Who’s your favorite D Coordinator of all time?

Parcells4Life · Aug 12, 2020

I’m sure Landry will get a lot of praise for his flex defense, but being 34 years old, my favorite is Jim Johnson.

4-3 base with some 3-3-5 in nickel. Exotic blitzes and caused chaos for a decade on the NFC East. To me Johnson was more responsible than Donovan for the Eagles run.

What’s your favorite DC or scheme? Not meant to be applied to this teams personnel.

DFWJC · Aug 12, 2020

Belichick

AsthmaField · Aug 13, 2020

Johnson is a great choice. Him combined with Andy Reid was simply brutal for the rest of the NFC East. Hard to believe they didn’t win a super bowl.

Buddy Ryan was a really good DC. Didn’t love him as a head coach but his defenses played like crazy. Not only could he coach... but he recognized defensive talent as well as anyone. Guy could pick players. Choosing him would be in large part him getting the talent. Oh and when Dallas picked Eric Williams in the late rounds, Buddy said that he was the best player from that draft. He was probably right.

Bill Belicheck is great scheming up defense.

Dick Lebeau might know more about defense than anyone else ever.

That is my short list.

CapnB · Aug 13, 2020

Dom Capers.

DB_Cooper · Aug 13, 2020

People forget how darn good Marvin Lewis was. Not a great head coach but an amazing defensive coordinator.

Floatyworm · Aug 13, 2020

DB_Cooper said:
People forget how darn good Marvin Lewis was. Not a great head coach but an amazing defensive coordinator.

Well...It helps to have Ray Lewis in the middle. Scary thing is....Now we have the dope that turned the Ravens Super Bowl winning 4-3 defense...into a 3-4...as our coordinator. Will never understand that move.

America's Cowboy · Aug 13, 2020

The great Ernie Stautner.

beware_d-ware · Aug 13, 2020

It's Belichick versus everyone else in my book. 20 years in New England and he's still pulling new rabbits out of his hat.

As far as other more mortal DCs, I couldn't believe how Dick LeBeau cooked up these exotic zone-blitz plays, and not only got the Steelers to execute them but execute them with speed and aggression. We tried the "exotic" defense for one year with Rob Ryan and it was an absolute freaking disaster. You can chalkboard up the craziest plays in the world, but that doesn't mean your players can actually run them. The Steelers could.

As far as a name that won't get mentioned among the best DCs of the last 20 years but should: Wade Phillips. His avuncular personality and screwups as a head coach will mean he'll never get the genius label stuck on him, but look at his track record. San Diego, Dallas, Houston, Denver, LA - everywhere the man has gone, he has put a top 10 defense on the field. He went toe to toe with Belichick and matched him defensive blow for blow in Super Bowl 53. He basically invented the modern 3-4 hybrid defense with an offset 1 gap NT. I'd put him up there with Jim Johnson and LeBeau for sure - and those two are both HOF coaches in my book.

PhillyCowboysFan · Aug 13, 2020

For the entire NFL I think it’s Bill Belichick. For the Cowboys it’s Dave Wannstedt.

JoeKing · Aug 13, 2020

Not the best but my favorite... Dave Wannstedt

QuincyCarterEra · Aug 13, 2020

Wade P

Manwiththeplan · Aug 13, 2020

DFWJC said:
Belichick

/thread

although this is favorite not best

Cowboyny · Aug 13, 2020

Buddy Ryan and his 46 defense that took a long time for teams to figure out. Dick Lebeau with the Steelers, but it has to be Bellicheck.

bigE79 · Aug 13, 2020

America's Cowboy said:
The great Ernie Stautner.

I was just about to post this,glad to see someone else remembered how great he was.

slick325 · Aug 13, 2020

It may be sacrilege to say this on a Cowboys site BUT...Buddy Ryan. The '85 and '86 Bears defenses, his Gang Green defense in Philly, his Oilers defense and his Cardinals defense were all very good to me.

Valkyr · Aug 13, 2020

Non-Cowboys, probably Bud Carson, DC for the Steel Curtain

visionary · Aug 13, 2020

AsthmaField said:
Johnson is a great choice. Him combined with Andy Reid was simply brutal for the rest of the NFC East. Hard to believe they didn’t win a super bowl.

Buddy Ryan was a really good DC. Didn’t love him as a head coach but his defenses played like crazy. Not only could he coach... but he recognized defensive talent as well as anyone. Guy could pick players. Choosing him would be in large part him getting the talent. Oh and when Dallas picked Eric Williams in the late rounds, Buddy said that he was the best player from that draft. He was probably right.

Bill Belicheck is great scheming up defense.

Dick Lebeau might know more about defense than anyone else ever.

That is my short list.