You Be The G.M.

An enormous transition is about to begin in the NFL. Several coaches have already been relieved of their duties before the 2010 regular season has ended. Many more coaches are on the firing line as I write this. There could be more head coaching vacancies in 2011 than the league has ever seen......... possibly half of the league.

Picture yourself as an owner or General Manager. Which of these coaches would you tell to ‘hit the road’? Select all that you would fire .........

Tom Cable – Oakland Raiders – They seem to be progressing but very slowly. Would you give him more time?

Norv Turner – San Diego Chargers – They seem to be regressing each year. 2-1 playoff record in his 1st year. 1-1 in his 2nd. 0-1 in his 3rd. And now no playoffs at all. Is he slowly killing this team?

Eric Studesville – Denver Broncos – Would you give this guy a shot at a full season as head coach?

Tony Sparano – Miami Dolphins – Finishing 3rd season but last 2 seasons with no playoff appearances. Time for a change?

Eric Mangini – Cleveland Browns – Would 2 double-digit loss seasons be enough to convince you to fire him?

Marvin Lewis – Cincinnati Bengals – 8 seasons in Cincy and no playoff wins ……… but it IS Cincy……. Do you fire him?


Jack DelRio – Jacksonville Jaguars – 8 seasons in Jacksonville with only 1 playoff win. Has he had enough time?

Jeff Fisher – Tennessee Titans – One of the best coaches in the league but has his time passed with this organization?

Gary Kubiak – Houston Texans – 5 seasons in Texas and no playoff appearances. Is enough enough?

Tom Coughlin – New York Giants – Has he lost this team? They are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.

Jason Garrett – Dallas Cowboys – He has been discussed for many years as the eventual Cowboys Head Coach. Has he proven enough to keep his job?

Mike Shanahan – Washington Redskins – Yes, I put him on this list. Does his NFL version of Jerry Springer deserve a firing?

Leslie Frazier – Minnesota Vikings – Has been a head coaching candidate for a long time. Should they keep him permanently?

Jim Schwartz – Detroit Lions – Is he improving his team enough to deserve a 3rd year?

John Fox – Carolina Panthers – Do you keep him? He DID win the NFC crown several years ago ……

Jim Tomsula – San Francisco 49ers – Won’t have a lot of time to show you what he can do, but is he head-coaching material?

 

Norv Turner
Eric Studesville
Marvin Lewis
Gary Kubiak
John Fox
Jim Tomsula

 

great thread btw

 

I'd NOT fire Turner, Mangini, DelRio, and Schwartz. The rest all are ready to be crapcanned IMO

 

why save Turner?

 

This year for them, while a down year for sure is more an exception then a rule under Turner. I think he deserves one more year to see if it was just a bad year or if the powerful team he inherited will continue to worsen under his lead. He made the playoff every other year in SD so I say give him one more year.

 

Norv Turner
Eric Studesville
Tony Sparano
Marvin Lewis
Eric Mangini
Jack Del Rio
Gary Kubiak
Mike Shanahan
John Fox
Jim Tomsula

 

I don't see any interim outside of Garrett sticking. Maybe Frazier survives but they fell apart as a whole.

 

Just to clarify, Tomsula should not be head coach, but should not be fired. One of the few on that staff that shouldn't

 

I just wonder why they went with Tomsula and not Manusky.

 

Prob to let manusky focus on his D coordinator job. But I like to make myself feel better by convincing myself it is because Manusky is on his way out the damn door! :icon_twisted:

 

Wow, really? I can't see what else the defense could have done. Maybe talent wise the outside linebackers need to step up and they could use a corner to replace Nate Clements who's a shell of his former self. Manusky's scheme is sound and you are in for a fight with that defense as it is. A weaker defense would have broken a while ago. The mess at quarterback and head coach doomed this team.

 

Some had enough time and just couldn't get over the hump. Others were flat out disappointing from the start. The NFL moves in a faster pace these days. The 5-year plan era is over.

Jack Del Rio - Lasted longer than Tom Coughlin and Coughlin led Jacksonville to two AFC Title games while Del Rio has just one playoff win under his belt.

Mike Shanahan - Completely obliterated in Washington in just one season and mishandled the McNabb situation throughout the year. I haven't seen a non-competitive Redskin team in years. Jim Zorn had a winning record in Washington in his first year for cryin' out loud. lol He just seemed out of touch and not the man that won two Super Bowls in Denver.

Eric Studesville - Broncos Interim Coach. Unlikely to be retained. John Elway is heading to the front office and his buddy and former backup, Gary Kubiak could soon follow upon his firing in Houston, which I'll get to in a few. If not Kubiak, they could target a big name coach like Jon Gruden or Brian Billick.

Tony Sparano - The Dolphins finishing 1-7 at home this season doesn't sit very well with owner Stephen Ross, who will evaluate Sparano and GM Jeff Ireland after the season. With Bill Cowher aiming to get back into coaching this year, you can bet that'll be a factor into the thought process. The Dolphins will finish dead last in the division in scoring, a first in franchise history. With Bill Parcells no longer in charge, his safety blanket is gone as well. After a playoff appearance in 2008, the Dolphins are on the verge of two straight losing seasons.

Marvin Lewis - Contract expires effective after the Bengals' season finale. Lewis lasted eight seasons in Cincinnati and complied a 58-65-1 record with two playoff appearances, both losses. He lasted longer than most coaches would have elsewhere because of their owner Mike Brown. But it's very, very unlikely he'll extend Lewis following a 11+ loss season. Changes are expected to be made across the board with the Bengals.

Eric Mangini - A re-tread coach who couldn't get it done in New York and couldn't get it done with the Browns. The Browns late season surge last season earned Mangini a second season under first year president Mike Holmgren. Expectations were a little higher for the Browns this season.

It looked good for Mangini when the Browns beat the Patriots and the defending Super Bowl champion Saints in back-to-back weeks but soon came crashing back to earth and will earn his second straight 10+ loss season in Cleveland. With Mike Holmgren reportedly having the coaching itch again, he could basically pull a Pat Riley and coach the team himself. If not, he could lure Jon Gruden away from ESPN and head up to Cleveland. They were both on the 49ers staff in the early 1990's. Or hire another big name.

Norv Turner - Couldn't rally his troops for another late playoff surge after another slow start like in recent years. But the Chargers can't keep lagging in the early going and expect to make the postseason everytime. Special Teams was ultimately the downfall for the Chargers this year, having to sign 5 long snappers due to injuries, resulting in 4 blocked punts by Mike Scifres, which cost them key games. That's why they'll be staying home this year despite having the AFC's No. 1 Offense & Defense.

Dean Spanos said earlier that Turner and GM A.J. Smith will be brought back for 2011. With the talent San Diego has.....they should be dominate from start to finish. Turner could be on notice in 2011.....another year of missing the postseason and it's adios for Turner. Stay Classy San Diego.

Jim Tomsula - 49ers Interim Coach. No chance he'll get a shot at the full-time gig with just one game to prove it. The 49ers will hire an experienced GM and that person will be the one that hires the next head coach. Next.

Gary Kubiak - The Texans have been the biggest teases in the NFL under Kubiak. They seem to be everyone's sleeper pick to make the postseason but then wind up disappointing. The Texans have just one winning season under Kubiak and is 36-43 in his five seasons in Houston. They boast one of the best offenses in the NFL, including are Pro Bowlers Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels. Arian Foster is likely to make his first trip to Hawaii.

The Texans have scored at least 350 points in a season in four of Kubiak's five seasons at the helm. The biggest problem has always been the defense. They also allowed the same amount of points or greater on that side of the ball as they score on offense. Only in 2009 where they scored more points than they have allowed, which was the first winning season in franchise history at 9-7. The Texans this season are near the bottom of the league in total yards allowed, passing yards and points allowed. The Texans are known for late-game collapses and can't seem to hold onto big leads. His failure to oust defensive coordinator Frank Bush could ultimately be his downfall. There is a chance Kubiak could still be at the helm in 2011 as Bob McNair said he was hearing positive things from colleague's at the winter meetings and doesn't seem ready to start over. But should McNair pull the trigger, he shouldn't have a problem finding a replacement. Houston, reportedly is one of the few places Bill Cowher would go to. Tops on his list of anywhere he coaches is a team with an established quarterback. Matt Scahub - check. (But if the Giants decides to fire Tom Coughlin.....Houston could have stiff competition. New York has been Cowher's ideal landing spot in the last few years and Eli Manning is a Pro Bowler, Super Bowl Champion & Super Bowl M.V.P. And the Mara's relationship with the Rooney's is a big factor as well.)

Kubiak shouldn't have a hard time finding a new gig......his former teammate in Denver John Elway is joining the Broncos front office and could find himself at the helm of his former team as a player. If he's retained for another season, he has to fire Bush and hire an experienced defensive coordinator and turn things around on that side of the ball. Another disappointing season in 2011 will spell doom for Kubiak, if not this season.

John Fox - Contract expires effective after the Panthers' season finale. He is the only man on this list that will 100%, positively, truly will not return in 2011. The Panthers will also likely hire a new GM as Marty Hurney is unlikely to be retained. At one time, this was the spot that Bill Cowher was locked into because he has a home in North Carolina and would seem like a natural fit. But owner Jerry Richardson's unwillingness to spend top dollar on a coach in all likelihood rules out Cowher. Tops on the Panther's coaching list is Cardinals offensive line coach Russ Grimm. Grimm may not be a big-name like a Cowher, but he is certainly not a no-name individual. Grimm was a Hall of Fame offensive guard for the Washington Redskins for 10 seasons, apart of the famous "Hogs" offensive line. He won three Super Bowls as a player and one as an assistant with the Steelers. The one knock on Grimm is that Hall of Fame players generally don't turn out to be great head coaches.....Mike Singletary was the latest victim of that category. But Grimm has the personality and credentials to be a successful head coach in the NFL. Fox may not have a hard time finding a gig elsewhere as he is a good defensive minded coach and may be a hot candidate for teams needing a new defensive coordinator. (ex: Houston)

 

I think Grimm will bring the level-headed-ness that Mike Singletary lacked.

 

that would be a good hire.

 

Grimm won a super bowl in Pittsburgh and played o.line in the league to a high level. I think he knows how to better coach o.lines than most people.