[Mod: not sure if this belongs here or in The Game Room. Please move if you feel it’s appropriate.]
When did American football coaches stop wearing either suits or ties and jackets while coaching games? Was there some sort of official NFL dress code rule about head coaches?
Yes, there is a dress code. They have to wear clothing made by Reebok until 2012 (I think Nike takes over then), which is the official league sponsor for clothing. This somewhat limits their choices in clothing. Two coaches, however, petitioned to wear suits on the sidelines. Reebok designed officially sponsored suits that the coaches were allowed to wear during home games.
I should note that Reebok didn’t design the suits specifically for the coaches. They already had intended to release a formal line of attire that year. So, happy coincidence there.
I guess Tom Landry would have had a problem. I can’t imagine him in a Reebok suit, much less a Reebok hat.
Reebok formal wear?:eek:
Sometimes you need to jog in your three-piece suit. For today’s busy executive on the go.
FYI, those were Jack Del Rio (Jaguars) and Mike Nolan (then with the 49ers). Nolan, specifically, wanted to wear a suit in tribute to his father, Dick, who had coached the 49ers in the 1970s (and had, obviously, worn a suit on the sidelines).
As far as when the change to the licensed team logo stuff was made, I’m not certain, but I’d have to guess it had at least started by the mid-1980s. Take a look at films of the Bears Super Bowl win in 1986, and you’ll see that all the Chicago coaches were wearing the same Bears sweater.
As others have mentioned, the NFL signed a 10-year contract with Reebok in 2002, and one of the provisions was that all coaches would wear Reebok gear on the sidelines. You’ll notice that all of the coaches for a team wear the same thing, as do trainers and other sideline staff. Same goes for injured and inactive players.
A handful of coaches have worn suits during games since that deal went into effect, include Jacksonville’s Jack DelRio and former-Niners coach Mike Nolan.
But as to the OP’s question, the majority of coaches had stopped wearing suits long before that. A quick survey of great coaches from the 70s would show Chuck Noll, George Allen, Bud Grant, Don Shula and John Madden all opting for a polo shirt, sweater or windbreaker instead of a suit and tie. Don’t think you could find any pictures of greats from the 80s (eg, Bill Walsh or Joe Gibbs, etc.) wearing a suit on the field.
Tom Landry was an a anachronism
I suspect there was a contract with a previous company before that, with a similar provision. When the Packers won the Super Bowl (1996 season), all of the coaches and sideline staff were wearing a particular design of windbreaker (or parka, in cold weather) with the Packer logo on it.
Prior to 2002, individual teams could sign deals with apparel companies, and most did. No idea when the very first one was. My guess would be the deal the Cowboys made with Nike in the early 90s.
I could never figure out why they don’t do like baseball coaches and wear the same uniforms the players have on.
Baseball has had players that were also managers, I think Pete Rose was the last example. (that was when he was betting on his team) That might be the reason they wear the same uniform as players.
Also, baseball managers (and coaches) go onto the field during the game.
Like their baseball brethren, football coaches were usually also players up until the 1920s, and with less frequency through the late 30s. There have been a handful of players post-1950 who were assistant coaches while they were still players, most notably Tom Landry (with the Giants in the 1950s) and Dan Reeves (with Dallas in the early 1970s).
Frank Robinson was a player manager in Cleveland in the 70s and he was also the first black manager.
Also, do you really want to see a coach like Andy Reid wear this
I knew I had officially reached curmudgeon-hood when I turned to my SO and said “I am sick of coaches looking like slobs.” I’m specifically referring to Belichek and McDaniels - dudes, the other coaches manage to wear Reebok gear that doesn’t look like it’s been marinating of the floor of the closet for a week after working on your car. Give it a try some time.
Man. Must’ve been a big sweater.
I’m here all night, try the chicken, etc.
I saw an NFL Films piece about the sideline clothes once…the NFL strictly proscribes and provides the outfit (furnished by Reebok) that team personal must wear every week, given the local weather conditions. Obviously it changes from week to week to highlight various lines of Reebok clothing (available at shop.nfl.com!).
Paul Brown was another old school suit & tie holdout until he retired in the 70s.
In some ways, he certainly was.
But remember that he started his coaching career as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator back in the Fifties. In those days, the NFL season was only 12 games and even head coaches (never mind assistants like Landry) didn’t get paid much. Most coaches had office jobs on the side.
Landry was an insurance executive in New York, and felt he had to dress like a professional at all times, lest he embarrass his company. In addition, he was bald and it got COLD in Yankee Stadium in November and December. Hence, he always wore that fedora, to keep his head warm.
