 Larry. Who do you believe are the
3 greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time, and why? Before we really get started, feel free to leave comments here, of course, but don't hesitate to contact Larry. Just click here.
 1. Bart Starr because he was Vince Lombardi's quarterback. Starr's Packers won NFL Championships in the 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, and 1967 seasons. Following the NFL championships in 1966 and 1967, he led the Packers to convincing victories over the champions of the rival ALF in the first two Super Bowls. He is the only player to quarterback a team to five NFL championships.
2. Joe Montana. While a member of the 49ers. Montana started four Super Bowl games and the team won all of them. He was so successful that in 2000, the Pro Football Hall of Fame elected Montana. Montana had the highest passer rating in the National Football Conference (NFC) five times (1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1989); and, in both 1987 and 1989, Montana had the highest passer rating in the entire NFL.
3. Johnny Unitas 1956-1973 Career stats: 211 games, 2,830 of 5,186 for 40,239 yards, 290 TDs and 253 INTs; 450 rushing attempts, 1,777 yards, 13 TDs I do believe many experts agree with you. I think I do, too. Who do you believe to be the 3 greatest NFL coaches of all time, and why?
1. Vince Lombardi for the same reason as Bart Starr above
2. William "Bill" Walsh (November 30, 1931 â€" July 30, 2007) coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford University, and popularized the West Coast Offense. Walsh went 102-63-1 with the 49ers, winning 10 of his 14 post season games along with six division titles. He was named the NFL's coach of the year in 1981 and 1984.
3. It's a tie between Chuck Noll and Don Shula. With a special mention of Bill Belichick.
Now Larry, tell me this -- who do you believe to be the 3 greatest NFL wide receivers of all time, and why?
Easy answer. 1. Jerry Rice, Nalita. Rice is widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history, consistently showing exceptional performances and a strong work ethic on and off of the field. Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times (1986-1996, 1998, 2002) and named All-Pro 10 times in his 20 NFL seasons. He won three Super Bowl rings as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, (1985-1999), an AFC Championship with the Oakland Raiders (2000-2004), and a division championship with the Seattle Seahawks (2004).
2. Lynn Swann of the Pittsburg Steelers -- a great receiver during the Super Bowl champion seasons. A first look at his statistics, one might wonder how he makes the list because of the number of receptions. . . .He was a great clutch receiver who could make acrobatic catches, though. Also, the Steelers team ran the ball a lot and relied on a great defense.
3. Fred Biletnikoff, Oakland Raiders,a steady and sometimes spectacular receiver for 14 seasons, helping the Raiders win a Super Bowl. He's also a member of the Hall of Fame.
Hmmm. Thank you. Of course.
Okay. Here's one: Who do you believe to be the 3 greatest NFL rushers/RBs of all time and why?
(quick answer)
1. Jim Brown, played only 8 seasons, mostly in the 60's, Hall of Famer and over 5 yards per carry average for a career.
2. Walter Payton a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, distinguished himself as one of the National Football League's most productive and memorable players. He also set many rushing records during his professional and collegiate career. After a standout career at Jackson State University, the Bears drafted Payton with the fourth overall selection in the 1975 NFL Draft[1]. He quickly established himself as a Pro Bowl caliber performer, and won the league's Most Valuable Player Award in just his third season. He continued to play for the Bears until his retirement in 1988 and was a member of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX. After struggling with a rare liver disease for several months, Payton died in 1999 at the age of 45.
This stuff just rolls right off your tongue. Amazing!
(blushing) Thank you. But, the third is 3. Emmitt Smith. Smith is a three time Super Bowl champion and the NFL's all time rushing leader, a record formerly held by his childhood hero Walter Payton. Smith surpassed Payton on October 27, 2002 against the Seattle Seahawks at Texas Stadium. He is the only running back to ever have won a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season (1993).
Deion Sanders did not make the list; I think he quit football because he did not want to play for Detroit any more and they would not trade him. It's strange you should mention Deion, because I thought Deion was phenomenal, but moving along. Ball Clubs. NFL Ball clubs. What would you consider to be the 3 greatest -- I mean, which 3 would you consider the best 3 NFL ball clubs of all time.
Pittsburgh, Dallas, and San Francisco San Francisco!!!!!!!!!!
Uh, that's my honest opinion, Nalita (laughing). Oh, thank you! Thank you. I am calm . . .So for the College football fans,
Who do you believe are the 3 greatest college quarterbacks of all time, and why?
1. Davey O'Brien, TCU
There's a reason the award for the nation's top quarterback is named after him. The 1938 Heisman winner led the nation in passing in 1936 and 1937, and finished his career with 24 TD passes, 2,659 yards (remember the era we're talking about), 928 rushing yards and ten touchdown runs along with being a star kick returner and defensive back. Even at only 5-7 and 150 pounds, he was tough as nails and was a consummate leader.
2. Matt Leinart, USC. Everyone came out of the 2006 Rose Bowl talking about Vince Young, and rightly so, while Leinart's brilliant performance was swept aside. Talk about your money players, the guy went 39-2 as a starter, completed 70 of 109 passes for 1,024 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception in his three bowl games. He won a Heisman, was in the mix for another, won a BCS national title, two AP national titles, and was the leader of one of the great runs in the history of college football. The career stats are amazing: 807-1,245 (65%), 10,693 yards, 99 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, nine rushing touchdowns, one touchdown catch.
3. Doug Flutie, Boston College (1981-84) Who cares that Flutie originally lacked the size to play in the NFL? He was plenty big enough to carry a program to new heights and establish himself as a true American sports icon. He had plenty of records and awards when he left Boston College, but all that hardly defined him. What makes Flutie an all-time great was his will to succeed and his ability to make those around him believe in his magic.
Who do you believe to be the 3 greatest college coaches of all time, and why?
1. Paul "Bear" Bryant Bryant led his teams to a 232-46-9 record
6 National Championships
15 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships (14 with Alabama; 1 with Kentucky) (and 1 Southwest Conference Championship at Texas A&M)
29 Bowl Appearances
15 Bowl Victories, including 8 Sugar Bowl Wins
3 National Coach of the Year honors
10 Times SEC coach of the year
A member of the College Football Hall of Fame
2. Bobby Bowden (Florida State) (4) With more than 350 wins, Bobby Bowden is the all-time winningest coach in major college history, and has led FSU to two National.
3. Joe Paterno (Penn State) Coach of Penn State since 1966. Won 362 games, two Big Ten championships, and two national titles. Led PSU to five undefeated seasons.
Thank you. Lawrence. And, who do you believe to be the 3 greatest college wide receivers of all time, and why?
1. Jerry Rice attended Mississippi Valley State University, becoming a standout on the football team. He acquired the nickname "World" because there wasn't a ball in the world he couldn't catch. Statistics from his college career are rather sparse and inconsistent, but the College Football Hall of Fame website claims that Rice, as a sophomore in 1982, caught 66 passes for 1,133 yards and 7 touchdowns. That was his first season playing with redshirt freshman quarterback Willie Totten, nicknamed "Satellite." Together, Totten and Rice would become known as "The Satellite Express" and set numerous NCAA records in the run-and-shoot offense of coach Archie Cooley, nicknamed "The Gunslinger."
no one else is good enough for this list
Man oh, man. I really messed up. A friend of his was trying to introduce me to Rice; I refused -- can you believe the stupidity? Thought he was a loser, because, well moving along . .
Who do you believe to be the 3 greatest college rushers/RBs of all time and why?
1. Archie Griffin is the only player in the history of college football to win the Heisman Trophy twice! This guarantees him a spot on the best college running backs of all time list. He was an icon at Ohio State, playing for the legendary coach Woody Hayes. Archie led the big 10 in rushing for 3 straight seasons, and rushed for 5,589 yards. He scored only 26 touchdowns or he would be higher, but he was a dominating back. He started in 4 straight Rose Bowls and Ohio State was 40-5-1 in his time there.
2. Tony Dorsett was a Heisman winner in 1976 at Pitt. He also was the first college running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in all 4 seasons he played. He had 1,133 rushing attempts for 6,082 yards and 58 touchdowns. Astonishing for a smaller running back at 5-11 and 185 pounds. But he was a speed demon, seldom if ever being run down from behind. After helping Pitt, win a national championship he went on to become a pretty good pro back for the Dallas Cowboys. He is in both the college and pro football hall of fames.
3. John Cappelletti he attended the Pennsylvania State University, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1973. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Penn State football coach Joe Paterno said that Cappelletti was "the best football player I ever coached"As a senior tailback at Penn State, he gained 1,522 yards on 286 carries scoring 17 touchdowns as the Nittany Lions rolled to an undefeated season. He was awarded the 1973 Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award, as well as receiving All-America honors. In his two-year running career, he gained 100 yards in thirteen games and had a career total of 2,639 yards and twenty-nine touchdowns for an average of 120 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry. Cappelletti's Heisman acceptance speech, where he dedicated his award to his dying brother Joey, is one of the most memorable in the history of college sports. first player to score 4 rushing tuchdowns in a game
What's your take, Lawrence because you are HOT tonight! Who are the 3 greatest college/university teams of all time?
1. Nebraska (1971)
Many consider the 1971 version of the Cornhuskers the best college football team ever, and we can't find any reason to disagree. The team averaged more than 39 points a game on offense, and surrendered only 8.2 points a game. Led by kick and punt returner par excellence Johnny Rodgers (who won the 1972 Heisman), the top-ranked Cornhuskers defeated No. 2 Oklahoma 35-31 on Thanksgiving Day, in what some have called the "Game of the Century." They rounded out their 13-0 season with a 38-6 drubbing of Alabama in the Orange Bowl.
2. USC (1972)
USC, coached by John McKay, finished the season 12-0 after blowing out Ohio State 42-17 in the Rose Bowl. In the process, the Trojans became the first team to be named No. 1 on every ballot of both the coaches and media polls. Keith Jackson, who's forgotten more about college football than we'll ever know, said the '72 Trojans were the best ever. He might be right, but we're giving Nebraska just a slight edge.
How bizarre. I never knew USC was that good during that time. I knew someone on the team during the '72 period and he was one of the stars. I knew he was always on the news, but he never made a big deal of it, so why would I? And USC was that big, huh?
Oh, for sure. Who was he? Not important. So, who is the third?
3. Oklahoma (1974)
The Sooners dominated college football in 1973 and 1974, going 21-0-1, so it wasn't easy to pick between the two squads. But we give the '74 squad the nod because it won its first national title under legendary coach Barry Switzer. Led by defensive end Lee Roy Selmon (the NFL's No. 1 pick in 1976), Dewey Selmon (an All-American noseguard), linebacker Rod Shoate (AP and UPI Defensive Player of the Year) and halfback Joe Washington (AP and UPI Offensive Player of the Year), the ground-based Sooners (they averaged 74 rushes a game, the most in Oklahoma history) twice won games by scores of 63-0, and also drubbed Utah State, 72-3.
Lawrence, THANK YOU SO MUCH! This was great and you really are a pro at this, as are Mike Firesmith and Tom d. I hate they were unable to make this interview. Catch them -- all three on their site by clicking on their name: Lawence H. Tom d. Michael Firesmith p.s. Lawrence, thanks for the sweet wishes to my nephew on the Happy birthday article. He loved it! Well the pleasure was all mine, LadyNalita. Second to my family, I'm ready to talk football anytime! |
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 66
me and my brother were in total agreement on the picks
So why not Walsh as #1??? He invented the West Coast Offense!
Dead on with the Lombardi, and the Starr thing.
I expect Favre will have his name on your list at some point, oh did I mention they are 4-0 this year, I smell SUPERBOWL!!!!
Great interview with Lawrence H.
I agree with all his choices of teams, players, and coaches that he mentioned.
I love his choices, and I agree, that he is right on! I am not as good on the college info, but with the NFL it was awesome.. I didn't get to watch Bart Starr play, but Joe Montana is absolutely fabulous even just to watch... (oops, did I go there?) Deion might be neon, but he had a few too many bumps to be the top three. Great interview Nalita! Get those other two cornerned!
I would be bold enough to ask, though!
Thanks, Lisa!
Robert: I don't agree about Deon. Deon was an all-around athlete, but too much of a pull in too many directions -- including the bright lights of music and Hollywood. He got bored, but the talent was always there on the field. He brought the field alive. When he played defense, I watched him turn mediocre defense and special teams into something MAGIC, just with his presence. He was not only a headliner superstar, top-notch, excellent athlete,
Deon SHINED!
That GLOW inspired his team and they followed his lead -- it was light he turned their lights on or something. It amazed me. Wow!
What an athlete.
I was so upset when he left the 49ers.
I thought only quarterbacks could inspire and lead like that.
Um, let me take a wild guess.
Might you be a Packers fan?
Robert: were I you, I would go to the expert on this issue, Lawrence. You can just click on the name where I indicate in the article. I do recall what a maverick Deion was, though. Deion (I think it may be the Dei - the god in his name implies) tried to do it all, because Deion would get out there and play whatever position DEION WANTED to play. You couldn't stop Deion. Many sports writers agree, describing him one of the most versatile athletes in recent history.
I mean Deion would have my mouth open, saying "What's he doing now? He's not supposed to be doing that!" And somebody would say, "That's Deion." We all started saying, "That's Deion." I think I may have phrased my question incorrectly and Lawrence may have thought about pass rushing, because we know Deion did that and very well -- I do not know, which is why it would be best to ask Lawrence. Thank you for your question.
Lynn Swann, he da man!! I especially like Lawrence's reasons for including him on the list. I am not up on football statistics so I could never argue from that perspective. But watching Lynn Swann in a big game was like getting a clinic on how to play the game. I'll never forget a catch he made for a touchdown in a Super Bowl game where he leaped up so high that the player trying to cover him hit his feet in the air, Swann reached over his shoulder to snag the ball, seemingly effortlessly, and landed with all the grace of a, well, swan.
The man was a superlative athlete.
I am just happy that most of the experts concur on 4 names amongst those greats
1. Bill Walsh
2. Joe Montana
3. (choke) Jerry Rice
4. Walter Payton (Sweetness) although I named him 4th only to keep the continuity of the 49ers intact, definitely not because he is 4th in my mind.
Deion was great. For two or three years he won fastest man in the NFL. But he was not a running back nor was he a Lion.
Robert B., Oct 2, 2007, 1:40pm EDT}}
Robert, is right I did mean Berry, at the time of doing the interview me and my brother had been going over our notes for the last 4 hours and was working into the morning hours, then we got talking about the sanders. Barry & Deion and how we were saying that when Deion gave up playing baseball he should have went to play both offense & defense it would have been a first,,, my slip thank you for pointing it out,,,
but i stick buy my remark that quitters should have an * buy their name
after all is said and done I will have to copy this page and put it on the wall in my game room
WHAT A MAN! Shows your honesty, forthrightness! Someone with integrity.
I think it was called -- a few years ago --
TRUE GRIT!!!
GATHER!!!
You really need to check this man out. I am not promoting the article, but I am promoting Lawrence. He really is exceptional. It is hard for anyone to admit when they are wrong, especially to an audience.
Check this out, Gather! You have a winner here, for you 10th Gather Essential --
SPORTS!
Lawrence, THANK YOU :=)
GlitterGraphicsNow.com
Hmm -- Nalita, you two should definitely talk again and go through defense this time!
As for that "other" Bill, he's an admitted cheater, and a mean, unfriendly person. He belongs on the bottom of every list there is. And no, I am not a Patriots hater. :-)
We'll see. They -- Lawrence, Tom and Mike -- are fun and easy to work with. It will be up to them. I do like picking their brains though.
Come to think of it, I could even interview YOU, Kris -- eh? You're not too shabby on the College circuit yourself!
I don't want to start anything with Lawrence as he is a bonafide EXPERT in all things football but I want to state a few facts for the record:
Top rushers in college for all time yards in a career:
Ron Dayne (WISC) - 6397 yards
Ricky Williams (TEX) - 6279
Tony Dorsett (PITT) - 6082
Charles White (USC) - 5598
Travis Prentice (Mia - Ohio) - 5596
CATCHES -
Arnold Jackson (Louisville) - 300
Trevor Insley (Nevada) - 298
Geoff Noisy (Nevada) - 295
Catches per game -
Manny Hazard (HOU) - 10.5
Alex Van Dyke (NEV) - 10.3
Howard Twilley (Tulsa) - 10
Yards -
Trevor Insley (NEV) - 5005
Marcus Harris (WYO) - 4518
Ryan Yarborough (WYO) - 4357
Ty Detmer (BYU) - 14,665
Tim Rattay (La Tech) - 12689 (Remember Tim Neeetah?)
Chris Redman (Louisville) - 12,129
Drew Brees (Purdue) - 11,815
Knute Rockne - 88 %
Frank Leahy - 86 %
George Woodruff - 85 %
On the list of top 25 coaches by winning percentage Bear Bryant ( A GREAT COACH) is only 16th at 78% and Bobby Bowden is 18th at 78% and Joe Pa is 21st at 77%.
All great coaches but picking the top three is very tough to do.
Lawrence, though, when asked, did it.
Top coach is Joe Paterno - he may NEVER quit - at over 325 games - I do not have his actual current total as he just keeps going and going, like the Energizer Bunny.
2nd is Bobby Bowden at over 320 and he is still going and going adn going...
and 3rd is Bear Bryant -
Guess where Lawrence got his answers for top 3 coaches?
Longevity is great but winning percentage is a more accurate measure of greatness.
I am not going to quibble with Lawrence's picks of Brown, Payton and Smith.
I also think Jim Brown is the top rusher of all time in the NFL but any discussion of great RBs HAS to include Tony Dorsett, Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson and Marcus Allen and to pick a TOP THREE is just too hard for me from that list. Brown is on top but I would maybe put Sweetness at #2 and Barry Sanders or Eric Dickerson at #3.
In my heard I'd put OJ in the Top three but it is politically incorrect to do so these days.
I can not argue with Jerry Rice - the greatest player of all time in football by any measure.
But for the next two or three WRs - one HAS to consider:
Cris Carter - 1093 career catches and 129 TDs
Andre Reed - 951 catches and 87 TDs
Art Monk - 940 catches and 68 TDs
Lynn Swann and Freddie Biletnikoff (of OUR beloved RAIDERS) are both great choices but they do NOT have the stats of some of those above or others like:
Tim Brown (another GREAT RAIDER) - Steve Largent (100 Career TDs) -
I'm late to the party again.
What happened to George Halas?
Don Shula? - ok - Lawrence had him as a maybe tie for 3rd.
Tom Landry?
Chuck Noll?
Paul Brown?
Shula leads the NFL in career wins with 347 - he was still coaching when he reached that number so his final total was MORE.
Halas had 324 wins.
Landry had 270 wins.
To go to my winning % argument like I did with the college coaches you find Lawrence's pick:
Vince Lombardi had a winning % of 74%
John Madden - my personal favorite from the GREAT RAIDERS - had 73%
Joe Gibbs - currently with the Redskins was at 68% - but WASH will bring that down for him... I HATE THE REDSKINS.
For my three - I'd have to go with Lombardi, Shula, and Madden.
I know most folks think Bill Walsh was the second coming of Jesus but I would not have him in my top three - not even in the top five.
Thanks for helping us to recall all the other GREAT coaches. Tough to single out just a few from that list. Like you, Madden was one of my favorite but for his flamboyancy, just like Jerry Glanville and the old Bengals coach from the 80s. I love character coaches.
Thanks Robert, for the information on George Blanda. I had heard the name, but didn't associate it with Oakland. Good to know that.
"I want to state a few facts for the record." WORD! Baby -- WORD!
It's ironic that you and Robert would be interconnected on the same thread like this! The other day, Tom, I was just telling Robert if there was ONE person -- just ONE, that I would EVER want to edit a literary work of mine it would be Tom d.
Now, I was giving you HIGH PRAISE, this going to be good, I know!
Do you remember that, Robert? And here you are, wanting to state facts for the record! Okay. Let me sit back and get taught some more football -- "for the record!"
No, I leave the compilation of really worthless statistics 'for the record' (to the general public) up to others who have far more time on their hands. Thanks Tom. Thanks Lawrence.
This could have been a featured article -- not because of me -- but because of the excellent exchange between Lawrence and you, plus Q&A that might have gone on, had you not been under-the-weather. My timing was off, I suppose.
The good thing is that you are feeling better now.
Now I have a couple of bones to pick with you! You said,
"I know most folks think Bill Walsh was the second coming of Jesus but I would not have him in my top three - not even in the top five."
First, if you look up in the threads you may see that Mike Firesmith would not agree with you and neither -- obviously do I.
Second, it's wonderful to know something. If you can't translate that knowledge into expression that knowledge stays forever locked in YOU. It's like the expression,
I came.
I saw.
I conquered.
Your guys may have came and conquered to a narrow level, but limiting.
Walsh
came
saw
conquered
expanded
-----and therein lies the difference.
All my life I had brothers, 4 big ole goofy big athletic brothers -- baseball, basketball, football, track and field -- you name it, who could speak to sports the way you, Mike and Lawrence do. Do you think they paid any attention to their little sister? NO!!! :={
They just dominated with their sports and let me know their sports was king, that's what. Bill Walsh invited people in with his enthusiasm, his excitement, his humility, but also the way he presented his team and the way he talked about the game. San Francisco was once called the "finesse" club and other areas made fun of it, implying Gay San Francisco -- so what! We knew that Bill Walsh was presenting football in a whole different way that would excite a whole broad spectrum, (yes, even women). We were invited to the party! We could participate in the event! He made it easy. The players were accessible. That is why, during his watch, San Francisco -- according to the media (check it out) had the loyalest fan base in the NFL. It was the Bill Walsh era, the Bill Walsh way of doing things, the Bill Walsh Watch.
Not just that. Tell me, that his plays are still major ones being used RIGHT NOW in the NFL. I need to get a play book and start looking, seeing what these guys are doing. I know they are using his.
Furthermore, many of his coaches went on to become head coaches in the NFL. Obviously he must have doing SOMETHING these club owners liked, otherwise they would not have started taking his coaches away and hiring them as head coaches. As I was watching the Seahawks game the other day I was looking at Holmgren and thinking: "If it wasn't for Walsh, you wouldn't even HAVE that job and you know it."
Holmgren is a good guy and would -- no doubt -- be the first to say that. I didn't hurt over the Seahawks game so much because I knew Holmgren was probably using Walsh tactics to beat us, well that and losing our starting quarterback. Although I still say we fans should have PERMANENTLY plucked some feathers that day. But back on this.
It's speaks to their PREVIOUS boss, their mentor more than it does to them, and who would that happen to be? Why
Bill Walsh, of course!
No, he isn't the second coming of Jesus.
But in the game of football, he's darned near the closest thing to it.
Oh, and by the way, continuing to praise Jerry Rice is like pouring salt in a wound.
He is full of himself, isn't he? Fans have told me that he isn't so nice to children, but I'm getting that from fans and not direct knowledge.
The other thing I forgot to mention -- this is direct knowledge, well sort of. Having known/dated an NFL player. He broke it down to me how they play injured and it's bad, mucho bad. The fans don't know.
One thing Walsh wouldn't do, and the whole NFL (NFL players respected this) was that he REFUSED to allow his players to go out there and play injured. That was not true of other coaches. Now, if what was told to me is not true (which is why I am not using a name) then so be it. But that is what I was told by an NFL player. Coaches would KNOWINGLY let players play in the game badly injured. Give them a shot of this or that or patch them up now and we'll see about it later . . .
NOT BILL WALSH!!!
If you're injured -- says Bill Walsh -- YOU ARE THROUGH FOR THE DAY AND DEPENDING ON THE INJURY, MAYBE LONGER.
The player came first, and for that, you gotta love him.
Back to football - YOU can write all the glowing stuff about Bill Walsh you want and you are correct in doing so. He was a great coach - just NOT the only great coach!
As for mentors, there are a few others in the past of those "Walsh trainees" you expund about - men like Paul Brown and Sid Gilman and John Ralston who were in the formative years of Walsh's growing and prospering. Many of Walsh's underlings (like Holmgren) were along for that ride also so Walsh was NOT the only mentor in their lives to have an impact on their learning and growing in the role of NFL coach.
Football History is filled with geniuses and creativie thinkers. Yes, Bill Walsh was one of them but his impact was mostly in SF and mostly with the 49ers and DID not continue when he left - he was a flop on TV as an "expert commentator" - he was not successful in his second stint at Stanford as head coach (one student player saying that "coach must think we're all in the NFL, I haven't understood one thing he's said all week...") - and his recommendation of Tom Holmoe to Cal as the NEXT GREAT COLLEGE COACH should go down in the annals of college football as the single greatest rat-fuck of an opponents program (Walsh DID have Stanford blood in his veins) EVER.
See some hint as to why I can't place the great Walsh in my top three yet?
He was great at what he did for the Niners and I will be eternally grateful for all those wonderful memories, but let's not make him the second coming.
There were many equally deserving of that placement in the Top Three if not more so. My choices simply don't include him.
Other than that I say hes got good idears!