recent/modern coach most like George Allen?

[Clutch]

Hi I'm interested in learning more about former Redskins coach George Allen. One question I have for you is which present or recent NFL coach(es) you think is/are most like GA in terms of (1) coaching style (2) game philosophy and (3) personality?

[70Chip]

That's a tough one. In terms of his coaching style, he was an innovator, so nearly every coach owes him something in that regard. He pioneered film study. He was the first hire a special teams coach. And he was the first to be famous for working long hours. All things that are considered de rigueur today.

Greg Williams picked up some of his stuff via Jack Pardee. I think x's and o's are constantly evolving so it's difficult to pin down exactly what's what and who gets the credit for it. In terms of defensive coaches he would be near the top in terms of his influence with names like Bill Arnsparger, Chuck Noll, Buddy Ryan, and Tom Landry.

NFL Films has a good feature called "Three Cheers for the Redskins" which is all about Allen and his approach to the game, etc. NFL Network should show it at some point this year. You should watch that.

[Clutch]

70chip, thanks for replying. I'll try to catch "Three Cheers For the Redskins" - a while back I saw a special called "Winning Is Living, Losing Is Dying" which had some good info on George Allen. I am fascinated with the legend of George Allen and am always interested in learning more about him.

I've heard some comparisons made between George Allen and another former Redskins coach - Marty Schottenheimer. Things they have in common are defense, discipline and better regular season records than playoff records. I'm not sure if Marty was/is anywhere near the innovator that GA was, and while both may have been workaholics, as you point out most coaches are like that now. GA was an extreme case, and from what I know about his personality, he was not only obsessed with winning but also paranoid and a little looney (in a good way, of course).

[dmek25]

no one in the league right now compares to allen. maybe bill cowher. allen was a real cheerleader

[jbcjr14]

While Jerry Glanville wasn't a great coach in the NFL, his character reminded me alot of George Allen. Really strange, but a clear passion for the game of football that was like no other.

[12thMan]

Yeah, Allen was old school. He was before my time, but from what I do know, he loved vets. The year they went to the Super Bowl v. Miami, the Redskins were called the "Over The Hill Gang". He basically came under critism for letting so many young players get away in exchange for this older group of players.

I think in that regard, I would probably compare him to Gibbs a little. Allen was big proponent of Special Teams and so is Gibbs, and they both loved the city of D.C. and the Redskins. In fact, arguably, it was Allen that made the Cowboys rivalry famous. I would probably throw Dick Vermiel in that bunch too.

[Beemnseven]

Allen was also credited for creating the "Nickel" defensive package.