The coaches we love to...love?

Everyone knows college football fans are arguably the most passionate of any American sport and honestly, always looking for something to brag or bitch about.  ESPN has been releasing pieces in their weeklong series of most hated coaches.  It’s easy for fan bases to find faults and quirks to complain and mock in opposing schools coaches.  In my opinion, this is too easy.  I could sit down and spout out a thousand words on the coaches that just…just irk me.  From the Rich Dick Rod fiasco and the Wannstedt stache, to the Mike Gundy “I’m a man” rant (yes, we know buddy.  This is big time college football, get over the criticism.  You embarrassed yourself and your QB) it's easy to find the coaches to hate.

Instead, I’ll let you know which two coaches I think are great for the sport.  One I secretly root for, although I despise his team, and the other who manages a team I’m indifferent too, but can’t wait to see what he says or does next.

I didn’t grow up in the Bear Bryant or Woody Hayes eras, but lucky enough to have been around for the Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, and Frank Beamer eras.  I won’t begin to compare the three, but since Frank is still in the game and probably incites the most ire of fan bases around the ACC.  I’ll talk about why I secretly root for the guy.  As a diehard WVU fan I was taught to hate three teams – Pitt, Maryland, and VT.  I remember growing up with the Black Diamond Trophy games, and man, were there some incredible ones.  I remember the last second heartbreaker in 1999 and the 2002 defensive stands.  I can’t wait to restore the rivalry (which we lead)!  Although, I bust my good friend’s balls week in and week out, it’s honestly hard to root against such a stand up guy.  That’s what he is, a stand up guy.  There was a story floating around, not sure the accuracy, but Frank and his wife went out to a bowl game and were comp’d a rental car by the bowl.  Running late on their way to the airport they forgot to fill the rental as part of the rental agreement.  Now instead of ignoring this like most “entitled” FBS coaches would do, Frank and his wife sent a check to the bowl to cover the gas expense.  The bowl, completely shocked, wrote a letter back and declined the check.  Think you can count the number of coaches in FBS that would do that on two hands?  I’ll take the under on that.  It’s this type of class and lead by example attitude that allows VT to not only win, but win the right way.  Major NCAA sanctions?  I can’t think of any.  Beamer is the essence of integrity.  I haven’t heard a press conference pleading their case for higher rankings, no major NCAA violations, and having one of the higher graduation rates in the game.  He’s a class act all the way.  Not only is he a good person, the man can coach.  Want to know where the term “Beamerball” came from?  Frank Beamer.  He instills a work ethic and determination in his team that fosters defense and special team players forcing and converting mistakes into points.  He instills a culture of hard work and determination that allows their defense and special team to capitalize and force errors.  It invokes fear in the opposing team’s offense.  It’s rare these days, with all the publicity and scrutiny, to find a man as good a person as he is coach.  Good luck finding a better representative of that combo.

The next coach is someone I can’t wait to watch week after week and who seems to summon a lot of hate in the south.  Just mention the name and fans across the south foam at the mouth.  Nope, not Nick Saban (although his CEO and callous attitude stir up SEC fans at an equal level), but Les Miles!  It’s because they can never figure out how he’s still coaching (and winning at that!).  I don’t particularly care for LSU one way or another, but for the sake of Les’s career I hope they continue winning.  The college football world would be worse off without Les’s accidental comedic genius.  No one, not even Les himself, knows what the hell he’ll say or do next.  To me, this makes him completely magnetic.  I never know what will happen.  They don’t call him the “Madhatter” for no reason.  Will he chew some grass, run to the wrong sideline, or demonstrate a lack of clock management (as he did here, here, and here)?  He’s so compelling!  He may be the butt end of a lot of jokes to SEC fans, but fact of the matter is he’s compelling and makes for such an interesting viewing that neither LSU or college football would be the same.  Luckily, until he stops whipping the rest of the SEC he'll continue to be relevant, and with his relevance comes his quirkiness and with that comes the anticipation of his next mind boggling move.

Here's to the good guys, because in a sport filled with controversy, NCAA sanctions, and coaches who forget the game is more than them, it's refreshing to know that there are still a few great ones remaining.