NightLink: Ranking NFL Head Coaches
by Dane Noble on Apr 9, 2009 6:47 PM CDT
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Trying to rank the head coaches in the NFL would be very difficult to do, and if you gave the task to 100 different people, you'd probably get 100 different versions. But, I found a website that did just that. I won't go into what I agree with or disagree with, but I can tell you what I found: our own Lovie Smith got ranked 9th.
9. Lovell "Lovie" Smith (CHI): As a product of the popular Cover-2 philosophy, Smith has been a good fit in a city accustomed to having stingy and intimidating defenses. Chicago’s secondary, however, was porous to say the least in 2008, and Smith has promised to be more involved in the defensive play calling. The 50-year-old coach is normally very laid back, but knows how to turn up the heat when necessary.
The top 10 were:
- Bill Belichick (NE)
- Tom Coughlin (NYG)
- Jeff Fisher (TEN)
- John Fox (CAR)
- Ken Whisenhunt (AZ)
- Andy Reid (PHI)
- Mike Tomlin (PITT)
- Tony Sparano (MIA)
- Lovell “Lovie” Smith (CHI)
- Jack Del Rio (JAX)
I'm sure you have some strong opinions on these rankings... what do you think?
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I'm not going to aruge anybody above him
top 10 is a respectable place to be. He does have a 13-3 season and SB appearance.
Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!
how in the heck is Josh McDaniels ranked above anybody?
He hasn’t coached a game and he just chased of the team’s franchise QB.
Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!
by Adam T on Apr 9, 2009 6:52 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
That list is pathetic
How does any of the rookie coaches rank higher than veteran head coaches? Tony Sparano? The guy was a coach for 1 year and he’s #8?
How do any of these first time Coaches make it above the experienced???????
Coach a season then rank em. What the heck is this crap? But yes at least Lovie got some “love”
Only an Idiot would name Ken Whisenhunt the 5th best HC in the NFL.
The guy that wrote that list needs a drug test.
Whisenhunt is a good coach from a winning organization (Pittsburgh).
That said:
A). Whisenhunt is the first Phoenix coach with the new stadium. All other Cardinal HC’s had NO home field advantage playing in scorching, half empty, Sun Devil Stadium. Big advantage for Whisehunt.
B). Whisenhunt inherited Warner, Boldin and Fitzgerald.
C). Whinsenhunt stupidly passed on Adrian Peterson to draft underachieving RT Levi Brown in his first draft in 2007.
D). Whisehunt named Matt Leinart, not Kurt Warner, the starter after the 2007 season. Whisenhunt has spent most of his time in Phoenix trying to play Leinart over Warner.
E). As far as “cracking the whip” to get the Cardinals ready for the playoffs, the flip side to that is that he must have been a little too easy going in the regular season. You really only have to crack when you have let the team slide, discipline wise, for a while.
F). Finally the SB kickoff. I almost always prefer to defer the kickoff. Put your defense out on the field first and then get the ball back in the 3rd quarter. In the SB, however, I thought it was STUPID for Whisenhunt to win the toss, defer the kick and then kick-off to the Steelers. The strength of the Cardinals is their offense, not the defense.
It’s pretty stupid to win the toss, voluntarily kick off, and then leave your high powered offense sitting on the sidelines for half the 1st quarter. He should have had his offense RUN on the field after the kick-off, as if to make a statement to the Steelers defense.
Again, he’s a good NFL HC. 5th best? Pure Insanity!
Agreed
I came on here just to say that…it’s the only name/place on the list I would argue.
I mean, he’s only made the playoffs once. Lovie has made it twice, and been close one other time. And Lovie has also made it to a Super Bowl. Not to mention the other guys (Tomlin, Reid) Wisenhunt is over….
On a second look, I didn’t notice Sparano so high, either. He’s been there one year!
Tomlin has a better regular season
and wins the SB, and he’s two spots behind Whisenhunt? That’s stupid.
There are three other teams in each division: In the West, two teams (Rams and 49ers) fired their coaches mid-season and the other (Seahawks) were playing their last season for Holmgren and also had a ton of injuries.
It’s not the accomplishment of a lifetime to (finally, barely) win your division in that situation.
This guy has no credibility after that selection.
It’s like people talking about how well the Cardinals draft.
A). They’ve made a ton of idiotic moves.
B). Their best (recent) drafts were done by Denny Green.
C). When you pick in the top 10 (like the Cardinals have done for about a hundred straight years) you should have some pretty good players on your team.
Great points
I looked at Whisenhunt being that high, I thought it’s definitely the sexy pick to have him there. Passing on All Day was stupid in itself, but winning the toss and defering was worse. What’s to lose? You have the best offense in the league!
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
I know excactly why Whisenhunt is #5
his last name is badass.
Think With Your Dipstick Jimmy!
by ifuwannacrownem on Apr 9, 2009 10:00 PM CDT up reply actions
I heart me some Lovie
He should be right around 9. If he got fired up once in a while when someone screwed up during a game once in a while, he might be in the top 5.
Dude is kinda soft. But he still seems to get results.
Not sure where he should be
Since the NFL coaching carousel is such a fluid situation, I’m not sure where he should be ranked. I do think that he is a terrible game coach and has had underachieving teams except for the one year. Also, his stubborn approach with Grossman during that Super Bowl season and his continued insistance of the Cover 2 is ridiculous. I understand why they went with Grossman initially but to not waiver when he was obviously struggling is a terrible coaching move both for the player and the team, and not adjusting his scheme to his personnel is not good coaching. I believe any team, in any sport takes on the personality of their head coach/manager. Lovie has that “deer in the headlights” look whenver a call doesn’t go the Bears’ way and his teams have that same look when game situations get tough. We seem to get pushed around when we go up against “tough” teams that try to intimidate their opponents. Lovie seems to be too concerned about offending some of his players and lacks the intensity needed to push his teams to the next level. You don’t have to be a screamer, ala Mike Ditka, to be intense. Belichek, Landry, Walsh are all coaches who were intense and intimidating without the histrionics. Lovie just always seems to accept defeat when things are tough, whether it’s over a call or a loss.
BearFan611
I purposely avoided talking about Lovie. I have strong feelings about the HC’s in the NFL.
When people say that the QB is the most important position on the team, I completely disagree. Second most important? Ok. The most important position is the HC.
There are three types of HC’s in football IMO:
A). The underachievers: These are guys like Wade Phillips and Norv Turner (who incidentially had maybe two of the most talented teams in the league year and did almost nothing ). These coaches can’t get the most out of their players. As the great Jerry Rice said of Norv Turner (his HC briefly in Oakland): “He (Turner) could not motivate his players. He had NO control.” That’s a direct quote fromn Rice. That analysis of Turner pretty much applies to all of the underachievers.
You could give a true underachiever the best team in the game, and they’ll F++K it up somehow.
B). The overachievers. Pretty much the exact opposite of “A.” Vince Lombardi inherited the worst team in football, and basically with the same players, MADE them into a dynasty. Lombardi, Landry, Walsh, Ditka, Buddy Ryan, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells, Belichick and others: All overachievers.
C). Everybody else. They really don’t underachieve (like Wade & Norv) and they really don’t motivate, inspire and DEMAND the very best out of their men (like Lombardi, Landry, Walsh, Ditka, Ryan, JJ, Parcells, and Belichick, among others). Here, I put guys like Lovie and Whisenhunt and others, in varying degrees.
Bear Fan 611: I thought your post was VERY well written and VERY accurate! For what it’s worth.
Bewildered Lovie
lacks intensity and often appears to be listening to Al-Jazeera on his headset … no wonder he doesn’t understand the plays.
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Tomlin should be above Whisenhunt
but otherwise… I’ve seen worse lists.
The shortest distance between two points is under construction.
by halfblindcubbiegirl on Apr 9, 2009 9:46 PM CDT reply actions
Tomlin
He inherited a great team too, but at least his team won the big game. Definitely should be ahead of him.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
2nd to last
It’s hilarious that Phillips is second to last in the league. All the talent in the world doesn’t guarantee winning.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
I put him at 7, I listed their overall records to help somewhat.
1.Bill Belichick (NE) 153-90-0
2.Jeff Fisher (TEN)120-104-0
3.Andy Reid (PHI)107-69-1
4.John Fox (CAR) 68-52-0
5.Mike Tomlin (PITT) 25–11–0
6.Tom Coughlin (NYG)111-95-0
7.Lovell "Lovie" Smith (CHI) 39-30-0
8.Ken Whisenhunt (AZ)20-15-0
9.Mike McCarthy28-22-0
10.Jack Del Rio (JAX)50-46.
Pool and a pond... Pond be good for you.
TOP TEN COACHES
i like souleater7,s list and reflects the true format ie win loss record.i was just thinking of a good question when it comes around. who would make a good head coach for the bears out of the ex bears players who are presently in the coaching system.ditka was a good role model,he had the emotion,passion and motivasion to be a part of the chicago organisation. i have allways said that you cant beat a player or person who wants to wear the colours or badge.
That list is all wrong
john fox aint that good, i would say him and Lovie flip spots that would be more realalistic, in my opinion (which maybe byist)
Is it August yet???
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