ESPN At It Again

[VolPack22]

Ranking the top 100 college football head coaches of the past 50 years

Majors and Fulmer rank 50th and 49th on their list but some guys that have never won a national championship are ranked ahead of them. It’s like they said “well they won a national championship so I kind of have to put them in the top 50, so I’ll put them at the tail end of everyone else”. The disrespect is real. I think it’s laughable to have these coaches ranked ahead of Johnny and Phil:

48. Mark D’Antonio
41. Mike Leach
36. Brian Kelly
35. Mark Richt
32. Barry Alvarez
28. Gary Patterson
27. Frank Beamer
8. Bill Snyder

Also included Bear Bryant’s accomplishments from the 50s and 60s even though this is suppose to be a list for the past 50 years…

 

[LouderVol]

Beamer and Synder I can respect that high because they built up good programs from nothing, and maintained it for decades. The rest, especially Richt, dont deserve to be higher than our two.

 

[GAVol]

Ranking the top 100 college football head coaches of the past 50 years

Majors and Fulmer rank 50th and 49th on their list but some guys that have never won a national championship are ranked ahead of them. It’s like they said “well they won a national championship so I kind of have to put them in the top 50, so I’ll put them at the tail end of everyone else”. The disrespect is real. I think it’s laughable to have these coaches ranked ahead of Johnny and Phil:

48. Mark D’Antonio
41. Mike Leach
36. Brian Kelly
35. Mark Richt
32. Barry Alvarez
28. Gary Patterson
27. Frank Beamer
8. Bill Snyder

Also included Bear Bryant’s accomplishments from the 50s and 60s even though this is suppose to be a list for the past 50 years…

Leach and D'Antonio make absolutely zero sense in the top 50. And Bill Snyder was a good coach, but top 10 is way too high.

 

[Vollifer1949]

I'm curious if any of those coach's could have done more with Peyton Manning, especially in bowl games. I understand that Peyton had an amazing/record holding career in Knoxville, but very little hardware to show for it. Also wonder how they would have finished with loaded teams '99-'01?

Also this is just cheap sports journalism because it's August and we want to talk football, but there's nothing to really talk about yet. Not ESPN, who I despise, taking a shot at Fulmer or Majors.

 

[wmcovol]

Beamer and Synder I can respect that high because they built up good programs from nothing, and maintained it for decades. The rest, especially Richt, dont deserve to be higher than our two.

Majors rebuilt 3 programs (Iowa St, Pitt and Tennessee). He was far better than Beamer or Snyder.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Isn't worrying about whether your coaches should be in the low 40's or mid 30's just sad? I mean, does it matter when you're down that far that you might be above D'Antonio or even Kelly?

 

[WoodsmanVol]

ESPN doesn't hate the UTenn, they despise the UTenn.

 

[LittleVol]

Leach and D'Antonio make absolutely zero sense in the top 50. And Bill Snyder was a good coach, but top 10 is way too high.

Agree with your first part.

But...Nick Saban, nor Urban Meyer would have had the type of success at Kansas State as Bill Snyder did imo.

He was one of the best talent evaluators ever and his work with the JUCO's made that a mainstream thing eventually. His teams were always physical and had surprising speed across the board even tough they never had a Top 25 recruting class.

 

[TnVol!]

I don't watch orr read anything from the talking heads at ESPN. Even when I watch a ball game I mute the sound and never hear any of the ads either. It makes the viewing experience so much better.

 

[FlyFishnVol]

Ranking the top 100 college football head coaches of the past 50 years

Majors and Fulmer rank 50th and 49th on their list but some guys that have never won a national championship are ranked ahead of them. It’s like they said “well they won a national championship so I kind of have to put them in the top 50, so I’ll put them at the tail end of everyone else”. The disrespect is real. I think it’s laughable to have these coaches ranked ahead of Johnny and Phil:

48. Mark D’Antonio
41. Mike Leach
36. Brian Kelly
35. Mark Richt
32. Barry Alvarez
28. Gary Patterson
27. Frank Beamer
8. Bill Snyder

Also included Bear Bryant’s accomplishments from the 50s and 60s even though this is suppose to be a list for the past 50 years…

Do we really care what others say or feel about Tennessee? all they like to do is kiss the lower posterier of other coaches and/or teams.

 

[sjt18]

I am still amazed that people watch or read anything by ESPN other than actual games or stats. They once had some decent, informative, journalistic content... but have become "The View" for sports.

 

[LouderVol]

Majors rebuilt 3 programs (Iowa St, Pitt and Tennessee). He was far better than Beamer or Snyder.

Maybe it's the difference time makes, but all of those were above K State when they started. He left Iowa st in 72 which is the start of the 50 year window.

 

[GAVol]

Agree with your first part.

But...Nick Saban, nor Urban Meyer would have had the type of success at Kansas State as Bill Snyder did imo.

He was one of the best talent evaluators ever and his work with the JUCO's made that a mainstream thing eventually. His teams were always physical and had surprising speed across the board even tough they never had a Top 25 recruting class.

That's impossible to know though. My point is that there are 20 guys with Snyder's results and I think you need a national title to break into the top 10.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

I am still amazed that people watch or read anything by ESPN other than actual games or stats. They once had some decent, informative, journalistic content... but have become "The View" for sports.

Who is ESPN?

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Ranking the top 100 college football head coaches of the past 50 years

Majors and Fulmer rank 50th and 49th on their list but some guys that have never won a national championship are ranked ahead of them. It’s like they said “well they won a national championship so I kind of have to put them in the top 50, so I’ll put them at the tail end of everyone else”. The disrespect is real. I think it’s laughable to have these coaches ranked ahead of Johnny and Phil:

48. Mark D’Antonio
41. Mike Leach
36. Brian Kelly
35. Mark Richt
32. Barry Alvarez
28. Gary Patterson
27. Frank Beamer
8. Bill Snyder

Also included Bear Bryant’s accomplishments from the 50s and 60s even though this is suppose to be a list for the past 50 years…

Mark Richt at 35 is mind blowing . I like the guy a lot, but you cannot put a guy who failed to win a National title at both UGA and Miami ahead of a coach who won a title at Tennessee and a coach who won one at Pitt.

 

[ProudVOLfan]

I can't believe people still watch ESPN. I'm also surprised they quit talking politics long enough to cover some sports

 

[TBtheGBwiththeTD]

Does this list say Mike Leach is a better head coach than Johnny Majors and Phil Fulmer? I mean could you invalidate your opinion any faster than that?

 

[miket4god]

Majors rebuilt 3 programs (Iowa St, Pitt and Tennessee). He was far better than Beamer or Snyder.

YUP. Not even close.

 

[BVols20]

Richt ahead of Fulmer?? GTFOH

Fulmer
152-52 (.745 Win %)
1 National Championship
2 SEC Championships
5 SEC East Championships

Richt
171-64 (.728 Win %)
0 National Championships
2 SEC Championships
6 SEC East Championships
1 ACC Coastal Championship

 

[05_never_again]

Outside of the bonafide legends like Bear Bryant, rankings like this suffer greatly from recency bias.

If Tennessee did not decline towards the end of Fulmer's tenure and had been a solid program since he was fired, there's no way he'd be below someone like Mark Richt. What exactly is the argument for placing Fulmer below Richt? Fulmer had a national title that Richt did not, the same number of SEC titles, and a higher overall winning percentage.

 

[05_never_again]

Agree with your first part.

But...Nick Saban, nor Urban Meyer would have had the type of success at Kansas State as Bill Snyder did imo.

He was one of the best talent evaluators ever and his work with the JUCO's made that a mainstream thing eventually. His teams were always physical and had surprising speed across the board even tough they never had a Top 25 recruting class.

I'm not sure Bill Snyder is the 8th best CFB coach of all time as the list says, but what he did at Kansas St is incredible and is unfairly crapped on by many people who don't think he was all that great of a coach.

There is absolutely no reason in the world why Kansas St "should" have had a good football program for a variety of reasons. What he did during that 1995-2003 period was particularly nuts (won at least 10 games 7 times in 9 years)

 

[I4Vols]

Politics aside, the only thing I know I would absolutely vote for is a real competitor to ESPN to step up and give us an alternative to watching college sports

 

[Volintheswamp]

ESPN just working on their click revenue, appealing to the masses, hyping up the season, and filling their pockets. This list means less than your daily astrology reading.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I'm not sure Bill Snyder is the 8th best CFB coach of all time as the list says, but what he did at Kansas St is incredible and is unfairly crapped on by many people who don't think he was all that great of a coach.

There is absolutely no reason in the world why Kansas St "should" have had a good football program for a variety of reasons. What he did during that 1995-2003 period was particularly nuts (won at least 10 games 7 times in 9 years)

I think some people thrive in the proper situation given their mindset. Some people relish the underdog role where they can circle the wagons, be the rah rah guy and can firmly stay planted getting 3 stars guys that will be 4-5 year players that will be coached up . I don’t always buy into the idea that a guy like Bill Snyder could do what Saban, Urban or Spurrier did going from unknowns all the way to becoming all time coaches. Butch is an obvious example who could get mid range recruits and coach them up and then when he reeled in a big fish he didn’t know what to do with them.

 

[Voltopia]

Politics aside, the only thing I know I would absolutely vote for is a real competitor to ESPN to step up and give us an alternative to watching college sports

The problem is Disney/ESPN has almost literally bought sports. Even if you want to make a competitor, you have to have enough money to outspend them for the rights. And this is the same company that bought Marvel and Star Wars. They own everything. They ruin everything. And as long as we keep caring, they'll keep not caring.

Also Bill Snyder went 215-117-1 versus Phil Fulmer's 152-52 and 1 national title. Screw this list. It's stupid.