Official Wilks Firing Day Thread- 12-31-18

PACardsFan

ASFN Icon
Joined
May 15, 2002
Posts
10,252
Reaction score
12,220
Location
York, PA
My measure of a HC in any sport is to be flexible enough to create systems based on the talent he currently has. That is why Wilks was ill prepared to be a HC in the NFL. He was going to force a 43 down this team’s throats regardless of whether we had the personnel to play it. On Offense, he didn’t have a clue where to start or end. I’ve seen youth football teams with more sophisticated offensive game plans. Here’s where blame needs to be heaped on to MB. Michael was more concerned about appearances & the Rooney Rule than he was about hiring a qualified HC. To Michael, Arians was a buffoon that he tolerated as long as we won. It didn’t matter to MB whether Wilks was ready. Wilks was the antithesis to Arians. He was professional in word & appearance. He carried himself like a leader. More than anything else, he didn’t cuss in public. The problem was that Arians had forgotten more about coaching football than Wilks ever knew.

Some on this board wanted Keim gone too. I could care less if he stayed or not. He’ll no doubt be on a short leash going forward. I’ve shared enough regarding this matter, but if SK is truly not getting fired, then you know that the SW hiring was a decision that MB pushed.
 
Last edited:

Kel Varnsen

Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Posts
33,369
Reaction score
11,994
Location
Phoenix
My measure of a HC in any sport is to be flexible enough to create systems based on the talent he currently has. That is why Wilks was ill prepared to be a HC in the NFL. He was going to force a 43 down this team’s throats regardless of whether we had the personnel to play it..

Agreed. Trying to force your preferred system instead of adapting to the reality of the situation is just dumb. I hope the next guy is good at using the tools he inherits.
 

Dr. Jones

Has No Time For Love
Joined
Nov 2, 2004
Posts
27,405
Reaction score
16,279
I remember this story about wilks coming up to either Keim or Bidwill on a beach somewhere. That is who probably made the decision to hire him.
 

Totally_Red

Air Raid Warning!
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Posts
8,894
Reaction score
4,850
Location
Iowa
My measure of a HC in any sport is to be flexible enough to create systems based on the talent he currently has. That is why Wilks was ill prepared to be a HC in the NFL. He was going to force a 43 down this team’s throats regardless of whether we had the personnel to play it. On Offense, he didn’t have a clue where to start or end. I’ve seen youth football teams with more sophisticated offensive game plans. Here’s where blame needs to be heaped on to MB. Michael was more concerned about appearances & the Rooney Rule than he was about hiring a qualified HC. To Michael, Arians was a buffoon that he tolerated as long as we won. It didn’t matter to MB whether Wilks was ready. Wilks was the antithesis to Arians. He was professional in word & appearance. He carried himself like a leader. More than anything else, he didn’t cuss in public. The problem was that Arians had forgotten more about coaching football than Wilks ever knew.

Some on this board wanted Keim gone too. I could care less if he stayed or not. He’ll no doubt be on a short leash going forward. I’ve shared enough regarding this matter, but if SK is truly not getting fired, then you know that the SW hiring was a decision that MB pushed.


This is usually true. The exception is where you get a very long contract (see SF) or a lot of money (see Oakland).
 

PACardsFan

ASFN Icon
Joined
May 15, 2002
Posts
10,252
Reaction score
12,220
Location
York, PA
This is usually true. The exception is where you get a very long contract (see SF) or a lot of money (see Oakland).

Agreed. These are also franchises that have won multiple SB’s (SF-5, Oak-3). Not that it really matters in this discussion.
 

crisper57

Open the Roof!
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Posts
14,950
Reaction score
1,019
Location
Phoenix, AZ
I can't shake the feeling Wilks will resurface with another team down the road and become a great HC. Then the Cards will be ridiculed for letting such a great coach go after only one year. This is more my opinion as a snake-bitten fan than as a fan of our former HC.
 

Zeno

Ancient
Joined
Sep 24, 2002
Posts
15,589
Reaction score
5,435
Location
Fort Myers
Was Lewis fired or did he resign? That would make a difference if he starts pursuing other HC jobs.
 

Zeno

Ancient
Joined
Sep 24, 2002
Posts
15,589
Reaction score
5,435
Location
Fort Myers
I can't shake the feeling Wilks will resurface with another team down the road and become a great HC. Then the Cards will be ridiculed for letting such a great coach go after only one year. This is more my opinion as a snake-bitten fan than as a fan of our former HC.

As bad as this team has been that has never happened. Stallings succeeded as a college football HC but since then Bugle, Ryan, Tobin, McGinnis, Green & Whisenhunt all either failed at their next chance as HC or just went back to being a coordinator/position coach. I think Wilks has a similar future, back to being a good/average NFL coordinator but that is it.
 

Ronin

Wut?
Super Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Posts
144,701
Reaction score
66,299
Location
Crowley, TX
Was Lewis fired or did he resign? That would make a difference if he starts pursuing other HC jobs.
:shrug:
Marisa Contipelli

@BengalsMarisa


BREAKING: #Bengals & Marvin Lewis have mutually decided to part ways.

Statement from Mike Brown: "The team is very appreciative of all that Marvin has accomplished over the past 16 years. I thank him for what he's meant to this franchise."

Lewis' 131 wins is 1st in team history
 

crisper57

Open the Roof!
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Posts
14,950
Reaction score
1,019
Location
Phoenix, AZ
So Wilks faced:

1. A FA QB signing that was disastrous - Not his fault
2. 7 OL go to IR (including all projected starters) - Not his fault
3. A depleted WR Corp that was not addressed in the offseason - Not his fault
4. A rookie QB starting the majority of the season and going through typical growing pains
5. He was left to run the organization during the bulk of the preseason because Keim was suspended, when they should have been forging a strong relationship.

Any of these issues could sink an experienced HC, much less a first-year guy. For these, he gets a pass from me. What is unforgivable, though, were the issues he could control that showed he was not ready to be the top guy in the organization:

1. An OC hire that was absolutely awful (he was pressured to hire McCoy allegedly, but BA held his ground on coaching hires as a first-year HC). McCoy didn't know how to us David Johnson and Leftwich was handcuffed by a crap playbook for the rest of the season.
2. Hiring Al Holcomb as DC. We needed an experienced DC. We should have kept what we had.
3. The team quit on him. Any adversity, and they were done. Too many business decisions on the field. Too many mental mistakes. This is the most damning thing of all.
4. He publicly blamed players and did not hold coaches accountable until the final weeks of the season. I think he lost the locker room.
 
Last edited:

Metcalf Rules

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jan 18, 2004
Posts
2,389
Reaction score
2,962
Location
Great Falls, MT
I can't shake the feeling Wilks will resurface with another team down the road and become a great HC. Then the Cards will be ridiculed for letting such a great coach go after only one year. This is more my opinion as a snake-bitten fan than as a fan of our former HC.
It happened with Don Coryell, although I would argue he was a great HC while with the Cards. I think they pulled the plug on him too soon in St. Louis. It would have been interesting to see him paired with Neil Lomax.

I think Wilks will be a successful coordinator again, but isn’t winning HC material.
 

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
553,889
Posts
5,412,462
Members
6,319
Latest member
route66
Top