The Joys of (200)6: Hitman's Year in Review, Part II

Top 6 Coaches:

6. Scott Skiles: The 2005-2006 Bulls were clearly not ready to seriously challenge for the NBA crown. They are also widely credited with putting up the best fight against the ultimate champion Miami Heat. A team without a true center then, and still built mainly on youth and still-improving talent, the Bulls have become the team that everybody hates to play - in large part because Skiles motivates his hard-working bunch to maximize their abilities. It's time that Skiles gets credit for the great work he's done over the last few years.

5. Greg Schiano: Rutgers won its first nine games, and finished 10-2. RUTGERS. Coach Schiano orchestrated the best story in what might be the beginnings of a resurgent Big East. Unless you're a fan of the Scarlet Knights' rivals (New Jersey State, anyone?), you had to root for these guys.

4. Sean Payton: We'll never know the exact combination of emotion, talent, luck, and coaching that made the surprise success that is the 2006 Saints. What we do know is that Payton played a major role in this wonderful story (that I hope ends in Chicago). No city needed to win more with a team that had less. Payton played almost every card right, and as a reward his boys get a home game in January.

3. Jim Leyland: This will not be my first reference to Motown's ballclub. Leyland guided a team from obscurity to the playoffs - and then to the World Series! The Tigers were a top team all year, and though they shit the bed in the Fall Classic, they took on their skipper's persona and played solid, fundamental, hustling baseball for 6+ months. Fabulous job by Leyland in getting the most out of these previously-unknown players.

2. Jim Grobe: I think I read that Wake Forest was picked by the experts to finish last in the ACC. Memo: they're in the Orange Bowl. If you're like me, you still didn't know Grobe's name until this week. I'm ranking him this highly because for the Deacs to have the season they did, the coach must have done a phenomenal job.

1. Eric Mangini: The "Man-genius" has taken a team that nobody expected anything from, and brought them to the brink of the playoffs. Unlike the G-Men, who'd be a #6 seed that everyone would love to take a big fat crap on, the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets are showing signs that they could pull an upset or two, especially if they draw the stumbling Colts. Full credit to the Mangina.