Posted on 01/17/2006 8:36:22 AM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(AP) GREEN BAY Jim Bates stepped down as Packers defensive coordinator Monday after getting passed over for the head coaching job.
Bates decided to leave after numerous discussions with new head coach Mike McCarthy.
"I was disappointed when I didn't get job but that happens in this business," Bates said. "He applied for the job just like I did and I came in second, I hope I came in second. I'm going to be fine with whatever I choose."
Bates said it would be hard to leave the Packers but accepted it was time to move on.
"When you get that opportunity to be a head coach, you have a list of people you've worked with," Bates said. "I wanted to give him the chance to pick those people with whom he had relationships. I didn't want to get in his way."
McCarthy was hired on Thursday after general manager Ted Thompson fired Mike Sherman on Jan. 2 following six seasons with the franchise. McCarthy hired Jeff Jagodzinski on Sunday as offensive coordinator. Those two worked together when they were on the Packers staff in 1999.
"It's my job as head coach to find the best person who fits in the coaching staff," McCarthy said. "I was hopeful it would work (with Bates) but it's not there. It's not a negative -- it's two people being mature about the situation."
Bates said he hadn't started a job search yet but "I'll always put my resume up against anyone out there because it speaks for itself."
Bates' efforts last season were overshadowed as the Packers spiraled to 4-12, their worst season in 15 years.
In his first year as the Packers' defensive coordinator, Bates engineered a modest turnaround after Green Bay was ranked 25th in defense in 2004 and coping with the loss of veteran safety Darren Sharper to free agency. Despite injuries to key players, the Packers under Bates allowed an average of 293.1 yards per game, seventh-best in the league.
Bates spent the previous five seasons in Miami, where he oversaw one of the league's top defensive units. The Dolphins struggled to a 1-8 start in 2004, and Bates took over as interim coach after Dave Wannstedt stepped down.
The Dolphins finished 3-4 and players lobbied for Bates to stay as coach there before the club hired Nick Saban.
Losing Bates hurts, but personally the more I see MM (Mike McCarthy) and the people he's hiring the more impressed I am with him.
I would call the defense fair last year. There was nothing special about them, but it had more to do with talent. The main problem was on offense and they have made moves in hiring to remedy that.
It also seems like a number of asst. coaches on defense MAY get the chance to stay on with the new def coordinator (I'm betting on Gray from Buffalo).
Not expecting Super Bowl or anything, but there will be accountability again in GB and currently that's all I can ask for.
Dear Brett:
Your day is done and all you're doing now is hanging on and keeping this franchise from truly rebuilding.
Please consider a front-office job.
Love,
Packers Fans.
Is that what you call it when someone with a job resigns?
That memo was for Mr. Favre. That's what that team needs, not necessarily a musical-coaches scenario.
Personally I think he's got 2-3 more good years if he wants to play (and still not sure about Roders). Nothing drove me crazier this last year than seeing the look on Sherman's face after interceptions (looked like someone farted nearby) and a "QB coach" who was younger than Favre. Nothing was ever said that I could see after a jump ball pass to a WR with 3 guys covering him.
Even at his age he needs someone to get in his face a bit about stupid throws and not once did I see it. He still needs a structure that was not evident these last number of years for him personally. They were able to avoid this problem in past years because their running game was so good. If the running game was struggling, you'd see passes constantly that he was putting up for grabs.
I'm skeptical, but I'm willing to give McCarthy the benefit of the doubt. Still think the Packers should have went with Bates. He's a no-brainer.
Skeptical is good. Listened to a buddy rant into my phone for 5 minutes before I said give him the benefit of the doubt. He's still not sold and still wants a piece of Thompson's hide.
Yeah, I'd say Thompson is doing a great job.
1. I think we can confidently say that winning the NFC North the last number of years wasn't all it was made to be. And if making the playoffs is the sign of a good coach then Sherman was great. I'm more concerned about winning the big games in the playoffs, Sherman has shown the ability to get out coached in every single one of those. As the Sports Guy says never bet on a Sherman coached Packer team in a big game. The Eagles game a few years ago never should have been decided by "4th and 26"
2. SF had no talent and traded away their starting QB and inserted a rookie who most analysts agrees was WAY over his head this season. MM was indeed the QB coach during what everyone would agree was one of Brett's worst seasons, but it was also the last time the players were given much more latitude than they should have been under then coach Rhodes. He was fired immediately after thant season because (Rhodes) of it. Wolf also liked MM then, but Sherman did not.
3. Ties into the first point. The NFC North offenses were an embarrassment all season and Cleveland and Baltimore were bad against about everyone but the Pack 8 games by itself). For that matter most of the season most teams were trying to run the clock out on them after getting big leads (not Bates' fault). Yes the defense was better, but it wasn't dominant by any means.
TT is taking a big chance, but IMO a necessary one.
Heck, Sherman's resume as a HC is more impressive than McCarthy's resume as a coordinator.
Really, what qualifies McCarthy to be head coach in the NFL? He's never been head coach of anything - not even his daughter's soccer team.
I never thought that Brett was the greatest quarterback to play the game but I always thought he was the most exciting quarterback to watch. Unfortunately, I think you are correct.
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