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Who was the Best and Worst Head Coach you have ever spoken with

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by smith_kb, May 9, 2011.

  1. About Bowden: When I was prez of the Florida Sports Writers Association in 05 and 06, I had the task of arranging the schedule for a two-day event at the beginning of August. We called it the College Coaches Media Days and would be held in Orlando or Tampa and half of the state's coaches would go on Saturday and the rest on Sunday. And this included schools like Ed Waters and Webber all the way up the ladder to FSU, Miami and Florida.

    As I would schedule this event through the SIDS each coach is given a half hour to talk about their teams. I get a hold Rob Wilson, the SID at FSU, and I tell him that we would like coach to go on at noon on Sunday.

    "Is he the last coach of the day?" he responds.
    "Yes," I say.
    "Good. Do they have to hold to that half hour? Would you mind if coach gets an hour, because you know he likes to talk."
    "No problem." I say.

    Bowden would hold court and talk about everything from football, to the heat to whatever.


    Also, going back a little further. I always liked Spurrier's press conferences at Florida. You knew as a reporter you were walking out of there with something.
     
  2. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Spurrier was pure entertainment. He's a dick, but he fills the notebook and that's what's most important.

    Bill Snyder is to the worst list what Bowden is to the best list. He's lapped the field so many times, it's like watching Usain Bolt running against a bunch of Special Olympians. :D
     
  3. JackS

    JackS Member

    He was really good, despite being a sleazy operator otherwise. I also agree with the person who said Calipari is good. He definitely is, face to face. His problem is that he reads stuff, and if he doesn't like it, he makes it known.

    Jay Wright's the best.
     
  4. baskethead

    baskethead Member

    Worst by far was Tyrone Willingham. Like going to the worst dentist in the world every day. Trent Johnson was pretty bad, too, but not in Tyrone's class.
    Best: Covered a lot of smaller school coaches who were always available. Lorenzo Romar is great. Pete Carroll, Mike Holmgren.
     
  5. jackfinarelli

    jackfinarelli Well-Known Member

    Jim Valvano (RIP) was great.

    So was Dr. Jack Ramsey.
     
  6. sprtswrtr10

    sprtswrtr10 Member

    Best and worst are so hard, but I'm really enjoying this thread. With my answers, what I've been covering for most of the last 15 years might be clear. Best, and favorite, and most kind-hearted was/is Larry Cochell. It pained me the way he had to go out at Oklahoma, but I continue to believe he resigned because he had to, even while David Boren, university president, appeared to be scrambling for a way to keep him, because, I presume, he liked Cochell so much himself. Also, for the record, by resigning, I agree Cochell did the right thing. He said a terrible thing and paid a heavy price. When I think of difficult coaches to deal with, I always think of Kelvin Sampson, only "difficult" isn't really the right word. More Jekyll and Hyde. It depended how heavy that chip on his shoulder was that day. Another favorite, a longtime high school football coach in my parts named Butch Peters. Also, a high school basketball coach named Ted Younts was loads of fun. If anybody out there knows Ted and where he is now, I'd be interested to know.
     
  7. DK

    DK Member

    I'll second Jim Valvano as a best. The guy always had time and one good story usually turned into four. Same for Bowden ... nobody in college football is/was even close.

    I'll also second Bobby Ross as a worst. I could have gotten more from a block of concrete. His hoops counterpart at that time, Bobby Cremins, was as good as they got. Always enjoyed talking with him.

    A guy many don't remember is Larry Bird's college coach, Bill Hodges. Got to know him at Mercer and crossed paths with him again later on when he went back to coaching high school in Virginia. Definitely one of my best. That guy can shoot the shit. Easy to see how he managed to yank a reticient guy like Bird back out of French Lick.
     
  8. SoCalDude

    SoCalDude Active Member

    Adding to the "fill the notebook" category is Tommy Lasorda. Bullshit, but quotable.
    George Raveling also very good to deal with, and I don't mean to include him in the "bullshit" list. Nobody is as good as Bowden, but Raveling is not far behind.
     
  9. The one time I had Spurrier, it would have been easier to get blood from a stone. Of course, that might have been because the Gamecocks tanked a three-touchdown lead in their bowl game. Also, I saw both sides of Ron Prince. In his first year at K-State, he could not have been better. Most respectful guy, gave you everything you needed. Two years later, when he was about to get fired, I couldn't believe it was the same guy. Every time you asked a question, he went into a defense of himself, even after K-State had already fired him.

    Best I've dealt with was Brian Katz at Sacramento State. Heck of a guy and does not take himself seriously at all. Last year, I did a weekly Big Sky basketball notebook and asked when would be best to call him. His response: Just call anytime and I'll get back to you if I can't answer, I'm not the fucking Pope.

    Worst, I've got three high school coaches in mind from Idaho. One was a nice guy, but any sentence longer than six words was an adventure for him. The other two just didn't really like reporters. Oh well.
     
  10. Dan Hickling

    Dan Hickling Member


    This the guy you're looking for? http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/wNsJgRG3qE6vxMEMoSPFEQ/lakehill-prep-warriors/basketball/previous_seasons.htm


    Surprised no one has brought up any hockey coaches ... Jack Parker is a particular favorite ... And Guy Boucher is beginning to make admirers out of every scribe
     
  11. Herbert Anchovy

    Herbert Anchovy Active Member

    Best: Lou Piniella
    Worst: Urban Meyer, and 95 percent of all college football coaches
     
  12. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    When I was writing for my college paper, I put a call in to Calipari's office because he knew my school's new basketball coach. I assumed there was no way in hell I'd get a return call. Some college newspaper reporter from a town a long way from where he was coaching.

    Then I made the mistake of going to class that night (about four hours later) and I missed when he called me back. Still, it always stuck with me that he bothered.
     
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