Coaching casualty count: Four more, and Norv's next

SFgate ^ | Tuesday, January 3, 2006 | Ira Miller

[Perdogg]

Black Monday landed hard on the NFL coaching fraternity.

Players barely had started cleaning out their lockers for the offseason before four more coaches were fired -- Dom Capers of Houston, Jim Haslett of New Orleans, Mike Sherman of Green Bay and Mike Martz of St. Louis.

With Minnesota's Mike Tice fired within an hour of Sunday's season-ending game, Detroit's Steve Mariucci dumped over Thanksgiving weekend and Kansas City's Dick Vermeil retiring, seven teams are searching for new coaches.

An eighth opening will occur when the Raiders get around to making Norv Turner's dismissal official, perhaps as early as today, and it's not out of the question there still could be one or two more changes.

This looks to be the bloodiest year for coaches since 1997, when there were 11 changes. The upheaval was expected because there were only three new hires before the 2005 season and the historical annual average is closer to seven.

Only one of Monday's moves was even a mild surprise. Before his injury-ravaged team finished 4-12 this year, Sherman had compiled a 53-27 record in five seasons with the Packers and won three straight NFC North titles, and it was thought he might get a pass, especially since he signed a two-year contract extension before the season.

[ConorMacNessa]

Norv Turner is, IMHO, a good number-two man.

[Sonny M]

Dump Turner and get Martz...if he will be willing to come.

[Maximus of Texas]

The Tuna will be gone in a week.

[My2Cents]

You're probably right about that. I'm not heartbroken that Turner is being shown the door, but he's not the one on the field missing tackles, or failing to block. Glen Dickey had a good article a few weeks ago about how the Raiders' problems begin at the top. IMHO, the Raiders won't improve until Al Davis sells the team.

[KC_Conspirator]

Martz is a very overrated coach. Vermeil handed him the keys to a Porsche and he has done nothing but swerve and hit guard rails until the car is practically wrecked now. As a Chiefs fan, I hope you get your wish and get Martz.

I am not sure Haslett was deserving of getting fired. Anyone with a good team would have even had trouble this year in his situation.

[Sonny M]

I am not sure Haslett was deserving of getting fired. Anyone with a good team would have even had trouble this year in his situation.

Haslett got a bad break, from a team with bad circumstances, bad ownership and a bad front office.

I would have given him at least one more year.

In Martz case, he needs a sort of editor, someone to look over his shoulder and keep him on track.

His system of offence is exactly what Davis wants, but Davis would also make him run the ball.

Personally, I'd love to get Al Saunders, but I think he is going to get promoted to the head coaching job.

If the chiefs screw up and don't give him the head coaching job, hopefully Davis will be waiting.

[KC_Conspirator]

I don't live in KC anymore but had always assumed that Saunders would get the job when Vermeil left. Why is everybody talking like someone else (Herman Edwards, Greg Williams) is going to KC?

I have always thought Martz was too hard headed, stubborn, and inept as a head coach. He stopped running the ball and the Rams stopped winning. He goes through QB's now because there is no protection, blaming them instead of his gameplan which allows defenses to tee off in the backfield.

[Uncle Hal]

This is the web site for the SF Chronicle, a despicable liberal rag. However Ira Miller, the papers pro football columnist and author of this article, is very good and knows the game quite well. Actually the sports section in the Chronicle is quite good.

[Perdogg]

Washington sign Williams to a 3-year deal. This guarantees that he will succeed Gibbs.