high value when ranking coaches which is why the guys in the top-6 are where they are. How much did their influence change the game?

Motivation, while extremely important, was a secondary value to me which is why Lombardi dropped down the way he did. Noll was another one who was a great motivator but not an innovator.

For some, success is the overriding factor which is why most would rank Lombardi 1st or at least within the top-3. That would also drop Sid Gillman down since he was not a hugely successful HC but he was an incredible innovator and many of his ideas, particularly in the passing game, are still in use today. The WCO is based on his theories.

Gibbs should be included somewhere but I don't know where just yet. His current tenure with the Redskins will only hurt him I believe. He was an outstanding HC and won 3 SBs with different QBs (none of whom were all that) which really says a lot about his ability to teach, adjust, motivate, change tactics, and find ways to win. I would probably replace Grant with him but Bud coached for a long time while Gibbs was only in DC for a relatively short time.

Noll was an excellt motivator and outstanding at finding talent. His teams were built exclusively through the draft, which I find extraordinary. You cannot argue the success he had in the 70s with that group but he wasn't able to build a 2nd team after those guys retired.

I could easily move Parcells and Gibbs up into the lower 3 and not be the least bit upset.