BillsNYC Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 That was a tough choice on the Buffalo Bills 50 Year team. Who was the better coach - Lou Saban or Marv Levy? Levy is....well...Levy. However Saban actually won championships and probably had less talent. I hate to say it, but I voted Saban. I LOVE Marv, but in the end Saban won the big game, something Marv couldn't do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 A case could be made for Saban. He did have considerable talent (Gilchrist, Kemp, Dubenion, Warlick and a defense that started with Day Sestak McDole Dunaway and Stratton Tracey and Jacobs. He knew you build champions on the lines (Billy Shaw, Bemiller, etc on offensive line.) and work backwards. He did the same in his second tenure with Simpson in drafting and implementing "the electric company" as a top priority. .Dick Jauron...take notice.. All in all I'm going to have to give Levy the slight edge. Saban was mercurial and had too many personality clashes which prety much tarnished his career. I'm going to go with the more level headed guy who produced year after year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I had to flip a coin. I was leaning toward Saban. Marv won the toss. I think I should have picked Lou. That's what my heart said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 A case could be made for Saban. He did have considerable talent (Gilchrist, Kemp, Dubenion, Warlick and a defense that started with Day Sestak McDole Dunaway and Stratton Tracey and Jacobs. He knew you build champions on the lines (Billy Shaw, Bemiller, etc on offensive line.) and work backwards. He did the same in his second tenure with Simpson in drafting and implementing "the electric company" as a top priority. .Dick Jauron...take notice.. All in all I'm going to have to give Levy the slight edge. Saban was mercurial and had too many personality clashes which prety much tarnished his career. I'm going to go with the more level headed guy who produced year after year. Saban had the clashes with Ralph which Levy let Polian handle. Levy was good at the political infighting and consensus builidng. Saban was a good NFL head coach who didn't have the best GM in the business assembling a roster stocked with Hall of Famers Levy is vastly overrated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JÂy RÛßeÒ Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I picked Saban, even before today's sad news of his passing. I feel like Levy was more an orchestrator of excellent parts. Saban was more of a "football coach". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 In today's NFL, Levy makes the better head coach. But, Saban was a lion in his day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 it's a three-way tie! what about chuck knox!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 it's a three-way tie! what about chuck knox!? Probably the best fundamental coach, of the three. Alas, when it counted, his conservatism (more so than Jauon, I think) med it hard for a team to succeed in the playoffs. He might out-do Schottenheimer for "best coach that couldn't win in the playoffs". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Probably the best fundamental coach, of the three. Alas, when it counted, his conservatism (more so than Jauon, I think) med it hard for a team to succeed in the playoffs. He might out-do Schottenheimer for "best coach that couldn't win in the playoffs". Right on...that was Knox's achilles heal...the more important the game, the more conservative he became. As you pointed out, same with Schotty. And also the same with Jim Mora. All three are excellent coaches. I believe Knox, in addition to his success in Buffalo previously led the Rams to five straight division titles. He later coached excellent teams in Seattle. An excellent coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Probably the best fundamental coach, of the three. Alas, when it counted, his conservatism (more so than Jauon, I think) med it hard for a team to succeed in the playoffs. He might out-do Schottenheimer for "best coach that couldn't win in the playoffs". well he might have had a chance here if ralph wouldn't have... aw, forget it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Probably the best fundamental coach, of the three. Alas, when it counted, his conservatism (more so than Jauon, I think) med it hard for a team to succeed in the playoffs. He might out-do Schottenheimer for "best coach that couldn't win in the playoffs". You know (or maybe you don't), the Knox era Bills teams are my favorites of all time. I think that Knox conservative style is vastly overstated. He was conservative when the offensive talent on his teams wasn't so hot, but the offense in 1980 and 1981, Knoxs final years, wasn't really that conservative. Ferguson was near the top in the leauge in passing each of those seasons (yards and attempts) and they were early pioneers in using their running back (Cribbs) as a receiving option. It doesn't seem radical now, but keep in mind, the game was more "conservative" in general back then. That said, I still give the nod to Marv Levy. I think his "overrated" status amongst Bills fans, in recent years, has become so popular, that he has now become "underrated". The game was much different in Levy's time, than it was in Sabans' day. Back in Sabans' days, the coach assumed much more power in personnel decisions. It isn't Levy's fault that Polian was there. You can't that against him. People often credit Polian, Ted Marciabroda, and even Jim Kelly for much of the Bills success in the "golden era", but keep in mind, Levy deserves a ton of credit for allowing Marciabroda and Kelly the leash to run the offense to their strengths, not necessarily within the constraints of Marvs' comfort zone. Also, important to keep in mind, as much as is made of Jim Kelly calling his own plays, Levy called the offensive shots in the red zone...not Marciabroda or Jim Kelly. Just think of how many interceptions (the result of forced throws that Jim had a tendency towards) that saved the team on the field. Not to take anything away from JK or TM, but give Levy credit for knowing when to let his coaches and players play, and when to real them in... Incidently, the other day, while perusing a used book store, I came across a book called something like "My Last Season as an NFL Coach" by Bill Parcells and Will McDonough. Laughably, it chronicles Parcells final season as coach of the NY Jets, in 1999. It is sort of a week by week journal of the season. In it, Parcells gives Levy lots of kudos (he cites his cutting of Billy Joe Hobert as a "true" coaching move that many NFL coaches wouldn't have the balls to do)) even though he didn't really ever think the Bills were as good their reputation. It seems Parcells always felt the Bills could be "out physicalled". He wasn't really knocking the team, just speaking about the feeling he had about the team over the 1990's. He also pointed out, to his credit, that he hadn't had a ton of success against the Bills, in the regular season, no matter what team he was coaching. ps- Incidentally, Parcells also sites Buffalo as one of his "favorite cities to play in". He said that it is much more fun, for him, to coach a team, on the road, in a "real football town" like Buffalo, than "a city, like, say, Miami where the fans don't have a clue as to how the home field advantage can work for their team".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bflojohn Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Damn, no votes for John Rauch or Harvey Johnson? What about Hank Bullough? Kay Stephenson anyone? ANYONE?? Lou Saban is the best the Bills have had in their history, IMHO! I was a wee lad of 8 and 9 years old when Lou won those championships, but he defeated the San Diego Chargers who were, on paper, the better team overall. I don't think Marv can be credited with rising above when put to that scrutiny! I love Marv Levy, but please remember Lou Saban for what he truly was...... a great coach! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In space no one can hear Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 With the talent the Bills had under Levy I think Lou would have won a championship. After they won one, all bets are off if the team would remain on top, self destruct or if Lou might walk away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I hate to say it, but I voted Saban. I LOVE Marv, but in the end Saban won the big game, something Marv couldn't do. The "big game" was not as big as the AFC Championship when Bills won IMO. Saban won in a 8 league team who played 12 regular season games - Bills won in a much larger league and played more regular games. I think Saban's Bills just got hot which was easier in short term. Oh and Saban's teams never made Superbowl and not just in Buffalo (80's) but Denver too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 "They're killing me Whitey, they're…killing me!" Even know it was Saban when he was with the Bronco's... That has got to be the best preformance by a coach caught on tape! Even though Marv had some doozys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyDingo Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Marv was out-coached in every Super Bowl. Yeah, I said it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 The "big game" was not as big as the AFC Championship when Bills won IMO. Saban won in a 8 league team who played 12 regular season games - Bills won in a much larger league and played more regular games. I think Saban's Bills just got hot which was easier in short term. Oh and Saban's teams never made Superbowl and not just in Buffalo (80's) but Denver too. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SABURZFAN Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 gotta go with old school. Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsCelticsAngelsBama Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 gotta go with old school. Lou Agree. He died like I died when the Bills lost. I am saddened by his loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Saban. Lou won championships & never sh-- the bed like Marv did in SB 25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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