Giving Thanks for Coaches: 15 Great Rants

Remember in Little League when your coaches patted you on the back regardless of your performance?

Well, that's warm and fuzzy and all...but the reason I'm thankful for coaches is their tirades.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I've rounded up some of my all-time favorite rants for you to enjoy. 

Some are instant classics; others are lesser known. In any event, some of these links do have adult language...so those with delicate ears should proceed with caution.

We'll start off with a rather well-known firecracker—Bobby Knight. 

Coach Knight is notorious for his short fuse. Remember the chair-throwing incident?

Knight has a knack for handling the media—and knows his interviews can range from funny to downright intense. 

Here's an example where Knight plays with Boston Globe reporter Bob Ryan. And here's a clip of him firing up his team after practice.

Kansas football coach Mark Mangino has taken a lot of heat this year for his decision to wear a velour sweatsuit. Can you imagine how much better this tirade would've been had Mangino been wearing his signature fabric?

Mangino likely didn't realize he was being filmed—but these next two coaches certainly did. 

Michigan State's John L. Smith gave a priceless halftime interview after his Spartan coaching staff had communication issues to open the game.

And the award for best halftime interview from an interim head coach goes to...Joe Kines. 

Kines was surely excited at the prospect of leading Alabama in the PetroSun Independence Bowl, as this clip clearly demonstrates.

If you haven't seen Mike Gundy's rant yet...well, you've probably been living under a rock. 

But the gem that got overlooked after the OSU-Texas Tech game was the postgame remarks from losing head coach Mike Leach. 

That's right, Gundy's Cowboys actually won the game. Who knew?

Current Chiefs and former Jets coach Herm Edwards is a walking quote machine. I don't think anyone will ever forget this rant, in which Herm explains why the games are played.

Another NFL coach known for tirades is Jim Mora.  

Here's a classic from Mora's Saints days. He went off again when he coached Peyton Manning and the Colts.

This next coach actually scares me.

This is a pregame clip from Chad Henne's high school—Wilson High—and Coach Cantafio. Apparently, Henne and his teammates had lost the week before, so Cantafio felt the need to remind them by showing them a highlight tape from the game.

Remember Dennis Green?

Before he was starring in Coors Light commercials, Green coached the Arizona Cardinals.  This is the original footage those hilarious ads were derived from.

It's pretty rare that you'll find a coach throwing a tantrum in the offseason—but that's just what Colorado Football coach Dan Hawkins did when he reminded everyone in the country that the Buffaloes don't play in intramural leagues.

I'm a sucker for coaches who stand up for their players...so there's no doubt that Syracuse's Jim Boeheim made my list. 

Boeheim didn't like that the school newspapers were attacking his players, so he wanted to let everyone know how he felt about the issue.

And I left the best for last. 

Former Orioles manager Earl Weaver was either having a terrible day...or he decided to have a lot of fun. 

Either way, his interview on The Manager's Corner is a beauty. 

I hope you enjoyed these coaching rants as much as I did—needless to say, I'm rather thankful for laughter. 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.