Posted on 01/03/2006 9:45:02 AM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Norv Turner is, IMHO, a good number-two man.
Dump Turner and get Martz...if he will be willing to come.
The Tuna will be gone in a week.
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.
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.
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