11th in a series of overrated/underrated commentaries

Question: Which currently available head coach is overrated? Underrated?

Overrated: Mike Shanahan

For some reason it seems that many view Shanahan through a 1999 prism, when he was at the top of his profession after winning back-to-back Super Bowls. There's no doubt he's been a great coach for a long time, but his reputation as a mastermind isn't justified by his accomplishments over the past decade. Denver has won only one playoff game since '99 and missed the playoffs the last three seasons, thanks in large part to Shanahan's poor personnel decisions, particularly on defense. The allegations that he became obsessed with his team's statistical rankings to the point where he was berating players for not scoring enough points, even after wins, was troubling as well. He's already been mentioned as the front-runner to take over the Redskins or the Cowboys in 2010, and he may be a perfect fit for one of those high-profile clubs. However, those teams would probably be wise not to hand the keys to Shanahan and give him free rein to make all the critical football decisions, as he did in Denver with poor results over the past 10 years.

Underrated: Marty Schottenheimer

Since getting fired by San Diego after the 2006 season, we haven't heard much about Schottenheimer. In fact, despite a .613 career winning percentage over 21 regular seasons as a head coach, it appears teams no longer have any interest in giving him a chance to interview for a job. As the league trends toward giving younger coaches — some half the age of the 65-year-old Schottenheimer — top jobs, Schottenheimer has become fossilized as an ancient relic of seasons past. Yet, just three seasons ago, he led the Chargers to a 14-2 record. Of course, his 5-13 record in the postseason also has something to do with teams' lack of interest in him. As organizations look for long-term stability and moves that will fire up a fan base, taking on a 65-year-old who may only coach for a few more seasons isn't exactly an attractive option. But for a three- to four-year period, which is about how long several recently hired head coaches will last in their new jobs, taking a chance on a proven winner like Schottenheimer could jump-start a struggling team and help to build a foundation that will bring lasting success, perhaps even beyond the three- to four-year window during which he'd be manning the sidelines. Schottenheimer is no longer a marquee head-coaching candidate, but he's deserving of a bit more consideration than he's been receiving lately.

In addition to what you can read on our Web site, PFW editors sounded off on 10 more "overrated/underrated" topics in the Preview '09 magazine by PFW and Yahoo! Sports, now on sale at bookstores and newsstands across the country and online at PFWstore.com.