20 replies to this topic

[Frez]

Enlighten me please....

How many college coaches making the transition to the NFL (head coach position) have had success? I'm curious of what to really expect with our new college coaching staff from Syracuse.

Thanks!

Frez

[playman]

harbaugh, jimmy johnson.

[Wooderson]

Just off the top of my head

Successful (so far):
Jim Harbaugh
Pete Carroll
Tom Coughlin

Unsuccessful:
Saban
Spurrier
Petrino
Kiffin

[reddogblitz]

All the guys mentioned were successful college coaches.  What about .500 college coaches moving to the NFL?

[Dibs]

reddogblitz, on 12 January 2013 - 12:22 AM, said:

All the guys mentioned were successful college coaches.  What about .500 college coaches moving to the NFL?

....and what about college coaches that had 3 years OC experience in the NFL prior to becoming a college HC?

[mob16151]

Some Marv Levy guy had a little success

[NoSaint]

Can we focus please - how successful are USC qbs?

[reddogblitz]

Other Successful ones:
Jimmy Johnson
Barry Switzer

Other unsuccessful ones:
Steve Spurier
Lou Holtz
Bud Wilkinson
John McKay
Nick Saban
Mike Riley
Butch Davis
Bobby Petrino
Dennis Ericson
Frank Kush
Dick MacPherson (Syracuse)
Rick Brooks

[Jim in Anchorage]

reddogblitz, on 12 January 2013 - 03:13 AM, said:

Other Successful ones:
Jimmy Johnson
Barry Switzer

Other unsuccessful ones:
Steve Spurier
Lou Holtz
Bud Wilkinson
John McKay
Nick Saban
Mike Riley
Butch Davis
Bobby Petrino
Dennis Ericson
Frank Kush
Dick MacPherson (Syracuse)
Rick Brooks

The fail list is impressive. Also important to note is JJ was 1-15 first year with cowboys.

[Ed_Roch]

One trend it seems to be is many had a very small amount of NFL experience compared to the years they had in college.  Spurrier may have been on some NFL staff years ago I believe, but then was in college for maybe close to 20 years??  Similar path for Holtz and Saban.

[The Poojer]

Bill Walsh....kinda successful

[machine gun kelly]

With 4 yrs on the jets, two years as an OC for the Saints, and three years turning a team around at SU, I like the pic.  We were never getting a Gruden to come here.  Hiring a DC who has run a consistent top 10 defense is smart.  We just now know we're picking up LB, CB, and a QB in free agency or draft.

[Faustus]

A better question is how many former players, former NFL coordinators, and college head coaches have been successful in the NFL.

Ignoring his entire history doesn't make sense.

[RealityCheck]

He has a 50/50 chance of winning a Super Bowl here. He either will or he won't. 2 possible outcomes. I'll take those odds.

[Joe_the_6_pack]

Chan Gailey

[eball]

This is one of those questions for which there are an almost infinite number of variables, and I really don't think there's a "cookie cutter" answer other than to say it's very difficult if a coach is coming from college with little or no NFL experience.  I would not label Marrone a "college coach" -- he has significant NFL experience as a player, position coach, and coordinator.

[Triple Threat]

I never understand why we keep asking this question.  There isn't anything that can be learned.  The fact is coaches fail in groves coming from everywhere.  There's only one true formula : Get an excellent QB, a competent coach, and hope the chemistry between them is strong.

[Mr. WEO]

RealityCheck, on 12 January 2013 - 08:44 AM, said:

He has a 50/50 chance of winning a Super Bowl here. He either will or he won't. 2 possible outcomes. I'll take those odds.

Huh??  Throw away your diploma.

eball, on 12 January 2013 - 09:51 AM, said:

This is one of those questions for which there are an almost infinite number of variables, and I really don't think there's a "cookie cutter" answer other than to say it's very difficult if a coach is coming from college with little or no NFL experience.  I would not label Marrone a "college coach" -- he has significant NFL experience as a player, position coach, and coordinator.

Well....he was Payton's Modkins in NO.

[eball]

Mr. WEO, on 12 January 2013 - 10:22 AM, said:

Well....he was Payton's Modkins in NO.

Since neither of us know what Marrone's exact responsibilities were in N.O., nor what Modkins' role was in Buffalo, I don't think you can make a blanket statement like that.  The only thing we are certain of is that neither called the plays on gameday.  I also think we can agree that Payton > Gailey.

[Joe_the_6_pack]

Triple Threat, on 12 January 2013 - 10:20 AM, said:

I never understand why we keep asking this question.  There isn't anything that can be learned.  The fact is coaches fail in groves coming from everywhere.  There's only one true formula : Get an excellent QB, a competent coach, and hope the chemistry between them is strong.

That's true for every winner there will be multiple losers. Reason being the winners tend to stay in their jobs a lot longer. Bills have had something like 4-5 coaches since bellichik took over in NE.