The "Greatest Coach" is a title that is sure to cause much debate and arguing due to allegiances, perceptions and biases. Especially in the college football world. For those of us that have attended or graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, we have 2 legendary coaches that could compete for "Greatest Coach" ever award.
John Heisman coached Georgia Tech in the early 1900's and most college football fans will recognize that his name is on the trophy given to the seasons's most outstanding college football player every year.
Bobby Dodd may have had just as much impact on college football as Heisman. And his success and longevity and influence may even exceed Heisman's.
Dodd was a coach at Georgia Tech from 1930-1967 and he was head coach starting in 1945. He also served as Athletic Director until 1976. As a testament to his character, each year a Division I college coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community is awarded the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award,
Integration of the collegiate environment occurred during his tenure and Tech played against many integrated teams while the South was resisting. Georgia Tech played against Notre Dame in 1953 when Notre Dame had the first black player - Wayne Edmonds - to win a monogram for the Irish.
Dodd also lead Georgia Tech in the 1956 Sugar Bowl against the Pitt Panthers in the first integrated bowl game in the Deep South. There was controversy over whether Bobby Grier from Pitt should be allowed to play because he was black, and whether Georgia Tech should even play at all due to Georgia governor Marvin Griffin's opposition to integration.
He oversaw the integration of the Georgia Tech team while he was Athletic Director. Eddie McAshan was the first African American football player to start for Georgia Tech on September 12, 1970 against South Carolina and his start marked the first time that an African American had ever started at quarterback for a major Southeastern university.
Dodd always believed that the college football player was a college student first. He would recruit a player and that player would remain on a football scholarship until that player graduated. Just as over-recruitment is an issue today, Dodd protested that practice in the SEC and he insisted that the reason Tech left the conference in 1963 was due to the abuses of players being over-recruited and then cut from teams.
He was also able to succeed on the field.
Dodd's coaching philosophy revolved around player treatment and character development. He did not believe in intense physical practices but rather precise and well executed practices. He set the record for career wins at Tech at 165 career coaching wins, including a 31-game unbeaten streak from 1951–1953. He also managed to capture two Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships (1951 and 1952) and the 1952 National Title, which concluded a perfect 12–0 season and Sugar Bowl defeat of Ole Miss. Under Dodd's leadership, Tech played in 13 major bowl games, winning 9, including six in a row from 1952 to 1956. He compiled a 165–64–8 record as head coach at Georgia Tech.
He also managed to have over 90% of all football players graduate during his 22 year career as head coach at Georgia Tech. And Tech is a school where every student must take calculus. No easy athletic majors there.
Bill Curry played football for Bobby Dodd during the early 60's. In his book Ten Men You Meet In The Huddle, Curry lists Dodd's 3 basic rules:
1. Go to church
2. Go to class
3. Do not drink, carouse, or break curfew
These rules may seem somewhat old-fashioned and not politically correct, but some traditionalists might argue that many teams and organizations could use these same rules today.
I am biased, but I consider Bobby Dodd the "Greatest Coach" of all time.
John Heisman coached Georgia Tech in the early 1900's and most college football fans will recognize that his name is on the trophy given to the seasons's most outstanding college football player every year.
Bobby Dodd may have had just as much impact on college football as Heisman. And his success and longevity and influence may even exceed Heisman's.
Dodd was a coach at Georgia Tech from 1930-1967 and he was head coach starting in 1945. He also served as Athletic Director until 1976. As a testament to his character, each year a Division I college coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community is awarded the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award,
Integration of the collegiate environment occurred during his tenure and Tech played against many integrated teams while the South was resisting. Georgia Tech played against Notre Dame in 1953 when Notre Dame had the first black player - Wayne Edmonds - to win a monogram for the Irish.
Dodd also lead Georgia Tech in the 1956 Sugar Bowl against the Pitt Panthers in the first integrated bowl game in the Deep South. There was controversy over whether Bobby Grier from Pitt should be allowed to play because he was black, and whether Georgia Tech should even play at all due to Georgia governor Marvin Griffin's opposition to integration.
He oversaw the integration of the Georgia Tech team while he was Athletic Director. Eddie McAshan was the first African American football player to start for Georgia Tech on September 12, 1970 against South Carolina and his start marked the first time that an African American had ever started at quarterback for a major Southeastern university.
Dodd always believed that the college football player was a college student first. He would recruit a player and that player would remain on a football scholarship until that player graduated. Just as over-recruitment is an issue today, Dodd protested that practice in the SEC and he insisted that the reason Tech left the conference in 1963 was due to the abuses of players being over-recruited and then cut from teams.
He was also able to succeed on the field.
Dodd's coaching philosophy revolved around player treatment and character development. He did not believe in intense physical practices but rather precise and well executed practices. He set the record for career wins at Tech at 165 career coaching wins, including a 31-game unbeaten streak from 1951–1953. He also managed to capture two Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships (1951 and 1952) and the 1952 National Title, which concluded a perfect 12–0 season and Sugar Bowl defeat of Ole Miss. Under Dodd's leadership, Tech played in 13 major bowl games, winning 9, including six in a row from 1952 to 1956. He compiled a 165–64–8 record as head coach at Georgia Tech.
He also managed to have over 90% of all football players graduate during his 22 year career as head coach at Georgia Tech. And Tech is a school where every student must take calculus. No easy athletic majors there.
Bill Curry played football for Bobby Dodd during the early 60's. In his book Ten Men You Meet In The Huddle, Curry lists Dodd's 3 basic rules:
1. Go to church
2. Go to class
3. Do not drink, carouse, or break curfew
These rules may seem somewhat old-fashioned and not politically correct, but some traditionalists might argue that many teams and organizations could use these same rules today.
I am biased, but I consider Bobby Dodd the "Greatest Coach" of all time.
Tim Winders has over 25 years experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, coach and consultant. He founded Accelerate Growth NOW to provide business owners with the training, coaching and resources to double, triple and 10X their business. To learn more and to claim your FREE business growth resources, visit AccelerateGrowthNOW.com.
