The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

[sk8tronthepond]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Terry Slater....gone way too soon!

 

[Jacques "Rabbit" Poriveau]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Too bad that only D1 counts in this thread as Bill Riley at Lowell won 3 D2 titles and took the Lowell program to D1 when Hockey East was formed. Lowell had atrocious facilities back in those days and he always got the best out of his teams.

to bad it only ockey, vince lombardi was awsome

 

[buoldtimer]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Don "Grapes" Cherry

If you want a guy who couldn't get the right number of players on the ice at the most critical moment of his career, he's your man.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Agreed. He had only two sub-.500 seasons, his last two.

http://www.gopherhockeyhistory.com/coaches/stats/woogStats.asp

However, the repeated choking come the NCAA's has to fall on someone's shoulders. His seem like a good bet.

1989 was really the only run he had, IIRC.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

1989 was really the only run he had, IIRC.

I recall watching Minnesota at the FF in 1986, 88, 94 & 95, all semifinal losses. I recall both the 86 & 88 consolation games and, of course, the 94 & 95 semifinals quite well. I also think the Gophers made it to FF in 87, but I didn't.

Sean

 

[FreshFish]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

There is a great imbalance today as RIT, Union, the Ivies and others have 0 scholarships.

Sean

you mean no 'formal' scholarships....somehow though good athletes at those schools somehow have financial support from somewhere, eh?

Dorm Crew was always a good way to pay people guaranteed minimal hours for nominal work 'back in the day'.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

I recall watching Minnesota at the FF in 1986, 88, 94 & 95, all semifinal losses. I recall both the 86 & 88 consolation games and, of course, the 94 & 95 semifinals quite well. I also think the Gophers made it to FF in 87, but I didn't.

Sean

Yeah, I think I have to consider myself corrected on that one. 1989 must be so burned into my brain I forgot all the others or all the others seemed like earlier exits than they really were.

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Here is the list so far:
Al Renfrew
Amo Bessone
Barry Thorndycraft
Bill Cleary
Bill O'Flaherty
Bob Daniels
Bob Johnson
Brad Buetow
Bruce Crowder
Charlie Holt
Cheddy Thompson
Cooney Weiland
Dave Hakstol
Dean Blais
Dick Umile
Don Lucia
Doug Woog
Edward Jeremiah
Emil Iverson
Enrico Blasi
Ferny Flaman
Frank Anzalone
Gary Wright
George Gwozdecky
Gino Gasparini
Harry Cleverly
Herb Brooks
Jack Kelley
Jack Parker
Jack Riley
Jamie Rusell
Jeff Jackson
Jeff Sauer
Jerry York
Jim Fullerton
Joe Marsh
John MacInnes
John Mariucci
Larry Armstrong
Len Ceglarski
Mike Addesa
Mike Eaves
Mike Schafer
Mike Sertich
Murray Armstrong
Ned Harkness
Ralph Backstrom
Rand Pecknold
Red Berenson
Rick Comley
Ron Mason
Scott Sandelin
Scotty Owens
Seth Appert
Shawn Walsh
Snooks Kelly
Terry Slater
Tim Taylor
Tim Whitehead
Tom Bedecki
Tom Eccleston
Tony Frasca
Vic Heyliger
Walt Kyle
Wayne Wilson
William Harrison

If there are others that you feel are truly deserved, or coaches on here that should NOT be included, please let me know.

 

[J.D.]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Some of those guys can easily be removed, such as Bruce Crowder and Jamie Russell.

 

[sterlippo1]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

If you want a guy who couldn't get the right number of players on the ice at the most critical moment of his career, he's your man.

did you have to bring that up?

 

[du78]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

I think all of the college coaches who are recipients of the Lester Patrick Award should be considered and some weight given to those who were awarded this honor. For many of them their contribution to hockey in the United States goes beyond just their coaching histories.

The Lester Patrick Trophy has been has presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL. The trophy is named after Lester Patrick (1883–1960), player and long time coach of the New York Rangers, who was a developer of ice hockey.

The 15 college coaches who have won this award are:

1969 Edward Jeremiah
1972 Ralph "Cooney" Weiland
1977 Murray Armstrong
1977 John Mariucci
1986 John MacInnes
1986 Jack Riley
1988 Bob Johnson
1990 Len Ceglarski
1992 Lou Lamoriello
1997 Bill Cleary
2002 Herb Brooks
2006 Red Berenson
2006 Glen Sonmor
2010 Jack Parker
2010 Jerry York

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

I think all of the college coaches who are recipients of the Lester Patrick Award should be considered and some weight given to those who were awarded this honor. For many of them their contribution to hockey in the United States goes beyond just their coaching histories.

I would agree with this.

If you're going to give any award weight to this process give it to the Lester Patrick and not the Penrose. The Penrose relies a lot of preseason prediction type crap and while it can be useful to help coaches that have never won much boost their rating, it hurts the coaches at traditional powerhouses who don't win it because "they're supposed to win" (which I think is kind of stupid for the record).

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

I think former Providence Coach Lou Lamoriello and Cornell coach Dick Bertrand need to be on the master list as well.

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

I would agree with this.

If you're going to give any award weight to this process give it to the Lester Patrick and not the Penrose. The Penrose relies a lot of preseason prediction type crap and while it can be useful to help coaches that have never won much boost their rating, it hurts the coaches at traditional powerhouses who don't win it because "they're supposed to win" (which I think is kind of stupid for the record).

I can't speak historically, but recently you had to either win your Conference or make the Frozen Four in order to be nominated for the Penrose.

As for "powerhouses" not winning the award, more often than not, it has gone to a top end program.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

If there are others that you feel are truly deserved, or coaches on here that should NOT be included, please let me know.

I have taken a close look at the list and I strongly suggest that the following coaches be dropped from the list:

Bob Daniels - COY
Bruce Crowder - COY
Ferny Flaman - COY
Gary Wright
Jamie Rusell
Jim Fullerton - COY
Ralph Backstrom - COY
Scott Sandelin - COY
Seth Appert
Tom Eccleston - COY
Tony Frasca – COY

Eight of these coaches won the Spencer Penrose Award for a strong single season, but their overall careers are otherwise average. If you do include them it will be interesting to see where they rank. Also, after looking more closely at coaching records I suggest that the following coaches be added to the list:

Alfred Winsor, Jr.
Dick Bertrand
Doug Ross
George Menard
Joseph Stubbs
Lou Lamoriello
Mark Morris
Olav Kollevoll

Sean

 

[du78]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

I think former Providence Coach Lou Lamoriello and Cornell coach Dick Bertrand need to be on the master list as well.

Lou also won the Lester Patrick Trophy and I added him to that list. He primarily won as an exceutive but he is still the best coach PC has ever had.

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

I have taken a close look at the list and I strongly suggest that they following coaches be dropped from the list:

Bob Daniels - COY
Bruce Crowder - COY
Ferny Flaman - COY
Gary Wright
Jamie Rusell
Jim Fullerton - COY
Ralph Backstrom - COY
Scott Sandelin - COY
Seth Appert
Tom Eccleston - COY
Tony Frasca – COY

Eight of these coaches won the Spencer Penrose Award for single season, but their overall careers are otherwise average.

I'm leaning towards including them, and let the numbers speak for themselves. We'll see how many get nominated. I'd really like to keep it less than 100. Right now I have 74 on the list.

If you do include them it will be interesting to see where they rank. Also, after looking more closely at coaching records I suggest that the following coaches be added to the list:

Alfred Winsor, Jr.
Dick Bertrand
Doug Ross
George Menard
Joseph Stubbs
Lou Lamoriello
Mark Morris
Olav Kollevoll

Sean

They have been added. I'll leave open nominations until March 11th, although I don't think we'll see too many more with legit merits.

 

[Sean Pickett]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Lou also won the Lester Patrick Trophy and I added him to that list. He primarily won as an exceutive but he is still the best coach PC has ever had.

I think that Steve Stirling is in the mix for PC's best coach, even though he only coached two seasons.

Sean

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Lou also won the Lester Patrick Trophy and I added him to that list. He primarily won as an exceutive but he is still the best coach PC has ever had.

Also:
Edward Jeremiah
Ralph "Cooney" Weiland

The '60 and '80 US Olympic team won it as well. Not sure if that would mean Herb Brooks would get 3.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: The Greatest Coaches of All-Time

Perhaps a .500 career record in D-I with a minimum of 5 D-I seasons should be the low end cutoff to get in the conversation?

Would that eliminate anyone on the current list?