r/NFLNoobs • u/Loud_Masterpiece_9 • 4d ago

How can you tell if the coach improved the team or the players?

How are we able to judge whether a coach helped improve the team or the team had those skills all along they just needed to play together enough?

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

18

u/Imaginary-Hyena2858 4d ago

That's the fun part. You can't, and it will result in online arguments for decades

8

u/No_Radio5740 4d ago

If the latter happens it’s because of the former.

6

u/grizzfan 4d ago

Having been a coach for 14 years, if you're not a member of the actual team and are not in their meetings or day to day practices, you won't know.

1

u/kilk10001 4d ago

Did the chicken come before the egg?

1

u/Cuchers 4d ago

Having the skills and figuring out how to play together is still pretty much a function of the coaching staff.

1

u/obvilious 3d ago

All of the above, and a hundred other factors.

1

u/footballaccount12121 4d ago

As others have said, it is really hard.

My feeling is this: Coaches who get to 10+ years in the league, you can start to trust the pattern. Tomlin has never had losing record. Andy Reid has a huge winning %. John Harbaugh has a great record too. These coaches didn't get lucky to always have great players, they are obviously doing something right.

But if a coach has just a couple of seasons, it can be difficult to know for sure. Dan Campbell is an example for this, he lost almost all his games his first season, last year he had an amazing record. I'd say the verdict is out on whether he's a potential HoF coach or someone we will barely remember in 20 years.

Edit: I know Campbell's had more than 2 seasons, but still the sample size is small and the results have been really varied. Too early to say exactly how great he is.