| The Value of Football Coaches (2009-08-10) |
| Sports Handicappers Betting Articles:Jim Feist |
by Jim Feist
As preseason gets rolling this weekend and we get focused on football picks, keep in mind that it is not always the players on the field who provide the extra incentive and strategic edges, but the head man on the sideline can play a pivotal role. Football fans examine players, stats, matchups, home field breakdowns and bye weeks all during the season to find edges. Those are all important to examine carefully, of course, but do not overlook the importance of some of the guys who do not even don helmets and pads each weekend: Coaches!
Proper coaching in pro and college football is essential to winning, both straight up and many times against the number. Football coaches puts in more hours into molding the success of a team more than coaches in other sports. Burnout can be high, but you cannot get the best out of your team without putting in the extra effort -- both on the field and with respect to football picks. (Follow Jim on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JimFeistSports).
The preparation involved in getting a football team prepared each week is enormous. Game plans have to be scripted, new plays have to be taught to each player in practice, films of the previous week have to be reviewed for mistakes, films of the opposition have to be scrutinized, and a coach must know what buttons to press to motivate or punish players. A football coach is literally a teacher, a boss, a strategist, a motivational speaker, a part-time psychologist, and even a dictator all rolled into one. That is a lot of hats to wear and few coaches are good at all of those things. Here are some remarkable career numbers on three of the best pro coaches over the last two decades:
Coach -------SU record - ATS mark
Jimmy Johnson: 89-68; 84-69-4
Bill Parcells: 183-138-1; 169-142-3
Bill Belichick: 153-90; 133-99-7
Those coaches not only won games, but covered with regularity. They were so good at organizing, teaching and motivating, able to maximize the chances of team success each week, as well as taking advantage of the weaknesses of the opposition, and motivating their players to a high level.
In fact, the last four years Jimmy Johnson was with the Cowboys, he went 48-24 against the spread, covering two out of every three games! The last six seasons, Belichick has gone 85-56-2 against the spread while winning three Super Bowls. The old saying is true: A good coach is a guy who can take his team and beat yours, then take your team and beat his.
Teams often take on the personality of their head coaches, too. Fiery Steve Spagnulo of the Rams has been demanding a more physical, hard hitting team in practice, as has new coach Rex Ryan of the Jets.
There are great situations each football season where a good head coach is matched up against a poor one. This is something to factor into your handicapping analysis.
In his final season, Parcells took on two coaches who were soon fired, Dennis Green and Jim Mora. Parcells went 2-0 SU/ATS in those meetings, winning 27-10 and 38-28. Philadelphia has an outstanding coach in Andy Reid and notice that the last 8 years the Eagles are 43-26-1 SU, 43-26 ATS on the road.
So pay careful attention to who's roaming the sidelines. Bad coaches can offer good go-against spots, while good coaches rarely beat themselves, a factor to keep in mind when analyzing football picks each week. For more tips and sports betting information, check out http://www.ecappermall.com/. |
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