Everybody in the NFL is looking for a head coach but do they know what they’re looking for. Do they know what makes a good coach? Do they know what characteristics define a good coach?
What better way to help you in the selection process than looking at the personalities of some of Sports Movies Best Coaches…
Bud Kilmer, Varsity Blues-The Mean SOB
You gotta be as mean as they come. You gotta not care about the health of your players. A win at all costs mentality coach with nothing to lose.
Tony D’Amato, Any Given Sunday-The Motivational Speaker
Few coaches can get by with just a “ra-ra, go to it”. Sometimes you need something extra. Sometimes you need a Vince Lombardi, a Knute Rockne Speech.
Norman Dale, Hoosiers-The K.I.S.S Method
Is there anything more simple than coming out and measuring the height of the basket? Telling your players that they are no different than the big bad team across the way keeps them unintimidated.
Jimmy Duggan, A League of Their Own-Stay Loose
Maybe you need a coach/manager that comes drunk to the games. Maybe you need one that decides to take 50 second whizzes in the lady’s locker room. Whatever gets the job done…Worked for Billy Martin and the Yankees, didn’t it?
Herman Boone, Remember the Titans-Stand in the face of adversity
On the field you could argue that Coach Boone was like any other coach. Taught the fundamentals, preached discipline, ran a few simple plays.
But off the field, he was a maestro. Able to get his players to ignore their societal differences. The ultimate leader of men.
Irv Blitzer, Cool Runnings-Skeletons in the closet
Not everybody is squeaky clean. Some people gotta cheat to get forward. Some people have to get their Olympic medals stripped from them. And you know what, he was a better coach because of it. Actually, I’m not sure how that worked but if you can get a bobsled team from Jamaica to finish a race, you have to somehow be on the list.
Phil Weston, Kicking and Screaming-Hire yourself a HOF Assistant Coach
Sometimes you just gotta admit you’re over matched. The best you can offer isn’t good enough. That’s why you gotta surround yourself with good people. The greats have always done it. Hell, even Ditka had Buddy Ryan and the vaunted 4-6. Never wrong to ask for some help.
Ken Carter, Coach Carter-Make boys into men
Its a gutsy coaching move and one that can really only work in the amateur ranks but Coach Carter didn’t get corners. If you were a flunky in life, you were going to be a flunky on the court too and you wouldn’t continue. In today’s day and age, Carter would more than likely be assassinated by even the most meager fanbase. But you can’t argue with his results.
Herb Brooks, Miracle-Just one game
Your team doesn’t always have to be the best in a 7 game series. Sometimes you just need that one performance. That magical performance to put you over the top. The one game where you play to more than your max ability and maybe you catch the opponent napping a little.
Patches O’Houlihan, Dodgeball-Basic Fundamentals
Patches wasn’t much of a coach but when it came to getting his players to do the five D’s of Dodgeball, they seemingly never forgot his mantra. Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge! Learn those things and maybe, just maybe you’re playing in Vegas against Globo Gym.
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January 13, 2009
#1
What?! You didn’t buy into that 12-year-old manager Billy Haywood in Little Big League?
Really though, great list, can’t disagree with it. If you want to go most enjoyable coaches, I’d have Walter Matthau in Bad News Bears.
January 13, 2009
#2
i almost went with emilio estevez in mighty ducks…
he just missed the cut
January 13, 2009
#3
No Reg Dunlop?
January 13, 2009
#4
If I had to choose one, it would be Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday. The pep talk in the locker just amazing.
January 13, 2009
#5
Jimmy Dolan "Air Up There" Player and Coach, just awesome, takes rag tag Winabi tribe and turns them into players. The Jimmy Dolan Shake and Bake, best move in sports movies, with the Gordon Bombay Triple deak a close second. Both moves make Bacon & Estevez great coaches.
January 13, 2009
#6
You said Emilio almost made this cut. I think there should be a whole other post just for guys that were kids coaches because they were forced by the courts.
Emilio wins, but there is a long list.
This was a cool post Isaac. You da man!
January 13, 2009
#7
court ordered coaches…
love it
January 13, 2009
#8
You’re about as useful as a poopy flavored lollipop.
January 14, 2009
#9
How about Buttermaker from Bad News Bears? He only took the worst team with all the reject players to the championship game.
January 14, 2009
#10
I suppose it’s not strictly a sports movie (although the plot loosely revolves around a basketball team — yeah, you forgot there was a basketball team), but I’d give a thumbs up to Coach Brackett in Porky’s for getting Lassie upstairs in the gym.
January 14, 2009
#11
Coach Klein from the Waterboy? Maybe you don’t remember his playbook? Maybe you don’t remember how he looked across the field and envisioned a baby’s head on the other coaches body?
January 15, 2009
#12
This list is flat-out invalid without Reggie Dunlop!!! ” I am placing a personal bounty on the head of Tim McCracken. He’s the coach and chief punk on that Syracuse team… A hundred bucks of my own money for the first of my men that nails that creep.”
April 5, 2009
#13
lou brown from major league and gordon bombay. you should all be ashamed of yourself.