We know the obvious answer is the man with the ring, but I honestly think the one we have now could be better!
My first impulse was to vote Cholly Mac, but his strength as a head coach was longevity and consistency more than anything. His weakness, IMO, was consistency. He won, in short, but he rarely won "enough". Getting rolled by Bear Bryant on an annual basis is nothing to be ashamed of, for many SEC coaches fit that bill back in the day, but the fact remains that winning 7-9 games a year and consistenly not winning the SEC does not a "greatest coach" make. I went with Pepsodent Paul b/c he proved to be an innovative coach during his tenure in BR. I like guys who do or try things rarely if ever tried before and finding success in doing so. His platoon system with the White, Go and Bandits, for example, was borne out of necessity in part but he sure got results. Saban simply wasn't at LSU long enough to warrant consideration as the greatest, national title and conference titles aside.
Charlie Mac was mired in 8-3 and 7-4 seasons for his entire career. Not sure why the lovefest for this man. His longevity is something to be admired. That's about it. How long would Charlie Mac last in this day and age?
how did hallman not make it as a choice? what a shame. it takes serious talent to win 3 games/yr when you recruit the absolute worst athletes that you can find.
I voted for Saban. I look at it this way: Only 3 coaches in LSU history have won 2 SEC championships. Bernie Moore did it in '35 and '36, Paul Dietzel did it in '58 and '61, and Nick Saban did it in 2001 and 2003. Of those 3, only Saban and Dietzel won national championships, so I figure it has to be between those two. When comparing the two, I think the choice is easy. Saban took over a 3-8 team from 1999 and finished 2000 8-4 with a bowl win. Dietzel took over a 5-6 team from 1954 and went 3-5-2 in 1955. He didnt have a winning season until going 11-0 in 1958, winning the title in his fourth year. Saban won the SEC in his second year, and, like Dietzel, won the national title in his fourth. Dietzel was at LSU for seven years and had only 3 winning seasons- '58, '59, and '61, he took LSU to bowl games each of those years, winning the Sugar in '58 and the Orange in '61. Saban was at LSU for 5 years with 5 winning seasons, 5 bowls, 3 bowl wins, 2 BCS bowl wins, 2 SEC championships, and a BCS championship.
