Bills All Time Best Coach

[truth on hold]

I went with Saban.

 

Took the team to two league championships, winning them both.

Highest winning percentage of any Bills coach .679.

 

Had he not left at the end of 1965 season after winning his second consecutive title, it may have been Bills instead of Chiefs playing in the first Super Bowl next year.

[tennesseeboy]

Saban and Levy were very good, Knox and Phillips were good, none of the others were even good.

[wide_right]

chuck knox i think it can be argued did the most with the least

[Clippers of Nfl]

i knew marv and forward...

so of course marv.

 

2 kids chose jauron. lol

[tennesseeboy]

I went with Saban.

 

Took the team to two league championships, winning them both.

Highest winning percentage of any Bills coach .679.

 

Had he not left at the end of 1965 season after winning his second consecutive title, it may have been Bills instead of Chiefs playing in the first Super Bowl next year.

The only criticism I have of Saban was the Gilchrist trade, but his work before and after more than makes up for that error in my book. I think you are right and that we would have been in the first superbowl had he been coaching, and he would be in the Hall of Fame had he stayed with the bills one more year.

 

He was the guy who made the team work for OJ. He built the line, and made it clear to one and all that we were a run first last and always team while we had a back like OJ. He was a great mind who knew how to make the most of the talent that he had.

[Tcali]

I went with Saban.

 

Took the team to two league championships, winning them both.

Highest winning percentage of any Bills coach .679.

 

Had he not left at the end of 1965 season after winning his second consecutive title, it may have been Bills instead of Chiefs playing in the first Super Bowl next year.

Saban /Knox tie

[truth on hold]

The only criticism I have of Saban was the Gilchrist trade, but his work before and after more than makes up for that error in my book. I think you are right and that we would have been in the first superbowl had he been coaching, and he would be in the Hall of Fame had he stayed with the bills one more year.

 

He was the guy who made the team work for OJ. He built the line, and made it clear to one and all that we were a run first last and always team while we had a back like OJ. He was a great mind who knew how to make the most of the talent that he had.

That team actually had a lot of talent

 

Bills 1964 Season

 

Kemp/Lemonica to Dubenion was money.

[truth on hold]

i knew marv and forward...

so of course marv.

 

2 kids chose jauron. lol

Ask me 5 years ago and I would have said Marv too. But his debacle with Jauron and the horrible drafts made me realize Marv wasn't the football man he was cracked up to be. The Super Bowl years were more about Polian's GM skills than Marv as coach.

[NewHampshireBillsFan]

Knox was the most innovative, both on offense and defense. With offense, showing that the shotgun offense could be extremely productive, esp. on 3rd down where the Bills got a 60% 3rd down conversion rate for the whole year!!! when they started with the shotgun in 1980. Had he won the SB, which he came close to doing with Buffalo in 1980, he would be recognized by everyone as the best Bills coach. On defense he pioneered the 3-4.

 

Regarding the SB, the Bills narrowly lost to the Chargers in the divisional playoffs on the road, with several questionable calls as usual against Buffalo. Had they beaten the Chargers they would have easily beaten the Raiders in Buffalo; they had already beaten the Raiders 24-7 earlier in the season. The Raiders went on the defeat the Eagles in the SB since they didn't have to go through Buffalo to get there.

 

Anyway during the Knox era Buffalo was perhaps the most innovative team in the NFL. We haven't been that for a long time.

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Saban he won AFL championship just one SB win and Levy gets the nod

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Knox was the most innovative, both on offense and defense. With offense, showing that the shotgun offense could be extremely productive, esp. on 3rd down where the Bills got a 60% 3rd down conversion rate when the started with the shotgun in 1980. Had he won the SB, which he came close to doing with Buffalo in 1980, he would be recognized by everyone as the best Bills coach. On defense he pioneered the 3-4.

 

Regarding the SB, the Bills narrowly lost to the Chargers in the divisional playoffs on the road, with several questionable calls as usual against Buffalo. Had they beaten the Chargers they would have easily beaten the Raiders in Buffalo; they had already beaten the Raiders 24-7 earlier in the season. The Raiders went on the defeat the Eagles in the SB since they didn't have to go through Buffalo to get there.

 

Anyway during the Knox era Buffalo was perhaps the most innovative team in the NFL. We haven't been that for a long time.

I forgot about Knox innovation so have to go with him for best coach, how do I change my vote.

[truth on hold]

I forgot about Knox innovation so have to go with him for best coach, how do I change my vote.

Saban was innovative too. In the AFL days he went mostly vertical passing game in what at the time was mostly a run oriented game. And making a 2 QB rotation work is something no one else has been able to do. Then he showed he could switch gears when he had OJ and switched to predominantly run oriented. Before Saban, OJ was on the verge of being declared a bust. Although I concede he didn't have the sophisticated schemes that Knox did.

[BillsZubaz]

Hank Bullough. Because I can.

[wide_right]

Knox was the most innovative, both on offense and defense. With offense, showing that the shotgun offense could be extremely productive, esp. on 3rd down where the Bills got a 60% 3rd down conversion rate for the whole year!!! when they started with the shotgun in 1980. Had he won the SB, which he came close to doing with Buffalo in 1980, he would be recognized by everyone as the best Bills coach. On defense he pioneered the 3-4.

 

Regarding the SB, the Bills narrowly lost to the Chargers in the divisional playoffs on the road, with several questionable calls as usual against Buffalo. Had they beaten the Chargers they would have easily beaten the Raiders in Buffalo; they had already beaten the Raiders 24-7 earlier in the season. The Raiders went on the defeat the Eagles in the SB since they didn't have to go through Buffalo to get there.

 

Anyway during the Knox era Buffalo was perhaps the most innovative team in the NFL. We haven't been that for a long time.

knox for sure. anyone who can't see that is a big freaking idiot. saban coached in a pop warner league. and levy went 0-4 with what amounted to the afc pro bowl team.

[DarthICE]

I went with Saban.

 

Took the team to two league championships, winning them both.

Highest winning percentage of any Bills coach .679.

 

Had he not left at the end of 1965 season after winning his second consecutive title, it may have been Bills instead of Chiefs playing in the first Super Bowl next year.

 

My Vote is 'yet to be determined'. When one wins a superbowl they automatically move to the head of the list

[Josh]

It's obvious that Levy/Saban/Knox are the top 3 (with the nod going to Marv). But I think Joe Collier is actually underrated. He would have been the Bills coach in the first Super Bowl if they won the 1966 AFL Championship...and I think he would have stayed with the team if Kemp didn't break his leg...he was a great defensive mind who helped the Broncos reach a couple Super Bowls.

[wide_right]

Saban and Levy were very good, Knox and Phillips were good, none of the others were even good.

it's really quite shocking the scrubs on that list. and the more recent you get, the more scubby it gets.

[sabres...yawn]

When I hear how explayers still talk about Levy I have to respect that but I never thought he was a great game day coach.

 

Saban wins because of the "Lou Saban Show".

 

Classic.

[VABills]

You forgot Red Dawson.

[Bob in STL]

I went with Saban.

 

Took the team to two league championships, winning them both.

Highest winning percentage of any Bills coach .679.

 

Had he not left at the end of 1965 season after winning his second consecutive title, it may have been Bills instead of Chiefs playing in the first Super Bowl next year.

 

Tough call between Lou and Marv. Lou won and he kicked butt and his numbers stand up. He also quit on us twice. Levy stayed the course and was consistent.

 

BTW ... the team that lost to KC was really on the decline due to injuries. I doubt they would have beat the Chiefs, even with Lou.

[Bob in STL]

Saban was innovative too. In the AFL days he went mostly vertical passing game in what at the time was mostly a run oriented game. And making a 2 QB rotation work is something no one else has been able to do. Then he showed he could switch gears when he had OJ and switched to predominantly run oriented. Before Saban, OJ was on the verge of being declared a bust. Although I concede he didn't have the sophisticated schemes that Knox did.

 

 

Saban ran in the AFL days too. Saban won with the first 1,000 yard back in the AFL, Cookie Gilcrest.

[Haven Moses]

Sabian was the best at grabbing guys off the waiver wire and making something out of them.

[Bob in STL]

Ask me 5 years ago and I would have said Marv too. But his debacle with Jauron and the horrible drafts made me realize Marv wasn't the football man he was cracked up to be. The Super Bowl years were more about Polian's GM skills than Marv as coach.

 

 

Come on. Marv was a coach not a reluctant GM. He never wanted that job and he left it early.

[Dante]

Knox was the most innovative, both on offense and defense. With offense, showing that the shotgun offense could be extremely productive, esp. on 3rd down where the Bills got a 60% 3rd down conversion rate for the whole year!!! when they started with the shotgun in 1980. Had he won the SB, which he came close to doing with Buffalo in 1980, he would be recognized by everyone as the best Bills coach. On defense he pioneered the 3-4.

 

Regarding the SB, the Bills narrowly lost to the Chargers in the divisional playoffs on the road, with several questionable calls as usual against Buffalo. Had they beaten the Chargers they would have easily beaten the Raiders in Buffalo; they had already beaten the Raiders 24-7 earlier in the season. The Raiders went on the defeat the Eagles in the SB since they didn't have to go through Buffalo to get there.

 

Anyway during the Knox era Buffalo was perhaps the most innovative team in the NFL. We haven't been that for a long time.

Plus the Bills were absolutely horrid before he got here. He righted the ship and it was pretty exciting for a few seasons. I really wish the Bills could have got a coach like him this go around.

[KRT88]

OK, who voted for Chan Gailey

 

at 0-0 he's still undefeated

[billsfreak]

Let's see, what 15 coaches in their history-one Hall of Famer? Tough Choice-NOT!

[billsfreak]

Sabian was the best at grabbing guys off the waiver wire and making something out of them.

Who is/was Sabian?

[Buftex]

Who is/was Sabian?

 

Thats the masturbating machine Stern has the porn stars ride, as they fake orgasims on air...

[Buftex]

I love Chuck Knox. I wasn't old enough to really start watching the Bills until 1972, so the 60's guys are not in the equation for me. The Knox era Bills, IMO, were the first teams that I ever thought had a chance to go all the way...and a large part of that was Knox. The 1980-1981 Bills, to this day, are my all-time favorite teams... Knox is often characterized as running a dull, plodding offense, and having a stellar defense. The defense was stellar, but the offense was highpowered and imaginative. Ferguson, Cribbs and Butler were awesome...

[ConradDobler]

Who is/was Sabian?

 

I think he's just being cymbalic.

[ConradDobler]

knox for sure. anyone who can't see that is a big freaking idiot. saban coached in a pop warner league. and levy went 0-4 with what amounted to the afc pro bowl team.

 

Trouble with Knox was once the team got down by one or two touchdowns you basically knew the Bills were gonna lose. He wasn't that good at comebacks. With Levy, it was different - the Bills were usually in it until the end, as proven time and again.

[Guest dog14787]

I went with Saban.

 

Took the team to two league championships, winning them both.

Highest winning percentage of any Bills coach .679.

 

Had he not left at the end of 1965 season after winning his second consecutive title, it may have been Bills instead of Chiefs playing in the first Super Bowl next year.

 

I went with Marv Levy, but that's a real impressive winning percentage and pretty much speaks for itself.

[ChasBB]

Lou Saban -- should be on the Wall.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Lou Saban -- should be on the Wall.

You're right. Except in Ralph's book, Saban and Cookie are persona non grata.

[Tcali]

Who is/was Sabian?

father of singer kasabian

[tony320]

I went with Saban.

 

Took the team to two league championships, winning them both.

Highest winning percentage of any Bills coach .679.

 

Had he not left at the end of 1965 season after winning his second consecutive title, it may have been Bills instead of Chiefs playing in the first Super Bowl next year.

btw , the nfl shop for the mvp

coach outlet

I am in total agreement with you

As a tribute the Saban, the Bills will add the word "NARODZENIA" to their jerseys next season. "NARODZENIA" is the word which Saban is seen shouting in the picture above, and it was an anagram which represented the essense of his unchanging coaching philosophy. When I was a player at Frogmouth State Saban briefly coached our team and tried to instill in us the principles of NARODZENIA but we never knew what he was talking about, and he quit after six weeks.

[wide_right]

I am in total agreement with you

As a tribute the Saban, the Bills will add the word "NARODZENIA" to their jerseys next season. "NARODZENIA" is the word which Saban is seen shouting in the picture above, and it was an anagram which represented the essense of his unchanging coaching philosophy. When I was a player at Frogmouth State Saban briefly coached our team and tried to instill in us the principles of NARODZENIA but we never knew what he was talking about, and he quit after six weeks.

back when i played for Large Mouth Bass University, i used to look forward to our rivalry with Frogmouth, our rallying cry for them was "BOHICA"

[gcb34]

Still waiting for one

[Chandler#81]

Saban was innovative too. In the AFL days he went mostly vertical passing game in what at the time was mostly a run oriented game. And making a 2 QB rotation work is something no one else has been able to do. Then he showed he could switch gears when he had OJ and switched to predominantly run oriented. Before Saban, OJ was on the verge of being declared a bust. Although I concede he didn't have the sophisticated schemes that Knox did.

 

That's not how I remember that era, though I was just a lad. The AFL sold tickets on a wide open passing game. Blanda, Hadl, Dawson, Namath lit up the skies with passes, in direct opposition to 3yrds and a cloud of dust NFL. The mid-60's Bills were built defense first, supported by a great running game with Carlton and Gilchrest. Kemp/Lamonica bombs to Golden Wheels and Glenn Bass came as a result of respecting Buffalo's ground game. We are recognized as the first truley great defense of the AFL.

 

Back to topic, I voted Knox.

[VABills]

Still no Red Dawson?