Monday, December 15, 2008
The Top 10 Coaches of 2008
It's bowl season in America.
It's the time for some programs to revel in their team's success, enjoying the fruits of their labor as they head to a warm, sunny locale (well, Boise doesn't count) for one last hurrah of the season. For Florida and Oklahoma, naturally, it means much more than that.
However, it's also that time of year when athletic directors are at their busiest, working at all hours of the night to secure extensions — or buyouts — and state their direction for the future of their program.
With that in mind, it's time to name the 10 best coaches of 2008. Some should be looked at hard by athletic directors with "vacancy" signs posted on the office door of their football coach. Others can't be touched, but should be looked at for how they run a program, as well as the assistants that they hire.
So, with a final laugh to Auburn, here we go.
10) Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern — He took over during difficult circumstances at his alma mater, and has done nothing since but move the program in a positive direction. NU went 9-3 in the regular season, and the young Fitzgerald seems to have learned quickly how to build a successful football program.
9) Gary Patterson, TCU — It seems as though every year, very quietly, Patterson and the Horned Frogs end up with a solid year. Don't think lightly of TCU, whose only two losses were to Utah and Oklahoma, who both are headed to BCS games. The Frogs also were the only team besides Texas to hold OU to 35 points. This guy is the real deal, and should be getting a lot more looks than he is.
8) Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State — Seems as though there is a big jump between 40 and 41. Gundy went from yelling, "I'm a man!" to Cowboy fans yelling, "He's the man!" The Cowboys had a solid season, earning their way into the upper echelon of Big 12 teams. A lot of that had to do with Gundy, who let the players do the talking on the field, especially Dez Bryant. The road win at Missouri was outstanding, and Gundy has made the Bedlam game one to watch for years to come.
7) Chris Petersen, Boise State — It's not easy to keep winning with a large target on your back. Peterson, however, does just that. Boise State went undefeated again, and in the process, took out Oregon in a fantastic early-season shootout. Unlike the three coaches before him, though (Houston Nutt, Dirk Koetter, and Dan Hawkins), Petersen is more than happy to stay in Boise, which is the best news Bronco fans could ask for.
Side note: I never thought I would say this, but I am pumped for the Poinsettia Bowl. Boise State and TCU? That's going to be a great one!
6) Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt — Vandy is going bowling. Repeat that. Vandy is going bowling. The impossible statement is now a reality. Bobby Johnson did something that no one in the South could ever imagine possible. Vandy is no longer the doormat or cupcake of the SEC. That alone speaks to the quality of his coaching tenure.
5) Kyle Wittingham, Utah — Everyone was looking at in-state rival BYU to run the table, but it was Wittingham's Utes who stormed through the Mountain West undefeated. Sure, the Michigan win didn't carry the usual magnitude, but Utah is going to a BCS game for the second time. And how about that win over BYU? That was a surprisingly easy win for Utah and proof again that Wittingham has easily stepped out the shadow cast by one Urban Meyer.
4) Mike Riley, Oregon State — After they lost to Stanford, I said no. After Penn State slaughtered the Beavers, I said no chance. But the miraculous fact that Oregon State was playing Oregon at the end of the year for a chance at the Rose Bowl says more than enough about Riley's ability to quickly gel talent into a solid team. Jacquizz Rodgers is going to be a star under Riley, and the future looks bright for Oregon State. Riley has also made Corvallis the most feared place for Trojan fans everywhere.
3) Brady Hoke, Ball State — If you hadn't read the article by Jason Whitlock, it will say plenty about why Brady Hoke is one of the best coaches out there. This guy had no office to work from, he was being paid less than the women's basketball coach, and he still goes out and produces one of the best mid-major teams in the country. Hoke will be at San Diego State next year — just think of what Hoke can do for the Aztecs now that he'll have an office!
2) Turner Gill, Buffalo — Buffalo was the biggest joke running in FBS football until Turner Gill started roaming the sidelines. The Bulls won the MAC in incredible fashion, and are finally getting the chance to play in a bowl game (they declined their first invite). The Bulls have an exciting offense, and a very opportunistic defense (ask Ball State). Gill should move up to a BCS conference school in the near future, but regardless, the foundation that Turner Gill built for the Buffalo program will keep the Bulls among the MAC's best for years to come.
1) Nick Saban, Alabama — Last year, they finished 7-6 and lost to UL-Monroe. This year, they went 12-1 and were minutes away from playing in the national title game. Saban has been worth every penny to the Tide faithful. He turned John Parker Wilson into a decent quarterback, he made the 'Bama lines some of the best in the country, and he recruited some incredible talent for the upcoming years, most notably WR Julio Jones. To run the table in the regular season in the SEC is difficult enough, but Saban pulled it off with just nine scholarship seniors on the team. That's right, nine. Love him or hate him, the guy knows how to build a football program, and this year, he showed the football world that Alabama is back.