Enough of "winning with [his] players"

I am SO sick of people saying that a coach is winning with the previous coach's players. SICK OF IT!

Jon Gruden was recently canned from his position of head coach with the Tampa Bay Bucs. After he was fired, everyone said, "Well he never won with his own players. He won that Super Bowl title with Tony Dungy's players." One of my co-workers said that Ken Whisenhunt is in the Super Bowl with Denny Green's players.

Here is how I look at it: if the first coach could get the thing done, he'd still be the coach. But he couldn't and the next coach had to come in and HE could get it done. Tony Dungy's Bucs never even won the NFC, Jon Gruden's Bucs won the Super Bowl. Denny Green's Cardinals never reached the playoffs, Ken Whisenhunt's Cardinals are in the Super Bowl.

And furthermore, unless Dungy was also the player personnel guy like Shanahan or Holmgren were, then it WASN'T Dungy's team. True, he coached them, but he didn't put the team together. He may have had some say into who was drafted, but it was ultimately McKay or whomever was the GM of the team. I don't buy the whole "not his players" spcheil. I think that is an excuse that owners or GMs sometimes give JUST to justify a firing.

In college I can see a little more of the logic of the statement, but at the same time, if the guy could have gotten it done, he'd still be there. If Jim Donnan could have won an SEC Championship, he would have been there in 2002 and 2005. Oh, Mark Richt won the 2002 title with Donnan's players! REALLY? come on. David Greene never suited up for Donnan and Pollack was a FB. But it was OK in 2005 when Richt won with Shockley and his "own" players. Just because you don't recruit them doesn't mean they aren't yours.

I hate to say it but Urban Meyer won a title in 2006-07 AND in 2008-09. Who cares that he barely recruited the 2006-07 team. "His guys" certainly played a part in it (Tebow, Spikes, Harvin). Same crew did it this past season. If Zook could have won that BCSCG, why didn't he? If Dungy could have won one with the Bucs (like he did with Indy) why didn't he? And now with Whisenhunt, if he wins (and SbF is rooting for them!) it will be HIS TEAM! Or if Tomlin wins it with Pittsburgh, it will be HIS title. They won't go back and give Cowher a ring for working at CBS.

So enough of this "not your players, not your team!" Have you coached them all year? Did you coach them in the final game? You did? Congrats. Your team and your win. I wonder if anyone is saying that Mike Smith won with Petrino's guys.....