The Next Head Coach

[Mr. Scot]

PFT article noteworthy to anyone interested in Holmgren (Shanahan too):

Former Packers and Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren has been making no bones about his desire to return to the NFL in 2010.

And we've been hearing for months rumors that Holmgren would be very interested in becoming the next coach of the Washington Redskins.

...

"I've heard a lot of people say in the last few days, 'Oh, Holmgren wouldn't want to go to Washington,'" (Peter) King said. "Keep one thing in mind in December when all this stuff starts to go down. Remember where you heard this. Mike Holmgren last year, Thanksgiving weekend, I'm sitting in his office in Seattle and he says, 'You know, I'm going to take this next year off but after that I'll give you a cool little theory for what I might do.' I said, 'What?' And he says, 'I've coached in the Midwest with Green Bay and I grew up playing and coaching out west -- Brigham Young, the 49ers, Seattle.' And he said, 'I'd really love to try the East Coast. That brand of football where you wake up on Sunday morning and it's the most important thing. There aren't 800 things to do. Where you're in East Rutherford or Philly or Washington and it's so important.'

"He said, 'I'd really love to try football on the East Coast.' So do not eliminate Mike Holmgren when you start talking about coaching candidates for [Redskins owner] Dan Snyder."

So we think it'll be Holmgren and Shanahan jockeying for position in D.C., and the Redskins and Cowboys in a possible tug of war to get their preferred candidate.

That's why we don't rule out the 'Skins launching the process before the end of the season, in order to get a crack at Holmgren or Shanahan, before Jerry Jones does.

Holmgren eyeballing DC

[panther4life]

I'd take Cowher myself..just outta curiosity whos your pick Mr. Scott?

[rodeo]

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).

this stretch was the great Kordell Stewart Experiment. they missed the playoffs only twice (i think) after that was over.

[frash.exe]

'I'd really love to try the East Coast. That brand of football where you wake up on Sunday morning and it's the most important thing. There aren't 800 things to do. Where you're in East Rutherford or Philly or Washington and it's so important.'

how about OC in Carolina, Mike? It's a more focused job than HC and the weather there is nicer than Green Bay and less depressing than Seattle.

[Dpantherman]

at least in that 'inconsistency' there are multiple back to back winning seasons. and multiple playoff seasons, and a super bowl win. that card doesn't work. that said, i still want an up and coming HC, but you cannot say that Fox is better than cowher, that is just idiotic.

[Mr. Scot]

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.

All in the Steelers system.

Speaking of which, there's something fairly significant to note about the stretch from 1997 to 2003 when Cowher had his worst run as a head coach :ihih:

(and no, it's not what Rodeo noted; though that's memorable too)

[R0CKnR0LLA]

Cowher's success has mostly been due to having an elite defense and a big part of that is Dick LeBeau.

Without Dick LeBeau they made the playoffs 3 times in 7 years, twice going 6-10, once going 7-9. With LeBeau alongside Cowher, they made the playoffs 7 times in 8 years and never had a losing season.

[Mr. Scot]

I'd take Cowher myself..just outta curiosity whos your pick Mr. Scott?

Gun to my head? Ron Rivera.

I'd be fine with Ryan, Frazier or Grimm though.

No retreads, no college guys, none of the other options interests me that much.

[Mr. Scot]

Cowher's success has mostly been due to having an elite defense and a big part of that is Dick LeBeau.

Without Dick LeBeau they made the playoffs 3 times in 7 years, twice going 6-10, once going 7-9. With LeBeau alongside Cowher, they made the playoffs 7 times in 8 years and never had a losing season.

Bingo.

And that same Steeler system has produced a Super Bowl in only the second year of Mike Tomlin's coaching career.

Do we take that as proof that Tomlin is a superior coach to Cowher, or do we take into account that the organization might have a fair amount to do with the success of both guys?

Consider this when you answer. Tomlin made his rep coaching the Tampa 2, and when the Steelers hired him. It was the coach who had to adapt, not the system.

[Dpantherman]

if mike holmgren comes to Carolina, he would have to be HC and GM. at least he was in Seattle. and did a pretty good job. then again, that was a very easy division. but he is a fantastic offensive mind. something we have lacked in while.

[panther4life]

Gun to my head? Ron Rivera.

I'd be fine with Ryan, Frazier or Grimm though.

No retreads, no college guys, none of the other options interests me that much.

Gun to your head..you can keep fox or fire him in favor of cowher...no other options what do you do?

[Mr. Scot]

Gun to your head..you can keep fox or fire him in favor of cowher...no other options what do you do?

I get shot.

[Dpantherman]

correction, holmgren was fired as GM, but remained head coach.

[panther4life]

so you really dont think cowher would be an upgrade over fox?