One of the biggest blockbuster movies in history hits the big screen on Thursday as Avengers: Endgame is released. This will be an epic culmination of 22 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The cohesiveness of the personalities will be in full display as the heroes try to undo the snap and defeat the Mad Titan, Thanos. Also, the college football world also features a wide variety of characters seen in the coaching ranks. Now, with the release of the biggest superhero film to date, we decided to take a look at Marvel heroes as college football coaches.
Phil Coulson: Mack Brown
Two individuals who were once in prominent roles, now are still in the game but in a lesser extent. Coulson was the right-hand man behind Shield Director Nick Fury before being “killed” in the first Avengers film. Conversely, Mack Brown is proving that it’s never too late to go home. After being a studio analyst and color commentator since being fired from Texas, he goes back to North Carolina to attempt to reclaim his glory from the ’90s. Don’t expect either to be back in the mainstream anytime soon.
Doctor Strange: Mike Leach
The master of the mystic arts against the pirate himself. The physical resemblance is there, but both also are quirky and are often underestimated. Strange held his own against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and may hold the key to understanding how Thanos can be defeated. Now, for Leach, he has also come close to holding the master key at the end of the year but has yet to win that elusive conference championship. But, make no mistake, both of these two are under the radar but very dangerous in their own right.
Loki: Tom Herman
Let’s be honest, outside of their own fanbase both Loki and Tom Herman come off as being the victim and disrespected in some fashion. But, their success and ability to come back is uncanny. Loki is the villain that you just can’t hate. Although he has tried to cross Thor on multiple occasions, he still finds a way to have some good moments. Herman has been criticized for his sensitivity related to his team being disrespected with the down horns sign last year. But, it was also a year that gave his Texas team 10 wins including a bowl victory over Georgia.
Black Panther: David Shaw
From a personality perspective, Black Panther and David Shaw couldn’t be more similar. They are both quiet and unassuming but are very popular and consistently producing results. Black Panther revolutionized the nation of Wakanda with next level technology and a willingness to help other countries. Meanwhile, Shaw’s clubs each year are the pillar of consistency and they consistently win the right way. Class is the best word to describe both of these powerful individuals.
Rocket Raccoon: Jimbo Fisher
Rocket and Jimbo Fisher would both seemingly do anything for money. Whether it’s stealing an eyeball or batteries, Rocket always looks for a way to gain the upper hand. Now, Fisher took an insane amount of money to take what many perceived to be a lateral move from Florida State to Texas A&M. Even though both Rocket and Fisher have done a good job in the past at getting people to hate them, they are in the upper quadrant of success and popularity at their position.
Ant-Man: Dana Holgorsen
Is it me or does just taking a look at the Ant-Man and Dana Holgorsen just make you laugh? At this point, not many people take the Ant-Man seriously. But, often times that proves to be a drastic mistake. Even though, he does seem to find himself in the toughest predicaments. Now, something tells me that Ant-Man could be quite crucial in Endgame. Wild hair aside, Holgorsen may have made the head-scratching move of the offseason by leaving West Virginia and heading to Houston. It was rumored that Holgorsen did not have a great relationship with the administration in Morgantown. So, it would appear both Ant-Man have the lack of trust in the superiors in common as well.
Hawkeye: Brian Kelly
Both of these guys have gone from relative obscurity to back in the limelight. Three years ago, Kelly was in the midst of rumors that he might be fired after a 4-8 campaign. Now, he is coming off of an undefeated regular season and a playoff berth. For Hawkeye, he was very pivotal to the storyline in the first two Avenger films but didn’t even make the roster in Infinity War. With the rumor of him shedding the arrows for the Ronin persona, he could once again return to glory in this film much like Kelly did with his Irish this season.
Hulk: Will Muschamp
We nailed this one. I know it might be difficult to tell, but Hulk is on the left and Muschamp is on the right. In all seriousness, could these two be any closer? Hulk and Bruce Banner have been battling each other for years. Banner has tried with limited success to tame the Hulk and the Hulk failed him when he needed him the most. On the other hand, Muschamp battles perhaps even a bigger villain, the SEC. He continues to work controlling his outbursts and is building a monster of his own at South Carolina.
War Machine: Derek Mason
For both Mason and the War Machine, it’s a battle for respect. In many respects, both of these individuals get overshadowed in their own back yard. Mason and Vanderbilt often have to play second fiddle to Tennessee even though they have beaten them the last three times they have played. Mason may do more with less in terms of facilities and talent than any coach in the country. Comparatively, the War Machine is Tony Stark’s oldest friend and no matter what he still lives in the shadow of the Iron Man.
Drax: Gary Patterson
Okay, maybe this one is a bit of a stretch but hear us out. We all know Drax is an idiot. And, we know that Patterson certainly is not. But, what brings these two together is their passion in their motivation. Drax is passionate about killing Thanos to avenge his families death. He’s currently snapped, but all signs point to him possibly getting that opportunity at some point in Endgame. Now, Patterson wears his emotions on his sleeves. Literally, his passion and sweat are all over his clothes after every game. His TCU Horned Frogs are the little guy that comes up big at times. Much like Drax, Patterson is the underdog that you can’t help but root for.
Spider-Man: Lincoln Riley
This one was a no-brainer. Spider-Man and Lincoln Riley are two of the youngest in their respective fields. But, while both are young they both have soared to the top in a relatively short amount of time. Spider-Man first came on the scene in Civil War and in only a few short years has become an Avenger. One has to think with his second solo film coming in the summer, Spider-Man will be pivotal to the MCU going forward. For Riley, he has taken his Sooners to the playoffs in his first two seasons as head coach. He’s a top 10 coach in the country and slowly creeping his way into the top five. If Riley can find a way to win a playoff game and perhaps a National Championship then he will catapult himself into Avenger status very soon.
Iron Man: Lane Kiffin
Playboy, billionaire, philanthropist. Now, if that’s not Lane Kiffin then I don’t know what is. Well, maybe just a millionaire. Be that as it may, both of these two toes the line between being loved and being so full of themselves that they annoy everyone who is around them. For Kiffin, his constant trolling of Alabama does win some hearts around the college football world. But, he still has some huge enemies in Los Angeles and Knoxville. Iron Man even makes enemies in his own camp. He’s made feuds with nearly every one of the Avengers. Will he have one last heroic effort left in him to win over the hearts of the nation?
Captain America: Scott Frost
On the surface, “Cap” and Frost seem to be two of the nicest people in the business. But, their competitiveness and will to win might be unmatched. Cap was completely shell shocked at the end of Infinity War that he somehow lost. His grief, however, looks like it won’t be overshadowed by his ability to overcome the odds and fight the good fight. Frost, on the other hand, is trying to right another ship. He’s won everywhere he’s been from his playing days at Nebraska to Oregon and Central Florida. There’s little evidence to show that Frost won’t have the Huskers contending for the Big 10 Championship in the near future much like we expect Cap to give Thanos everything he wants in Endgame.
Thor: Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney just fits here. With his victory over Alabama to capture his second national title, he’s certainly closing the gap between himself and Nick Saban. He’s certainly one of the most likable coaches in the profession today. Not unlike Thor, who has grown in popularity especially after Infinity War and Ragnarok as the most likable Avenger. Thor was the closest to knocking out Thanos, but Stormbreaker just injured the mad titan. But, most experts consider Thor to be the stiffest challenge for Thanos. This is much like the college game where most believe that Swinney could challenge Saban as the best coach in college football.
Thanos: Nick Saban
Is there any doubt? The biggest villain has to be Saban. Most people outside of Tuscaloosa hate Saban and Alabama. But, Saban does show a lighter side that even though he is hated you can’t help but admire what he’s been able to accomplish. Five national titles in 11 years will get you there. Now, Thanos was able to do one better. He collected six infinity stones in just under two and a half hours. That’s pretty remarkable. Not only did he do that, but he did so fighting off all of the Avengers and the supporting cast along the way. However, like Saban, Thanos is not indestructible. Will the reign on the top of the mountain end for both of these superstars that everyone loves to hate?
Sound Off
Please feel free to leave a comment in the section below on how we did. Did we nail the comparisons? How would you have done it differently? We want to hear from both the passionate college football enthusiasts and the MCU experts.
