Best Coaches right now ....
This is an effort to use a different part of everyone's brain .... but still talk football !
With Urban Meyer leaving a lot is being said that the Florida job is the best job in America. I think "best" in pushing it ... but certainly an upper level team in the SEC (as well as nationally). Meyer was 65 - 15 in 6 seasons at Florida (2 MNCs). As they start naming potential replacements ... I started thinking about who are the top 3 college coaches - right now ?
If you look at each BCS conference the top coach may be:
Big East - none / ACC - Frank Beamer / SEC - was Meyer ? (god - not Saban) / B10 - tressel (ugh) / Big 12 - Stoops / PAC 10 - Kelly or Harbaugh (neither have a long track record) Outside of the BCS conferences - it has to be Chris Petersen.
So my top 3 right now .. probably (not in order) Beamer, Stoops & Petersen.
Beamer teams don't beat themselves / Stoops has delivered consistency (save last year) & Petersen has taken a nothing program to one that is discussed nationaly the last 3 - 4 years.
Who do you see as the top 3 college head coaches working today and why ?
Go Blue !
December 9th, 2010 at 2:52 PM ^
My top three consist of ANYBODY that can coach the defense to be anything close to average. After the way this season (which we still have one more game! woot woot!) has played out on defense, we need someone that can get us over that hump.
December 9th, 2010 at 3:25 PM ^
December 9th, 2010 at 2:56 PM ^
Honestly, I am all for a guy who runs a 4-3. Guys that come to mind are Bud Foster, Mike Venebal, Will Muschamp, and so on. There are a lot of good coordinators, given the talent, can produce a solid defense. I just think at Michigan a 4-3 needs to be installed.
If RR is dead set on a 3-3-5, then I like Casteel.
GERG has at least 1 more game left though so we need to support him until then.
December 9th, 2010 at 4:34 PM ^
Don't know if he'll take a job as DC but if so he'd be great for us. Most of The U's problems were on offense and Jacory Harris throwing to the wrong team. Their defense was most always good.
December 9th, 2010 at 2:49 PM ^
I think Beamer has the luxury of a great DC in Bud Foster. I think Butch Davis (look past the allegations) and Paul Johnson are some of the better coaches in the ACC. As much as I hate Tressel and the shitty university he represents, I still respect him. I think if he had a pair of balls he might have won another national championship. Mike Gundy is very underrated too.
December 9th, 2010 at 2:52 PM ^
Why has nobody mentioned the obvious number one? My MGoBlog faith is shaken that nobody can recognize that Lane Kiffen is, hands down, the greatest coach in college football history.
December 9th, 2010 at 2:55 PM ^
1. Chip Kelly
2. Urban Meyer
3. Nick Saban
December 9th, 2010 at 3:06 PM ^
I get your point about Beamer having a great DC in Bud Foster, but you could almost say the same about Tressel. He is the head coach and the offensive playcaller -- not a defensive mastermind -- so one could argue that his defensive coordinators have been the reason for much of his success.
NOTE: I'm not saying Tressel doesn't deserve a ton of credit, just that I can make the same points about Tressel that you're making about Beamer. I think Beamer's done an excellent job to build Virginia Tech from nationally irrelevant into a consistent top-10 team, even if he's never quite been able to get them over the hump.
(This was supposed to be a response to BusofLove -- not sure why it showed up as a regular comment. Probably user error.)
December 9th, 2010 at 3:19 PM ^
Mike "I'm a man" Gundy should get some love too. 46-29 as HC at an also ran school in the B12/10/whatever.
Not top 3, but I would put him in the top 10 and moving up.
Also as painful as it is...Miles somehow has managed to win regularly in the SEC.
December 9th, 2010 at 3:19 PM ^
If we ask this question two years from now, I am hoping RR is at the top. That being said, here are my choices:
1. Chris Peterson. Peterson has done as much with as little for as long as any coach in the game. When he leaves, he won't fail like Dan Hawkins did.
2. Chip Kelly. Kelly has managed to take a very good team to a level transcending that of his predecessor. This is the scariest offense I have seen in college in a long time. And he is doing it without USC-type personnel.
3. Dan Mullen. Mullen soaked in every bit of knowledge he could from his mentor, and got better results with a lower caliber of personnel this year. He will win the NC soon, but not at MSU. It is probably early to put him on the list, but I think he can get the job done right now, especially if he lands in Gainesville.
Notable omissions:
Urban Meyer. If he hadn't retired, he would be number one on my list. It appears to me that Meyer can't work the 110 hours a week he needs to be a great coach without severe negative effects on his health. He tried to cut back, and Florida went 7-5. Ergo, I have to look at the Urban Meyer who won the two NC's at Florida as someone who no longer exists.
Nick Saban. Great coach, but how much of it is having great personnel from gross over-recruiting? I would actually put him at number four on my list, though.
Les Miles. Great results so far, but they don't call him "the Hat" for nothing. Bobby Bowden got a free pass for speaking in non sequiturs. Miles isn't getting one: at least until he learns how to "tell time."
Jim Tressel. Great recruiter, but misuses his players in ultra-conservative scheme.
Bob Stoopes. Very good, but a great coach would have at least one more NC at OK.
Jim Harbaugh. One great season doesn't make a career.
Mark Dantonio. See Jim Harbaugh.
December 9th, 2010 at 4:40 PM ^
8-5 in his third season as well as success at San Diego University.
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December 9th, 2010 at 5:36 PM ^
but Peterson #1, Kelly #2, Mullen #3 is like a 2010 wish list rather than "best coaches" list. How can you possibly put 3 coaches who have never won national championships, won a wopping 2 BCS bowl wins combined as HCs and have not proven their success for more than 5, 2 and 1 year(s) respectively. I get that you don't like Tressel or Saban or Bob Stoops but if you are talking best coaches, you are putting a lot of weight on what your listed 3 have yet to do rather than what they have done.
December 9th, 2010 at 3:33 PM ^
I see a Kelly mentioned on here several times but no mention of the "other" Kelly??
December 9th, 2010 at 7:28 PM ^
I like you
December 9th, 2010 at 5:32 PM ^
I understand that he's a good coach and all, in the regular season. But when bowl season comes around osu has had alot of trouble. Easpecialy going up against SEC teams, osu vs an SECD opponent in a bowl game = 0-9 for tressel soon to be 0-10. Regular season he's good, but i wouldn't want him as a head coach, maybe an assistant. but that's it.
December 10th, 2010 at 9:27 AM ^
So what coach has more BCS bowl wins? What active coach has more BCS titles? Saban and...yeah that's it. Tressel lost to two national champions and South Carolina in 2001. That South Carolina team was more pound the rock and hold on for dear life on D BTW. But the SEC D's SPEED! Isn't there a Sox/Yanks special you are missing on ESPN? Possibly a Bill Simmons article?
You wouldn't want him as a head coach? BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I agree, planning trips to see BCS games every year is such a pain in the ass. You sir, are a clown, here for my amusement.
December 9th, 2010 at 5:43 PM ^
ACC- Frank Beamer (VT) and Paul Johnson (GT). FYI- I am a HUGE Paul Johnson fan
Big East- Randy Edsall (UCONN)
Big Ten- This hurts but...Jim Tressel (OSU)
Big 12- Bob Stoops (OU), Mike Gundy (OK. ST.), Bo Pelini (NEB)
Conf USA- Kevin Sumlin (HOU)
MAC- Al Golden (Temple)
MWC- Gary Patterson (TCU)
Pac 10- Jim Harbaugh (Stanford) and Chip Kelly (Oregon)
SEC- Nick Saban (ALA) and Dan Mullens (Miss St.)
WAC- Chris Peterson (Boise St.)
I think that right now Harbaugh and Kelly are the top 2 with Patterson from TCU 3rd
December 9th, 2010 at 5:46 PM ^
Mullens and Saban better than Les Miles????
December 10th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^
I too am a Paul Johnson, wishbone, and Navy fan. It's such a sweet system
December 9th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^
Rich Rodriguez.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^
Rich Rodriguez. For switching up systems and dealing with a black cloud over his head created by the media, he has done an excellent job here. He left WVU with plenty of talent, and the record still speaks for it this day.