Who are some of the greatest coaches of all time without all of the talent?

[cawoodsct]

This doesnt mean they couldnt have some talent but Phil Jackson had talent, Lombardi, Walsh, Wooden, Knight, Belichick, Bryant, Saban, K, Summitt all had major amounts of talent.
Who are some of the greatest coaches of all time that got more out of what they had and you hold them in high esteem?

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

 

[J_Dee]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1990.shtml

The 1990 Reds were a mess and didn't really have a standout player, yet somehow Pinella got 'em to go wire-to-wire, beat the Pirates, and sweep the As.

 

[cawoodsct]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1990.shtml

The 1990 Reds were a mess and didn't really have a standout player, yet somehow Pinella got 'em to go wire-to-wire, beat the Pirates, and sweep the As.

Sabo was a HOFamer

 

[funKYcat75]

How inTF was that 34 years ago? I need to take my Geritol ...

 

[J_Dee]

I wish he'd been. Everybody was stoked when he won Rookie of the Year and then after his fourth season his career just divebombed.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saboch01.shtml

Paul O'Neill needs to be in the Hall. Solid stats, 5x All-Star, 1x World Series Champion with the Reds, 4x World Series Champion with the Yankees (who retired his number), beloved by fans and owners as a stand-up guy and a leader, great post-playing broadcasting/analyst career. And there are at least a dozen players in Cooperstown with worse stats, probably waaay more than a dozen.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Bill Parcells, 1990-1991 NYG, 1 HoF from that team.

 

[Kingseve1]

Eric Davis was such a bad mofo

 

[gamecockcat]

I'd put Jim Harbaugh on that list, although it hurts to say that. He was uber competitive with a mediocre roster at Stanford (beat Pete Carroll's USC team when a 24-point underdog). Took a Colin Kaepernick-led SF squad to a Super Bowl. CK very quickly proved to be a below-average QB. Like him or not, Harbaugh is a heckuva coach and has shown the ability to achieve much without a talent advantage.

 

[cole854]

This doesnt mean they couldnt have some talent but Phil Jackson had talent, Lombardi, Walsh, Wooden, Knight, Belichick, Bryant, Saban, K, Summitt all had major amounts of talent.
Who are some of the greatest coaches of all time that got more out of what they had and you hold them in high esteem?

All of those you listed. They didn't become the best by just coaching elites....they had to develop the no-names to a level that would compliment the HOF'ers or they wouldn't have won.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

 

[WildcatFan1982]

I wish he'd been. Everybody was stoked when he won Rookie of the Year and then after his fourth season his career just divebombed.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saboch01.shtml

Paul O'Neill needs to be in the Hall. Solid stats, 5x All-Star, 1x World Series Champion with the Reds, 4x World Series Champion with the Yankees (who retired his number), beloved by fans and owners as a stand-up guy and a leader, great post-playing broadcasting/analyst career. And there are at least a dozen players in Cooperstown with worse stats, probably waaay more than a dozen.

He also hit two homeruns to inspire a child in the hospital. He wasn't even a power hitter.

 

[Nightwish84]

Countering with this sweet Minnesota bastard:

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Countering with this sweet Minnesota bastard:

Counterpoint: (from the player/coach category)

You KNOW the Hanson Brothers were an absolute bear to manage!

 

[WTF Cat]

Rick Pitino.

Yes, at the end of his tenure at UK he pulled in some talent for sure... but those first 3 years were unbelievable.

Best college bball coach in my lifetime.

 

[syrus12]

Bill Snyder. He turned Kansas fricking State into a Big 12 powerhouse.

 

[berniecarbo]

Vince Lombardi said that guys who can draw up plays are a dime a dozen. He meant you can hire someone for that if you can do the other facets of coaching.

 

[UnfrozenCatfanLawyer]

Rick Majerus

 

[BC_Wader]

I wish he'd been. Everybody was stoked when he won Rookie of the Year and then after his fourth season his career just divebombed.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saboch01.shtml

Paul O'Neill needs to be in the Hall. Solid stats, 5x All-Star, 1x World Series Champion with the Reds, 4x World Series Champion with the Yankees (who retired his number), beloved by fans and owners as a stand-up guy and a leader, great post-playing broadcasting/analyst career. And there are at least a dozen players in Cooperstown with worse stats, probably waaay more than a dozen.

Don't forget he hit two homers for that kid in the hospital, although one was an inside the parker but hey! It still counts.

 

[Glenn's take]

Kenny Payne.

 

[rick64]

Jim Larrañaga
Bud Grant

 

[BBBLazing]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1990.shtml

The 1990 Reds were a mess and didn't really have a standout player, yet somehow Pinella got 'em to go wire-to-wire, beat the Pirates, and sweep the As.

No standout player? Eric the Red, Barry Larkin, Tom Browning, Dibble/Myers/Charlton, Jose Rijo.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Bill B might not have had the offensive weapons.

But he DID have Tom Brady, all-pro defenses across the dynasty, and two HOF kickers. I'd also include TE in his favor of having talent with Gronk and Hernandez. So it's really just RBs and wideouts they didn't always have.

 

[Tskware]

Whoever is managing Tampa Bay annually, they regularly make the playoffs in a division with the NYY and Red Sox

 

[J_Dee]

No standout player? Eric the Red, Barry Larkin, Tom Browning, Dibble/Myers/Charlton, Jose Rijo.

They all had solid seasons, but nothing spectacular. Larkin led the position players in WAR with a 5.2 and Rijo led the pitching staff with 5.7, which is solid but nothing to shout from mountaintops about. No pitcher won more than 15 games (Browning), and no position player hit more than 25 home runs (Davis). Only three players hit over .300 (Morris, Duncan, Larkin), and only two players racked up an OBP over .350 (Morris, Larkin).

The combo of Dibble, Meyers, and Charlton is what won it. That "Nasty Boys" nickname's well-deserved.

 

[Kooky Kats]

 

[BBBLazing]

I guess Brad Stephens is the answer

 

[vhcat70]

The Pirate & Mumme

 

[vhcat70]

They all had solid seasons, but nothing spectacular. Larkin led the position players in WAR with a 5.2 and Rijo led the pitching staff with 5.7, which is solid but nothing to shout from mountaintops about. No pitcher won more than 15 games (Browning), and no position player hit more than 25 home runs (Davis). Only three players hit over .300 (Morris, Duncan, Larkin), and only two players racked up an OBP over .350 (Morris, Larkin).

The combo of Dibble, Meyers, and Charlton is what won it. That "Nasty Boys" nickname's well-deserved.

Well did Browning lead the majors in games watched over Wrigley's LF Wall.

 

[vhcat70]

Eric Davis was such a bad mofo

The hitch in his swing cost him immortality.

 

[vhcat70]

Ed Jucker - two NCAA's with next to zero talent. None came close to being NBA stars.

 

[vhcat70]

Sam Wyche & his no huddle invention.

 

[vhcat70]

Herb Brooks & his Miracle on Ice.

 

[UKnCincy]

 

[UKnCincy]

Herb Brooks & his Miracle on Ice.

Looks like we were thinking the same thing.

 

[vhcat70]

Coach of USA World Cup winning team. Whenever that may happen.

 

[BBBLazing]

The hitch in his swing cost him immortality.

his injuries did. The hitch in his swing did not. If he had stayed healthy he was a Hall of Famer. If he had juiced like Bonds he would hold records.

 

[megablue]

Morris Buttermaker, coach of the Bad News Bears.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Bill Snyder. He turned Kansas fricking State into a Big 12 powerhouse.

This should be one of the tops on everyone's list. He took them from cellar dweller to power. Then retired just to come back and do it all again.

Truly remarkable

 

[WildcatfaninOhio]

Ed Jucker - two NCAA's with next to zero talent. None came close to being NBA stars.

Not only did he win back-to-back titles in 61 and 62, but in both title games he defeated Ohio State which featured future NBA legends John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas, and a little-known future college coach, Bobby Knight.