Athlon ranks CFB's coaches for 2013
Not sure if this has already been discussed, but here is the link so you can see their rationale.
Athlon's rankings of coaches for 2013:
(Update: top 50 included.)
1. Nick Saban
2. Urban Meyer
3. Bill Synder
4. Brian Kelly
5. Steve Spurrier
6. Chris Petersen
7. Bob Stoops
8. Bobby Petrino
9. Frank Beamer
10. Gary Patterson
11. Mark Richt
12. Pat Fitzgerald
13. Art Briles
14. Brady Hoke
15. Mike Gundy
16. Kevin Sumlin
17. James Franklin
18. Charlie Strong
19. Al Golden
20. David Shaw
21. Mike Riley
22. Rich Rodriguez
23. Dan Mullen
24. Les Miles
25. Bret Bielema
26. Mark Dantonio
27. Bill O'Brien
28. Mack Brown
29. Todd Graham
30. Hugh Freeze
31. Mike Leach
32. Paul Johnson
33. Gary Andersen
34. Mark Hudspeth
35. Bo Pelini
36. Will Muschamp
37. Jimbo Fisher
38. Paul Rhoads
39. Larry Fedora
40. Dabo Swinney
41. Butch Jones
42. Gary Pinkel
43. Tommy Tuberville
44. Mike MacIntyre
45. Steve Sarkisian
46. Bronco Mendenall
47. Willie Taggert
48. Jim Grobe
49. David Cutcliffe
50. Dana Holgorsen
I'm stopping at 50. If you guys want to see the rest, click the link.
Would we trade Brady Hoke for anyone else on the list? Nope, he is the perfect fit at Michigan - we are very lucky to have him.
In the words of today's youth (I think)...
"If (Hoke) ain numba 1, I'on respek it."
WTF?
1. Nick Saban
2. Urban Meyer
3. Brian Kelly
4. Chris Petersen
5. Bill Synder
6. Brady Hoke
7. Kevin Sumlin
8. Charlie Strong
9. David Shaw
10. Steve Spurrier
11. Bob Stoops
12. Gary Patterson
13. Mark Richt
14. Pat Fitzgerald
15. Art Briles
Poor Kiffy Kins!
Nobody bringing up Les Miles at #24? I know he's kind of an oaf, but he wins football games. I'd have him in my top ten.
to be down at 24.
But what justifies Rodriguez being ahead of him? Miles has a title and has never lead a prestigious national power program to consecutive losing seasons. No axe to grind here, just speaking matter-of-factly.
Also, Kelly is a good coach, but Spurrier is better.
I thought that was bullshit too. One way to determine if one coach is "better" than the other is to imagine them switching jobs and how the media/fans would react.
If Les Miles left for Arizona, and Rich Rod left for LSU, not only would the media do a collective "WTF", I'm pretty sure Zona fans would be ecstatic and LSU fans would be livid.
Limiting it to just the Big Ten, here's how Athlon ranked them within the confines of the conference:
In 2012 (then 2013 rank):
1) Urban Meyer (still first in 2013)
2) Brady Hoke (fell to 3rd in 2013)
3) Mark Dantonio (fell to 4th in 2013)
4) Pat Fitzgerald (rose to 2nd in 2013)
5) Bret Bielema (Gary Anderson, his replacement, is 6th this year)
6) Kirk Ferentz (fell to 8th in 2013)
7) Bo Pelini (holds steady at 7th in 2013)
8) Jerry Kill (fell to 9th in 2013)
9) Tim Beckman (fell to 12th in 2013)
10) Danny Hope (Darrell Hazell, his replacement, is 10th this year)
11) Bill O'Brien (rose to 5th in 2013)
12) Kevin Wilson (rose to 11th in 2013)
Chuck Strong wins the Sugar Bowl, and is currently bringing in the first top 10 recruiting class in Louisville's history. And he's 18th? And Miles at 24th? Really?
Petrino 8th and Rich Rod 22nd is laughable as well (they are way too high).
Every single coach they ranked ahead of Hoke has coached at a BCS-level school for longer than Hoke has. I'd say he's doing something right.
One national title alone means he'll probably be in the top ten on these lists for the rest of his career. And they can make Meyer #1 and put Hoke at #100 for all I care so long as we beat them this year.
The entire editorial staff that voted comes from states bordering Ohio and SEC country.
Has anyone on their staff ever heard of regional bias?
Or have they heard about the difference between past performance and future expectations?
If I buy a stock, I don't just look at how long it's been around and how it did years ago. In a coach that's also a mistake, since a lot of the coaches listed highly will soon or already have shown evidence of burnout (just look at Meyer's recent yrs at Fla).
Rather, as when I look at stocks, I try to evaluate indicators of future performance--which in football would include the capacity to turn arouind programs and recruit. .
Frankly, I wouldn't trade Brady for any of those coaches on the list.
is #26
Of the coaches not already mentioned, I think Bill O'Brien is too highly ranked. He did an ok job last year, but it's not like Penn St. played a difficult schedule.
I don't normally respond to my own posts, but I feel compelled by embarrassment to do so and to let my original post stand as a testament to my shame. Apparently Athlon has Bill O'Brien ranked not too high, but at least 25 spots too low. He should be top three at least. I happend upon a post at BSD that included the following:
I am hard pressed to think of anyone who could have done what Bill O'Brien has accomplished thus far. Given the talent that Alabama or tOSU or Oregon has, Bill O'Brien would have been hoisting the MNC trophy... no doubt in my mind. And there is no reason to believe that we won't be hoisting it in the near future.
It does just sound like a homer that all fanbases have, and his user name is I_BILLieve, but there were four people who responded to the post. One said he agreed, two said they couldn't agree more, and the last said he agreed 100%. I guess they have a new idol to worship at PSU.