Pro Football Weekly hearing Chip Kelly to the Panthers

[Leeroy Jenkins PhD]

I am all for hiring Chip Kelly. I think he would be a great NFL coach. I love the idea of bringing an up tempo-speed driven philosophy to our team that seems built for it.

I am more interested in who the general manager will be. We have the talent on this team to be productive under a good head coach, we are in the salary cap dumpster though. The biggest changes will occur based on the new GM and the sacrifices he must make to get our salary cap under control.

[CatMan72]

Part of me feels like Kelly would be Spurrier 2.0

[rayzor]

I understand your point. However, there are way more examples of college coaches jumping to the NFL and failing than succeeding.

You can point to Harbaugh....I will point to Davan, Spurrier, etc.

I have no idea if Kelly will make the move or be a success. But cherry picking one example to make a point without acknowledging the many examples that refute that same point is ridiculous.

i think there's probably more coordinators failing at the next level than college HCs failing to make the transition. of course that's because the league tends towards, for lack of a better word at the moment, nepotism or cronyism in that they tend to stick to their own. the league's culture is incredibly resistant to change. they don't hire outside of the NFL generally, not because people aren't qualified, but because they aren't in the NFL 'club'. every once in a while you find coaches that the NFL wants to bring into their club. harbaugh was one. kelly is another one. schiano is one that the league didn't want, btw. they pretty much hated the guy because he was a prick to NFL people while he was a college coach.

the reason that college coaches fail at the next level isn't because of the Xs or Os...it's because of the rest of the job...the lack of control over the team compared to college, managing egos, developing relationships with the players, garnering respect, getting the players to buy in, trying to control too much of what happens...the list goes on.

saban was considered by the dolphins to be too strict and anal.

butch davis just wasn't trusted by the browns players

petrino didn't/couldn't relate to the players

spurrier was viewed as being just too bullheaded and set in his ways

carroll was too buddy-buddy with his players.

these are all things, tho, that coordinators have problem with in addition to having to learn how to manage a whole team instead of just one aspect.

basically, tho, either you've got it or you don't. it doesn't matter where you come from. if you have the right people around you, can learn the rules/regulations and have them second nature, are adaptable and flexible, and can get the players to buy into what you want to do...your vision, basically lead them and make them want to follow you and believe in you then you can pull it off.

[rayzor]

Part of me feels like Kelly would be Spurrier 2.0

¿Por qué?

[Jackofalltrades]

I think you also have to wonder if Kelly could effectively coach pro athletes, it's a different mentality than college kids.

I am not dead set against college coaches, but I just don't like Kelly. I think he's too gimmicky and despite being some offensive mastermind he has as many national championships as I do. My biggest issue with him is he has ZERO pro experience, at any level or in any capacity.

That's the reason I like Shaw, great pedigree, has made the most with less talent, has prior Pro experience and recently beat Kelly in a big game. I don't know if he'd want to leave Stanford or not, neither does anyone else. If we went the college route I'd prefer Shaw who ran a very effective and diverse offense with Luck.

[Jackofalltrades]

I'd love to see Shaw or Kelly as OC under Rivera, both are offensive guys, as a tryout.

[rayzor]

one thing to consider....kelly's players loved playing for him.

i'm sure that stewart would love playing for him again and would be great in winning over the lockerroom, tho i don't think that kelly would have much of a problem.

you know who a former kelly player is? jairus byrd. this would be a great step in turning byrd's head in our direction (if we have a GM that can work out a contract for him).

the tough thing, imo, would be the players not knowing what to expect and moving from a very laid back atmosphere (which hasn't exactly worked out for us, btw) to such a fast moving and exhaustive atmosphere. those who are willing to take their game to the next level and who aren't content with where they've been for the past 5+ years will adapt. it will likely weed out the weaker members of the team (either emotionally or physically) and will make the team as a whole tougher and more durable.

one thing is for sure, if you want to eliminate complacency from the team hiring kelly would be a solid step in the right direction.

[rayzor]

I think you also have to wonder if Kelly could effectively coach pro athletes, it's a different mentality than college kids.

I am not dead set against college coaches, but I just don't like Kelly. I think he's too gimmicky and despite being some offensive mastermind he has as many national championships as I do. My biggest issue with him is he has ZERO pro experience, at any level or in any capacity.

That's the reason I like Shaw, great pedigree, has made the most with less talent, has prior Pro experience and recently beat Kelly in a big game. I don't know if he'd want to leave Stanford or not, neither does anyone else. If we went the college route I'd prefer Shaw who ran a very effective and diverse offense with Luck.

lesser coaches beat better coaches all the time.

pats lost to the cards this year and the bills last year? do those teams have better coaches?

giants lost to the cowboys at home, and also the eagles and the bengals. do those teams have better coaches?

HCs win games just like QBs do. you have to look at the overall picture. you can't base it on just one or two games, regardless of how "big" the game is.

i have no reason to believe that kelly couldn't effectively coach pro players as well as college players. just because he hasn't, doesn't mean he couldn't and he'd be no less proven in that capacity than most coordinators at the pro level are proven at managing a whole team and a whole game.

[Mr. Scot]

Part of me feels like Kelly would be Spurrier 2.0

I think JOATs point about college and pro guys being very different animals is what causes that concern.

[CarolinaCoolin]

Rayzor is literally pulling the kelly bandwagon and I love it. I think Kelly is most likely to leave. Id love for us to grab him. If we did get him, we would definitely need a strong DC to make up for the offensive powerhouse the team would become

[rayzor]

Rayzor is literally pulling the kelly bandwagon and I love it. I think Kelly is most likely to leave. Id love for us to grab him. If we did get him, we would definitely need a strong DC to make up for the offensive powerhouse the team would become

said elsewhere that my preference would be a DC that is not only aggressive, but one that has been a HC before or even an assistant HC at the pro level and they would have to also have the position of asst. HC.

tops on my list are jim schwartz (if he gets fired), dick jauron (if the browns let him go), or winston moss (if he's willing to get promoted to DC and leave packerland).

[Jackofalltrades]

said elsewhere that my preference would be a DC that is not only aggressive, but one that has been a HC before or even an assistant HC at the pro level and they would have to also have the position of asst. HC.

tops on my list are jim schwartz (if he gets fired), dick jauron (if the browns let him go), or winston moss (if he's willing to get promoted to DC and leave packerland).

Isn't Zimmer the AHC on Cincy?

He's also very aggressive, well respected and has had a damn good D everywhere he's been.

[Jackofalltrades]

Zimmer is not AHC.

[rayzor]

Isn't Zimmer the AHC on Cincy?

He's also very aggressive, well respected and has had a damn good D everywhere he's been.

true. he would be good, but i don't know that he'd take a step to the side.

just in case my earlier post was confusing, i was talking about a DC for kelly, not a DC as HC himself.

most important thing for me is HC experience. if not that, then my hope is for an aggressive, forward thinking, offensive minded coach.