"1. (Tie) Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Nick Saban, Miami Dolphins
Many may be surprised that I did not rank Belichick alone at the top of the AFC East coaching class. It is obvious that he has numerous impressive accomplishments, and there is no question he is a great coach, but much of the success of a head coach can be attributed to his assistants. Belichick has been somewhat weakened as a head coach since losing three coordinators (Mangini, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis) and some other assistants over the past two seasons.
While Belichick is as good as there is at utilizing his personnel when injuries occur, he has been extremely fortunate to have kept Tom Brady healthy over an extended period. Most head coaches have had to deal with the dilemma of an injured star quarterback at least sometime during an NFL season.
I put the 55-year-old Saban alongside Belichick at the top of the heap due to his track record as a winner and the intangibles he brings to an organization. I don't know Saban personally, but I have been around him several times (as a scout) during his stints at both Michigan State and LSU. He is a driven man who has an extremely intense coaching style and rarely leaves a stone unturned. He is very tough and demanding but has some magic in the way he motivates his players. Coach Saban does not have a resume as impressive as Belichick's (few do), but he has a bunch of wins under his belt at the college level and marked a 9-7 record in his first NFL season. Among those nine were six wins in a row, including one at New England, to inject life back into an organization that came off a dismal 4-12 season. Barring injuries, the Dolphins, lead by Saban, could be the team to beat in the East."
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=moll_ken
Guess Saban hasnt proved anything yet, but he certainly is on his way. Thoughts?
Nick Saban, Miami Dolphins
Many may be surprised that I did not rank Belichick alone at the top of the AFC East coaching class. It is obvious that he has numerous impressive accomplishments, and there is no question he is a great coach, but much of the success of a head coach can be attributed to his assistants. Belichick has been somewhat weakened as a head coach since losing three coordinators (Mangini, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis) and some other assistants over the past two seasons.
While Belichick is as good as there is at utilizing his personnel when injuries occur, he has been extremely fortunate to have kept Tom Brady healthy over an extended period. Most head coaches have had to deal with the dilemma of an injured star quarterback at least sometime during an NFL season.
I put the 55-year-old Saban alongside Belichick at the top of the heap due to his track record as a winner and the intangibles he brings to an organization. I don't know Saban personally, but I have been around him several times (as a scout) during his stints at both Michigan State and LSU. He is a driven man who has an extremely intense coaching style and rarely leaves a stone unturned. He is very tough and demanding but has some magic in the way he motivates his players. Coach Saban does not have a resume as impressive as Belichick's (few do), but he has a bunch of wins under his belt at the college level and marked a 9-7 record in his first NFL season. Among those nine were six wins in a row, including one at New England, to inject life back into an organization that came off a dismal 4-12 season. Barring injuries, the Dolphins, lead by Saban, could be the team to beat in the East."
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=moll_ken
Guess Saban hasnt proved anything yet, but he certainly is on his way. Thoughts?
