[i]DISCLAIMER: The following blog is PURE speculation on my part from start to finish. It is filled with nothing more than thoughts I’ve had during my half hour drives to and from work and nights where I just can’t sleep.[/i]
The annual coaching carrousel has started spinning in the NFL and we’re nowhere near the end of the season. Phillips has been put out of his misery….I mean “relieved of his duties” in Dallas and we’re well underway. Jason Garrett will finish out the season as the captain of a sinking ship in Dallas, but, barring a miraculous turn around, the Cowboys are just one of the teams who figure to be in the market for a new coach. Bt my count, I look for 9 teams be looking for new head coaches. In this blog, we’ll look at the first 5.
Carolina PanthersLet’s start with the Panthers. John Fox has been the head man in Carolina for 9 years now, and lead the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003 when they lost to the Patriots. They’ve made the playoffs two other times, reaching the NFC Championship game once. Outside of those three playoff seasons, Fox’s Panthers have been mostly unspectacular. In the 6 seasons the Panthers have missed the playoffs, they haven’t finished better than .500. Fox is as good as done in Carolina; so who takes over? A lot of people point towards Bill Cowher who calls North Carolina home, but I’m not so sure the Panthers are going to spend the money it will take to land a coach as big as Bill.
It’s no secret that the Panthers drafted Jimmy Clausen out of Notre Dame to the be future face of the franchise. Who better to help Jimmy along the way than his coach at Notre Dame, Charlie Weiss? I don’t think Weiss is the best choice, or even a good choice, but he’s a logical choice. There’s no doubt that he’s done some great things with the offensive unit in Kansas City; maybe the Panthers will look for lighting to strike twice in Carolina.
San Francisco 49ersThis team confuses me. A solid running attack with Frank Gore, a potential stud WR with Michael Crabtree, and a young defense anchored by Patrick Willis, considered by many to the best linebacker in football, should be better than they are. I understand the QB situation is bad, as drafting a bust like they did in Alex Smith sets you back for years, but they shouldn’t be in the cellar of a bad division. Mike Singeltary will get the brunt of the blame for the underachieving 49ers, whether he deserves it or not. So who takes over?
Maybe San Francisco looks within their home state to the college ranks and brings in “Captain Comeback,”
Jim Harbaugh from Stanford. I don’t usually buy into guys jumping straight from college to a head coaching job in the pros, but I think Harbaugh gets it. Jim served as an assistant coach in Oakland before taking over the San Diego Toreros’ football program, compiling a record 29-6 in three seasons. In a little over three seasons as Stanford’s head coach Harbaugh has a record of 54-27. The one constant: He improves teams when he takes them over. Why couldn’t he do it in San Francisco?
San Diego ChargersNorv has to go! It’s been obvious for years, but I just don’t see how they can realistically bring him back for another year of underachieving football. Defense wins championships, and statistically San Diego has the best D in the league this year. What does that mean? Ron Rivera, who should’ve been a head coach years ago finally get his shot at the helm.
Chicago BearsThis one is a puzzler to me. Not because it’s time for a change, Lovie Smith has to go; but because I’m not sure who the Bears get to replace him. I know that the Bears are still in the playoff hunt, so I guess this one should be marked with an asterisk. If the Bears find a way to get into the post season, it would be hard to justify running Lovie out of town, but they haven’t seen the playoffs since the 2006 season where they lost the Super Bowl to Indianapolis. Based on that fact, not only do the Bears need to make the playoffs, I think they need to make a pretty good run during them; and as long as Martz and Cutler are in town, neither of those things are going to happen.
As mentioned above, the puzzling part to me is who do the Bears get? Sentimentality says they bring in former QB, Jim Harbaugh from Stanford, but I don’t see him heading to the Windy City. The Bears are historically a smash mouth, run first, defensive team, and who fits that bill? Brian Billick.
Dallas CowboysI’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Jason Garrett is just as responsible for Dallas’ abysmal season as Wade Phillips was. The offense looks lost most of the time, and if he was good at reading defenses he would’ve had a better playing career. He’ll finish out the season and “lead” the Cowboys to a 3-13 record (but I guess doubling Wade’s number of wins isn’t all bad, is it?). Having said that, I look for Garrett’s 8 game audition to put Dalls in the market for a more permanent solution at head coach.
Men like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden make sense; too much sense. Jerry Jones needs a coach willing to stand up to him, but we all know that’s not what he wants. And since Jerry gets what Jerry wants, Jerry will get another coach who will bow to his every whim. Enter: Josh McDaniels….
Check back in the next day or two and I may elaborate on that last point.
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