2007 Cardinals: Head Coach Speak

[Evil Ash]

Anyone can talk the talk, a philosophy is one thing having the means, intelligence and leadership to enact it is another thing entirely.

Which is the very reason why i don't want to over react based on a press conference. Its talk now, its all talk.

Graves and Bidwill are the only ones that can really pick their brains on what they want to do, how they implement it, etc

Belichik liked what he said but didn't say "Rivera is going to be a good head coach someday" or "hes a great DC" or anything close to that.

No he didn't say it exactly but he strongly agreed with the philosophy because IT IS ONE HE USES. We don't know how well he'd implement it. We don't know how any of the candidates will implement their philosophy PERIOD.

I'm not throwing Rivera out as a candidate because he's a defensive minded coach

 

[slanidrac16]

Greta post Mitch. The most intriging statement you made was comparing him to Don Coryell because thats who I thought of during his interview.

After the interview, I googled Don Coryell. Do you guys realize he is 83 years old???

 

[ajcardfan]

After the interview, I googled Don Coryell. Do you guys realize he is 83 years old???

Heck, he's not much older than Paterno!

 

[JeffGollin]

I still lean toward Chow with Grimm, Cameron and Caldwell right behind him, but I still have an incomplete picture of all of these guys.

I'd like to know how they'd handle different dicey situations:

- Injuries wipe out 12 starters.

- A key defensive player is found with a controlled substance in his car that he claims his girlfriend was carrying and he didn't know it.

- A star player gets kicked out of an important game after being the "2nd one in" after an opposing player stomped on his face and then slugged him.

- After winning our first 4 games, we managed to lose three close ones in a row - all in the final 3 minutes of the game and all due to turnovers.

- We go into Game #16 tied for the final playoff spot, but both Warner and Leinart are out injured.

- At midseason, a division opponent figures out that they can torch us repeatedly with deep seam routes against Cover 2. Other teams continue to exploit this.

- The zebras cost us a playoff clincher in Game 15, but we have a remote chance of making the playoffs if we win Game 16.

That sort of stuff that tells us how our leader will handle things when the bullets are flying.

 

[PAQ77]

I'm slowly warming up to Chow... Mitch, you're making a good case for him. I just can't get the fact that he has NEVER been a HC at 60 out of my system though.

 

[vinnymac]

I still lean toward Chow with Grimm, Cameron and Caldwell right behind him, but I still have an incomplete picture of all of these guys.

I'd like to know how they'd handle different dicey situations:

- Injuries wipe out 12 starters.

- A key defensive player is found with a controlled substance in his car that he claims his girlfriend was carrying and he didn't know it.

- A star player gets kicked out of an important game after being the "2nd one in" after an opposing player stomped on his face and then slugged him.

- After winning our first 4 games, we managed to lose three close ones in a row - all in the final 3 minutes of the game and all due to turnovers.

- We go into Game #16 tied for the final playoff spot, but both Warner and Leinart are out injured.

- At midseason, a division opponent figures out that they can torch us repeatedly with deep seam routes against Cover 2. Other teams continue to exploit this.

- The zebras cost us a playoff clincher in Game 15, but we have a remote chance of making the playoffs if we win Game 16.

That sort of stuff that tells us how our leader will handle things when the bullets are flying.

you would be able to tell if the person you are interviewing has a clue or not. i would think these are rather easy question to answer for someone who has been there and done that.

 

[Duckjake]

you would be able to tell if the person you are interviewing has a clue or not. i would think these are rather easy question to answer for someone who has been there and done that.

Just what is a head coach supposed to do anyway other than meet the press and give sermons in the locker room?

Scouts evaluate players.
The VP of FO makes the call on who gets hired.
The Coordinators coordinate.
The other assistants teach.

So just what do you all think a head coach does that wins games?

I think I'll go read "Next Man Up" again, although its more a collection of player biographies than anything else.

 

[kerouac9]

My gripe with the past Cardinal head coaches was that most of them weren't even prolific coordinators, let alone coaches who brought a special knowledge with them.

Well, I guess the Titans' 27th ranking in overall offense was "prolific", or something...

 

[Gambit]

Well, I guess the Titans' 27th ranking in overall offense was "prolific", or something...

Winning 8 games with their personnel is prolific, or something.

 

[kerouac9]

Winning 8 games with their personnel is prolific, or something.

yeah, but that wasn't all on the offense, which is what Mitch seems to be crediting them for. At least a couple of those wins have to do with Vince Young's remarkable athleticism and nothing to do with Norm Chow as a coach. I know that a couple more were won because of Pacman Jones either returning punts or interceptions for TDs.

Saying that Norm Chow's offense is the reason that the Titans won 8 games is totally ridiculous. I really wouldn't put that among the top 5 reasons that the Titans won 8 games.

 

[Totally_Red]

yeah, but that wasn't all on the offense, which is what Mitch seems to be crediting them for. At least a couple of those wins have to do with Vince Young's remarkable athleticism and nothing to do with Norm Chow as a coach. I know that a couple more were won because of Pacman Jones either returning punts or interceptions for TDs.

Saying that Norm Chow's offense is the reason that the Titans won 8 games is totally ridiculous. I really wouldn't put that among the top 5 reasons that the Titans won 8 games.

Vince Young was named the offensive rookie of the year. Norm Chow does deserves a lot of the credit for that accomplishment.

 

[JeffGollin]

Vince Young was named the offensive rookie of the year. Norm Chow does deserves a lot of the credit for that accomplishment.

Rather than dwell upon that single accomplishment, what really impresses me is Chow's consistency developing QB's all the way back to his LaVelle Edwards days. Bing. Bing. Bing. Each new QB, another new star. It's kind of awesome.

 

[Gambit]

yeah, but that wasn't all on the offense, which is what Mitch seems to be crediting them for. At least a couple of those wins have to do with Vince Young's remarkable athleticism and nothing to do with Norm Chow as a coach. I know that a couple more were won because of Pacman Jones either returning punts or interceptions for TDs.

Saying that Norm Chow's offense is the reason that the Titans won 8 games is totally ridiculous. I really wouldn't put that among the top 5 reasons that the Titans won 8 games.

Statistically their D wasn't very good either. In fact, it was one of the worst. Norm Chow was able to utilize VY in the best possible way. He was shut down a few times early on in the season, but adjustments were made. Not all of the credit goes to Norm. The players played. Jeff Fisher is a great HC. But Norm deserves credit for the turnaround too.

 

[kerouac9]

Statistically their D wasn't very good either. In fact, it was one of the worst. Norm Chow was able to utilize VY in the best possible way. He was shut down a few times early on in the season, but adjustments were made. Not all of the credit goes to Norm. The players played. Jeff Fisher is a great HC. But Norm deserves credit for the turnaround too.

It's actually sort of a miracle that they won any games. 27th in total offense, last in total defense. Timely plays by Young (notably very few of them passing plays) and by the defense really made their season. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, I suppose.