Greatest NFL Coach?

Chuck Noll yes indeed.
Faithgirl

 

Just to clarify. Now I see what you meant, Roger. You posted Weeb and yes, I did miss adding him to the list. Sorry about that.

Carry on.

 

I would have to go with Don Shula

 

I am not knocking shula (except for his son ) or noll - I think they are great coaches - although shula more on longevity than championships won. But I think they come in second to coaches like Walsh and Landry who were innovaters and winners.

As a cowboy fan (who cannot stand the constant replays of "the catch" - lucky play, dwight clark was NOT montanas intended receiver) I rate Walsh right up there with Landry

 

What's scary is, you might be serious!

I agree with Paul Brown. Being a Bengals fan, I hate to give Walsh any credit at all since he broke my heart twice.

 

I don't have a problem with this list at all.

 

There are too many categorizations here as to how a coach was one of the "greatest" ones. So I will try this in a different way; what I think are the major categories that make one outstanding among his peers, then consider which ones overlap the most categories...

Wins: Shula, Halas, Landry
Winning percentage: Madden, Lombardi, George Allen (only 3 above .700)
Championships: Halas, Lambeau, Paul Brown (considering all 4 AAFC titles), Lombardi, Noll; (making allowances for differing circumstances of different eras)
Face-changing championships: Halas (1941), Ewbank (1958, 1968)
Longevity: Halas, Lambeau, Landry, Shula
Innovations: Brown, Landry, Walsh

Although I would not vote him the greatest based on personal observation, this 'system' indicates it's Halas, who is mentioned in 4 of these 6 categories.
There are other categories I can think of that should be applicable, but I don't know enough in-depth to compare the coaches in those ways [developing 'darkhorse' players, critical in-game decisions, developing year-round workout programs, for some examples]. But most (not necessarily all) of these other categories should be self-promulgating in a coach'es overall record.

 

Good analysis, Alcott.

 

neither do I.
Faithgirl

 

Face-changing championships: Halas (1941), Ewbank (1958, 1968)

I am aware of the 1968 reference having watched it live. Was 1958 the overtime NFL championship game? What was significant about the 1941 championship?

 

In terms of sheer influence over the game, I'd have to say Paul Brown.

But then, any opinions are subject to approval by TomVols.

 

Yes, it was.

Not sure about the 1941 game. The 1940 game was the 73-0 game, and it was significant mostly because of Halas' T-formation. Not to mention the score. :thumbs:

 

I should put that in my signature - All opinions are subject to my approval, since I'm always right. Good suggestion :thumbs: :laugh: Now if I can just get my wife to agree with that line of thinking:laugh:

 

I think people remember the score far more than they do the formation used. :laugh:

 

I was trying to think of some reason why it would be significant besides the score.

Plus, I didn't want it to seem like I was gloating, even though I totally was. :wavey:

 

Mike Ditka

and

Vince Lombardi

 

Correction: it was the 1940 NFL Championship that I was talking about-- Chicago 73, Washington 0. This is the game that assured the T formation would take over NFL offenses for many years to come, as well as that the use of deceptive motion would become as important as brute strength. While the chief innovator of this new offensive system was Clark Shaughnessy of Stanford, who used in for a very rare Rose Bowl win for the Cardinal (then "Indians"), this game brought it to the NFL, while it should be noted that most new schemes that begin in college ball [the veer, the wishbone, the 5-2 defense] do not 'translate' to the pros without so much fixing that they are hardly the same. The T formation and man-in-motion is a very major exception, though, and that 1940 championship game was the turning point.