Alright, let’s gab about them NFL coaches and their fancy get-ups, or lack thereof, ya know? Used to be, them fellas on the sidelines looked like they was goin’ to church or somethin’. Suits and ties, real proper-like. Like them fellas, what was their names? Vince Lombardi, Hank Stram, Tom Landry – them old-timers, they dressed sharp.
But then things started changin’. Slowly, mind you, like molasses in winter. Coaches started ditchin’ the full suits. Maybe they got tired of them stiff collars, I dunno. Heck, I wouldn’t blame ’em. Them suits ain’t exactly comfortable, especially when you’re yellin’ and stompin’ your feet all game long.
- First, the jackets went.
- Then the ties started disappearin’.
- Next thing ya know, they’re wearin’ them sweater vests, like that fella, Ditka. He made them vests famous, I tell ya.
Now, some folks say this all happened back in the ’80s and ’90s. Said they was movin’ away from lookin’ all business-like. Guess they figured they could coach just as good in somethin’ more comfy. And you know what? Maybe they’re right. A fancy suit don’t make ya a better coach, that’s for sure.
I heard tell that Dan Reeves fella, he was one of the last ones wearin’ them suits regular. But even he gave it up after a while. They say he stopped wearin’ them when he went to coach them Atlanta Falcons back in ’97. That was a long time ago, ya hear?
Nowadays? Forget about it! You see them coaches now, they wearin’ all sorts of stuff. Polo shirts, pullovers, even them fancy tracksuits sometimes. Heck, I seen one coach, can’t remember his name, show up to talk to the reporters without even a tie! Imagine that. No tie at all!
And then there’s that whole deal with the basketball coaches. Seems like the football fellas started lookin’ at them and thinkin’, “Hey, if they can be comfy, why can’t we?” So they started dressin’ down even more. Now it’s all casual, all the time. ‘Cept maybe for some special games or somethin’. I reckon they still dress up a bit for the Super Bowl.
You know, clothes don’t make the man, or the coach, in this case. They can wear a suit, a sweater, or even a potato sack, and it wouldn’t change how they coach. It’s all about them plays they call and how them players play. That’s what wins games, not some fancy clothes.
So when did it all change? Well, it wasn’t like flippin’ a switch, ya know? It was a slow change, over many years. But if ya had to pin it down, I’d say it really started takin’ off in the late ’90s and early 2000s. And now? Well, now it’s just the way things are. Don’t expect to see them coaches in suits anytime soon, unless maybe there’s a costume party or somethin’. Ha!
Anyway, that’s how I see it. Times change, clothes change, and that’s just life. As long as them coaches are doin’ their job, I don’t care what they wear. They could wear pajamas for all I care, as long as they winnin’ games, right?
In short, the switch from suits to casual wear for NFL coaches happened gradually, starting in the ’80s and ’90s and becoming the norm by the early 2000s. It seems the desire for comfort and a move away from strict formality were the main drivers behind this change.
Tags: NFL Coaches, Suits, Sideline Fashion, Dress Code, Coaching Apparel, Football History, NFL, when did nfl coaches stop wearing suits