Top 10 Massillon Head Football Coaches

[mmauthor]

I'm just curious how people would rank the top ten Massillon head coaches of all time.

[CATS44]

Brown
Mather
Strang
Currence
Bruce
Commings
Stewart
Tressel
Owens
Shepas

[man2man]

Brown
Bruce
Stacy
Stacy
Stacy
Stacy
Stacy
Stacy
Stacy

:thumbsup:

[Benchboss1]

I guess man2man can't count to ten.:poke:

[CarlE]

I guess man2man can't count to ten.:poke:

Actually, you should have to be a Massillon grad, or at least a fan to participate in this thread. Otherwise, you'll hold as much credence as that idiotic post from the one before Benchboss1.

[TigerVic]

I'm just curious how people would rank the top ten Massillon head coaches of all time.


I would type a list of 10 names and click on "Submit Reply"

[TigerVic]

Shepas
Harp
Owens
Tressel
Kammer
Bruce
Commings
Strang
Stewart
Mather
Brown

(11- In reverse order)

[Rushfan]

1.Brown
2.Mather
3.Strang
4.Stewart
5.Bruce
6.Commings
7.Currence
8.Snavely
9.Harp
10.Owens

[CATS44]

Every fan will have his/her own personal criteria for making such a list.

I tend to look at program building and maintenance as the first criteria, then overall record, then record vs McKinley, and only then look to what they did elsewhere.

1) PB is IMO obvious.
2) Mather IMO is obviously next.
3) Strang was a really excellent coach, and perhaps nobody was better at instilling fundamentals. He also was very forward looking. He foresaw both the AAC and the computer rankings.
4) Currence was an excellent defensive coach, masquerading as an offensive guru. He also was forward looking, rebuilt the program from youth leagues up, and understood the difference between scheduling for the AP vs scheduling for the playoffs. Had there been the playoff system now in place when he was here, he would get a lot more credit. Had he remained as the coach another three years, he would get a ton more credit. He also was the main force behind WHS being built where it is, and not downtown....thankfully.
5) It gets dicier after the top four. I chose Bruce over Commings barely. Perfection is hard to beat, and going on to lead OSU has some merit.
6) Commings is/was Commings. He is as close to immortal as anyone in Massillon. He WAS Massillon. Hard nosed, straight talking, defiant. IMO he understood Massillon better than anyone. He was a steel worker in coaches garb.
7) Stewart has to go somewhere. He won the first state title. He was the major football influence on PB. He went on to a stellar career at his alma mater in PA.
8) Tressel wasnt here very long, but he also planned for Massillons future. The Sideliners is his baby. He obviously could flat out coach.
9) Owens may have been our best PR guy...lol. "We're Back" was his mantra, and he brought us back. His influence helped to get the new WHS built and PBTS remodeled.
10) Shepas was our worst PR guy...lol. In that respect he came along thirty years too late. But he was also forward looking and a program builder. He had to overcome more than any other Massillon coach, in that he had an administration that openly worked against him. With a supportive administration, the first half of his tenure would have been the foundation for even more success. In spite of all that, Shep certainly left the next coach with a solid program.

[TigerVic]

Shepas
Harp
Owens
Tressel
Kammer
Bruce
Commings
Strang
Stewart
Mather
Brown

(11- In reverse order)

How could I forget Currence?! Put him in there between Bruce and Kammer!

I put Stewart high on my list because, in addition to being Brown's coach, it was his recomendation that brought Brown here!

I thought about Kammer, the successor to Brown. He carried on the excellence, but nobody could replace Brown. (Actually, Houghton was the successor to Brown in '41, but left for WWII and came back to succeed Morningstar by having 2 forgettable seasons before Mather started his own "We're back").

A natural followup has to be a "worst list". Should we even begin that? (Elmer McGrew would top mine followed by some "fairly recent" (from the last 40 years) coaches).

[TigerCoach]

Every fan will have his/her own personal criteria for making such a list.

I tend to look at program building and maintenance as the first criteria, then overall record, then record vs McKinley, and only then look to what they did elsewhere.

1) PB is IMO obvious.
2) Mather IMO is obviously next.
3) Strang was a really excellent coach, and perhaps nobody was better at instilling fundamentals. He also was very forward looking. He foresaw both the AAC and the computer rankings.
4) Currence was an excellent defensive coach, masquerading as an offensive guru. He also was forward looking, rebuilt the program from youth leagues up, and understood the difference between scheduling for the AP vs scheduling for the playoffs. Had there been the playoff system now in place when he was here, he would get a lot more credit. Had he remained as the coach another three years, he would get a ton more credit. He also was the main force behind WHS being built where it is, and not downtown....thankfully.
5) It gets dicier after the top four. I chose Bruce over Commings barely. Perfection is hard to beat, and going on to lead OSU has some merit.
6) Commings is/was Commings. He is as close to immortal as anyone in Massillon. He WAS Massillon. Hard nosed, straight talking, defiant. IMO he understood Massillon better than anyone. He was a steel worker in coaches garb.
7) Stewart has to go somewhere. He won the first state title. He was the major football influence on PB. He went on to a stellar career at his alma mater in PA.
8) Tressel wasnt here very long, but he also planned for Massillons future. The Sideliners is his baby. He obviously could flat out coach.
9) Owens may have been our best PR guy...lol. "We're Back" was his mantra, and he brought us back. His influence helped to get the new WHS built and PBTS remodeled.
10) Shepas was our worst PR guy...lol. In that respect he came along thirty years too late. But he was also forward looking and a program builder. He had to overcome more than any other Massillon coach, in that he had an administration that openly worked against him. With a supportive administration, the first half of his tenure would have been the foundation for even more success. In spite of all that, Shep certainly left the next coach with a solid program.

I agree with your list, CATS44, but I would reverse 8,9 and 10. #8 - Shepas was the best offensive minded coach ever and built the program back up from his predecessor. #10 - Owens was well liked and had some great teams also, but only being here a short time knocks him down behind Shepas and Tressel. I'd like to have seen Shepas here in the early 80's.

[massillon catholic]

I'd like to have seen Shepas here in the early 80's.

I'd like to have seen Currence here when maronto was here.

[TigerVic]

I would like to have seen Brown not leave and still be coach!

[mmauthor]

Rush Fan: Nice job including Jack Snavely--our first great coach!

[Smitty]

Brown Bruce Stacy Stacy Stacy Stacy Stacy Stacy Stacy :thumbsup:


This is very obviously an outsider who has NO knowledge (let alone appreciation) of Massillon history.

FWIW, most MASSILLON fans can easily name more than 3 McKINLEY coaches from memory.




I'm truly struggling with this. Thank God I'm 2000 miles away.

[tigerbill]

Man2man, in 6 years Mather was 57-3 and 6 state champs. Except for 1 year here "Tom's" coaching record averages 6-4 and you are putting "Tom" ahead of him?

BTW how did we do in the playoffs last year?

Please move on to the Green website, if they have one. I'm sure there aren't too many here that will miss you. I bet the new coach won't need you to lick his boots.

[LLRose]

Jack?

[Smitty]

....A natural followup has to be a "worst list". Should we even begin that? (Elmer McGrew would top mine followed by some "fairly recent" (from the last 40 years) coaches).

Let's stick to coaches since PB (1940) since there are only 6 that are truly "below" Massillon standards. I doubt anyone here -- even Cats44 and TigerCarl -- are old enough to remember Elmer McGrew.

Based on winning percentage*:

Houghton: 21-6-3 (.777) That record speaks for itself; close to the Massillon All-time win percentage.
Rose: 48-17 (.738) Couldn't beat McKinley but once, only made the playoffs twice.
Owens: 35-13 (.729). Lost games he shoulda won (like Shuff) vs Austintown, Moeller, & Akron St V-St M... and that heartbreaker to Iggy in '01.
Stacy: 26-11 (.702) Gets credit for the talented '05 team that won in spite of him. Deserves to be ranked lower.
Seaman: 20-9-1 (.689)The tie gets him a notch ahead of ...
Maronto: 20-10 (.666) Who couldn't -or wouldn't- throw the ball, & couldn't beat either Garfield or McKinley.
Shuff: 12-7-1 (.632) Won a few games he shoulda lost, lost too many games he shoulda won.

* Ties not included in the win percentage.

[Rushfan]

Rush Fan: Nice job including Jack Snavely--our first great coach!

Thank you! He was our first coach to have an undefeated 10-0 team (1916.)

[mmauthor]

Smitty:

I agree that Houghton wasn't a great one, but we should mention that he won the state title in 1941 with only one returning starter from Brown's 1940 team! He feels he lost his edge after serving in WWII.

[mmauthor]

Smitty:

I also agree with Seamon, but he deserve's to have his 1967 team mentioned...one point from a state championship!

[warren1st]

6) Commings is/was Commings. He is as close to immortal as anyone in Massillon. He WAS Massillon. Hard nosed, straight talking, defiant. IMO he understood Massillon better than anyone. He was a steel worker in coaches garb.

Hah!! It took a guy from the Mahoning Valley to be "Massillon!!" Yes, he was hard nosed, straight talking and defiant.

[TigerCarl]

Brown ( And on the 8th Day, God said, "Let there be Brown. )
Mather ( Kansas was not Massillon )
Strang ( Kent was not Massillon )
Snavely ( 41-8-2 record -- Come on, Gang, he was great! )
Commings (More "Massillon" than any Tiger head coach I ever met.)
Stewart (Taught Ducky S. and Paul B. everything they knew!)
Currence (Nice guy who never should've left St. Eds.)
Bruce (Riding off the Strang system)
Tressel (Nowhere near Strang - I learned football in both systems)
Shepas (Great coach--Wrong school--McKinely should've hired him.)

Hall (Has YET to lose a game)