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USC football poll: Greatest Trojans coach of all time?
November 18th, 2008, 7:00 am · 6 Comments · posted by Michael Lev, staff writer
Old-timers might find this blasphemous, but a case could be made that Pete Carroll is the greatest football coach in USC history.
Among the four who have coached at least 100 games — a milestone Carroll reached last week — Carroll has the highest winning percentage (.850) by at least 100 points. And he has achieved that mark in an era when scholarships are fewer and parity is greater.
Think I’m off my rocker? Well, check out the bios of the four candidates listed below — Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and Carroll — and then cast your vote.
HOWARD JONES
Years: 1925-40
Record: 121-36-13 (.750)
Notable: Coached USC to four national championships and a
5-0 record in Rose Bowl games. The practice field is named after him.
JOHN McKAY
Years: 1960-75
Record: 127-40-8 (.749)
Notable: Coached USC to four national championships, including a pair of perfect seasons (1962, 1972). Holds the school record for victories.
JOHN ROBINSON
Years: 1976-82, 1993-97
Record: 104-35-4 (.741)
Notable: Coached USC to one national championship (1978) and a pair of No. 2 finishes (1976, 1979). Guided the Trojans to a 28-game unbeaten streak.
PETE CARROLL
Years: 2001-present
Record: 85-15 (.850)
Notable: Coached USC to two national championships. Has the highest winning percentage of any active Division I coach with at least five years of experience.
*********************
More on Carroll at 100:
- USC football: Carroll’s top five (victories, comebacks, losses)
- USC football: Carroll’s most important victories (6-10)
- USC football poll: Which games are Carroll’s best?
- USC football: 100 games in, 15 losses bug Carroll the most
More from the USC blog:
- USC football: Sanchez honors cancer victim
- BCS games appear headed for ESPN
- USC football: Spread busters
- Grading the Trojans: USC’s offense vs. Stanford
- Grading the Trojans: USC’s defense vs. Stanford
- Grading the Trojans: USC’s special teams vs. Stanford
- Grading the Trojans: USC’s coaching vs. Stanford
6 Comments
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Again, “WHO IS THE BEST?” That is one of the most ridiculous things that we continue to hear in life. The “best” plane, ship, runner, pilot, country, gun, baseball player, track star, boxer, etc.
There is only one way to ask this question. What era are you speaking of? How can you compare Johnny Unitas with QBs today? The players were different in size and speed. They had different coaches, techniques, and training. How can you compare Jim Thorpe with a track star today? He wouldn’t be able to make a high school track team today.
I recall Frank Howard of the LA Dodgers being considered a “power hitter” with only 17 home runs. Really, would Jim Brown, at his best, be considered better than even half of the NFL runners today? He played against linemen that were 220 pounds and linebackers at 190.
Howard Jones coached in an era completely different than Pete Carroll. The closest you could compare of those you named would be John Mckay and John Robinson, but even then you’re stretching it.
Sorry, I can’t find it reasonable to vote on something like this.
Doug, you are one of our most articulate commentators, and we appreciate all your feedback. But please take this exercise in the spirit intended — fun.
OF COURSE we can’t really definitively say who’s the best at anything when comparing eras. But it’s fun to talk about, and good fodder coming off Pete’s 100th game and entering USC’s bye week.
And in three seasons, Pete C. will have the most victories. More championships? Let’s wait before we anoint him…
Agree with Kevin. Let’s anoint Uncle Pete after his 4th national championship and victory 128. For now ya’ gotta stick with Mc Kay. Pete will get us there in due time.
Since he keeps saying he’s not going anywhere, I too can wait for victory No. 128 and the fourth national championship to vote for Carroll. For now the top two choices must be McKay and Jones. I do find amusing the claim in Doug’s comment that there were 190-pound linebackers in the NFL during the 1960s. Not that I recall. And there were even a handful of 300-pound DTs.
USC football - My vote for the best Trojan coach of all time is John McKay because he instilled in us A confidence that we could be winners not only on the football field, but in life if we believe we can.
Estelle Contreras
Whittier Ca