Big Ten Network Coaching Icons

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DL65

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Last May, the Big Ten Network announced they would have a 12-part series related to coaching icons of the conference. Unlike the 50 player icons of last season, the fall series will have 12 coaches, one from each conference school. On the surface, it sounds as though it would be quite easy to select or guess the representatives from some of the schools. As an example, I would imagine Bobby Knight would be Indiana's representative. Most would say Woody Hayes will be OSU's representative and Bo schembechler will be Michigan's icon; however, how about Fielding Yost? In Iowa's case, Hayden Fry? Forrest Evashevski? or Dan Gable (wrestling)?

Minnesota's coaching icon? I suspect most would say Bernie Bierman with his five national titles in an eight year period. HIs coaching record at Minnesota (16 yrs) was 93-35-6 and his overwall record was 153-65-12. Dr. Henry Williams record is also worthy of consideration. His 21 year coaching record at Minnesota with 8 conference titles was 136-33-11. His coaching tree, which included Bernie Bierman, was quite impressive as well. Other coaching icons at Minnesota include baseball coach Dick Siebert and men's hockey Herb Brooks, and they're probably others. Again, I believe Bierman will be Minnesota's representative. Nevertheless, it should be interesting to see who's selected for the BTN's series, and if there are any surprises.

Go Gophers!!
 

I wouldn't be surprised if they bypassed Bierman for Herb Brooks. More name recognition nationally.
 

It would be hard not to choose Brooks. His impact at the U was obviously incredible, but his impact beyond his respective college pushes him over the top. He was the architect of one of the greatest stories in sports history and back then, his impact was much greater than what a current US coach would have now.

Brooks hands down.

Go Gophers!!
 

So either Tom Osborne or Bob Devaney is going to be considered a "Big Ten Icon"? You can't make it up.
 

Recoginizing that there is a lot of subjectivity involved, I believe Dick Siebert deserves it the most. Three (3) national championships and runner-up another year not to mention all the conference championships is amazing. Brooks is great but MN is loaded with hockey talent and relatively few schools play the sport. Bierman is also worthy. However, Siebert fielded baseball teams with almost exclusively MN kids. Siebert only had partial scholarships to give out. Siebert also had to contend with cold weather which was a hugh deal because in his day there was no Dome to play in just a field house which greatly limited practice. In addition, there were basically no limits on how many practices and games the southern schools could play so Siebert's teams were at an enormous disadvantage (remember, baseball is played in the spring and is over before summer starts so MN had very few days to get their teams outside). Most schools, unlike hockey, field baseball teams and weather isn't an issue for football. Yet, somehow against all odds, Siebert COACHED his cold weather, partial scholarship MN boys to be National Champions. With all due respect to the other great coaches, Siebert deserves the most.
 


My guess is it will be Brooks. Regardless if there is some other Gopher coach more deserving, this in the end is about ratings for the BTN and Brooks would draw the most viewers.
 

The BTN network seems to forget anybody who played or coached before 1980. Because if they did Bierman would be given more accolades on the networks Big Ten Icons program.

Also since many of us don't follow all the Big Ten schools of yesteryear they will miss out on many great coaches who before 1950 were icons.
 

Documentaries on legendary Big Ten coaches from long ago might be a good way to fill off season time on the BTN. Maybe the U should make their own documentaries. Perhaps PBS could air them on their Minnesota channel, they run a lot of local content.
 

As a follow up, here are the coaches that will be highlighted:

The 12-episode series will stretch into the winter, and profile one coach from every Big Ten school, including Illinois’ Lou Henson, Iowa’s Dan Gable, Indiana’s Bob Knight, Michigan’s Bo Schembechler, Michigan State’s Jud Heathcote, Minnesota’s Herb Brooks, Nebraska’s Tom Osborne, Northwestern’s Kelly Amonte-Hiller, Ohio State’s Woody Hayes, Penn State’s Joe Paterno, Purdue’s Gene Keady and Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez.
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http://www.bigtennetwork.com/dpp/sp...n,-Dhani-Jones-to-Host-Shows-on-BTN-This-Fall
 




Reasonable, but not obvious. Williams or Bierman are at least as legendary. Of course, there is less video footage, and not as easy to find anyone to interview who knew them.
 

RodentRampage said:
Reasonable, but not obvious. Williams or Bierman are at least as legendary. Of course, there is less video footage, and not as easy to find anyone to interview who knew them.
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Who is Sid Hartman? In all honesty it is a shame nobody from Minnesota made any effort long ago finding people to interview who knew Williams and Bierman.
 

Bierman's son is alive and well living outside St. Paul. He's in his later 80s, so there might not be a ton of time left, but that would be one.

I would almost prefer a show on the coaching disasters for each school. Don Morton's reign of terror for Wisconsin, for example, would be pretty compelling to watch.
 



While their numbers are shrinking, Bierman's players would be a source to pursue. Bud Grant was a member of the '49er team, I'm sure there are few other players that ccould speak about Bierman and what he was like as a coach. Better hurry, though, as the former players would be in their 80s.

Go Gophers!!
 

I remember all of those great Big Ten victories that Tom Osborne presided over.

Also, it should be Bierman. Ridiculous that it isn't. Hardly anyone outside of Canada, Minnesota, and select pockets of the Northeast gives a sh*t about hockey, especially college hockey.
 

dpodoll68 said:
I remember all of those great Big Ten victories that Tom Osborne presided over.

Also, it should be Bierman. Ridiculous that it isn't. Hardly anyone outside of Canada, Minnesota, and select pockets of the Northeast gives a sh*t about hockey, especially college hockey.
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Gopherpucklive.com probably would say the same thing about Gopher football. Aren't you from South Dakota or some where that doesn't play hockey? I don't think you are one of "us" as goof ball Barriero woul say. ;)
 

dpodoll68 said:
Also, it should be Bierman. Ridiculous that it isn't. Hardly anyone outside of Canada, Minnesota, and select pockets of the Northeast gives a sh*t about hockey, especially college hockey.
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That's why you almost never hear about the Miracle on Ice...
 

SonOfTheVarsity said:
That's why you almost never hear about the Miracle on Ice...
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What does the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team have to do with the Big Ten? Should they name Nick Saban a Big Ten coaching icon because he won national titles at LSU and Alabama? Furthermore, while we're at it, Herb Brooks was never a Big Ten coach for a single day in his life.
 

dpodoll68 said:
What does the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team have to do with the Big Ten? Should they name Nick Saban a Big Ten coaching icon because he won national titles at LSU and Alabama? Furthermore, while we're at it, Herb Brooks was never a Big Ten coach for a single day in his life.
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Technically, wasn't Brooks an assistant on the 1969-70 team? Given that, he would've coached in the 1970 Big Ten Hockey Tournament, I think: http://www.augenblick.org/chha/t_btn_01.html

That said, Minnesota was still a member of the WCHA at the time and I'm not sure what the BTT was at the time (it might've been nothing more than a holiday tournament for all I know). All I know is, Mariucci has banners hanging for it.
 

dpodoll68 said:
What does the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team have to do with the Big Ten? Should they name Nick Saban a Big Ten coaching icon because he won national titles at LSU and Alabama? Furthermore, while we're at it, Herb Brooks was never a Big Ten coach for a single day in his life.
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Maybe they're going the Osborne angle and celebrating Herb's contribution to St. Cloud State University as their coach?
 

dpodoll68...with a little bit of a stretch of imagination I must respectfull disagree with your statement about Brooks never being a big ten coach. I remember banners being awarded during the 1970's for the best interconference play amongst big ten teams. Of course this only included Minn, Wisc, Mich, and Mish St.
 

dpodoll68 said:
What does the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team have to do with the Big Ten? Should they name Nick Saban a Big Ten coaching icon because he won national titles at LSU and Alabama? Furthermore, while we're at it, Herb Brooks was never a Big Ten coach for a single day in his life.
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To start with, the BTN doesn't strictly cover B1G athletics. While that's the main focus of the network, BTN does regularly schedule programming covering non-athletics aspects of member schools. The focus of the coaching icons series is clearly a celebration of a legendary coach at each member school; it's about the school, not the conference. And for most schools, this translates to a coach with Big Ten success. For Minnesota and Nebraska, it doesn't.

And Herb Brooks is a coaching icon at Minnesota. There's a fair argument that Bierman would have been a better choice, but Brooks won three national championships at Minnesota and, thanks to the 1980 Olympics, is easily our most nationally recognized coach. To discredit his selection as our icon because "nobody gives a sh*t about hockey" (is Gable also not a coaching icon because wrestling isn't as popular as football?) and because he never coached in the Big Ten is ridiculous.
 

I'd gladly watch a documentary on Fielding Yost. Much better to watch a documentary on something that isn't covered much. I'd love to see a movie about the Little Brown Jug.
 

Dr. Henry Williams

I would have to put Mr. Williams ahead of Bierman for this reason. He had three future Hall of Fame coaches play for him.

Bernie Bierman
Gil Dobie
Clark Shaughnessy
 

For Northwestern they passed over Ara Parseghian for a women's lacrosse coach?
 

Probably the best know Big 10 Coach that will be overlooked was Amos Alonzo Stagg. He coached The University of Chicago Maroons to National titles.
 

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