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Charles McClendon- Greatest LSU Football Coach?
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:04 pm
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:04 pm
I was thinking about who most people would agree on as LSU's greatest football coach of all time, and my first thought has to be Charles McClendon. Even though he didn't win a national championship while coaching at LSU, his overall body of work is impressive. 16 winning seasons, 5 straight seasons with 9 wins (from the 1969 season through the 1973 season) and he led the Tigers to 13 bowl appearances during his tenure, winning 7 of them. He was 5-1 in his first 6 bowls, but went 2-5 in the next 7 bowls after that.
He started coaching the Tigers in 1962, and didn't have his first losing season until 1975. Very consistent and always fielded competitive teams who were ready to play. This is my reference site: LINK
From what I've heard of Coach McClendon, he was a highly respected coach who got the most out of his players and was a true leader. What do you guys think, what is y'all opinion on Charles McClendon being the greatest Tiger football coach of all time?
He started coaching the Tigers in 1962, and didn't have his first losing season until 1975. Very consistent and always fielded competitive teams who were ready to play. This is my reference site: LINK
From what I've heard of Coach McClendon, he was a highly respected coach who got the most out of his players and was a true leader. What do you guys think, what is y'all opinion on Charles McClendon being the greatest Tiger football coach of all time?
25
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:06 pm to SaintlyTiger88
Help Mac pack.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:09 pm to SaintlyTiger88
quote:
16 winning seasons, 5 straight seasons with 9 wins (from the 1969 season through the 1973 season) and he led the Tigers to 13 bowl appearances during his tenure, winning 7 of them. He was 5-1 in his first 6 bowls, but went 2-5 in the next 7 bowls after that.
Les Miles career will shite on that when it's all said and done.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:11 pm to SaintlyTiger88
Dietzel didn't have the longevity. Saban didn't have the longevity either plus it's well known that he murdered three guys in a drug deal gone bad in Miami, which is the real reason he got out... (that's the rumor...) Ditto Arnsparger on longevity. Hallman and Archer didn't have the clue. Dinardo beats Hallman and Archer by a nose. Cholly Mac couldn't beat Bama if the girls softball team from Tuscacrappy showed up for the football game. My vote is Lester... Can't complete a sentence but players love him and he keeps assistant coaches better than anyone... Miles by a mile.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:20 pm to SaintlyTiger88
It's les miles.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:21 pm to SaintlyTiger88
Very good coach. Too loyal to his assistants, though.
He had some good games, including putting a major whipping on Notre Dame when they came to town.
He was bashed for not beating the Bear, but few of Bear's assistants did for that matter. Mac did it twice.
Seemed to not change with the times, but again, his assistants did not do him a whole lot of favors.
Dietzel was pretty much brought back to fire Mac. Paul D. worked out a deal to let Mac remain an additional year so he could be President of the American College Football Coaches' Association. He would have gotten a better deal but was concerned for his assistants and was willing to take a lesser deal for himself to avoid having to fire several of his assistants on an immediate basis.
One early mistake was trying to make an option QB out of Bert Jones. Jones has been known to say that if he had it to do over he wouldn't have gone to LSU.
For better or worse, Mac also started the first black QB in the history of the program. Had it worked, there probably would have not been as many detractors. It didn't. Mac had few options at the time as he had retooled the offense to a veer formation to make best use of Mike Miley's talents. However, Miley signed a pro baseball contract after spring practice, and all Mac had available was Billy Broussard and Carl Otis Trimble. Broussard could pass, but was not a great runner. Trimble reportedly could run, but showed everyone he could not pass. All the opposition starting with Texas A & M picked up on it that year and things were never the same after that.
He had some good games, including putting a major whipping on Notre Dame when they came to town.
He was bashed for not beating the Bear, but few of Bear's assistants did for that matter. Mac did it twice.
Seemed to not change with the times, but again, his assistants did not do him a whole lot of favors.
Dietzel was pretty much brought back to fire Mac. Paul D. worked out a deal to let Mac remain an additional year so he could be President of the American College Football Coaches' Association. He would have gotten a better deal but was concerned for his assistants and was willing to take a lesser deal for himself to avoid having to fire several of his assistants on an immediate basis.
One early mistake was trying to make an option QB out of Bert Jones. Jones has been known to say that if he had it to do over he wouldn't have gone to LSU.
For better or worse, Mac also started the first black QB in the history of the program. Had it worked, there probably would have not been as many detractors. It didn't. Mac had few options at the time as he had retooled the offense to a veer formation to make best use of Mike Miley's talents. However, Miley signed a pro baseball contract after spring practice, and all Mac had available was Billy Broussard and Carl Otis Trimble. Broussard could pass, but was not a great runner. Trimble reportedly could run, but showed everyone he could not pass. All the opposition starting with Texas A & M picked up on it that year and things were never the same after that.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:30 pm to SaintlyTiger88
Nope Miles, Saban, and Dietzel were better imo
Posted on 6/3/14 at 6:47 pm to SaintlyTiger88
Just stop already..
Posted on 6/3/14 at 7:07 pm to SaintlyTiger88
I put loyalty to LSU as one of the chief characteristics of a top coach, along with length of tenure and that all-important w/l record. Which is why I put both Cholly Mac and Les Miles in a dead heat for greatest coaches at LSU in my lifetime. LSU was/is the job they wanted (ok, maybe Michigan was tempting), unlike Dietzel and Saban, who were happy to use LSU as a stepping stone on their way to other pastures.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 7:35 pm to SaintlyTiger88
It's really hard to call him the best when three other coaches have won national championships. Les wins.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 7:37 pm to SaintlyTiger88
quote:
SaintlyTiger88
Posted on 6/3/14 at 8:23 pm to SaintlyTiger88
I have a soft spot for Cholly Mac because he wes the coach when I was 6 and started my LSU football addiction. However, if Miles stays a few more years he will easily eclipse McClendon.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 8:30 pm to SaintlyTiger88
quote:
Charles McClendon- Greatest LSU Football Coach?
Hell no, I was a student at LSU when he was the head coach and was tired of his 8-3 record and losing to Alabama;not to mention he wouldn't let the soccer team use football fields.
Posted on 6/3/14 at 8:56 pm to SaintlyTiger88
quote:
So Les Miles is definitely making his case, by the time he's done, he will surely have a case for greatest of all time!
This
Posted on 6/4/14 at 12:05 am to SaintlyTiger88
Coach Miles is greatest Tiger coach. But Charlie Mac is right behind him ... 
Posted on 6/4/14 at 7:58 am to SaintlyTiger88
I'd put him at #2
Posted on 6/4/14 at 9:12 am to SaintlyTiger88
No. Chollie Mac was here a long time and had some decent years, but no way he's our greatest coach.
In 18 years as head coach:
- had a conference record of 60-41-3
- won the SEC once
- lost 2 or more conference games in 14 of 18 years (and this was with only a 6-game SEC schedule)
Look, I've got some great memories of some of those years and there were some great games, but longevity doesn't equal greatness.
In 18 years as head coach:
- had a conference record of 60-41-3
- won the SEC once
- lost 2 or more conference games in 14 of 18 years (and this was with only a 6-game SEC schedule)
Look, I've got some great memories of some of those years and there were some great games, but longevity doesn't equal greatness.
Posted on 6/4/14 at 10:42 am to SaintlyTiger88
College football was such a different animal in the times of Coach Mac, it has to be very difficult for the younger fans to comprehend it.
There was very little national recruiting unless you were Notre Dame. Teams could sign as many players as they wanted, and coaches would sign a bevy of players just to keep them from going to competing schools. The arms race that we see in college football was almost non-existent in those days.
Bear Bryant was at his peak, and very few coaches could beat him. I remember being shocked when Georgia won the SEC one year. Coach Mac did about as well as anyone else in hanging with Bryant. Ole Miss had some very good teams, but they couldn't beat Bear, either.
Coach Mac was a very good defensive coach. One year (maybe 1970?) LSU gave up something like 50 yards per game rushing, and that was in the age when running the football was everything in the SEC. Yes, he was conservative offensively, but college football was conservative generally. Few teams relied on the passing game.
I think the two biggest factors that caused his demise were the loyalty to his assistants and the annual matchup with perhaps the greatest college coach ever.
There was very little national recruiting unless you were Notre Dame. Teams could sign as many players as they wanted, and coaches would sign a bevy of players just to keep them from going to competing schools. The arms race that we see in college football was almost non-existent in those days.
Bear Bryant was at his peak, and very few coaches could beat him. I remember being shocked when Georgia won the SEC one year. Coach Mac did about as well as anyone else in hanging with Bryant. Ole Miss had some very good teams, but they couldn't beat Bear, either.
Coach Mac was a very good defensive coach. One year (maybe 1970?) LSU gave up something like 50 yards per game rushing, and that was in the age when running the football was everything in the SEC. Yes, he was conservative offensively, but college football was conservative generally. Few teams relied on the passing game.
I think the two biggest factors that caused his demise were the loyalty to his assistants and the annual matchup with perhaps the greatest college coach ever.
Posted on 6/4/14 at 11:23 am to SaintlyTiger88
quote:
I was thinking about who most people would agree on as LSU's greatest football coach of all time
It's not that simple of a call. LSU has had five head coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Saban and Miles, as BCS winners, are sure to join the CFHOF themselves one day.
Posted on 6/4/14 at 11:40 am to SaintlyTiger88
Mac is similar to Miles in that he wins a lot of football games but isn't respected by a good portion of our fans. I thought that the guy did a great job when he had the talent; perhaps he could have been a more aggressive recruiter.
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