Thread: Does Lovie rank among league Top 10 coaches?

Not enough love for Bears' Smith

by Micheal C Wright

Maybe it's nitpicky to expect a higher ranking for Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, but it's definitely worth mentioning that his team beat three of the names listed above him in the ESPN top 10 list of NFL coaches.

Checking in at No. 8 on the list, Smith defeated No. 3 Andy Reid's Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 28, No. 4 Mike McCarthy's Green Bay Packers on Sept. 27 and No. 7 Rex Ryan's New York Jets on Dec. 26.

That's not to say that Smith deserves a higher ranking than McCarthy, who beat Smith and the Bears twice en route to winning Super Bowl XLV. McCarthy should definitely be ranked higher than Smith. In fact, the Packers coach should also be ahead of No. 1 Bill Belichick, No. 2 Mike Tomlin (didn't McCarthy just beat him?), Reid and everyone else in the top 10 by virtue of his recent Lombardi Trophy acquisition.

Still, Smith probably deserves to at least be placed ahead of Reid, and No. 5 Sean Payton -- whose team lost in the opening round of the playoffs to an opponent the Bears smashed -- in addition to the brash Ryan, who couldn't squeeze out a victory at Soldier Field with his team's playoff hopes on the line.

Perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise, though. After all, just hours after Smith signed a three-year extension to remain coach of the Bears in the wake of an 11-5 season and NFC championship berth, one of the first questions in the ensuing press conference was whether 2011 was a make-or-break year for him.

Huh?

Smith laughed at the notion during the NFL owners meetings in March, but the objective -- regardless of his new contract situation -- hasn't changed.

“I'm not just giving you talk. It's always about the next year, always,” Smith said. “Winning. You have to win to stay the following year or… that really doesn't matter. It's only about that. I've always looked at it as it's just that -- that next year -- and trying to win it all. And that's where we are.”

Anyway, we'd be remiss not to mention the fact that Smith finished 2010 with a 3-5 record against coaches listed among the league's top 10 by an average margin of 12 points in losses to Belichick, McCarthy, Tom Coughlin at No. 6, and No. 10 Mike Shanahan.

Still, we contend Smith, who is coming off his third NFC North title, deserves to be a spot or two higher on the list.

What do you think?

think #8 is a reasonable place for lovie.. though do think rex ryan more mouth than actual coaching so far, so I'd move lovie ahead of him for now.. and if bears win a SB under lovie also coughlin

I would actually move love up on this list because most of the coaches in the league have 1-2 years coaching experience with their current team. Rex Ryan has his ups and downs but lets see if he can back up this words this year. I am not sold on Tomlin being in the position he is at because he took over a very talented team that built under Bill Cowher.

Originally Posted by short faced bear

If he is ranked according to the strength of his staff it would be higher, stand alone he probably stays the same.

The sad thing is that Mike McCarthy is a better HC than Lovie.

Originally Posted by short faced bear

If he is ranked according to the strength of his staff it would be higher, stand alone he probably stays the same.

Good point.. and not sure how much the staff hirings all on lovie or a collaboration between angelo and lovie on the Assistants

Originally Posted by dabears54

Not enough love for Bears' Smith

by Micheal C Wright

Maybe it's nitpicky to expect a higher ranking for Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, but it's definitely worth mentioning that his team beat three of the names listed above him in the ESPN top 10 list of NFL coaches.

Checking in at No. 8 on the list, Smith defeated No. 3 Andy Reid's Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 28, No. 4 Mike McCarthy's Green Bay Packers on Sept. 27 and No. 7 Rex Ryan's New York Jets on Dec. 26.

That is really stupid logic. Since when do head-to-head matchups determine the better head coach? Eric Mangini beat Sean Payton and Bill Belichick last season. Does anyone think he's a better coach than either of those guys?

It's a fair ranking based on his entire history as the Bears coach. Three things prevent me from rating him higher than this.

1) The way he let his team fall backward for three straight years following a Super Bowl appearance. Top rated coaches don't have three back to back to back .500 seasons at that point in their careers.

2) He may well be the worst gameday coach of the lot. I give him A+ for his rapport with his players and for motivating them to play hard for him but some of his on field gaffes are just inexcusable.

3) Allowing a wild card team to skate past him into the Super Bowl and the rival he swore it was his primary job to beat no less. He had two chances to prevent that and lost both times.

If not for these factors he could easily be in the top 5.

Originally Posted by soulman

It's a fair ranking based on his entire history as the Bears coach. Three things prevent me from rating him higher than this.

1) The way he let his team fall backward for three straight years following a Super Bowl appearance. Top rated coaches don't have three back to back to back .500 seasons at that point in their careers.

2) He may well be the worst gameday coach of the lot. I give him A+ for his rapport with his players and for motivating them to play hard for him but some of his on field gaffes are just inexcusable.

3) Allowing a wild card team to skate past him into the Super Bowl and the rival he swore it was his primary job to beat no less. He had two chances to prevent that and lost both times.

If not for these factors he could easily be in the top 5.

in 1997 cohwer went 11-5, lost in the conf champsionship 24-21 to the Sb champ bronco's.. then went 7-9,6-10 and 9-7..

after parcells won the SB in 1986 with giants- went 6-9,10-6(missed playoffs both years)

sean peyton after losing to bears in the NFC championship went 7-9 and 8-8