The Next Head Coach

[Mesmer]

Anyone with that high of a winning percentage like Seifert had, had obviously not built anything.

[unicar15]

The guy I really wanted went to the Jets.

Let me say this though. One reason that Leslie Frazier is being looked at as a HC option is b/c he reminds people of Tomlin. He is a young, African-American guy, has a defensive background, and is from the Vikings. Similarities out the wazzoo. But I'll say this...Tomlin is a good coach but he is in part a product of the genius of Dick LaBeau and the makeup of his team. He inherited the SB champs with a young stud at QB (which we don't have), the best D in the league (which we don't have), and a bunch of veterans that know how to win (which for the most part...we don't have).

That said...I think that what Cowher brings to the table is that:

#1 - He has been there before and won

#2 - There are players that will want to play for him

#3 - Coordinators will want to coach with him, which I believe is the most important factor. A team is only as good as its QB, HC, and Coordinators. We would at least have the last two covered and I'm sure he'd want to bring in a new QB.

[Kevin Greene]

Bill Cowher

This is the one loads of fans salivate over. Cowher presided over loads of winning seasons and made it to the postseason plenty. But again, his postseason record (outside of the one year they won it all) isn't as good as you might think (8-9, twice one and done).

Like John Fox, Cowher struck early in his career, going to the Super Bowl in his fourth season as a head coach, but losing. That season included, over the first 14 years of his career, Cowher was thought of as another Schottenheimer type that could get you to the postseason, but not through it.

He finally broke that ceiling in the 15th year of his career. Chew on that number for a moment. Fifteen years to win a Super Bowl, and that in the Steeler system, the same system that took Mike Tomlin to glory in only his second year. In the year following, like Holmgren, he mailed it in.

Cowher bears a lot of similarities to George Seifert in that he took a long time to get back to the big game after early success (Seifert won his first try) despite being in one of the best run systems in the game. Can he win outside that system? Maybe, but Seifert couldn't. Bear in mind also that Seifert wants total control, a model last seen with the Panthers under Dom Capers. Jerry Richardson isn't a fan of that setup, and with good reason. It pretty much never works.

People love Cowher for his fire, charisma and winning record. And while I have no trouble believing that he'd bring the first two factors with him to Charlotte, I'm not convinced he'd bring the third.

Here's the thing about Cowher. He always had his teams well coached and ready to play. Mentally and physically. Exciting football.

The 15 year thing.

Once quarterbacks like Neil O'Donnell, Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddox were water under the bridge, and the Steelers drafted Ben Rothlisberger, Cowher got real good in the post season. 12 years of QBs you'd rather not have on your roster much less bank your season on followed by Big Ben.

Give me Cowher, some QB talent, Peppers' cap space and a training camp to get this turned around.

Cowher/Steeler stats:

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/pit/

The other guys, I love McDermott but he's a little young, a couple of the other risers are interesting but let's see how their seasons pan out.

[JungleCat]

Nice write-up, Mr. Scot. I'm not sure which coach I want to see for the Panthers but a change of attitude is definitely needed.

[Mesmer]

For the record... I'm not a supporter of the Cowher thing... but if he were to be hired, I could see myself getting pretty hype about it.

[rodeo]

the Steeler went to the playoffs 1 time in the 6 years before Cowher was hired. they went 6 times in the 6 years after he was hired.

[Squirrel]

This is an ongoing discussion, in several threads, so I thought I'd make a bit of an effort to consolidate it here.

Here's a look at the possible options for next year, if John Fox is fired.

(and keep in mind that even with the 0-3 start, this is not a given)

It's not if but when.

[Chaos]

Thanks Mr. Scot

I'll take a rising star. It's more of a risk, but a greater reward.

I need to go to bed, I thought that first list with Cowher, Gruden, and company was titled THE RETARDS. Upon further review, it says THE RETREADS. Six in one hand......

[Hairless Cat]

Hire weinke!!!!!!!!!!

[Dpantherman]

i previously suggested Jeff Davidson, but that is NO MORE!!! the play-calling is boring, and not at all creative. I going to start calling the duo Jeff Fox, a mixture of bad play callinging, and a horrible conservative approach, that isn't cutting it. Jeff Fox needs to go. idk who to hire anymore.

[Chaos]

i previously suggested Jeff Davidson, but that is NO MORE!!! the play-calling is boring, and not at all creative. I going to start calling the duo Jeff Fox, a mixture of bad play callinging, and a horrible conservative approach, that isn't cutting it. Jeff Fox needs to go. idk who to hire anymore.

LOL - reminds me of the outcry a couple years ago to fire Dan Turgovac (Henning).

Good times.

[Mr. Scot]

the Steeler went to the playoffs 1 time in the 6 years before Cowher was hired. they went 6 times in the 6 years after he was hired.

Chuck Noll had gotten old and wasn't hacking it anymore. Still, the Steelers were loathe to fire him. All of which makes me wonder, the Steelers have never fired a head coach. In today's era of "win now or else", what would happen if they had one that was wildly unsuccessful?

As to Cowher, he was one and done in the playoffs his first two seasons. Then came a four year run that included three 1-1 records and the Super Bowl loss to the Cowboys.

In four of the seven years that followed that run, they didn't make the playoffs at all, including a stretch of three years straight. Three of those four years were losing seasons, one was a 9-7. In the years they did make it, they were 1-1. Imagine how this board would have reacted to a third straight season with no playoffs (hasn't happened under Fox).

Tom Sorenson points out rightly that prior to the Super Bowl season, there was a significant portion of the Steeler fanbase that was ready to see Cowher gone. Some of the more hardcore ones never forgave him for blemishing the team's Super Bowl record, coaching their only loss in seven outings.

[Sam Mills Fan]

Bill Cowher's 15 years with the Steelers:

1992: 11-5, division champs, lost first playoff game

1993: 9-7, lost first playoff game

1994: 12-4, division champs, lost AFC Championship Game

1995: 11-5, division champs, lost Super Bowl XXX

1996: 10-6, division champs, lost second playoff game

1997: 11-5, division champs, lost AFC Championship Game

1998: 7-9

1999: 6-10

2000: 9-7

2001: 13-3, division champs, lost AFC Championship Game

2002: 10-5-1, division champs, lost second playoff game

2003: 6-10

2004: 15-1, division champs, lost AFC Championship Game

2005: 11-5, Super Bowl XL Champions

2006: 8-8

Um...yeah, I think I would take that over Fox any day. THAT is consistency. THAT is relevance.

[Sam Mills Fan]

The ONLY weak period under Cowher was '98-'00. That was sandwiched in between his first six years of six straight playoff appearances, five division titles, three AFC Championship Game appearances, and Super Bowl appearance and five years where there were four playoff appearances, three division titles, three AFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl trophy.

Slightly better than Fox methinks.