Messages
46,859
Reaction score
5
By Gil LeBreton

glebreton@star-telegram.com



Ultimately, every football coach is judged by how many he wins and loses.

He may be a “great leader,” or a “defensive genius.” He may be an “innovator,” or a guy that “all the players love.”

He may be “great with the media,” or a horse’s posterior. He may have “Purple People Eaters” on defense, or his offense may showcase the “Greatest Show on Turf.”

It all comes down to how many he wins and when he wins them.

Which is why, love him or loathe him, New England’s Bill Belichick deserves to be at the top of any NFL coaching list.

Twenty seasons, 13 trips to the playoffs, 12 seasons with 11 or more victories, six Super Bowl appearances, four Lombardi Trophies.

It couldn’t have all been because he videoed a Jets practice or let the equipment guys soften a few footballs.

And where, therefore, does the Dallas Cowboys’ Jason Garrett rank among the NFL’s 32 head coaches?

Major props go to Elliott Harrison of NFL.com for attempting to compile such a list.

Elliott may want to tread lightly through his email over the next week. NFL fans tend to be fiercely loyal and defensive about their head coaches.

He has Garrett ranked No. 14, right behind the Eagles’ Chip Kelly and just ahead of the Rams’ Jeff Fisher.

Me? I would rate Coach Red a sturdy 16th — right in the middle of the pack.

I had him No. 16 with a bullet until Thursday’s news about linebacker Rolando McClain, after which I removed the bullet.

Frequent foul-up McClain’s suspension is four games, and it adds another layer of uncertainty to a season in which Garrett and his owner were said to have all their bases covered.

Coach Red keeps defending not only the play, but also the presence, of guys like McClain and Greg Hardy, and thus a screw-up by them should reflect on the head coach as well.

Some of us are not wise enough to rank the NFL coaches from 1 to 32. Please accept, therefore, my abridged list rated by categories.

Head of the Class

(always in the Super Bowl hunt)

▪ 1. Belichick, Patriots — He’s already got the Canton hallways bugged.

▪ 2. Pete Carroll, Seahawks — Yes, he’s the hipsters’ favorite. But his players play ferociously for him.

▪ 3. Mike McCarthy, Packers — Wait, the guy has had both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers? His record stands on its own.

▪ 4. John Harbaugh, Ravens — Six playoff appearances in seven seasons, with three trips to the AFC title game.


Solid Second Choices

(Super Bowl experienced)

▪ 5. Sean Payton, Saints

▪ 6., Mike Tomlin, Steelers

▪ 7. John Fox, Bears

▪ 8. Tom Coughlin, Giants


Headed Up

(or maybe down)

▪ 9. Andy Reid, Chiefs

▪ 10. Chuck Pagano, Colts

▪ 11. Ron Rivera, Panthers

▪ 12. Mike Zimmer, Vikings

▪ 13. Bruce Arians, Cardinals

▪ 14. Gus Bradley, Jacksonville

▪ 15. Joe Philbin, Dolphins

▪ 16. Jason Garrett, Cowboys

▪ 17. Chip Kelley, Eagles

▪ 18. Jim Caldwell, Lions

▪ 19. Bill O’Brien, Texans


Wrong Time And Place

(in more or less this order)

▪ Marvin Lewis, Bengals

▪ Jack Del Rio, Raiders

▪ Lovie Smith, Buccaneers

▪ Jeff Fisher, Rams

▪ Rex Ryan, Bills

▪ Ken Whisenhunt, Titans

▪ Mike McCoy, Chargers

▪ Gary Kubiak, Broncos

▪ Mike Pettine, Browns

▪ Dan Quinn, Falcons

▪ Jay Gruden, Redskins

▪ Todd Bowles, Jets

▪ Jim Tomsula, 49ers

Philbin over Garrett? I answer that by asking who has done more with less? Miami adds Ndamukong Suh to its defense this year, and under Philbin’s tutelage quarterback Ryan Tannehill has improved every season.

This is a critical year for Garrett, meanwhile, whether owner Jerry Jones wants to admit it or not.

Garrett won enough games last season, but the Cowboys fell one short. Play that game in Arlington, instead of Green Bay, and the outcome could well have been different.

But that’s how head coaches are judged.

Read more here: Ranking the NFL coaches: Code Red No. 16 | The Star Telegram The Star Telegram
 

jnday

UDFA
Messages
2,680
Reaction score
0
Other than spending the draft picks to build the oline, which fans has wanted for years, I don't see where Red has done much.
 

ThoughtExperiment

Quality Starter
Messages
9,906
Reaction score
3
Funny how almost all the guys in the last group, minus the ones just starting, have won more than Red has. I thought LeBreton said it was all about winning?
 
Messages
46,859
Reaction score
5
Yeah a few of those guys are just in bad situations. But if you get your team to a Super Bowl, you deserve to be ahead of many of those guys on that list.

Give probably 25-28 of those guys Romo for their entire coaching stints, and they accomplish more than Garrett has here. Garrett is a underachieving apprentice.
 

Statman

Practice Squad
Messages
176
Reaction score
0
Jason Garrett is the architect behind this team and the culture he has built through hard work, preparation, and competition.

The great coaches will tell you exactly how they intend to win even before they start. He told us competition would be at the root of building the team, he told us that they would no longer sacrifice e the future for the present, he told us that they would maximize value.

He said he wanted smart players that loved the game, that were leaders and had the ability to learn quickly. The majority of drafted players were team captains. Many were guys that fulfilled their full commitment to college and received degrees. Many were All-Academic. He gave opportunities to rookie free agents that earned it by their play.

It makes sense that Jason would be successful in building this team. His father was an NFL scout for 30 years, his brother was Director of Pro Personnel for the Cowboys. What do you suppose the conversation was about at the dinner table?

Jason Garrett has done a masterful job with the media and in juggling Jerry Jones's ego while still maintaining the integrity of his plan. He doesn't get everything he wants, but he is doing a great job in managing those elements he did not personally create.

Jason Garrett completely rebuilt the team save for less than a handful of players. Only Romo, Dez, Witten, and Scandrick remain from the Wade Phillips days.

Despite this rebuilding project, the Cowboys never had a losing season after he was named the Head Coach. As an interim Head Coach, and without their starting quarterback, Garrett took the team from 1-7 in the 1st half of 2010 to 5-3 in the 2nd half.

Jason Garrett is a top 5 Head Coach in this league and we will all realize this during the next two seasons, this is my prediction.

And, by the way, what's wrong with owning more than one cat?
 
Messages
46,859
Reaction score
5
Jason Garrett is the architect behind this team and the culture he has built through hard work, preparation, and competition.

The great coaches will tell you exactly how they intend to win even before they start. He told us competition would be at the root of building the team, he told us that they would no longer sacrifice e the future for the present, he told us that they would maximize value.

He said he wanted smart players that loved the game, that were leaders and had the ability to learn quickly. The majority of drafted players were team captains. Many were guys that fulfilled their full commitment to college and received degrees. Many were All-Academic. He gave opportunities to rookie free agents that earned it by their play.

It makes sense that Jason would be successful in building this team. His father was an NFL scout for 30 years, his brother was Director of Pro Personnel for the Cowboys. What do you suppose the conversation was about at the dinner table?

Jason Garrett has done a masterful job with the media and in juggling Jerry Jones's ego while still maintaining the integrity of his plan. He doesn't get everything he wants, but he is doing a great job in managing those elements he did not personally create.

Jason Garrett completely rebuilt the team save for less than a handful of players. Only Romo, Dez, Witten, and Scandrick remain from the Wade Phillips days.

Despite this rebuilding project, the Cowboys never had a losing season after he was named the Head Coach. As an interim Head Coach, and without their starting quarterback, Garrett took the team from 1-7 in the 1st half of 2010 to 5-3 in the 2nd half.

Jason Garrett is a top 5 Head Coach in this league and we will all realize this during the next two seasons, this is my prediction.

And, by the way, what's wrong with owning more than one cat?

:nsis
 

Dodger12

Super Moderator
Messages
7,044
Reaction score
3,746
Other than spending the draft picks to build the oline, which fans has wanted for years, I don't see where Red has done much.

Now if he actually did that I'd agree with you. He had no plan to build the line with 1st round picks. If Aaron Donald, Shazier and a host of other would have been there when we picked, not to mention Floyd whom Garret and TC wanted like petulant step children, then this myth you would have been exposed for what it was.
 
Messages
3,665
Reaction score
22
I love how those gut wrenching, mediocre seasons are turned into a silk purse with the phrase "never had a losing season."
 

Statman

Practice Squad
Messages
176
Reaction score
0
Never had a losing season during a complete rebuilding process. I would challenge anyone to find circumstances in which every player but 5 were turned over in a three year period without a losing season. By the beginning of the 2013 season they only had the previously mentioned 4 players plus Ware.

How many coaches in NFL history never had a losing season? Lombardi, George Allen, Jason Garrett, .....any others?

He made mistakes, sure. But Head Coaches also start out as rookies and he has a pretty steep learning curve. Other than a propensity to abandon the run way too early, I didn't see too many glaring issues.
 
Messages
46,859
Reaction score
5
Statman, you're an obvious troll. And not even a good one.

Blow the "complete rebuild" out your ass. NFL teams on average turn over over 30% of their roster a year. You're wanting to brag about such turnover over a 4+ year period? Bitch please.

Also, how is it a complete rebuild when the most difficult piece to field, a stud franchise QB, was in place before he got here and has been here his entire tenure.

Tony Romo is putting up hall of fame numbers, and Garrett is gaffing this team to .500 records, save last year when the owner neutered his head coach and made him solely a walk around clapping motivation poster.

Jesus christ.... go back to CowboysZone.com you fucking moron.
 

SixisBetter

Anywhere on the line.
Messages
4,211
Reaction score
370
How many coaches in NFL history never had a losing season? Lombardi, George Allen, Jason Garrett, .....any others?

Well,Jim Harbaugh comes to mind.
But neither Garrett or Harbaugh deserve to be mentioned alongside Lombardi and Allen after 4.5 and 4 seasons respectively.
Nice try,though.
 

Doomsday

High Plains Drifter
Messages
21,397
Reaction score
3,792
Statman, you're an obvious troll. And not even a good one.
He's not a troll.

I hate Garrett as much if not more than anyone here. Hating Carrot Top is probably about the only thing most of us here have in common and generally agree on. BUT, Statman does bring up some good points about him.

He made a prediction. Let's wait and see how that prediction holds up. Bookmark it.
 
Messages
46,859
Reaction score
5
Never had a losing season is pure bullshit considering he went 8-8 three years in a row and blew three straight win and your in divisional finales when the division was pure garbage.

He gets neutered, we finally have success, and suddenly he's a top 5 coach. Jesus christ get the fuck outta here with that shit.
 

Doomsday

High Plains Drifter
Messages
21,397
Reaction score
3,792
There's always this, waiting for if Statman's prediction comes true...

dcugarrett.jpg
 
Top Bottom