Throughout one of many craziest weeks of soccer in latest reminiscence, we noticed the top of an period for legends like Invoice Belichick and Nick Saban.
Belichick, 71, and Saban, 72, are simply two of the best coaches that the game has ever seen. Subsequent season, school soccer will look very totally different with out Saban teaching Alabama. In the meantime, the NFL may even look very totally different with out Belichick teaching the Patriots.
Each groups could have large selections about find out how to fill these huge sneakers. Whereas there are some attention-grabbing candidates for the gig in New England and the job in Tuscaloosa, can both reside as much as the fame that Belichick and Saban constructed?
We regarded again at among the most legendary coaches in soccer historical past, each within the NFL and in school soccer, to find out how these replacements have usually fared.
The outcomes are a reasonably combined bag but when there’s one factor we discovered, it’s that it’s not simple to switch somebody as achieved as both of those two Corridor of Fame-caliber coaches.
(AP Picture/File)
YEARS: 1918 – 1930 (13 seasons, 3 championships)
RECORD: 105-12-5 (.881)
REPLACEMENT: Hunk Anderson
YEARS: 1931 – 1933 (3 seasons)
RECORD: 16-9-2 (.630)
Rockne was solely 43 years previous and one of the crucial well-known sports activities figures within the nation when he tragically died in a airplane crash. Notre Dame was coming off a 10-0 season during which it claimed back-to-back nationwide titles amid a 19-game win streak. That may’ve been not possible to comply with below the most effective of circumstances. Hunk Anderson lasted simply three years in South Bend earlier than Elmer Layden changed him in 1934.
— Blake Schuster
David Boss-USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1959 – 1967 (9 seasons, 5 championships)
RECORD: 89-29-4 (.754)
REPLACEMENT: Phil Bengtson
YEARS: 1968 – 1970 (3 seasons)
RECORD: 20-21-1 (.488)
Many take into account Vince Lombardi the most effective soccer coach in historical past and with good cause. He by no means had a shedding season within the NFL and the Tremendous Bowl trophy was named after him. Lombardi resigned as Inexperienced Bay head coach however was the overall supervisor of the franchise, the place he employed former assistant coach Phil Bengston as his successor. Bengston was the one assistant coach to work as an assistant for your complete time Lombardi was a head coach for the Packers. He was finally relieved of his duties as a head coach in 1970.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
David Boss-USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1920 – 1967 (40 seasons, 6 championships)
RECORD: 149-31 (.682)
1ST REPLACEMENT: Ralph Jones (3 seasons, 1 championship)
YEARS: 1930-1932
RECORD: 24-10-7 (.585)
2ND REPLACEMENT: Hunk Anderson & Luke Johnsos (4 seasons, 1 championship)
YEARS: 1942 – 1945
RECORD: 23-11-2 (.638)
3RD REPLACEMENT: Paddy Driscoll (2 seasons)
YEARS: 1956 – 1957
RECORD: 14-9-1 (.583)
4TH REPLACEMENT: Jim Dooley (4 seasons)
YEARS: 1968 – 1972
RECORD: 20-36 (.357)
Papa Bear tried retiring 4 instances earlier than it lastly caught. First, he was changed in 1930 by Ralph Jones, then Halas got here again in 1933 for an additional 10 years. In 1943 he gave strategy to Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos as he rejoined the Navy throughout World Struggle II. Halas returned to the sidelines in 1946 and lasted till 1955 when Paddy Driscoll took over the next yr. That lasted for 3 years till Halas got here again for an additional decade and at last retired for good in 1967. Jim Dooley was named his successor and lasted 4 years — however not less than he wasn’t changed by Halas.
— Blake Schuster
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1951 – 1978 (28 seasons, 5 championships)
RECORD: 205–61–10 (.761)
REPLACEMENT: Earle Bruce
YEARS: 1979 – 1987 (9 seasons)
RECORD: 81-26-1 (.755)
Woody Hayes’ run at Ohio State got here to a screeching halt after the coach infamously punched Clemson’s Charlie Bauman following an interception within the 1978 Gator Bowl. Hayes was fired the next morning after having been given the possibility to resign. His substitute, Earle Bruce, was a former Buckeyes tailback below Hayes who rotated an Iowa State program earlier than taking up Ohio State. Earle didn’t make it a decade regardless of beginning with eight consecutive nine-plus win seasons. He was fired after going 6-4-1 (4-4 Massive Ten) in 1987.
— Blake Schuster
Rod Hanna-USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1969 – 1978 (10 seasons, 1 championship)
RECORD: 103-32-7 (.759)
REPLACEMENT: Tom Flores
YEARS: 1979 – 1987 (9 seasons, 2 championships)
RECORD: 83-53 (.610)
The late John Madden was nothing in need of a legend on the sidelines of a soccer area after which later within the broadcasting sales space. Madden, who received a Tremendous Bowl as head coach of the Raiders, held one of many highest profitable percentages in NFL historical past. His substitute, Tom Flores, went on to win a number of Tremendous Bowl rings whereas teaching with the Raiders.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY NETWORK
YEARS: 1958 – 1992 (25 seasons, 6 championships)
RECORD: 232-46-9 (.824)
REPLACEMENT: Ray Perkins
YEARS: 1983 – 1986 (4 seasons)
RECORD: 32-15-1 (.677)
How was anybody supposed to switch somebody like Bear Bryant, who received six championships in his 25 years as head coach at Alabama? Ray Pekins, a former Alabama quarterback who received two nationwide championships throughout his time enjoying for Bryant, was chosen for the job. Regardless that he had a profitable report general, his staff had a shedding report in 1984. That was the primary shedding report for this system since 1957, earlier than Bryant’s tenure, and it was the final season Perkins spent with the Crimson Tide.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1960 – 1988 (29 seasons, 2 championships)
RECORD: 250-162-6 (.607)
REPLACEMENT: Jimmy Johnson
YEARS: 1989 – 1993 (5 seasons, 2 championships)
RECORD: 44-36 (.550)
Tom Landry recorded 20 consecutive profitable seasons between 1966 and 1985, one of the crucial dominant stretches in soccer historical past. However when Jerry Jones bought the staff in 1989, it was the top of an period for Landry. Jones employed his former teammate, Jimmy Johnson, as the brand new head coach. Johnson received two Tremendous Bowl rings as head coach however his time with the staff didn’t final very lengthy as he finally mutually agreed to half methods with Jones and the Cowboys.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1979 – 1988 (10 seasons, 3 championships)
RECORD: 92-59-1 (.609)
REPLACEMENT: George Seifert
YEARS: 1989 – 1996 (8 seasons, 2 championships)
RECORD: 98-30 (.766)
Invoice Walsh is likely one of the best coaches in NFL historical past and had great success working with quarterbacks like Joe Montana and (extra briefly) Steve Younger. His substitute, George Seifert, started working for the 49ers in 1980 as an assistant. He took over for Walsh in 1989 and he received two Tremendous Bowl rings as head coach of the staff, additionally boasting a fair higher win share than his predecessor.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK
YEARS: 1969 – 1991 (23 seasons, 4 championships)
RECORD: 193-148-1 (.566)
REPLACEMENT: Invoice Cowher
YEARS: 1992 – 2006 (15 seasons, 1 championship)
RECORD: 149-90-1 (.633)
Regardless of all of the success that Chuck Noll loved throughout his many years as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, his successor was comparably spectacular. Cowher, who was initially born in Pittsburgh, didn’t win as many Tremendous Bowl rings as Noll. However he did have a really lengthy profession with the Steelers and received a championship throughout his tenure as head coach.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1970 – 1995 (26 seasons, 2 championships)
RECORD: 257-133-2
REPLACEMENT: Jimmy Johnson
YEARS: 1996 – 1999 (4 seasons)
RECORD: 36-28 (.563)
Don Shula is the winningest coach in NFL historical past and discovering his substitute was by no means going to be a simple process. After serving because the Dolphins head coach for greater than 20 years, Shula (like Tom Landry) was changed by Jimmy Johnson. Though he had Dan Marino on his roster at quarterback, Miami failed to achieve the lofty expectations set and Johnson opted to resign in 1999.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
Brian Bahr – USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1973 – 1997 (25 seasons, 3 championships)
RECORD: 255-39-3 (.836)
REPLACEMENT: Frank Solich
YEARS: 1998 – 2003 (6 seasons)
RECORD: 58-19-0 (.753)
Tom Osborne went 60-3 over his last 5 seasons. His hand-picked substitute barely lasted that lengthy. He was fired by first-year athletic director Steve Pederson in 2003, who feared this system falling into “mediocrity” regardless of Solich profitable extra video games (58) over his first 5 seasons than Osborne did to start out his Nebraska tenure.
— Blake Schuster
Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports activities
YEARS: 1976 – 2009 (34 seasons, 2 championships)
RECORD: 315-98-4 (.760)
REPLACEMENT: Jimbo Fisher
YEARS: 2010 – 2017 (8 seasons, 1 championship)
RECORD: 83-53 (.783)
So far as transitions go, it’s exhausting to search out one smoother than Jimbo Fisher taking up for Bobby Bowden. Whereas he was by no means going to prime what Bowden inbuilt Tallahassee, Fisher proved greater than satisfactory by profitable a nationwide title in his fourth yr on the job. That earned him loads of goodwill — and much more admirers. Fisher left FSU in 2018 for an ill-fated stint at Texas A&M after the Aggies dropped a 10-year, $75 million contract supply he couldn’t refuse.
— Blake Schuster
