Who Are The Legendary Coaches Since 2000?

[Padreruf]

Go back a few decades in either College or Pro and you will find legendary coaches: Bryant, Schembechler, Vaught, Stram, Landry, Shula, etc. Now we have very few...Saban...Miles?...Meyer? Do we have fewer great coaches...more good ones...or is modern media making staying at one place too difficult?

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Belichik in the NFL

Saban
Meyer
Carroll if he can get to or win a Super Bowl
Spurrier

 

[GrayTide]

I do think that most coaches in this era don't last as long career wise and certainly don't stay at one school very long. IMO this has to do with the large amount of compensation and the heighten pressure of winning. You can add to that the scrutiny on their lives and families by the internet and social media. Legendary coaches since 2000: Saban, Meyer, Spurrier, Carroll, Stoops, Tressel, Miles have all been successful since 2000. Don't follow NFL so don't know or care.

 

[B1GTide]

There are none. I don't think that there ever will be again. Our society has changed too much.

 

[FitToBeTide]

This,sadly.

There are none. I don't think that there ever will be again. Our society has changed too much.

 

[Bryant Ave]

Legendary aside, a few coaches are at the top of the mountain at various times. You won't see 20 year runs with a NC every 3.7 years like Coach Bryant. Too much parity.

The two best coaches of the past 20 years are Spurrier and Coach Saban imo. I am not including Carroll because of the mess he left the team in.

Coach Saban - On his way to being a top 5 coach of all time, debatable if he's not already there.
Coach Spurrier - Florida had never won a SEC championship before he arrived at Florida, he won 6 in 12 years. Same with Duke, whom he led to a Co ACC Championship. Has led SC to more bowl games in less than a decade than the prior century. His job at SC is vastly underrated by most. Imagine someone making Miss State a perennial top 12 team consistently, same thing. He is also on his way to a top 5 coach, just needs the SEC Championship at SC.

 

[Bamaro]

Too short of time period to be "legendary" but CNS is well on his way.

 

[BAMA1979]

Go back a few decades in either College or Pro and you will find legendary coaches: Bryant, Schembechler, Vaught, Stram, Landry, Shula, etc. Now we have very few...Saban...Miles?...Meyer? Do we have fewer great coaches...more good ones...or is modern media making staying at one place too difficult?

The guys you list as legendary have finished their careers. The current coaches will amass more achievements in the coming years that will add to their resumes. Check back in 10-20 years and you will have a few out of the current crop of coaches.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

A coach will have to have the right setting. No matter what CSOS accomplishes at SC, the recruiting handicaps are such that the results will be judged mediocre in the big scheme of things. We in the SEC know what he's accomplished, but, on the main, the rest of the country will look at the record and yawn. CNS, OTOH, stepped into the perfect setting - and he's taken full advantage of it...

 

[mhiggy45]

I love your new avatar:smile:QUOTE=TIDE-HSV;2325249]A coach will have to have the right setting. No matter what CSOS accomplishes at SC, the recruiting handicaps are such that the results will be judged mediocre in the big scheme of things. We in the SEC know what he's accomplished, but, on the main, the rest of the country will look at the record and yawn. CNS, OTOH, stepped into the perfect setting - and he's taken full advantage of it...[/QUOTE]

 

[KrAzY3]

In college, besides Saban, the only other consideration is Meyer. Meyer has lead three different programs to undefeated seasons, but he still has to prove he can win a championship without Tim Tebow. Pete Carrol would have seemed likely, but considering all his players were not amateurs, and the fact that they fell short in several seasons kind of puts a damper on that.

 

[TideMan09]

A hundred years from now Kiffin will be remembered as a legendary HC, but, a legend not for the good sense of the word..His goofy recruiting tactics, and his D- Bag sense of entitlement ego will prolly be laughed at, when folks reminiscence back on the good ole days we're experiencing in the historic run at Bama & this era of college football..It's a shame too, cause he's a really good offensive minded coach, but, folks just doesn't like him cause of his ego..

As for the legendary HC' s that are the best of the best..There's Coach Saban, Urban Meyer, and possibly Coach Miles if he can add another NC..Plus..Coach Miles will be looked back upon as a loveable type HC, he's actually a really good HC, and so dang goofy, you can't help but to love the guy..LOL

 

[selmaborntidefan]

The problem is that the circumstances are different. Allow me to show you why this may be a bygone idea:

Coach Bryant - played his college ball at Alabama - including the Rose Bowl - and then took a long route to get back and then became the gold standard

Woody Hayes - Ohio boy who attended high school and college there, came back and moved up IN THE STATE to the peak job and won a bunch of titles

Knute Rockne - played at Notre Dame then coached there

Bo Schembechler - from a north Ohio town not far from the Michigan line, played college ball in Ohio, then was an assistant before moving up to the UM job

Tom Osborne - played in a Nebraska college (Hastings) then ascended the ladder and stayed at one job for about 25 years

Joe Paterno - played at Brown then was a PSU assistant for fifteen years - and then stayed at one job



In general, these coaches were home-grown (or near home-grown) products and wound up back home (or close to home) and became long-term coaches at that place near home.

We could argue who qualifies as a "legend," but Shug Jordan played at Auburn AND he coached there. Jerry Claiborne played and coached at Kentucky. Johnny Majors nearly won the Heisman and then coached at Tennessee after winning a title at Pitt. And they did this at times when television exposure was limited to three games per year (since overturned thanks to Georgia and OU suing the NCAA).

We're talking more nostalgia than fact. Granted, there are a few well-traveled guys (Bud Wilkinson, John McKay) but even a guy like Darrell Royal was born in Oklahoma and became a legend at Texas. Switzer also came from a border state.

That day is forever gone. We are more mobile now what with airplanes, the Tokyo Bowl, and televised spring games.

 

[Florida Tom]

The problem is that the circumstances are different. Allow me to show you why this may be a bygone idea:

Coach Bryant - played his college ball at Alabama - including the Rose Bowl - and then took a long route to get back and then became the gold standard

Woody Hayes - Ohio boy who attended high school and college there, came back and moved up IN THE STATE to the peak job and won a bunch of titles

Knute Rockne - played at Notre Dame then coached there

Bo Schembechler - from a north Ohio town not far from the Michigan line, played college ball in Ohio, then was an assistant before moving up to the UM job

Tom Osborne - played in a Nebraska college (Hastings) then ascended the ladder and stayed at one job for about 25 years

Joe Paterno - played at Brown then was a PSU assistant for fifteen years - and then stayed at one job



In general, these coaches were home-grown (or near home-grown) products and wound up back home (or close to home) and became long-term coaches at that place near home.

We could argue who qualifies as a "legend," but Shug Jordan played at Auburn AND he coached there. Jerry Claiborne played and coached at Kentucky. Johnny Majors nearly won the Heisman and then coached at Tennessee after winning a title at Pitt. And they did this at times when television exposure was limited to three games per year (since overturned thanks to Georgia and OU suing the NCAA).

We're talking more nostalgia than fact. Granted, there are a few well-traveled guys (Bud Wilkinson, John McKay) but even a guy like Darrell Royal was born in Oklahoma and became a legend at Texas. Switzer also came from a border state.

That day is forever gone. We are more mobile now what with airplanes, the Tokyo Bowl, and televised spring games.

Great Post!

 

[BamaDynasty]

When I think of Legendary, obviously as a Bama fan Coach Bryant comes to mind right away. One of the many ways I describe it is, the man was on the cover of Time magazine. I have it framed in my Bama room and people think it's a fake thing. I explain to them that speaks volumes to how much of a legendary, national figure he was. Nowadays, the only way a CFB Coach would be on the cover of suce a well respected magazine is if it was a big scandal.

THAT SAID, Coach Saban and his cover on Forbes leads to being well on his way to legendary status IMO.

 

[theballguy]

When I think of legendary, I have to think of: Bear Bryant, General Neyland, Tom Osborne, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Wallace Wade.

So, I'd have to have offer: Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier only at this time. If Urban Meyer can get a couple of NC's at Ohio State (which is entirely possible and probable), I'd say you have to put him in the same conversation. As of now, Meyer is only in the same group with Bob Stoops, Mack Brown, Les Miles (maybe) and Jim Tressel. These guys have won and are great coaches but they're not quite there as far as legendary goes.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Too short of time period to be "legendary" but CNS is well on his way.

Players became legends in three years back in the day.

CNS is every bit a legend as any Coach to ever coach CFB.

He has changed the game forever....his Process alone, makes him a legend

 

[BigBama76]

A coach will have to have the right setting. No matter what CSOS accomplishes at SC, the recruiting handicaps are such that the results will be judged mediocre in the big scheme of things. We in the SEC know what he's accomplished, but, on the main, the rest of the country will look at the record and yawn. CNS, OTOH, stepped into the perfect setting - and he's taken full advantage of it...

I don't know that I'd give Spurrier a pass on recruiting. South Carolina is about as much a hot bed for talent as Louisiana and he's dominated his in-state rival plus he's got Georgia and North Carolina next door. I'd say his recruiting net is as big as any in the SEC, maybe bigger.

 

[bama579]

Is is possible to become "legendary" in 12/13 years?

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I don't know that I'd give Spurrier a pass on recruiting. South Carolina is about as much a hot bed for talent as Louisiana and he's dominated his in-state rival plus he's got Georgia and North Carolina next door. I'd say his recruiting net is as big as any in the SEC, maybe bigger.

We'll just have to agree to disagree. In terms of Div I players per capita, SC is far behind AL, MS and LA. NC is even further behind. In GA, as I said, rich as that recruiting ground is, he has to do battle with Saban, UGA and AU, plus raids by others. After a number of years to correct any recruiting imbalance, here's what it looked like in 2012:

South Carolina is far down the list. We are, of course, climbing under Saban. Spurrier was known as a listless recruiter even so far back as at UF, but he had an easy berth in a state with a huge number of premier prospects, most of whom grew up wanting to play at UF.