Who do you think the best coaches in the National Football League history are? I will give you an idea. One was around for the very first Super Bowl and had a trophy named after him. The other is a gentleman and, some say, good, old western guy. Any ideas yet? Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry are two of the best in the history of the NFL because of everything they accomplished as coaches. Lombardi and Landry know everything there is to know about the game of football. Lombardi has always been known for his dedication to coaching by friends and family. He was known for saying "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up” (Vince Lombardi). I believe this shows his dedication because he knows it does not matter how hard you fall in life, as long as you pick yourself up and keep trying it is all worth it. When he was in high school, he studied to be a priest before transferring to St. Francis High School, where he became a star fullback. He received a scholarship to Fordham University in 1933. There he studied law but in his heart he always wanted to coach football. His first coaching job was at ST. Cecilla High School in 1939, where he coached basketball, football, and baseball; he had championship seasons with all of them. He later left there and became an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He told all of his teams: “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” (Norwood). This means, if you do not win, no one will remember who you are. He taught his players that winning is the only thing and losing is not an option. Tom Landry had a different past, but he also always wanted to coach all of his life. He always dreamed of becoming a Dallas Cowboy’s football player, ever since he was a boy. When Landry played football in high school, he learned everything about the game of football and became a great quarterback. In his first season of high school they were district champs. Landry enlisted in the Air Force in 1944 and flew 30 missions as a bomber pilot (WWII.) When he was released from the war in 1945, he went back to his college career, where he played for the University of Texas. Just four years later Landry played professional football with the New York Giants. He then started coaching after his professional career. On the official website of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom said, “studying a goal isn’t the main thing. It is decided on how you will achieve it and staying with that plan.” (Tom Landry). Tom told all of his teams he has coached even though you set a goal, you must see how far you are willing to take it. The training in his past shaped him into the man he became and into the coach who reached his players. Even though Lombardi and Landry are both coaches, they are very different types of coaches. They had many winning seasons, Lombardi’s only losing season was when he was an assistant coach for the Army. That was the year the Army players were caught cheating, and they had to start all freshmen on Varsity. In the book Vince Lombardi/Pele Lombardi says “Don’t expect miracles” (16). What he was saying there is that you cannot always have a championship team, even if that is what he is best known for. Tom’s three losing seasons were his first three years as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. In the book, The Dallas Cowboys the Ultimate guide to America’s team, Tex Schramm says about the Dallas Cowboys, “Some of the things we’re doing are frankly mystifying” (112). What I believe he is saying after having losing seasons, you can go nowhere but up.
Landry and Lombardi had their own unique way of coaching. Lombardi was known to pad up with his own players so they could get tougher. When he padded with his own players he put on shoulder pads and a helmet, while going head to head with them. He was also one of the first coaches to watch film of the other team. This method is still used today and is very common throughout the game of football. Landry was the first coach to use the power offense, and he used it better than any coach out there. The power offense is where you have a fullback as a lead blocker for the running back. These two coaches may have their differences, but they also had many similarities. Lombardi and Landry had both been to the Big Dance (The Super Bowl) in their coaching career, where all coaches dream to be one year. They were both inducted into the Hall of Fame, and are known for having winning seasons throughout the NFL. Lombardi and Landry also won championships of their own playing the game of “pigskin,” as some call it. In high school, Landry started as quarterback, where he took his team to win the District Championship all four years. In high school, Lombardi helped his team reach the championship with his position at fullback. It earned him a full scholarship to college. Lombardi and Landry also shared the same clothing style that they wore at their football games: a traditional suit and tie. Both men looked very sharp at each game. Also, both Lombardi and Landry punished their players when they stepped out of line. Lombardi wanted everyone home by curfew, or they would be fined $50. Landry told his players if they did not follow the rules, they would not play in the games. Lombardi and Landry stopped coaching in different ways. Landry was fired by the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, and it made the local newspapers for weeks. He was fired because his three previous seasons were losing seasons and Jones was looking for fresh talent. Lombardi decided to retire from the game of football and take some time to relax. After taking all that time off, he decided to go back to coaching and he coached for the Washington Redskins for one year before doctors diagnosed him with cancer. Lombardi and Landry both lived very long and happy lives but both, sadly, died of cancer. Lombardi was diagnosed with Intestinal cancer and died September 3, 1970. Landry was diagnosed with leukemia and died February 12, 2000. They both fought their best to survive the cancer. There were thousands of people that attended both of their funerals. There are many reasons why people think Lombardi and Landry are the greatest coaches of the game of football. They have accomplished every possible goal in their coaching career. They will be forever known in football for everything they have contributed to the game, some even say they are the best coaches that will ever live.