People always talk about how bad football coaches have it these days. Psychotic fans setting up web sites calling for their heads. Getting criticized around the clock with the “24-hour news cycle.”
Well riddle me this: How come there are still so many bad ones? Inspired by the Chargers’ complete meltdown in Green Bay on Sunday, we count down the 10 worst football coaches in DI-A and the NFL:
10. Jim Harbaugh
Team: Stanford Cardinal
Career Record: 30-8 (includes record from coaching at San Diego)
Why? Cuz we said so! OK, so maybe he doesn’t deserve to be on this list. But we really enjoyed seeing Stanford score 28 unanswered points against Oregon just to get blown out in the end.
9. Tom Coughlin
Team: New York Giants
Career Record: 97-89
The Giants have tuned out Coughlin since the midway point of last season. After losing 7 of their last 9 games in 2006, the Giants started out the ’07 campaign by giving up 80 points in two crushing defeats. Don’t be fooled by Washington’s collapse on Sunday, Coughlin will be gone at season’s end.
8. Karl Dorrell
Team: UCLA Bruins
Career Record: 29-20
This guy just won’t go away. After going sub-.500 in his first two seasons, a 10-2 record in 2005 saved his job. Last season he saved it again by beating No. 1 USC, only to follow it up by laying an egg in the Emerald Bowl against Florida State. After a 44-6 loss to Utah, look for the Bruins to get hammered in the Pac-10 this season.
7. Brent Guy
Team: Utah State Aggies
Career Record: 4-23
Even the Utah State SID can barely put a positive spin on this “guy:”: While the first-year record of 3-8 in 2005 and the year two mark of 1-11 in 2006 may not seem like an improvement, the level of play and quality of athletes showed signs of being “Better Than Before.” Yikes. Is that the best you can do? After an 0-4 start this year, the PR machine better be in full effect.
6. Pat Fitzgerald
Team: Northwestern Wildcats
Career Record: 6-11
Giving the job to a 31-year old was absolutely ludicrous. Now in his second season, Fitzgerald is clearly in way over his head after falling to Duke and trailing Ohio State 45-0 at the half. Of anyone on this list, Fitzgerald deserves the biggest break considering the circumstances he took over the team. But don’t expect Purple Power in Pasadena anytime soon.
5. Herm Edwards
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Career Record: 50-53
We love how Herm jumped ship with the New York Jets for greener pastures, when he probably would’ve been fired at this point anyway. A “players’ coach,” the guy looked like a complete pushover on HBO’s Hard Knocks. And just three games in, Larry Johnson has already turned on him after picking up just 150 yards total. Does anyone notice the Chiefs have scored 26 points all season? Pathetic. Hey Herm, why do we play the game?
4. Butch Jones
Team: Central Michigan Chippewas
Career Record: 1-3
Granted, following in the footsteps of Brian Kelly ain’t nothing nice. That guy will be coaching a major program soon. But taking a team that won the MAC Championship with record-setting quarterback Dan LeFevour and getting hammered 44-14 last weekend to North Dakota State at home? That’s inexcusable. Right now, Jones looks like the Norv Turner of college football.
3. Greg Robinson
Team: Syracuse Orange
Career Record: 6-21
For the love of Paul Pasqualoni! That guy was bad, this guy is a disaster. We have no idea how Robinson pulled the Louisville victory out of his ass. In their first three games, the ‘Cuse was outscored 32-118 to Washington, Iowa and Illinois. Let’s hope last week’s win sparks a miraculous turnaround because we’re still pulling for our boy, Max Miesel.
2. Dave Wannstedt
Team: Pitt Panthers
Career Record: 95-98
It seems like an old NFL coach just has to show up to be successful in college. Even Al Groh is 3-1! But despite top-flight recruiting classes every year, Wannstedt finds ways to lose. The Panthers lost their last 5 games in 2006 and are 2-2 this year after getting hammered by UConn, 34-14. Hey, maybe if Big Dave drops down to high school he’ll be successful? We hear there’s an opening at Hoover High.
1. Norv Turner
Team: San Diego Chargers
Career Record: 59-84-1
This man is a curse. People like Troy Aikman can make all the excuses they want for Norv (i.e. even Gibbs can’t win in Washington, no one can win in Oakland), but destroying a Super Bowl contender in 3 weeks? That’s just mind-boggling. Even with four guaranteed wins over the Raiders and Chiefs, it will be a miracle if the Chargers make the playoffs.
Dishonorable Mention:
- Charlie Weis (Notre Dame) – Outscored 27-133 in first 4 games.
- Joe Paterno (Penn State) – Nine straight losses to Lloyd. 'Nuff said.
- Bobby Bowden (Florida State) – Daggumit!
- Al Groh (Virginia) – A very deceiving 3-1. Put up 3 points at Wyoming.
- Mike Stoops (Arizona) – Time to head back to Norman.
- Scott Linehan (Rams) – Where’d the offense go?
- Brad Childress (Vikings) – Tarvaris Jackson: QB of the future? Bad idea.
(Update: Keep in mind these are only current coaches. Obviously John L. Smith would be #1 otherwise.
We firmly stand by Paterno and Bowden on this list. They WERE great coaches but come on: Paterno's had 4 losing seasons since 2000 and Bowden's teams get worse every year.
As for Franchione, he's one more performance like last week's away from this list. Kragthorpe too.)
9.25.2007
REALESTS: TEN WORST FOOTBALL COACHES
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26 comments:
wait, Stanford is 30-8 under Harbaugh?
Ummm... Dennis Franchione?
No Dennis Franchione?
Where's Kragthrope?
rich kotite
how can you possibly even think about placing joe paterno anywhere near this list?????
So you have the two coaches with the most wins in college football on your dishonorable mention...i don't see your logic
Pitt and Syracuse have football?
Chan Gailey.
Herm is great to make fun of..........but honestly he doesn't belong on this list.
I would say Glen Mason is the worst coach at any level of Football of all time.
hi guys,
GREAT blog but please somewhere in your hearts find it to add HOUSTON DALE NUTT from Arkansas. Never hath a coach such little respect for so much talent - well, that coach hath not much talent on his own.
Thanks for the site,
Fatass
Walt Fucking Harris. The man punted on third down. Twice. In the same game. He also recruited Rod Rutherford. If he strangled baby cats for sexual gratification it couldn't get much worse.
John Thompson. Coached East Carolina University for 2 seasons, and managed to compile an overall record of 3-18. for those mathematicians, that would be 14.3%. Terrible
How is the Norv Turner of college, Steve Kragthorpe, not on this list? Was he not on the losing end of the largest upset in the history of college football?
Ahem...*cough cough*...I'm clearing my throat over here.
The winner of the worst coach award should receive the Ron Zook Trophy.
First big win for the Aggies....Franchione didnt make the list. We will celebrate our short victory while we can before we play....baylor....
Snyder from Marshall? He HAS to be on there.
If your going to rip Joe you should at least get your facts straight. He had 4 losing season since 2000 not 5. He also has rebounded and had back to back ranked teams.
You should at least check you facts before ripping on a hall of fame coach. Joe has not had 5 losing seasons since 2000 and he has rebounded since by going to two New Years Day Bowls and finishing in the Top 25 and Top 3 in those years.
Ill go over some...
1. wait, Stanford is 30-8 under Harbaugh?
"No, they are saying overall coaching record, regardless of where they are coaching."
2. "how can you possibly even think about placing joe paterno anywhere near this list?????"
"So you have the two coaches with the most wins in college football on your dishonorable mention...i don't see your logic"
Well I could understand Paterno argument for not being on the list, I can understand why Bowden is on the dishonorable mention. Ever since the turn of this centruy, FSU teams seem to be getting worse and worse. At this rate, within a few years, Duke might be able to beat someone in ACC play.
3. "Pitt and Syracuse have football?"
Suprisingly
I second Walt Harris, but I think that putting Harbaugh on there is a bit premature. In that case, it was probably less about the coaching and more about Oregon being really really good.
I don't know, people, I'm grasping at straws here.
After the OT loss to Navy and the Pathetic play calling at the end, please move D. Wannstedt to number one. He's worked his ass off to achieve it.
Walt Harris,Norv Turner,Glen Mason,dom capers,Dave Wannstedt,Dave Campo,Larry Coker,Mike Tice,
Charlie weis,and Mike Nolan. Wannstedt should be number one im tired of bad coaches that cant make it in the nfl going to college he couldnt coach pee wee football, and I also have to put maurice cheeks,and Art Shell on here theres a few on hear that are great coordinaters or postion coaches that make terrible head coachs
Herm Edwards,Joe Paterno,Bobby Bowden, and mike stoops dont belong on here
Nice post and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you as your information.
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