Here Are The 10 Worst Former Athletes Who Became Coaches
Most players see their coaches and probably think, “hell, I can do that.” Some players got a chance to prove they have the chops to coach. Some have succeeded and some have failed spectacularly. This post focuses on the latter.
The Worst NFL Coaches
Rich Kotite- After an unremarkable playing career, Kotite had a good start as the coach of he Eagles, but then went to the Jets and was considered one of the worst ever. He followed up a 3-13 season in 1995 with a 1-15 campaign in 1996. He never coached again.
Lane Kiffin- Oakland made him the youngest coach, 31, in team history and he went 4-12 in 2007. Late owner Al Davis tried to get Kiffin to resign but he would not. On September 30, 2008 Davis fired Kiffin over the phone and they went to court to settle on the salary. Davis won, baby.
Marty Mornhinweg- He played in the arena league and was eventually hired by the Detroit Lions in 2001. He lasted two seasons, going 2-14 and 3-13 during the Lions’ dark days. He hasn’t received a head coaching job since.
The Worst NBA Coaches
Isiah Thomas- One of the best point guards in history, Thomas was a really bad coach. He made the playoffs three times in as many seasons with Indiana, but the Pacers were built to win titles. Then he went to the Knicks. He was the general manager, made a slew of terrible trades, went 56-108 in two seasons, lost the Knicks a sexual harrassment lawsuit and is one of the most hated figures in New York sports history.
Dick Vitale- He’s a great college basketball analyst. But as an NBA coach? Awful, baby! He went 30-52 in his first season with the Pistons and then after starting the 1980-1981 season 4-8, late owner Bill Davidson went to Vitale’s house and fired him. At least Vitale has had a great career in broadcasting.
Elgin Baylor- Another Hall of Famer who was a bad coach and executive, Baylor coached the New Orleans Jazz for three years, compiling an 86-135 record. Then he was the GM of the Clippers for 22 years, and LA won one playoff series during that span.
The Worst MLB Managers
Alan Trammell- Once again, another great player who was an incredibly bad skipper. After playing with the Detroit Tigers for so long, they gave him a shot at manager. Bad choice. In three seasons, he went 186-300 including a 43-119 season in 2003.
Joe Quinn- Quinn played for St. Louis in the Union Association in 1884 and started managing in 1895. He went 11-28 with the St. Louis Browns in 1895 and then managed the Cleveland Spiders in 1899, who went a historically bad 12-104.
The Worst NHL Coaches
Wayne Gretzky- The greatest player of all time wasn’t so great as a coach. In fact, he was downright horrible. Between 2005 and 2009, the Phoenix Coyotes never finished better than fourth in its division under The Great One, and never hade more than 83 points in a season under Gretzky’s stewardship.
Barry Melrose- Like this year’s Los Angeles Kings, Melrose’s 1992-1993 version was a low seeded team that ended up making the Stanley Cup Finals. Of course, having Gretzky on your side certainly helps. After that season, things went downhill for The Mullet. LA only had 66 points the next season and Melrose was fired midway through the 1994-1995 campaign. Melrose went to ESPN until the Tampa Bay Lightning brought him back to the bench for the 2008-2009 season, only to fire him 16 games into the season.
NHL Eastern Conference Finals Keys To Victory- Rangers-Devils
NEW YORK– By Daniel Friedman
The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils kicked off their best-of-seven last night at Madison Square Garden and, on this night, the former came away with a 3-0 victory.
The rivalry between these two teams needs no buildup or explanation. It wasn’t long after the franchise was moved from Colorado to the Meadowlands that the Devils and Blueshirts developed a hatred for each other and, in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, they took things to a whole new level.
Just in case you’re in need of a memory refresher, Ranger captain Mark Messier guaranteed a game six win with his team on the brink of elimination. Not only did he deliver, he scored a hat trick in the process. Then, in the decisive game seven, (Stephane) Matteau! Matteau! Matteau! scored the game-winner in double overtime, sending New York to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Fast-forward the clock to 2012, where the Rangers and Devils find themselves back in the Conference Finals. As was the case in 1994, the Blueshirts have home ice advantage and Martin Brodeur, who recently turned 40, is still between the pipes for New Jersey, just like he was 18 years ago.
If last night’s contest taught us anything, it’s that Marty hasn’t lost much, if any, of the stride in his step. He was phenomenal, but the Rangers’ defensive efforts and shot-blocking prowess, along with superb goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, kept the Devils off the scoresheet. The Blueshirts were able to cash in with two goals (from Dan Girardi and Chris Kreider) and an empty-netter (Artem Anisimov) in the third period.
The Rangers’ performance in this game was straight out of the textbook. If you want to beat New Jersey, you’ve got to keep Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrik Elias and Zach Parise in check and score timely
goals of your own. New York wins by playing defense-first, gritty, grind-it-out hockey. Lundqvist has to be the Vezina-caliber goaltender he’s been all year long, because if he’s not, the Devils have more than enough firepower to blow right through him.
Likewise, New Jersey can win if they can open up holes in their opponent’s defensive coverage. That starts with passing; you need to make strong, crisp passes to pull a defending team out of position. Brodeur needs to continue matching Lundqvist save-for-save. He has to be on his game at all times, because the defense in front of him usually isn’t. The Devils have blown quite a few leads in these playoffs and you can’t do that against the Rangers and expect to win.
Special teams is going to be crucial in this series. I give the Devils the advantage in that department, especially because the Rangers don’t execute with the man-advantage and New Jersey is one of the best penalty-killing teams in the league. They’ve also sported the fourth-best power play in the playoffs; the Rangers, on the other hand, are 10-for-61, good enough for eighth-best.
I’m going with the New York Rangers in six games. I think, overall, they’re capable of both shutting down Jersey’s arsenal and finding the back of the net themselves. As long as they play their game, they have an excellent chance of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals…just like 1994.
NHL Playoffs Thoughts & Theories
NEW YORK– By Daniel Friedman
1) I think the Nashville Predators have what it takes to come back and erase this series deficit. A ton of credit needs to be given to the Phoenix Coyotes for all they’ve accomplished to this point, but their 2-1 lead in this best-of-seven is, at best, tenuous.
The Preds are a focused bunch right now, having suspended Alex Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn for violating team rules and, in doing so, re-instilling the professionalism and work ethic that made Nashville a formidable foe. I don’t think the two players should sit for the remainder of the playoffs, but I don’t mess with the lineup unless Phoenix wins another game. Kudos to GM David Poile and head coach Barry Trotz for doing the right thing in this situation. Rules are rules, playoffs or not.
2) I’m not surprised that the LA Kings have a series lead on the St. Louis Blues. I picked them to beat Vancouver in the first round and have them knocking out the Blues in the semis, too. What does surprise me, however, is that the Kings are ahead 3-0. I think we all expected a more even matchup, but LA’s taken care of business in all areas of the game.
Jonathan Quick has proven, without a doubt, that he is one of the best, if not THE best goaltender in all of hockey right now. If there were any questions as to why Quick’s a Vezina-finalist and Brian Elliott is not, they’ve been answered over these last three games. Granted, the Blues were missing top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo for most of game one and the entire game two, but I have a hard time believing that his presence would’ve been enough to prevent St. Louis from falling behind in this series.
3) I think the New York Rangers are going to edge the Washington Capitals in six or seven games. This has been an entertaining series and game three was easily the most exciting (or if you’re a Rangers fan, nerve-racking) contest of the postseason.
The Rangers like to dictate the pace with a certain style and the Caps have shown they’re willing to play that game. Unfortunately for coach Dale Hunter and his squad, I think the Blueshirts are better at it. I expect this to be a tight series the rest of the way, but the Rangers will emerge victorious because they’re stronger on the forecheck and because their big guns, particularly Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards, have finally awoken from their slumber while Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin have been relatively silent for most of these playoffs.
Also, as steady as Braden Holtby’s been in net for the Caps, I would sooner take my chances with a guy like Henrik Lundqvist any day of the week. He’s the superior goaltender in this duel and that’s why he’ll be on the right side of the handshake line when it’s all said and
done.
4) I think the Philadelphia Flyers are going to regroup and find a way to best the New Jersey Devils here.
Down 2-1 in a series that’s far from over, the Flyers certainly have the firepower, the defense and the depth to reverse their fortunes. The main concern, one that Philly’s all-too familiar with over the better part of the last two decades, is between the pipes. Ilya Bryzgalov hasn’t been great in this best-of-seven, but his performance in this second round has been a dramatic improvement over his play during the Pittsburgh series.
I think, however, that the loss of Sean Couturier will be a tough one for the Flyers to overcome. He recorded four points in these playoffs and has been excellent defensively, so Philly’s neutral zone play is going to take the bigger hit. They have plenty of guys who will step up offensively; that’s not what worries me.
5) I think it’s time I apologized to the Devils for underestimating them to this point.
This team has more depth than previously thought, and guys like Stephen Gionta, Steve Bernier and Ryan Carter have really stepped up when they’ve needed to. Enough cannot be said about the way Petr Sykora, Adam Henrique, David Clarkson and Alexei Ponikarovsky have played, either.
If you ask me, that’s the biggest reason why New Jersey is still in the playoffs right now, because at this time of year, teams will only
go as far as their depth players take them.
NHL Playoffs Second Round Predictions
NEW YORK– By Daniel Friedman
EASTERN CONFERENCE
NEW YORK RANGERS (1) VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS (7)
The Rangers narrowly escaped with a game seven victory over the Ottawa Senators and, by the looks of things, the next task at hand will be a daunting one as well. This is a Washington team that just knocked-out the mighty Boston Bruins and, in the process, showed that they’re capable of playing grind-it-out, playoff-style hockey. They’ve also got a goaltender in Braden Holtby who’s as good as anyone right now.
I think New York pulls this off in seven. They don’t have as much firepower as the Caps but they’re a better defensive team. If they can keep Alex Ovechkin in check — something they have not done in playoffs past — they’re going to have an excellent chance of winning here.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (5) VS. NEW JERSEY DEVILS (6)
The Flyers are quite the wild card. They were able to tick the Penguins off to the extent that Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury were completely off their games. Despite a horrendous goaltending performance by Ilya Bryzgalov, Philly’s offense propelled them into the second round. I will say that Bryzgalov was very good in game six and if you’re the Flyers, you’re hoping that’s the start of a hot streak for the Russian netminder.
New Jersey’s big guns were kept relatively silent in the first round, and unless that changes, the Devils could be in trouble. Marty Brodeur came up big when his team needed it most against Florida, but the Flyers have far too many weapons for Brodeur to face on his own. If he’a the only line of defense, this could be a quick series. I like the Flyers in six…if Bryzgalov shows up for ‘em.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
ST. LOUIS BLUES (2) VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS (8)
St. Louis dispatched the Sharks in five games, but if they think their next trip to California will be an easy one, they are sorely mistaken. This is a Kings team that is far better than they finished in the standings, as they showed during a triumphant series victory over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks. LA’s physical style is a lot for opposing teams to handle and, in my opinion, they are better-equipped on offense and between the pipes than the Blues.
Jonathan Quick has been absolutely phenomenal in these playoffs and I’d expect more of the same in this series. The Blues are a very good defensive team in their own right and I think they’ve got more than enough talent to push this best-of-seven to the brink. But Quick and company have convinced me that they’re the real deal. I’m going with LA in seven.
PHOENIX COYOTES (3) VS. NASHVILLE PREDATORS (4)
In the first round, the Predators ousted the Red Wings in five games.
The Red Wings. In FIVE GAMES. This team has everything you look for in a Cup-contender and I think Nashville’s really going to take it to the Coyotes in this series. Phoenix showed a lot of heart in beating the Chicago Blackhawks, and Mike Smith continues to be a nightmare for opposing shooters. He’ll be tough to beat here too, but I think the Preds have more than enough depth to overwhelm the ‘Yotes.
I’m also interested to see how effective Phoenix’s offense really is because, with all due respect to ‘Hawks goaltender Corey Crawford, he’s not exactly a difficult one to beat. Pekka Rinne, on the other hand, is one of the best in the business and I think that’s going to be problematic for the opposition in this series. I like Nashville in five.
NHL Playoffs Thoughts & Theories 4/19/12
NEW YORK– By Daniel Friedman
1) I think the Rangers are in quite a bit of trouble, for a couple of reasons: They’ve been far too conservative when ahead on the scoreboard, they can’t seem to match Ottawa’s speed and not only have they been out-skated by the Senators, they’ve shown a lot of wear and tear late in hockey games.
This is where the Carl Hagelin suspension hurts the most, because the kid can skate and they’re really missing him out there right now. Chris Kreider’s fast too, but he’s very raw and isn’t getting a lot of ice time. Also, Henrik Lundqvist can only do so much; if you can’t give him run support, you’re probably not going to win. It doesn’t matter if Lundqvist makes 27 saves or 67. This is a series the Rangers can win, but not if they continue to allow Ottawa to control the flow of play like they have over the last few games.
2) I think that if I could explain what’s going through Brendan Shanahan’s mind when he’s handing out these suspensions, I’d be working at ESPN and Barry Melrose would be the one who brings me my coffee every day.
3) I think that if I could explain what the heck has gotten into Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (see above, start from “I’d be working…”).
4) Seriously, I think that for the Pittsburgh Penguins, last night’s 10-3 drubbing of the Flyers was a show of brute strength but it is too little, too late. If they wanted to set the tone, they needed to do that in game one, not when they’re trailing 3-0 in the series. Philly will find a way to win a fourth game and will be lucky to win another for the rest of the playoffs, especially the way Ilya Bryzgalov’s playing between the pipes.
5) Speaking of too little, too late, I think the Vancouver Canucks’ 3-1 victory in Los Angeles was just that. It’s nice to see the best goalie the Canucks really have get a win in his second-consecutive start, but the Kings will not let this series slip away. I can even see it going to a sixth game, but LA will win.
6) I think the New Jersey Devils lost a real important game the other night and I think it could lead to their demise. Obviously, the Devils can still win this series but the momentum has completely shifted in the Panthers’ favor and, assuming New Jersey continues to take penalties, Florida will continue to make ‘em pay.
I also find it mind-boggling that Adam Larsson continues to sit out while Anton Volchenkov, who’s been on the ice for nine of the Panthers’ 10 goals in this series, is (somehow) still in the lineup. Larsson has speed and skill, the Devils need a jolt. Would it really kill them to give this kid a shot?
