best player to be a good coach?

[lostinomiya]

In his press conference he other day JG referred to the past Thanksgiving game where he starred (93? 94?) and talked about the encouragement given to a guy who "basically was not good enough".

It made me think how his time on the sidelines may have helped him become a strategist and coach. I guess most of the best coaches were not especially star players..

Am I wrong? Who are the star players who gave become good, successful or decent coaches?

 

[Canadian BoyzFan]

Probably Ditka.

 

[tecolote]

I think Peyton Manning could become a great coach if he wanted to, he probably could be e head coach from the day he retires. He just about is one right now.

 

[Hostile]

Easy, Tom Landry.

 

[Parnell]

Aikman would be great IMO

 

[tyke1doe]

A lot of great players don't make great coaches because ...

1.) They're super talented and have a tendency to take for granted their superior skills and think others should be just as talented when they really don't understand how special they were as players. Deion Sanders is like this. He assumes because he was super talened that others should play the same as he and use the same technique has he does. But Deion wasn't a hard worker. He got by with superior skills that are hard to duplicate in average Joes.

2.) They're too highly competitive. Competitive players are easily upset or discouraged by players who aren't as intense, competitive, passionate about the game. That's why, IMO, Aikman and Irvin wouldn't be good coaches. I just don't think they have the patience to coach today's players.

 

[dbair1967]

A few come to mind.

From a Cowboy perspective, Landry, Reeves and Ditka come to mind.

Tony Dungy was a fair player. Jeff Fisher was an average player. Forrest Gregg was a great player and fair coach. Del Rio was a decent NFL player. Cowher played but he was a nobody.

I'm sure there were others.

 

[THUMPER]

Mike Ditka - TE 1961-1972 5-PB, 2-AP
Tom Landry - DB/HB/P 1949-1955 1-PB, 1-AP
George Halas - E 1920-1928
Don Shula - DB 1951-1957
Chuck Noll - OG/LB 1953-1959
Dan Reeves - RB 1965-1972

Ditka was the best player to become a successful HC IMO, Landry would be second followed by Halas.

 

[VACowboy]

Le Beau isn't a head coach, but he's a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator who was a superb defensive back.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Le Beau isn't a head coach, but he's a Hall of Fame defensive coordinator who was a superb defensive back.

LeBeau is a lot like Jim Johnson. They could've taken several head coaching positions throughout their careers.

 

[VACowboy]

LeBeau is a lot like Jim Johnson. They could've taken several head coaching positions throughout their careers.

Lebeau was HC in Green Bay.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Lebeau was HC in Green Bay.

I was alluding to the fact that he could've taken several other positions through the years but he was very comfortable in the Steeler organization and with his legacy.

 

[Fmart322]

Bart Starr was a great player who never was a great HC.

 

[VACowboy]

I was alluding to the fact that he could've taken several other positions through the years but he was very comfortable in the Steeler organization and with his legacy.

Yep. Very true.

He wasn't a very good HC.

 

[RCowboyFan]

I was alluding to the fact that he could've taken several other positions through the years but he was very comfortable in the Steeler organization and with his legacy.

Yeah, if they were offered to him. He was absimal failure as HC. So Lebeau is classic Co-ordinator but not fit to be a HC. He was actually Bengals HC not GB btw.

 

[KJJ]

Great players never seem to make great head coaches probably because most had such great physical talent they never had to use their head to make up for the lack of physical talent that players who make great coaches did. Most players who've made great coaches like Tom Landry had a lack of speed or size and had to devise ways of gaining an edge on the field. Mike Ditka was a great player who had success as a HC but he wasn't a great HC he had one great team that probably should have won more than one SB.