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A Bears Fan’s Top 10 Opposing Head Coaches
Why can’t the Bears hire somebody like these guys?
Over the years the Bears have had an eclectic bunches of coaches, most of whose work I grew to dislike. I liked Mike Ditka during the Bears heyday during the 1980s but grew disenchanted with him as time wore on. I loved the 1985 Bears, but that group of players should have won more than one Super Bowl. Marc Trestman started off fast but quickly completely lost the team.
The Bears coach that inspired the least confidence was Abe Gibron. Watching Abe confer with starting QB, Bobby Douglas wasn’t exactly faith-inspiring. Actually, I thought Gibron was to head coaching what Douglas was to quarterback play, a square peg in a round hole. Or in Gibron’s case a round peg in a square hole. Regardless, it was a poor fit.
In addition to guys that stand out and not necessarily in a good way, are some run-of-the-mill guys like Neil Armstrong and Jack Pardee. Over the years I’ve also taken note of other NFL coaches I like that coached other teams. Most of these guys are good to excellent coaches, but sometimes other factors came into play on this list. Look it over and let me know your favorite NFL coaches who coached teams other than your favorite NFL team. And here we go.
10: Bill Walsh. Bill Walsh was the coach of the 49ers during the 1980s. Walsh just seemed like a smart guy who wasn’t overbearing. That’s the type of guy I want coaching my team. He seemed to coach a sophisticated offense. Of course, having Joe Montana didn’t hurt. I’m sure Abe Gibron would have seemed smarter if he had coached Joe Montana instead of Bobby Douglas.
9: Marv Levy. Marv got the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls and won none of them. Still getting to four Super Bowls is a great accomplishment and Levy comported himself with class. I’d be fine with a coach like Levy.
8: Don Shula. Shula coached the only perfect season in NFL history. In his day, Don was the prototype of what a great NFL head coach should be.
7: Bud Grant. Like Marv Levy, Bud Grant also made it to four Super Bowls but won none. I like the way Grant coached discipline and controlling emotions. Unlike other coaches, Grant didn’t see the need to work around the clock. I kind of like that.
