Coaches with Experience

[1billsfan]

Why does everyone anoit Mike Tomlin the next great coach? What exactly has he done? He took over a team where every single of his key pieces he has now at every key position was already in place. He didnt build this team and this team already won a Super Bowl pretty much with the same players he has now. In fact, if you watch the Steelers game (I have to watch every one since my best friend is a Steeler fan that I watch football with at the bar on Sundays), he has made lots of mistakes as a coach during games where his inexperience has hurt him. His best asset is his personality and fiery attitude, but that can only take you so far.

 

It also reminds me of George Seifert who took over a darn good 49ers team and won a super bowl. Then couldnt sustain the team and didnt do too well when he took over in Carolina. So, until Tomlin takes over a poor team and makes them a good team or keeps the Steelers amongst the Elite over a period of time, then I am gonna hold off on using him as the bench mark to judge new coaches because all he has done so far is win with a team that won the Super Bowl 3 years ago with basically the same team he has now.

 

Same goes for Jon Gruden...he took over a team built by Dungy, wins the Super Bowl and hasnt sniffed it since. Now that his stamp is on that team they havent done too well to the point there is talk he is on the hot seat if they dont make the playoffs.

 

So I reserver judgement on a guy like Tomlin until he can prove he can do it with his own team, not Cowhers, because that Steeler team is still the team Cowher won the Super Bowl with.

 

 

Why in the world do you want the Bills to hire Dom Capers as the next head coach?! Could there be another former coach that is the mirror image of Dick "the biggest freaking loser" Jauron?!

 

This team needs fresh air and new blood and Bobby April or Dom Capers is neither fresh air and new blood. Raheem Morris is being called the next Mike Tomlin who you apparently feel is another George Seifert. That's a ridiculous statement. Tomlin is clearly going to be the next great NFL head coach. He will have the same career as both Cowher and Fischer. If you can't see that then maybe that's the reason why you are so high on April and Capers for the Bills head coaching position.

[Poeticlaw]

Here's an idea of who's out there to be had if we go with an experienced coach. I'm splitting this up into 'retired' coaches - those who aren't currently coaching at any level, and 'former' coaches, who are assistants or college coaches. I'm also limiting to eliminate anyone who hasn't coached pro football since 2000, or doesn't have any playoff experience.

 

RETIRED COACHES (not currently employed as coaches):

 

Bill Cowher

Head Coach, Pittsburgh Steelers 1992-2006. 149-90-1. 1 Super Bowl win, two appearances. 12-9 in the playoffs. Currently works for CBS.

 

Marty Schottenheimer

Head Coach, Cleveland Browns 1984-1988, Kansas City Chiefs 1989-1998, Washington Redskins 2001, San Diego Chargers 2002-2006. 200-126-1. 5-13 in the playoffs, 8 division titles. Age 65. Currently works for ESPN.

 

Dan Reeves

Head Coach, Denver Broncos 1981-1992, New York Giants 1993-1996, Atlanta Falcons 1997-2003. 190-165-2. 11-9 in the playoffs, four Super Bowl appearances, no wins. Age 64, has shown no interest in returning to coaching. Currently working as a colorman for Westwood One's radio coverage.

 

Jim Mora

Head Coach, New Orleans Saints 1986-1996, Indianapolis Colts 1998-2001. 125-106. 0-6 in the playoffs. Age 73, currently working for the NFL Network.

 

Dick Vermeil

Head Coach, Philadelphia Eagles 1976-1982, St. Louis Rams 1997-1999, Kansas City Chiefs 2001-2005. 120-109 lifetime, 1 Super Bowl win in two showings. 6-5 in the playoffs. Age 72, works for the NFL Network.

 

Dennis Green

Head Coach, Minnesota Vikings 1992-2001, Arizona Cardinals 2004-2006. 113-94, 4-8 in the playoffs. No Super Bowls. Works for radio broadcasts on Westwood One. Is who you thought he is.

 

Brian Billick

Head Coach, Baltimore Ravens 1999-2007. 80-64, 5-3 in the playoffs. One Super Bowl win. Works for Fox.

 

Steve Maricucci

Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers 1997-2002, Detroit Lions 2003-2005. 72-67, 3-4 in the playoffs. Currently works for the NFL network.

 

Jim Fassel

Head Coach, New York Giants 1997-2003. 58-53, 2-3 in the playoffs with one Super Bowl appearance.

 

Art Shell

I'm not looking up Art Shell.

 

FORMER HEAD COACHES (currently working in coaching, not as an NFL head coach)

 

Dave Wannestadt

Head Coach, Chicago Bears 1993-1998, Miami Dolphins 2000-2004. 82-87, 2-3 in the playoffs. Head coach of the Pitt Panthers, 24-22 overall.

 

Mike Sherman

Head Coach, Green Bay Packers 2000-2005, 57-39, 2-4 in the playoffs. Currently head coach of Texas A&M (4-8)

 

Mike Martz

Head Coach, St. Louis Rams 2000-2005. 53-32, 3-4 in the playoffs. One Super Bowl berth. OC, Detroit lions 2006-07, San Francisco 49ers 2008. 14-31 since leaving STL.

 

Dom Capers

Head Coach, Carolina Panthers 1995-98, Houston Texans 2002-05. 48-80, 1-1 in the playoffs. DC, Miami Dolphins 2006-07, Special assistant/DBs, New England Patriots 2008. 14-30 as an assistant.

 

Mike Tice

Head Coach, Minnesota Vikings 2001-2005. 32-33, 1-1 in the playoffs. Assistant with the Jaguars.

 

And those, are pretty much, the options.

 

EDIT: Looks like I actually bailed on this list too soon. Butch Davis and Bill Callahan techinically count here. We don't want them.

 

OF this List the two at the highest of my list would be Brian Billick and Dave Wannsett. I would say Sherman but we have already been there and it didnt happen.

 

But I think those two would be great for this team Look waht Billick has been able to do without a real QB only a stout defense and Dave took the Dolphins to 4 straight winning seasons before getting axed in a 1-8 stint but he had a lot of crap going on around him in that organization that year I thought it was wrong the way the were treating him after taking a JAY FIEDLER QB lead team to 4 straight winning seasons sorry but Id like to see what he would do with our mess.

[Alphadawg7]

The Bucs had most pieces in place before Gruden arrived, but Gruden added the missing pieces that were necessary to go all the way & win the Super Bowl. After that year the Bucs were in cap hell, with no money for free agents & no high draft picks for a few years. The Bucs are a dark horse to get to the Super Bowl this year. If they beat the Panthers on Monday they should win ths NFC South.

 

Uh, Gruden didnt add a single piece to that team...he won in his very first year...

[Alphadawg7]

Why in the world do you want the Bills to hire Dom Capers as the next head coach?! Could there be another former coach that is the mirror image of Dick "the biggest freaking loser" Jauron?!

 

This team needs fresh air and new blood and Bobby April or Dom Capers is neither fresh air and new blood. Raheem Morris is being called the next Mike Tomlin who you apparently feel is another George Seifert. That's a ridiculous statement. Tomlin is clearly going to be the next great NFL head coach. He will have the same career as both Cowher and Fischer. If you can't see that then maybe that's the reason why you are so high on April and Capers for the Bills head coaching position.

 

You should read my posts more carefully...I did not compare Tomlin to Seifert...I compared the situation of a coordinator coming in and taking over a top level team. Seifert took over a top talent team like Tomlin...had immediate success but couldnt sustain it in SF or find it again in his future coaching gigs...so his early success was inflated by the team he inherited.

 

So, I have not slighted Tomlin...I am clearly stating that until Tomlin can prove he can win once the makeup of his team changes then I am not going to anoit him the next great coach. He has proven exactly nothing to this point. Any professional coach in this league could win with that team right now including Gregg Williams, Mularkey, and DJ...the team is that good. He didnt build or engineer that team...he didnt even establish the way they play. They still play the same game they always have under Cowher.

 

Does that mean Tomlin is NOT a good coach?...no it doesnt...BUT does it mean hes a great coach...no way.

 

It means he has yet to prove how good or bad he is, only time will tell. He needs to prove he is not a product of his situation before I make him the bench mark for the success of young, unproven coaches. This team won a Superbowl with most of these same players just 3 years ago, so its not like he took over the Raiders and made them a contender.

 

If he took over a low level talent team and built them into what the Steelers were then I would understand all the hoopla.

[Alphadawg7]

This team needs fresh air and new blood and Bobby April or Dom Capers is neither fresh air and new blood. Raheem Morris is being called the next Mike Tomlin who you apparently feel is another George Seifert. That's a ridiculous statement. Tomlin is clearly going to be the next great NFL head coach.

 

I am still laughing over this statement...I love how a guy can take over a powerhouse and win with them and he is "clearly" the next great coach"...what an outlandish statement.

 

So, if Mularkey takes over the Pats next year and they win 14 games with a healthy Tom Brady is he now the next great head coach? I mean he is having success again as a coordinator and there is talk he is going to be a HC candidate again.

 

What if Kurt Rambis took over the Lakers this year as head coach and they win the whole thing? Does that mean he is the next great NBA HC because he won the championship with all that talent? No way...doesnt mean hes not a good coach, just means there is nothing there to really show how good or bad he is...

 

Thats the absurdity to say Tomlin is "clearly the next great HC" when all he did was make the playoffs last year with a Super Bowl caliber team (that was actually only 1 year removed at the time from winning the Super Bowl).

 

He may end up being a great coach, heck I even like him, I am just saying he needs to PROVE he is that good before he is now the BENCH MARK for all young unproven coaches.