Punch Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Fred Smerlas' (via https://twitter.com/FredSmerlas) reaction as it developed: SUNDAY MORNING "Thoughts over morning coffee: After reading about the # Bills selection for HC; I'm stunned. First thought about the # Bills HC selection was…what? Who's this guy? Why did they hire him? I'm stunned that people would think this is a good stunned. I thought the # Bills would be looking at Haslett, Lovie Smith, Kelly, Reid…. …the # Bills HC pick seemed to have Ralph Wilson's DNA on it. Doug Marrone, was HC for Syracuse for 4 years with a record of 25 - 25. With a record of 8 - 5 in 2012. Marrone may turn out to be a great coach; I just expected a bigger splash. I'm frozen solid in a state of shock. I'll be back when I thaw out..." TODAY Thoughts over morning coffee: The more I read about # Marrone, the more I like him. Not the guy I would have initially picked, though. The more I've listened to his present and past interviews, the more I think Marrone has 'it'; not a lot of college HCs or Pro assistants do. I think # Marrone has a little Parcell's in him, and that bodes well when dealing with # NFL Ids and Egos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JÂy RÛßeÒ Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2013/01/07/drew-brees-on-marrone/ With Doug Marrone being named the new head coach of the Bills there’s been reaction across the NFL. Drew Brees, who worked with him when he was offensive coordinator of the Saints offered the following. “I am thrilled for Doug and his family,” said Brees. “I really enjoyed my time working with him when he was here with the Saints. Doug is a coach who deeply about his players. It was fun to watch him resurrect the program at his alma mater, Syracuse, and I know that the feeling in our organization was that he would have success doing that very quickly. This is a great opportunity for Doug and I can tell you that there are a lot of people here at the Saints that are proud to see him having earned this opportunity with the Bills.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsGuyInMalta Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Tom Coughlin likes him too. http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2013/01/07/giants-coughlin-a-marrone-mentor/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 This gets interesting. Jason Witten saying he was very instrumental in his progress as a player. Marrone coached TEs at Tennesee. "Coach Marrone played a critical role early in my career at Tennessee as my tight end coach. He taught me several integral parts of the game that I still use today. He is an amazing coach and taught me early on some of the traits that have helped shaped my career in the NFL." "He is one of the great coaches. He has a great demeanor. He is great in front of the team. He can motivate, hold players accountable, and he has high expectations. He has been a winner everywhere he has been, and I am sure he will do the same in Buffalo. He is a great coach and a great man." Kevin Mawae... Former NY Jets C Kevin Mawae Q: Can you talk about your general thoughts of Coach Marrone as a person and a coach? A: As a person, I think he is a great guy. Obviously having played for him as my o-line coach in New York we became friends. He was the first coach that I ever had that was close to my age in my career. We developed a personal relationship with our families together and things like that. I think he is a great guy. I think he is a good person and he is a great friend. As far as a coach, I had four great offensive line coaches when I played and he was my third one. He was a coach that brought a lot of insight to the game both from a player’s perspective, because he did play in the NFL and got a couple of years in. I thought what was really cool about him was that not only did he know how to coach the game, but he knew the history of the game. He would teach us about the history of the 4-3 and 3-4 defenses and what coach developed this scheme or that scheme. That was pretty cool from a player’s standpoint because who was someone who appreciates the game itself. He was a coach that knew what he was talking about and all of the players respected him highly for his coaching ability. Q: Coach Marrone has a reputation of being upfront and honest. Can you recall a situation of anything like that? A: No specific examples because that is just the way he was from the Bronx (N.Y.). For anybody from the New York area, they know what I am saying. There is no sugar coating, there is no fluff it is just ‘Hey, it is what it is.’ I do not share my milk products with people, I am not going to share my ice cream with you and I do not care what you think. It is just one of those kinds of deals and that is just the kind of person that he is. Everybody accepted it and I think people appreciated that because players just wanted to be treated like men and part of it is just being honest with the guys that you are coaching. That is just the way Doug was. Tom Coughlin... Tom Coughlin:“I texted Doug right after Syracuse won in the bowl game against West Virginia. His team was very well-prepared, his team was very physical, and they continuously pounded the football. “He’s proven that he can coach in the modern era in terms of the ability for his team to change tempo. They can speed the game up and then very obviously at the end of the game, they were able to take the air out of the ball and slow the game down. “Doug and his staff developed a very good young quarterback who will get a lot of recognition from the pro game. “Doug is a man who is very serious about his work. He has called me on the phone, he has stopped in here to talk football. There are a lot of issues that a young head coach is trying to get his arms around. He did an outstanding job of that. He is focused and he is disciplined and he certainly conveys a message of toughness. Doug has worked in the pro game, he’s worked in the college and game and he’s been a head coach at the college level. “He’s had some disappointments. A year ago they had a tremendous win against West Virginia and then they struggled the rest of the season. But he’s learned to overcome that in terms of his team. His team seemed to be very unified and played with great purpose. They started to regenerate the pride in Syracuse University football, which all of us as former players and alumni take great interest in. “Doug shares the work ethic that the people of Western New York have long been known for. When he came to visit me – which was the year before last - he had specific questions he wanted to ask. He was very direct. He was recruiting in the area and he took the time out to visit with us despite the fact he was obviously on a mission.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 John, Today, I'm experiencing a dream come true. The opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL and to be part of an outstanding organization like the Buffalo Bills is certainly an honor. I'm looking forward to working with the people in this organization, but I am especially excited to work with the players. I was a player in the NFL and I was a coach in the League for seven years. I know the importance of building trust and my first order of business is to begin building that trust with this team. Obviously, there is a lot of work to be done. As I begin to assemble my coaching staff, I will be looking for hard-working, experienced coaches that are excited to be part of the Buffalo Bills tradition. As a coach, I certainly understand the importance of team, and for me that extends beyond the players, staff and coaches. When you have a fan base that is passionate about their team, they provide a unique energy that everyone can feel. Having had the opportunity to coach just down the Thruway at Syracuse, I know the support that exists for the Buffalo Bills. That passion is part of the reason I was so excited to take this opportunity. One of the things Russ Brandon and I discussed during my interview was the passion and loyalty of Bills season ticket holders. We want to make you proud to be a fan of the Buffalo Bills again and we will work tirelessly until that job is complete. This season, I look forward to experiencing the great atmosphere you provide at Ralph Wilson Stadium and I can't wait to celebrate a Championship together soon. Go Bills! Doug Marrone Head Coach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 This is a good one. Jahri Evans... “It’s a great opportunity for Doug. He played in the league and has been a great coach. He was my first coach in the NFL and got me going as a player. He’s very knowledgeable at the game. He really got that program at Syracuse turned around and got those guys winning. He’s paid his dues and I think he’ll be a good head coach in the league. He knows what it takes to win. He knows that it starts up front with the offensive line and as a former lineman, I think he’ll do a good job as a head coach.” On being his first rookie protégé with the Saints coming out of Bloomsburg: “Coming out of college I was real raw. I was raw in my technique and knowledge of the game and defenses. What Doug would always preach to me was that I could be a good player but had to take the proper steps and improve in my technique. He would never let me slide in that. Even though I made a block and succeeded, he still let me know if my technique was bad and stressed for me to work on it. He would always want improvement. When you look back at it, it really helped me improve as a player when he stressed technique and worked with me after practice, showing me what I needed to do and making sure I did it right. He was a coach that I needed out of Division 2. He really got my career going.” On why he can be successful: “He has his beliefs and they are right. He was a great offensive line coach. You need to have a good line to have a good team. He was a guy who played in the league and knows the importance of technique. He’s always been a very hard worker. I’m very happy that he’s receiving this opportunity, especially as a New York guy. He will put the time in and do the things it takes to be successful.” On his successes with the Saints offense, specifically the run game: “He was crucial in the development of the run game. He was very precise on proper footwork and hand placement. I think he’ll have those guys ready up front, even though he is the head coach and they’ll continue to grow.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Trooth Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Mort just said on NFL32 that Marrone was #1 on both SanDiego's and Cleveland's list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibs Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 This thread was a good idea.....so much so that BB.com has done one of their own. http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-2/What-theyre-saying-about-Doug-Marrone/06296ac2-a36c-4854-a56a-4d064831dd8f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 TV interview (sort of) with Syracuse Post-Standard Bud Poliquin. One thing late in the interview concerned me. About Marrone having a thin skin to criticism in Syracuse, that fans would say harsh things not only to him but to his wife and kids. Visions of Mike Mullarkey. I hope he's learned to deal with that. We all know what a bunch of pinheads we can become if he doesn't win fast enough. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 (edited) Former Bills tight end Mark Campbell on playing for Doug Marrone: http://audio.wgr550....m?pageid=401026 Rich Cimini talks about Doug Marrone: http://audio.wgr550.com/a/69520622/1-7-rich-cimini-talks-about-doug-marrone.htm?pageid=401026 Edited January 8, 2013 by 26CornerBlitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAWNDO Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Adam Schein is on board..http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000123802/article/doug-marrone-can-solve-buffalo-bills-ryan-fitzpatrick-problem?campaign=Twitter_Schein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Peter King MMQB-Tuseday: Marrone appears to have right pedigree to turn around Bills http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20130108/doug-marrone-bills/index.html I don't know if Doug Marrone will win in Buffalo. No one does. He probably needs a new quarterback. He has to figure out why a defense that should have been top 10 in the NFL this year let everyone down and finished 22nd in yards allowed and a mind-boggling 26th in points allowed. But I'll tell you why I think he was a good hire: • He's tough. He's not going to take the same old excuses about not winning, and he's not going to blindly stick up for his players if they're not playing well or not performing. That's a core principle he has, and something he's learned from people like Sean Payton along the way. There's a certain amount of ruthlessness a head coach has to have, and I believe he will have it in Buffalo. • He's been with losing programs in desperate straits, so he's not afraid of the Bills' history of futility. Check out his last two jobs. He went to New Orleans in 2006 as line coach and offensive coordinator, five months after Katrina, when no one wanted to sign or play with New Orleans, and he saw what an impact a well-built team (with a quarterback) could do to a region. He went to his alma mater, Syracuse, in 2009, and took over a team that had won 10 games in four years. And he won 25 in his four years there. • He'll find a smart guy, like Mike Pettine (my strong recommendation) to run his defense. And he'll commit to a quarterback (maybe a draftee, like his own Ryan Nassib from Syracuse) and center his offense around a player the entire team will trust, and he'll run the ball because he believes you've got to a have a strong running game too, especially in the northeast. It doesn't hurt to have Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller carrying it 400 times for you, either. "I love challenges,'' he said from Bills' offices Monday. "Look where I've been. I played at Syracuse when that program was down, and we helped turn it around then. I coached at Georgia Tech when that program was down, and the staff helped turn it around. The Saints, then Syracuse. How is success judged? You've got to look at it a little bit different at a place like Alabama than at a place like Syracuse. But I'm happy the way I was brought up in football, and the men who have influenced me. I am a very, very competitive person, and I like the situation we're in right now. I don't like the people I've met here; I love the people I've met and will be working with. Smart. Good football people. I am fired up right now.'' And the Patriots, I asked; what about chasing the Patriots? This was the 12th straight year the Bills finished behind New England in the standings. So many men have failed to scale Mount Belichick. A concern? "Are you trying to get something started between us?'' he said with a laugh. "I have great respect for the sport at every level. I have great respect for coaches, and teams, that can excel for a long time. But I don't feel like, 'I want to be like them.' I want to be me. I want this team to be our team, not someone else's. I'm concerned about us, about building the best possible team we can be. I have not looked at any tape of our team yet, but my priority now is building the best team we can and get our team in the best position to play everyone once the season starts." Interesting. He never used "Patriots'' or "Bill Belichick." It's a little corny, and maybe he didn't mean it, but I like the fact he's not going to come in fawning over a team he knows will have everything to do with his success or failure. Game on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 (edited) Doug Marrone’s first challenge? Finding the right defensive coordinator Chris Burke from SI.com Edited January 9, 2013 by 26CornerBlitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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