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Greatest College Football Program Builder of All-Time
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:49 pm
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:49 pm
I vote Howard Schnellenberger.
When he got to Miami, the program was in almost as bad of shape as one can be. The school was even talking about shutting it down when he was hired. In 1979 he started out rough with a 5-6 record but four out of the next five years he won at least 9 games including one national championship.
He realized that Miami couldn't recruit on a national stage but also realized that they didn't have to in order to be a powerhouse. He pretty much cut off all of south Florida's talent to the rest of the nation and had them all come play for him. He built the foundation for Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erikson and Butch Davis. It's because of him that Miami was a national powerhouse from the 1980's to the early 2000's. I believe that if he had stayed at Miami, he would have won at least 4-5 national titles.
When he got to Miami, the program was in almost as bad of shape as one can be. The school was even talking about shutting it down when he was hired. In 1979 he started out rough with a 5-6 record but four out of the next five years he won at least 9 games including one national championship.
He realized that Miami couldn't recruit on a national stage but also realized that they didn't have to in order to be a powerhouse. He pretty much cut off all of south Florida's talent to the rest of the nation and had them all come play for him. He built the foundation for Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erikson and Butch Davis. It's because of him that Miami was a national powerhouse from the 1980's to the early 2000's. I believe that if he had stayed at Miami, he would have won at least 4-5 national titles.
16
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:49 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Nick Saban
/thread
/thread
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:50 pm to Henry Jones Jr
He wins every contest ever with dat pipe/ring combo
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:51 pm to Lester Earl
quote:
Nick Saban
I'd put him in the top 5. I still think Schnellenberger is better. Bear Bryant made Alabama into what they are today IMO
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:52 pm to Henry Jones Jr
John Heisman?
Akron, AU, Clemson, Rice, and GT.
Akron, AU, Clemson, Rice, and GT.
This post was edited on 10/30/14 at 4:18 pm
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:52 pm to Henry Jones Jr
quote:
I believe that if he had stayed at Miami, he would have won at least 4-5 national titles.
It's not like Miami didn't win 4 more after he left.
That being said, yes, he's one of if not the greatest program builder of all time...said this biased fan.
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:52 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Bill Snyder should be somewhere high on the list.
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:52 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Saban is and will always be to me the ultimate program builder.
What he did at Michigan St was incredible while at the same time Michigan was winning a NC in '97.
Turned LSU from the lows of the 90s to elite level contending for SEC and NCs every year even after he left. He laid the foundation. And of course we know what he's done at Alabama.
Also gonna give some credit to Bill Snyder although he only did it at one school, Kansas St was the worst college football program of all time an twice now he has come in and took them to the top tier. Plus he's a swell guy.
What he did at Michigan St was incredible while at the same time Michigan was winning a NC in '97.
Turned LSU from the lows of the 90s to elite level contending for SEC and NCs every year even after he left. He laid the foundation. And of course we know what he's done at Alabama.
Also gonna give some credit to Bill Snyder although he only did it at one school, Kansas St was the worst college football program of all time an twice now he has come in and took them to the top tier. Plus he's a swell guy.
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:53 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Bear Bryant
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:55 pm to Henry Jones Jr
People forget what he did for Louisville
quote:
In 1985, Schnellenberger returned to his hometown to coach another struggling program, the University of Louisville Cardinals. Schnellenberger inherited a situation that was as bad, if not worse, than what he'd inherited at Miami.
The Cardinals had not had a winning season since 1978, and only two winning records in the previous 12 years. They played at Cardinal Stadium, a minor-league baseball stadium, and often hosted crowds so small that the school was forced to give tickets away. They also played in the long shadow of the school's powerful men's basketball team. The situation was so grave at Louisville that officials were considering dropping the football program down to I-AA. Nonetheless, at his opening press conference, he stunned reporters and fans by proclaiming the program "is on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is time."
After going 8–24–1 in his first three years, Schnellenberger was able to turn the program around and go 24–9–1 the next three seasons. In 10 years, he led the Cardinals to their fourth and fifth bowl games in school history. They won them both, including an unprecedented 34–7 thrashing of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl, capping a 10–1–1 season and the school's first-ever appearance in a final poll (11th). The Fiesta Bowl appearance was the school's first-ever New Year's Day bowl game
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:55 pm to Henry Jones Jr
quote:
Bear Bryant made Alabama into what they are today IMO
I disagree
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:56 pm to Henry Jones Jr
As much as I hate him, I'd go Jim Harbaugh.
1-11 when he took over. 12-1 when he left after 4 years.
1-11 when he took over. 12-1 when he left after 4 years.
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:56 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Paul Brown
Posted on 10/30/14 at 3:59 pm to TDawg1313
quote:
As much as I hate him, I'd go Jim Harbaugh.
1-11 when he took over. 12-1 when he left after 4 years.
Kirk Ferentz did the same thing, but I won't never call him one of the best program builders.
Posted on 10/30/14 at 4:00 pm to Henry Jones Jr
quote:
Bear Bryant made Alabama into what they are today IMO
Bryant's a great coach but Wallace Wade & Frank Thomas have around 6 national titles & 225-250 wins(they weren't play 11/12 game seasons back then)
Posted on 10/30/14 at 4:01 pm to TigerintheNO
quote:
People forget what he did for Louisvillequote:
quote:
In 1985, Schnellenberger returned to his hometown to coach another struggling program, the University of Louisville Cardinals. Schnellenberger inherited a situation that was as bad, if not worse, than what he'd inherited at Miami.
The Cardinals had not had a winning season since 1978, and only two winning records in the previous 12 years. They played at Cardinal Stadium, a minor-league baseball stadium, and often hosted crowds so small that the school was forced to give tickets away. They also played in the long shadow of the school's powerful men's basketball team. The situation was so grave at Louisville that officials were considering dropping the football program down to I-AA. Nonetheless, at his opening press conference, he stunned reporters and fans by proclaiming the program "is on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is time."
After going 8–24–1 in his first three years, Schnellenberger was able to turn the program around and go 24–9–1 the next three seasons. In 10 years, he led the Cardinals to their fourth and fifth bowl games in school history. They won them both, including an unprecedented 34–7 thrashing of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl, capping a 10–1–1 season and the school's first-ever appearance in a final poll (11th). The Fiesta Bowl appearance was the school's first-ever New Year's Day bowl game
This truly is remarkable. He also went to FAU and had decent success.
Posted on 10/30/14 at 4:09 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Wouldn't say he was better than Saban or Schnellenberger, but Hayden Fry deserves a mention.
Iowa went 20 years without a winning record before Fry came there in 1977. Within three years he took Iowa to the Rose Bowl. The first non Michigan or OSU team from the Big 10 in a long time to do so. He also laid the blueprint for other coaches to turn around downtrodden programs such as Bill Snyder at KSU and Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin.
Iowa went 20 years without a winning record before Fry came there in 1977. Within three years he took Iowa to the Rose Bowl. The first non Michigan or OSU team from the Big 10 in a long time to do so. He also laid the blueprint for other coaches to turn around downtrodden programs such as Bill Snyder at KSU and Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin.
This post was edited on 10/30/14 at 4:19 pm
Posted on 10/30/14 at 4:11 pm to Henry Jones Jr
Gonna have to go with Steve spurrier
Posted on 10/30/14 at 4:34 pm to Henry Jones Jr
quote:
Nick Saban
I'd put him in the top 5. I still think Schnellenberger is better. Bear Bryant made Alabama into what they are today IMO
Yeah, I don't really see Saban as a program builder. He took LSU to the next level and rebuilt Bama, but he didn't build either from the ground up.
Bear has a case, he really does. He made Bama the top CFB program of all time, but I'm not sure if he built Bama either. Don't get me wrong, without him Bama is probably on the outside looking in of the top 5 all time programs, but was Bama really nothing before Bear? Coach Thomas and Coach Wade did a good job while at Bama.
Probably not a discussion for the MSB though.
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