Reader's Write: The Coaches
July 09, 2007 04:16 PM | General
July 9, 2007
The Reader’s Write: Your responses from our list of the 20 best coaches to face West Virginia:
Patrick Daley
Scott Township, Pa.
Joe Paterno: From a numbers perspective, he is easily the best coach that WVU faced. But more than numbers can back the argument. He believes in collegiate athletics in building character. He believes they are students first and athletes second. In short, he is the kind of coach we would want our kids to play for.
Joe Schmidt
St. Clairsville Ohio
Joe Paterno: The only disagreement I have with the list is the credit given to Jimmy Johnson's ‘86 Miami team as maybe the best team to play at NMF. Paterno's 86 PSU team that beat UM later that year for the national championship also played at NMF that year. PSU had the best defense I've ever seen in person. That game could have gone 14 quarters and our Mountaineers may never have scored.
Mike
Columbus, Ohio
Fielding Yost: No coach, of any era, has been that far ahead of every other coach in the game. Who can argue with his numbers?
Jim Stemple
Elkins, W.Va.
Joe Pa: Gotta be Joe. So many years of frustration; he just knew how to win.
Roosevelt Lundy
Richmond, Va.
Joe Paterno: Players were awesome yet disciplined; always a hard-hitting, clean-cut game with the Lions. I miss playing them. I believe we would kick their butts today.
Michael
Corning, N.Y.
Frank Beamer: I don't think he is the #1 coach that WVU has faced, but should be considered on this list. I am the first person to criticize VT, but Frank Beamer has put them on the map and did not have the luxury of coaching in a recruiting hot bed like Florida.
Tim Warner
Friedens, W.Va.
John Majors: In his prime when he could get the recruits he had to be the best. He recruited a lot of All-Americans and pros.
Mickey Mulgrew
Stafford, Va.
Jimmy Johnson: I know that he was only at Miami for a short time period, but he built an unbelievable dynasty during that time. At one point, given that he lost at South Bend by a single point, Miami -- either with his players or with him directly as coach -- were five points away from winning four consecutive national championships. Spurrier, Paterno, Bowden, etc -- no one has been that dominant.
Bob Mummey
Cave Creek, Ariz.
Joe Paterno: Joe Pa as the #1 coach to coach against WVU is a no-brainer. I would have placed Jackie Sherrill at #2. His teams didn't just beat us they destroyed us! MY #3 pick would have been Wayne Hardin. His Navy team torpedoed what was built-up to be a great Mountaineer team in Morgantown -- not a surprise considering the players on that team. It was at Temple that he really impressed me with his coaching skills. He won big at Temple and was 4-5 against us. He also gave some great PSU teams fits when they played in Philadelphia. All in all you have a great list. I would just elevate Hardin from honorable mention to starter.
Mark Parsons
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Bear Bryant: Although Joe Paterno has had great success against WVU, I personally think Bear Bryant was the greatest coach in college football history.
Chris Guyer
Sykesville, Md.
Joe Paterno: How you cannot have Frank Beamer on the list is unreal? I don't like him either but come on!
Jim McKenzie
Washington, D.C.
Joe Paterno: Joe Pa always had an answer for West Virginia - even when PSU was having a bad year they had our number. Further, Joe Pa kept his bench deep with talent - if his first string RB went down - he would pull an anonymous RB off of the bench and he would run a season record against WVU. Whether it was game time or recruiting he always out coached WVU - thus I shall hate PSU until I die.
Bill
Weirton, W.Va.
Bear Bryant: Why you say? Does any real Mountaineer fan want to admit that Paterno was the greatest???
Mark
Wheeling, W.Va.
Bobby Bowden: Joe Pa? Come on, give me a break!!! Why doesn't he bring his bunch of Nittany Losers down to Morgantown now that we have the teams, coaches and athletes to take them out? He always manages to find room for Temple and Akron, why not West Virginia and Pitt???
Anthony Rogers
Keyser, W.Va.
Frank Beamer: I don’t think he is number 1 but I think your poll unfairly weights older era stuff … He is well into the top 15 or so for sure. Come on, he’s a legend like Don was.
Charlie Bennett
Ripley, W.Va.
Joe Paterno: His teams have always been the toughest not just for WVU to face, but the entire country. His players also show respect and good character. The only thing Joe Pa does better than coaching is setting a quality example on and off the field for his players to follow.
Norm Selbe
Charleston, W.Va.
Joe Paterno: He brings class and dignity to NCAA football and does it without all the glitz and glimmer associated with some of top rated programs; Blue collar work ethic.
