Potential Head Coaches

[panthers55]

I don't know everyone he's ever been involved with, but his coworkers are all essentially unavailable. If you think the buddy system, familiarity, trust in people you've worked with before doesn't enter into coaching or building a staff, you just wrote a long paragraph I didn't read for essentially no reason.

Guy's only coached with the Eagles. Everyone who's left the Eagles has success, so they're not available for hire under him. Compare that to John Fox, who could pick from our entire staff if he wanted. If you think only the head coach matters I think we're done conversing.

And you wrote 2 paragraphs and said nothing. You don't know who he would pick or even who would be available. And you don't need to have buddies to pick folks just need to have a good philosophy and able to be a good judge of people. Did Fox work with Henning before he picked him as OC. Not that I can tell. What about Jack Del Rio. No connection I saw.

Buddies and friends may help create a quick relationship but are not essential. If you want a young defensive prodigy you have to take them when they available or you lose them to someone else. Guys like Zimmer and Frazier may not be headcoaches for a reason. If guys who have left Philly have had success it makes the case to pick him even stronger. Fox could pick our whole staff because no one else wants them. The head coach isn't the only guy that matters but once that is decided the rest is much easier and will fall into place. Anybody we pick from a team, who isn't a head coach already won't be able to just pick from that team's staff and expect them to come. So I don't see how your supposed logic makes any sense. Guys like Frazier or Zimmer wouldn't necessarily be able to pick from their team's staff any more than McDermott would from his. And if we end up 3-13 for example, who would want to come here anyway??

[Kevin Greene]

any wade phillips inquires should end now. Dude has an incredible team talent wise..and yet they have one win. The cowboys shoot themselves in the foot everyweek with flags. They're dicipline is terrible, which i think starts with the head coach. Phillips is a great d-coordinator..but not a head coach i think we should want.

No one has mentioned Jim Zorn or Norv Turner?? (He may be available after the season is over!)

HC: Cowher

OC: Turner

DC: Wade

:willy_nilly:

[cdandi1]

HC: Cowher

OC: Turner

DC: Wade

:willy_nilly:

we'll its a done deal. coaching problems solved. /thread, lets go home.

[Dpantherman]

And if we end up 3-13 for example, who would want to come here anyway??

since when has that mattered? Good coaches end helping horrible teams all the time

[panthers55]

since when has that mattered? Good coaches end helping horrible teams all the time

More like out of work fired coaches or guys who are trying to move up or rebuild their reputation go to bad teams. If a coach is good they usually already have a job.. So you have to go with up and comers or retreads.

[Bj-monster56]

But you have to look at what fits the Profile. The Profile is Jerry Richardson only hired Defensive coordiantord or Position coaches...But they all was on the defensive side of the ball.So the most logic thing to think is that he will go that way again.And the Best Right Now on that side is Lelie Frazier,Mike Zimmer,Keith butler.Even doe Butler is not a coordinator he is trainning under dick Lebeau.Also Ray Horton May have a Chance he has had a good defensive secondary and has played in the league and been coaching under the steelers for maybe about 10 years.He is under Lebeau.

But this guy right here maybe be the guy who be our next head coach and thats Chuck Cecil from the titans..And He has a nobody defense and have them playing great.and they also lead the league in sacks.So if you have to pick who will you pick today Leslie Frazier, Keith Butler,Or chuck cecil...

[MattB]

It's really hard to predict who's going to be a good NFL coach. Obviously as fans we have no idea what happens in the film room/practice field. I think one of the most revealing things are quotes from players and other coaches. But probably leadership is the most important quality to look for. I'd hate to have a Wade Phillips/ Norv Turner type of coach.

[jramsey4]

JIM HARBAUGH

CURRENT JOB: Head Coach, Stanford University

HISTORY: Stanford Head Coach (2007-present) San Diego University Head Coach (2004-2006) Raiders QB Coach (2002-2003) Western Kentucky University Volunteer Assistant (1994-2001)

DOB: 12/23/63 (46)

STRENGTHS: Great offensive mind, comes from a coaching family (worked with father Jack at WKU, brother John is head coach of the Baltimore Ravens) Has been on the rise and gotten pro attention (Jets interviewed him before going with Rex Ryan)

QUESTIONS: Minimal pro coaching experience (with a bad team). College coaches haven’t had such a stellar record coming into the NFL lately, and while he’s had some success as a college coach, he hasn’t contended for a national championship just yet

PANTHER CONNECTIONS: Multiple. His defensive coordinator is Vic Fangio, the very first DC of the Panthers (under Dom Capers). Harbaugh also employs another coach from the early Panther days. Specifically, Greg Roman, who was a defensive assistant and assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1995 to 2001. And then there’s special teams coach Brian Polian. Three guesses whose son he is.

Harbaugh finished his 15 year pro playing career with the Panthers in 2001 (dressed for six games, no playing time). The salary cap manager at the time of Harbaugh’s signing was a fellow by the name of Marty Hurney, so you’d expect the two to at least be acquainted.

And make of this what you will. After a 2008 game between Notre Dame and Stanford (the Irish won 28-21) Jimmy Clausen went to shake hands with Harbaugh, but Harbaugh turned and walked away. Harbaugh later said that he didn't see Clausen whom, incidentally, he had recruited before Clausen committed to Notre Dame.

WHO HE MIGHT BRING WITH HIM: Fangio and Roman would be no shock. Polian would be ironic. Also, you have to wonder, if the Panthers had a high enough pick to nab Stanford QB Andrew Luck, would Harbaugh go for him and perhaps attempt to trade current starter Jimmy Clausen to whatever West Coast Offense team would give up a decent offer?

ODDS AND ENDS: Harbaugh once slugged former Bills QB Jim Kelly for questioning his toughness - he apparently called Harbaugh "a baby" - while Kelly was an analyst for NBC. He later apologized (sort of). Also had a bit of a dustup with Pete Carroll over comments he made about Carroll leaving for the NFL (turned out he was right). He's got a pinky finger on his right hand that doesn't quite go in the right direction, not that it means anything. Has a Twitter page (http://twitter.com/jimharbaugh) which is a bit unusual for a football coach. Also is co-owner of an Indy Racing League team called, ironically enough, Panther Racing.

ANALYSIS: Harbaugh’s definitely one of the more intriguing options, but it’s up in the air whether he’s really ready to be a pro head coach. If he were to be hired, he’d be the first primarily offensive-minded coach in Panther history. Some would say that’s a plus, since hiring offensive minded coaches are the hot thing these days. Throw in that, given what I've seen about his personality, there's a good chance he'd give the beat writers a lot more to write about than John Fox ever did.

I don't have time to see if this has been posted elsewhere but Harbaugh's only season as an NFL coach they went to the SB and his QB had 418 out of 618 attempts 67.6% comp and threw for 4689 yards 26 and 10 ints. Wouldn't exactly call that a "Bad Team".

[Mr. Scot]

I don't think I noticed Fangio on there (and you know I've pointed out Roman a few times). He's new, as of this year, so maybe I just didn't look hard this time. Fangio's apparently thrown them back in as a 3-4 team, and again that's not a positive (nor would any Dallas employee, since that's apparently going to have to be covered, or any Steeler 3-4 guy).

Wasn't Polian one of the ones escorted out in March 98 after Bill left? Yikes. Between Fangio's firing in 98, the younger Polian being forced out not much before, and Harbaugh being here the last few games of 01, you have to admit their stops in Carolina all had a stigma to them.

For me, an ideal would be Harbaugh (since he's my top choice right now), but keeping the defensive staff together (or at the very least, the front seven and Meeks). There are plenty more defensive prospects for head coach than offensive (Sean McDermott's always been popular, and that defense hasn't let up, plus that coaching tree is wildly successful), but I think it's smart to at least consider scenarios where Meeks stays over ones where he wouldn't.

That of course suggests that he and the D would stay instead of go with Fox (as I might expect of Skipper, Magazu, Gilhamer) or just go out wherever for other opportunity.

I'd have to look it up, but I could swear I remember Fangio coaching a 4-3 somewhere in one of his stops after the Panthers. Vague memory says Bills or Colts, but I can't say for certain without looking it up.

With regard to McDermott, I know you're a bigger fan of the West Coast than I am, though I'd have to admit that Clausen's skill set is way better suited to the WCO than our scheme.

I do think he could get Jauron, but my gut feeling is that the Eagles want him to be Reid's successor, so I doubt he or anyone else will be taking off.

I'm also not on the Weis bandwagon, though I may profile him as a possible candidate. Ditto for Mike McCoy, who I'd consider highly unlikely but since people are asking...

[Mr. Scot]

I don't have time to see if this has been posted elsewhere but Harbaugh's only season as an NFL coach they went to the SB and his QB had 418 out of 618 attempts 67.6% comp and threw for 4689 yards 26 and 10 ints. Wouldn't exactly call that a "Bad Team".

Actually, I simplified that a bit (and probably shouldn't have).

Harbaugh's official title in 2002 was "offensive assistant". As I understand it, he worked with the QBs, but wasn't a true "quarterback coach" until 2003. That year the Raiders went 4-12.

Throw in that the QB for both seasons was Rich Gannon, a seasoned veteran at the time. it's not like Harbaugh was developing a young QB there.

Mind you, I'm a fan of Harbaugh, but I don't count his time under Callahan's Raiders as a huge plus. It is something of a plus though, in as much as it means he has experience coaching as part of a pro staff.

[Spaceballs83]

lets hire John Madden

[Bj-monster56]

But do you really believe that Jerry Richardson will hire an College coach and he probably dont even really like clausen like that..If you ask me.I have 2 go with Frazier the reason why is because he is a number 1 candiate..He has been looking 4 a job 4 about 2 years..If you ask me he should be number 1... He has had an consistent defense4 the vikings.The way i look at it, Who ever is leading the league with the best defense there coordinator has an high likely chance to be the Panthers Coach...

[MrBubba]

I think Harbaugh may be in the mix. But given JR's views and history, I think the likely hire is Russ Grimm. He's a little older, but he's got Steeler and Skin bloodlines, older throwback coach. Plus Haley appears to be turning around the Chiefs.

[FreeDrinkMafia]

Why in the dysfunk does everybody think Harbaugh is a legit candidate; ridiculous. Oh yeah, my bad: It's because he coaches in the meat-grinder PAC-10 and has such a long, successful record there. Mike Riley is a better candidate. Age of our next HC means about as much as JR's. I'm sure we could find a relative of Lombardi's since, you know, pedigree and all. C'mon man!