Sideline drama: Coaches who have famously clashed with players

Coaches can make or break a team. Their ability to get the most of their players is a complex and subtle art form that can easily go bad at any moment. Let's take a look at some coaches who have famously mishandled their players – in some cases literally!

Republic of Ireland coach Mick McCarthy famously got on the wrong side of Manchester United legend Roy Keane in 2002 as the side was preparing for the World Cup. Keane was, as The Guardian reported, furious over the coaches lack of preparedness in the gig and told him, among a number of expletives: "I didn’t rate you as a player, I don’t rate you as a manager, and I don’t rate you as a person" before leaving the World Cup camp for good. Ouch.

Despite his success as head coach of the New England Patriots, Belichick has been criticized for his cold and aloof demeanor towards players, leading some to resent him and ultimately leave or be excluded from the team, including Cassius Marsh, Adalius Thomas and Reggie Wayne according to masslive.com He has also been involved in controversies such as Spygate, which damaged his reputation among players and fans.

Known for his explosive temper, Knight was a successful college basketball coach, but his tough-love approach often resulted in clashes with players, including incidents of physical and verbal abuse. He was famously fired from Indiana University after allegedly choking player Burgess Neil Reed during an altercation at a practice session, as CNN reported. 

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Van Gaal's strict and authoritarian coaching style has led to conflicts with players on several teams he has coached, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thomas Müller. He famously clashed with Müller while coaching Bayern Munich, leading to Müller's frustration with his role in the team.

Known for his intense and abrasive coaching style, Keenan had been involved in several controversial incidents with players, including benching star players and clashing with goaltenders. He famously clashed with star player Brett Hull while coaching the St. Louis Blues, stripping Hull of his captaincy and creating a feud that continued until Keenan’s sacking at the end of the 1996 season.

Although he was a successful NBA coach, Collins has been known to have strained relationships with some of his players, including Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson. He clashed with Jordan while coaching the Chicago Bulls and with Iverson while coaching the Philadelphia 76ers. The beef with Jordan, while a talking point at the time, was later patched up and the pair worked together at the Washington Wizards. 

The former head coach of the Chicago Bears, Ditka was known for his fiery personality and tough coaching style, which occasionally led to conflicts with players. He famously clashed with quarterback Jim McMahon over McMahon's non-conformity and non-traditional methods of healing from injuries, the New York Times reported. 

Pat Riley - While he has had great success as an NBA coach, Riley's demanding and authoritarian approach has led to tension with some players, including Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson. He famously clashed with O'Neal while coaching the Miami Heat, leading to O'Neal's departure from the team.

Sampaoli's intense and demanding coaching style has led to conflicts with players on several teams he has coached, including Lionel Messi and Éver Banega. He famously clashed with Messi while coaching the Argentina national team, with Messi expressing frustration with Sampaoli's tactics and approach.

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Brown has a reputation for being a demanding and critical coach, which has led to clashes with players on several teams he has coached. He famously clashed with Stephon Marbury while coaching the New York Knicks, leading to Marbury's departure from the team.

Jones' confrontational and demanding coaching style has led to clashes with players on several teams he has coached, including George Ford and Ben Te'o. He famously clashed with Te'o while coaching the England national team, leading to Te'o's exclusion from the team.

Known for his confrontational and controversial personality, Mourinho has had several clashes with players on multiple teams he has coached, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba. As Plent Football reported, he clashed with Pogba while coaching Manchester United, with Pogba expressing frustration with Mourinho's tactics and approach.

Harbaugh's intense personality and strict coaching style have rubbed some players the wrong way, leading to conflicts and controversies during his time as an NFL coach. He famously clashed with quarterback Colin Kaepernick while coaching the San Francisco 49ers after the QB started taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016.

Although he is widely respected as one of the best coaches in NBA history, Popovich's demanding and critical approach has occasionally led to tension with players, including Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge. He famously clashed with Leonard over Leonard's injury recovery, which led to Leonard's departure from the San Antonio Spurs.

Known for his brash personality and tough-love approach, Ryan has had conflicts with players on several teams he has coached, including the New York Jets. He famously clashed with star cornerback Darrelle Revis over contract negotiations.

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McHale had a successful career as an NBA coach, but his confrontational style has led to strained relationships with players, including Dwight Howard. He famously clashed with Howard over Howard's work ethic and attitude while coaching the Houston Rockets.

Tortorella's abrasive coaching style and tendency to publicly criticize players have led to conflicts with several players throughout his coaching career. He famously clashed with forward Marian Gaborik while coaching the New York Rangers.

Martin's fiery personality and confrontational coaching style led to several clashes with players on multiple teams he coached, including Reggie Jackson and Dave Winfield. He famously clashed with Jackson while coaching the New York Yankees, leading to Jackson's brief departure from the team.

While he is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in football history, Guardiola's demanding and perfectionist approach has occasionally led to tension with players, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Yaya Touré. He clashed with Touré while coaching Manchester City, leading to Touré's absence from the team for several months, as All Football reported. 

Maradona's fiery personality and confrontational approach led to several clashes with players during his brief coaching career for the Argentina national football team, including Juan Sebastián Verón and Riquelme. He famously clashed with Riquelme in a feud that apparently originated internally at their shared club Boca Juniors, which carried onto 2009 with the two trading barbs in the press. Riquelme soon ruled himself out of the national side under Maradona. 

While he is primarily known as a player, Bonds also had a brief stint as a hitting coach for the Miami Marlins. His abrasive personality and tendency to criticize players in public led to tension and conflicts with several players on the team, including Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna.

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