A list of top 10 greatest sports managers of all time:
Sir Alex Ferguson:
Sir Alex Ferguson managed Manchester United for 27 years consecutively and won them more trophies than one could count. During his tenure, he won 38 titles with the Red Devils turning them into the household name that ends other household names. He won 13 Premier Leagues, 5 FA Cups and 2 UCLs. Those are not stats for the team throughout history but just the manager himself. He won the PL three times in a row twice, the only manager to do so. Producing and refining greats like Edwin Van Der Sar, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, and Cristiano Ronaldo, his influence knows no bounds.
Rinus Michels:
The inventor of ‘Total Football’, Rinus Michels is regarded as one of the best managers of all time due to his contributions to the game by revolutionizing tactics. He helped Ajax win the Champions League and even had a stint with FC Barcelona. Johan Cruyff used his ideas to implement new tiki-taka tactics at Barcelona and Ajax. He helped the Netherlands reach the World Cup final and won the Euros with them in 1988.
Johan Cruyff:
After a successful playing career, Johan Cruyff began an equally legendary managerial career in 1985 when he took charge of Ajax. But the Dutch manager is most admired for his time at FC Barcelona. He managed Barcelona from 1988 to 1996 yielding 4 La Liga titles, 3 Spanish Super Cups, the Copa Del Rey, the UEFA Cup Winners Cup and the club's first European Cup. In 2010, Cruyff was presented the FIFA Order of Merit for his significant contribution to football. A proponent of the famous "Total Football" philosophy, the list of players and managers directly or indirectly influenced by Cruyff is too long to count. Johan Cruyff managed his team like a gambler,Try out the www.onlinecasinosnoop.com the premier destination for people looking for the best online casinos.
Anatoliy Bondarchuk:
Former Soviet Union Hammer thrower Anatoliy is regarded as one of the most accomplished coaches of all time. In 1972 he won Olympic gold in the hammer throw. In 1976 Olympics he won bronze and coached the throwers who won gold and silver. In 1980, he coached the gold, silver and bronze medalists. In 1988, the Soviets are back in Olympics and sweep gold, silver and bronze again. In the next Olympics, the Soviet Union collapsed but his throwers still had many podium finishes. He is the coach of the current Hammer throw record holder Yuri Sedykh.
Scotty Bowman:
Scotty Bowman still holds the record for most wins in the National Hockey League history. He managed his team to 1248 wins in the regular season and 223 wins in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He has managed St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings. Apart from NHL clubs, he has also coached Canada men’s national hockey team on two occasions.
Phil Jackson:
Phil Jackson is the most decorated head coach in NBA history. He was the head coach of New York Knicks for nine years and left them in 1998. In his nine-year stint, he won six NBA title with them. He then coached the Los Angeles Lakers on two occasions – 1999-04 & 2005-11. He helped Lakers in lifting five NBA titles. He holds the record for most NBA trophies won by a manager (11), two ahead of 2nd placed Red Auerback.
Gregg Popovich:
Arguably one of the best tacticians in NBA history, Gregg Popovich is the head coach and President of San Antonio Spurs. Additionally, he is also the head coach of USA’s men’s basketball team. With his career spanning 24 years, he is the longest-serving manager in NBA’s history. He has led Spurs to five NBA championships and has also won three NBA Coach of the Year award.
Bernardo Rocha de Rezende:
Popularly known as Bernandinho, Bernardo is the current head coach of female volleyball team Rio de Janeiro Volei Clube. He is the most successful volleyball head coach in the history of the game and has won more than 30 titles with different male and female teams. He also won the Brazilian Superliga Best Coach award on two occasions.
Gary Kirsten:
Kirsten’s first coaching experience came in 2008 when he was appointed as the coach of Indian national cricket team. He helped the team during the rebuilding process. In his last year in charge, he helped them lift their first World Cup since 1983. He didn’t renew his contract due to family reasons. He coached South Africa for the next two years and then had a one-year coaching stint at Hobart Hurricanes. He then came back to India to coach Royal Challengers Bangalore for two years and helped them reach the IPL final for the first time.
Vince Lombardi:
Lombardi has coached several NFL teams but is best known for his stint with Green Bay Packers. At Green Bay, he helped his team win three consecutive NFL titles and a total of five from seven years in charge. Quite an achievement! Additionally, he won the first two Super Bowls at the conclusion of the 1966 and 1967 seasons. He has been inducted into Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame and has also won the NFL Coach of the Year on two occasions.
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