So OK. I got to see Arians in action before the local media.
The one thing that really impressed me was that - way more than the other three HC candidates - Bruce came across as a from-the-ground-up guy. Everything - from his coaching philosophy to his background as a coach - was framed in up-close-&-personal hands-on anecdotes and examples (from how a QB processes plays to what it felt like when Chuck Pagano returned to the Colts HQ). Warmth and speaking in specifics are key leadership skills.
IMO, That's huge.
+1
Gotta say, that was impressive. He is genuine no doubt about it. He is not nasty about it but he has this, "I have been doing this too long, and am too old to play around. What you see is what you get."
What I liked ?
- Yeah, Chuck Pagano supplied some motivation, but when he said at years end there were 11 players that hadn't even seen Pagano.......well...WOW! That is something.
- When he said, "Next man up is NOT a motto, it is a reality." Yep.
- He is a disciple of Tom Moore. That is where his coaching tree starts. Tom Moore is a ridiculously good coach. The offensive equivalent of Dick LeBeau in my opinion. He is the main reason, again IMO, Peyton Manning can do the thing he can out on the field.
- When he says it is easy.....yeah, well the guy has been doing it for 25 years. I understand what he is saying. The NFL is hard, don't get him wrong, but 25 years is 25 years doing what he does. Yeah, it comes easy to him.
- I call the plays until someone does it better....yep. Logic. I like that.
- Finally, and the most important thing. Of course I do not know if he is just selling himself, but again, the guy is older, and has been around 25 years. He wants to be a head coach, but he obviously has no problem staying with the Colts, and he has been doing it too long to, as he put it, "Be head coach just to be one".
I don't think it has anything to do with a "feeling". That man sees something. There is something here in AZ that is "obvious" to him and no one else that can create success. I sure as heck don't know what it is but when he starting coaching I was 10 years old.....so I think I can confide that he knows what he sees. Doubt it? He coached with Whiz, and the Steelers. He knows what they are doing for the most part. Thus it can't be too hard for him to see something in the system that is, not working but can, and breed success.
Ugh.
If you go with Arians, and the rumors are true the Horton is out, then the next season will be suffering. Watch the defense fall apart, watch the offense learn, and watch the losing column go to double digits. It is to be expected.
It is so hard to have confidence in the situation. The front office deserves none, I mean seriously people, what have they don outside of two years. We don't know about Keim yet, and all Arians has done is do one interview for us to base on.
He have/had a great defense, to deny that is just nutz (sorry to be hard, but really, that defense is good). To throw that out ? As a Cardinals fan ?
Painful, stressful, and anxiety ridden.
I wish it was as simple as Horton would be OK with being the DC, or that the final choice was between a defensive guy who learned from a great defensive football mind, that shows the ability to produce, and lead men, and an offensive guy who learned from a great offensive football mind, that shows the ability to produce, and lead men.
Right now ?
Arians or Horton.
Anyone else would be crazy, IMO, cause Arians is way better the Gruden, and the other two that have no business in the conversation, in my humble opinion of course.