Top Ten Sports Managers of All Time

A top ten list like this one is challenging to put together. With so many different sports in the world, there are so many different metrics by which one might judge the best sports managers of all time. Top managers might be judged by wins, they might be judged by the health and happiness of their teams or athletes or they might be judged by how much the fans love them. Since the fans are who we write for, we’ve decided to go with the latter as a unit of measurement for the top sports managers in history! Read on for our list.

Before you do, make sure you check out ufabet for all relevant needs to stick your money on the right potential for a win. Talking of winning, we start with….

Sir Alex Ferguson

Even those among us who are not rabid footie fans might have heard the name Sir Alex Ferguson before. Fergie, as he is affectionately known by Man United fans, was the team’s manager for 27 years and in that time he won them more trophies than they could ever have anticipated. Under his stewardship, the Red Devils became a beloved household name and won thirteen Premier League titles, five FA Cup titles, and two UCLs. Statistics like this make him one of the most decorated managers in the history of sports. Sir Alex Ferguson is the only EPL manager in history to ever have led a team to Premier League three times in a row, twice.

Anatoliy Bondarchuk

Not only is this former sportsman an incredible manager but an incredible sportsman in his own right as well. Hammer thrower Anatoily Bondarchuk was a Soviet Union athlete in 1972 when he brought pride to his country by winning Olympic gold. The 1976 Olympics saw Bondarchuk return to the Olympics as a coach and a sportsman: he himself took home the bronze and his leadership and coaching skills helped his athletes take home the silver and medals in the same event. In the following two Olympic games his athletes took home bronze, silver and gold, and podium finishes respectively, even though the Soviet Union was collapsing at the time. Bondarchuk is also the coach of the current hammer throw world record.

Rinus Michels

The second football manager on our list is Rinus Michels. One of his claims to fame is that he invented Total Football. Michels contribution to football is what got him on this list: his tactics completely revolutionized Ajax and led them to a Champion’s League Win.

Scotty Bowman

If you’re a fan of the National Hockey League, you’ll definitely know who Scotty Bowman is. His statistics are truly mindblowing: his current team has 1248 regular-season wins under their belt as well as 223 Stanley Cup playoff wins. He’s been at the helm of the Montreal Canadians, the Pittsburgh Penguins, St Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, and the Buffalo Sabres.

Phil Jackson

As far as NBA coaches/managers go, Phil Jackson is the best of the best! Officially, he is the most decorated coach in the sport’s history. As the head coach for the New York Knicks (for nine years), he guided them to six NBA title wins. As LA Lakers Head Coach (1999-2004 and 2005-2011), his record shows five NBA title wins. If Red Auerbeck had won just two more trophies, he would have beaten Jackson’s NBA record.

Bernardo Rocha de Rezende

Volleyball, anyone? De Rezende is the foremost volleyball coach/manager in the history of the sport, and he currently coaches Rio de Janeiro Volei Clube; Rio’s top women’s volleyball team. He has more than thirty titles to his name, from coaching various female and male teams. He was named Brazilian Superliga Best Coach twice.

Johan Cruyff

Football managers are incredibly beloved by football fans; hence we come to the third football manager on our top ten list. Another manager who had formerly been a sportsman himself, Johan Cruyff, was a legend on the sidelines. When his managing career began in 1985, he was at the helm of Ajax. His short stint there was followed up by a much longer term at Barcelona, which is where he really shone. Under his management, Barca won four La Liga titles, the Copa Del Rey, UEFA Winner’s Cup, three Spanish Super Cups, and the club’s inaugural European Cup.

Gregg Popovich

In terms of tactics, Grey Popovitch is undeniably the best in NBA history. Not only does he coach and manage the San Antonio Spurs, but Popovich is also the head coach for the US men’s basketball team. His illustrious career spans twenty-four years and he is currently the longest-serving manager in the history of the sport.

Gary Kirsten

Gary Kirsten may not be a household name all over the world, but he is known and loved by cricket fans. His coaching/managing career started off in 2008 when he took over stewardship of the Indian National Team. He lead that team to their first world cup win since 1983 but then left India due to personal reasons. He went on to coach the South African team for two years and then moved on to the Hobart Hurricanes, then back to India to coach the Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Vince Lombardi

Lombardi is best known as the head coach/manager for the Green Bay Packer football team. While he was there, he led the team to five NFL titles, three consecutively. He has led teams to two Superbowl wins and been inducted into the GBP Hall of Fame and been named NFL Coach of the Year twice.

Wrap Up

So, did your favourite manager make the list?