Rate the Cowboy head coaches...

utrunner07 · Jan 6, 2011

Tom Landry
Jimmy Johnson
Bill Parcells
Chan Gailey
Barry Switzer
Dave Campo
Wade Phillips

Stautner · Jan 6, 2011

Stautner;3785783 said:
He only lost more big games than he won if you only count Super Bowls as big games.

However, for 20 years he won more playoff games than anyone. ANYONE.

I'm curious how you can downgrade Landry for not having to deal with some of the things Jimmy or Parcells did (a lot of which is false), yet you don't downgrade Jmmy and Parcells for not having to deal with the biggest obsticle LAndry did - time. Jimmy was a successful coach in Dallas for 5 years, and PArcells was a marginally successful coach in Dallas for 4 years. In what world can that compare to a coach who manages to make the playoffs and win more playoff games thatn any other coach or team over a 20 year period?

Does Terrell Davis go down as a better RB than Emmitt Smith because he had a couple of great years, or does the fact that Emmitt mainatined excellence for the better part of 15 years factor in?

One more big factor:

WINS AS COWBOYS HEAD COACH:

Tom Landry - 250
Jimmy Johnson - 80
Bill Parcells - 36

D-Mass15 · Jan 6, 2011

1. Tom Landry
2. Jimmy Johnson
3. Barry Switzer
4. Bill Parcels
5. Wade Phillips
6. Chan Gailey
7. Dave Campo

:toast2:

thechosen1n2 · Jan 6, 2011

D-Mass15;3785832 said:
1. Tom Landry
2. Jimmy Johnson
3. Barry Switzer
4. Bill Parcels
5. Wade Phillips
6. Chan Gailey
7. Dave Campo

:toast2:

No way Switzer is better than Wade and Bill....Make no mistake Troy, Emmitt, and Irvin carried switzer to a superbowl. Switzer made a two time champion worse and they were still talented enough to win. By the way Im an OU fan I liked switzer as a coach.

Stautner · Jan 6, 2011

thechosen1n2;3785842 said:
No way Switzer is better than Wade and Bill....Make no mistake Troy, Emmitt, and Irvin carried switzer to a superbowl. Switzer made a two time champion worse and they were still talented enough to win. By the way Im an OU fan I liked switzer as a coach.

Didn't Troy, Emmitt and Irvin carry Jimmy to the Super Bowl?

Seven · Jan 6, 2011

Stautner;3785895 said:
Didn't Troy, Emmitt and Irvin carry Jimmy to the Super Bowl?

Because of Jimmy. Not in spite of. Moose said it, not me.

Stautner · Jan 6, 2011

Seven;3786059 said:
Because of Jimmy. Not in spite of. Moose said it, not me.

You mean Troy, Emmitt and Irvin were only great players becasue of Jimmy?

I think I would have to dispute that.

Nevertheless, I'm not saying Switzer was anything special as a coach, but let's use a fairminded way of judging. Saying Switzer deserves no credit because he had 3 players that carried the team is like saying Jimmy only deserves credit fro bringing in Troy and Emmitt (Irvin was picked under Landry), but deserves no credit for riding their coattails to the Superbowl. The fact is those 3, along with others (Haley, Deion, Allen, Novacek, Newton .........) were the backbone of BOTH Jimmy's teams and Switzer's team, and both coaches won. Clearly Jimmy deserves credit for building, and Barry deserves no credit for that at all, but both did what they needed to as coaches to win with the players.

Bottom line is that Barry loses credibility because he was handed good players and didn't have to build a team. We all know that. But that's a differnt issue that winning with the players once they are in place. It doesn't make sense to suggest Barry was a lousy coach for winning with good players and Jimmy was a great coach for doing the same thing.

KJJ · Jan 6, 2011

Stautner;3786833 said:
You mean Troy, Emmitt and Irvin were only great players becasue of Jimmy?

I think I would have to dispute that.

Nevertheless, I'm not saying Switzer was anything special as a coach, but let's use a fairminded way of judging. Saying Switzer deserves no credit because he had 3 players that carried the team is like saying Jimmy only deserves credit fro bringing in Troy and Emmitt (Irvin was picked under Landry), but deserves no credit for riding their coattails to the Superbowl. The fact is those 3, along with others (Haley, Deion, Allen, Novacek, Newton .........) were the backbone of BOTH Jimmy's teams and Switzer's team, and both coaches won. Clearly Jimmy deserves credit for building, and Barry deserves no credit for that at all, but both did what they needed to as coaches to win with the players.

Bottom line is that Barry loses credibility because he was handed good players and didn't have to build a team. We all know that. But that's a differnt issue that winning with the players once they are in place. It doesn't make sense to suggest Barry was a lousy coach for winning with good players and Jimmy was a great coach for doing the same thing.

There's a lot of fans who use the excuse that Switizer won a championship with Jimmy's players but it's not always easy to come in as an outsider and win it all with someone else's players.

George Seifert won it all with Bill Walsh's players immediately after taking over as HC but Seifert had been on staff since 1980 with the 49ers.

Caldwell has had success with the Colts but he also took over as HC after being on staff with the Colts.

Barry Switzer had never coached in the NFL and took over as HC of the Cowboys after being out of coaching for 6 years.

He took over a Cowboys team that was in shock over Jimmy's departure.

The players loved Jimmy so bringing in Switzer who's college coaching career ended on a sour note wasn't going to be an easy sell for the fans or the players.

Most of the teams that have won back to back SB's usually drop off after that but Switzer kept the team motivated to win another championship even after a very disappointing loss to SF in the 94 NFC title game.

Free agency started robbing the team of talent after their first SB win under Jimmy in 92. I don't believe a team no matter how talented it is can be successful despite their HC.

We saw what happened under Wade when a team doesn't believe in their HC.

Switzer won 3 National Championships at OU which proved he could lead a team.

I certainly don't think for one minute that Barry Switizer was a great NFL coach but he took over the Cowboys at a time when it would have been very easy for the team to rest on their laurels.

I think he did a great job keeping that team fighting long enough to get the Cowboys their last SB win. The Cowboys had back to back 12 win seasons under Switizer and a 10 win season in 96 when it was clear the team was in decline.

A lot of fans want to blame Switizer for the decline but it was losing players to free agency coupled with poor drafts that caused the Cowboys to sink to the level they did.

Anytime you bring in a HC who's an outsider players have to buy into that coach and their philosophy and the Cowboys bought into Switizer long enough for the team to leave no doubt they were the best team of the 90's.

Stautner · Jan 6, 2011

KJJ;3787012 said:
There's a lot of fans who use the excuse that Switizer won a championship with Jimmy's players but it's not always easy to come in as an outsider and win it all with someone else's players.

George Seifert won it all with Bill Walsh's players immediately after taking over as HC but Seifert had been on staff since 1980 with the 49ers.

Caldwell has had success with the Colts but he also took over as HC after being on staff with the Colts.

Barry Switzer had never coached in the NFL and took over as HC of the Cowboys after being out of coaching for 6 years.

He took over a Cowboys team that was in shock over Jimmy's departure.

The players loved Jimmy so bringing in Switzer who's college coaching career ended on a sour note wasn't going to be an easy sell for the fans or the players.

Most of the teams that have won back to back SB's usually drop off after that but Switzer kept the team motivated to win another championship even after a very disappointing loss to SF in the 94 NFC title game.

Free agency started robbing the team of talent after their first SB win under Jimmy in 92. I don't believe a team no matter how talented it is can be successful despite their HC.

We saw what happened under Wade when a team doesn't believe in their HC.

Switzer won 3 National Championships at OU which proved he could lead a team.

I certainly don't think for one minute that Barry Switizer was a great NFL coach but he took over the Cowboys at a time when it would have been very easy for the team to rest on their laurels.

I think he did a great job keeping that team fighting long enough to get the Cowboys their last SB win. The Cowboys had back to back 12 win seasons under Switizer and a 10 win season in 96 when it was clear the team was in decline.

A lot of fans want to blame Switizer for the decline but it was losing players to free agency coupled with poor drafts that caused the Cowboys to sink to the level they did.

Anytime you bring in a HC who's an outsider players have to buy into that coach and their philosophy and the Cowboys bought into Switizer long enough for the team to leave no doubt they were the best team of the 90's.

Solid post that looks at different angles of the Switzer era. Few Cowboy fans are willing to do that.

CanadianCowboysFan · Jan 6, 2011

Stautner;3785783 said:
He only lost more big games than he won if you only count Super Bowls as big games.

However, for 20 years he won more playoff games than anyone. ANYONE.

I'm curious how you can downgrade Landry for not having to deal with some of the things Jimmy or Parcells did (a lot of which is false), yet you don't downgrade Jmmy and Parcells for not having to deal with the biggest obsticle LAndry did - time. Jimmy was a successful coach in Dallas for 5 years, and PArcells was a marginally successful coach in Dallas for 4 years. In what world can that compare to a coach who manages to make the playoffs and win more playoff games thatn any other coach or team over a 20 year period?

Does Terrell Davis go down as a better RB than Emmitt Smith because he had a couple of great years, or does the fact that Emmitt mainatined excellence for the better part of 15 years factor in?

The problem Landry lovers are not facing is how he was a complete failure as coach in his last 10 years with the team. In my view, his absolute refusal to change does diminish his overall legacy.

Ask yourself this question, would you cut any of the other coaches the same slack given how he screwed up the QB situation (Hogeboom, no White, no Hogeboom no White), hung on to aging stars who no longer had it, missed the playoffs the last three years including total collapses in 1986,,,

You would have been calling for any other coach's head to delivered on a silver platter, why is Landry above criticism for that?

As for the argument that well he lost to the Steelers the team of the 70s so it is not a choke, hello had he won those games, the Steelers would NOT have been the team of the 70s.

He was a great coach, an innovator at first but his innovative juices dried up around 1978. The team declined thereafter and he only stayed on based on past reputation.

Dave_in-NC · Jan 6, 2011

KJJ;3787012 said:
There's a lot of fans who use the excuse that Switizer won a championship with Jimmy's players but it's not always easy to come in as an outsider and win it all with someone else's players.

George Seifert won it all with Bill Walsh's players immediately after taking over as HC but Seifert had been on staff since 1980 with the 49ers.

Caldwell has had success with the Colts but he also took over as HC after being on staff with the Colts.

Barry Switzer had never coached in the NFL and took over as HC of the Cowboys after being out of coaching for 6 years.

He took over a Cowboys team that was in shock over Jimmy's departure.

The players loved Jimmy so bringing in Switzer who's college coaching career ended on a sour note wasn't going to be an easy sell for the fans or the players.

Most of the teams that have won back to back SB's usually drop off after that but Switzer kept the team motivated to win another championship even after a very disappointing loss to SF in the 94 NFC title game.

Free agency started robbing the team of talent after their first SB win under Jimmy in 92. I don't believe a team no matter how talented it is can be successful despite their HC.

We saw what happened under Wade when a team doesn't believe in their HC.

Switzer won 3 National Championships at OU which proved he could lead a team.

I certainly don't think for one minute that Barry Switizer was a great NFL coach but he took over the Cowboys at a time when it would have been very easy for the team to rest on their laurels.

I think he did a great job keeping that team fighting long enough to get the Cowboys their last SB win. The Cowboys had back to back 12 win seasons under Switizer and a 10 win season in 96 when it was clear the team was in decline.

A lot of fans want to blame Switizer for the decline but it was losing players to free agency coupled with poor drafts that caused the Cowboys to sink to the level they did.

Anytime you bring in a HC who's an outsider players have to buy into that coach and their philosophy and the Cowboys bought into Switizer long enough for the team to leave no doubt they were the best team of the 90's.

That is a good way to look at it. The one problem I have with what you wrote is.

it would have been very easy for the team to rest on their laurels.

You would have a very hard time selling that with the players on that roster.

KJJ · Jan 6, 2011

Stautner;3787017 said:
Solid post that looks at different angles of the Switzer era. Few Cowboy fans are willing to do that.

A lot of fans made up their minds years ago that Switzer was the reason the Cowboys fell to the depths they did.

It's amusing that some actually have Wade rated ahead of Switzer even though Wade was handed a Cowboy team that wasn't far from being as talented as the team Switzer took over.

Wade got a 12-1 team to fold tent the final month of the 07 season and watched it get knocked off in the playoffs at home to a Giants team the Cowboys beat twice that year.

Wade could only win one game this season with a team that was favored to go to the SB at the beginning of the year.

He's the only coach in Cowboys history to get fired during the season because his team quit on him and there's fans who think he was a better Cowboys HC than Switzer who won 5 playoff games including a SB win. :huh:

LOL

KJJ · Jan 6, 2011

Dave_in-NC;3787055 said:
That is a good way to look at it. The one problem I have with what you wrote is.

it would have been very easy for the team to rest on their laurels.

You would have a very hard time selling that with the players on that roster.

Of course there were players on the roster at the time that wouldn't have bought into that but I'm sure there were some players who thought the chances of winning another SB would be slim without Jimmy.

It takes a lot to keep a team motivated year after year especially a team that was having the success the Cowboys were that's why no team has been able to three peat during the SB era.

It's easy for a team to sit back and feel satisfied after back to back SB wins especially when the coach who led them to those wins was taking off to coach another team.

The teams that have maintained a high level for a period of years did it with the same HC or at least with a coach already in house.

Jerry thought for years he could hire any coach to lead his team after winning a SB with Switzer and the Cowboys have gone virtually nowhere because of it.

He thought Wade could work magic with his talented roster and look what happened. Switzer had championships on his resume when he took over so he was a proven winner even though it was at the college level.

I attended camp and saw how he related to players and it was clear he could motivate. He was alot like Jimmy where he didn't take any crap but he started loosening up after the SB win and began running a loose ship.

The team started lacking discipline and it led to his firing.

Oh_Canada · Jan 6, 2011

Tom
Jimmy

Who cares about the rest.

Dave_in-NC · Jan 6, 2011

KJJ;3787156 said:
Of course there were players on the roster at the time that wouldn't have bought into that but I'm sure there were some players who thought the chances of winning another SB would be slim without Jimmy.

It takes a lot to keep a team motivated year after year especially a team that was having the success the Cowboys were that's why no team has been able to three peat during the SB era.

It's easy for a team to sit back and feel satisfied after back to back SB wins especially when the coach who led them to those wins was taking off to coach another team.

The teams that have maintained a high level for a period of years did it with the same HC or at least with a coach already in house.

Jerry thought for years he could hire any coach to lead his team after winning a SB with Switzer and the Cowboys have gone virtually nowhere because of it.

He thought Wade could work magic with his talented roster and look what happened. Switzer had championships on his resume when he took over so he was a proven winner even though it was at the college level.

I attended camp and saw how he related to players and it was clear he could motivate. He was alot like Jimmy where he didn't take any crap but he started loosening up after the SB win and began running a loose ship.

The team started lacking discipline and it led to his firing.

I will always think that the leaders on that team were more responsible for that last ring than Switzer was, but that's just me. A bit hard headed I guess.

The part in bold though, should start a nice discussion.

KJJ · Jan 6, 2011

Dave_in-NC;3787177 said:
I will always think that the leaders on that team were more responsible for that last ring than Switzer was, but that's just me. A bit hard headed I guess.

The part in bold though, should start a nice discussion.

The players are always going to be the most responsible for any championship they're the ones who ultimately make it happen on the field but they still need to be guided by a competent HC.

As for the part in bold I'm sure it's been discussed a few times.

The players have to know that everything starts and ends with the HC and that certainly wasn't the case under Wade and hasn't been for most of the head coaches Jerry has hired.

If the players feel Garrett is just another Jerry Jones puppet the Cowboys will keep spinning their wheels.

The30YardSlant · Jan 6, 2011

1: Landry
2: Johnson
3: Parcells
4: Gailey
5: Switzer
6: Campo
7: Wade

michaeljr1186 · Jan 6, 2011

TL
JJ
JG
'
'
'
don't matter

Jimz31 · Jan 6, 2011

Juke99;3783600 said:
This should spark a lively discussion...

rate the Cowboy head coaches from best to worst:

Tom Landry
Jimmy Johnson
Barry Switzer
Chan Gailey
Dave Campo
Bill Parcells
Wade Phillips

Tom Landry...very innovative
Jimmy Johnson....got it done!
Barry Switzer (he didn't screw it up, plus he IS a good coach)
Bill Parcells....got us turned around a little bit
Chan Gailey...record wasn't bad, but....
Dave Campo....salary cap hell yet he still got 5 wins with a lack of talent
Wade Phillips...I still can't believe what he DIDN'T do here....still doubt that he would even get to 3 wins this past year.

Stautner · Jan 7, 2011

CanadianCowboysFan;3787052 said:
The problem Landry lovers are not facing is how he was a complete failure as coach in his last 10 years with the team. In my view, his absolute refusal to change does diminish his overall legacy.

Ask yourself this question, would you cut any of the other coaches the same slack given how he screwed up the QB situation (Hogeboom, no White, no Hogeboom no White), hung on to aging stars who no longer had it, missed the playoffs the last three years including total collapses in 1986,,,

You would have been calling for any other coach's head to delivered on a silver platter, why is Landry above criticism for that?

As for the argument that well he lost to the Steelers the team of the 70s so it is not a choke, hello had he won those games, the Steelers would NOT have been the team of the 70s.

He was a great coach, an innovator at first but his innovative juices dried up around 1978. The team declined thereafter and he only stayed on based on past reputation.

What you fail to realize that in those 10 years you say Landry was a complete failure, he had 3 seasons where he one 12 games, 11 in another and 10 in another. He alsmost certainly would have had another outstaanding season in 1982, which was the strike shortened season, because he won 12 games the year before and the year after.

So your complete failure assertion is hogwash.

The fact is that he had 3 losing seasons at the end of his career, and that came on the heels of 20 consecutive winning seasons.

Are you really going to define him by the 3 years instead of the 20?

One last thing you fail to rcognize is that there is no way 4-5 years of success with no proof whatsoever of an ability to maintain can in any way compare to building a team FROM SCRATCH and being the most consistent and successful coach in the NFL for 20 YEARS.

Nothing Jimmy or Bill did in Dallas even remotely approaches that.

Again, I ask you, does the fact that Terrell Davis had a couple of pehnominal years make him a better RB than Emmitt Smith who maintained a level of excellence for many years?

Rate the Cowboy head coaches...

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