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Posted on 4/23/14 at 11:52 pm to AlwysATgr
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If so, then that's very impressive
Yes it is. Also could you imagine what training camp was like for a honest to god general?
Posted on 4/23/14 at 11:54 pm to BigOrangeBri
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Neyland was also an innovator. He is credited with being the first coach to utilize sideline telephones and game film to study opponents. His teams also were some of the first to wear lightweight pads and tearaway jerseys. Such measures increased his players' elusiveness and exemplify Neyland's "speed over strength" philosophy.
He believed in innovation, but he thought the two-platoon system was "chickenshit?"
Posted on 4/23/14 at 11:57 pm to Tiger Live2
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SEC Rewind: Robert Neyland 1954 quote: Who's second best? I personally would put Spurrier as the 2nd best. He wins a national title at USC, he is #1. I would put Saban has #3, but I know very little about Neyland. Didn't he have an undefeated, untied, unscored upon season?
Won 33 games in a row and went unscored upon for 17 consecutive games
Posted on 4/24/14 at 12:02 am to BigOrangeBri
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Won 33 games in a row and went unscored upon for 17 consecutive games
Wow, just wow.
Its still so hard to rank the top 4 coaches in SEC history. The Bear speaks for himself. Spurrier ran the conference for a decade at a school with limited history. Then turned a team with no history into a consistently top 10-15 team. Saban has won 4 BCS titles at 2 different schools.
All great coaches, and would likely be #1 in most conferences. All 4.
Posted on 4/24/14 at 12:03 am to BigOrangeBri
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I haven't seen one UT fan say that ITT. Neyland also did two tours of duty for a total of 6 years during his prime. I would put Bear and Neyland as equals. Both great in their own right
The start of Bryant's career was delayed because of war time service. In fact, had Pearl Harbor happened just days later he would have taken the Arkansas job.
Posted on 4/24/14 at 12:16 am to Tiger Live2
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Its still so hard to rank the top 4 coaches in SEC history. The Bear speaks for himself. Spurrier ran the conference for a decade at a school with limited history. Then turned a team with no history into a consistently top 10-15 team. Saban has won 4 BCS titles at 2 different schools. All great coaches, and would likely be #1 in most conferences. All 4.
Yeah, it's so hard to compare eras. Most lists and people I've seen put Neyland 2 or 3 in the SEC and top 10 to 15 nationally
Posted on 4/24/14 at 12:57 am to BigOrangeBri
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Yeah, it's so hard to compare eras.
That's very true, also its human instinct to rank more recent events higher. Also, for the older coaches its harder to go by national championships, due to the nature of them back then.
How many SEC titles did Neyland have?
Eta:
quote:
Most lists and people I've seen put Neyland 2 or 3 in the SEC and top 10 to 15 nationally
I wouldn't argue with it. Now if Spurrier wins the playoff at USC, he's #1
This post was edited on 4/24/14 at 1:10 am
Posted on 4/24/14 at 1:06 am to Tiger Live2
Neyland was knighted (OBE) by the Queen for his war service. No other coach can top that. 
Posted on 4/24/14 at 1:29 am to Prof
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Neyland was knighted (OBE) by the Queen for his war service. No other coach can top that.
He is #1 BAMF of SEC coaches. But that can't be used when ranking coaches.
Posted on 4/24/14 at 1:34 am to Tiger Live2
I have this book and it's a great read.
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"Football as a War Game is a compilation of the rarely before seen handwritten journals of General Neyland's entire career at the University of Tennessee. The book offers a very personal look into how he approached the game . It includes his coaching philosophies, practice techniques, play designs and football strategies. Included are over 250 historical photos, 200+ digitally reproduced journal pages, detailed explanations by Andy Kozar which give the reader better insight into the mindset of General Neyland, early football innovations, diagrams of plays and practice regiments, psychological strategies employed both in game preparation and on the field, strict rules and guidelines for all players as written by Neyland, and hunting and fishing stories from General Neyland. This book has been created in a manner to allow it to be passed on to future generations. The author, Dr. Andy Kozar, is considered to be one of the greatest fullbacks in UT history, All-SEC in 1952, and was an integral member of the 1951 National Championship team.
This post was edited on 4/24/14 at 1:37 am
Posted on 4/24/14 at 2:05 am to DoUrden
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I have this book and it's a great read.
That looks like a book I would love to read. I love history. College football is my favorite sport. And I think Rocky Top is a GREAT song. Plus, I'm an American, and he is an American General. How much was that?
Posted on 4/24/14 at 2:09 am to Tiger Live2
I worked for the company that made it so it was free. It's currently out of print so amazon is your best bet but last I saw they were going for over $200.
LINK
LINK
Posted on 4/24/14 at 2:11 am to DoUrden
Damn. That sucks. Would love to get it, but I won't spend that much for it. Thanks 
Eta: Well my old roommate just got a credit card offer here. And he said his credit was already shot
Eta: Well my old roommate just got a credit card offer here. And he said his credit was already shot
This post was edited on 4/24/14 at 2:14 am
Posted on 4/24/14 at 2:16 am to Tiger Live2
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Eta: Well my old roommate just got a credit card offer here. And he said his credit was already shot
Posted on 4/24/14 at 7:45 am to LSUFOREVERAMEN
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Who's second best?
Posted on 4/24/14 at 8:16 am to Tiger Live2
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Tiger Live2
Here's a ton of cool facts about Neyland. Pretty good read.
LINK
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Neyland finished his Tennessee coaching career with 173 wins, 31 losses and 12 ties, for an .829 winning percentage.
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Of his 216 games coached, the Vols shut out their opponents 109 times.
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In the 1939 regular season, Tennessee outscored its opposition 212-0. The Vols are the last major college football program to shut out every regular season opponent.
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He was recruited to play professional baseball by the New York Giants, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Athletics, but instead went to World War I as soon as he graduated and served in France.
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Neyland was a superb student-athlete. He won 35 games (20 consecutive) pitching for Army, was a starting end on the Cadets' 1914 national championship football team and was the academy's heavyweight boxing champion his final three years.
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Neyland arrived in Knoxville when the UT football site, Shields-Watkins Field, seated only 3,200. By the time of his death in 1962, the stadium seated more than 51,000 and Neyland had developed architectural plans for its eventual growth to more than 100,000. Those dreams became reality in 1996.
This post was edited on 4/24/14 at 8:25 am
Posted on 4/24/14 at 8:49 am to Phat Phil
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He last coached in 1952.
He was AD until his death in '62.
Posted on 4/24/14 at 12:53 pm to Tiger Live2
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How many SEC titles did Neyland have?
Eta:
2 Southern Conference Championships 1926, 1932
5 SEC Championships 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1951
The Years from 1940 to 1946 he was at war, so he would've prolly had more.
Posted on 4/24/14 at 1:27 pm to RollTide1987
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Frank Thomas, the head coach of Alabama when Bryant played there, beat Neyland multiple times.
I usually put Thomas at the top of my SEC coaching list just because he not only won, but took what Wade had done and solidified Alabama football. Bryant and Saban may have had good careers at Alabama, but the vehicle was already running. Same can be said for a Petino or Cal at Kentucky. The coaches were good, but the school history took them to the very top.
Thomas may be like Hall after Rupp in they came in and won after the legend but having to live in the shadow cast by the legend. Like Hall, Thomas did not have a long tenure but still won some national championships and kept the bridge from Wade to what Alabama became. The problem with guys like Thomas and Hall is they get overlooked when they should not be.
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I guess that means Bryant wasn't as good of a coach as Thomas was.
I think they were both good at what they did for the program based on their specific time there.
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