volfansince113087
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If we're combining "what have you done for me lately?" and historical value, I'll go:
1. Spurrier
2. Meyer
3. Saban
4. Richt
5. Miles
6. Fulmer
7. Tuberville
8. Brooks
9. Nutt
10. Croom
11. Johnson
12. Orgeron
Bobby Johnson is the most overrated coach in the SEC, followed by Ears.
Even though I've done this before, I'll do it again for you.
Bobby Johnson 2002-2006: 15-43
Woody Widenhofer 1997-2001: 15-40
5 Years Before 1992-1996: 18-37
And Johnson had a 1st round draft pick at QB. He's worse than the two coaches before him.
If you look back over the past 4-5 years Bama generally averages in the top 15 for recruiting classes. It is clear that Shula was not getting the most out of the talent on hand. Saban could very well take his team to a 10-2 record with fan-pleasing victories over hated rivals UTK and Auburn and a New Year's Day bowl appearance.
He didn't get the luxury of going against Mike Dubose, Brad Scott, Jim Donnan, or other former SEC coaches either. Instead he goes against Meyer, Richt, and Saban which are all upgrades over Widenhofer's competition. He had to help make Cutler a first round pick seeing that Illinois wouldn't take him out of high school and he also beat UT. They have more depth now and the offense is much better. The old teams depended on the defense or they lost.
1997: 12.6 ppg
1998: 12.9 ppg
1999: 22.9 ppg
2000: 17.6 ppg
2001: 20.6 ppg
2002: 18.4 ppg
2003: 19.6 ppg
2004: 19.3 ppg
2005: 27.2 ppg
2006: 22.0 ppg
It really isn't that much better.
Anybody who doesn't think that Bobby Johnson is not an infinitely better coach than anything they have had on West End in 30 years has no clue. And anyone who uses his five year record as a lithmus test of his program's success is unrealistic. As a Nashville native who despises the Belle Meade faction of Vanderbilt elitist, I have to give Johnson credit for what he has done. Widenhofer ran that thing into the ground by the end of his tenure, even by Vanderbilt standards. That university has to give a guy 8 years or so to let a guy get his ship in place, because the academic restrictions. Johnson has to recruit kids who can get into VU, and do so even with a three decade tradition of losing. He's found the Jay Cutler's, Earl Bennett's, and Jonathan Goff's. and seems to be doing a good job recruiting lots of second tier athletes in Georgia and South Carolina. Vandy has depth now, which is something they have never had.
Also, the guy was a huge success at the I-AA level at Furman, and I think those guys have to be better X and O coaches than their D-I counterparts. Count me as a fan of Coach Johnson.