The trouble with assessing the relative merits of coaches is that each situation is different. There are plenty of variables and extraneous factors that can pop up unexpectedly, and many times, you find yourself making comparisons in a sea of apples and oranges.

Last week, the English Football Association, whose national team had been without a manager since the departure of Fabio Capello on Feb. 8, appointed a new boss: Roy Hodgson. The reviews were mixed.

Hodgson's...