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The image of the seasoned athlete-turned-coach is often ingrained in our minds. Yet, some of the most storied coaches in history never graced the professional field themselves. Their journeys to coaching excellence are marked by determination and grit, plus an innate ability to develop talent and let their stars shine. As we delve into the coaching realm, we uncover the stories of the remarkable individuals who reshaped the game without ever donning a professional jersey.
Hugh Freeze
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We first heard about Hugh Freeze and his involvement in the real-life inspirational story featuring Michael Oher. As a big-time high school football coach in Memphis, his profile became so impressive that colleges took a chance on him. He was an assistant coach at Ole Miss before eventually earning the HC position. Known as an innovative offensive mind, Freeze has also done wonders turning around both Arkansas State and Liberty. Now, he’s tasked with doing the same at Auburn.
Freeze’s story is made even more fascinating from the standpoint that he never once played college football. On the contrary — Freeze was a junior college baseball player. He tried to play baseball at Southern Miss, though he wasn’t able to make the squad. As such, he turned to coaching.
Nick Nurse
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Nick Nurse’s path to becoming a title-winning head coach took several twists and turns. Nurse played as a college basketball player at Northern Iowa. Despite being a deadeye three-point shooter, his NBA prospects were slim and none. He bounced around the States as a college basketball coach before eventually heading to the U.K. While in England, Nurse spent seven years of his formative coaching career at various spots all across the country.
Eventually coming back home stateside, Nurse latched on as a G-League coach. After a spell with the Toronto Raptors as an assistant, he was then ultimately promoted to the head coach spot. Nurse led the Raptors to the franchise’s first (and only) title win. He spent five years in Toronto before agreeing to become the Philadelphia 76ers head coach this past offseason.
Barry Switzer
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It’s hard to believe that Barry Switzer never was a professional football player on any level. We’re talking about one of the biggest coaching legends in all of football — whether it be collegiately or in the pros. The Arkansas native played for his local Razorbacks before embarking on a coaching career that spanned over 35 years. More than 20 of those were spent at Oklahoma. Switzer led the Sooners to three National Titles.
From there, Switzer leaped to the NFL. During his four-year run with the Dallas Cowboys, he led Jerry Jones’ group to one Super Bowl victory. Without a doubt, he remains one of the most widely praised head coaches in the history of the sport.
Urban Meyer
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He’s surely one of the more controversial names on this list. All aside, he’s also one of the most well-respected coaches from a winning standpoint. The Ohio native was a star baseball player in high school. He was drafted by the Braves and spent two seasons playing minor league ball. Once that didn’t work out, he returned to the gridiron as a coach (a sport he also played in high school).
Starting as a high school coach/grad assistant, Meyer worked his way up. After four years as the Notre Dame WR coach, he got the Bowling Green HC gig. That job soon led to the Utah job — which then catapulted Meyer to becoming the head coach at Florida. Meyer’s Tim Tebow-led groups won two titles. After winning another title at Ohio State, Meyer’s career has stalled. Since being let go by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, it’s uncertain as to whether he’ll be prowling the sidelines as a coach any time soon.
Buck Showalter
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Growing up in Florida, Buck Showalter had sports embedded in his DNA. His dad was a fantastic football player, and it only made sense for Showalter to continue in his footsteps as an athlete. After playing a few seasons of minor league ball, Showalter realized he’d never make it as a professional baseball player in the Major Leagues. He then decided to turn to coaching — where he realized he had a very solid niche for the profession.
The Yankees gave him his first managerial gig (where he won the American League Manager of the Year Award). He gained a ton of respect across baseball for the job he did in New York. As such, Showalter had no shortage of interest from other clubs. He managed both the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers before becoming a TV analyst. A few years later, Showalter enjoyed a nine-year stint in Baltimore with the Orioles. In 2021, he was hired to become the newest manager of the New York Mets — he was let go following the ’23 season.
Joe Maddon
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Another successful MLB manager with zero professional playing experience is Joe Maddon. A football/baseball player in college, Maddon tried his hand as a minor league baseball player. While it didn’t pan out very well, those within the Angels organization saw something special in him. Collectively, he spent over 30 years with the ballclub — fulfilling several roles.
He finally got his shot to manage with the Tampa Bay Rays. While in Florida, Maddon won two Manager of the Year awards and developed the Rays into one of the most successful/innovative clubs in baseball. Jumping to the Cubs, he was the manager of the team that won the World Series (and broke the curse in the process). Maddon recently spent three years as a manager of the Los Angeles Angels, though he was fired 56 games into the ’22 season.
Mike Leach
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Mike Leach was a rugby player at BYU. He then went on to get a Law Degree from Pepperdine. In other words, how did he get involved in football? Watching the likes of Steve Young and others during his collegiate days sparked a real interest in the sport. He started his coaching career at Cal Poly in California. Two years later, Leach went to Finland (yes, Finland) and was the head coach of a football team there for one year.
Along the way, he developed the Air Raid scheme (very much influenced by the Norm Chow offenses he watched at BYU). As the OC at Kentucky, Leach was prominently recognized for the development of No. 1 Overall pick Tim Couch. Eventually, Leach turned programs around at both Texas Tech and Washington State. Leach coached Mississippi State for three seasons. In December of 2022, Leach passed away due to a heart condition.
Chip Kelly
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Chip Kelly is universally revered as one of the brightest offensive minds in all of football. Interestingly enough, Kelly’s career began on the defensive side of the ball. He was an undersized defensive back at the University of New Hampshire. He bounced around the Northeast region for 15 years until Mike Bellotti hired him as a no-name coach from New Hampshire.
Of course, he revolutionized college football with ‘the blur’ — an offense perfected by Marcus Mariota. After enjoying massive success in Eugene with the Ducks, Kelly coached in the NFL for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers. He returned to the college game in ’18, where he took over as head coach for UCLA. Following the ’23 campaign, Kelly agreed to become the next offensive coordinator for Ohio State.
David Cutcliffe
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Another offensive genius, Cutcliffe is a very well-regarded coach — particularly as it pertains to shaping young quarterbacks. When we’re talking about young quarterbacks, we’re of course referring to Cutcliffe’s job in molding Peyton Manning into a future Hall of Famer. Cutcliffe spent nearly 20 years of his career at Tennessee. He also had a spell at Ole Miss, and most recently spent nearly 15 years as the head coach of Duke. In terms of Cutcliffe being an athlete, the Alabama native played football in high school. He never progressed to a level higher than that.
Jim Leyland
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Despite being a baseball savant, Jimmy Leyland never made it as a professional player. With the desire to stay in the sport, Leyland turned to the world of coaching. After a decade of toiling in the minor leagues, Leyland got his chance as a bench coach with the White Sox. He then went to the Pirates — where a young Barry Bonds thrived under his tutelage.
Leyland’s reputation as a developer of talent continued when he led the expansion of Florida Marlins to the 1997 World Series. The three-time Manager of the Year ultimately ended his career with the Tigers. Without a doubt, Leyland remains one of the more revered managers in the history of the game.
Bill Parcells
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Both a standout baseball and football player as a youth, Parcells ended up moving toward the world of football once graduating from college. For 20 years, Parcells worked as a defensive assistant coach in both the college and pro ranks. It wasn’t until 1983 that Parcells got his first NFL head coaching job (with the New York Giants).
Of course, Parcells was a prolific NFL head coach. He won two titles with the Giants before moving on to coach the Patriots, Jets, and Cowboys. While he wasn’t able to replicate the success he had at the Meadowlands, Parcells is still considered an all-time great.
Andy Reid
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Los Angeles native Andy Reid never progressed into being a professional football player. Alas, he’s certainly carved out a very good career for himself. Rooted in being an offensive line coach, he first garnered notoriety when with the Green Bay Packers (during the Brett Favre dynasty). The Eagles decided to take a chance on Reid — and ultimately struck gold. Philly didn’t win a ring with Reid as the coach, but he routinely got them to the playoffs. Currently, Reid is in charge of the NFL’s most prolific juggernaut. His Kansas City Chiefs team has won three of the last five Super Bowls and will be looking for a three-peat next season.
Gregg Popovich
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Outside of Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach, you won’t find a better/more accomplished basketball coach than Gregg Popovich. A graduate of the Air Force, you can see why there are moments when Popovich appears gruff with the media. His basketball upbringing was rooted in discipline, respect, and commitment. Much like his San Antonio Spurs teams, the style of play is a true reflection of Popovich as a human.
We’re talking about intelligent, nuanced, and a bit prickly. The 5-time NBA Champion was on the cusp of becoming a C.I.A. agent before instead sticking with the game of basketball. For all sports fans, we’re glad he made that decision.
Erik Spoelstra
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It was destined for Spoelstra to become an NBA head coach. His dad was an executive for four separate NBA franchises. Having grown up around the game, it was no surprise to see this former point guard grind his way from video coordinator to NBA Champion head coach.
Between college and his beginnings with the Heat, Spoelstra coached in Germany. However, the Portland native couldn’t pass up the offer from the Heat. He’s worked with Miami since 1997 and has been the coach since 2010.
Bill Belichick
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During his college days at a small Connecticut university, Belichick played football, lacrosse, and squash for good measure. However, there was no doubt as to where his profession would take him. Belichick’s father was an ex-NFL player who coached at several stops (including the Naval Academy).
The two obsessively studied football together. Belichick had a ravenous appetite for wanting to prove himself at the highest level. After breaking into the NFL, he coached receivers, special teams, and linebackers, and was a defensive coordinator before getting his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns. Fortunately for Belichick and the New England region, Belichick left to become the Patriots’ headman. Six Super Bowl wins later, and we think he made the right choice. Next season will mark the first year since 1975 that Belichick will not be patrolling an NFL sideline.
Sean McVay
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McVay’s entry into the NFL was influenced by his grandfather. John McVay was the main culprit behind building the San Francisco 49ers dynasty which saw them win five Super Bowls. A minor player at Miami (Ohio), McVay turned to coaching in a hurry.
Known as somewhat of an offensive savant, McVay was only 30 years of age when he was hired as the head coach of the L.A. Rams. As we’ve seen over the last few years, McVay has built a very strong culture — which includes two championship appearances and a win in Super Bowl LVI.
Kyle Shanahan
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The other young offensive genius in the NFL happens to be one of McVay’s biggest rivals. Like McVay, Shanahan got involved in the NFL quite early compared to most coaches. His dad is Mike Shanahan — the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Denver Broncos. Shanahan played sparingly as a receiver with the University of Texas. Soon after graduating, he was a grad assistant at UCLA. This spurred his coaching career.
After securing several offensive coordinator jobs, Shanahan was entrusted with running the San Francisco 49ers. He’s built an offensive that is multiple, exciting, exotic, and unpredictable. While his 49ers still haven’t gotten over the final hump, Shanahan has revamped this proud franchise into a perennial Super Bowl contender.
Charlie Weis
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Weis’ playing career ended in high school. After graduating from Notre Dame, he decided to embark on a 35-year journey that has taken him to four different college programs and four different NFL franchises. An offensive coach, Weis made his way from a high school coach to the Giants’ running backs coach in roughly a decade.
However, Weis’ big break came with the Patriots. He won three Super Bowls being the offensive coordinator for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Of course, offers rolled in for Weis. He took the Notre Dame job — though coaching at his alma mater proved to be tough. Weis’ career sort of nosedived from there. He last coached in 2014 as the head coach of Kansas.
Gus Malzahn
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Hop on the Gus Bus! The Arkansas native made a name for himself as a dynamic head coach in Arkansas prep football. This came after briefly playing at Henderson State. Malzahn was so highly thought of, that Arkansas hired him from the high school ranks to run their offense. After a few other stops, Malzahn got the reins of the Auburn job for nearly a decade. Though his reputation took a bit of a hit on The Plains, he’s bounced back quite nicely with his new gig at UCF. It’s pretty impressive considering Malzahn was a high school football coach less than 20 years ago.
