It's a difficult job being a successful coach in sports. Not many can do it for a sustained period of time without hitting bumps in the road. However, these 20 coaches were some of the most successful in the history of sports.
20. Red Auerbach
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20. Red Auerbach
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Primary Team: Boston Celtics
Years Coaching: 17
Titles: 9
Auerbach was one of the first legendary coaches in NBA history. He led the Celtics dynasty to a title nearly every other year on average while coaching them. That helped him make the Celtics one of the prime spots to play in the league.
19. Joe Gibbs
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19. Joe Gibbs
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Primary Team: Washington Redskins
Years Coaching: 16
Titles: 3
Taking a bunch of players that weren’t great on other teams, Gibbs remarkably brought Washington three Super Bowl titles. In two separate stints, he solidified himself as the best coach in the history of the franchise.
18. Mike Ditka
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18. Mike Ditka
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Primary Team: Chicago Bears
Years Coaching: 14
Titles: 1
Ditka became a pop culture icon in Chicago as he was able to lead them to their only Super Bowl title in franchise history in 1985. He also won a title with the team as a player and only continues to become more of a legend in the city.
17. Tony La Russa
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17. Tony La Russa
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Primary Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Years Coaching: 34
Titles: 3
La Russa had considerable success with the White Sox, Athletics and the Cardinals, with his most recent success coming in St. Louis. He was truly one of the greats at managing the locker room as well as the lineup on any given day.
16. Bob Knight
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16. Bob Knight
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Primary Team: University of Indiana
Years Coaching: 44
Titles: 3
Bob Knight made Indiana a household name in college basketball, and they continue to expect the same excellence he expected from them for 30 years. Known for his harsh coaching style, Knight became a very polarizing figure during his coaching days.
15. Mike Krzyzewski
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15. Mike Krzyzewski
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Primary Team: Duke University
Years Coaching: 40
Titles: 4
Mike Krzyzewski helped make Duke the great college basketball powerhouse that it is today. Without him, they wouldn't have that label. Over the past 34 years, he’s become one of the best college coaches in NCAA history.
14. Casey Stengel
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14. Casey Stengel
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Primary Team: New York Yankees
Years Coaching: 25
Titles: 7
In the long history of great Yankees coaches, Stengel was the best of them all. He won a crazy seven World Series titles in just 12 years at the helm there and helped lead the 1950s Yankees dynasty, one of many in franchise history.
13. Tom Landry
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13. Tom Landry
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Primary Team: Dallas Cowboys
Years Coaching: 29
Titles: 2
Landry will always be remembered for his suits and hats on the sidelines from his 29 remarkable years coaching the Cowboys. He gave Dallas two Super Bowl titles and became a living legend as one of the best motivators in the game’s history.
12. Herb Brooks
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12. Herb Brooks
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Primary Team: Team USA Hockey
Years Coaching: 3 Olympic Runs
Titles: 1 Gold, 1 Silver
Herb Brooks is on this list because he took a group of college kids and led them past a powerhouse Soviet Union team in the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Taking place during the Cold War, no sporting event ever had as big of a global impact.
11. Bill Walsh
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11. Bill Walsh
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Primary Team: San Francisco 49ers
Years Coaching: 10
Titles: 3
Even though he only was a head coach in the NFL for 10 seasons, he led the 49ers to three Super Bowls in that time. More than his coaching, Walsh was known as an innovator and someone who changed the game while coaching the best quarterback and receiver in history.
10. Phil Jackson
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10. Phil Jackson
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Primary Team: Chicago Bulls
Years Coaching: 21
Titles: 11
Phil Jackson made a name for himself coaching the dynasty Bulls with Michael Jordan and Co. as they won six titles in eight years. He followed that up with five more titles with the Lakers and solidified his case as one of the most successful NBA coaches ever.
9. George Halas
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9. George Halas
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Primary Team: Chicago Bears
Years Coaching: 40
Titles: 6
Halas is the father of the modern Chicago Bears because he played for them for 10 years and coached them for 40 years in four separate stints. He became a legend after leading the team to six titles, and that’s why the team still wears “GSH” patches on their uniforms.
8. Knute Rockne
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8. Knute Rockne
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Primary Team: Notre Dame
Years Coaching: 13
Titles: 4
Even though Rockne didn’t coach for an incredibly long time, he did help to make Notre Dame a prime spot for high school stars to want to play college football. Through his efforts, Notre Dame remains that way nearly 90 years later.
7. Dean Smith
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7. Dean Smith
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Primary Team: University of North Carolina
Years Coaching: 37
Titles: 2
Smith is generally regarded as the best coach at one of the best basketball schools ever. He mentored a young Michael Jordan and helped mold him into the legend he became. With his leadership, the Tar Heels were good bets to go deep into March every season.
6. Bear Bryant
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6. Bear Bryant
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Primary Team: University of Alabama
Years Coaching: 38
Titles: 6
Known for his bright red jackets and creative hats on the sidelines, Bear Bryant helped make Alabama one of the best college football programs in the nation. They remain that way to this day largely due to the six titles he won there a long time ago.
5. Paul Brown
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5. Paul Brown
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Primary Team: Cleveland Browns
Years Coaching: 25
Titles: 3
How many other coaches can say their franchises were named after them? Brown was that much of a legend and gave the city of Cleveland three titles. His final one in 1955 is the last title the city has to date.
4. Don Shula
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4. Don Shula
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Primary Team: Miami Dolphins
Years Coaching: 33
Titles: 3 (2 Super Bowls, 1 NFL Title)
Shula is the winningest coach in NFL history and for good reason. He knew how to bring his teams together at the toughest moments of the season. That helped him lead the 1972 Dolphins to the only undefeated season in NFL history.
3. Connie Mack
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3. Connie Mack
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Primary Team: Philadelphia Athletics
Years Coaching: 53
Titles: 5
No, that isn’t a typo, Mack coached for 53 years in Major League Baseball. Of those seasons, 50 came with the Athletics, which he won five titles with. Wearing a suit rather than a uniform in the dugout, Mack became the most revered manager in MLB history.
2. Vince Lombardi
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2. Vince Lombardi
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Primary Team: Green Bay Packers
Years Coaching: 10
Titles: 2
Lombardi was a legend with the Packers because he was a master motivator and changed the offensive mindset of teams in the NFL. Winning the first two Super Bowls, he instantly became a legend. That’s part of the reason the league’s championship trophy now bears his name.
1. John Wooden
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1. John Wooden
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Primary Team: UCLA
Years Coaching: 31
Titles: 10
Leading the greatest dynasty in sports history, Wooden’s UCLA teams won an incredible 10 national championships in just 12 years. Combining the greatest approaches on and off the court, Wooden became a legend. That’s why coaches around the country regularly read his coaching handbooks.
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