Ranking the Cowboys Head Coaches

[waving monkey]

the first three Landry Johnson Garrett
after that it didn't matter it was the Bhutan Death March

 

[Bullflop]

Coaches are easy to rank. Superbowl victories first, then Superbowl appearances, then playoff victories.

If only it was actually that simple. Many circumstances enter the big picture.

Personally, I think it was pick 'em after the OP's first four, but that's just me.

 

[Preoccupied]

1-Tom Landry
2-Jimmy Johnson
3-Barry Switzer
4-Bill Parcells
5-Wade Phillips
6-Jason Garrett
7-Chan Gailey
8-Dave Campo

This and if they were top trump cards I would only need cards 1,2 and 4 to outgun the other cards on all attributes

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I would rank Garrett ahead mainly because of the team structure. In my opinion, Phillips inherited a hell of a team and didn't do much. On the other hand, Garrett had to completely rebuild the roster outside of maybe 5 players.

Part of that is probably credit to the front office as well. I can say that I have never seen the team show an ounce of quit in them, even in the 4-12 season, like I did at times with Phillips.

Anyways, I guess it's just a personal preference.

Great points.

There were at least a couple games where the team quit on Phillips.

I've never seen the team quit on Garrett.

 

[willia451]

I would be hesitant to put anyone on the list besides Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson. Maybe Bill Parcells..........with an asterisk.

Not because those two are the only ones to win SBs. But because every one of the others since Jimmy Johnson is unconditionally tainted by Jerry Jones.

Who if the truth was known, has probably been the Cowboys active HC since JG was installed into the position in 2010; at least installed with the title of HC.

Jerry knows he can't get away with actually being on the sidelines during a game wearing the headset.

But I'm sure he's gotten as close as humanly possible. Without actually doing just that.

 

[ottawacowpoke]

Parcells is a hall of fame coach. He took a team with no talent--and no money because of the salary cap--and took it to the playoffs.

X's and O's - Parcells > Garrett
Motivation - Parcells > Garrett
Team Building - Parcells > Garrett

Can you imagine how successful Parcells would have been if he had taken over after Jimmy instead of Switzer?

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Great points.

There were at least a couple games where the team quit on Phillips.

I've never seen the team quit on Garrett.

The thing that got me was watching Witten give up on a route against GB in Phillip's last game. When that man quits you know something is wrong.

 

[Sydla]

Landry, Johnson, Switzer............... those are the top 3.

Switzer gets completely disrespected by Cowboys fans because of his aww schucks attitude and that he inherited a talented team. But you still have to be able to coach to steer a team to a SB win even if you have a quality team. We've seen talented teams spit the bit (cough, cough the 2016 Cowboys) not get very far.

Switzer was 5-2 in the playoffs with a SB win. To put Garrett ahead of him, at this point, is laughable. Maybe, hopefully, Garrett eclipses him in the near future but in 7 years Garrett has 2 playoff wins and has never made a NFC title game.

 

[Tobal]

Phillips has not been tangibly worse than Garrett, yet he gets the garbage rating.

Wrong.

Garretts team never has quit, Phillips team quit

 

[cowboyblue22]

landry and then Johnson then parcells after they are just average coaches

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

I'll never forget on Hard Knocks that shot of a player pantsing Campo as he walked by. Granted, he was not the head coach at the time, but it really showed the lack of respect the players had for him. I can't imagine any nfl coach ever tolerating that even though it was just goofing around.

 

[Tobal]

I like Garrett, I've always liked him as head coach. I hated him as a coordinator. Year before last was a horrible job by the coaching staff and that falls at his feet in my opinion. I think he changes and grows though his team always fights for him and believes in him. I don't think we could have a better guy to work within Jerry's system.

 

[xwalker]

It's the off-season so time for posts like this to past the time. This is my ranking of the Cowboys head coaches. This is based mostly on their time in Dallas.

1. Tom Landry
He's on the Mount Rushmore of NFL head coaches. Need I say more?

2. Jimmy Johnson
Personnel and leadership were his strength. If only he and Jerry could have coexisted.

3. Jason Garrett
He kept the team competitive while it was being rebuilt. He has a big influence on how the roster is constructed. He's not the best coach in the league but he does a lot of things well and he's gonna be around for awhile. I believe he's going to start reaping the benefits of the rebuilding and go on a good run of seasons. I almost put Parcells in this spot but decided to give the nod to Garrett.

4. Bill Parcells
He also rebuilt the team on the fly and had a tremendous impact on how the roster is constructed. I believe Jerry learned some things that still benefit the Cowboys today. Like Jimmy, he was here much to short a time.

Now it gets tough.

5. Barry Switzer
I believe he could have been an effective NFL head coach but he was in a bad situation here. He had to follow Jimmy, retain the old staff, basically be place holder at the position. He handled better than many would have and did win a championship. If Jerry had kept the talent coming in he might have stuck around longe

6. Chan Gailey
He took over a Cowboys teams that was getting old and was lacking talent due to some really bad drafts. I don't think he was a great hire but e did have the resume to be head coach. Also, he did take a couple of average Cowboys teams to the playoffs each of his two seasons.

7. Wade Phillips
Great coordinator, bad head coach. Talk to the guy for five minutes and you can tell he's not head coaching material. He just doesn't have that leadership skill to lead a football team. However, the team did have a lot of success for his first few years before bottoming out. Parcells built a good team but he could only win one playoff game.

8. Dave Campo
Never should have been hired. Never ... ever ... as a head coach. He had even worse leadership skills to be an NFL head coach. He was also handicapped by some really bad teams and horrible drafts .

That's my list. Feel free to disagree.

Depends on the criteria. Are Super Bowl wins the most important thing?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

The thing that got me was watching Witten give up on a route against GB in Phillip's last game. When that man quits you know something is wrong.

Exactly right... And that's why Phillips is at the bottom of the barrel for me.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Landry, Johnson, Switzer............... those are the top 3.

Switzer gets completely disrespected by Cowboys fans because of his aww schucks attitude and that he inherited a talented team. But you still have to be able to coach to steer a team to a SB win even if you have a quality team. We've seen talented teams spit the bit (cough, cough the 2016 Cowboys) not get very far.

Switzer was 5-2 in the playoffs with a SB win. To put Garrett ahead of him, at this point, is laughable. Maybe, hopefully, Garrett eclipses him in the near future but in 7 years Garrett has 2 playoff wins and has never made a NFC title game.

I liked Switzer.

You make a great point... 5-2 in the playoffs is darned good.

 

[Sydla]

I liked Switzer.

You make a great point... 5-2 in the playoffs is darned good.

Further, I see people giving Parcells credit for stuff he did outside Dallas. And that's fine.

While a different league, Switzer was a top level college coach as well so it's not like he was some schlub who was coaching high school at some small school in the deepest corner of Texas who just stood on the Cowboys sideline twiddling his thumbs while the team just won games.

 

[65fastback2plus2]

No. He isn't the worst HC the Cowboys have had. Unless you forgot the post Switzer years somehow.

Those years can easily blamed on drafting as it can the HC.

 

[perrykemp]

Garretts team never has quit, Phillips team quit

Phillips team went in the tank after Romo was lost for the season.

I think you can have a healthy debate on the 'level of quit' in JG's 2015 club at the end of the season after everbody knew the Cowboys were out of the playoffs.

Last season's 4-12 campaign was horrific.

 

[Parche]

1-Tom Landry
2-Jimmy Johnson
3-Barry Switzer
4-Bill Parcells
5-Wade Phillips
6-Jason Garrett
7-Chan Gailey
8-Dave Campo

This. Agreed 100%

 

[Silverstar]

Any HC winning a SB should be ahead of Garrett...period!
If he doesn't get this team to the SB in his 7th full season, I think he should be fired.
By the time September rolls around, Garrett might be coaching one of the best Cowboy team's ever assembled IMO.
If Carroll (4th, 5th yr), Rivera (5th yr) and Quinn (2nd yr) can win the NFC, then I don't want to hear more excuses about what Garrett needs to succeed anymore.

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