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Candidates on campus: Collegiate coaches NFL teams might consider

By Joel Buchsbaum
Nov. 22, 2002



LSU coach
Nick Saban

We asked NFL insiders: If you were picking an NFL head coach from the college ranks and everyone was in play, whom would you select? All responses were made anonymously.

1. Nick Saban, LSU — \"A great pro-style coach in the Bill Belichick mold. He is a great teacher and schemer who may not be great at interviews but can motivate his team.\"

2. Tyrone Willingham, Notre Dame — \"A pro’s pro, in my mind. He is like the general that stresses discipline and never jokes around yet always has the best-prepared and motivated soldiers who would die for him.\"

3. Walt Harris, Pittsburgh — \"Was an NFL offensive coordinator and has done a great, great job at Pittsburgh.\"

4. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma — \"He will have a lot to learn about the pro game but will hire top coordinators, listen and learn and is a great motivator.\"

5. (tie) June Jones, Hawaii — \"Most people feel he really wants to stay in paradise. A players’ coach, a passing-game coach and has NFL head-coaching experience.\"

5. (tie) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa — \"Plenty of NFL experience and did a great job of turning the Iowa program around.\"

7. Jeff Tedford, California — \"Great quarterback-offensive coach.\" One expert called him \"another Steve Mariucci.\"

8. Gary Barnett, Colorado — \"He generally wins, and he won at Northwestern.\"

9. Pat Hill, Fresno State — \"NFL experience and a very effective college coach.\"

10. Mike Bellotti, Oregon — \"He made a middle-of-the-road team a perennial Rose Bowl contender and is a pro-type coach.\"

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Billy :
\"I stand corrected!! \"

At least it is on familiar ground .... :P

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Gator --

Steve Spurrier was considered a great coach too and he ain\'t exactly setting the world on fire. I don\'t like the pick of Saban to be the coach of the Saints.

As far as proving me wrong. Well, I told ya I ain\'t a Nick Saban expert. If it were that important for me to be right on the subject, I could have looked it up on the net just like you. The net makes us all smart, don\'t it -- :o

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Gator -- I knew you were.

I must say from reading the article that you posted that Saban sounds impressive. I hold Bill Polian in high regards and if he has that kind of praise for Saban then I have to believe that he\'s a good one. But, I still prefer an offensive minded head coach and a great defensive coordinator.

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The difference here is that Spurrier was obviously a college coach. That\'s where he made his name, and his \"fun-and-gun\" offense can only really flourish in the college ranks. He\'s learning that now.

Saban has succeeded extraordinarily in both college and the pros. He\'s on the top of the list of college coaches ready to make the leap to the pros, and with his name and the way LSU has been playing, he SHOULD get a lot of slack from both Benson AND the fans - allowing him to make the moves he needs to make.

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WhoDat -- Point taken and a good point. But I still say give me an offensive minded coach like Gruden over someone like Tony Dungy.