As I was listening to my local sports talk morning show, a guy called in with an interesting question. If there were a Mount Rushmore of NFL Coaching Greats, what 4 faces would have be included?
There was a great debate the ensued between the broadcasters (one of which is retired Titans TE Frank Wycheck) & callers.
If I had to pick my 4:
Vince Lombardi - C'mon, the championship trophy is named for him. Bill Walsh - Changed the face of the game with his dynasty in San Francisco. Chuck Noll - 4 Championships. Those Steeler teams are some of the best in history. Don Shula - All-time winningest coach in NFL history.
Honorable Mention George Halas - 8 NFL championships, 2nd Winningest Coach in NFL History Joe Gibbs - Won 3 Super Bowls (with 3 different QBs) Bill Belichick - Won 3 Super Bowls in the salary-cap driven era of the NFL.
Sorry, but you *have* to include Paul Brown on the Honorable Mention list - Went from OSU to the Browns, led them to every AAFC championship ever, then won the NFL Championship in 1950 when they joined the league. Fantastic, innovative coach.
Otherwise, I like the first four.
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Paul Brown also got the Bengals started up quickly, who knos how fast they would have developed had Greg Cook not gotten injured.
To think Lombardi and Landry were assistants on the Giants at the same time...
You will also get some votes for Parcells.
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I'd put Halas and Brown in the Top 4 with Lombardi and Landry. After that Noll/Walsh/Shula, then Belichick/Gibbs then Parcells. However, if Belichick gets a 4th title in the salary cap era to go with 2 as a defensive coordinator, Mt. Rushmore might need a fifth face.
Originally posted by StaggerLeeHow can Belicheck be above Parcells? Parcells took JEFF HOSTETLER to a Super Bowl. (not to mention Drew Bledsoe).
Belichick WINNING Super Bowl(s) with Patriots > Parcells LOSING Super Bowl with Patriots. (Also, Belichick's (and Gibbs') 3 rings > Parcells' 2 rings.)
I'd say Brown, Halas, and Lombardi are the easy picks, then you could throw a blanket over Noll, Walsh, Landry, and Shula. I'd go with Landry only because he'd have to go up there with his bad-ass hat.
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Originally posted by too-old-nowLast, Belicheck could go up there only if they could find a way for a huge rock mic/headset that would come on and off all the time.
I think the hoody-n-headband combo would be appropriate for Mr. Belichick.
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Originally posted by StaggerLeeHow can Belicheck be above Parcells? Parcells took JEFF HOSTETLER to a Super Bowl. (not to mention Drew Bledsoe).
1. As was said before, Belickick's 3 SB's > Parcells 2 SB's
2. Belickick was defensive coordinator on the 2 Parcells Giants SB champion teams and on the Pats team that lost to Green Bay in SB 31. Number of times Parcells has taken a team to the SB without belickick on his staff = 0.
3. Bledsoe his first few years in the league was a very good QB. I'll give you Hostetler but Brady wasn't too much better than him during the first Patriots SB under Belichick.
Originally posted by redsoxnationI'd put Halas and Brown in the Top 4 with Lombardi and Landry. After that Noll/Walsh/Shula, then Belichick/Gibbs then Parcells. However, if Belichick gets a 4th title in the salary cap era to go with 2 as a defensive coordinator, Mt. Rushmore might need a fifth face.
I'll trade out Landry for Shula (just barely) and there ya go. Paul Brown made too many innovations on top of being a master tactician not to be in the top 4.
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Oh come on people. Shula is top 3 if not number one.
The first coach to win the SB with two different teams? Building the Dolphins from a total joke into the only undefeated team in post-1960 history?
1. Lombardi 2. Shula 3. Noll 4. Brown 5. Landry 6. Parcells 7. Walsh 8. George Allen 9. Bud Grant 10. Belichick
Then maybe Gibbs or Marv Levy..
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The first coach to win the SB with two different teams?
Shula lost the SB with the Colts (Broadway Joe and all that). He wasn't their coach when they won SBV.
EDIT: I don't think anyone has coached two different SB winning teams. Am I overlooking someone?
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I can understand perhaps arguing for George Halas not to be number 1, but to do a top 10 list that doesn't have him on it is just crazygonuts.
Originally posted by football.about.com Participated in the organization of the American Football Association, which would later become the NFL Only person to be associated with the NFL throughout its first 50 years Founder of the Decatur Staleys in 1920 (Renamed the Chicago Bears in 1922) Performed as a player, coach, or owner of the Chicago Bears from 1920-83 Coached the Chicago Bears for 40 seasons Voted NFL Coach of the Year Twice (1963,65) Won 320 Games as an NFL Head Coach Coached the Chicago Bears to a 73-0 win over the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Title Game Won Six NFL Championships as a Head Coach Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1963) Innovations: Added a man-in-motion and perfected the classic T-Formation First coach to hold daily practice sessions First to utilize films of opponents' games for study First to schedule a barnstorming tour First to have his team's games broadcast on radio
You could make a case that he's one of the two most important people, along with Pete Rozelle, in the history of the NFL.
Yes. That should have been taken to, not won the Super Bowls.
On Halas:
He would be and is in the HoF more as an owner/pioneer than a coach.
If he weren't the owner, don't you think he would have been fired over the last twenty years of his coaching career, with just one playoff appearance?
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Actually, Buffalo is favored by 1 against Seattle. The Seahawks offense looks positively abysmal this year, and Buffalo has put together a decent team.