Is Joe Pa the best coach ever? Or is it Bobby Bowden?
Is Reggie Bush the best to ever carry the pigskin?
And who is the best college linebacker of all-time?
If you could have one quarterback lead your favorite college team, who would it be?
As the weeks fast approach opening weekend of the college football season, I thought it would be interesting to get the opinion from the Bleacher Report audience, as well as their vote on the “All-Time Greatest College Football Team.”
Simply submit your nomination in the comments section below for the greatest player from each position (I’ll publish an article featuring a new position to vote on periodically).
After all positions have received votes, including head coaches, I’ll tally the votes and submit the results in the week leading up to college football’s opening weekend, thus presenting “Bleacher Report’s All-Time Greatest College Football Team.”
This is an opportunity for you, the true fan, to vote on your hero and the ones you deem to be the best players, and coaches, of all-time.
So let’s get it started so we can fit in all the positions before the season starts!
Every team has to have a true leader, so let’s start with the ol’ ball coach.
Who do you think is the best college football coach of all-time?
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6 months ago
I'll go ahead an cast my vote. Being the true Alabama fan I am, I have to say Bear Bryant is the best college football coach of all-time.
Sure he doesn't have the wins that Joe Pa and Bobby have, but he does have more national title. Tom Osborne was a preety dang good coach as well. So my all-time head coach is Bear (then I'd probably place Osborne as OC, Bowden as DC, and Joe Pa as special teams coach).
6 months ago
Homer vote, but I'm going with Spurrier.
He dominated the SEC while at FL, and while the success has not come at South Carolina yet, much of my vote is predicated upon the fact that I think before he retires, he will finally change the culture at SC and win an SEC Championship. Remember, South Carolina is a school devoid of any college football history at all, so changing this would be an amazing feat.
6 months ago
Good vote Tim.
I agree that if Spurrier can win at South Carolina he has to be a genius. After all look at his competition, perhaps the best ever in the SEC, as far as coaching goes. The SEC's got 5 coaches with NC's (Saban, Meyer, Miles, Fulmer, and Spurrier himself), not to mention Tubberville with a 14-0 season under his belt. Don't forget Richt with his SEC title. Nutt has even come close a couple of times. That only leaves 4 coaches who have not had at least a taste of glory, and it probably won't take Bobby long up in Arkansas. So, if you can win in this league you've got to be doing something right!!
Besides all of that Spurrier may possibly be the best still in the SEC right now, don't forget he won 4 straight SEC titles in the 90's.
I truly believe if he had never left UF he would have at least 2 more titles by now.
6 months ago
I'm going with Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. The transition these two guys made at Florida makes them a lock for the list. With the way that Meyer changed Utah football, he deserves to be on the list. And Spurrier? That's self explanatory.
from 6 months ago
Urban Meyer is a genius. To me, he's by far the most ingenuitive mind (and one of the best recruiters) in college football today. All-time though, he might need to build a little stronger of a resume
6 months ago
I'm going to have to agree with both Ron and Tim. What Steve Spurrier did with Florida simply cannon be ignored.
Spurrier gets my vote.
6 months ago
This is kind of a "spur of the moment" thing, but I'm going to cast my ballot for Jerry Moore from Appalachian State. Three consecutive national championships and a historic first win for an FCS program over a ranked FBS opponent. Imagine what he could have done with the players Bryant/Hayes/Paterno/Bowden have had!
from 6 months ago
Tristan,
You points are valid, to some degree. Not knowing much about Moore I did a little research to see where Moore stands among the greats.
Moore has a record of 181-116-2 and .609 winnning percentage, in 25 years. Plus he has his 3 NCs.
Bryant has a record of 323-85-17 and .780 winning percentage in 38 years as head coach. Plus 6 NCs (should have been 7 NCs if the media had not robbed him of his 3rd consecutive in 66, but that's beside the point).
Hayes has a record of 238-72-10 and a .759 winning percentage in 33 years as head coach. Plus 5 NCs (some say 4, but I'll give him 5).
Paterno has a record of 372-125-3 and a .744 winning percentage in 41 years as head coach. Plus 2 NCs (also the all-time winningest coach in bowl games - 23).
Bowden has a record of 373-118-4 and .753 winning percentage in 41 years as head coach. Plus 2 NCs (also 12 conference titles, including 9 straight)
Here's a couple of more to note:
Tom Osborne has a record of 255-49-3 and a .831 winning percentage in 25 years as head coach. Plus 3 NCs (not to mention that his teams never won less than 9 games in any season, ever!!)
Steve Spurrier has a record of 163-56-2 and a .738 winning percentage, in 18 years as a college head coach. Plus 1 NC (note his 122-27-1 record and .817 winning percentage at Florida, plus in a possible 203 weeks to be in the top 25 poll while at Florida, his teams were ranked 202 weeks, with the first week of his stint being the exception!!!)
Now with the numbers thrown out there, it should be easy to see where some of the top coaches stand, well, maybe not! Wow, who really is the best??
Don't forget Larry Kehres (Mount Union) with 9 national championships in DIII and has won 92% of his games in 22 years!!
So who really is the best?
from about 1 month ago
Can't forget Mount Union!! They are ridiculous in D III.
Tressel is 208-73-2 in 22 years coaching along with 5 NC's (4 at FCS Youngstown State, 10 playoff appearances)
Not saying he's all-time potential yet, but well on his way.
6 months ago
At the risk of offending the huge SEC contingent on B/R, I've gotta put my vote in for Mr. Sunshine Pete Carroll. You may laugh, you may snicker, but Pete is already a legend in Southern Cal and he's just getting started.
If you still want to doubt Pete being mentioned for this award, I dare you to check out these links:
http://tinyurl.com/27qbs9
http://www.petecarroll.com/index.cfm/pk/content/pid/400911
http://www.petecarroll.com/index.cfm/pk/content/pid/401546
No question—Pete is the man.
from 6 months ago
Good choice Dave. I almost put his stats in the response above. In fact, among active coaches he has one of the highest winning percentages, with a record of 76-14, and is averaging over 10 wins a season!
He also has taken USC to a bowl game every year since his tenure began in 2001, with a 5-2 record. Moreover, 6 of the seven games were BCS games, due to his 6 straight PAC-10 Titles, with a 5-1 record in those games. Can anyone be more dominating in their first 7 years? On top of that, look at the recruiting class and the young guns coming forth for the next few years.
It just isn't fair!!
from 6 months ago
I'm going to agree with Dave here. For the increasing parody in college football today, Pete Carroll has unparalleled success that will be hard to replicate for years to come. USC is ALWAYS in the national championship hunt, and Pete is a strong reason why.
Some might say that with the athletes who play for the Trojans, it's almost impossible not to be good, but remember recruiting is another facet of coaching. USC wasn't good for a little while before he came...he must be doing something right.
My honorable mentions go to Bear Bryant, Tom Osborne, Bo Schembechler (sp?) and Woody Hayes for their all-time success in a less competitive era. Another honorable mention goes to Butch Davis and Jimmy Johnson, who both may have been the best recruiters of all-time.
6 months ago
I vote for Bear Bryant. That looks like shit when I type it. I'd prefer no one mention it to me ever again.
from 6 months ago
Eric, that took a lot of...well, it took a lot of something for you to cast that vote. Coming from a true UT fan, that was perhaps the most unbiased vote in the history of mankind. Thanks. (and sorry I mentioned it, I just had to respond!)
6 months ago
Bear Bryant. Anyone thinking otherwise is just foolish. 6 NCs. 323 wins. There are Div. 1 teams that dont even have these numbers.
from 6 months ago
Time period made it a little different, though. Coaching nowadays is more about begging 17 year olds. I doubt Bear or Woody would ever do some of the crazy stuff that coaches do today.
For example, tune into ESPN tomorrow at 1 PM. I bet Urban has some crazy stuff planned for the Spring Game.
from 6 months ago
It was a different time period, but even during his time there were few who had the success of Bryant.
I agree that recruiting is a key element of a successful program today. Back then Bryant would have 150 guys on the roster before there were scholarship and roster limitations. According to those who played or coached during that time, Bryant would have 10 or 12 running backs that could play for any school in the nation. But they chose to play for him, even if it meant riding the bench. That's one factor that stands out in my mind as Bryant being the best, his ability to attract talent as opposed to having to really recruit it.
And when I think about recruiting today, I do agree that coaches have to beg players 1) because the talent is stretched far thinner in today's game than 30 or 40 years ago and 2) 17 year old kids today think they're Superman and God's gift to the game of football, and they believe they deserve to be treated as such.
So a lot of factors do play into deciding who the best is. Times they have definitely changed - some good and some not-so-good. But overall, that’s what makes this game the best in the world!
6 months ago
So we got Bryant/Paterno/Bowden/Spurrier as the front runners. How about we hold our own NCAA Tournament and have the selected coaches vote it out to see who will officially hold the title of All Time Greatest Coach in 2008?
from 6 months ago
That is an idea and could help to specify and norrow it down to an exact coach.
How about the "NCAA Tournament of College Football Coaches"?
6 months ago
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like Bear, Woody, and Spurrier have collected the most votes so far through the above comments.
6 months ago
My next article in this series is now up: All-Time College Football Team: Safety.
Check it out and let the debate over the all-time best safety in college football begin.
6 months ago
I'm surprised we haven't had a Bo Schembechler yet...
from 6 months ago
Well, I guess Bo gets his first vote. Gotta make-up some ground if he's gonna have a chance.
2 months ago
Vince Dooley
from 2 months ago
Thanks for commenting Alex.
about 1 month ago
Call me a homer but I'm going with Tom Osborne on this one. T.O. had to work so much harder at recruiting than any other coach mentioned and he managed to annually put together some very solid teams and some real juggernauts towards end of career. B. Bowden hardly has to recruit out of Florida or the SE. Paterno has the East Coast and I doubt that Joe Pa is out on the recruiting trail that often.
If not for some tough breaks, i.e. 82 PSU in Happy Valley. Having to play 83 Miami in OB, if that game is on "real field" and not the beach that the OB committee purposely created to help Canes in 83 NU puts 50 on the Canes that night. Big reason why I hate the Canes and anything to do with Miami. And the ridiculous Jan. 94 OB agaisnt FS, phantom clip removes NU punt return TD and Floyds fumble 1 yd short of goal line that NU recovered. If some of these games go Osbornes way he wins 6 or 7 NC.
Nebraska is the most sporadically populated state to win multiple NC. 1.7 million people
Go Big Red
about 1 month ago
While I could make a case for Pete Carroll, his tenure is too short still for this list.
Given all he has done at staying at one school, I'll go with Joe Pa.
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