Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
PFRA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the history of professional football. Formed in 1979, PFRA members include many of the game's foremost historians and writers.
Ten Minute Ticker wrote: ↑Wed Jul 30, 2025 12:45 pm
I wonder what position (aside from kickers, punters, long snapper) has produced the fewest amount of NFL head coaches?
I’m struggling to think of many WRs. Raymond Berry is the only one who jumps immediately to mind.
Mac Speedie mid 60's Broncos
Jim Dooley 68-71 Bears
Ray Rhodes 95-99 Eagles and Packers. Was a WRer before being switched to DB
I read the Great Teams Great Years book about the Lions and they didn't seem all that impressed with the Schmidt as coach years. I think in general in those early years of the expanded playoffs (beyond the championship game format that had existed for 30+ years) that quarterfinal exits like the Lions were not considered very impressive or worthy of special notice.
Looking at the rosters, even with those winning teams I get an impression of a lethargy of mediocrity, just with a bit better records. It's amazing how long the team went with Landry and Munson. They had Sanders and Barney, a lot of okay veterans, but no distinguishing identity from year to year. Kind of a vanilla, basic team that lacked the organizational heft to compete with the bigs. Of course in the 1970s the 1950 champions were only 20 years in the rear view mirror.
Jay Z wrote: ↑Wed Aug 06, 2025 2:44 pm
Looking at the rosters, even with those winning teams I get an impression of a lethargy of mediocrity, just with a bit better records. It's amazing how long the team went with Landry and Munson. They had Sanders and Barney, a lot of okay veterans, but no distinguishing identity from year to year. Kind of a vanilla, basic team that lacked the organizational heft to compete with the bigs. Of course in the 1970s the 1950 champions were only 20 years in the rear view mirror.
In that same time frame, Minnesota’s roster- at least their offense- screamed mediocrity. Their distinguishing identity of a defense without an offense somehow gave them heft as one of the big organizations considering you couldn’t name a single Viking that wasn’t on the Purple People Eaters
Ten Minute Ticker wrote: ↑Wed Jul 30, 2025 12:45 pm
I wonder what position (aside from kickers, punters, long snapper) has produced the fewest amount of NFL head coaches?
I’m struggling to think of many WRs. Raymond Berry is the only one who jumps immediately to mind.
Mac Speedie mid 60's Broncos
Jim Dooley 68-71 Bears
Ray Rhodes 95-99 Eagles and Packers. Was a WRer before being switched to DB
Tom Fears 67-70 Saints
Ray Perkins 79-82 Giants, 87-90 Buccaneers
Last edited by Gary Najman on Thu Aug 14, 2025 5:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Gary Najman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 14, 2025 4:57 pm
Speaking of Schmidt, I enjoy seeing him as the LIons HC in the film "Paper Lion".
Joe is/was a great subject for a biography. He was a natural leader and had a great dry wit and played during the best era in football (as he often said). At one point I was thinking of approaching him about it, but he's gone now, taking a load of untold stories with him, I'm sure.