where would you rank T.O.?

[np_husker]

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne is No. 34 on The Sporting News' list of sports' 50 greatest coaches of all-time, as selected by a panel of 118 Hall of Famers, championship coaches and other experts.

 

Or you could break it down this way: Osborne received the eighth-most votes among college football coaches, trailing No. 3 Bear Bryant, No. 10 Knute Rockne, No. 13 Joe Paterno, No. 23 Eddie Robinson, No. 24 Bobby Bowden, No. 27 Woody Hayes and No. 29 Bud Wilkinson.

 

OK, whadya think? Is Osborne too low? Too high? Just right?

 

UCLA's John Wooden was the runaway overall winner, picking up 57 first-place votes from TSN's panel, which included Osborne, Scotty Bowman, Larry Brown, Whitey Herzog, Tommy Lasorda, Marv Levy, Don Shula, Steve Spurrier, Bob Stoops, Pat Summitt, Barry Switzer, Lenny Wilkens and Roy Williams.

 

The top 50: 1. Wooden; 2. Vince Lombardi; 3. Bear Bryant; 4. Phil Jackson; 5. Shula; 6. Red Auerbach; 7. Bowman; 8. Dean Smith; 9. Casey Stengel; 10. Knute Rockne; 11. Summitt; 12. Paul Brown; 13. Paterno; 14. George Halas; 15. Chuck Noll; 16. Bob Knight; 17. Joe Gibbs; 18. Tom Landry; 19. Mike Krzyzewski; 20. Bill Belichick.

 

21. Adolph Rupp; 22. Joe McCarthy; 23. Eddie Robinson; 24. Bowden; 25. John McGraw; 26. Bill Walsh; 27. Woody Hayes; 28. Connie Mack; 29. Bud Wilkinson; 30. Pat Riley; 31. Pete Newell; 32. Joe Torre; 33. Bill Parcells; 34. Osborne; 35. Walter Alston; 36. Bo Schembechler; 37. Toe Blake (NHL); 38. Sparky Anderson; 39. Al Arbour (NHL); 40. Amos Alonzo Stagg.

 

41. Tony La Russa; 42. Geno Auriemma; 43. Dick Irvin (NHL); 44. Ara Parseghian; 45. Chuck Daly; 46. Bobby Cox; 47. Hank Iba; 48. Tommy Lasorda; 49. Gregg Popovich; 50. Herb Brooks.

 

Wow, what a list. What an undertaking. The list is the centerpiece of a 14-page feature in the new Sporting News magazine, which hits newsstands this week. Can't wait to read it.

 

http://journalstar.com/sports/article_19bd...1cc4c03286.html

[Guy Chamberlin]

I would say it's a huge honor to be #34 on this list.

 

Not sure I'd give Phil Jackson the nod over Red Auerbach yet.

[junior4949]

Wouldn't Pat Summit have to be at the top? I think it's pretty hard to rank coaches across all sports both college and professional especially when you're dealing with pro sports with regards to when there was a salary cap and not. I think TO should be ahead of Bob Knight. Too many variables for me. I would like to think he would rank higher than 34.

[skersfan]

I think the only one I would like to see him higher than is Woody Hayes. The rest were great coaches. Tom never got the recognition because he was way to calm on the side line. Coach Pelini is correcting that mistake right away!!!.

 

Pretty fair list and being on it is a great honor I am sure in Coach Osborne's mind.

[huKSer]

Wouldn't Pat Summit have to be at the top? I think it's pretty hard to rank coaches across all sports both college and professional especially when you're dealing with pro sports with regards to when there was a salary cap and not. I think TO should be ahead of Bob Knight. Too many variables for me. I would like to think he would rank higher than 34.

Yes its like SI 100 top athletes, and 2 of them were horses. yeeach

[ironmike]

Lists like this are pretty pointless. How can you legitimately compare coaches from different sports as to who was "greater"?

 

That said, Joe Paterno is waaaaaaaaay too high.

[zoogs]

^you're right, it's an imprecise and maybe slightly absurd undertaking. but...

 

as selected by a panel of 118 Hall of Famers, championship coaches and other experts. ... UCLA's John Wooden was the runaway overall winner, picking up 57 first-place votes from TSN's panel, which included Osborne, Scotty Bowman, Larry Brown, Whitey Herzog, Tommy Lasorda, Marv Levy, Don Shula, Steve Spurrier, Bob Stoops, Pat Summitt, Barry Switzer, Lenny Wilkens and Roy Williams.

 

actually, I'd say this list is very interesting.

[Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red]

I'd rank him #1.

 

But that's just my heavily biased opinion.

[I See Red People]

I'd rank him #1.

 

But that's just my heavily biased opinion.

 

yes I have him at #1 also, ahead of Devaney and Pelini, at #2 and #3 respectively.

[VA Husker Fan]

I'd rank him #1.

 

But that's just my heavily biased opinion.

 

yes I have him at #1 also, ahead of Devaney and Pelini, at #2 and #3 respectively.

And just to prove that it's not really a Husker bias, we'd probably leave Callahan off completely!

[hack]

1. God

2. Jesus

3. Assorted Saints and Martyrs.

4. Devaney/Osborne

[blkshrtz]

i agree with yall higher

[Vince from ShamWOW]

The Flip Side

 

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sport...._coaches._ever.

[skersfan]

I just realized that Jimmy Johnson is not on there. I think he should be, he won on both levels.

[HUSKER 37]

Before actually seeing the list, I was thinking a tie with Osborn and Wooden at the top.

 

And I'd pick Devaney or maybe even Switzer over Bear...Definitely over Woody Hays.

 

And..Who's 7. Bowman; 22. Joe McCarthy; 25. John McGraw; 28. Connie Mack; 31. Pete Newell; 35. Walter Alston; 37. Toe Blake (NHL); 39. Al Arbour (NHL); 42. Geno Auriemma; 43. Dick Irvin (NHL); 46. Bobby Cox; or 50. Herb Brooks.?