Guardiola, Ferguson, Cruyff: Ranking the greatest coaches in sporting history | OneFootball

Behind every sporting achievement, there’s a brilliant coach pulling the strings.

Whether they have tactical nuance, a groundbreaking philosophy, or the ability to motivate an athlete to do astonishing things, coaches can make all the difference in sport.

But who’s the greatest coach of all time? There are so many contenders, but GiveMeSport has attempted to put every possibility into a trusty Tiermaker.

A few things to point out first, however. As always, this is a completely subjective exercise, so it’s very possible you might disagree with our ranking. This could well be the case with the football managers we have included, particularly when tribal rivalries come into play.

In addition, we’ve tried to include a wide range of sports, but it’s possible that a coach from a lesser-known sport may have slipped under the radar.

Anyway, without further ado, let’s get into our ranking.

​​Underrated

Valeriy Lobanovskyi – Football

Ernst Happel – Football

Mircea Lucescu – Football

Cheryl Reeve –WNBA

Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn – MMA

These are some of the more unheard of names in sport, but their achievements mean they should be spoken about more.

Lobanovskyi was the most decorated football manager in the 20th century, with 33 trophies overall. This also puts him second in the all-time list, behind Sir Alex Ferguson.

Reeve is another who has won plenty. She is the only WNBA coach to earn four titles, doing so with the Minnesota Lynx in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

The American has won the most games of any female coach, and was named the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2011, 2016 and 2020.

Jackson and Winkeljohn, who co-own the renowned Jackson Wink MMA Academy, are behind some of the most successful UFC fighters, including Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Holly Holm.

28 Mar 2001: Portrait of Ukraine coach Valeri Lobanovsky before the World Cup 2002 Group Five Qualifying match against Wales played at the Millennium Stadium, in Cardiff, Wales. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Mandatory Credit: Gary M Prior/Allsport

Serial winner

Emma Hayes – Women’s Football

Jill Ellis – Women’s Football

Clive Woodward – Rugby

John Wooden – Basketball

These coaches are among the most victorious in their respective sports. Take Hayes, for example. She is the most successful manager in Women’s Super League history, guiding Chelsea to five titles.

Ellis is another, leading the United States to glory at the 2015 and 2019 Women’s World Cups. She became only the second manager to win consecutive World Cups, alongside Italy's Vittorio Pozzo.

Wooden was the absolute champion of college basketball in the US. He won ten NCAA Championships in a 12-year period as head coach for the UCLA Bruins, including a record seven in a row.

KINGSTON UPON THAMES, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Emma Hayes, Manager of Chelsea, looks on prior to the Vitality Women's FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Kingsmeadow on January 29, 2023 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Legendary status

Bill Shankly – Football

Arsene Wenger – Football

Matt Busby – Football

Graham Henry – Rugby

Nick Bollettieri – Tennis

Arrigo Sacchi – Football

Scotty Bowman – Ice hockey

This list consists of the coaches who have written their names into the history books. They have a legendary status in their respective sports, and their achievements have elicited statues, songs, and other permanent tributes.

Take Shankly, Wenger or Busby, for example. Ask a Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester United fan about their respective legend, and they will rave about how much they did for their club.

Bollettieri, who died aged 91 in December, was one of the most highly-regarded coaches in tennis, working with the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova and Boris Becker. His death caused an outpouring of tributes, showing how legendary he was in his sport.

Bowman is the ultimate legend in ice hockey, achieving a record 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He also earned a record nine Stanley Cups.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 16: Tennis Coach Nick Bollettieri talks during the 2015 Australian Open Official Draw ahead of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 16, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

Changed the game

Vic Akers – Women’s Football

Rinus Michels – Football

Johan Cruyff – Football

Glen Mills – Athletics

Richard Williams – Tennis

Vince Lombardi – American football

Eddie Futch – Boxing

Pep Guardiola – Football

These coaches transformed their sports, introducing new philosophies and techniques which were picked up by their peers, or mentoring athletes who changed the game forever.

This is certainly the case for Michels, Cruyff and Guardiola, who are responsible for the evolution of football throughout the years.

Williams went against the grain as he coached his daughters Serena and Venus, producing two of the most successful tennis players of all time.

Mills helped change the face of athletics, working with Usain Bolt from 2004 until his retirement from the sport in 2017. The Jamaican sprinter won an unprecedented eight Olympic gold medals during this period.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Etihad Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

GOAT

Sir Alex Ferguson – Football

Ferguson is certainly the greatest manager in football, and there’s a strong argument that the Scot is one of the greatest coaches in the history of sport.

He was in charge of Manchester United for an astonishing 27 years, winning 13 Premier League titles during this time. In total, he clinched 49 trophies, the most earned by any football manager by quite some distance.

With football arguably the sport where coaches have the most influence, it’s hard to argue with Ferguson’s place at the top of our ranking.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 22: Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United celebrates victory and winning the Premier League title after the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford on April 22, 2013 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)