NFL Films: The NFL's Best Ever Coaches (1981)

the man behind the men is the head coach in the NFL a coach wears many hats and assumes a variety of faces or in this select fraternity security is tempered with a sense of impending doom some say a coach is hired to be fired and since 1920 314 men have held the job in professional football some lived as legends while others of mere answers to trivia questions [Music] if we die we die together get it done you can get it done what's more you've gotta get it done nothing can compare with the frustration or exhilaration of being called head coach [Music] in the history of professional football there is only one man who has seen the past merged with the present [Applause] [Music] his name is George Stanley house and he has devoted his life to the game for more than 60 years yet 19:19 palace found at the Chicago Bears and as a player coach he had a memorable encounter with the immortal Jim for Hugh black like our big right tackle I was playing right there hid Jim Thorpe low and hard the ball squirted out of his hands and I picked it up and started from the opposing goal line and I knew what Jim Thorpe in pursuit I know he's a bit faster than I wasn't I knew he'd catch me but what scared the juice out of me was that he wouldn't tacular but he would take those powerful legs I'm livin through your legs and body and would really punish you so every time I run about ten yards I would dig then I run then lied about the time I thought he was so his legs at me I would zag and I was down the field zigging and zagging so it really wasn't a 98 yard line that was run as close to 230 in 1920 Halas met with the other team owners and created the National Football League in 1925 he signed Red Grange to play with the Bears Grange was the nation's most glamorous college athlete and he helped transform pro football into a big-time sport as pro football's popularity increased palace and the Bears became its standard bearer by fielding some of the greatest teams the game has ever known the bear celebrated seven championships with Hallis as head coach he won his first title when Woodrow Wilson was president and his last when Lyndon Johnson was in office the success of George Halas was due to his total dedication to the sport he loved palace was the first coach to hold practice sessions every day he was the first to use films to evaluate his own players and analyze opponents palace also introduced classroom football to the pros lecturing his staff and players on the fine points of the game today as chairman of the board hallow still visits the Bears practice field and at the age of 86 his coaching instincts are as acute as ever let's see where you carry that ball that's how long as you get in that they can't knock that thing that's the most important thing right there we got a fullback by the name of Jay Katy and either set a record of 13 and fumbles I show them this the next season he didn't have one during his 40 years as Chicago's coach a deep-rooted competitive spirit drove Hallas and how us interm drove the bear Kalas infused the bears with his own fire and he turned out some of the game's greatest talent players like Gail Sara's number four BD fellas Bronco NAT the Midway men who wore their nickname like a badge of honor defenders such as Clyde Bulldog Turner Edie healing and the legendary Dick Butkus number 51 played the game as Palace would have no team so clearly reflected the personality of its coach as the Chicago Bears [Applause] George Halas was the Papa Bear and the team was his happy family everything I have today all my positions I would have 1 million that's your talents he's put many kids through medical school law school set them up in business and if you play football and give a hundred percent for George Halas you could have just about anything he has we we love Telus each and every one of us in their different ways he's a very very warm person and you can't help but like Vitalis I love you enough leaving his love and the men he made champions leaving his spirit on the fields he conquered George Halas and pro-football are one and the same inseparable the great Vince Lombardi once said of him there is only one man I embraced when we meet and only one I call coach some coaches touch one facet of a game with their genius who steps takes the angle flattens it off the net sets itself for 30 years said Gillman taught before it pass using the same determination and love with which he played Chopin and in his firm hands a classic passing game was created [Music] Gilman's pro career began in 1955 with the Los Angeles Rams a team already steeped in a wide-open passing tradition quarterback norm van Rockland number 11 was the experienced ringmaster of this aerial circus and in Gilman's first season the Rams won the Western Division title the rookie head coach was eager to learn more I was very fortunate to come into the Rams at that time with Ron Van Brocklin because norm knew the pro game and coming from college I had a tremendous adjustment to make and of course in those days we threw the ball a great deal we felt that since we were new in the in professional football we had to appeal to the audience to the fan and we knew that we could not appeal to many folks are just running 3 in the cloud of dust consequently we did put it in the air that often Gillman alternated Van Brocklin with number 9 Billy waved and although the passing yards piled up his two quarterback system backfires Gillman was banished to the Los Angeles charges of the new American Football League one year later the charges moved to San Diego and said Gillman set the course for a new year when I first joined the Chargers I I felt that that our passing game was really the ultimate it was the epitome who are you what we were doing because I had had this experience with the Rams but we felt that when our quarterback set to pass that he knew as much about where that ball was to go and could direct it there and we were probably as scientific as it was possible to be at that time assisting the mad scientist were test-tube babies like John Havel a former Kansas halfback who quickly mastered the acute angles of the Gillman attack number 22 Keith blinken was a shifty little runner whose versatility fit right in with SIDS aerial axioms [Applause] but the most important component was pure speed as supplied by number 23 Paul Lord [Music] those high-stepping defined the charges style and Gilman used his skills to punch up that mundane offensive element the running game so that was somewhat the history of the early chargers it was throw the band run outside and muster all the speed that we could could possibly get we didn't have much patience with slow lumbering people and the emphasis was on quickness and speed the gentleman outbid the NFL for the rights to a speed burner from Arkansas named Lance Alworth the equation was completely all worth but all of 14 and was nicknamed Bambi but on the open field he knew no fear bouncing across the middle like a pinball or exploding off the line like a startled deer Lance Alworth was the AFL as a glorified two-hand touch league so Sid Goldman short [Music] Gilman's obsession with his specialty was total we began to make real study of individual patterns we built films a library of all the great stars running quicks quick outs comebacks to find out how they did it then from these films we evolved then more sophisticated past patterns weak safety minute runs to lamps and again Lance you run that hook and get that leveling off period and sit down and then you skip off from there well from these films we could evolve better patterns individual patterns better designs total designs better pass reads on the part of the quarterback first time he is 51 cover seven second time he is 40 still went cover seven I haven't seen any strong coverage yet we begin that theory of widening the field of getting our receivers wide so they'd have to cover some sideline to sideline so we developed what we called a horizontal stretch and a vertical stretch you see we're going to stretch you that way and we're gonna stretch you this way and we do one to put the fear of the good Lord in the defense's eyes they had to cover our long ones with the Lance Alworth running down the field and catching what we call the UPS they had to cover that and if they covered that successfully then we felt they could give us the medium in the short pass Lance Alworth fueled the tank said Gilman tuned the engine John hey dole flipped the ignition switch and when this charger Ward's alight it's wiped out every challenger on the street but it was not the one lost racket that sets this team apart it was the flair and ingenuity with which they moved the ball and at the center of it all was the old man El Cid to his players a kindly grandfather one moment a disapproving schoolmaster the next but the man who created the charges found that he could not control them forever after quarreling with ownership Gillman left San Diego and for a decade wandered throughout the NFL preaching his passing religion and winning converts at every stop finally at the age of seven day the lion in winter retired his place secured as the old time sage of the Pro passing effects you [Music] you Saban's multiple personalities included a mature tactician spheal for the game with a little boys love for it and also some fear despair and rage [Applause] Saban's poaching Odyssey took him through three NFL teams for college teams and a front office job at baseball's new york yankees northern Brooklyn's perfection as a player turned into his curse as a coach through ten years in Minnesota and Atlanta the Dutchman's game plans were brilliant but his player relations were not understand Harmon in the big leagues now understand lost respect growing up Baltimore's we pubic was another story weave was the classroom coach who gave the great Johnny Unitas number 19 his first Pro instruction away from the blackboard you might look more like a kindly gnome than an NFL head coach with the New York Jets we'd taught Joe Namath the pro game and became the only coach to ever diagram plays with his liver pills instead of chalk perhaps the strangest coaching saga was that of George Allen Allen began his career as an assistant with the Bears before he moved to Los Angeles as head coach despite consistent success Allen was fired twice once he was saved when his players pleaded to have him back the second time he moved to Washington where once again his players loved him and he won Allen dispensed enthusiasm and money in equal amounts to keep his men contented no expense was spared to get his team that first division look this is all part of winning you know if you walk into a place and you see everything dumpy and rundown and right away I see you think what the heck these guys whether it's even if it's a service station first thing I when I Drive up a server station I want there to get a run out and take care of my car yeah if he comes walking out like this I say right away that guy's second division you know owner Edward Bennett Williams said George was given an unlimited budget and he exceeded it Allen was let go in Washington and hired for a third time in Los Angeles this try lasted two exhibition games in 12 years George Allen never had a losing season yet no he's out of coaching perhaps for good there are three contemporary coaches however who seem marked for immortality Pittsburgh's Chuck Noll is an elusive legend he began his coaching career as an assistant with Sid Gillman in San Diego as head coach of the Steelers he turned a perennial loser and a four-time Super Bowl champion just how he did this is a mystery since no discourages the probing eye of public attention light in the spotlight was handled more easily by Don Shula at 33 shoulda became head coach of the already successful Baltimore Colts and quickly proved himself a superb teacher a skill he would use to build the young Miami Dolphins into two-time world champion Charlie come back toward the ball well you were waiting for that ball to get to you the defensive man would have been closing on you see in this position he's a key to the screen because his timing must be perfect in Dallas another teacher was at work Tom Landry scholarly approach to the game was developed as an assistant with the New York Giants and continued to a proud career as the only head coach the Dallas Cowboys have ever had [Music] those who searched for a flaw point the land raised cold unemotional approach to an intense game but the implacable facade masks a determined will to win and a competitive fire which is burned inside through 15 straight winning seasons Tom Landry Chuck no dong-chul one of these men may yet be called the best ever in 1946 the newly formed all-american conference gave an ambitious young man his first pro coaching job his name was Paul Brown and his Cleveland Browns would change the face of pro football Paul Brown proved to be innovative and daring as he converted all-american tailback Otto Graham to quarterback and signed number 76 Marion motley as the new league's first black player a year before Jackie Robinson would play for the Dodgers Brown used Motley's remarkable size and speed as a foil for Graham's passing skills this strategy led Cleveland to four consecutive championships by 1950 the NFL was forced to absorb the eras most dominant team despite his record Browns first NFL game presented his greatest challenge his upstart Browns were supposed to be humbled by the powerhouse Philadelphia Eagles but instead Paul Browns welled schooled squad humiliated the NFL champs 35 to 10 after the game Bert Bell came in and congratulated me and us and he said it was the best football team the most intense football team he had ever seen Brown took no prisoners enroute to his first NFL championship in his first NFL season a feat realized on the title game's final play attempt the field goal it'll be 15 yards he puts the ball it's up in the air after an unparalleled fifth consecutive championship Cleveland stood as the game's invincible army but Brown winning was unacceptable without total control every aspect of his team fell to his authority from calling every play to leading calisthenics Brown was also the first to monitor his players skills with exams and drills to measure mental and physical potential he literally dressed his team with a game's first face mask and insisted on suits and ties off the field absolutely nothing escaped Browns close scrutiny we had a rule called the Tuesday rule Paul Brown told us as married men that we should save our strength and refrain from other activities after Tuesday night because it would possibly affect our our play on Sunday and of course I used to get upset because he never ever talked to the single men when Browns championship teams retired skeptics out his regimented command would be too antiquated for a rapidly changing game by drafting the flashy Jim Brown Paul Brown defied his critics and continued to win while never conceding preferential treatment Paul was the kind of guy that really didn't sit down and talk football with you didn't you never went to his home but I respected that because I didn't need a lot of that kind of thing and the main thing I was concerned about is that the players didn't develop into a lot of clicks and he didn't have that kind of a problem by using number 32 as a ball carrier and a decoy Paul Brown remained the most potent force in the game a distinction that would send him into exile Browns failure to capitulate with a new Cleveland management forced a premature retirement but former players like Walt Michaels and Don Shula perpetuated his coaching influence in all 40 of his protégées would become NFL coaches and account for eight Super Bowl wins but like Napoleon on elder Brown was destined to return this time for the newly formed Cincinnati Bengals [Applause] by joining an inexperienced organization Brown was apparently jeopardizing his reputation as a champion but Brown was still the same innovative and daring coach who had formed another team 20 years before and his Bengals became the youngest team ever to make the NFL playoffs once again Brown had proved that success could be reduced to discipline and organization to areas that mocked him as the father of modern pro coaching bars were happy to play for Paul Graham because Paul was very strict he was the king all you got to do is deal with him if you dealt with him successfully then you were alright didn't have to worry about the other guys over the years there are times too I love them there are times I hated him but when I between into coaching myself I found myself doing exactly the same thing to used to do saying some of the same things you used to say as I look back on it playing for Paul Brown and the Cleveland Browns was probably the best thing that were happened to me [Music] game day in the NFL for every man who has ever coached these next few hours of suffering and celebration or what make life worth living there is no question about that so don't be bashful don't feel that you have to go without your fluids what we need right now men is what I talked to you about many times root across the air we're backed up a little bit we just need to flush it all out we just need to flush it all out and here's our game plan we're going out there to see this first half we're gonna explode like a bomb then the second we're just gonna get higher third quarter we're gonna get higher and the fourth quarter we're just gonna catch on fire and that's our game plan and let's just go out and do it that way we've done it all year long we hadn't let go that rope and we're not gonna start right now let's go [Applause] come on let's get a hand in here let's go down there and knock somebody's Jocelyn's 40 men together can't lose okay everybody sit down Alice everybody sit down stay up here with me Louie back up fellas back it up please so we can say is there any way that we can get these people to sit down there and make it look like we know what's our doing won't your parents let you pass what's the play action pass [Applause] please what your dog watch everything [Applause] quick 141 high formation quick 140 194 full bag banana ha ha that's why nasty 60 lead pass close flag with a blaster [Applause] well we got a run I'm telling you it sounds crazy is an 888 deep down the middle or hope you get a pass interference so you think would you please ask these people to stand back get up there make them kick it again I may assign a task maybe it's not us or that the gears of that guy's mind didn't mesh for a long time I tell you that you did a poor job but you can't do that you're in your home state we went that up straight in the air what the hell are we getting anybody I don't want you up there run around faking blitzes and getting out of position you understand yes sir you line up where you're supposed to line up none of that Harry high school fake this do what we're told you gotta tell these guys what to do every minute of the day this is unbelievable if I don't get them back down and I will cut them baby so they'll be down hey line we're gonna have to start doing something now I'm gonna have to start doing something the defense is not gonna do it so stop somebody wants I'll guarantee you next week you'll stay back does every guy out there up gonna cost $500 okay and the next time everybody is set the bench are all around every the Green Bay [Applause] [Applause] many pulleys are a Pulis they pull in you see officer that he literally tackle the strong safety he tackled him for crying a lot open your eyes I can't believe that this your official let me ask you something I can't six of you mister play like that Oh ball jumped out of their shoes we make no but you're told that you've been on the field now watch hey can I tell you one thing that's three holding penalties on one football team at a quarter and I that ain't funny first time by two feet these guys are good you might get good you might get great job you like the dirt see how your eyes you are there two feet went to college was that official and let the college were huh jerk to people in they've gotta stay and they cannot go back out they've gotta be in for what by even I know that now you can't do that if you do it I'm telling you you're gonna have more hair over it in a little bit okay you think that you've given me a little bit of an advantage now how about turning around alright that is that crock they're killing me why do they tell me what you think for one damn minute I'm going to take a loss standing down you just have another thought coming I'm a that twenty you couldn't cover me one time one time [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Jeremih was a bullfrog [Music] to reach the pinnacle of professional football a team must demonstrate skill determination consistency and the touch of greatness the Green Bay Packers of the 60s learned all these traits from their coach Vince Lombardi lumbar a certain magic still lingers in the very name some said he was a saint others a martinet to his players he was a vibrant father figure offering warm encouragement one moment and direct rebuke the next he was often volatile and gruff but beneath the stormy surface flowed a warm tide of compassion and kindness but most of all Lombardi was a winner never in his life was Lombardi associated with a losing football team coaches are often overrated but as a motivator of men Lombardi towered over all others in his profession from the first day he arrived in Green Bay in 1959 this tiny Wisconsin Hamlet had suffered through 11 straight losing seasons the unknown assistant from the New York Giants found fan interest high but team morale loved the Golden Boy Paul horn had been a Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame but as a quarterback did not have the look of a problem the other quarterback Bart Starr was insecure and the full-back was a smallish straight ahead runner named Jim tail this squad had the look of losers and that's what they have been in 1958 11 times in 12 games Lombardi's rebuilding plan was as blunt and direct as the man himself I like the running game it takes a great deal more to put a running game together than it does to take to put a faster game together I think everybody has to work as a team in order to make a successful running game I like I personally like the run I think running at the running game is really what football is all about and also it makes you a little bit hard-nosed the more you run the more hard-nosed you are hard nosed was a perfect description of Jim Taylor [Music] Lombardi liked tailors roughneck style and saw the same trait in Paul horn Halling quickly became an ex quarterback as Lombardi teamed him in the backfield with Taylor to create a ground attack that would pave a tough road to the top that first season the Packers went seven and five but Lombardi was determined to drive them even through the machine are you was the drag on that's all you're gonna do is turn out we just went over this with your moment ago four units didn't do it if you've got it what do you mean you've got it that's the way I've gotta califo hey he's get the V gonna get the feel a toy if you look at this play will be trying to get as a seal here and a seal here and try to run this place in the alley Lombardi called this direct approach grinding meat and he turned Green Bay into a meat grinding machine utilizing simple plays executed with maximum precision simple plays like the Packer sweet sending tailor one way than Horning the other [Applause] the sweet setup the trick from the golden boys glory days at Notre Dame to keep defenses honest in 1960 the Packers played for the NFL championship and in 1961 they wanted the man from the sidewalks of New York had turned a ragtag crew of losers into a romatic team of legend the rest of the league spent the 60 is trying to catch up but the Lombardi influence extended beyond pro football as thousands of young athletes and coaches across America warmed their own competitive spirits with his example after 99 wins and nine years some sought to deify others portrayed him as an evil when it all cost over those who knew him best saw the human side a genuine concern for his players that brought out the best they had to walk a feeling Lombardi called loved Lombardi could make his point with an outburst or a mere look every move was calculated to build his men like guard Jerry Kramer number 64 he has made the comment a number of times that you're not the greatest athletes in the world he says we've got guys same side same speed same mental ability as most of you people there's something a little more he says we look for a little bit of character in an individual he molds a character or that's something that intangibles something special about you and if you don't have it you don't stay in Green Bay very long those who stayed slums a journeyman guard named fuzzy Thurston became an all-pro Bart Starr learned self-confidence herb utterly switched from college runner to all-pro cornerback and bad-boy Ray Nitschke became a pussycat from the Cleveland Browns he stole Willie Davis who became Green Bay's defensive captain coach Lombardi knew me very well and likewise I think I really knew coach Lombardi there were certain players and I and I really believe coach used those players to translate his feelings we were Lombardi people by that diamond and he only seemed to respond to his kind of coaching Lombardi people forever united by the strength of his will in life and death in 1970 Lombardi died of cancer but his legacy remained and the men he touched and the greatness he motivated them to achieve coach Vincent T Lombardi the NFL's best ever [Music] [Music] and so it goes with this special breed of men and their peculiar profession old legends fade as new Giants emerge in this world of sobering truth and eternal hope all in all there is no other job quite lucky [Music]

Channel: Grey Beard

Views: 20,280

Keywords: NFL Films, Steve Sabol, Ed Sabol, John Facenda, George Halas, Paul Brown, Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Sid Gillman

Id: -e5F_xmhQlc

Length: 44min 3sec (2643 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 10 2020