The Next Head Coach

[ChucktownK]

Veddy Gude Sah! If I could rep I would. I would like to point out that I don't believe it would be fair to out right rule out a coach that didn't have a great record in their past. Coaches have been known to make a comeback in the NFL. Also, I really don't see Dungy and Holmgren unretiring.

[Mr. Scot]

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.

Holmgren's best success didn't come in the head coach/GM role. He didn't make it to the Super Bowl until after he had given up the GM side of things. And he did it willingly when they asked him, admitting in the end that the dual role was just too big for one man to handle in today's NFL.

That's one of my worries about Cowher, honestly. He believes he's big enough to handle it.

[ChucktownK]

Look guys we can speculate and investigate all we want but I think the cards are already on the table.

• Richardson likes the Steelers program
  
• Cowher obviously has been waiting patiently living in Raliegh
  
• Cowher is a ST and Offensive guru that brings fire, which is just what the doctor ordered for our complacent team
  

I would say, if he really is interested, he would have the first chance.

[Mr. Scot]

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

Does Cowher have a better career record than Fox? Sure.

But lemme answer it this way. Take a look at this win-loss record:

Year 1: 14-2, (3-0 postseason)

Year 1: 14-2, (1-1 postseason)

Year 2: 10-6, (missed playoffs)

Year 3: 14-2, (1-1 postseason)

Year 4: 10-6, (1-1 postseason)

Year 5: 13-3, (3-0 postseason)

Year 6: 11-5, (0-1 postseason)

Year 7: 12-4, (1-1 postseason)

Based on what you see here, is this coach better than John Fox?

[Mr. Scot]

Look guys we can speculate and investigate all we want but I think the cards are already on the table.

• Richardson likes the Steelers program
  
• Cowher obviously has been waiting patiently living in Raliegh
  
• Cowher is a ST and Offensive guru that brings fire, which is just what the doctor ordered for our complacent team
  

I would say, if he really is interested, he would have the first chance.

Couple things to remember though:

- Richardson has already been burned once by going with a retread.

- Richardson does not like the unified head coach/GM model

- Richardson's friendship with Dan Rooney might mean he'd want Rooney's approval to talk to Cowher (and who knows if he'd get it or not)

I don't think it's a lock.

[ChucktownK]

I think Cowher still has a lot of miles on those tires. You don't really think his lost a lil do you? And yeah, I wouldn't say total lock but he would prolly be the 1st choice.

[Kevin Greene]

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.

The elite defense is one of Cowhers' biggest attractions as a head coach I think.

Lebeau is an outstanding DC, and I would love to see him in Carolina. However Cowher did have success without him as DC. Lebeau first became the DC for the Steelers in 1995, in 1994 the Steeers finished 12-4. Lebeau left after 1996 for Cincy and the Steelers went 11-5 in 1997.

Lebeau came back in 2004, the same year one Ben Rothlisberger became the QB of the Steelers.

Now if you look at the Bengals records for the years Labeau was the DC there, it ain't pretty.

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

[Mr. Scot]

The elite defense is one of Cowhers' biggest attractions as a head coach I think.

Lebeau is an outstanding DC, and I would love to see him in Carolina. However Cowher did have success without him as DC. Lebeau first became the DC for the Steelers in 1995, in 1994 the Steeers finished 12-4. Lebeau left after 1996 for Cincy and the Steelers went 11-5 in 1997.

Lebeau came back in 2004, the same year one Ben Rothlisberger became the QB of the Steelers.

Now if you look at the Bengals records for the years Labeau was the DC there, it ain't pretty.

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

LeBeau was the DB coach from 92 to 94. The DC at that time was a fella you might remember.

(he had a wicked combover)

The ugly years in Cincinnati were when LeBeau was the head coach. His stretch as DC in Cincinnati included some of their best years the franchise has seen (first Super Bowl under Gregg, the Sam Wyche years).

[PeteRozelle]

Mr. Scot,

You mention the "Steelers system" quite a few times. Can you please elaborate, what exactly that is?

pete

[Jangler]

What about Holmgren as our GM only? Think that could work?

[Kevin Greene]

LeBeau was the DB coach from 92 to 94. The DC at that time was a fella you might remember.

(he had a wicked combover)

The ugly years in Cincinnati were when LeBeau was the head coach. His stretch as DC in Cincinnati included some of their best years the franchise has seen (first Super Bowl under Gregg, the Sam Wyche years).

Lebeau was the DC in Cincinnati from 1984-1991, then again the DC and the Head Coach from 1997-2002.

The Bengals had 3 winning seasons in those periods and exactly 3 Playoff wins.

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

[Mr. Scot]

Mr. Scot,

You mention the "Steelers system" quite a few times. Can you please elaborate, what exactly that is?

pete

Something we envy

Highlights of the Steeler spproach:

They have a first class organization, a winning history, and easily some of the best college and pro scouting personnel in the league.

They are committed to their way of doing things (the 3-4 defense, physical play, emphasizing the run, etc) and don't get caught up in trends or fads.

They pick one head coach (after careful searching) and stick with him. And given their history, they generally have little trouble getting the guy they really want.

They draft and sign only players that fit into that system, and they'll let go of a star player rather than overpay them because generally, by the time it gets to that point, their successor has already been drafted and educated in the system.

That doesn't sum it all up, but that's a lot of it.

[Purity-Control]

THE RETREADS

Jon Gruden

Gruden struck at the right time in Tampa, winning on the back of a defense built by Tony Dungy and run by Monte Kiffin. In the years after, he managed only three winning seasons out of six, with two of those being only 9-7. In that stretch, Gruden made the playoffs only once, and was one and done both times.

Gruden did turn the perennial loser abysmal Oakland Raiders into a championship contender, he completely changed culter of that franchise. Something I don't think can be easily dismissed, no matter what happened in Tampa Bay, what he accomplished in Oakland was something special.

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.

I don't see the similarities to Seifert at all, Seifert inherited a complete Bill Walsh team, pretty much the same as Barry Switzer getting Jimmys J's leftovers just stand on the sidelines and you'll win.

Cowher was never given much to work with, Pittsburgh was never very active in FA, it seemed like they would lose a couple of star players every year. His sustained success in Pittsburgh is special, players never lost site of his message/manta/philosophy.

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?

The winning attitude and infrastructure was already in place for Tomlin, IMO Tomlin won that SB on bit on the back of Cowher.

I'm not ALL IN on Cowher, especially if he wants to Play GM, I do think the street cred that a coach that has been there before would bring would be very beneficial.

I also like ex players Rivera & Frazier for there aggressiveness something this team needs badly.

Couldn't go wrong with any of them.

[weyco2000]

We need new blood at HC! Fox has made the mistake of having "his" guys, and no matter how many times they FU, he will stick with them. This is the NFL, you have to earn it. I would like to see a younger HC but if anyone can come in and change what we are doing now, then welcome aboard!