Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Hi:

I was trying to think of some assistants under Tom Landry who went on to be head coaches and have only come up with Dick Nolan, Mike Ditka, Dan Reeves, Raymond Berry, and Gene Stallings. There have got to be others, but they are not coming to mind.

Any others?

Thank you.

Nick

John Mackovic to name one other.

The only one I think you missed was John Mackovic, according to this site:

https://pro-football-history.com/franch ... ys-coaches

Forrest Gregg finished his career in Dallas in 1971 (even got one last Super Bowl ring there).
I am not finding any official record of what he did between then (71) and when he assumed head coaching duties in 1975 (Cleveland). I seem to recall he finished up as a "player-coach" but, then again, he obviously belongs more under the Lombardi tree.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... regFo0.htm

If you consider further "offshoots" from the "main branch," Mike Singletary was (albeit briefly) head coach of the 49ers and he is from the Ditka branch of the Landry tree.
Likewise, Mike Nolan was (briefly) head coach of the 49ers and he is a direct descendant of the Mike Nolan branch (literally).

Any other "offshoots" come to mind?

JuggernautJ wrote:Forrest Gregg finished his career in Dallas in 1971 (even got one last Super Bowl ring there).
I am not finding any official record of what he did between then (71) and when he assumed head coaching duties in 1975 (Cleveland). I seem to recall he finished up as a "player-coach" but, then again, he obviously belongs more under the Lombardi tree.

From the excellent book on the Packers edited by our own George Bozeka:
"Gregg did not remain out of football for long since he was hired by the San Diego Chargers as offensive line coach in 1972. He remained with them in 1973 and then moved to the Cleveland Browns in the same capacity in 1974. The Browns (4-10) in 1974 dismissed head coach Nick Skorich and named Gregg head coach for 1975. "

John Grasso wrote:

JuggernautJ wrote:Forrest Gregg finished his career in Dallas in 1971 (even got one last Super Bowl ring there).
I am not finding any official record of what he did between then (71) and when he assumed head coaching duties in 1975 (Cleveland). I seem to recall he finished up as a "player-coach" but, then again, he obviously belongs more under the Lombardi tree.

From the excellent book on the Packers edited by our own George Bozeka:
"Gregg did not remain out of football for long since he was hired by the San Diego Chargers as offensive line coach in 1972. He remained with them in 1973 and then moved to the Cleveland Browns in the same capacity in 1974. The Browns (4-10) in 1974 dismissed head coach Nick Skorich and named Gregg head coach for 1975. "

Thank you, John (and George).
After I posted I did some more searching and found references to the 73-74 assistant coaching jobs but not the 1972 position. So, again, thank you. I guess the 72-73 jobs put Gregg firmly in the Harland Svare coaching tree....

JuggernautJ wrote:

John Grasso wrote:

JuggernautJ wrote:Forrest Gregg finished his career in Dallas in 1971 (even got one last Super Bowl ring there).
I am not finding any official record of what he did between then (71) and when he assumed head coaching duties in 1975 (Cleveland). I seem to recall he finished up as a "player-coach" but, then again, he obviously belongs more under the Lombardi tree.

From the excellent book on the Packers edited by our own George Bozeka:
"Gregg did not remain out of football for long since he was hired by the San Diego Chargers as offensive line coach in 1972. He remained with them in 1973 and then moved to the Cleveland Browns in the same capacity in 1974. The Browns (4-10) in 1974 dismissed head coach Nick Skorich and named Gregg head coach for 1975. "

Thank you, John (and George).
After I posted I did some more searching and found references to the 73-74 assistant coaching jobs but not the 1972 position. So, again, thank you. I guess the 72-73 jobs put Gregg firmly in the Harland Svare coaching tree....

Based on how Gregg operated as head coach of the Packers, he was definitely a Lombardi descendant, at least temperamentally.

rhickok1109 wrote: Based on how Gregg operated as head coach of the Packers, he was definitely a Lombardi descendant, at least temperamentally.

He had the same approach in Cleveland. He banished first round pick Mike Pruitt in 1976 after the rookie fumbled in Week 2 and then gained just 21 yards on 14 carries the next week when the Browns got killed in Denver. Pruitt did virtually nothing for the next two years until Sam Rutigliano took over.