The Next Head Coach

[Mr. Scot]

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/

1988 was their second Super Bowl appearance, with Sam Wyche as HC and LeBeau as DC.

Looking at how the Brown family runs that team, that's borderline miraculous.

[PeteRozelle]

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.

I say you summed it up quite nicely. My next comment was actually going to be about what I quoted you above. Would you say, Cowher was able to get the best out of players/backups, and the steelers could let a stud/star go, or did they really just draft that damn well?

I remember while he was coaching, it just seemed like they would reload a star with another. You think Cowher had any say or impact on who was drafted? Possibly another plus for him?

pete

[Kevin Greene]

1988 was their second Super Bowl appearance, with Sam Wyche as HC and LeBeau as DC.

And those two 1988 post season wins account for two of the 3 post season wins in 13 years in Cincinnati when Lebeau was either DC or HC, I agree.

Horrific results over a 13 year period even if your team resided in New Orleans.

[Mr. Scot]

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.

I give him credit for what he did in Oakland, but he got more power in Tampa. Enough so that he eventually forced out GM Rich McKay (who had built the Super Bowl team together with Dungy) in favor of "his guy" Bruce Allen. Together the two of them took the Bucs on the mediocrity express. Ultimate responsibility for their downfall has to lie with Gruden there.

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.

The Steelers don't generally need to pay big name free agents. They build through the draft, and have been committed to that philosophy for a looooong time. At this point, it runs like a well-oiled machine.

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

Can't agree with it being on the back of Cowher. On the back of the Steeler system? that I could buy, but not Cowher. He was the coach, but he didn't build the team, and his final year as coach was nothing to brag about.

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.

Rivera is my favorite right now. It would have been Ryan, but the more I read the more I wonder whether it's dead certain he could be as successful as his brother. maybe, but I think there's concerns.

[Mr. Scot]

And those two 1988 post season wins account for two of the 3 post season wins in 13 years in Cincinnati when Lebeau was either DC or HC, I agree.

Horrific results over a 13 year period even if your team resided in New Orleans.

You can't take the Brown family out of the equation though. Success in Cincinnati is arguably harder to come by than in any other franchise (outside of possibly Oakland) because the ownership is so bad that "inept" would be a compliment.

Bottom line: Cowher minus Lebeau didn't equal the winning formula that Cowher plus LeBeau did. And all of that was within the framework of arguably the best run organization in the NFL (some would say in all of sports).

I'm not convinced Cowher wins outside of that support system. Maybe he does, but it's not the lock that people think it is.

[Purity-Control]

Rivera is my favorite right now. It would have been Ryan, but the more I read the more I wonder whether it's dead certain he could be as successful as his brother. maybe, but I think there's concerns

I'm not a Ryan fan after watching him as DC of the raiders. He might be ready in time for a HC job, but I would be very dissapointed in the Panthers went after him.

[Mr. Scot]

I say you summed it up quite nicely. My next comment was actually going to be about what I quoted you above. Would you say, Cowher was able to get the best out of players/backups, and the steelers could let a stud/star go, or did they really just draft that damn well?

I remember while he was coaching, it just seemed like they would reload a star with another. You think Cowher had any say or impact on who was drafted? Possibly another plus for him?

I think the Steelers draft brilliantly, which happens because they scout brilliantly. Add in that they plan ahead brilliantly when it comes to managing player contracts. Hence, their ability to simply "reload".

Cowher was a good coach. I'd never deny that. What I think a lot of folks miss though is how much symbiosis that happens between coaches and systems, or coaches and quarterbacks.

How good was Belichick without Brady?

How good was Shanahan without Elway?

How good was Seifert without the 49ers system? (something which the salary cap eventually destroyed, of course)

Is Tony Sparano really that good, or does having Bill Parcells upstairs mean a lot?

You have to view these guys in context, and that's what I fear a lot of people miss.

[Mr. Scot]

I'm not a Ryan fan after watching him as DC of the raiders. He might be ready in time for a HC job, but I would be very dissapointed in the Panthers went after him.

Here's the big question I keep coming back to. Why isn't he head coach of the Raiders?

Seriously, losing out to Tom Cable? Why?

(and yeah I know it's the Raiders, but it's a valid question)

For that matter, why isn't he a head coach elsewhere? It's not like other teams had to wait to interview him because he had to coach in the postseason.

[Jangler]

Cuz Cable said "Make me the Coach or I'll break your jaw."

[Mr. Scot]

Cuz Cable said "Make me the Coach or I'll break your jaw."

I knew somebody was gonna make that joke.

[Kevin Greene]

You can't take the Brown family out of the equation though. Success in Cincinnati is arguably harder to come by than in any other franchise (outside of possibly Oakland) because the ownership is so bad that "inept" would be a compliment.

Bottom line: Cowher minus Lebeau didn't equal the winning formula that Cowher plus LeBeau did. And all of that was within the framework of arguably the best run organization in the NFL (some would say in all of sports).

I'm not convinced Cowher wins outside of that support system. Maybe he does, but it's not the lock that people think it is.

Alright, one final comment on the 1988 Bengals. What made them tick was the frenetic Sam Wyche/Boomer Essiason "Attack" offense. They'd break into a no-huddle fast paced tempo that terrorized opposing defenses. The Bengal Offense in 1988 was #1 in most categories. The Bengal defense? Mid teens. Can't illustrate any better than that. Credit where credit is due.

[Kevin Greene]

Here's the big question I keep coming back to. Why isn't he head coach of the Raiders?

Seriously, losing out to Tom Cable? Why?

(and yeah I know it's the Raiders, but it's a valid question)

For that matter, why isn't he a head coach elsewhere? It's not like other teams had to wait to interview him because he had to coach in the postseason.

If we were to consider him as Head Coach potential, I would hope it would be because he wouldn't be a Yes Man to Al.

[Mr. Scot]

Alright, one final comment on the 1988 Bengals. What made them tick was the frenetic Sam Wyche/Boomer Essiason "Attack" offense. They'd break into a no-huddle fast paced tempo that terrorized opposing defenses. The Bengal Offense in 1988 was #1 in most categories. The Bengal defense? Mid teens. Can't illustrate any better than that. Credit where credit is due.

I'm a fan of Wyche, honestly. What happened to him was tragic.

Again though, winning anything with Mike Brown in charge is a near miracle.

[Mr. Scot]

If we were to consider him as Head Coach potential, I would hope it would be because he wouldn't be a Yes Man to Al.

We already have a head coach who has a bad history with Al Davis