DETROIT – With Jim Harbaugh taking over the Michigan football program, giving Michigan fans so much hope, we thought this would be a great time to look back at some of the best coaches to grace us with their presence. From professional sports to the collegiate game, check out some of the most successful, memorable and winning coaches in Detroit/Michigan sports history.
Scotty Bowman (Detroit Red Wings 1993-2002)
Recommended Videos
During his 9-year tenure as Wings head coach, Bowman led them to the Stanley Cup Finals four times, winning three times. Credited with the revival of Hockeytown, Bowman led the team to an NHL record 62 wins in 1995-1996.
Sparky Anderson (Detroit Tigers 1979-1995)
Sparky joined the Tigers in 1979, and immediately fit in. He won the World Series in 1984, won Manager of the Year twice. He retired as third in all-time victories. He was also elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.
Chuck Daly (Detroit Pistons 1983-1992)
Before Daly, the Pistons hadn't recorded back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. Daly and GM Jack McCloskey assembled the "Bad Boys." Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Vinnie Johnson and Mark Aguirre helped set a franchise record in wins with 63 in 1988. Daly led the Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles in 1989-1990.
Bo Schembechler (University of Michigan football 1969-1989)
The most iconic of Michigan football coaches, Schembechler amassed a 194-48-5 record in 21 seasons at the helm. He won or shared 13 Big Ten Conference titles, but he never won a national championship as a head coach. He won two Rose Bowl games.
Tom Izzo (Michigan State University basketball 1995-present)
Tom Izzo is arguably one of the best college basketball coaches in history. Izzo's MSU teams have earned NCAA tournament invites for 17 consecutive seasons. He's won seven conference titles. He's made six Final Four appearances, and won the National Championship in 2000.
Buddy Parker (Detroit Lions 1950-1956)
Yes, we had to go back to the 50's to find a coach for the Lions. Buddy Parker built a stellar offensive attack around a young Bobby Layne, earning NFL championships in 1952 and 1953. Parker was the first to run the two-minute offense.
Honorable mentions: Larry Brown (Detroit Pistons), Mike Babcock (Red Wings), Ron Mason (MSU hockey), Jim Leyland (Tigers), Steve Fisher (Michigan basketball).