There are several great coaches in sports history, but two prestigious names come to mind. I'm talking more about the fiery types who won't hesitate to get in an official's face and spew obscenities with a drop of a hat. I think Bobby Knight and Mike Ditka are two of the most grizzled coaches of all-time. One is retired of course and the other one occasionally gets in trouble for 'accidentally' shooting a neighbor with a pellet gun (he may have been drinking and got a little trigger happy). Neither one of these veteran sports icons seemed to show any weaknesses in coaching in their respective sport.
From the intense moments on the gridiron at his peak, Coach Ditka would get so wrapped up in the game and watch the refs cheat his beloved Chicago Bears team out of yardage due to bad calls that he'd get the impulse to land a tackle with a full head of steam. That or he'll suit up to play himself in the 4th quarter after getting riled up from a series of missed scoring opportunities near the 20-yard line. His pacing back and forth on the sidelines, directing instructions to the quarterback gave a clear indication he was reaching a boiling point. This raw emotion transferred over to his team which resulted in a turn in momentum. Deficits were erased and wins became etched into history. Ditka had a fiery passion for the game, but was he more grizzled than Bobby Knight?
Some of the best years for Indiana Hoosiers fans was in the early to late 90's when Bobby Knight was the coach. He always pushed his players to the limit and tested their strengths and weaknesses. There is a reason why he is one of the top coaches in college basketball. He moved past Dean Smith in 2006 for the all-time wins record in NCAA history. He's led Indiana to dubious records for a string of seasons and to a couple national championships. Seeing him explode with temper so hot it could ignite building a fire only seems to fuel his team's passion and energy.
Their performance overall is linked to his emotion and direction. Knight make statement to refs by tossing fold-out chairs across the court. He'll stomp out of the coach's box, debate a call before getting ejected for calling an official a blind SOB who needs glasses. His discipline he teaches his players and always striving for perfection are two striking qualities which make Knight one of the most grizzled coaches of all-time. I think he's got a little bit of an edge over Ditka...though it's pretty darn close.
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