Best In-Game Coach in NCAAF

#1
BigOrangeLoyalist

BigOrangeLoyalist

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#1
After looking at the 'best coach by team list,' it got me thinking about who the -current- best in-game coach is, from X's and O's to time management to attitude/demeanor. I imagine a lot of folks are going to say Saban or Meyer because of their national championship success, but I can recall seeing both make some pretty questionable calls (ie Saban vs Auburn kick6). Just wondering who you guys would call Numero Uno.
 
#2
#2
Don't know about no.1, but I'm amazed at Coach Cut and think he could have done great here if he had been given a shot. Maybe they went for him before they settled on that other guy. Idk
 
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#4
#4
River boat Gambler. Miles has won more games than he should have due to gutsy calls.
 
#6
#6
While no coach makes all the right calls, I've always been impressed with Mark Dantonio. He seems to get a lot out of his players and (I could be wrong) but I do not think he is usually in the top 10 in recruiting. He must be doing something right.
 
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#7
#7
The best has to be Saban right? 5 Championships, won at two different schools. 6x SEC champion. I mean recruiting at the level that he does help him win games but you do have to coach them.

Meyer is a close 2nd.
 
#8
#8
Probably Harbaugh, honestly. Pulled the biggest upset in history and had by far the most success at the NFL level, where talent gaps between teams are much, much smaller.
 
#9
#9
Saban has to be right there too. Meyer is great as well, I don't always trust the system he runs but that's kind of a separate issue
 
#10
#10
Interestingly enough:

Hal Mumme told me that Houston Nutt was one of the best coaches he's ever coached against. Consider that Mumme was a great x and o's guy himself, that says a lot about Nutt
 
#12
#12
I'd say Tom Herman. He did a tremendous job at Houston in his first season. He rebuilt Rice and Iowa State (at that time) and was the OC at Ohio State in 2014 during their title run.
 
#15
#15
Snyder does a whole lot with very little. Sounds like great in-game coaching to me.

In the SEC, I'm not sure there is one that stands out that way, surprisingly. Most of our being the best conference in college football comes from great recruiting across the board. I would've said Spurrier, if (1) he were still here, and (2) it were 3-4 years ago at least.

In the ACC, Coach Cut does a lot with relatively little, great in-game coach.

In the B10, meh, not sold on Harbaugh as some are. Urban is no slouch at game management, so probably between him and Dantonio.

B12 already covered (Snyder, the best of all).

PAC...hmm...probably Petersen at UW. Helfrich is no slouch, either.

Can Butch be as good as any of these? He can be, I think. He hasn't been yet, but he's still young enough to grow into it. We'll see.
 
#17
#17
My opinion is that way too much emphasis is placed on "in game" coaching. Saban is a preparation master and because of this his teams (that are loaded with talent) execute at a very high level. The same can be said for most/all other successful coaches. When one team executes better than the other team it makes the coach look like a genius. Coaching success is 85% what happens prior to kickoff. JMO.
 
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#18
#18
VFL-82-JP said:
Snyder does a whole lot with very little. Sounds like great in-game coaching to me.

In the SEC, I'm not sure there is one that stands out that way, surprisingly. Most of our being the best conference in college football comes from great recruiting across the board. I would've said Spurrier, if (1) he were still here, and (2) it were 3-4 years ago at least.

In the ACC, Coach Cut does a lot with relatively little, great in-game coach.

In the B10, meh, not sold on Harbaugh as some are. Urban is no slouch at game management, so probably between him and Dantonio.

B12 already covered (Snyder, the best of all).

PAC...hmm...probably Petersen at UW. Helfrich is no slouch, either.

Can Butch be as good as any of these? He can be, I think. He hasn't been yet, but he's still young enough to grow into it. We'll see.
Click to expand...

In the SEC, Mullen or BB might do the most, consistently, with the least.

Before them it was Spurrier and Petrino.

Franklin and Pinkel had a couple good years, but Pinkel had a relatively long history of performing to expectations, punctuated by a year or two of exceeding them, back down to expectations.

Outside of the SEC, Snyder comes to mind (maybe doing the best with the least in any major conference).

Saban has taken the field with the more talented team in every game but 1 since the start of the 2009 season. That 1 game was Florida, in 2009. Even if you disagree with my "below average" assessment of Saban, how much above average can anyone claim he is by looking at the advantages in talent he has had, for so long.

IIRC Helfrich, as well as Kelly before him, didn't really stand out as performing exceptional in relation to talent. In fact, I think Kelly performed right at what his talent said he should, and Helfrich trends below that, but I haven't looked at those numbers in a bit.
 
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#19
#19
I couldn't imagine this type of list that wouldn't include Bob Stoops.

He may be a douche where the SEC is concerned, but one can't argue with his record.
 
#21
#21
jkleno said:
River boat Gambler. Miles has won more games than he should have due to gutsy calls.
Click to expand...

I thought Miles was nicknamed the mad hatter and river boat gambler was the nickname of the Carolina panthers head coach.
 
#24
#24
Cutcliffe always has a good game plan. Adjusts well to what the defense is trying to do.
 
#25
#25
VFL-82-JP said:
Snyder does a whole lot with very little. Sounds like great in-game coaching to me.

In the SEC, I'm not sure there is one that stands out that way, surprisingly. Most of our being the best conference in college football comes from great recruiting across the board. I would've said Spurrier, if (1) he were still here, and (2) it were 3-4 years ago at least.

In the ACC, Coach Cut does a lot with relatively little, great in-game coach.

In the B10, meh, not sold on Harbaugh as some are. Urban is no slouch at game management, so probably between him and Dantonio.

B12 already covered (Snyder, the best of all).

PAC...hmm...probably Petersen at UW. Helfrich is no slouch, either.

Can Butch be as good as any of these? He can be, I think. He hasn't been yet, but he's still young enough to grow into it. We'll see.
Click to expand...

How can anyone not be sold on Harbaugh purely as a coach? He won at San Diego, he won at Stanford, he won at SF and he should've been 11-2 his 1st year at UM. He's improved programs everywhere he's been.
 
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