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LMU93
If I try to look at these guys objectively Vermeil is not the top of the list. First of all I had to look up who Buddy Parker was. He did win two NFL titles (in Detroit of all places) but also only had .600 or better teams 8 times in 15 years. But anyway.
Flores' career win percentage is only .527 but his 'prime' with the Raiders (1980-85) was as good a 6-year stretch as almost anyone has ever had.
I love Coryell and he had multiple excellent stretches with two franchises (1974-76 with STL and 1979-82 with SD). He's also considered one of the innovators of the league, so...
Holmgren has the most playoff wins (13) of that group and the best career win percentage (.592), a dominant stretch in GB (1995-98) and 6 other playoff appearances after that. He was above .500 in 14 of 17 seasons.
Vermeil is 2nd in wins in this group (120) and has a Super Bowl win. He has a couple really strong years in PHIL, one in STL and one in KC (though they also underachieved that year and overall in his tenure there).
Someone will have to explain Clark Shaughnessy to me- a guy who coached the Rams for two years (14-7-3 record) and then was a DC for 4 in Chicago.
I love Vermeil of course but I would rank these six this way:
1. Holmgren
2. Flores
t-3. Coryell
t-3. Vermeil
5. Parker
6. Shaughnessy (again why is he here?...)
I would put Vermeil above Coryell. I agree of course with what you said about DC as an innovator, but his teams, when they had winning seasons, always tripped and stalled at the end (with the exception of the great Miami playoff game).
One thing about Vermeil--he always found and developed diamonds in the rough. Can you think of another superbowl team that started as many as 8 starters who originally entered the league as UDFAs? Offense, defense, and key special teams players too (counting the KR and the kicker). That's Warner, Gruttadauria, Farr, Jones, Fletcher, Jenkins...plus Wilkins and Horne. And his OL started 2 original 7th rounders (Nutten and Timmerman). Not all of those were his acquisitions (eg. Farr) but still, the UDFA who pays off is kind of a signature Vermeil thing.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2020 05:08AM by zn.