It is ironic that Benny Neff of Lowell is in the SF Hall of Fame as a coach but that herrerrias of SI and Sid Phelan of Washington are not. neither Herrerrias nor Phelan coached long enough to have an irrefutable sample size. neff coached for almost 40 years and has a record number of wins and championships to bolster his resume.

but, I watched and played for Neff for many years. I also watched and played against teams coached by Herrerrias and. Phelan. Herrerrias and Phelan were light years ahead of the legendary Neff. The mark of a good coach is whether you can win with standard or sub-standard material. when Neff had the material, he won...when he did not the material, he didn't win. In addition, he terrorized his players by screaming at them in a profanity-laced tirade and he occasionally assaulted them physically. In those days, the ACLU was on vacation....no one questioned authority. phelan and Herrerrias usually were competitive when when they did not have sterling material.

Remember Don Shula???He could take a Pop Warner team and usually beat most other teams.
One year, Phelan won all four championships ( all 3 lightweight divisions as well as the varsity).
I was not immune to the tactics of Neff. He used to lock me in the first-aid room so I could not disrupt his practices.
Ancient history, of course. In truth, Neff was more bark than bite. And, I have grown more fonder as the years have gone by...Hell...he even coached against my Dad years before...
SF City Bear also has some fond memories of neff.....