Who is the greatest coach in NFL history?

That can be a loaded question, but there is a legendary field to choose between.

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column – reminiscing about sports and pop culture in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and sometimes before and beyond – I’ll take a look at some of the iconic coaches who were included in a recent Times News Facebook poll.

Our poll featured New England’s Bill Belichick, Green Bay’s Vince Lomardi, Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll, Miami’s Don Shula, Chicago’s George Halas, and San Francisco’s Bill Walsh.

I’ll also review some other greats of the gridiron as well as some pop culture items that are generally considered to be among the best.

Do you know which college coach wore a houndstooth hat? What renowned game involved “sinking” something? And what famous sportscaster was known for the exclamation, “Oh My!”

Those answers can all be found in this week’s Yesterday column.

Green Bay God ... As you may have expected, Lomardi gained the highest percentage of the online poll, registering 28 percent. He took over a 1-10 Packers’ team in 1958, and immediately transformed them into a 7-5 squad a year later.

The rest, as they say, is history. Green Bay went on to win six divisional titles, five NFL championships, and two Super Bowls. Lombardi retired as a coach in 1968 after his second Super Bowl victory, and then moved onto Washington the following year. In his first year, he led the then Redskins to a 7-5-2 record, but cancer cut his Redskins’ coaching career short.

It would have been interesting to see what Lomardi could have done with more time in Washington.

Bill and the Fantastic Four ... Belichick, the former New England sage registered 24% of the vote due to his six Super Bowl titles and disciplined approach. Belichick had five losing seasons in Cleveland before he reignited the Patriots.

When Noll arrived in Pittsburgh, it was a similar script. The Steelers were coming off a 2-11-1 record. In his first year, Noll had a 1-13 record, but the arrival of Terry Bradshaw and Joe Greene changed the climate. I can’t recall seeing the Steelers in the early 70s, but I’m sure there are plenty of you out there who can.

Under Noll - who polled at 18% - the Steelers won four Super Bowl championships in a six-year span. Noll led the Steelers to 15 winning seasons, nine division championships, and 12 playoff appearances. “The Emperor” should be in the conversation for the top honor. To me, he seemed to bring the “Steel Curtain” mentality.

Shula, who procured 20% of the vote, is the NFL’s all-time win leader with 347. He is known for his days with the Dolphins in which he won two Super Bowls in six appearances. When we think about these aforementioned names, we don’t often recognize Shula as having the most wins. Aside from the Dolphins, he also had a solid run with the Colts with whom he had three playoff appearances. When he was hired by the Colts, Shula was the youngest head coach in the NFL at 33.

Walsh, who took 9% of the vote, was the groundbreaker in the 1980s with his “West Coast” offense, and quarterback Joe Montana was the perfect fit. Under Walsh, the 49ers won three crowns in 10 years.

When I think about the 49ers in my day, John Brodie, Gene Washington, Dave Wilcox, Ken Williard, and Jimmy Johnson come to mind. And, who hasn’t had their share of “Rice A ’Roni,” the “San Francisco Treat.”

Halas, who managed just one percent of the vote, is often overlooked due to his modern day counterparts. But Halas had an incredible 40-year coaching career that accrued 324 victories and ended in 1967. He currently is the oldest person to coach an NFL team (72). Halas had a 60-year affiliation with the Bears in various capacities.

Father Knows Best ... It’s hard to believe that it has been 12 years since Penn State’s Joe Paterno passed away at the age of 84 in 2012. “Joe Pa” is the winningest coach in college football history with 409 wins over 46 years. When you think about the numbers and his longevity, it is pretty amazing. We all have our Paterno memories - some more than others - about the man who won 18 bowl games and two national championships.

Along with Paterno, I’ll always remember Alabama’s Paul “Bear Bryant with his classic houndstooth hat and his 332 career wins. We also got to see Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, who is considered among the elite college coaches of all-time with his 347 wins.

Did you ever play in a Pop Warner league? Well, it got its name from a legendary college coach in the 1800s. At the same time, Amos Alonzo Stagg (the NCAA Division III championship game is named after him) twas making a name for himself. Interestingly, Stagg lived to the ripe age of 103.

Phillies Phodder ... Each week, I’ll have a Phillies’ trivia question. What Phillies’ great has the most career plate appearances? See the answer below.

Father Knows Best II ... Robert Young had the lead role of Jim Anderson in the epic TV show from the 1950s. If you’re born after 1960, you’ll remember watching the reruns. If you were born before the mark, you probably have a better memory of the show. Among some other 50s classics were “I Love Lucy,” “The Danny Thomas Show,” and of course, “The Honeymooners” - one of my favorites. I grew up watching the “Honeymooners” on WPIX Channel 11 from New York.

Sixties and Seventies TV Successes ... In the 1960s - especially the late 60s - there was a bevy of great TV shows that crossed our lives.

Among the more popular ones were “Batman,” The Beverly Hillbillies,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “I Dream Of Jeannie,” “The Munsters,” and “The Addams Family.” Some of my friends didn’t like it, but I can watch reruns of “Hogan’s Heroes,” over and over again with Sgt. Schultz.

A decade later, “Charlie’s Angels” and “All in the Family,” made among the biggest splashes with their content, and “Happy Days,” “Welcome Back Kotter,” and “Sanford and Son” can be put in the same category.

Great Games ... The 1960s was a proving ground for some famous board games that we all played.

Remember “Mystery Date” from the mid-60s with the little door in the middle of the game? There also was “Twister,” “Battleship,” and “Don’t Break the Ice.” We can step back further to recall “Hands Down,” “Mouse Trap,” and remember the theme song for the commercial … Stra-te-gooooo.

WWF Wrestler Wrap ... Each week, we’ll look back at a former WWF icon. In keeping with the theme of the column, how good was Bruno Sammartino? The former Pittsburgh native held the title for nearly eight years until he lost to Ivan Koloff in 1971. Sammartino regained the crown and held it for an additional three-and-half-years. He later lost to Superstar Billy Graham in 1977.

In 1980, he defeated former protégé Larry Zybysko in a steel-cage match before 35,000 at Shea Stadium. Sammartino, who retired in 1981, once held the bench press record for his lift of 565 pounds in 1959.

Stan’s the Man ... Who is the winningest football coach in the greater Lehigh Valley? He’s in our backyard - Marian’s Stan Dakotsky with 309 wins. Bethlehem Catholic/Phillipsburg’s Bob Stem (285) is second, and Stroudsburg’s Fred Ross (272) is third.

Trivia Answer ... Mike Schmidt has a franchise-record 10,062 plate appearances.

Memory Lane ... Each week, I’ll look back at a former athlete, coach, general manager, or media personality from yesterday. Do you remember acclaimed sportscaster Dick Enberg? He was a West Coast broadcast staple among college and pro teams, and also made his mark on the national scene with his calls in major college bowl games.

He also hosted the vintage sports game show, “Sports Challenge. How many of us recall his “Oh My” reflections of a play? Enberg passed away at the age of 82 in 2017, ending a 60-year career.

Feedback ... Your comments, thoughts, and ideas are welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com