I've posted this before but I'll post it again just because I like people to read my stuff.
Note: I haven't updated this list in a long time so I'm not sure where I would rank guys like Gibbs, Parcells, or Belechick. I honestly don't know if they would break into my top-10 but I'll think about it and update it later.
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THUMPER’s 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 Commanders 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.
