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Head man hierarchy
Unveiling the nation's 10 best and five worst coaches
Posted: Wednesday July 11, 2007 12:14PM; Updated: Wednesday July 11, 2007 2:48PM
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Pete Carroll has led the Trojans to a 59-6 record and two national championships since 2002.
Robert Beck/SI
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</TD><TD class=cnnstoryclpad></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Before I unveil the Mailbag's third annual list of the nation's 10 best and five worst head coaches, we're going to do a little exercise in geometry (a scary proposition, considering this was far from my favorite class in high school).
As always, these rankings are based primarily on recent performance. However, I've never actually made it clear what I mean by "recent performance." This was made painfully clear to me a few months back, when for the first time I did one of these columns for basketball, and was immediately deluged with e-mails lamenting the exclusion of
Jim Boeheim,
Lute Olson and -- I'm not making this up --
Gary Williams. Yes, all three have won national titles, but somewhere on Wikipedia, there's probably an entry for "College Basketball's Biggest Underachievers: 2004-07," with that trio's mug shots displayed prominently on the right-hand side.
I can't emphasize this part enough: This is
not a career-achievement list. This is a real-time picture of who's doing the best and worst jobs
right now.
So to try and avoid a similar, inevitable outcry for
Bobby and
JoePa, I want everybody to visualize a big, inverted triangle. Inside this triangle there are six horizontal lines. The widest one at the top? That's the coach's performance in 2006. The one below that, 2005. The one below that, 2004, etc., down to the sixth, really skinny one, which is everything prior to 2002. So not only am I emphasizing the past five years, but I'm also weighting the seasons within that period as well in descending order.
As a result, there were some changes this year to the 10 best. Former staple
Kirk Ferentz plummets off the list following two mediocre seasons.
Jim Grobe, meanwhile, wins an ACC title and jumps on board.
One other note: As always, candidates had to be a Division I-A coach for at least the past three seasons to be considered for either category. So
Steve Spurrier,
Nick Saban,
Charlie Weis,
Bret Bielema and
Chris Petersen aren't eligible just yet. Neither, mercifully, are
Greg Robinson or
Ed Orgeron.
Top 10 best coaches headed into the 2007 season
1) Pete Carroll, USC: Carroll's "worst" season since 2002 last year still involved 11 wins, a Pac-10 championship and Rose Bowl victory. He followed that up with a fifth straight top-three recruiting class.
2) Urban Meyer, Florida: Now 61-12 in six seasons as a head coach, Meyer has demonstrated a keen ability to adapt to his personnel, winning a national title while utilizing a receiver (
Percy Harvin) and a QB (
Tim Tebow) in lieu of a reliable tailback. Not a bad recruiter, either.
3) Jim Tressel, Ohio State: Throughout last year's 12-0 regular season, you could tell every last Buckeye marched to the beat of his coach. Tressel knows how to play to his team's strengths, whether by playing conservative during the '02 title season or spreading things out with
Troy Smith.
4) Mack Brown, Texas: Another year, another 10-win season for the 'Horns, who have now posted six in a row. Last year's 10-3 finish came despite starting a freshman quarterback (
Colt McCoy) and enduring a season of injuries and suspensions to what became an oft-torched secondary.
5) Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: As mentioned previously, Stoops' reputation has taken a hit in recent years, but let's keep things in perspective. The Sooners still won 11 games and a Big 12 title last year despite
RhettBomar's dismissal and
AdrianPeterson's injury.
6) Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech: After suffering a brief drop-off post-
Michael Vick, the Hokies have won at least 10 games in four of the past five seasons and had the nation's top-ranked defense in each of the past two years (and No. 4 the year before that).
7) Jim Grobe, Wake Forest: Grobe was already highly respected before last season. Then he led a moderately talented team (compared to the NFL-stocked rosters elsewhere in the ACC) to a conference title, even after losing his starting quarterback and tailback to injury. Clearly, the guy can coach.
8) Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia: Rodriguez has been running the spread-option since before anyone knew what it was, but it's amazing how much recognition it can garner -- and how you can post consecutive 11-win seasons -- once you have
Pat White and
Steve Slaton.
9) Mark Richt, Georgia: You can't argue with his overall results -- 61-17 and two SEC titles in six seasons -- but Richt drops a few rungs this year for his mishandling of the Dawgs' quarterback situation early last season (when Georgia lost to Kentucky and Vandy) and the Sugar Bowl meltdown the year before.
10) Gary Patterson, TCU: Does anyone get less credit for running a consistently successful program than this guy? Since 2002, the Horned Frogs have posted records of 10-2, 11-2, 11-1 and 11-2 (wedged around a 5-6 aberration) and beaten the likes of Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Just missed: Rutgers'
Greg Schiano, Auburn's
Tommy Tuberville, USF's
Jim Leavitt, Navy's
Paul Johnson and Cal's
Jeff Tedford.
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Al Groh has developed NFL talent at Virginia, but has yet to produce a consistent winning product on the field.
AP
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</TD><TD class=cnnstoryclpad></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Now comes the hard part. The worst coaches list was extremely difficult this year because: a) A couple of my old standbys (
Chuck Amato,
John L. Smith) finally got fired; and b) There seems to a growing rash of guys who have proven to be absolutely lights-out recruiters but haven't done squat on the field. On the one hand, this would seem to be a pretty clear indicator of bad coaching, but on the other hand, recruiting is a fairly major part of a coach's job.
So how do you balance those? By simply gauging who's doing the least with the most.
The Five Worst
1) Al Groh, Virginia: Matt Schaub. D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
Heath Miller.
Ahmad Brooks. Groh has produced his share of talent in Charlottesville. So what does he have to show for it? A 25-23 ACC record and a whole bunch of Christmas dinners in Charlotte and Boise.
2) Dennis Franchione, Texas A&M: Having now had four years to gauge Coach Fran's tenure in College Station, I think we can safely describe it in one word: disappointing (15-17 Big 12 record). A program like A&M's should never be this mediocre for this long.
3) Tommy Bowden, Clemson: How does a team with
James Davis,
C.J. Spiller and
Gaines Adams manage to lose four of its last five? How does a program with Clemson's resources fail to crack 8-4? And how has Bowden managed to survive half a decade on the hot seat?
4) Bill Doba, Washington State: With each passing year, it becomes painfully apparent that Doba -- a super-nice guy and former legendary high school coach -- is in way over his head. After a successful 10-3 debut in 2003, he's gone 8-17 in the Pac-10 since.
5) Karl Dorrell, UCLA: Last year's USC upset was the first sign Dorrell's Bruins were finally turning the corner -- and they promptly followed it up with that Emerald Bowl debacle. On paper, UCLA looks like a BCS contender this year, but Dorrell's track record doesn't exactly inspire much confidence.
Just missed: Georgia Tech's
Chan Gailey (who gets a one-year reprieve for winning a division title, even if he did still manage to lose his requisite five games), Nebraska's
Bill Callahan, Arizona's
Mike Stoops, Illinois'
Ron Zook and Arkansas'
Houston Nutt.
Now, on to your questions:
I think safeties are getting more important every year. Look at what Reggie Nelson did last year for Florida. So who is this year's great safety? I think Kenny Phillips, because Miami has produced some great safeties and played very well last year.
--Wilco Mulder, Nieuwehorne, The Netherlands
First of all, that's the coolest name of anyone ever to write in to the Mailbag. Secondly, it's always good to hear from my readers in Holland. And yes -- you're definitely on to something with your safety theory.
It's not like safeties haven't been important all along. There's a reason guys like
Ronnie Lott,
Jack Tatum and, more recently,
Roy Williams and
Ed Reed are held in such high regard. But I do think we're seeing a change in the type of athletes who play the position and the way coaches use them. Traditionally, safeties were known primarily for roaming around and delivering the big hit. Seeing as they're usually the last line of defense, the emphasis was on tackling ability. But more recently, we've seen the emergence of faster, more versatile guys like Nelson (who was arguably the most important member of Florida's national championship D) and LSU's
LaRon Landry, Utah's
Eric Weddle and Texas'
Michael Huff, who could best be described as playmakers. These are guys who are as skilled in pass coverage as any cornerback (oftentimes they've played corner as well) but can also get up and blitz or generally wreak havoc.
At first glance, this year's crop isn't quite as exciting as last year's, though Phillips is definitely at the top of the class. A starter since practically day one his freshman season, he very much fits the mold of the new-age, athletic safety. Also keep an eye on Tennessee's
Jonathan Hefney, Boise State's
Marty Tadman, Kansas State's
Marcus Watts and Rutgers'
Courtney Greene (all of whom, as free safeties, have more freedom to make big plays).
With the verbal commitment of Rivals.com's No. 2-rated QB E.J. Manuel to Florida State, do you feel one commitment really boosts the decisions of other highly rated prospects from other offensive positions?
--John, Scranton, Pa.
I'm not usually the type to follow recruiting that closely until closer to Signing Day, but that particular announcement definitely caught my eye. For one thing, it's the most significant signing to date of the
Jimbo Fisher effect at FSU. Manuel is a quarterback from Virginia who could have gone just about anywhere but chose the Seminoles, despite their recent struggles. Obviously, the chance to go play for the guy who mentored
JaMarcus Russell was a pretty strong selling point (especially considering Manuel's other reported favorite was LSU). Furthermore, you can tell things are changing in Tallahassee because in the past
BobbyBowden's program always seemed to wait until the last minute to get most of its major commitments. The 'Noles already have 12 reported pledges for 2008, a signal that Bowden's new staff is being more aggressive early in identifying and pursuing the guys they like.
And yes, there's definitely legitimacy to the domino effect in recruiting, particularly with high-profile quarterbacks. It happened at Florida both when
Chris Leak and
Tim Tebow committed -- other big-name guys quickly followed. It could happen here. Recruits take notice when a high-profile guy commits somewhere. They take it as a sign that it could be the place to be. However, much will depend on FSU's performance on the field this season, as well as what kind of networking, if any, Manuel does with other blue-chippers around the country, either at camps or in the postseason all-star games.
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Darren McFadden ran for 1,647 yards and 14 touchdowns last year and was most dangerous under center in the Wildcat formation.
Bob Rosato/SI
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Does Arkansas have to win at least 10 games before Darren McFadden has a shot at winning the Heisman?
--Josh, Searcy, Ark.
Not necessarily. While the Heisman has become more and more intertwined with the national title race in the BCS era, there are several other factors at play. Lately, it seems like the deciding factor in the Heisman race is putting up huge performances in big, nationally televised games.
Troy Smith did it.
Reggie Bush did it.
Matt Leinart did it. In a 12-game season, McFadden is not going to run for 150 yards and three touchdowns every game, but if the 45-yard day comes against Ole Miss in a game no one outside the South sees, it's probably not going to hurt him that much. What will hurt him is if Auburn or Tennessee shuts him down in a game of critical importance.
McFadden goes in as the preseason favorite, since he finished second last year, so he'll get the benefit of the doubt at least a couple of times. And if the Razorbacks continue to run that "Wildcat" formation for him, it's only going to help. I do think Arkansas needs to at least stay in the SEC title hunt for most of the season. They could lose a few games and McFadden could still win it if voters feel like he wasn't the reason. (Remember, Arkansas lost its last two regular-season games last year but McFadden still placed high.) If the Razorbacks sink to 7-5, however, chances are D-Mac will have stumbled himself at some point.
Any chance of an upset in the Appalachian State-Michigan game Sept. 1 at the Big House? The Mountaineers have an explosive offense and are just plain fun to watch.
--Kevin Weis, Tryon, N.C.
I never say never to anything in college football -- but this one comes pretty close. Yes, it's a rare and somewhat intriguing scenario for a big-name, top-10 team to be opening its season against the defending I-AA (yes, I still use that designation) national champion. And yes, we've seen no shortage of I-AA over I-A upsets in recent years. But it's one thing for an upper-echelon I-AA team to knock off a bad I-A team (like New Hampshire over Northwestern or Montana State over Colorado), but when you're talking about a team like Michigan, the disparity in size and depth is just way too much. The most realistic scenario is that the Mountaineers could hang with the Wolverines for about a half, but eventually all that
Mike Hart pounding would wear them down.
How about an update on the Ty Willingham rebuilding job at the University of Washington? I think the early season home game against Ohio State should be a big test. This seems like a good intersectional game that has been flying somewhat under the radar.
--Tom Semones, Cincinnati
I think that Ohio State game has definite upset potential because it's early in the season, when it's likely the Buckeyes' untested offense will still be a work in progress. That said, Washington's offense will have to be much improved to have any success against OSU's defense. Remember, the Huskies got off to a pretty good start last year, winning four of their first five (including UCLA and at Arizona) and nearly knocking off USC before QB
Isaiah Stanback went down and the season went south. Stanback was the heart and soul of that offense and a talented enough athlete to become a Cowboys fourth-round pick even after the injury.
This will be a critical year for Willingham, and much will depend on the performance of his new quarterback, redshirt freshman
Jake Locker, the Huskies' savior-in-waiting the past two years. Willingham has recruited well enough and the defense should be dependable enough for Washington to be a bowl team if Locker comes through. The biggest problem, however, is going to be that murderous schedule. The Huskies could definitely use an upset against either Boise State (Sept. 8) or Ohio State (Sept. 15) early to get the momentum going. And they definitely can't afford to lose at Syracuse the first week.
Speaking of which ...
Simple question: Will Syracuse ever be good again?
--Larry, Stamford, Conn.
This has been coming up a lot around here lately -- from our Syracuse summer intern,
Mallory Rubin. Actually, I think Mallory has thrown in the towel. When I showed her this question, her response was, "Don't count on it."
I'm slightly more optimistic, which is why my simple answer to your simple question is, yes. The more difficult questions, however, are when will that be, and will Robinson still be the coach when it happens? You know I don't like to judge a coach too soon, but I can't say Robinson has offered much reason for optimism so far. Mostly what he's done is install an offense his quarterbacks weren't suited for, generate little-to-no recruiting buzz and lose his one great hope, sophomore running back
Delone Carter, five months before the season even started. I understand why Syracuse hired
Daryl Gross as its AD (he's the guy who endorsed Carroll at USC), I understand Gross's long-term vision, but I just don't see Robinson as a good fit. Syracuse is a uniquely Northeast institution and someone with Northeast ties would have an easier time creating enthusiasm for that program.
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Stewart Mandel's first book,
Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy that Reign Over College Football, will be released Aug. 24.
Pre-order your discounted copy today.
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Is there a minimum quantity of your book we can purchase that will guarantee being published in the Mailbag?
--Bret, Omaha, Neb.
Just mentioning it gives you a definite leg up.
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Jordana Spiro is one week into her reign as official Mailbag Crush.
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In reference to your discussion of "running back by committee," you said, "About the only team recently to have much success with the approach is LSU." I can't believe you failed to mention the 2004 Auburn Tigers team with Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown.
--Bryan K. Walton, Wilton, Iowa
I could not believe how many e-mails I got just like this one. C'mon, people -- two people do not constitute a committee. As my colleague
Pete McEntegart pointed out, if such a committee held a meeting, what would they talk about? How could they hold a vote on anything? There'd be too many ties.
What you're referring to with Williams and Brown (or McFadden and
Felix Jones, or
Laurence Maroney and
Marion Barber III) is a running back
tandem, and Lord knows there have been plenty of those over the years, most notably Army's
Doc Blanchard ("Mr. Inside") and
Glenn Davis ("Mr. Outside"). It's my understanding that when someone uses the term "running back by committee," they're referring to a team that lacks a true feature back and rotates between three or more guys, none of whom get significantly more carries than the others. Which is why I pinpointed LSU as my example: Last season, the Tigers finished 31st nationally in rushing despite no one back getting even 100 carries (
Jacob Hester had 94,
Keiland Williams 76,
Alley Broussard 74,
Justin Vincent 57 and
Charles Scott 46). By comparison, in the Auburn example above, Williams had 239 carries, Brown 153.
Of course, it occurred to me after the fact that one particular running back committee would probably take exception to my comments: The Four Horsemen.
Hi Stewart. Just thought that I would pick up on the point that you made about Brits in your last Mailbag. As a HUGE fan of college football (yes, we do exist in England), please note that I have pre-ordered your book on Amazon (though I have also pre-ordered the new Harry Potter books). I also note with interest that this year's Celebrity Crush, Jordana Spiro, studied at RADA in London (about a mile from where I write). That alone makes Jordana as English as Prince Charles (but a hell of a lot better to look at!)
--Matt Rees, London, England
As it turns out, the Mailbag has quite a cult following in London. I found this out both first-hand from my friend
Sasha, who just returned from a postgraduate program there, as well as through several e-mails like the one above. So to our friends across the pond, thanks for the support and no more soccer jokes (for at least a couple of weeks).
As for the aforementioned Ms. Spiro, I'm happy to report that your responses to her selection were overwhelmingly positive. (Though there were a few pretty vicious haters).
Kudos on the 2007 crush. Jordana is an unbelievably cute tomboy. And as a follow up to Jenna you can't do any better. Well done!
--Dwight, Atlanta
Rest assured, Jenna will not be forgotten. She retains Crush Emeritus status.
Jordana ... totally unexpected. Not too shabby, though. Good choice.
--Scott, Baton Rouge, La.
Jordana appreciates your compliments and says she
agrees 100 percent with Les Miles. (OK, I made that up).
Maybe I'm just too spoiled (see my hometown), but Jordana Spiro is nowhere near hot enough to represent the College Fotball Mailbag. As a former college football player, this is an outrage. I wouldn't have a crush on her if I saw her in a bar, let alone the fantasy world of the Mailbag.
--Steve, Newport Beach, Calif.
Oh great -- another SoCal-Louisiana feud. I know who I'm siding with on this one.
As a single, Jewish guy who's currently deployed in Iraq, thanks for brightening my day with your selection for Celebrity Crush.
-- MSgt. Jonathan Wolf, USAF Balad AB Iraq
And now you've just brightened my day. Who knew the Mailbag Crush could have a global impact?
YES! OK, here's the deal Stewart. As your longest-standing Mailbag contributer (honestly, look for my John David Booty question that you published in your first-ever Mailbag, but more importantly, as a single, Jewish sportswriter in Chicago, any chance you can set me up on a REAL date with Jordana? Thanks in advance. You complete me.
--Matt Sohn, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
I'm not sure which is more disturbing -- this e-mail or my mug shot in that original Mailbag. Please don't answer.
I know I'm on the other coast, but I'm Jewish, 28, single and a lawyer. If Jordana informs you of any pending trips out to Hollywood, please pass on my e-mail address!!!
--Michael, Los Angeles
Oh I will. I'm sure the cops can use it to trace where they should deliver the restraining order.
The July 3rd edition of the Mailbag was a cry for help if I've ever seen one.
--Dave, Lexington, Va.
C'mon, Dave. What edition of the Mailbag
isn't a cry for help?
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