October 24, 2024 • 34 mins
Lists With Chris: What one player made a coach's career? 10-24-24
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Who are the five greatest athletes of all time? Who's
the worst player to ever deliver an iconic sports moment,
Who's the least athletic looking athlete in history. It's time
to rank the best and the worst that sports has
to offer. Let's dive in to lists with Chris.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Here we go.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's time for lists with Chris. With my good buddies,
Chris Beckham and Craig Stevenson, we do it every single week,
always a lot of fun. And the motivation this week
is that within the last week I got to spend
some time with a coach who probably owes the great
majority of his career to one player I'll say who
that exactly is, But got me thinking about what other
(00:51):
coaches kind of owe their career to one player. As
I got to think about this, Chris and Craig, there
are a lot of these where you're going to be like,
I'm not sure if he qualifies. Yeah, he probably does.
There's some discussion to be had with all these, but
basically what we're looking for is, boy, I'm sure glad
I had that guy because I made a lot more
money because of one player who made my career. And
like I said, I think we will debate some of them.
(01:13):
But Chris, as always, you start us off. Boy, that
player made my career as a coach. Who you got.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, I'm glad you gave that little passive stare because
I think of several of mine that are you know,
kind of how you look at him. But I'm going
to go just because I recently rewatched this thirty for
thirty and it's one of my favorites. I'm gonna go
with Ron Meyer and Eric Dickerson. Ron Meyer, I did
that guy was smooth. He was Hollywood smooth now and
of course the Pony Express. He had been at sm
(01:41):
U for a few years before they started really cheating. Uh,
and they weren't any good. That's why they started really cheating.
I mean they were he was. He had four years
where they were under five hundred and then I mean
Chris James had something to it too. I just can't
stand him. So I'm going with Eric Dickerson. But when
they got Eric Dickson, of course, they were you know,
ten and one and one of the Southwest Conference and
(02:03):
everything was set up and then he left and probably
because you knew they were about to be built, all
kinds of probation because they were cheating like crazy. So
he got smart and took the money and ran to
the NFL, where so you know, that association and payroll
to Eric Dixon got him a spring board to the
NFL and where he was buried mediocre. He was with
(02:25):
the Patriots, he was with the Colts, and I believe
he had a losing record as a head coach, but
he was up there. I mean, he was the head
coach of about ten years in the NFL and never
really any good. So I mean, I think definitely that
that that investment is termed that into Eric Dixon definitely
paid off for Ron Meyner, I like it.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Yeah, I think he got fired by the Patriots and
they immediately went to the super Bowl with Raymond Berry
as the head coach. Yeah yeah, and how that worked out.
But all right, well this is also college football also
that same ear and you know, maybe Georgia fan Chris
Beckham and many Proud Mobilions may not like to hear this,
but if you take the herschel Walker years out of
(03:09):
Vince Steeley's career, it does not look nearly as good.
You know, he won three consecutive sec championships and a
national championship with Herschel Walker played for the national championship
one other time. But if you take those three years out,
he has twenty two years and three SEC championships, And
again that's pretty good, but it's nowhere near what it
(03:29):
was during the herschel Walker years. So I would say
Herschel definitely made Vince Steeley's career.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Chris, would you like a rebuttal?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Well, I'm not gonna kill Buck Blue about this.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Hey, how about the quarterbacks who made their had their
whole career made by one other player? Buck Blue?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Or John last thing Er. There's the cited quarterback who
you know. I love to tell a story when he
said Coach Dooley said, just pitch it to Herschel and
turn around and block the backside end. He said, take
something that backside and you can catch her.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
All we meeting these guys anyway, if they got a
backside in, who can chase down Herschel? All right, I'll
tell you who I spent time with last week, And
I really had a great, great conversation with one mister
five and nineteen gene Chiswick, whose career was made by
(04:23):
Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Uh, yeah, five and nine
at Iowa State. Auburn fans yeah, five and nineteen. All
Auburn fans all up in arms about what are we
doing hiring this guy? And he comes to Auburn not
sure how it's gonna work out. Somehow they get Cam
Newton from junior college like, well, I guess we'll take him.
He gets there one year. Of course, they go undefeated,
(04:44):
win a national championship, and uh, life is good for
Gene Chiswick. It wasn't you know. Within a couple of
years he was fired. He was out of there, but
certainly made his head coaching career one Jean Chiswick, who,
by the way, it's just a great guy and turned
out to be a great and on the SEC network
as well. But his coaching career, it was Cam Newton.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Or bust right. A question for you during the course
of your conversation with Jean Chiswick, did the subject of
leaving a high school baseball game to get sand which
has come up?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Well, I'll tell you what, Greg, It did come up
that I sat. I sat on the bleachers with him
at Baker High School when his son was playing center
field for the Auburn High School Tigers, and between doubleheaders,
apparently Chisick went and made a Jimmy Johns run and
wasn't back for the start of the second game. This
was the state playoffs for that baby man. I mean,
(05:33):
the guy walked away from like a half million dollar
a year job at North Carolina so he could watch
his son play baseball and football his senior year, then
had to get a PSTRAMI on Rye. But anyway, I
promise you he's a great guy. I promise you, Gene
Cizzy is a great, great guy, and he was in
town for the Senior Bowl event. So Jeene Chiswick certainly
fits the category and was actually the motivation for the category.
(05:56):
All right, Chris, We're doing coaches who had their careers
made by one who you got.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And this is where I was going to text Randy
and say, hey, do relatives count? And then I figured
I'll just do it. Not that's for uh, that's for permission.
But if they do count, then I'm gonna go with
Press Marivitch, who, except for the fact that he was
Pete Marriage's father and because was was not a good
I mean, he was a Clemson. Uh, let's see six
(06:23):
years of Clemson overall record fifty five at ninety six
he had. Now, he did have two various years the
NC stayed in the mid sixties, but then when he
went to LSU with his unbelievable superstar all time leader's
core son overall career record of seventy six and eighty six. So,
I mean, he is he coached his son and you know,
maybe even to a great basketball player. But that's the
(06:46):
only thing I mean. And I'm sure he's a NiFe guy.
I'm trying to run down, but he'd have success doing
anything else.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Coaching was it counts for sure?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
For that's a great one.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yeah. And this is not my official choice. But along
those same lines, ain't way Wade Houston gets the Tennessee
job if Alan Houston is not his son, Craig.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
That was my next pick, Wade Houston.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
No, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Wade Houston, even with Alan Houston playing for him at Tennessee,
won forty two percent of his games. Alan Houston one
of the great players in SEC history. Wade Houston was awful.
He was and he only got the job because you know,
his son Alan was committed to Louisville, where Wade was
the well assistant coach, and Tennessee said, hey, Waite, if
(07:30):
we give you the hit job, maybe Allan will come
with you. He did, and they were terrible. So yeah,
Wade Houston certainly qualifies. But Craig, you're officially up.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Yeah. Yeah, this one may be controversial, but and he's
still actually the coach of this team. Greg Popovich won
has won five NBA titles, but he has never won
one without Tim Duncan. Wow. And I I think I
think he would have been, you know, a good coach,
(08:00):
contending coach, you know, maybe had some some playoff runs.
But does he win five titles without Tim Duncan. Is
he considered one of the greatest coaches in the NBA history?
Without Tim Duncan? I don't think so. So I kind
of hang that one on Kim Duncan's shoulders.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Man, I like it all right, I'm gonna go I've
got I had three fathers who benefited for their sons.
I'll go ahead and get this out of the way. Chris,
I'm going back to your state. What about Ron Hunter
at Georgia State had his son R. J. Hunter? Remember
and Ron Hunter was on that scooter because he had
a bad you know, broke a bone or whatever it was.
(08:35):
He had to scoot around on the sideline.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
It was a it was a stool with wheels, and
it was a torn achilles.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
But go on all those things. Yeah, yeah, lets.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
He acted like he's riding around on a brac like
a dentist.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
His some became a first round pick into the NBA,
and somehow Ron parlayed it into a head coaching job
at TWU Lane, where his record is still under five hundred,
even if you count the years when RJ, his son
played for him. And I mean that's the extent of
his fame is the fact that RJ Hunter played for
Ron Hunter, his dad. But so I got him in
(09:18):
this category. That's I think that's the last blood relative
I have on my list, but I'll throw him in there. Chris,
who you got?
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Well, you may think that this I'm gonna be talking
about a blood relative, but I'm not. I'm good. Devon
Sanders Travis Hunter. Yep, when Deon Sanders got Travis Dunner
to come to Jackson State and just shot the world
and got Jacksonville national television and got jacks State to
be very very good in that league, and you know,
I think it certainly got him a chance of Colorado,
(09:46):
where Travis Hunter followed him and is doing very well.
The question is going to be when Travis Hunter goes
to the NFL, which I hope is soon because he's
going to be broken soon if he's not. But you know,
what's what's going to be Colorado then, because we don't
know what those you know what Deon Sanders is as
the head coach without Trevison, who is unbelievable one of them.
(10:07):
I mean just you can't deny how great that guy is.
He's just unbelievable. But I think Deon Sanders has certainly,
you know, kind of hitched his wagon to it and
smartly so it's paid off for it.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Yep. I had that one. That's a good one.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
All right. This is actually two players, but two players
kind of in tandem. They're very played the same position
that were very important. Ain't no way Bob Brendley's winning
a World Series without Kurt Shilling and Randy Johnson had
enough his rotation with the airs of diamond facts. I mean,
they absolutely carried him won the World Series. That was
Brenley's first year as the manager. You know, they were
(10:44):
pretty good again the next year. Then they kind of
fell apart and he got fired in two thousand and
four when he was fifty years old. He's never been
hired again as a manager. The reason was he was
not a good manager. He had Mannie Johnson and Kurt Chilly.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yep, for sure, I can't believe this one's still around.
I'm gonna go to the coach is an Alabama native,
the pride of Bruton, Alabama, Kevin Sumlin, who got the
job at Texas A and M and was great with
one Johnny Manziel, and after that terrible. Wasn't good before,
(11:23):
wasn't good. After he left A and M. He was
terrible at his next job. I mean, just nothing. It was.
It was Johnny Manzil or nothing for Kevin Sumlin. And
so he certainly, to me, fits this category of Johnny
Manziel made his coaching career and made him millions upon
millions of dollars. All right, Chris, that's the category coaches
(11:44):
whose career were basically made by one great player.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Well, if he was talking about millions and millions. When
Kenneth Walker decided to fanswer from Wake Force to Michigan
State mil Tucker cashed.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
In in.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Great down here. He's really quick man alive. I mean,
he came in Missigan State after the COVID year and
they ran through everybody in. Kennth Walker won the Walker
Award and was just unbelievable for that one year before
he went pro. And of course it turned me out
Tucker into a ten year, ninety five million dollar contract extension,
which everybody, I mean, his career record, you know, was
(12:22):
sixteen fourteen. I mean that everybody's going on foot in
the world. And then yeah, just of course twenty twenty
two was not a good year when wise, and then
we all know it happened after that one. But yeah,
thankfully Kenneth Walker got mail paid and you thought it
would to start something big and it was not.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I didn't have that. That is a great call. It
really fits the category out Yep.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Great, all right. This is also college football, and again
it's maybe a bit of a stretch, but if you
remember this time period, you'll remember it well. Bobby Boden
and had a lot of great teams at Florida State
and a lot of New Year misses, you know, in
nineteen ninety one and nineteen ninety two, they could have
beaten Miami, but they missed field goals and everybody kept saying, man,
(13:08):
if Florida State only had a kicker, they'd get the
job done. And the next year they signed Scott Bentley,
who was the number one kicker in the country, and
they won a national championship, and obviously bad one on
to some great success after that, won another title. But
that first national championship, he never won it till he
got a guy who could push the ball through the
goalpost at the end of the game, and that was
Scott Bentley, who actually won the Orange Bowl with the
(13:30):
field goal that year. So again, you know, it's a stretch.
He thought it was going to go Charlie Ward, didn't
you but that but that was the missing piece for
Floyd State, was the kicker.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I'm going same school and I think I may have
the winner in the category. It's Jimbo Fisher with Jameis Winston.
That guy is literally like nine figures rich. Now, Jimbo
Fisher with what he got paid at Florida State and
then more specifically at take his A and M and
his record with Jamison and with Jameis Winston and without
(14:05):
Jameis Winston is shocking when you just put it down
on paper. So clearly it's Jimbo Fisher and Jameis Winston
and what he parlayed that into with the money he got.
So there you go, Jameis Winston and made the career
of Jimbo Fisher. Chris what you got, I'm gonna go.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Tom Brady probably made a lot of people's careers, but
I would argue that not one more so than Charlie White.
Charlie Waits was the oc for New England, took him
the three Super Bowls under Bill Belichick as the offensive coordinator,
and then he catched him big at Notre Dame, and boy,
then you found out what kind of coach he was,
which was which was not great. They had a couple,
(14:46):
I mean, they had a couple good seasons, but they
went from ten to three to three and nine pretty quick.
And then he went to Kansas, which was I mean
just a nightmare. So but anyway, he I think, you know,
Tom Brady's you cat as the quarterback, certainly got Charlie
Wiss in a better position, which didn't work out.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Craig controversial will you entertain Bill Belichick?
Speaker 4 (15:09):
That was absolutely what I would say, But I had
to get in the dig at Charlie Weiss when he
said they were going to have a decided schematic advantage
when he went to the day, one of the great
Hubris quotes of all time. But yes, I was gonna
say Belichick. I mean, that was the debate for years
was did Belichick make Bradier? Did Brady make Belichick? And
then Brady left and one another super Bowl, and you know,
(15:31):
Belichick just kind of fell off the face of the earth.
And you know, now he's had a midlife crisis and
a twenty four year old girlfriend. So I guess it's
not all bad, but you.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Know, not the category. Not the category, right, that's true.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
But anyway, I think that one has been settled for
all time that Brady made Belichick.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
In fact, yeah, Craig, you're officially up.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Oh that's not my thing. Okay, Well then I'll say
in the same vein. And again this is another one,
was did the coach make the player or the player
make the coach? You know, Vince LOMBARTI never won anything
without Bart Starr either.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Wowart, the Lombardi Trophy and all.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Yeah, I mean Bart Starr, right, I mean, you know
all the championships. Lombardy did go to the Washington briefly
after that, and I think he was dying of cancer,
so it's not really that fair to say. And then
you know, the Packers didn't really win anything after he left,
so I don't know. But again, uh, you know, once
he made Star his starting quarterback, that's when they started winning.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Gloves are off, We're going Lombardi not goodness? How about this?
I got another legend for you. How about this? Bill
Russell never won without Bill Russell? How about that? I mean, look,
I could win too. If I was as good as
player as Bill Russell, I could coach me, you know,
to a championship. I mean, come on, I mean which
is I mean? I think Bill Russell was a smart
(16:57):
guy and probably probably a good coach. But we'll know,
ever know, because he always had Bill Russell. So I
got Bill Russell and Bill Russell? Thank you very much?
All right, Chris, what'd you got?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I'll bring up the coach who is near and dear
to the uh sports fans in Alabama? How about uh
Dennis Franchi only and Tomlinson. Yeah, that's good only two cus.
Uh you know, took him to Uh he's only there
three years. He had stayed around many places too long,
but uh took him ten and one in two thousand
(17:27):
and Uh and took the Alabama job for for two years.
And I mean you know they were you know, ten
and three second year there. But uh, but it was
a mess. You guys just be telling more than one
to me and then and then go Texas A and
m I think Texas State. He went through it for
a little while. But uh again, Uh la, Danian Tomlinson's
legs certainly got Franchi on his career on the EP
(17:49):
sling good.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Uh, this player really had his Uh player really made
this guy's career as a coach because he got him
the job. Uh that being Tyron lu hired as the
interim coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers by Lebron James midway
through the twenty sixteen season. They went on to win
the NBA Championship. They lost in the NBA Finals. The
(18:13):
next two years, Lebron left and went to the Lakers,
and Tyron Lee was fired six games into the next season.
So you know, he's had some pretty decent teams with
the Clippers, but you know, never reached the heights. He
did obviously with Cleveland when Lebron was.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
There, Craig, believe it or not, I had that one.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yes, I'm good.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
I think that you had it too.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Wow, okay, well then I guess that one was legitimate.
There is a new book out that I just got
through reading by Mirror Fader from The Ringer, and it
is called Dream. It is a biography of a Kim
Olajuwan who was coached by Guy Lewis, who was just
a lifer at the University of Houston. Like he wasn't terrible,
(19:00):
but he was just one of those lifers. He didn't
even recruit Akim Olajuwan. He just showed up one day like, hey,
that guy's six ' ten, let's give him a tryout.
And next thing you know, they become Fi Slama Jama
and they become i mean, super famous and popular. They
did lose the National Championship game, but I think Guy Lewis,
I don't think I would have known his name today.
(19:21):
Like who coached the University of Houston when Clyde Dretchler
was there. I have no clue except the Dream went
there and they became super super famous because of that.
So I will go for Guy Lewis A kim Olajuwan
made his career, all right, Chris, that's the category. One
player made this coach his career.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Who you got, well, listen, I'm not gonna say that
Mobile's owns. William Moody didn't have a success in Florida,
but when he became Paul Bear and started managing the
Undertaker out of Mobile, al I left him out there.
(20:01):
I mean, yeah, Taker and Paul Bear wrestling legend, WDBA,
Hall of Famer, all the college.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
The Undertaker And of course I think Craig knows this
an actual Undertaker, I mean like for real, for real,
a real live Undertaker.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
So his uh my wife worked with his son at
one time.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Is that right?
Speaker 4 (20:21):
Really?
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yeah, in the undertaker.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Business, not in the Undertaker business. Okay, in the commuter
software business.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
But you were clothed, all right? All right? This one
not only did this player make this coaches career, he
basically made the university. And that's Doug Flutie with Jack
mcnell nice in college coffee, Jack mcnell In the three
years Doug Flutey was the starting quarterback at Boston College,
they went twenty seven to eight and one. In Jack
(20:49):
McNeill's other seven years, they went thirty two forty seven
in one. So they did have one other winning season
and one other Bowl win. But obviously the very height
of Boston College football was the three years Fleet was
the quarterback on the Heisman. And you know, to this
day they talk about the Fluty effect, where it, you know,
(21:09):
led to an increase of enrollment and alumni donations and
all that kind of stuff, all because of Doug Fluting.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Here's one for you. When he had Dwyane Wade, he
was a great coach. When he didn't, Tom Green was
not any good, Chris. You can testify, guy who went
to University of Georgia was not good. I mean, but
when he was at Marquetch and Dwayne Wade was there,
we had one of the rising stars in the profession.
Tom Green not good.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
As one of the biggest compliments he's ever been paid.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
He married to the family.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Yeah, yeah, the Harbor. Yeah, he's married to Harball sister.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah exactly, Hi, Chris, who you.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Got well before they told him what time they wanted
to leave, what door they wanted to go out of?
This is ed Orgeron. It was a lot of Joe Burrows.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Elles said, Sir, Joe Burrow had one.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Of the most humble I mean, and if he had
a lot of hell, obviously, jamar Ches have a lot
of guys on I seen, but Joe Burrow was a
guy who just had an unbelievable season like we had
never seen. And it was like finally the idea was, hey, okay,
in order and finally got a handle on this coaching
thing because you know, old miss what good and usc
was on tifpraiary and and uh but now he's finally
(22:24):
figured it out. And they were five and five the
next year, and everybody left for that.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
So but uh, it was coote Chris.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
What time you'll believe? What do you'll be go out
of him?
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Yeah, it was after they told him he was getting
sixteen million dollars. That's right.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I love that. I love that. That's right. That sixty
minute interview. Remember they showed his mama cooking some gumbo
and all that, and then that was like that was
the uh, that was the that was the top. And
then like the next day it started going bad.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
You know, they lost him, They lost to Mississippi State
at home. Yes, the next weekend.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Yep, yep. That was the absolute as high as it
got that sixty minutes interview, and it was all downhill
from there, but a big payout made it okay. That
certainly fits the category of coaches whose career was made
by one player who you got, Craig Well.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
John Thompson won a lot of games and made a
lot of NCAA tournament at Georgetown, but the only three
times he made the final four was when Patrick Ewing
was on his team nineteen eighty two to nineteen eighty
five made they were national runner up in eighty two
and eighty five, national champion in eighty four, and again
a lot of good teams. Obviously, he coached Alonzo morning Into,
(23:37):
Kembe mccombo and some other greats over the years, but
it never got any better than when Patrick Ewing was there.
And I don't think John Thompson problem, maybe not even
a Hall of Famer without Ewing.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
I had it, I had him, and I was expecting
some pushback, but I had him on my list to
bring up. All right, here's one. I think this is
the first one we can bring up who clearly fits
the category, but did not get rich off of the
famous player, and that is Lisa Blueter, the women's basketball
coach at Iowa, who was a coach for forty years,
(24:12):
including twenty four at Iowa, and she made two final fours.
You want to know when that was her last two
years when Caitlyn Clark was there, so she had been
going at it for you know, she was oh for
thirty eight and then she got to coach Caitlyn Clark.
They made it to two final fours, but she walked
away with Caitlyn Clark havin one more year. So you
talked about leaving the program in good shape, so she
(24:33):
at least did that. But she did not get rich
off of Caitlyn Clark. But she did, you know, have
a successful career because of her sol Lisa Bluter is
who I'll go with.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
There you go, Yeah, that's the content for a winner.
It really didn't mean nobody ever heard of her.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
So yep, you hadn't heard it, heveru till I just
mentioned it.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Yeah, you're right, So this is why I'm asked to
I don't know if you would agree this this category
or not. Because this guy coached some other great ones,
but he is certainly known for coaching one. That's custom Motto. Uh,
custom Otto. He was a manager for Floyd Patterson and
a lot of the other guys. And and of course
(25:12):
he really he wouldn't Mike Tyson's manager for long because
he died when Tyson was very, very young. But you
know the connection between custom Oto Mike Tyson is you know,
part of the legend. I guess really, uh, I mean
Tyson was coached by you know, our man. He's not
coached but uh by Kevin Rooney and said that was
for a while on the other guys. But I mean
custom modis went to founding the one that kind of
(25:33):
you know, catch him out of trouble to get him
on the path to whatever Mike like Tyson life has become.
There's certainly success. But so anyway, I'll throw custom Oto
in this.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
I could say this if if Mike Tyson had never
been born, I think I to this day would have
never heard of custom Otto. I think there's a pretty
good chance of that.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Yeah, yeah, for sure, unless you're like a big time.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Yeah, you'd have to be big time, And I don't
think I was big time enough that I would have
ever heard of him, So let's a go one.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Yeah, you know, Billy Martin's one of the most famous
baseball managers in history. But he won one World Series
and it happened to be the first year he had
Reggie Jackson on this team nineteen seventy seven. You know,
he had a lot of playoff teams, you know, but
never got over the humph except for that one year
of Reggie Jackson actually got fired in the middle of
(26:21):
the next year when they wanted again. But you know,
it is ironic that, you know, Reggie really made Billy's
career and Billy Martin absolutely hated him, didn't want him
on the team, never wanted him to begin with. You know,
one of the didn't wanted another right handed hitter instead
of left handed hitter, wanted somebody who was a better
defensive player, and they just did not get along. But
(26:43):
you know, if not for Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin doesn't
have a World Series ring.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yep, I like it.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I like it.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
How about this? This is the guy you've heard of,
but jud Heath coach coach for twenty years as the
head coach at Michigan State. He only made the Elite
eight twice, and by coincidence, maybe it was nineteen seventy
eight nineteen seventy nine when one Irvin Magic Johnson was
the point guard at Michigan State. So he had some
(27:09):
a little bit of success, but never on e leite
eight until Magic Johnson was there, and it happened to
be those exact two years when you know when they
made the deep run and actually even won a national championship.
So jud Heath, coach, congratulations, you had Magic Johnson. Chris
who you got coach whose career was made by a
single player.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Well, I think this this certainly, without question, got this
guy started, and he coached a lot of other great ones.
But Uch Harmon being Tiger Woods golf coach put him
certainly on the map. And some you know, people would
argue how much of a golf coach the tiger Woods need,
But he was Tiger Woods JOMHF coach from ninety three
to two thousand and four, then later on became Phil
(27:49):
Michleson's golf coach, and he also coached you know, Stewart
Singing and just Leonard, a lot of other great golfers.
But it was all because of the notariety and success
that he had with Tiger Woods initially that set him
up for everybody else.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Very good.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
Yeah, you mentioned jud heath Coat and I and Magic Johnson.
Obviously they're connected to Larry Bird in Indiana State. Can
you name Indiana State's head coach?
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Well, I could see that.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Yeah, he was at Mercer later on. Yeah, who was it, right,
same guy? Yeah, Larry Foster there, right, No Bill Hodges.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Bill Hodges, Yeah, I could see, but I couldn't call
the name.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Uh. He actually became head coach when the regular, the
regular head coach Bob King had a brain d yurism,
so the Bill Hodges took over. He had been his
only head coaching job before that had been head golf
coach at Arnstrong Atlantic University. He became head Indiana State.
(28:51):
They Yeah, I went thirty three and one NCAA runner up.
Larry Bird left, They went sixteen eleven, nine, eighteen, nine
and eighteen. He got fired, went to Georgia College and
was okay in Thenia level, then went to Mercer. Best
record at Mercer was fifteen and fourteen. He had a
(29:11):
five and twenty four and a three and twenty three.
So I would say Bill Hodges definitely O his success
to Larry Bird.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Chris, do you have any intel of when Hodges's interviewed
for the job at Mercer if Larry Bird's name came
up during the process.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Yeah, I'm guessing yes, Yeah, yeah, I'm.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
For sure for sure guessing yes. All right, I'm be
gonna go back again. I'm going with a little bit
of Hey, the guy was the father, so he became
the famous coach, and that is Richard Williams tennis with
Venus and then Serena Williams. I mean with either one,
Hugh became famous. Now he wasn't a famous coach of
anybody else, but he was a very famous coach of
(30:00):
those two. I mean, you know, not only was the dad,
but he was the coach, and we certainly would have
known about him in tennis circles without those two.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
For a second, you're talking about Richard Williams at Mississippi State. O.
I know, Dante Jones.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
I did think about that when I wrote down Richard Williams,
I was like, oh, I could go double Richard Williams
right here. I did actually think about that. Yes, this
is King Richard. Though according to you know, will Smith
and all that Chris, what you got well.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
And on that note, speaking of Missisippi State, I'm gonna
off with Dan Mullen and Dak Prescott. I remember watching
college's game day when Dan Muller was sitting there in
Mississippi State was ranked number one of the country, and
I thought, I lived in a world where Mississippi State
is rank number one of the country. This is crazy,
but it was a brief sign. But he I mean,
he was there before Prescott and profeltw years after. But
(30:49):
certainly that was the height of his success and the
parlay that into you know, heads out of Florida where
he was. I mean, he was successful. They're just not
successful enough and went downhill after he got started. But
I think that's uh, you know, that success that pressed
I had there in that height of of bulldog success.
(31:11):
He certainly typed stuff for that.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
I'm with you, yep, yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
We mentioned Magic Johnson earlier in college. Also Magic Johnson's
the NBA. I would say he definitely made pat Riley,
There's no question about it. You know, pat Riley had
a was a good player, uh and obviously you know,
was a coach for a long time after Magic Johnson
did win one other title with the Miami Heat, but
he's not the legend that he is without Showtime and
(31:36):
the Lakers and and Magic Johnson obviously is a huge
part of that.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Wow, yeah, that may be true.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
I don't know. I mean, you think you think you
think it was it was.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Responsible follow I don't know. I just I just wouldn't
have thought that that just because pat Rally is so famous,
you know that. I just wouldn't. But it made very well.
The numbers may very well bear it out. I just
wouldn't have come up with that one. How about this?
How about we can argue this one to tell me
if this one is correct or not to fit the category?
What about I know for sure that Mac Brown was
pretty fortunate to have Vince Young as his quarterback his
(32:10):
only national championship. What do y'all think about that?
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Yeah, I think that's probably true. No, I would buy
that for sure.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
I mean, he had some success obviously before and after
Vince Young.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
But yeah, yeah, I think that's probably true.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
I think he's a legend in Texas because of Vince Young.
Without him, they'd be like Vince Young. I mean, not
that big a deal. We don't care that much about
mac Brown, though a great guy. Mack Brown was also
the boss of guy we had earlier, Jean Chiswick at
North Carolina. So there you go, Chris, you got anything
else good?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
The other one that may be borderlined. I walked with
Sean Payton and Drew Brees. I mean he was there
the whole time. Breezes there the whole time. He's in
New Orleands. I mean, now he may say that maybe
he hadn't nick to win the super Bowl together, but
until that happens, I think Peyton's succeession coach large Brook
predicated on having Drew Brees' quarterback.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Craig, where do you vote on that one? Uh? Yeah,
because I did have it on my list?
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Is it Breeze again? We have no way of knowing. Well,
they never I mean they never really, they never really
were a part, I think except for that one year
and then of course when Breeze was San Diego. So
did Breeze make Peyton or did Peyton make Breeze or
were they just a perfect marriage?
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Yeah that's a really good point, yep.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Yeah, why did you get through? That's all? I don't
have anything else.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
That was all I had, all right? Uh, I had
a couple. I don't wanna. I don't want to embarrass myself.
So there you go. All right, what we're gonna go with, which, Yeah,
a coach who was made by a single player. They
owe their career to that player.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
Who y'all think I kind of liked the women's basketball
coach in Iowa whose name I can't remember.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Yeah, Lisa Bluter, Lisa Blueter. We could also add the
current Iowa coach Jan Jensen, but she was only the
coach there one year. So far. I'm just I think
they're gonna go downhill. My scattering reports say that I
women's basketball or it's not gonna be as good this year,
is what I got to say about that. All Right,
we'll go with her Lisa blued. She was there, she
(34:11):
had a fort she had a thirty eight year career,
did nothing, then got to coach Caitlyn Clark and went
to consecutive Final four. So that's our winner for the
coach whose coaching career was made by one player that
they had the fortune of coaching. Guys, great stuff. We'll
do it again next week, all right. All right, Hey,
Chris Beckham, Craig Stevenson, we do List with Chris every
(34:33):
week here on Sports Talk ninety ninety five
Who are the five greatest athletes of all time? Who's
the worst player to ever deliver an iconic sports moment,
Who's the least athletic looking athlete in history. It's time
to rank the best and the worst that sports has
to offer. Let's dive in to lists with Chris.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Here we go.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's time for lists with Chris. With my good buddies,
Chris Beckham and Craig Stevenson, we do it every single week,
always a lot of fun. And the motivation this week
is that within the last week I got to spend
some time with a coach who probably owes the great
majority of his career to one player I'll say who
that exactly is, But got me thinking about what other
(00:51):
coaches kind of owe their career to one player. As
I got to think about this, Chris and Craig, there
are a lot of these where you're going to be like,
I'm not sure if he qualifies. Yeah, he probably does.
There's some discussion to be had with all these, but
basically what we're looking for is, boy, I'm sure glad
I had that guy because I made a lot more
money because of one player who made my career. And
like I said, I think we will debate some of them.
(01:13):
But Chris, as always, you start us off. Boy, that
player made my career as a coach. Who you got.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, I'm glad you gave that little passive stare because
I think of several of mine that are you know,
kind of how you look at him. But I'm going
to go just because I recently rewatched this thirty for
thirty and it's one of my favorites. I'm gonna go
with Ron Meyer and Eric Dickerson. Ron Meyer, I did
that guy was smooth. He was Hollywood smooth now and
of course the Pony Express. He had been at sm
(01:41):
U for a few years before they started really cheating. Uh,
and they weren't any good. That's why they started really cheating.
I mean they were he was. He had four years
where they were under five hundred and then I mean
Chris James had something to it too. I just can't
stand him. So I'm going with Eric Dickerson. But when
they got Eric Dickson, of course, they were you know,
ten and one and one of the Southwest Conference and
(02:03):
everything was set up and then he left and probably
because you knew they were about to be built, all
kinds of probation because they were cheating like crazy. So
he got smart and took the money and ran to
the NFL, where so you know, that association and payroll
to Eric Dixon got him a spring board to the
NFL and where he was buried mediocre. He was with
(02:25):
the Patriots, he was with the Colts, and I believe
he had a losing record as a head coach, but
he was up there. I mean, he was the head
coach of about ten years in the NFL and never
really any good. So I mean, I think definitely that
that that investment is termed that into Eric Dixon definitely
paid off for Ron Meyner, I like it.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Yeah, I think he got fired by the Patriots and
they immediately went to the super Bowl with Raymond Berry
as the head coach. Yeah yeah, and how that worked out.
But all right, well this is also college football also
that same ear and you know, maybe Georgia fan Chris
Beckham and many Proud Mobilions may not like to hear this,
but if you take the herschel Walker years out of
(03:09):
Vince Steeley's career, it does not look nearly as good.
You know, he won three consecutive sec championships and a
national championship with Herschel Walker played for the national championship
one other time. But if you take those three years out,
he has twenty two years and three SEC championships, And
again that's pretty good, but it's nowhere near what it
(03:29):
was during the herschel Walker years. So I would say
Herschel definitely made Vince Steeley's career.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Chris, would you like a rebuttal?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Well, I'm not gonna kill Buck Blue about this.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Hey, how about the quarterbacks who made their had their
whole career made by one other player? Buck Blue?
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Or John last thing Er. There's the cited quarterback who
you know. I love to tell a story when he
said Coach Dooley said, just pitch it to Herschel and
turn around and block the backside end. He said, take
something that backside and you can catch her.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
All we meeting these guys anyway, if they got a
backside in, who can chase down Herschel? All right, I'll
tell you who I spent time with last week, And
I really had a great, great conversation with one mister
five and nineteen gene Chiswick, whose career was made by
(04:23):
Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. Uh, yeah, five and nine
at Iowa State. Auburn fans yeah, five and nineteen. All
Auburn fans all up in arms about what are we
doing hiring this guy? And he comes to Auburn not
sure how it's gonna work out. Somehow they get Cam
Newton from junior college like, well, I guess we'll take him.
He gets there one year. Of course, they go undefeated,
(04:44):
win a national championship, and uh, life is good for
Gene Chiswick. It wasn't you know. Within a couple of
years he was fired. He was out of there, but
certainly made his head coaching career one Jean Chiswick, who,
by the way, it's just a great guy and turned
out to be a great and on the SEC network
as well. But his coaching career, it was Cam Newton.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
Or bust right. A question for you during the course
of your conversation with Jean Chiswick, did the subject of
leaving a high school baseball game to get sand which
has come up?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Well, I'll tell you what, Greg, It did come up
that I sat. I sat on the bleachers with him
at Baker High School when his son was playing center
field for the Auburn High School Tigers, and between doubleheaders,
apparently Chisick went and made a Jimmy Johns run and
wasn't back for the start of the second game. This
was the state playoffs for that baby man. I mean,
(05:33):
the guy walked away from like a half million dollar
a year job at North Carolina so he could watch
his son play baseball and football his senior year, then
had to get a PSTRAMI on Rye. But anyway, I
promise you he's a great guy. I promise you, Gene
Cizzy is a great, great guy, and he was in
town for the Senior Bowl event. So Jeene Chiswick certainly
fits the category and was actually the motivation for the category.
(05:56):
All right, Chris, We're doing coaches who had their careers
made by one who you got.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And this is where I was going to text Randy
and say, hey, do relatives count? And then I figured
I'll just do it. Not that's for uh, that's for permission.
But if they do count, then I'm gonna go with
Press Marivitch, who, except for the fact that he was
Pete Marriage's father and because was was not a good
I mean, he was a Clemson. Uh, let's see six
(06:23):
years of Clemson overall record fifty five at ninety six
he had. Now, he did have two various years the
NC stayed in the mid sixties, but then when he
went to LSU with his unbelievable superstar all time leader's
core son overall career record of seventy six and eighty six. So,
I mean, he is he coached his son and you know,
maybe even to a great basketball player. But that's the
(06:46):
only thing I mean. And I'm sure he's a NiFe guy.
I'm trying to run down, but he'd have success doing
anything else.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Coaching was it counts for sure?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
For that's a great one.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Yeah. And this is not my official choice. But along
those same lines, ain't way Wade Houston gets the Tennessee
job if Alan Houston is not his son, Craig.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
That was my next pick, Wade Houston.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
No, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Wade Houston, even with Alan Houston playing for him at Tennessee,
won forty two percent of his games. Alan Houston one
of the great players in SEC history. Wade Houston was awful.
He was and he only got the job because you know,
his son Alan was committed to Louisville, where Wade was
the well assistant coach, and Tennessee said, hey, Waite, if
(07:30):
we give you the hit job, maybe Allan will come
with you. He did, and they were terrible. So yeah,
Wade Houston certainly qualifies. But Craig, you're officially up.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Yeah. Yeah, this one may be controversial, but and he's
still actually the coach of this team. Greg Popovich won
has won five NBA titles, but he has never won
one without Tim Duncan. Wow. And I I think I
think he would have been, you know, a good coach,
(08:00):
contending coach, you know, maybe had some some playoff runs.
But does he win five titles without Tim Duncan. Is
he considered one of the greatest coaches in the NBA history?
Without Tim Duncan? I don't think so. So I kind
of hang that one on Kim Duncan's shoulders.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Man, I like it all right, I'm gonna go I've
got I had three fathers who benefited for their sons.
I'll go ahead and get this out of the way. Chris,
I'm going back to your state. What about Ron Hunter
at Georgia State had his son R. J. Hunter? Remember
and Ron Hunter was on that scooter because he had
a bad you know, broke a bone or whatever it was.
(08:35):
He had to scoot around on the sideline.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
It was a it was a stool with wheels, and
it was a torn achilles.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
But go on all those things. Yeah, yeah, lets.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
He acted like he's riding around on a brac like
a dentist.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
His some became a first round pick into the NBA,
and somehow Ron parlayed it into a head coaching job
at TWU Lane, where his record is still under five hundred,
even if you count the years when RJ, his son
played for him. And I mean that's the extent of
his fame is the fact that RJ Hunter played for
Ron Hunter, his dad. But so I got him in
(09:18):
this category. That's I think that's the last blood relative
I have on my list, but I'll throw him in there. Chris,
who you got?
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Well, you may think that this I'm gonna be talking
about a blood relative, but I'm not. I'm good. Devon
Sanders Travis Hunter. Yep, when Deon Sanders got Travis Dunner
to come to Jackson State and just shot the world
and got Jacksonville national television and got jacks State to
be very very good in that league, and you know,
I think it certainly got him a chance of Colorado,
(09:46):
where Travis Hunter followed him and is doing very well.
The question is going to be when Travis Hunter goes
to the NFL, which I hope is soon because he's
going to be broken soon if he's not. But you know,
what's what's going to be Colorado then, because we don't
know what those you know what Deon Sanders is as
the head coach without Trevison, who is unbelievable one of them.
(10:07):
I mean just you can't deny how great that guy is.
He's just unbelievable. But I think Deon Sanders has certainly,
you know, kind of hitched his wagon to it and
smartly so it's paid off for it.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Yep. I had that one. That's a good one.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
All right. This is actually two players, but two players
kind of in tandem. They're very played the same position
that were very important. Ain't no way Bob Brendley's winning
a World Series without Kurt Shilling and Randy Johnson had
enough his rotation with the airs of diamond facts. I mean,
they absolutely carried him won the World Series. That was
Brenley's first year as the manager. You know, they were
(10:44):
pretty good again the next year. Then they kind of
fell apart and he got fired in two thousand and
four when he was fifty years old. He's never been
hired again as a manager. The reason was he was
not a good manager. He had Mannie Johnson and Kurt Chilly.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yep, for sure, I can't believe this one's still around.
I'm gonna go to the coach is an Alabama native,
the pride of Bruton, Alabama, Kevin Sumlin, who got the
job at Texas A and M and was great with
one Johnny Manziel, and after that terrible. Wasn't good before,
(11:23):
wasn't good. After he left A and M. He was
terrible at his next job. I mean, just nothing. It was.
It was Johnny Manzil or nothing for Kevin Sumlin. And
so he certainly, to me, fits this category of Johnny
Manziel made his coaching career and made him millions upon
millions of dollars. All right, Chris, that's the category coaches
(11:44):
whose career were basically made by one great player.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Well, if he was talking about millions and millions. When
Kenneth Walker decided to fanswer from Wake Force to Michigan
State mil Tucker cashed.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
In in.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Great down here. He's really quick man alive. I mean,
he came in Missigan State after the COVID year and
they ran through everybody in. Kennth Walker won the Walker
Award and was just unbelievable for that one year before
he went pro. And of course it turned me out
Tucker into a ten year, ninety five million dollar contract extension,
which everybody, I mean, his career record, you know, was
(12:22):
sixteen fourteen. I mean that everybody's going on foot in
the world. And then yeah, just of course twenty twenty
two was not a good year when wise, and then
we all know it happened after that one. But yeah,
thankfully Kenneth Walker got mail paid and you thought it
would to start something big and it was not.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
I didn't have that. That is a great call. It
really fits the category out Yep.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Great, all right. This is also college football, and again
it's maybe a bit of a stretch, but if you
remember this time period, you'll remember it well. Bobby Boden
and had a lot of great teams at Florida State
and a lot of New Year misses, you know, in
nineteen ninety one and nineteen ninety two, they could have
beaten Miami, but they missed field goals and everybody kept saying, man,
(13:08):
if Florida State only had a kicker, they'd get the
job done. And the next year they signed Scott Bentley,
who was the number one kicker in the country, and
they won a national championship, and obviously bad one on
to some great success after that, won another title. But
that first national championship, he never won it till he
got a guy who could push the ball through the
goalpost at the end of the game, and that was
Scott Bentley, who actually won the Orange Bowl with the
(13:30):
field goal that year. So again, you know, it's a stretch.
He thought it was going to go Charlie Ward, didn't
you but that but that was the missing piece for
Floyd State, was the kicker.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I'm going same school and I think I may have
the winner in the category. It's Jimbo Fisher with Jameis Winston.
That guy is literally like nine figures rich. Now, Jimbo
Fisher with what he got paid at Florida State and
then more specifically at take his A and M and
his record with Jamison and with Jameis Winston and without
(14:05):
Jameis Winston is shocking when you just put it down
on paper. So clearly it's Jimbo Fisher and Jameis Winston
and what he parlayed that into with the money he got.
So there you go, Jameis Winston and made the career
of Jimbo Fisher. Chris what you got, I'm gonna go.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Tom Brady probably made a lot of people's careers, but
I would argue that not one more so than Charlie White.
Charlie Waits was the oc for New England, took him
the three Super Bowls under Bill Belichick as the offensive coordinator,
and then he catched him big at Notre Dame, and boy,
then you found out what kind of coach he was,
which was which was not great. They had a couple,
(14:46):
I mean, they had a couple good seasons, but they
went from ten to three to three and nine pretty quick.
And then he went to Kansas, which was I mean
just a nightmare. So but anyway, he I think, you know,
Tom Brady's you cat as the quarterback, certainly got Charlie
Wiss in a better position, which didn't work out.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Craig controversial will you entertain Bill Belichick?
Speaker 4 (15:09):
That was absolutely what I would say, But I had
to get in the dig at Charlie Weiss when he
said they were going to have a decided schematic advantage
when he went to the day, one of the great
Hubris quotes of all time. But yes, I was gonna
say Belichick. I mean, that was the debate for years
was did Belichick make Bradier? Did Brady make Belichick? And
then Brady left and one another super Bowl, and you know,
(15:31):
Belichick just kind of fell off the face of the earth.
And you know, now he's had a midlife crisis and
a twenty four year old girlfriend. So I guess it's
not all bad, but you.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Know, not the category. Not the category, right, that's true.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
But anyway, I think that one has been settled for
all time that Brady made Belichick.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
In fact, yeah, Craig, you're officially up.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Oh that's not my thing. Okay, Well then I'll say
in the same vein. And again this is another one,
was did the coach make the player or the player
make the coach? You know, Vince LOMBARTI never won anything
without Bart Starr either.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Wowart, the Lombardi Trophy and all.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Yeah, I mean Bart Starr, right, I mean, you know
all the championships. Lombardy did go to the Washington briefly
after that, and I think he was dying of cancer,
so it's not really that fair to say. And then
you know, the Packers didn't really win anything after he left,
so I don't know. But again, uh, you know, once
he made Star his starting quarterback, that's when they started winning.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Gloves are off, We're going Lombardi not goodness? How about this?
I got another legend for you. How about this? Bill
Russell never won without Bill Russell? How about that? I mean, look,
I could win too. If I was as good as
player as Bill Russell, I could coach me, you know,
to a championship. I mean, come on, I mean which
is I mean? I think Bill Russell was a smart
(16:57):
guy and probably probably a good coach. But we'll know,
ever know, because he always had Bill Russell. So I
got Bill Russell and Bill Russell? Thank you very much?
All right, Chris, what'd you got?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I'll bring up the coach who is near and dear
to the uh sports fans in Alabama? How about uh
Dennis Franchi only and Tomlinson. Yeah, that's good only two cus.
Uh you know, took him to Uh he's only there
three years. He had stayed around many places too long,
but uh took him ten and one in two thousand
(17:27):
and Uh and took the Alabama job for for two years.
And I mean you know they were you know, ten
and three second year there. But uh, but it was
a mess. You guys just be telling more than one
to me and then and then go Texas A and
m I think Texas State. He went through it for
a little while. But uh again, Uh la, Danian Tomlinson's
legs certainly got Franchi on his career on the EP
(17:49):
sling good.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Uh, this player really had his Uh player really made
this guy's career as a coach because he got him
the job. Uh that being Tyron lu hired as the
interim coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers by Lebron James midway
through the twenty sixteen season. They went on to win
the NBA Championship. They lost in the NBA Finals. The
(18:13):
next two years, Lebron left and went to the Lakers,
and Tyron Lee was fired six games into the next season.
So you know, he's had some pretty decent teams with
the Clippers, but you know, never reached the heights. He
did obviously with Cleveland when Lebron was.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
There, Craig, believe it or not, I had that one.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yes, I'm good.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
I think that you had it too.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Wow, okay, well then I guess that one was legitimate.
There is a new book out that I just got
through reading by Mirror Fader from The Ringer, and it
is called Dream. It is a biography of a Kim
Olajuwan who was coached by Guy Lewis, who was just
a lifer at the University of Houston. Like he wasn't terrible,
(19:00):
but he was just one of those lifers. He didn't
even recruit Akim Olajuwan. He just showed up one day like, hey,
that guy's six ' ten, let's give him a tryout.
And next thing you know, they become Fi Slama Jama
and they become i mean, super famous and popular. They
did lose the National Championship game, but I think Guy Lewis,
I don't think I would have known his name today.
(19:21):
Like who coached the University of Houston when Clyde Dretchler
was there. I have no clue except the Dream went
there and they became super super famous because of that.
So I will go for Guy Lewis A kim Olajuwan
made his career, all right, Chris, that's the category. One
player made this coach his career.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
Who you got, well, listen, I'm not gonna say that
Mobile's owns. William Moody didn't have a success in Florida,
but when he became Paul Bear and started managing the
Undertaker out of Mobile, al I left him out there.
(20:01):
I mean, yeah, Taker and Paul Bear wrestling legend, WDBA,
Hall of Famer, all the college.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
The Undertaker And of course I think Craig knows this
an actual Undertaker, I mean like for real, for real,
a real live Undertaker.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
So his uh my wife worked with his son at
one time.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Is that right?
Speaker 4 (20:21):
Really?
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yeah, in the undertaker.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Business, not in the Undertaker business. Okay, in the commuter
software business.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
But you were clothed, all right? All right? This one
not only did this player make this coaches career, he
basically made the university. And that's Doug Flutie with Jack
mcnell nice in college coffee, Jack mcnell In the three
years Doug Flutey was the starting quarterback at Boston College,
they went twenty seven to eight and one. In Jack
(20:49):
McNeill's other seven years, they went thirty two forty seven
in one. So they did have one other winning season
and one other Bowl win. But obviously the very height
of Boston College football was the three years Fleet was
the quarterback on the Heisman. And you know, to this
day they talk about the Fluty effect, where it, you know,
(21:09):
led to an increase of enrollment and alumni donations and
all that kind of stuff, all because of Doug Fluting.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Here's one for you. When he had Dwyane Wade, he
was a great coach. When he didn't, Tom Green was
not any good, Chris. You can testify, guy who went
to University of Georgia was not good. I mean, but
when he was at Marquetch and Dwayne Wade was there,
we had one of the rising stars in the profession.
Tom Green not good.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
As one of the biggest compliments he's ever been paid.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
He married to the family.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
Yeah, yeah, the Harbor. Yeah, he's married to Harball sister.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah exactly, Hi, Chris, who you.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Got well before they told him what time they wanted
to leave, what door they wanted to go out of?
This is ed Orgeron. It was a lot of Joe Burrows.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Elles said, Sir, Joe Burrow had one.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
Of the most humble I mean, and if he had
a lot of hell, obviously, jamar Ches have a lot
of guys on I seen, but Joe Burrow was a
guy who just had an unbelievable season like we had
never seen. And it was like finally the idea was, hey, okay,
in order and finally got a handle on this coaching
thing because you know, old miss what good and usc
was on tifpraiary and and uh but now he's finally
(22:24):
figured it out. And they were five and five the
next year, and everybody left for that.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
So but uh, it was coote Chris.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
What time you'll believe? What do you'll be go out
of him?
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Yeah, it was after they told him he was getting
sixteen million dollars. That's right.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I love that. I love that. That's right. That sixty
minute interview. Remember they showed his mama cooking some gumbo
and all that, and then that was like that was
the uh, that was the that was the top. And
then like the next day it started going bad.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
You know, they lost him, They lost to Mississippi State
at home. Yes, the next weekend.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Yep, yep. That was the absolute as high as it
got that sixty minutes interview, and it was all downhill
from there, but a big payout made it okay. That
certainly fits the category of coaches whose career was made
by one player who you got, Craig Well.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
John Thompson won a lot of games and made a
lot of NCAA tournament at Georgetown, but the only three
times he made the final four was when Patrick Ewing
was on his team nineteen eighty two to nineteen eighty
five made they were national runner up in eighty two
and eighty five, national champion in eighty four, and again
a lot of good teams. Obviously, he coached Alonzo morning Into,
(23:37):
Kembe mccombo and some other greats over the years, but
it never got any better than when Patrick Ewing was there.
And I don't think John Thompson problem, maybe not even
a Hall of Famer without Ewing.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
I had it, I had him, and I was expecting
some pushback, but I had him on my list to
bring up. All right, here's one. I think this is
the first one we can bring up who clearly fits
the category, but did not get rich off of the
famous player, and that is Lisa Blueter, the women's basketball
coach at Iowa, who was a coach for forty years,
(24:12):
including twenty four at Iowa, and she made two final fours.
You want to know when that was her last two
years when Caitlyn Clark was there, so she had been
going at it for you know, she was oh for
thirty eight and then she got to coach Caitlyn Clark.
They made it to two final fours, but she walked
away with Caitlyn Clark havin one more year. So you
talked about leaving the program in good shape, so she
(24:33):
at least did that. But she did not get rich
off of Caitlyn Clark. But she did, you know, have
a successful career because of her sol Lisa Bluter is
who I'll go with.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
There you go, Yeah, that's the content for a winner.
It really didn't mean nobody ever heard of her.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
So yep, you hadn't heard it, heveru till I just
mentioned it.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Yeah, you're right, So this is why I'm asked to
I don't know if you would agree this this category
or not. Because this guy coached some other great ones,
but he is certainly known for coaching one. That's custom Motto. Uh,
custom Otto. He was a manager for Floyd Patterson and
a lot of the other guys. And and of course
(25:12):
he really he wouldn't Mike Tyson's manager for long because
he died when Tyson was very, very young. But you
know the connection between custom Oto Mike Tyson is you know,
part of the legend. I guess really, uh, I mean
Tyson was coached by you know, our man. He's not
coached but uh by Kevin Rooney and said that was
for a while on the other guys. But I mean
custom modis went to founding the one that kind of
(25:33):
you know, catch him out of trouble to get him
on the path to whatever Mike like Tyson life has become.
There's certainly success. But so anyway, I'll throw custom Oto
in this.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
I could say this if if Mike Tyson had never
been born, I think I to this day would have
never heard of custom Otto. I think there's a pretty
good chance of that.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Yeah, yeah, for sure, unless you're like a big time.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Yeah, you'd have to be big time, And I don't
think I was big time enough that I would have
ever heard of him, So let's a go one.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Yeah, you know, Billy Martin's one of the most famous
baseball managers in history. But he won one World Series
and it happened to be the first year he had
Reggie Jackson on this team nineteen seventy seven. You know,
he had a lot of playoff teams, you know, but
never got over the humph except for that one year
of Reggie Jackson actually got fired in the middle of
(26:21):
the next year when they wanted again. But you know,
it is ironic that, you know, Reggie really made Billy's
career and Billy Martin absolutely hated him, didn't want him
on the team, never wanted him to begin with. You know,
one of the didn't wanted another right handed hitter instead
of left handed hitter, wanted somebody who was a better
defensive player, and they just did not get along. But
(26:43):
you know, if not for Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin doesn't
have a World Series ring.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Yep, I like it.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I like it.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
How about this? This is the guy you've heard of,
but jud Heath coach coach for twenty years as the
head coach at Michigan State. He only made the Elite
eight twice, and by coincidence, maybe it was nineteen seventy
eight nineteen seventy nine when one Irvin Magic Johnson was
the point guard at Michigan State. So he had some
(27:09):
a little bit of success, but never on e leite
eight until Magic Johnson was there, and it happened to
be those exact two years when you know when they
made the deep run and actually even won a national championship.
So jud Heath, coach, congratulations, you had Magic Johnson. Chris
who you got coach whose career was made by a
single player.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Well, I think this this certainly, without question, got this
guy started, and he coached a lot of other great ones.
But Uch Harmon being Tiger Woods golf coach put him
certainly on the map. And some you know, people would
argue how much of a golf coach the tiger Woods need,
But he was Tiger Woods JOMHF coach from ninety three
to two thousand and four, then later on became Phil
(27:49):
Michleson's golf coach, and he also coached you know, Stewart
Singing and just Leonard, a lot of other great golfers.
But it was all because of the notariety and success
that he had with Tiger Woods initially that set him
up for everybody else.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Very good.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
Yeah, you mentioned jud heath Coat and I and Magic Johnson.
Obviously they're connected to Larry Bird in Indiana State. Can
you name Indiana State's head coach?
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Well, I could see that.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Yeah, he was at Mercer later on. Yeah, who was it, right,
same guy? Yeah, Larry Foster there, right, No Bill Hodges.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
Bill Hodges, Yeah, I could see, but I couldn't call
the name.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Uh. He actually became head coach when the regular, the
regular head coach Bob King had a brain d yurism,
so the Bill Hodges took over. He had been his
only head coaching job before that had been head golf
coach at Arnstrong Atlantic University. He became head Indiana State.
(28:51):
They Yeah, I went thirty three and one NCAA runner up.
Larry Bird left, They went sixteen eleven, nine, eighteen, nine
and eighteen. He got fired, went to Georgia College and
was okay in Thenia level, then went to Mercer. Best
record at Mercer was fifteen and fourteen. He had a
(29:11):
five and twenty four and a three and twenty three.
So I would say Bill Hodges definitely O his success
to Larry Bird.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Chris, do you have any intel of when Hodges's interviewed
for the job at Mercer if Larry Bird's name came
up during the process.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Yeah, I'm guessing yes, Yeah, yeah, I'm.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
For sure for sure guessing yes. All right, I'm be
gonna go back again. I'm going with a little bit
of Hey, the guy was the father, so he became
the famous coach, and that is Richard Williams tennis with
Venus and then Serena Williams. I mean with either one,
Hugh became famous. Now he wasn't a famous coach of
anybody else, but he was a very famous coach of
(30:00):
those two. I mean, you know, not only was the dad,
but he was the coach, and we certainly would have
known about him in tennis circles without those two.
Speaker 4 (30:08):
For a second, you're talking about Richard Williams at Mississippi State. O.
I know, Dante Jones.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
I did think about that when I wrote down Richard Williams,
I was like, oh, I could go double Richard Williams
right here. I did actually think about that. Yes, this
is King Richard. Though according to you know, will Smith
and all that Chris, what you got well.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
And on that note, speaking of Missisippi State, I'm gonna
off with Dan Mullen and Dak Prescott. I remember watching
college's game day when Dan Muller was sitting there in
Mississippi State was ranked number one of the country, and
I thought, I lived in a world where Mississippi State
is rank number one of the country. This is crazy,
but it was a brief sign. But he I mean,
he was there before Prescott and profeltw years after. But
(30:49):
certainly that was the height of his success and the
parlay that into you know, heads out of Florida where
he was. I mean, he was successful. They're just not
successful enough and went downhill after he got started. But
I think that's uh, you know, that success that pressed
I had there in that height of of bulldog success.
(31:11):
He certainly typed stuff for that.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
I'm with you, yep, yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
We mentioned Magic Johnson earlier in college. Also Magic Johnson's
the NBA. I would say he definitely made pat Riley,
There's no question about it. You know, pat Riley had
a was a good player, uh and obviously you know,
was a coach for a long time after Magic Johnson
did win one other title with the Miami Heat, but
he's not the legend that he is without Showtime and
(31:36):
the Lakers and and Magic Johnson obviously is a huge
part of that.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Wow, yeah, that may be true.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
I don't know. I mean, you think you think you
think it was it was.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Responsible follow I don't know. I just I just wouldn't
have thought that that just because pat Rally is so famous,
you know that. I just wouldn't. But it made very well.
The numbers may very well bear it out. I just
wouldn't have come up with that one. How about this?
How about we can argue this one to tell me
if this one is correct or not to fit the category?
What about I know for sure that Mac Brown was
pretty fortunate to have Vince Young as his quarterback his
(32:10):
only national championship. What do y'all think about that?
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Yeah, I think that's probably true. No, I would buy
that for sure.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
I mean, he had some success obviously before and after
Vince Young.
Speaker 4 (32:23):
But yeah, yeah, I think that's probably true.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
I think he's a legend in Texas because of Vince Young.
Without him, they'd be like Vince Young. I mean, not
that big a deal. We don't care that much about
mac Brown, though a great guy. Mack Brown was also
the boss of guy we had earlier, Jean Chiswick at
North Carolina. So there you go, Chris, you got anything
else good?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
The other one that may be borderlined. I walked with
Sean Payton and Drew Brees. I mean he was there
the whole time. Breezes there the whole time. He's in
New Orleands. I mean, now he may say that maybe
he hadn't nick to win the super Bowl together, but
until that happens, I think Peyton's succeession coach large Brook
predicated on having Drew Brees' quarterback.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Craig, where do you vote on that one? Uh? Yeah,
because I did have it on my list?
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Is it Breeze again? We have no way of knowing. Well,
they never I mean they never really, they never really
were a part, I think except for that one year
and then of course when Breeze was San Diego. So
did Breeze make Peyton or did Peyton make Breeze or
were they just a perfect marriage?
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Yeah that's a really good point, yep.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Yeah, why did you get through? That's all? I don't
have anything else.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
That was all I had, all right? Uh, I had
a couple. I don't wanna. I don't want to embarrass myself.
So there you go. All right, what we're gonna go with, which, Yeah,
a coach who was made by a single player. They
owe their career to that player.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
Who y'all think I kind of liked the women's basketball
coach in Iowa whose name I can't remember.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Yeah, Lisa Bluter, Lisa Blueter. We could also add the
current Iowa coach Jan Jensen, but she was only the
coach there one year. So far. I'm just I think
they're gonna go downhill. My scattering reports say that I
women's basketball or it's not gonna be as good this year,
is what I got to say about that. All Right,
we'll go with her Lisa blued. She was there, she
(34:11):
had a fort she had a thirty eight year career,
did nothing, then got to coach Caitlyn Clark and went
to consecutive Final four. So that's our winner for the
coach whose coaching career was made by one player that
they had the fortune of coaching. Guys, great stuff. We'll
do it again next week, all right. All right, Hey,
Chris Beckham, Craig Stevenson, we do List with Chris every
(34:33):
week here on Sports Talk ninety ninety five
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