Who do you want as a new HC?

[BACH]

I'm SHOCKED that the most likely candidate isn't even mentioned in this thread.

I consider it unrealistic that Fisher and Gruden will become available. If it happened they are options, but they will most likely not be available. Also to get Fisher and Gruden, the Bidwills most likely have to give up more control of the team, which I doubt will happen.

Criterias for our next HC (The way I see the requirements):
- Good background - from a strong coaching tree
- Known for being well-prepared and creative
- A coach NOT demanding total control over the franchise
- Most likely an offensive minded coach

Meeting those criteria the first guy that comes to mind is Charlie Wies. I would love to get Weis, but he already got his dream job at ND and gets paid like an elite NFL coach. Most unlikely not going to happen.

The second guy to meet those criteria is Steelers' OC Ken Wiesenhunt. He has worked the last six years under Cowher (three as OC) and has worked under Billick and Edwards before that. He's has been great working with a young QB and highly creative giving the traditional Steeler power running game a twist with a very aggressive passing game.

Russ Grimm is another candidate from the Steelers' staff, but rumors said that Grimm with become the HC, if Cowher retires as expected.

 

[az jam]

Wisenhunt is an excellent candidate along with OC Bob Bratkowski from the Bengals. Both have excellent resumes.

 

[Russ Smith]

if you know the history of this club we have been really good twice, mid 70's and early 80's(very briefly). Both times my argument would be the bidwills got very lucky finding an offensive genius before anybody else found him.

First it was Coryell, in the 80's it was OC Rod Dowhower who wasn't an unknown but wasn't considered a genius until after he ran our offense.

Both guys had very good success, short lived here, and then were gone as always happens.

My point being, we are in a very similar situation with the personnel in place save the OL to have a VERY good offensive football team. We need another lucky find offensive genius, and one gamebreaker type player be it RB, 3rd WR.

Both Whisenhunt and Bratkowski possibly fit that mold although with different philosophies.

 

[kerouac9]

The second guy to meet those criteria is Steelers' OC Ken Wiesenhunt. He has worked the last six years under Cowher (three as OC) and has worked under Billick and Edwards before that. He's has been great working with a young QB and highly creative giving the traditional Steeler power running game a twist with a very aggressive passing game.

Russ Grimm is another candidate from the Steelers' staff, but rumors said that Grimm with become the HC, if Cowher retires as expected.

Wisenhunt would be a great hire. Look at how well Mike Mularkey did when he went from Steelers' OC to HC. Well... maybe don't look at that.

Well, surely he orchestrated a Top 10 offense the season the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Oh, that didn't happen, either? Miami's Gus Ferrotte-lead offense was ranked higher than Pittsburgh's?

Well, if nothing else, the Steelers know how to run the ball.

Um... I guess. They have the 16th-ranked rush offense in the NFL in 2006, but they did have the 5th ranked rush offense in 2005. All they had to do was rush it more than anyone else, because they had a lower per-carry average (4.0) than any other team in the top 10 in rushing except Jacksonville (3.9).

 

[Young Card]

Some assistant coaches:

Jim Bates: Was interim Head Coach for Dolphins after Wannstedt left and lead them to a 3-4 record. Also D-Coordinator with Dolphins and then Packers (Where he let the D overachieve)

Mike Trgovac: D-Coordinator for the Panthers for the past couple of years. Has done a great job for them.


Carl Smith: Coached Matt Leinart for one season at USC. Has been the O-Coordinator for the past two years in Jacksonville. Helped the Jags offense make the leap. [FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[kerouac9]

Some assistant coaches:

Jim Bates: Was interim Head Coach for Dolphins after Wannstedt left and lead them to a 3-4 record. Also D-Coordinator with Dolphins and then Packers (Where he let the D overachieve)

Mike Trgovac: D-Coordinator for the Panthers for the past couple of years. Has done a great job for them.


Carl Smith: Coached Matt Leinart for one season at USC. Has been the O-Coordinator for the past two years in Jacksonville. Helped the Jags offense make the leap. [FONT=&quot][/FONT]

I mentioned Carl Smith in this thread or one of the many other ones. I think that he's done great work in Jacksonville. But I think that it's much more important that this team hires an effective general manager first, and then let him make the decisions.

I like Trgovac, as well, but isn't John Fox a defensive guy? It's hard to tell sometimes who's running the show when you have a hands-on defensive head coach and his coordinator (one of the reasons that I'm icy on Ron Rivera right now).

I think a big concern is that this team chooses from it's old haunting grounds (too many Chicago connections between Graves, Mac, Denny [Northwestern, still NFC Central], etc.). This should be a nationwide search and not be limited to the people that Michael or Bill have met during their travels.

 

[Scott MS]

I'd hire Russ Smith.

Kerouc9 as the defensive coordinator.
NEZCardsfan as offensive coordinator.

I'll find some spots for the rest of you on the staff . . .

Could probably go at least 4-12 . . .

 

[Young Card]

I like Trgovac, as well, but isn't John Fox a defensive guy? It's hard to tell sometimes who's running the show when you have a hands-on defensive head coach and his coordinator

Agreed. I like Jim Bates more at this point because of his track record. He did well as the coordinator for both the Dolphins and Packers and as interim Head Coach for The Dolphins he lead them to a 3-4 finish (This was the meltdown year).

 

[NEZCardsfan]

I'd hire Russ Smith.

Kerouc9 as the defensive coordinator.
NEZCardsfan as offensive coordinator.

I'll find some spots for the rest of you on the staff . . .

Could probably go at least 4-12 . . .

Can I get the job of LB coach...or trade with K9. I don't like Offense.

 

[kerouac9]

Agreed. I like Jim Bates more at this point because of his track record. He did well as the coordinator for both the Dolphins and Packers and as interim Head Coach for The Dolphins he lead them to a 3-4 finish (This was the meltdown year).

Yeah... but didn't the Packers stage a coup against him or something, and that's one of the reasons that he left? Why do I remember that?

Apparently he was liked enough by McCarthy that he sort of asked him to stay. And Saban might have liked having him around, as well. Hard to figure out, but it sounds like he is a nice guy. Just the kind of guy that might be too nice to the players? I don't know...

 

[Scott MS]

Can I get the job of LB coach...or trade with K9. I don't like Offense.

Only if you promise to re-double your efforts.

 

[Russ Smith]

Agreed. I like Jim Bates more at this point because of his track record. He did well as the coordinator for both the Dolphins and Packers and as interim Head Coach for The Dolphins he lead them to a 3-4 finish (This was the meltdown year).

Norman was the better Bates brother, if you didn't produce for him he sent you to the showers and that was one place you did NOT want to be around Norman Bates.

 

[NEZCardsfan]

Norman was the better Bates brother, if you didn't produce for him he sent you to the showers and that was one place you did NOT want to be around Norman Bates.

 

[Young Card]

Yeah... but didn't the Packers stage a coup against him or something, and that's one of the reasons that he left? Why do I remember that?

If I recall correctly he was well liked by the players. Bates applied to be HC in Green bay but the day after his interview they hired McCarthy and Bates decided he didn't want to stick around.

 

[jefftheshark]

Norman was the better Bates brother, if you didn't produce for him he sent you to the showers and that was one place you did NOT want to be around Norman Bates.

No thanks. Norman Bates was a momma's boy. There was another cousin named Master, but I think we are looking to go in a different direction.

The Shark

 

[Russ Smith]

No thanks. Norman Bates was a momma's boy. There was another cousin named Master, but I think we are looking to go in a different direction.

The Shark

Yeah he didn't like to play with others.

 

[jefftheshark]

Yeah he didn't like to play with others.

 

[BACH]

Wisenhunt would be a great hire. Look at how well Mike Mularkey did when he went from Steelers' OC to HC. Well... maybe don't look at that.

Well, surely he orchestrated a Top 10 offense the season the Steelers won the Super Bowl. Oh, that didn't happen, either? Miami's Gus Ferrotte-lead offense was ranked higher than Pittsburgh's?

Well, if nothing else, the Steelers know how to run the ball.

Um... I guess. They have the 16th-ranked rush offense in the NFL in 2006, but they did have the 5th ranked rush offense in 2005. All they had to do was rush it more than anyone else, because they had a lower per-carry average (4.0) than any other team in the top 10 in rushing except Jacksonville (3.9).

What's your point?
Should we stay away from Rivera, too? Ryan and Tobin didn't do well after being promoted from the Bears' DC either.

Or should we stay away from Weis, too? The Patriots were only ranked 8th and 15th on offense in the last two years under Weis. That still resulted in two SBs.

It takes certain intangibles to be a HC and Wiesenhunt has them IMO. You can pull up stats on pretty much every coach in the league and make him look bad. Lovie Smith's defenses in STL were terrible if you just use the official stat, but led the league in take-away and ranked pretty high in scoring D.

 

[kerouac9]

What's your point?
Should we stay away from Rivera, too? Ryan and Tobin didn't do well after being promoted from the Bears' DC either.

Or should we stay away from Weis, too? The Patriots were only ranked 8th and 15th on offense in the last two years under Weis. That still resulted in two SBs.

It takes certain intangibles to be a HC and Wiesenhunt has them IMO. You can pull up stats on pretty much every coach in the league and make him look bad. Lovie Smith's defenses in STL were terrible if you just use the official stat, but led the league in take-away and ranked pretty high in scoring D.

Yes, actually I do think we should stay away from Rivera. I don't think it takes much to think that Ryan and Tobin were not successful as Cardinal head coaches.

I'm not even going to bother thinking about Weis, since he's not coming here. But he hasn't put together a national champion at the college level--yet. And he was outcoached by Pete Carroll last season and lost to a very good but not unbeatable Michigan team this one--at home, no less.

You can say that Wisenhunt is going to be a great HC, and affix a "IMO" at the end of it, as long as you can see that that "O" is totally detached from any reality or evidence. Bill Cowher, for all his successes, has not spawned a line of good coaches in his wake, despite the number of guys who have found head jobs behind him. That's an established fact.

Isn't the definition of insanity trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results? You tell me.

 

[Duckjake]

Tobin was DC of the Colts when the Cards hired him.

His first year in Indy the Colts went from 27th to 22nd in defense and in his second year they were ranked 7th.

His Bears teams were 1,3,2,24,6,4, and 18th.

 

[Zeno]

Jeff Fisher has been the Titans coach since we hired Buddy Ryan. He's obviously done something right. Great drafts put his team in the playoffs just about every year.

If you mean just about every year as in 4 out of 12 then I guess.

 

[Duckjake]

If you mean just about every year as in 4 out of 12 then I guess.

However, from 1999 to 2003 the Titans were 56-24 with an AFC Championship. I'd kill to have a 5 year stretch like that for the Cardinals.

Heck I'd be happy if we could have 3 straight 8-8 seasons like Fisher did from 96-98. That'd be twice as many wins as we usually get.

He put up records similar to the Cards the last two years with a SalCap decimated team. Think what he could do with the Cardinals excellent salary cap management.

 

[BACH]

Yes, actually I do think we should stay away from Rivera. I don't think it takes much to think that Ryan and Tobin were not successful as Cardinal head coaches.

I'm not even going to bother thinking about Weis, since he's not coming here. But he hasn't put together a national champion at the college level--yet. And he was outcoached by Pete Carroll last season and lost to a very good but not unbeatable Michigan team this one--at home, no less.

You can say that Wisenhunt is going to be a great HC, and affix a "IMO" at the end of it, as long as you can see that that "O" is totally detached from any reality or evidence. Bill Cowher, for all his successes, has not spawned a line of good coaches in his wake, despite the number of guys who have found head jobs behind him. That's an established fact.

Isn't the definition of insanity trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results? You tell me.

I see your point, but I don't think can define Wiesenhunt's qualities by the succes of former Cowher's assistent becoming HCs.

Are the Patriots, Saints, Browns, Dolphins,Jets (and Notre Dame) insane?

Three Parcell's assistent to become HC:
- Bill Bellichick (36-44 with the Browns)
- Al Groh (one season with Jets before
- Ray Handley (16 - 18)

 

[Goldfield]

Who ever the NEW GM hires...

 

[kerouac9]

I see your point, but I don't think can define Wiesenhunt's qualities by the succes of former Cowher's assistent becoming HCs.

Are the Patriots, Saints, Browns, Dolphins,Jets (and Notre Dame) insane?

Three Parcell's assistent to become HC:
- Bill Bellichick (36-44 with the Browns)
- Al Groh (one season with Jets before
- Ray Handley (16 - 18)

But you're leaving out Tom Coughlin (AFC Championship game with the Jags before continuing his success with the Giants), Sean Payton, Mike Nolan, Eric Mangini, etc. Yes, Belichick had a hard time with the Browns, but he had enough success with the Jets that the Pats were fighting hard for him.

Look at the Marty Schottenheimer coaching tree: Dom Capers, Bill Cowher, Jack Del Rio, Tony Dungy, Herman Edwards, Jim Haslett, Marvin Lewis, Mike Mularkey, and Lovie Smith. After seeing that, I really, really, really want this team to take a good, long look at Cam Cameron.

This is a fabulous article on NFL Coaching Trees.