Breaking down the league's head coaches

[Mr. Scot]

A lot of talk about what kind of coach the Panthers should hire (if Rivera is out).

Let's look at where the rest of the league is.

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First off, offense vs defense:

OFFENSIVE COACHES:

Andy Reid

Bruce Arians

Chip Kelly

Doug Marrone

Gary Kubiak

Jason Garrett

Jim Harbaugh

Joe Philbin

Marc Trestman

Mike McCarthy

Mike McCoy

Mike Munchak

Mike Shanahan

Rob Chudzinski

Sean Payton

Tom Coughlin

DEFENSIVE COACHES:

Bill Belichick

Chuck Pagano

Dennis Allen

Greg Schiano

Gus Bradley

Jeff Fisher

Jim Schwartz

John Fox

Leslie Frazier

Marvin Lewis

Mike Smith

Mike Tomlin

Pete Carroll

Rex Ryan

Ron Rivera

SPECIAL TEAMS COACHES:

John Harbaugh

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Next question...What were they doing before they were hired for their current job?

NFL DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS (10)

Chuck Pagano

Dennis Allen

Gus Bradley

Jim Schwartz

Leslie Frazier

Marvin Lewis

Mike Smith

Mike Tomlin

Rex Ryan

Ron Rivera

NFL OFFENSIVE COORDINATORS (7)

Bruce Arians

Gary Kubiak

Jason Garrett

Joe Philbin

Mike McCarthy

Mike McCoy

Rob Chudzinski

NFL HEAD COACHES (5)

Andy Reid (formerly a Quarterback Coach)

Jeff Fisher (former Defensive Coordinator)

John Fox (former Defensive Coordinator)

Mike Shanahan (former Offensive Coordinator)

Tom Coughlin (former College Head Coach, NFL position coach)

NFL POSITION COACHES (3)

Bill Belichick

Mike Munchak

Sean Payton

COLLEGE HEAD COACHES (5)

Chip Kelly

Doug Marrone

Greg Schiano

Jim Harbaugh

Pete Carroll

OTHER (2)

John Harbaugh (NFL Special Teams Coach)

Marc Trestman (CFL Head Coach)

NOTES:

- Bill Belichick had been both an NFL head coach and a defensive coordinator before becoming coach of the Patriots.

- Bruce Arians was an interim head coach while Chuck Pagano was ill, but his official position was still as an OC.

- Tom Coughlin and Jim Harbaugh both had experience coaching in the NFL before getting their college head coaching jobs.

- Likewise, Pete Carroll had been an NFL head coach twice as well as a very successful defensive coordinator before coaching USC.

- John Harbaugh has experience coaching in all phases of the game, but made his name in the pros coaching special teams.

- Marc Trestman had several years experience as an offensive coach in the NFL before going to Canada.

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And finally, let's take a look at who's been competing in - and winning - the big game over the last decade:

2013 - John Harbaugh defeated Jim Harbaugh

2012 - Tom Coughlin defeated Bill Belichick

2011 - Mike McCarthy defeated Mike Tomlin

2010 - Sean Payton defeated Tony Dungy

2009 - Mike Tomlin defeated Ken Whisenhunt

2008 - Tom Coughlin defeated Bill Belichick

2007 - Tony Dungy defeated Lovie Smith

2006 - Mike Tomlin defeated Mike Holmgren

2005 - Bill Belichick defeated Andy Reid

2004 - Bill Belichick defeated John Fox

2003 - Jon Gruden defeated Bill Callahan

2002 - Bill Belichick defeated Dick Vermeil

2001 - Brian Billick defeated Jim Fassel

2000 - Dick Vermeil defeated Jeff Fisher

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Breaking it down...

Numbers tell you the best position to get an NFL head coaching job from is still a pro coordinator (DCs beat OCs by a narrow margin). Guys like Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino and Steve Spurrier made it tough for college coaches to get a look for a while there. Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll may be helping rebuild their image, though truthfully, it's kind of a misnomer to refer to Pete Carroll as a college coach. He had loads of experience as an NFL coach (including two head coaching stints) but his rep had taken a hit before he did some image rehab at USC.

Harbaugh and Coughlin aren't exactly pure college coaches either. Coughlin was a pro position coach before going to Boston College. Harbaugh had a few years on the Raiders staff, but was a pro player for way longer than he was a pro coach (his last year was with the Panthers). Doug Marrone and Greg Schiano have pro experience too: Schiano spent three years as a Chicago Bears defensive assistant (Ron Rivera was also on staff for the last two of those) and Doug Marrone had a three year stint as OC for the New Orleans Saints.

The only pure college coach on the list: Chip Kelly, whose grade so far is most definitely an incomplete.

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[Kevin Greene]

 

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Breaking it down...

 

Numbers tell you the best position to get an NFL head coaching job from is still a pro coordinator (DCs beat OCs by a narrow margin).  Guys like Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino and Steve Spurrier made it tough for college coaches to get a look for a while there.  Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll may be helping rebuild their image, though truthfully, it's kind of a misnomer to refer to Pete Carroll as a college coach.  He had loads of experience as an NFL coach (including two head coaching stints) but his rep had taken a hit before he did some image rehab at USC. 

 

Harbaugh and Coughlin aren't exactly pure college coaches either.  Coughlin was a pro position coach before going to Boston College.  Harbaugh had a few years on the Raiders staff, but was a pro player for way longer than he was a pro coach (his last year was with the Panthers).  Doug Marrone and Greg Schiano have pro experience too: Schiano spent three years as a Chicago Bears defensive assistant (Ron Rivera was also on staff for the last two of those) and Doug Marrone had a three year stint as OC for the New Orleans Saints.

 

The only pure college coach on the list: Chip Kelly, whose grade so far is most definitely an incomplete.

 

Wow, A lot of work on the data.

 

Just responding to where some opinion was offered.

As far as Pete Carroll is concerned previous to his outstanding current work with the Seahawks he had 20 years of College coaching experience. His work as a College Coach stands on it's own and makes pale the vast majority of other Coaches to step on a College sideline, his is a career that stands on its own merit. As a Head Coach of the Trojans for 9 years his stats were unprecedented:

 

From 2002 to 2008, his teams won an unprecedented 7 consecutive Pac-10 titles, appeared in an NCAA-record 7 consecutive BCS bowls (including a pair of BCS Championship Games), recorded at least 11 victories in each of those 7 seasons (an NCAA record) and finished ranked in the AP Top 4 in each of those 7 seasons. USC's 13, 25, 37, 48, 59, 71, 82, 88 and 96 wins during 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8- and 9-year spans under Carroll represent the winningest periods in Trojan history. He is 6-2 in bowl games, including 6-1 in BCS games.

 

 

But previous to those 9 years at USC as noted he had 4 years as a Head Coach in the NFL where 2 of the 4 years his teams made the Playoffs. Never understood people dismissing his early times as a HC in the NFL as a failure or needing his image rebuilt.

Can you imagine the Panthers making the Playoffs at a 50% rate? We can only dream.

Pete Carroll has flourished wherever he's coached and as his current run in Seattle confirms, at age 62 he will continue to do so.

 

Pro experience, College Coaching experience especially at the HC position as well as Coordinator work at the Pro Level all contribute to a successful, well rounded NFL head Coach.

With the next hire however I hope the Panthers focus equally on the man and the dynamic he will bring to the Locker Room and to the sidelines and not just some treadmill approach or the latest hot coordinator from a successful NFL Playoff team.

 

The Panthers need a leader, a man with passion and someone the Players will follow into battle Game day.

Pray they make the right choice.

[PhillyB]

outstanding post mr. scot. i was pondering constructing a similar data set while at work, but you've blown this out of the water and i have nothing to add.

 

i am a little surprised at how evenly split the head coaches are between offensive and defensive philosophy... and what would be really interesting to me is to see how the offenses of defensive head coaches look versus the defenses of offensive head coaches. i wonder if you'd find any sort of correlation.

[Mr. Scot]

Wow, A lot of work on the data.

Just responding to where some opinion was offered.

As far as Pete Carroll is concerned previous to his outstanding current work with the Seahawks he had 20 years of College coaching experience. His work as a College Coach stands on it's own and makes pale the vast majority of other Coaches to step on a College sideline, his is a career that stands on its own merit. As a Head Coach of the Trojans for 9 years his stats were unprecedented:

But previous to those 9 years at USC as noted he had 4 years as a Head Coach in the NFL where 2 of the 4 years his teams made the Playoffs. Never understood people dismissing his early times as a HC in the NFL as a failure or needing his image rebuilt.

Can you imagine the Panthers making the Playoffs at a 50% rate? We can only dream.

Pete Carroll has flourished wherever he's coached and as his current run in Seattle confirms, at age 62 he will continue to do so.

Pro experience, College Coaching experience especially at the HC position as well as Coordinator work at the Pro Level all contribute to a successful, well rounded NFL head Coach.

With the next hire however I hope the Panthers focus equally on the man and the dynamic he will bring to the Locker Room and to the sidelines and not just some treadmill approach or the latest hot coordinator from a successful NFL Playoff team.

The Panthers need a leader, a man with passion and someone the Players will follow into battle Game day.

Pray they make the right choice.

I remember the talk about Carroll back in the day. It was all pretty much 'great coordinator, lousy head coach'. Part of me has a morbid curiosity about what would happen if Rivera took a college HC position.

Wish I could remember who said it, but I remember the day the news broke that Carroll had taken the USC job, there was someone on sports radio predicting he'd be a miserable failure. 'College coaching isn't like NFL coaching' he said. A true statement, but something tells me he'd like to that that opinion back

[Mr. Scot]

outstanding post mr. scot. i was pondering constructing a similar data set while at work, but you've blown this out of the water and i have nothing to add.

i am a little surprised at how evenly split the head coaches are between offensive and defensive philosophy... and what would be really interesting to me is to see how the offenses of defensive head coaches look versus the defenses of offensive head coaches. i wonder if you'd find any sort of correlation.

Hard to say. One thing I know for sure though: You need a strong coach on the opposite side of the ball to be at your best.

I'm reminded though of a few years back when a Brian Billick coached Ravens squad was set to face off against a Colts team with Tony Dungy at the helm. Billick was quoted as saying that the football gods must have had a really twisted sense of humor to give him that Ravens defense and Tony Dungy that Peyton Manning led offense

[pantherclaw]

I don't care whether the head coach is defensive minded or offensive. As long as they have a strong/successful coordinator that balanced them out.

I don't want just want a top offense, I want a top defense and strong special teams.

Ya got to be able to win in all phases of the game.

[Mr. Scot]

While I'm at it, worth mentioning that when Steve Spurrier announced his intention to coach in the NFL, the Panthers reportedly did interview him for their then vacant head coaching spot.

Although I don't know that it was ever discussed in public, some team sources said privately that the Spurrier interview was a disaster on par with the Hindenburg

[Kevin Greene]

I remember the talk about Carroll back in the day. It was all pretty much 'great coordinator, lousy head coach'. Part of me has a morbid curiosity about what would happen if Rivera took a college HC position.

Wish I could remember who said it, but I remember the day the news broke that Carroll had taken the USC job, there was someone on sports radio predicting he'd be a miserable failure. 'College coaching isn't like NFL coaching' he said. A true statement, but something tells me he'd like to that that opinion back

 

 

One thing for sure in College, recruiting is key. The Trojans won 3, then 2 games the 2 years previous to Carroll taking the reins at USC. Players came because they were recruited and wanted to play for Carroll, and play they did.

Same as NFL players respond to him on Sundays.

This is what we Panthers need, someone they want to play for.

[Mr. Scot]

One thing for sure in College, recruiting is key. The Trojans won 3, then 2 games the 2 years previous to Carroll taking the reins at USC. Players came because they were recruited and wanted to play for Carroll, and play they did.

Same as NFL players respond to him on Sundays.

This is what we Panthers need, someone they want to play for.

Rule violations help too

To be fair though, i guess that could also be said in the pros (right, Mr Belichick?)

People sometimes compare NFL Free Agency to college recruiting. I'm on the fence as to whether or not that's a good parallel. Yeah, they're both situations where you're trying to sell your program, but in college there's no discussion of how much you're gonna be paid.

(officially)

[Kevin Greene]

Rule violations? jeezus...

 

 

In College you recruit the players you want.

In the Pros you draft the players you want and suppliment it through FA.

Either way, you've got to get them to play for you.

[LinvilleGorge]

 Part of me has a morbid curiosity about what would happen if Rivera took a college HC position.

 

I wouldn't envision it working out well.  Rivera is a great NFL DC, but a lousy NFL HC.  College coaching is largely about recruiting.  If you can recruit well, you can compete at a high level even if you aren't a great X's and O's guy.  Recruiting is largely about charisma and connecting with these kids on the recruiting trail.  Just look at guys like Harbaugh, Carroll, and Chip Kelly.  All three were very successful college head coaches who recruited at a high level and who are very charismatic.  Rivera just doesn't seem to fit that mold.

[Kevin Greene]

I wouldn't envision it working out well.  Rivera is a great NFL DC, but a lousy NFL HC.  College coaching is largely about recruiting.  If you can recruit well, you can compete at a high level even if you aren't a great X's and O's guy.  Recruiting is largely about charisma and connecting with these kids on the recruiting trail.  Just look at guys like Harbaugh, Carroll, and Chip Kelly.  All three were very successful college head coaches who recruited at a high level and who are very charismatic.  Rivera just doesn't seem to fit that mold.

 

Bingo

 

I mean your son is in your Living Room waiting for his prospective College HC and this comes to visit.

 

[Mr. Scot]

Rule violations? jeezus...

In College you recruit the players you want.

In the Pros you draft the players you want and suppliment it through FA.

Either way, you've got to get them to play for you.

USC did legitimately get the NCAA backhand. Speculation that Oregon will too.

Detractors of Carroll and Chip Kelly will say that's why they headed to the NFL. Don't know that there's any validity to that. To be honest, don't really care.

Seems like half the programs in the NCAA have something funky going on these days.

[csx]

It's not always the HC who is the recruiting force of a college team.