PonyFans.comBoard IndexAround the HilltopFootballRecruitingBasketballOther Sports

Best Head Coach of all Time

This is the forum for talk about SMU Football

Moderators: PonyPride, SmooPower

Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby ponyte » Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:43 pm

Matty Bell was 77-40-8 with a National Championship.

Sonny Dykes is 15-11 which is a .577 winning average. That is the best since Bobby Collins and better than other winning coaches prior to the DP like Ron Meyer, Dave Smith, and Ray Morrison.

Collins is by far the most winning with a .750 average.

Of 21 Head coaches, only 7 have a winning record at SMU.

Let the debate begin.
User avatar
ponyte
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 11075
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:01 am
Location: Nw Orleans, LA region

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby mustangxc » Wed Jun 24, 2020 9:13 pm

1. Matty Bell
2. Ray Morrison
3. Ron Meyer
4. Hayden Fry
5. Sonny Dykes
6. June Jones
7. Bobby Collins
8. Chad Morris
9. Dave Smith
User avatar
mustangxc
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 7281
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:57 pm

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby PonyTime » Thu Jun 25, 2020 9:51 am

Know I will take heat for this - but what Tom Rossley was able to do with very little might just put him on my top 5 list. I think he was easily a better coach than June Jones and Chad Morris. Take a look at what Chad did in SEC at Arky - how would he have done at SMU in the SWC coming off the DP?

Rossley had to compete in the SWC and had A&M, UT, TT, Baylor on schedule - there was never an easy game. Some of the more recent coaches got to compete in the WAC, CUSA, etc.

Rossley's non conference games were against Pac 10, Big 8, ACC, SEC teams - I recall UCLA, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Mizzou and others on the schedule. And we were in just about every one of those games into the 4thQ, when we would always run out of gas.
"Moral Victories Make Me Sick" - TR

Image
User avatar
PonyTime
PonyFans.com Legend
 
Posts: 3932
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2002 4:01 am
Location: The Green Elephant

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby Charleston Pony » Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:21 am

Agree that Rossley might have been a good one if he had stayed a long time and wasn't working with significant restrictions. Hayden was special at SMU for bringing in Levias, but had a heck of a career at both NTSU and Iowa after leaving SMU
Charleston Pony
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 27357
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2000 3:01 am
Location: Stonebridge Golf Club, NC

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby redpony » Thu Jun 25, 2020 10:43 am

IMO- Matty Belll. Wasn't Rusty Russell also a pretty successful coach?
redpony
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 10965
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:44 am
Location: on the beach,northern Peru

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby mustangxc » Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:32 pm

PonyTime wrote:Know I will take heat for this - but what Tom Rossley was able to do with very little might just put him on my top 5 list. I think he was easily a better coach than June Jones and Chad Morris. Take a look at what Chad did in SEC at Arky - how would he have done at SMU in the SWC coming off the DP?

Rossley had to compete in the SWC and had A&M, UT, TT, Baylor on schedule - there was never an easy game. Some of the more recent coaches got to compete in the WAC, CUSA, etc.

Rossley's non conference games were against Pac 10, Big 8, ACC, SEC teams - I recall UCLA, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Mizzou and others on the schedule. And we were in just about every one of those games into the 4thQ, when we would always run out of gas.


At the same time, he led us into the WAC and did not capitalize on beating up on inferior competition.
User avatar
mustangxc
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 7281
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:57 pm

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby Charleston Pony » Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:00 pm

mustangxc wrote:
PonyTime wrote:Know I will take heat for this - but what Tom Rossley was able to do with very little might just put him on my top 5 list. I think he was easily a better coach than June Jones and Chad Morris. Take a look at what Chad did in SEC at Arky - how would he have done at SMU in the SWC coming off the DP?

Rossley had to compete in the SWC and had A&M, UT, TT, Baylor on schedule - there was never an easy game. Some of the more recent coaches got to compete in the WAC, CUSA, etc.

Rossley's non conference games were against Pac 10, Big 8, ACC, SEC teams - I recall UCLA, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Mizzou and others on the schedule. And we were in just about every one of those games into the 4thQ, when we would always run out of gas.


At the same time, he led us into the WAC and did not capitalize on beating up on inferior competition.


There were actually teams that were "inferior" to SMU in those days? We may have played in the SWC after the death penalty, but certainly did not have a roster capable of competing at that level.
Charleston Pony
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 27357
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2000 3:01 am
Location: Stonebridge Golf Club, NC

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby EastStang » Thu Jun 25, 2020 1:58 pm

Matty Bell certainly gets the nod for both longevity and winning. Ray Morrison is #2. I'd put Ron Meyer #3 for his energy, creativity and recruiting. Those skills gave Bobby Collins the tools he needed to win a tough SWC, so he gets #4. Then Hayden Fry who gets points for LeVias. However, the flying wishbone loses points. I'll put Sonny #6, and if he stays, move him up. #7 Would be Chad because he stocked the shelf. After that, its all a blur. Rosseley, Cavan, Bennett, Jones, Smith. I'll note the greatest assistant coach was probably Bum Phillips.
UNC better keep that Ram away from Peruna
EastStang
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 12393
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2002 4:01 am

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby redpony » Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:40 pm

I'll second the Bum Phillips comment. Always loved Bum. Remember him from the 'Luv ya Blue" days in Houston as well.
redpony
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 10965
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:44 am
Location: on the beach,northern Peru

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby mustangxc » Thu Jun 25, 2020 3:23 pm

Charleston Pony wrote:
mustangxc wrote:
PonyTime wrote:Know I will take heat for this - but what Tom Rossley was able to do with very little might just put him on my top 5 list. I think he was easily a better coach than June Jones and Chad Morris. Take a look at what Chad did in SEC at Arky - how would he have done at SMU in the SWC coming off the DP?

Rossley had to compete in the SWC and had A&M, UT, TT, Baylor on schedule - there was never an easy game. Some of the more recent coaches got to compete in the WAC, CUSA, etc.

Rossley's non conference games were against Pac 10, Big 8, ACC, SEC teams - I recall UCLA, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Mizzou and others on the schedule. And we were in just about every one of those games into the 4thQ, when we would always run out of gas.


At the same time, he led us into the WAC and did not capitalize on beating up on inferior competition.


There were actually teams that were "inferior" to SMU in those days? We may have played in the SWC after the death penalty, but certainly did not have a roster capable of competing at that level.

The WAC being inferior to the SWC.
User avatar
mustangxc
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 7281
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:57 pm

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby docabel » Fri Jun 26, 2020 9:25 am

No love for Forrest Gregg?
docabel
Heisman
 
Posts: 1497
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2005 7:48 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby peruna81 » Fri Jun 26, 2020 9:40 am

Bell
Morrison
Fry
Meyer
Gregg
Dykes
Rossley
Used Car Guy
stable-boy for the four horsemen of the apocalypse
peruna81
PonyFans.com Legend
 
Posts: 3568
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2001 4:01 am
Location: central Texas

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby EastStang » Fri Jun 26, 2020 10:04 am

Gee, how could I forget Gregg. He should come in at #5 not for winning, but for stepping up when we needed credibility the most and for running up the score on Houston.
UNC better keep that Ram away from Peruna
EastStang
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 12393
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2002 4:01 am

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby PoconoPony » Fri Jun 26, 2020 11:23 am

EastStang wrote:Gee, how could I forget Gregg. He should come in at #5 not for winning, but for stepping up when we needed credibility the most and for running up the score on Houston.


You are getting old.
PoconoPony
PonyFans.com Legend
 
Posts: 4436
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:01 pm
Location: Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania

Re: Best Head Coach of all Time

Postby PonyPower » Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:47 pm

Forrest Gregg got a couple of wins out of a team that was made up almost exclusively of freshmen, many of whom didn't even get a look from any other schools.

One of the greatest coaching jobs in the history of sports.

To me, he's the best.
User avatar
PonyPower
All-American
 
Posts: 768
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2000 3:01 am
Location: Dallas, Texas

Next

Return to Football

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 27 guests