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Topic: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches

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MrNubbz

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #70 on: May 07, 2026, 10:32:58 AM »
He'll be on the Decking players monument with Al McGuire and Bobby Knight.
Hey you want to make an omlets ya gotta break a few eggs ~???.

Classic case of leading a pretty decent life - serving your country in WWII and getting remembered for one assinine moment. The game had passed him by and most, myself included wanted him to hang them up

P.S. - BTW ya left out Frank Kush
« Last Edit: May 07, 2026, 03:11:53 PM by MrNubbz »
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OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #71 on: May 07, 2026, 07:12:41 PM »
He did quite well at LSU though, and it's one of his NC's.  But my larger point is consistency.  You're either looking at a whole career for everyone or you're looking at just the "best" stops for everyone.  Yet that list clearly cherry-picks two places for Urban and leaves off everybody else's less fantastic tenures. 

Which is doubly bizarre considering Saban had a 75% win% and a NC at LSU, and Urbz was great at two other schools, as you mentioned.  But he didn't win NC's there, so it's left out.  But if you include multiple stops for him, then the other coach's other jobs should be included as well.
It's just a shit clickbait online list.  You're readying way too much into it.  Hell, it's probably inconsistent just to cause a reaction like yours.  
“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier

bayareabadger

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #72 on: May 07, 2026, 08:51:22 PM »

I guess this demonstrates popular perception and how/where coaches are remembered.  Why is Urban listed with UF and OSU, but not Utah?  And why is he the only one listed with multiple schools?  Nick Saban could be listed with MSU and LSU, Bear Bryant with Kentucky and A&M, etc.  Would it change the list any?  Don't know, but it definitely feels like a cherry-pick.  I wouldn't have thought twice about it if Urbz hadn't been the only one identified with multiple schools. 
Setting aside this being a sort of dumb list, I’d assume you don’t want too many teams listed on the bottom.

If you limit it to main schools/titles, we just make sense to add LSU to Nick and call it a day.

MikeDeTiger

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #73 on: May 08, 2026, 09:05:36 AM »
It's just a shit clickbait online list.  You're readying way too much into it.  Hell, it's probably inconsistent just to cause a reaction like yours. 

Sorry, guess I thought I was in the Rankings thread where blasting dumb clickbait lists is the point.  

utee94

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #74 on: May 08, 2026, 09:08:47 AM »
I think it's fair and appropriate to blast dumb clickbait lists any place you find them.

FearlessF

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #75 on: May 08, 2026, 09:48:17 AM »
especially if you clicked on them
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medinabuckeye1

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #76 on: May 08, 2026, 12:59:43 PM »
2 of the 4 didn't win as many NCs as Woody
Both Bo and Woody are interesting.  

Woody:
If he had retired after the 1968 season/National Championship I think that he would be on every national "Mt. Rushmore" list.  In his first 18 years at Ohio State he had three generally agreed NC's (1954, 1957, 1968) and won league titles in those years plus 1955 as well.  A pace of one NC every six years is up there with the all-time greats (not as high as Saban but who is?).  

After the 1968 season he coached 10 more years at Ohio State (the 10 year war against Bo) and did MUCH better within the league (8 titles won or shared) but MUCH worse nationally.  Woody ended up 4-4 in Rose Bowls which is about what you'd expect but he started 3-0 (the NC's in 1954, 1957, and 1968) but then went 1-4 during the 10 year war.  So in 28 years he finished with:
  • 13 league titles, almost 1 every other year
  • 4-4 in 8 Rose Bowls
  • 3 NCs (there are claims to as many as 5), roughly 1 every 10 years)

Bo:
Long ago in one of these threads @ELA commented that Bo is easily on any Big Ten Mt. Rushmore based on accomplishments within the league but has much less respect nationally because he never won an NC and had a dreadful RB record.  In Bo's defense, he started later so his RB appearances were all after Woody's early success.  Bo didn't coach in the league as long as Woody did, just 21 years from 1969-1989 and he won the same number of league titles as Woody which obviously is a better rate 13 in 21 years vs 13 in 28 years but he had a dreadful bowl record (especially the Rose Bowl) and never won an NC.  Bo started 0-5 in Rose Bowls losing his five during the 10 year war while Woody went 1-4 thus for a combined 1-9 Big Ten record from 1969-1978 (seasons, 1970-1979 Rose Bowls).  After that he was a little better going 2-3 in his last five Rose Bowls (wins in 1980 and 1988 seasons, losses in 1982, 1986, and 1989).  So in his 21 years he finished with:
  • 13 league titles, almost 2 every 3 years
  • 2-8 in 10 Rose Bowls
  • 0 NCs


The contrast between the incredible local success and the not-so-great national record is striking for Woody but especially for Bo because he was more successful within the league but less successful outside of it.  

Gigem

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #77 on: May 08, 2026, 01:13:15 PM »

I guess this demonstrates popular perception and how/where coaches are remembered.  Why is Urban listed with UF and OSU, but not Utah?  And why is he the only one listed with multiple schools?  Nick Saban could be listed with MSU and LSU, Bear Bryant with Kentucky and A&M, etc.  Would it change the list any?  Don't know, but it definitely feels like a cherry-pick.  I wouldn't have thought twice about it if Urbz hadn't been the only one identified with multiple schools. 
I think you'd have to put Steve Spurrier in any top ten list.  I don't know exactly how his record stacks up against the rest, but he was a damn fine coach.  

MikeDeTiger

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #78 on: May 09, 2026, 10:55:13 AM »
He absolutely dominated the SEC for a decade.  Got an NC in the process, played for another.  And, for me at least, the job he did at SC was also highly impressive.  That's the best that program ever had it.  

Maybe his perception is hurt by his prime Florida teams frequently losing their final showdowns against the Seminoles.  Or only having 1 NC, or....I don't know.  @OrangeAfroMan would be better suited to comment on that.  Spurrier definitely warrants more love than it seems like he gets, but maybe that's my impression of the wider world's opinion, and not reality.  

Gigem

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #79 on: May 09, 2026, 11:24:16 AM »
He absolutely dominated the SEC for a decade.  Got an NC in the process, played for another.  And, for me at least, the job he did at SC was also highly impressive.  That's the best that program ever had it. 

Maybe his perception is hurt by his prime Florida teams frequently losing their final showdowns against the Seminoles.  Or only having 1 NC, or....I don't know.  @OrangeAfroMan would be better suited to comment on that.  Spurrier definitely warrants more love than it seems like he gets, but maybe that's my impression of the wider world's opinion, and not reality. 
Here's the thing about Spurrier that sticks out to me.  He brought Florida from a never-has, to a somewhat perennial contender.  Does 2007/2008 happen without Spurrier from 1990-2001?  I don't think so.  He made them relevant, at a time when the SEC was just beginning to ascend to the top of the CFB world.  Can you really fault him for losing to FSU/Bowden, when they were at the absolute peak of their domincne as well?  If anything, it just shows how good he was, to compete with them.  

I liken it to Mack Brown/Texas competing against Stoops.  Without Stoops, Texas arguably would have won 2-3 more Big 12 titles, and maybe one more MNC.  

Before Spurrier, Florida had never won the SEC.  With Florida, they were frequently either champions, or in contention.  One NC, is one more than Bo.  

OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #80 on: May 09, 2026, 11:32:49 AM »
Just as you can respect a program more for winning NCs under several different HCs, I think the reverse should be true of HCs winning at several different programs.
You could look solely at NCs, if you want...I guess.
But then HCs like Bill Snyder and yes, Bo Schembechler are invisible to you.  Odd.

Spurrier won at 3 different programs, none of which had any history of winning.
He led Duke to their first ACC championship since 1962 (27 years). 
He led Florida to our first ever official SEC championship.  Then won 5 more.  And finished 1st in the SEC his first year, but we weren't eligible.
He is South Carolina's all-time winningest HC, and it's not close.
He is Florida's all-time winningest HC, and it's even a wider gap. 
Despite Meyer's three 13-1 seasons and despite coaching twice as many seasons at Florida as Meyer, Spurrier's win% is higher.  That's nuts.
Part of that is while he was the HC (OBC) at Florida for 12 seasons, he lost 12 SEC games.  Total.  He dragged the SEC into the 21st century, no longer considering 3 runs and a punt as success.

Here's a list of most season wins for South Carolina, all-time:
12, 12, 12, 10, 9, 9, 8, 8, 8, 8,...
Spurrier is all three 12s and a 9.....4 of the top 5, ever.

Yes, he was sub-.500 vs FSU, but Florida at that time had a unique and unprecedented end to its seasons.  Top-5 rival, then conf championship game, then as a top-10 team itself, a bowl vs a legit top-10 opponent.  No one else had that.  Tennessee ended the year with Vandy.  Georgia ended it with GT.  UM-OSU played each other in the finale, but no CCG.  Nebraska didn't have a CCG until they did, and their run ended around that time, coinciding with Dr. Tom's exit.

Anyway, any great HC can be talked up by a fan of his program. 
I value consistency.  Osborne's million straight years with 9+ wins is insane.  Bowden's 14 straight top 5s is nuts.  Bo only losing 24 Big Ten games in 21 seasons is nonsense.
And as we all know, pre-playoff, winning the NC was as much luck as anything else.  When you lost.  When someone else lost.  Hell, going undefeated and not getting even a piece ('94 PSU, '04 Aub).  So I don't like the idea of Spurrier is amazing and Bo was not, just because Texas upset Nebraska and we got a rematch with FSU. 

When a HC is an all-time great AND fun, it's just a special time.  Visor-throwing, poking shots at opponents, trying to hang 50 on everyone and often doing it...that's why Gators love Spurrier most.  Meyer won 2 NCs, but Spurrier won our first and we all had fun as it happened. 

Spurrier could absolutely be on someone's College HC Mt Rushmore....but so could 20 other guys.
“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier

847badgerfan

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #81 on: May 09, 2026, 11:39:45 AM »
CFB would be better with more guys like Spurrier. 
U RAH RAH! WIS CON SIN!

bayareabadger

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #82 on: May 09, 2026, 01:25:36 PM »
He absolutely dominated the SEC for a decade.  Got an NC in the process, played for another.  And, for me at least, the job he did at SC was also highly impressive.  That's the best that program ever had it. 

Maybe his perception is hurt by his prime Florida teams frequently losing their final showdowns against the Seminoles.  Or only having 1 NC, or....I don't know.  @OrangeAfroMan would be better suited to comment on that.  Spurrier definitely warrants more love than it seems like he gets, but maybe that's my impression of the wider world's opinion, and not reality. 
Setting aside that he should be ahead of Bo on that list, it seems like he’s brought down by his experience being sort of blended.

The traditional way to get regarded highly was winning a lot of titles, a really, really long run of success or taking an underdog and making them something more.

Spurriers mountain top case is on the light side. His  era at Florida was a lot of 90th-percentile teams, but a bit short of others chasing the mountaintop. And the run was long, but not long, long.

And while he lead a couple of lesser programs to unprecedented success, it ultimately was pretty short-lived.

Honestly, the thing that might’ve most benefitted him would’ve been if his title team was just “that” team. But it felt like the backing in and rematch element of it took off some luster.

OrangeAfroMan

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Re: Mt Rushmore - Head Coaches
« Reply #83 on: May 09, 2026, 01:52:46 PM »
The 3-point loss on the road + the 32-point win at a neutral site should mostly take care of that, no? 

Fun fact:  that amazing play-call that helped Texas upset Nebraska to benefit Florida in the 1996 XIICG was by one-time Bo Schembechler assistant coach John Mackovic.

Spurrier was just human when it came to FSU + bowls.
1991 - beat #3 FSU, upset loss to ND in Sugar
1993 - lose to #1 FSU, beat 16 Bama and beat the shit out of #3 WV in Sugar
1994 - tie #7 FSU, beat #3 Bama, lose to #7 FSU in Sugar
1995 - beat #6 FSU, beat 23 Arky, get destroyed by #1 Nebraska in Fiesta
1996 - lose to #2 FSU, beat 11 Bama, beat the shit out of #1 FSU in Sugar
1997 - beat #2 FSU, beat 11 PSU in Citrus
1998 - lost to #5 FSU, beat 18 Syr in Orange
1999 was the worst - #3 in the country, lost to #1 FSU, lose to #7 Bama, lose to #9 MSU in Citrus
2000 - lost to #3 FSU, beat 18 Aub in SECCG, lose to #2 Miami in Sugar
2001 - beat 21 FSU, lose to #5 Tenn, destroy #6 Maryland in Orange
.
Looking at all that....it's just a freakin' ton of games vs top 5 teams, lol.  Again, no one else was dealing with that 3-game gamut going that far back.  Nowadays, it's an average playoff run.  Times have changed.

“The Swamp is where Gators live.  We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." - Steve Spurrier

 

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