How Do You Define an Elite Coach?

[Reagan]

59 minutes ago, whodat22 said:

I would say so....just the best player in college football.

So he had nothing to do with it?  If not, then they could hire some Joe blow off the street and they would be successful.  Or just hire some here!  😏

[Right99JOH]

3 hours ago, whodat22 said:

I would say so....just the best player in college football.

I did not say last season; I said every place he's coached at.

[BBtater984]

3 hours ago, whodat22 said:

I would say so....just the best player in college football.

You do know that Cignetti has never had a losing season (as a HC)? And he's been coaching for 10+ years. So, with a resume like that, has he had the best player in college football every year?

[Reagan]

1 hour ago, BBtater984 said:

You do know that Cignetti has never had a losing season (as a HC)? And he's been coaching for 10+ years. So, with a resume like that, has he had the best player in college football every year?

You are confusing some here.  But keep it up.  I like it!  You are making sense!  👍

[wo-s#1]

3 hours ago, Reagan said:

So he had nothing to do with it?  If not, then they could hire some Joe blow off the street and they would be successful.  Or just hire some here!  😏

😂

[oldschool2]

On 3/5/2026 at 2:55 PM, BBtater984 said:

You do know that Cignetti has never had a losing season (as a HC)? And he's been coaching for 10+ years. So, with a resume like that, has he had the best player in college football every year?

Phil Danaher is the winningest head coach in the history of Texas high school football coaches.  41 consecutive playoff appearances... since you brought up losing seasons.

However, he never won the title.  So.. is he elite?  Some people (cough cough) would say no, because he never won the state championship. What are your thoughts?

[89Falcon]

On 3/5/2026 at 2:55 PM, BBtater984 said:

You do know that Cignetti has never had a losing season (as a HC)? And he's been coaching for 10+ years. So, with a resume like that, has he had the best player in college football every year?

Has he been able to pick his own players? If so, what criterion did he utilize for selecting players? 

[BBtater984]

15 hours ago, 89Falcon said:

Has he been able to pick his own players? If so, what criterion did he utilize for selecting players? 

Pick his own players? Do you mean offer scholarships to players he wants on his team? And what criterion did he use???... IDK ask him but I would bet that he looks for high character athletes. Athletes that fit the mold of what he is building. 

[BBtater984]

15 hours ago, oldschool2 said:

Phil Danaher is the winningest head coach in the history of Texas high school football coaches.  41 consecutive playoff appearances... since you brought up losing seasons.

However, he never won the title.  So.. is he elite?  Some people (cough cough) would say no, because he never won the state championship. What are your thoughts?

Lots of "elite" coaches and players have never won championships.

[89Falcon]

5 hours ago, BBtater984 said:

Pick his own players? Do you mean offer scholarships to players he wants on his team? And what criterion did he use???... IDK ask him but I would bet that he looks for high character athletes. Athletes that fit the mold of what he is building. 

What mean by “pick his own players” is was he able “recruit”? I bet he looks for players with “talent”. What do you think?
 

In high school you have to play with the kids in your school. 

[kirkwood29]

I often wonder who GA Moore would be had he coached in Warren for 44 years.

Also, do you remember GA Moore for all his wins at Celina and Pilot Point, or the fact that he finished his career with two back to back losing seasons at Aubrey HS?  I wonder, did he forget how to be great? 

[BBtater984]

1 hour ago, 89Falcon said:

What mean by “pick his own players” is was he able “recruit”? I bet he looks for players with “talent”. What do you think?
 

In high school you have to play with the kids in your school. 

In high school where most schools do not recruit and have to play the hand that is delt...  Well, that elite coach is someone that gets the most of his players. Someone that can take a bunch of avg. Joe's and have them playing above their avg. capabilities. Scoreboards don't always tell the complete story. Sure, people judge coaches by wins and loses but to me you can tell an elite coach by his players... by their enthusiasm, their motivation, someone that is will to run thru a brick wall for their Coach. I know you'll come back with some sarcastic remark about wins and losses or some other babbling nonsense... so save it. 

**Elite doesn't always mean the most championships!

[89Falcon]

24 minutes ago, BBtater984 said:

In high school where most schools do not recruit and have to play the hand that is delt...  Well, that elite coach is someone that gets the most of his players. Someone that can take a bunch of avg. Joe's and have them playing above their avg. capabilities. Scoreboards don't always tell the complete story. Sure, people judge coaches by wins and loses but to me you can tell an elite coach by his players... by their enthusiasm, their motivation, someone that is will to run thru a brick wall for their Coach. I know you'll come back with some sarcastic remark about wins and losses or some other babbling nonsense... so save it. 

**Elite doesn't always mean the most championships!

Got it. So, we can disregard Cignetti as an analogy. How do "you" know if the coach "got the most out of his players"? Seen a lot of "enthusiastic" players who would "run through a wall" get de-cleated while watching a superior athlete run away for a score. 

[Reagan]

On 3/9/2026 at 6:29 PM, oldschool2 said:

Phil Danaher is the winningest head coach in the history of Texas high school football coaches.  41 consecutive playoff appearances... since you brought up losing seasons.

However, he never won the title.  So.. is he elite?  Some people (cough cough) would say no, because he never won the state championship. What are your thoughts?

Did you turn your head when you coughed?  LOL!!

[wo-s#1]

4 hours ago, 89Falcon said:

Got it. So, we can disregard Cignetti as an analogy. How do "you" know if the coach "got the most out of his players"? Seen a lot of "enthusiastic" players who would "run through a wall" get de-cleated while watching a superior athlete run away for a score. 

Pretty sure a while back it was pointed out that you were an ex coach..I may be wrong is that you?

[Reagan]

On 3/9/2026 at 6:29 PM, oldschool2 said:

Phil Danaher is the winningest head coach in the history of Texas high school football coaches.  41 consecutive playoff appearances... since you brought up losing seasons.

However, he never won the title.  So.. is he elite?  Some people (cough cough) would say no, because he never won the state championship. What are your thoughts?

If one has that kind of record for that long and you haven’t won a State title then is something wrong.  If State titles were easy every coach would have 30 of them.  But it’s NOT easy.  That’s what distinguishes elite coaches from everyone else.  You got to ask yourself:  why does Surratt have so many State titles and Danaher has none?  Luck?  I think not.  You might actually think that there might a difference in coaching ability concerning Surratt and Danaher?  My opinion is there is a difference!  Don’t get me wrong, Danaher was a great coach.  I’m sure he ran a respectable program.  Honest question:  Out of the two coaches mentioned, if you had to hire a coach, which one would you hire and why?

[89Falcon]

6 hours ago, Reagan said:

If one has that kind of record for that long and you haven’t won a State title then is something wrong.  If State titles were easy every coach would have 30 of them.  But it’s NOT easy.  That’s what distinguishes elite coaches from everyone else.  You got to ask yourself:  why does Surratt have so many State titles and Danaher has none?  Luck?  I think not.  You might actually think that there might a difference in coaching ability concerning Surratt and Danaher?  My opinion is there is a difference!  Don’t get me wrong, Danaher was a great coach.  I’m sure he ran a respectable program.  Honest question:  Out of the two coaches mentioned, if you had to hire a coach, which one would you hire and why?

Everyone competes to win championships and the best team at the end of the season is declared the "champion". That means that if you want to declare someone to be the best coach you would start with championships and then go to "wins". SS can be declared the greatest high school coach of all-time without qualification. However, that does not mean that he has not been in "the right place at the right time" and also been the beneficiary of outside factors such as the fact that there are many more championships available on a yearly basis than what was available before all of the division splits. 

There are many GREAT coaches in schools that never have the talent level that SS walked into in Carthage and deal with community dynamics that hinder maximum optimization of the talent available. Those coaches may appear mediocre to those not "in the know". It was mentioned previously that a good coach "gets the most out of what he has available" and this is a likely good way to view caliber of coaching. However, the only folks who know what the "most out of what is available" is typically the coaches on the staff. Those who do not spend the hours with the kids when they are out of their comfort zones can only speculate as to what they believe to be "real".