Greatest Coaches of All Time?

[Checkertail20]

Every time a list comes out listing the greatest coaches of all time the coaches come from NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA football and NCAA basketball. It is very hard to take this list seriously when most of the sports are not even represented. For instance Dean Smith is often on the list yet you could say that he isn't even the best coach at North Carolina. Anson Dorrance won 20 National Championships in women's soccer and Karen Shelton won 6 National Championships while Dean Smith won only 2. John Wooden is usually ranked #1 and has 10 National Championships but you could say he was not even the best college coach in Southern California in the 60's and 70's. Rod Dedeaux won 11 National Championships and went up against tougher competion and was dominant for a much longer period of time.

My question to you is who are truly the best coaches in sports?

[Stryker 19K30]

I don't understand your thread. Why are you comparing apples and oranges? How are you comparing a basketball coach to a soccer coach or a baseball coach? If you want to somehow come up with a way to decide on some immeasurable thing like 'mean/raw coaching ability' you certainly can't use numbers of national championships as a be all end all measuring stick. It is seriously apples and oranges.

[Checkertail20]

I am not sure why you think its apples and oranges. Coaches in basketball, soccer, football, baseball, hockey, lacrosse and all sports have the same goal and that is to win competions by training, motivating and coming up with a strategy to win a competition. The rules may be a little different but scoring more points, runs, goals or whatever you want to call it is the common denominator among all coaches. I do agree that championships are not the be all end all of telling how great a coach is.

[rebpreacher]

Bobby Bowden

[copenhagen]

Brian Clough.
Alex Ferguson.

I believe a basketball coach called Phil Jackson is held in very high regard by coaches inside and outside the game. I have read his book sacred hoops which is very interesting...

[rebpreacher]

Alex???
If you say so.

[MetalDog]

If they name the trophy after you, that says something. Vince Lombardi.

[LeanotLee]

Bear Bryant

John Wooden

John

[Slug]

Earl Weaver, Baltimore Orioles.
Bum Phillips, Houston Oilers, cool name, just seemed like a great guy.

[Sgt. Rock]

Earl Weaver, Baltimore Orioles.
Bum Phillips, Houston Oilers, cool name, just seemed like a great guy.

Props for the Bum Phillips reference!
Here's Houston Oilers number one song.



As far as coaches I've been impressed with Casey Stengel baseball, Bill Walsh football, and Red Auerbach for basketball. Those are my pro choices.

[copenhagen]

Alex???
If you say so.

Yeah, he's been an abject failure

[Boonierat]

Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley of course.

[copenhagen]

Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley of course.

Good call..

I think Cloughs achievement with a side like Forest is the best though. In my opinion anyway...

[Checkertail20]

Earl Weaver, Baltimore Orioles.
Bum Phillips, Houston Oilers, cool name, just seemed like a great guy.

Bum Phillips was one of a kind and it is too bad we don't have coaches like him anymore.

Earl Weaver was another great one. I read his book Weaver on Strategy and the man definately knew baseball. I think what hurt Weaver's legacy is losing 3 out of 4 World Series.

[Sgt. Rock]

I think what hurt Weaver's legacy is losing 3 out of 4 World Series.

He blew that 3-1 lead to the "We Are Family" Pirates in 1979 that probably hurt him the most. I liked Weaver though and thought he did a great job! I remember a cool old time computer baseball game called Earl Weaver Baseball which is still one of my all time favorite computer games.