Best HCs to never make post-season

[JohnH19]

Also, Norm Van Brocklin led the Falcons to winning records in 1971 and 73, and had them in the playoff hunt in 1972 until the next to the last week, when they lost 20-0 in San Francisco.

Van Brocklin also had a winning record of 8-5-1 with the 1964 Vikings.

Stormin' Norman was simply too volatile and unpredictable to be a successful head coach. His teams were a reflection of his personality, inconsistent from week to week. His Vikings and Falcons followed a pattern throughout his coaching career of being able to beat the best teams and to lose to lesser clubs. I cringe every time I see the clip of NVB tearing a strip off of Harmon Wages during a Falcons game.

[Bryan]

Since a coach's success in the modern era is defined by his ability to get his team to the postseason, and the ones that fail to do so in a proscribed limit of time find themselves out of a job, the title of this thread is kind of like asking "Who are the best fishermen never to have caught a fish?"

Yeah, unless you are Jeff Fisher its hard to have staying power as a HC without any postseason appearances. Perhaps a more interesting question would be "worst HCs to make the post-season" (Bruce Coslet?). Anyway, if we aren't accepting Guy Chamberlain as the actual answer, then I think Al Davis or John Ralston would probably be the best guys, both of whom had extenuating circumstances surrounding their exit from the NFL coaching ranks. I was going to suggest Jock Sutherland, but the 1947 Steelers did participate in a tie-breaker playoff with Philly. Perhaps Todd Bowles can be the answer here, too.

[BD Sullivan]

Also, Norm Van Brocklin led the Falcons to winning records in 1971 and 73, and had them in the playoff hunt in 1972 until the next to the last week, when they lost 20-0 in San Francisco.

Van Brocklin also had a winning record of 8-5-1 with the 1964 Vikings.

Stormin' Norman was simply too volatile and unpredictable to be a successful head coach. His teams were a reflection of his personality, inconsistent from week to week. His Vikings and Falcons followed a pattern throughout his coaching career of being able to beat the best teams and to lose to lesser clubs. I cringe every time I see the clip of NVB tearing a strip off of Harmon Wages during a Falcons game.

While he couldn't be buddy-buddy with his players, his player relations skills were still a disaster. I recall Bob Keuchenberg being bitter enough about the fact that Van Brocklin had cut him in Atlanta that he was overjoyed when the Dolphins stomped the Falcons 42-7, which resulted in Van Brocklin's dismissal.

The fact that he basically refused to change when it came to his disdain of soccer-style kickers certainly didn't help. According to Wikipedia, Van Brocklin supposedly made the following comment after losing a game on FG in the final seconds--comments that seem very relevant with what's going on outside of football today: "They ought to change the g-damn immigration laws in this country."

[mwald]

Also, Norm Van Brocklin led the Falcons to winning records in 1971 and 73, and had them in the playoff hunt in 1972 until the next to the last week, when they lost 20-0 in San Francisco.

Van Brocklin also had a winning record of 8-5-1 with the 1964 Vikings.

Stormin' Norman was simply too volatile and unpredictable to be a successful head coach. His teams were a reflection of his personality, inconsistent from week to week. His Vikings and Falcons followed a pattern throughout his coaching career of being able to beat the best teams and to lose to lesser clubs. I cringe every time I see the clip of NVB tearing a strip off of Harmon Wages during a Falcons game.

While he couldn't be buddy-buddy with his players, his player relations skills were still a disaster. I recall Bob Keuchenberg being bitter enough about the fact that Van Brocklin had cut him in Atlanta that he was overjoyed when the Dolphins stomped the Falcons 42-7, which resulted in Van Brocklin's dismissal.

The fact that he basically refused to change when it came to his disdain of soccer-style kickers certainly didn't help. According to Wikipedia, Van Brocklin supposedly made the following comment after losing a game on FG in the final seconds--comments that seem very relevant with what's going on outside of football today: "They ought to change the g-damn immigration laws in this country."

"A man of few likes," is how the L.A. Times' Jim Murray described him, if I recall correctly. One of my favorite all-time big-game QBs, but as a coach he sure could be a sourpuss.

[Bryan]

While he couldn't be buddy-buddy with his players, his player relations skills were still a disaster. I recall Bob Keuchenberg being bitter enough about the fact that Van Brocklin had cut him in Atlanta that he was overjoyed when the Dolphins stomped the Falcons 42-7, which resulted in Van Brocklin's dismissal.

The fact that he basically refused to change when it came to his disdain of soccer-style kickers certainly didn't help. According to Wikipedia, Van Brocklin supposedly made the following comment after losing a game on FG in the final seconds--comments that seem very relevant with what's going on outside of football today: "They ought to change the g-damn immigration laws in this country."

Van Brocklin is one of the most fascinating characters in league history, IMO. Probably a terrible coach, but he was essentially the head coach for two expansion teams (expansion Vikings, near-expansion and terrible Falcons). He didn't really win much, but can you say he underachieved? Perhaps with the Vikings in the mid-60's after they started to acquire some talented players. He had a bit of mild success in Atlanta with mostly nondescript players.

If Van Brocklin had taken over for Buck Shaw (as was the original alleged plan) as head coach for the Eagles after the 1960 title-winning season, do you think Van Brocklin's coaching career would have taken a different trajectory (like a Jim Harbaugh-type)? Or would he have flamed out and alienated people just the same?

[BD Sullivan]

While he couldn't be buddy-buddy with his players, his player relations skills were still a disaster. I recall Bob Keuchenberg being bitter enough about the fact that Van Brocklin had cut him in Atlanta that he was overjoyed when the Dolphins stomped the Falcons 42-7, which resulted in Van Brocklin's dismissal.

The fact that he basically refused to change when it came to his disdain of soccer-style kickers certainly didn't help. According to Wikipedia, Van Brocklin supposedly made the following comment after losing a game on FG in the final seconds--comments that seem very relevant with what's going on outside of football today: "They ought to change the g-damn immigration laws in this country."

Van Brocklin is one of the most fascinating characters in league history, IMO. Probably a terrible coach, but he was essentially the head coach for two expansion teams (expansion Vikings, near-expansion and terrible Falcons). He didn't really win much, but can you say he underachieved? Perhaps with the Vikings in the mid-60's after they started to acquire some talented players. He had a bit of mild success in Atlanta with mostly nondescript players.

If Van Brocklin had taken over for Buck Shaw (as was the original alleged plan) as head coach for the Eagles after the 1960 title-winning season, do you think Van Brocklin's coaching career would have taken a different trajectory (like a Jim Harbaugh-type)? Or would he have flamed out and alienated people just the same?

Nick Skorich only lasted three years after Shaw before getting the boot, but I imagine Van Brocklin's credibility might have extended his stay a little bit. Still, Jerry Wolman bought the team in late '63 and took over in January 1964, with his first action being Skorich's dismissal. He tried to get Paul Brown, who I'm sure was demanding a piece of the team as part of his compensation, so instead went with Joe Kuharich. Since Wolman had no history with Van Brocklin, this might have been a Jerry Jones-Tom Landry situation, albeit a quarter-century earlier.

[JohnH19]

If Van Brocklin had taken over for Buck Shaw (as was the original alleged plan) as head coach for the Eagles after the 1960 title-winning season, do you think Van Brocklin's coaching career would have taken a different trajectory (like a Jim Harbaugh-type)? Or would he have flamed out and alienated people just the same?

He was who he was so the same patterns would have occurred no matter who he was coaching. After their breakthrough 1964 season, the exciting young 1965 Vikings were favored to win the Western Conference by some prognosticators. Instead, they regressed to 7-7, in a season lowlighted by Van Brocklin quitting the team for a couple of days, and then 4-9-1 in '66.

The 1973 Falcons were 8-3 and on a seven game winning streak with a wild card spot within their reach. Granted, they were going with the eminently mediocre General Bob Lee at QB but they were good enough to knock off the unbeaten Vikings on MNF in Week 10. They went on to lose 17-6 to O.J. and the Bills in Week 12 and then followed that up by getting thrashed 32-10 by the Cards. They recovered to win their final game against the Saints to finish 9-5. Hopes were high for the '74 season but they lost 5 of their first 6 and NVB's coaching career was at an end.