Coaching Changes and Uniform Changes

[KJTALBOT]

In college football, it seems like when a team gets a new coach, they change the uniforms in some way.

Michigan State is a great example.

They alternate having the block S and the Sparty head on their helmet whenever they change coaches.

John L. put his stamp on the program by taking the names off the backs of their jerseys and dropping all uniform stripes.

As a Spartan fan, I think his changes made them too bland.

And I hate the green pants.

I predict a block S next year with a helmet stripe. I also think you'll see names on the back, no green pants and stripes on the pants.

[cableguy]

Oh I really like the green pants...I like when a team mirrors it home jersey color on the pants on the road like that. I just cant understand a team like INDIANA...who wears monochrome red at home and then goes to monochrome WHITE on the road...whats what that thinking

In college football, it seems like when a team gets a new coach, they change the uniforms in some way.

Michigan State is a great example.

They alternate having the block S and the Sparty head on their helmet whenever they change coaches.

John L. put his stamp on the program by taking the names off the backs of their jerseys and dropping all uniform stripes.

As a Spartan fan, I think his changes made them too bland.

And I hate the green pants.

I predict a block S next year with a helmet stripe. I also think you'll see names on the back, no green pants and stripes on the pants.

[Gothamite]

Linked?

Absolutely. And it's not just college football.

The Packers' current uniforms were designed at the behest of Vince Lombardi (if he didn't design them himself). He wanted to put his stamp on the club.

The neck stripes were added by Forrest Gregg for the same reason (part of a larger overhaul).

More recently, it was Bill Parcells who took the Jets back to their retro uniforms.

On the college front, Barry Alvarez didn't like the block "W" Wisconsin was using, so he had the "motion W" created (and personally altered the design to remove a tail he didn't like).

[leopard88]

The Packers' current uniforms were designed at the behest of Vince Lombardi (if he didn't design them himself). He wanted to put his stamp on the club.

Vince also put the Redskins in yellow helmets and a redder color uniform (versus a burgundy/maroon) when he took over there (he may have also designed the helmets, but I'm not positive).

On the college front, Ralph Friedgen put Maryland in white helmets with the 80s "Terps" script when he took over. The script was left over from the overhaul made by Bobby Ross when he came to Maryland. Also, IIRC, John Bunting was responsible for North Carolina eliminating most, if not all, of the dark blue trim from its uniforms.

[Gothamite]

That's a good point about the Redskins. Vince did re-design the helmets - he wanted them to look more like the Packers.

[whitedawg22]

If I were the next coach of Michigan State, I would want to get rid of anything that remotely smells like JLS.

[leopard88]

That's a good point about the Redskins. Vince did re-design the helmets - he wanted them to look more like the Packers.

Exactly.

He wound up getting rid of that spear that keeps causing so much consternation.

[Mingjai]

BYU's new duds came at the request of new coach Bronco Mendenhall, who wanted to return BYU back to the high-flying glory years of the 1980s. To get Nike to accede to his request (BYU had just had a uniform change the year before), he had LaVell Edwards make a call to his contacts high up at Nike. So BYU is now totally 80s and winning again.

[jws008]

Generally speaking, let's not forget that baseball's history is filled with this. Keep in mind that back in the early half of the century, team nicknames themselves often changed to reflect the manager. For example, the Brooklyn ballclub became the Brooklyn Robins when Wilbert Robinson took over as manager. Often, the uniform would also change to reflect this.

I'm not the uniform historian that others on this board are, but I'm sure that there have to be plenty of examples from the early days of MLB.

[leopard88]

Generally speaking, let's not forget that baseball's history is filled with this. Keep in mind that back in the early half of the century, team nicknames themselves often changed to reflect the manager. For example, the Brooklyn ballclub became the Brooklyn Robins when Wilbert Robinson took over as manager.

This was after the team was known as the Superbas during the tenure of Ned Hanlon (named after some sort of vaudeville (?) act/show known as "Hanlon's Superbas").

[Spearhead]

In the past (1960s, 70s and 80s) a coaching change almost guaranteed a uniform change at many places.

When Darrell Royal came to Texas in 1957, he threw out the Orange helmets and created the Longhorn look that has changed only a little since then.

After Bud Wilkinson and Gomer Jones left OU, Jim MacKenzie created the red helmets with the OU logo in 1966.

At many schools you cantrack the coaching changes and eras by the alterations in uniforms.

[KJTALBOT]

My only question is, Will the next coach at Penn State dare to slap a logo on the helmet?

I hope so.

They could use a stripe down their pants so they don't look like they're playing in long johns too.

[tBBP]

Oh yeah...uniform changes and coaching changes are MOST DEFINITELY linked.

I don't know how this slipped through the cracks thus far, but I'm sure we all have seen the monstrosity thought up by ol' boy Huggins over there at K-State--including introducing black. (Of course, that topic has already been discussed...)

College football is full of this kind of stuff...shoot, college athletics PERIOD is full of this kind of stuff. In a way, so is the NFL. I think anyone who followes the Buccaneers has noticed more white-on-white with them in the past two years--the result of Gruden-boy. The Parcells/Jets switch is another good example, though.

And it never dawned on me, until I read it here, the connection between those yellow Redskin shells and the Packer shells...damn!

[DrBear]

Brief story about Lombardi and uniforms as told by Jerry Kramer in his book:

Lombardi's brother Joe worked for Rawlings and tried to get Vince to buy from them.

Vince liked a Packer-style jersey and said he'd order it. "I want them in gold and burgundy."

Joe said "We don't have burgundy, you can get cardinal or scarlet or maroon or...

Vince said "I WANT THEM IN GOLD AND BURGUNDY."

The order went in with "COLOR: Lombardi Burgundy (Cardinal)"

[KJTALBOT]

I think the Buccaneers change had more to do with the owner than the coach.

In fact, I think an ownership change leading to a logo/uniform change is more common that a change as a result of a new coach.

One recent example I can think of: Cleveland Cavaliers.

[Gothamite]

Another one: the San Diego Chargers.

The owner is about the only one who prefers the navy to the throwbacks, because that's "his" uniform.

[hecticbro]

While they're definitely linked, it seems that many college programs change their uniforms almost every year now, regardless of who's coaching.

[Gothamite]

True.

I don't think anyone's suggesting that coaching changes are the only reason that a program or team would change its uniform.

I don't even think that it's the primary reason that uniform changes are made. But it certainly is one reason.

[aykay]

I don't think Lombardi lived long enough to see the Redskins wear the yellow "R" helmets. I believe cancer took him before the start of the season.

[DrBear]

I don't think Lombardi lived long enough to see the Redskins wear the yellow "R" helmets. I believe cancer took him before the start of the season.

He did see one rookie scrimmage before going into the hospital for the last time, but I'm not sure if they wore the new helmets. He may also have seen a preseason game on TV.