It used to be a simple task. Name the NFL's best coach, then rank the rest
after that.
Increased power of the coaches has changed that some; the recent trend of coaches who also serve as general managers has made the issue far more complex.
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| Oakland's Jon Gruden is the youngest coach in the NFL but one of the best.(AP) | |
In addition to strategy, game-time decisions, player relations and staff
delegation, there's also player procurement to now consider. Of the 32 head
coaches in the league, including Houston's Dom Capers, 14 have control of
personnel decisions.
Green Bay's Mike Sherman and Philadelphia's Andy Reid, two second-year
coaches, now have control of the personnel decisions with their teams. They
are both from the Mike Holmgren tree, who moved to Seattle from Green Bay in
large part because he was given personnel control.
It is a caveat that more and more coaches are going to want as they become
more successful, much to the chagrin of personnel men who have been working
for years to get to a GM level.
Power is nice, but the following coaching rankings aren't about personnel.
They're about coaching. Who is the best in the NFL in terms of preparation,
game-day decision-making and relations with their players?
Which coach stands out above the rest?
The answer is Denver's Mike Shanahan.
Shanahan has two Super Bowl victories, but his top rating is more than just
about rings. He is innovative, creative, organized and has an easy way of
dealing with his players.
Add it all up, and it makes for one heck of a package.
To think Al Davis once fired this guy.
"Shanahan is one of the first guys you think of when you think coach,'' said
one AFC personnel director. "He has control over football operations there,
but he's more coach than anything. He loses players, like (John) Elway and
(Terrell) Davis, and his team keeps on winning. That says something about him
as a coach.''
Yeah, like he's second to none. He tops the SportsLine.com rankings of NFL
coaches, the list of which follows.
Just remember, these rankings are based on coaching only, the way it used to be.
1. Shanahan. If there were one coach that you could pick to win one game, it
would likely be Shanahan. His ability to adapt to situations is as good as
any coach there has been in the league. What he does with an offense, no matter
what the personnel, tells you how good a coach he is from a tactical
standpoint. He has made Brian Griese into a Pro Bowl passer, which is
indicative of the kind of teacher he can be. One day, the Hall will call.
Count on it.
2. Mike Holmgren, Seattle Seahawks. The verdict is still out on Holmgren as
a GM, but as a coach he is one of the best. He is very good at having a feel
for the game, plus he has a good rapport with the players. Holmgren is tough
enough, yet knows how to pull back at the right times. As an offensive coach,
he is one of the best in the league. The 2001 season is a big one for him; Paul Allen is paying him big bucks for big results.
3. Jon Gruden, Oakland Raiders. This might seem high for a young coach who
still has not won a Super Bowl. But Gruden's worth ethic, coupled with his
smooth style of dealing with the modern player, gets him this high. He is
also adept at offensive strategy, which is best exemplified by his making
Rich Gannon a Pro Bowl quarterback. The Super Bowl will come shortly. He's
too good a coach.
4. Jeff Fisher, Tennessee Titans. There are some flaws in Fisher as a game coach, most notably his insistence on playing it too
conservatively. But that's his style, and he believes strongly in it. Just
ask him. His relationship with his players is as good as any coach in the
league, which is why his teams play hard all the time. They like and respect
their coach, which is important nowadays. No other coach in the league has the
type of relationship Fisher has with his players.
5. Dennis Green, Minnesota Vikings. Green and Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher are
the longest-tenured coaches in the league. Green has consistently had his
team in the playoffs during his 10 years with the Vikings, even if the Super
Bowl has been unattained. His offensive philosophy to attack is perfect for this NFL. His one fault is never having put together a good
defense. That's a demerit, but his record is proof of how good a coach he has
been.
6. Dan Reeves, Atlanta Falcons. Reeves' career might be entering its final
season, which would be a shame since he is such a good coach. If all things
were equal, he'd outperform many of the coaches on this list. He won't get
the respect he deserves when he leaves the game, but he has been one of the
best coaches for a long time. That Falcons team he took to the Super Bowl
three seasons ago is all the proof you need.
7. Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville Jaguars. He is far too demanding, has far too
many nit-picky rules and his players don't really like playing for him. He
also has a tendency to get too emotional on game days, which hurts what he
does from a strategic standpoint. So how come Coughlin has won? It's because
he's a detail freak who works tirelessly at the task. Coughlin knows
football, and does a great job of out-scheming the other guy. His whole life,
aside from family, is football. If only he had better player-relations.
8. Dick Vermeil, Kansas City Chiefs. The kinder, gentler Dick Vermeil is a
much better coach than the Vermeil of his Philadelphia Eagles days. Vermeil
won a Super Bowl two seasons ago with the Rams and his players embraced him.
Gone were the days when every player on the roster cursed his every move, as
was the case with the Eagles. Even if he does sometimes get sappy, Vermeil
does relate to the players despite his turning 65 in October. It will be
interesting to see what his offense can do with the Chiefs now that he
doesn't have Mike Martz to run the show.
9. Brian Billick, Baltimore Ravens. Billick might seem like a goofy, free
spirit who will say anything, but the reality is that he is a detail-oriented
coach who knows what buttons to push. His adapting from an offensive coach
who loves to play wide open to a conservative style was key to the Ravens
winning the Super Bowl last year. How many other coaches would have made that
switch, even though deep down you know it was killing Billick? He can really
rise up this list in the next couple of years.
10. Tony Dungy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His easy-going style works with this
team. But he has to be willing to play more open on offense if his team is to
get to the Super Bowl. That's not something he believes in doing, but all the
great coaches make the adjustments that need to be made. That's one that
Dungy has to make to be considered among the elite in the league. Now that he
has a legitimate quarterback in Brad Johnson, this is that time for Dungy.
11. George Seifert, Carolina Panthers. His Super Bowl-winning days with the
49ers seem like a long time ago. Seifert has struggled with the Panthers, and
things don't look like they'll get much better this season. Could this be the
end of Seifert's coaching career? He has been a good coach, who won with a
great team, but always has coached with class. He might never be considered
one of the best coaches, but has been a winner.
12. Jim Fassel, New York Giants. Fassel's timely guarantee that the Giants
would make the playoffs proved to be the right motivational tactic. If the
Giants hadn't followed through, there's a good chance Fassel would have been
let go. Instead he got a new contract. Giving the reigns to the offense to
Sean Payton was a brilliant move, since Fassel was far too conservative calling the plays. The players seem to like him, which helps.
13. Steve Mariucci, San Francisco 49ers. The stripping down of the 49ers for
cap reasons has hindered Mariucci's growth as a coach. But he has done a
solid job with a young football team that is on the rise. Mariucci is another
former Holmgren protégé, and like his former boss, he's an offensive wizard.
Players love playing for him since he treats them like 25-year-old men and
not a bunch of kids. Might be the most-underrated coach in the league.
14. Marty Schottenheimer, Washington Redskins. If you want to get to the
playoffs, Schottenheimer is the guy. If you want to win a Super Bowl, he might
not be. Schottenheimer has had good teams with both the Browns and the
Chiefs, but never got to the big game. His conservative approach in Kansas
City seemed to blow up his face in the playoffs. With Jeff George, he had
better be willing to open things up.
15. Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers. Has all that rah-rah stuff worn off?
That's what some around the league are speculating. Cowher's in-your-face
approach was good when the Steelers were good, but that can wear thin with
time. That's when a coach has to coach, not just be the guy slapping palms as
players come off the field. Cowher has rededicated himself the past two
seasons, but he appeared to have lost some of the fire a couple of years ago.
Game-time decisions are not a strong suit.
16. Jim Haslett, New Orleans Saints. A former NFL linebacker, Haslett was
outstanding in his first season. The players responded to his no-nonsense
style and the Saints made the playoffs. He did so even though starting
quarterback Jeff Blake went down, which tells you he can adapt on the fly. In
terms of intensity, there might be none better.
17. Mike Martz, St. Louis Rams. Martz is an offensive wizard, the guy
responsible for the Rams' wide-open style of play. He does a good job of
calling a game, putting defenses on their heels. But how he rates as an
overall administrator is still up in the air. The players like him, and
respect him, but there were some veterans he rubbed the wrong way last
season. He isn't inflexible, which will help his growth.
18. Jim Mora, Indianapolis Colts. Aside from shutting it down way too soon
in the playoff loss to Miami last season, Mora is a good football coach. He
is disciplined and a stickler for details. Plus, he mellowed a bit from his
Saints days. He does have a tendency to get conservative with leads, which he
did against the Dolphins after leading 14-0 early. This will be a big year
for Mora.
19. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles. Like Gruden, he is a Holmgren disciple --
and it shows. They have very similar approaches in terms of systems and the
way they handle the players. Reid is considered one of the bright, young
minds in the league. His hands have been tied some offensively because of
lack of skills players, but once he gets the proper personnel, look for him
to open things up a bit more.
20. Mike Sherman, Green Bay Packers. Another from the Holmgren tree, Sherman
is a tough, take-nothing coach who did a good job in his first year as an NFL
head coach in 2000. If his team shows as much improvement as many think this
season, Sherman will be a hot coach. He has the chance to be a riser on this
list, provided he continues to let Brett Favre do his thing.
21. Dave Wannstedt, Miami Dolphins. Wannstedt has grown a bunch since his
first stint as a head coach with the Bears. He has learned that you can ease
up, which in turn will help with player relations. Wannstedt is a fiery coach
who might not be the best decision-maker on game day, but his players respond
and his teams play hard. Sometimes he's too conservative, but that might be
because of his Pittsburgh roots where running the football is the way of life.
22. Dom Capers, Houston Texans. Capers had some success in his first stint
as a head coach with Carolina, but when the thing went sour, so did it for
him. There were mistakes made in the handling of some situations -- see Kerry
Collins -- but Capers helped wash away that stink as defensive coordinator of
the Jaguars the past two seasons. The Jaguars defensive players loved him and
respected him. To a man, they all believed he would be a successful NFL coach in
his second chance. He'll get it next year.
23. Gregg Williams, Buffalo Bills. He has prepared his whole life to be an
NFL head coach, so don't expect Williams to blow it. He works as hard as
anybody and appears to have a solid grasp of the fine line between pushing
too much and pushing not enough. As a defensive coach, he's one of the best.
He likes to be aggressive, which is a plus with all the speed in the NFL
these days. He has a chance to be a real good one.
24. Dave Campo, Dallas Cowboys. Another really nice guy whose hands are tied
by the mess created by cap troubles. Salary-cap issues have crippled this team,
and Campo is forced to deal with a limited roster in terms of talent. He is a
solid defensive coach, who lets his coaches run the offense. Might never get
the real chance to show that he can be a successful head coach because of this
situation.
25. Herman Edwards, New York Jets. An easy-going, ex-player who has had a
good rapport with his players as an assistant. But he's another hire where
there have been questions of readiness, even by some of his brethren. He has
to be willing to get tougher now that he's a head coach. Dungy did, so expect
the same from Edwards, who worked closely with Dungy with the Bucs before taking this job.
26. Butch Davis, Cleveland Browns. Another in the motivational class, Davis
has never been considered a good game-day coach. He sometimes has a tendency
to get too emotional on the sidelines, something he did a lot at Miami. But
if he lets his staff handle things, Davis might be the perfect choice for the
young Browns. He will have to let up on the all-out, physical practices,
though. You can't do that all the time in the NFL.
27. Dick Jauron, Chicago Bears. When he was named the Bears coach, there
were many in the league who thought he'd be a better head coach than
coordinator. So far, that hasn't proved to be true, although he has been
limited by poor quarterback play. Jauron's players love him. His cerebral
approach -- as a Yale graduate, he might be the league's smartest coach -- is a
calming influence in a league of screaming, ranting coaches. Yet he's stern
enough to get his point across. The 2001 season is make-or-break for Jauron.
28. Mike Riley, San Diego Chargers. He might be the nicest coach in the
league, and he's probably a better coach than people think. Riley is a deep-thinker who loves offense, yet has been restricted by lack of a quarterback.
He now has one in Doug Flutie, so Riley better win this season. With Norv
Turner now on his staff, ready to take his job, 2001 is a big one for Riley.
Expect him to show better.
29. Dick LeBeau, Cincinnati Bengals. There are those inside the Cincinnati
organization who swear by LeBeau. They insist he's the kind of coach who can
be successful if given time. The players that played for him, even back to
his days as a coordinator, respect him a bunch. The verdict on him will come
in this season.
30. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots. His players don't like him, the
media doesn't like him, and his inflexibility is tiring. So why is he back
running an NFL team? It's because he's a great defensive coordinator who is
from the Bill Parcells' tree. Belichick is a much better coordinator than
head coach, which the Patriots will find out.
31. Marty Mornhinweg, Detroit Lions. The newest Holmgren disciple to get a
job, Mornhinweg is considered a bright, offensive mind. But is he ready to be
a head coach? Some in the league privately question if he got a top job too
soon. Then again, they said that about Gruden, too. Tough to judge him now,
but if he's like Gruden he'll soar up this list in a hurry.
32. Dave McGinnis, Arizona Cardinals. Good guy, bad situation. The Cardinals
are moving in the wrong direction, especially on defense, which is McGinnis'
area of expertise. He has made some tough decisions lately, like releasing
Andre Wadsworth, which show that he isn't going to put up with players not in
tune with the team concept. Other players should respond to that type of
decision, but McGinnis doesn't have enough talent to make things work.