greatest college coach of all time?

[barry j fenchak]

Rockne’s coaching tree is impressive also. The first Alabama coach to win a NC was a former player of Rockne. Rockne coached Frank Leahy, who was the Nick Saban of the 1940s, and Leahy coached Vince Lombardi.
Enough of the history, there are too many great ones. I’m an unrepentant JoeBot. Did he stay too long? Yes, but ‘66 to ‘99 was a great run. It would have been interesting to see Joe in his prime going into the B10.

The first Alabama coach to win a title was Wallace Wade. He won it in 25, 26 and 30. I don't think he ever played for Rockne.

 

[delcoLion]

The first Alabama coach to win a title was Wallace Wade. He won it in 25, 26 and 30. I don't think he ever played for Rockne.

You are correct, Wade was not from ND and he did win titles for Alabama before Frank Thomas took over there. I'll edit my original.

 

[troutrus]

Hard to say since “all time” is not over yet.

 

[Tom_PSU]

Hard to say since “all time” is not over yet.

Very intuitive and accurate, I never looked at it that way. But correctly saying “Greatest college coach from 1869 to the present day” just lacks panache.

 

[Bvillebaron]

Do everyone a favor and think before you pontificate. You should have just added one sentence to the above. That being, perhaps having the curtesy of asking me what I actually considered a Joebot, before launching into your self laudatory proclamation.

To me a Joebot is an individual who fervently believes that Joe was infallible in both his personal and coaching career decisions. I merely, not as humorously as I intended obviously, wanted to prepare the OP for an attack by the above described JoeBots. By your own words you questioned his judgment in continuing to coach at his advanced age. Therefore in my definition you can’t be a Joebot. But if you would like to join that group (the type of organization that Joe himself would ridicule) be my guest.

What does the unfair travesty that Joe and his legacy had to endure have to do with the threads initial question? Only an idiot would believe all the venom spewed at him. It simply asked readers to comment on whom they thought was the greatest college coach of all time. And I stand by my comment that Joe was the greatest person ever to coach college football, but he wasn’t the greatest college coach of all time. However everyone should be willing to accept the opinions and views of others, provided they remain on point.

Nice rant. You brought up the JoeBot subject not me and you demeaned a whole group of people by doing so. But hey maybe you can’t understand how that works.

 

[Jim from Spicewood]

Red Blaik, West Point from 1941-58, deserves to be in the conversation. Won consecutive MNCs from '44 to '46 in the midst of a 32 game unbeaten streak. Blaik coached three Heisman winners Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis, and Pete Dawkins. Blaik should have a couple asterisks in his record. The military academies enjoyed a competitive advantage during the war and immediate post-war years and his career was tarnished by a cheating scandal in '51. His record at the Point was 121–32–10. He also coached at Dartmouth from '34 to '40.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Rockne’s coaching tree is impressive also. Rockne coached Frank Leahy, who was the Nick Saban of the 1940s, and Leahy coached Vince Lombardi.
Enough of the history, there are too many great ones. I’m an unrepentant JoeBot. Did he stay too long? Yes, but ‘66 to ‘99 was a great run. It would have been interesting to see Joe in his prime going into the B10.

Add to that: The father of Alabama football is Frank Thomas. Bear Bryant played football at Alabama for Frank Thomas. Who did Frank Thomas play for? Knute Rockne at Notre Dame. Alabama's football history goes back to Notre Dame.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

On the field: Saban, Bryant, Rockne, Joe.

 

[91Joe95]

Nice rant. You brought up the JoeBot subject not me and you demeaned a whole group of people by doing so. But hey maybe you can’t understand how that works.

I think you're really missing the humor and sarcasm from the post. It's not Joebots he's poking fun at. Well, maybe a little, but not to the extent you seem to be thinking.

 

[barry j fenchak]

Add to that: The father of Alabama football is Frank Thomas. Bear Bryant played football at Alabama for Frank Thomas. Who did Frank Thomas play for? Knute Rockne at Notre Dame. Alabama's football history goes back to Notre Dame.

Wrong. Alabama's football history as a champion began a decade before Thomas.

 

[Truthfinder]

I would respectfully add the criteria of any coach who went where there was no real football program and turned it into a national power. That could be a good criteria. Maybe a few examples here: Bobby Dodd, LaVell Edwards, Bobby Bowden, Frank Broyles, Frank Beamer.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Wrong. Alabama's football history as a champion began a decade before Thomas.

I'll be damned. You're right. Wallace Wade. Proves one shouldn't believe what an ND Irish fan tells you.

 

[barry j fenchak]

I'll be damned. You're right. Wallace Wade. Proves one shouldn't believe what an ND Irish fan tells you.

No problem. Most people think that Alabama wasn't that great prior to Bear Bryant but they won titles in the 20s and 30s. They have had 5 different coaches win a title there, 3 of them with more than one. That is the bar to reach for if you want to be considered a blue-blood program, multiple titles with different coaches spanning decades.