Best Coaching "Performances" in Team History

[SF Dolphin Fan]

I haven't posted for a long time so not sure if this has been discussed. Here is my ranking of the top 5 coaching performances in team history.

5. Dave Wannestedt's first year with the Dolphins. Say what you want about Wannestedt, but making it to the playoffs with Jay Fieldler as your quarterback, Lamar Smith as your featured back and Tony Martin as the top receiving threat is an accomplishment. Unfortunately, Wannestedt's teams regressed each year after this.

4. Don Shula's first year with Miami as he turned around a 3-10-1 team into a 10-4 contender and set the stage for super bowl runs that followed.

3. The Perfect Season. That Shula did this with backup Earl Morrall for nine games says a lot. He also had the task of working Bob Griese back in during the playoffs. Dolphins came within 2:07 of the first shutout in Super Bowl history.

2. Making it to the Super Bowl with David Woodley as the starting quarterback was Don Shula's greatest coaching achievement in my opinion. The Dolphins actually led a superior Redskin team 17-13 early in the 4th quarter.

1. 2008 -- the turnaround this season was remarkable and the coaching staff was creative on both sides of the ball. From 1-15 to 11-5 and a division title was simply amazing.

 

[CedarPhin]

We really did play pretty well in 2000. I thought we'd take a step back with Fiedler at QB, but Lamar Smith really tore it up that year. His performance in that playoff game against Indy was epic. Too bad it didn't carry over the next week.

 

[Asicswrg85]

I would say that the perfect season would have to be number one i mean that was the best turnaround in NFL history but other teams have had amazing turnarounds too but no other team has went undefeated and won a superbowl.....

 

[dlockz]

I haven't posted for a long time so not sure if this has been discussed. Here is my ranking of the top 5 coaching performances in team history.

5. Dave Wannestedt's first year with the Dolphins. Say what you want about Wannestedt, but making it to the playoffs with Jay Fieldler as your quarterback, Lamar Smith as your featured back and Tony Martin as the top receiving threat is an accomplishment. Unfortunately, Wannestedt's teams regressed each year after this.

4. Don Shula's first year with Miami as he turned around a 3-10-1 team into a 10-4 contender and set the stage for super bowl runs that followed.

3. The Perfect Season. That Shula did this with backup Earl Morrall for nine games says a lot. He also had the task of working Bob Griese back in during the playoffs. Dolphins came within 2:07 of the first shutout in Super Bowl history.

2. Making it to the Super Bowl with David Woodley as the starting quarterback was Don Shula's greatest coaching achievement in my opinion. The Dolphins actually led a superior Redskin team 17-13 early in the 4th quarter.

1. 2008 -- the turnaround this season was remarkable and the coaching staff was creative on both sides of the ball. From 1-15 to 11-5 and a division title was simply amazing.

So let me get this straight 17-0 was not the top coaching performance, I strongly disagree with this. This with his backup qb. Not to mention that no team has ever done this. I respect the effort but that is clearly way off. Also the 14-2 team that lost to niners should be close to the better coaching performances.

 

[CedarPhin]

It's hard to go through any season undefeated, no matter who your opponents are. I'd put that at #1.

 

[JMarino]

I think #s 3 and 4 are basically the same and should be merged together at put at the #1 spot. Maybe the 2008 season would be classified as the new #2 spot.
Nothing Wanny did should be metioned with TOP COACH.

 

[CedarPhin]

He did do a good job in 2000 though. Not great, but not terrible either. 2001 wasn't bad, but it's when everything really started to crumble.