Handicapping the Coaching Candidates
January 4th, 2010 at 9:43 pm by John Murphy under News 4 Buffalo Sports
Here we go again. For the fourth time in the last ten years, the Buffalo Bills are searching for a new head coach. They are early in the process, and there’s no shortage of speculation about who might get the job. What follows, in alphabetical order, is a list of ten potential candidates for the job, and their pros and cons:
Brian Billick
PROS Has head coaching experience that GM Buddy Nix is looking for, plus experience on the offensive side of the ball CONS: Despite offensive expertise, never developed a QB in tenure as Ravens Head Coach
Cam Cameron
PROS Offensive experience, head coaching experience with Dolphins, ties to Nix from SD Chargers CONS: Brutal year as head coach of Dolphins (1-15) would make him a tough sell to fans
Bill Cowher
PROS: Biggest name available, Super Bowl championship with Steelers, tough, hard-nosed image that would play well with fans CONS: Is he interested in the job? Does he need more authority than Nix and Brandon will allow? Is he waiting for Carolina job to open?
Jim Fassel
PROS: Offensive background, had success with Giants, leading them to Super Bowl CONS: Interviewed once for Bills job and didn’t get it, has been on the sidelines for awhile
Perry Fewell
PROS: Knows organization, has demonstrated an upbeat, positive demeanor during impossible 7-game interim stint with Bills CONS; Would not answer the fans’ desire for an overhaul of the football department
Leslie Frazier
PROS: A finalist and runner up for several head coaching positions in recent years, played for 1985 Bears Super Bowl Champions CONS; Lack of head coaching experience, defensive background
Russ Grimm
PROS: Offensive background, tough-hard nosed demeanor that would play well with fans. Former Redskins hog CONS: No head coaching experience, some question whether he has sufficient organizational skills for head job
Jim Haslett
PROS: Head coaching experience, success with Saints before Katrina debacle. Has WNY ties from Bills and family, and understands the Bills organization and their fans CONS Experience is on defense, not offense. Why did the Rams choose not to retain him last year?
Ron Rivera
PROS: Some connection to Nix from SD Chargers, finalist for head coaching jobs in recent years CONS: Experience on defense, no head coaching experience
Brian Schottenheimer
PROS; Offensive experience, has worked in AFC East, ties to Nix from Marty Schottenheimer’s days with the Chargers CONS: Lack of head coaching experience, mixed success with Jets offense
If I’m making the decision, I want to talk in depth with Fassell, Frazier, Grimm and Haslett. I’d have different questions for each one of them, but I’d be especially interested in their thoughts on quarterbacks, those on the roster and those who may available via the draft or free agency. I’d try to sort that list of four down to two, probably Grimm and Haslett. And I’d think long and hard about how much emphasis I wanted to place on prior head coaching experience.
It’s early. It’s a process. Let’s hear what you think. Are we missing any prominent names? Let us know.
Could John Fox be enticed to leave Carolina since they are allowing him to work the last year of his contract, but declining to extend it? This could be a gain for Buffalo and opening the door for Cowher there.
If Fox becomes available, I would hope the Bills would pursue him. He may become free if he gets into an argument with the Panthers about not getting an extension. This bears watching.
John,
I think they should bring in a guy like Brian Schottenheimer and hire a young gun like Tim Tebeow for the quarterback and go right after these guys with a new style offense…Play from the shotgun…Must build offensive line thru free agency and draft…Good start with Incognito…brian has plenty of people around him to help, from his father and Nix…Must build a killer defense! Need linebacking help and good workouts in training camp!!!
John:
Everyone is forgetting about Charlie Weis. I know he is not liked, but he is a very good coach with experience with the Patriots and AFC East. He is not a good recruiter, but he won’t have that problem in the Pros.The GM and personnel department handle players.
Perry Fewell should be given consideration. What he did with Buffalo is incredible. Look at what he had to work with.Let him hire an offensive and defensive co-ordinator.Buddy Nix needs to re thank his thoughts on free agents.
Three players and three drafts choses could make that team a contender.
I think whom ever the head coach may be has the ability to hire a top grade conditioning coach, offensive line coach and special teams coach. Whom ever the Bills decide to hire needs to bring discipline to this team as well. I think they need to do whatever it takes to get Tim Tebeow here and draft a quality Tight End. We need help in just about every area but we do not need are more hasbins. Trade Lynch he should bring in a least one quality player.
Question you need to get answered John….How far is Wilson willing to go?
With todays economic struggles we fans want a quality product on that field and will we not settle for anything less…..
I say Bring Vick to Buffalo and draft a QB and develop him and then either resign T.O. or bring in another big name reciever that can stretch the field
The obvious name you left out is marty Shottenheimer even though he says he wants to stay retired money talks!!!! My bet is Brian Billick will be the next head coach. He has experience as a head coach, won a superbowl and his expertise is offense no matter how he did in Baltimore. As a season ticket holder and a fan I would hope the Bills would Think of us when they make the decision plus thats what Brandon likes to do SELL HOPE!!!!! He is the Marketing GURU!!!!!
I think the fans should be well aware by now that the Buffalo administration, particularly Ralph Wilson, is not viewed very favorably regardless of the opportunity to land a head coaching job. It may take a few years to create an environment that will allow for the right coaching match and for this team to join the progressive nature of the rapidly changing and further developing NFL laandscape. At this point the Head Coach would report to Wilson through Nix and no top candidate would ever want to deal with Wilson anywhere near the picture.
Tim “mushbrain” Tebow? Really? How about colt mccoy who led his team to the national championship game. Not someone better suited as a tight end in the NFL. the best the bills can get for a head coach is billick. but its mute who we get as coach unless the front office actually puts a team together. Its easier to list positions we are set at than ones we need lots of help at. We need help everywhere. Everyone keeps saying offense but if it wasnt for jairius byrd our d would have been absolutely horrible. there are no playmakers just role players. WE NEED HELP!!!! EVERYWHERE!!!!
Brian Billick would be a great coach, if we have a shot at getting him. As far as not ever developing, or bringing in a quarterback, to his credit, he didn’t need a quarterback with a top 5 back field, and the best defense in league for years.
As far as the issue of having a good amount of control, we did just clear the way for anyone who comes in to bring in all of their guys. I would say that is a good start toward gaining some appeal.
Either way, it doesn’t matter who we have as a coach if the conditioning of the players doesn’t make a drastic improvement. That has to be top priority right under bringing in a qb, the strength and conditioning of the players has to be driven home. All 32 teams deal with injuries, but what happened this year to the Bills O-Line was historic.
What happened with chucky? Murph, how about Jon Gruden? He has been great on MNF though.
Actually I forgot that he decided not to get back into coaching back in November.
Sean McDermott the Eagles DC has been rumored to be getting an interview, too.
And to whoever said Weis, Adam Schefter said on Sunday that would definitely not happen.
The success of any new coach whether it is a coach with prvious head coaching experience or a coordinator, depends on the gathering of talented players. This demand for a star coach ie: Shanahan, Cowher, etc: does not mean the Bill’s will be successful, if hired.Until the Bill’s become a functional organization, from the owner on down,no coach will be successful here.If Ralph allows Buddy Nix to reorganize the football operation the way it should be, and get the proper players in here,an up and coming coordinator will do just as good, as a coach who had suucess in the past…so don’t be upset not to get a Shanahan,Cowher, or Gruden.Joe Gibbs was brought back to the Redskins with little success, so don’t assume that Shanahan will be a winner in D.C.with Snyder as an owner,or would be a winner here, with out a change in the football organization. So bring in a Russ Grimm, or a Ron Rivera, and also bring in the proper talent, and the Bill’s will be a winner again…players win games not coaches.
Wow we have the world famous BOSTON GLOBE making comments!!!! stick with your own teams you CHOWDER HEADS!!!!!