I know people don't want someone who could go to the NFL, but I do. If they got an NFL head coaching job, it would mean they won big at LSU, and it would make our job even more attractive during our next search. We would enter the level of the Hurricane program where our job is a gateway to an NFL head coaching job. I think these are the best candidates for our job, because they are judged to be the best head coach prospects at the ultimate level. * Jim Fassel. The improved play of Raven QB Kyle Boller this season is at least in part due to Fassel’s tutelage. Fassel is a keen offensive mind and does have a Super Bowl appearance on his resume. * Eagle Offensive Coordinator Brad Childress is another hot name. He has been instrumental in the development of Donovan McNabb. However, he may be hurt by the fact that Andy Reid calls the offensive plays for the Eagles. If Mike Martz were fired by St. Louis, he would almost assuredly get another opportunity, if not for next season then for 2006. * Jeff Tedford of Cal is another hot name from the college ranks. He could follow the same path as former Cal coach Steve Mariucci and step in as 49er Head Coach if Erickson leaves for the University of Washington or is fired. However, of the coaches in retirement (forced or otherwise), Marv Levy, George Seifert, and Dan Reeves have all gone on record as expressing desires to return to the NFL world if the opportunity was there. As for Cleveland's head-coaching search, which is being conducted simultaneously with the GM hiring process, the names on the Browns' early list include former Giants head coach Jim Fassel, current interim head coach Terry Robiskie, Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress, Patriots coordinators Romeo Crennel (defense) and Charlie Weis (offense), Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Nolan I think a newspaper reported that LSU will interview Nolan. and possibly Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis. 3. Dan Reeves -- For a guy who has won 200 games, he's still only 60 years old. He kept the door open after Wednesday's dismissal in Atlanta for a return to the sidelines. When you consider the success of over-60 coaches like Dick Vermeil and Parcells -- like Reeves, coaches with winning track records -- then how can you dismiss the sixth-winningest coach in league history? 4. Jim Fassel -- True, this is cheating. Fassel still has a job. But two GMs say that Fassel's winning record with the Giants and a recent Super Bowl appearance will get him another opportunity. Offensive Coordinators 2. Brad Childress, Philadelphia Eagles -- Andy Reid's right-hand man on offense, more than one GM said they think the time might be right for Childress to get his chance. He has some of the same skin-tough qualities as Reid and he understands players. His success with backups Koy Detmer and A.J. Feeley during QB Donovan McNabb's injury last year doesn't hurt him. 4. Al Saunders, Kansas City Chiefs -- Few people seem to remember, but Saunders actually has NFL head coaching experience with the San Diego Chargers. He grew enormously as an offensive coach when exposed to Mike Martz's system, and he also has been exposed to the Dick Vermeil way of winning. You can't ignore him anymore. 6. Mike Heimerdinger, Tennessee Titans -- He's been around Jeff Fisher (Titans head coach) and Mike Shanahan. He also has taken the Titans through a transition of being a predominantly run-oriented team to one that is diverse. QB Steve McNair's career has skyrocketed under his tutelage. Fisher privately is expressing fears that he could lose "'Dinger," as he's known. That should make someone curious to know about him. 7. Steve Fairchild, St. Louis Rams -- In his first season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Mike Martz, his already-good reputation continues to grow. No way he gets a job this year, but he is a potential star on the rise. 8. Maurice Carthon & Sean Payton, Dallas Cowboys -- Carthon has the coordinator's title and Payton is the assistant head coach who handles the quarterbacks. It's probably a year early for both guys to be seriously considered, but they must be considered. Carthon has been exposed to Parcells as a player and assistant, so he has the blueprint. Payton, whose star rose during the Giants' Super Bowl season, has been a bright young offensive coach who was disgraced somewhat by Jim Fassel's public takeover of the play calling in New York last year. However, Payton still did the bulk of game planning when the Giants made their late playoff run, and Parcells didn't hesitate to hire him. What does that tell you about the guy? Defensive Coordinators 3. Romeo Crennel, New England Patriots -- He played for Parcells. He coached under Parcells. He coaches under Belichick. He's won most of his life as a player and assistant coach. He's got to be on interview lists. 4. Rod Marinelli, Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Technically, he's the assistant head coach/defense. But he coaches the defensive line. He's in a box somewhat because the Bucs refused to let him out of his contract to join Tony Dungy in Indianapolis as a defensive coordinator. Highly regarded and players respond. Years under Dungy and Gruden make him a worthwhile interview. 5. Ted Cottrell, New York Jets -- He's been maligned for the Jets' dismal season, but he falls under the same category as Marvin Lewis and John Fox -- a solid record of success as a defensive coordinator. He was a finalist for the 49ers job. 6. Greg Blache, Chicago Bears -- Also in the running with the 49ers, Blache is considered a skilled communicator and motivator, although one exec said, "He might be a little too out there ... on his enthusiasm." He'll get some interviews. 7. Jim Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles -- His window of opportunity may have passed, but it's difficult to disregard his track record of success. Along with the Bucs' Monte Kiffin, he is the highest-paid defensive coordinator in football. College Coaches 4. Ralph Friedgen, Maryland -- He was the offensive coordinator under Bobby Ross when the Chargers went to the Super Bowl in 1994, and he has had great success in building Maryland into a winner. He's gruff and that scares some NFL types, but he can't be ignored. The Buccaneers were looking at him during their "2002: A Coach Odyssey" run. Generally regarded as a guru of offense, but he has become whole in his approach to the game. 5. Jeff Tedford, Cal -- You better keep track of this guy. At least three teams considering a coaching change have privately expressed an interest in Tedford. He is in his second season as the head coach at Cal, where he has taken a broken program and quickly turned it into a winner. USC coach Pete Carroll considers Tedford a significant rival -- Cal handed the Trojans their only loss this year after a near-upset last season. His reputation had been as a quarterback guru who helped Trent Dilfer, David Carr, Joey Harrington, A.J. Feeley, Akili Smith and Kyle Boller experience success. But he's more than a QB guy. He's organized, he's a leader, he's a teacher, he understands staffing, he's got some charisma and he's a game-planner. 7. Chan Gailey, Georgia Tech -- He did one of the best jobs of coaching in the ACC (consider that he beat Maryland, North Carolina State and Auburn and should have beaten Florida State with a true freshman at QB) and his resumé is impressive. Even his work as Cowboys head coach (two playoff seasons in two years) during the post-Switzer era should be respected. He has a creative side to him (see Kordell Stewart's best years in Pittsburgh) yet plays every game specifically to win, as opposed to trying to razzle-dazzle everyone. Always will find a way to run the football with success. His time in Dallas and at Georgia Tech (where an academic controversy put him under scrutiny) gives him the preferred thick skin. 9. June Jones, Hawaii -- He's making a million dollars at Hawaii, so what else does he need? One GM said Jones was on his short list because of his people skills, his quarterback-coaching success and his experience as an NFL head coach in Atlanta (one playoff season) and San Diego (interim). In fact, he turned down the Chargers permanent job to take the Hawaii gig. His run-and-shoot convictions hurt him with most NFL execs, though. College Guys "On the Radar" 1. Jim Tressel, Ohio State -- Reluctantly, I'm putting his name on this list, only because I have heard more than one GM expressed admiration for his leadership and attention to detail. In a league where strong defense and a commitment to the run is a basic formula for success, he has a calling card. Otherwise, a stretch, despite his national-title resumé. 3. Randy Edsall, Connecticut -- Don't blink. Edsall has enjoyed plenty of success as a former assistant under Tom Coughlin at the collegiate and pro level. And when you see what he has done at UConn in a relatively short ascension from Division I-AA to Division I, he's a pretty good sleeper candidate. Shell should be a NFL head coach in 2005 It is mind boggling to think that it has been 10 years since the Oakland Raiders dismissed Art Shell. He amassed an impressive 54-38 regular season record and took the Raiders to the playoffs three times during his tenure from 1989-1994. What makes that even more impressive is he did it making use of the likes of Jay Schroeder, Todd Marinovich, Vince Evans and Jeff Hostetler at quarterback. Defensive coordinators that CNN/SI columnist thinks would make good NFL head coaches. Donnie Henderson NYJ Def. coordinator Herm Edwards Romeo Crennel NE Def. coordinator Bill Belichick Jerry Gray BUF Def. coordinator Tom Donahoe Ron Meeks IND Def. coordinator Tony Dungy Leslie Frazier CIN Def. coordinator Marvin Lewis Candidates for Browns job: Among them are Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress, Ravens senior consultant Jim Fassel, University of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and interim coach Terry Robiskie.
After this evening, and the things I have heard about the Ohio State situation, I like the idea of Tressell (a big name) interviewing here. Not to be taken as a rumor, I just think Bertman should watch his situation closely.
His problems are rogue boosters, like at Alabama... not coaching. But then also you have a total of 17 players arrests since Tressell has gotten there so.... I still think he is a good coach, but you may be right.
I think they also talked of grade fixing during the game tonight. One of the talking heads talk of a pattern of problems in the football program.
While I like Tressel from my time in Ohio, I would wait until the NCAA is finished with any investigation it is going to do before I would go after him. That makes him too much of a risk for LSU this time around. Besides, he's an Ohio guy and TOSU is his dream job in college. As far as the original article goes, it's a pretty good list, but there are too many factual errors that I see to give it much credibility (Cal did not beat USC this year). GEAUX TIGERS
It wasn't an article it was a compilation of many articles that I found on the subject. Some of the articles were a year or two old, which is why they appear factually incorrect.
I like Tressel a lot too, but he and his brothers had NCAA troubles while at Youngstown State and his brother's name was mentioned numerous times in the Maurice Clarrett allegations. Then when it was revealed yesterday that his QB was taking cash from a booster does not bode well for Tressel or the AD Andy Geigger. Usually the HC and AD take the fall in these situations because of the proverbial "lack of institutional control". Plus, I don't think a coach at one of the biggest schools in the country and Big 10 would leave OSU to come to LSU.
What about hiring a great NFL coordinator who is in his mid-sixties? They have sophisticated schemes that college coaches will have trouble countering, but they are too old for an NFL team to offer them a head job, realistically. I am speaking of Tom Moore, Monte Kiffin, or Jim Johnson. Tom Moore, Indianapolis Colts There are no visions of a head-coaching stint here, because Moore is 65. No matter. Through a long and usually distinguished career, Moore has employed his offensive philosophies brilliantly, particularly for the Colts. Hired by the Colts in 1998 when Peyton Manning was their top draft pick, Moore's patient and understanding manner, as well as his recognition of the quarterback's particular skills, have been the backbone of Indy's prolific offensive schemes. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have wide receiver Marvin Harrison, running back Edgerrin James, and tight end Marcus Pollard on hand. Wisely, Tony Dungy retained Moore when he became head coach of the Colts in 2002. Since 1998, Indy has won 10 games or more and scored more than 400 points four times. "I think Tom Moore does a great job with the overall plan, the design of it," Patriots head coach Belichick says. "It is just so diversified and so efficient" Al Saunders, Kansas City Chiefs Once the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, Saunders found his niche under Dick Vermeil on the St. Louis Rams and now with the Chiefs. His willingness to push the ball downfield and his ability to find the best ways to use his personnel--particularly running backs Marshall Faulk (in St. Louis) and Priest Holmes (in KC.)--have been exemplary. Saunders has been a candidate for several top spots in recent years, even turning down the job at the University of Nebraska before former Oakland Raiders coach Bill Callahan went there this off-season. The thing he has going with Vermeil has been too good to leave. "He's done a great job of directing the offense," Vermeil says. "All the coaches have done a great job of contributing to the offense. It's never just one guy. But the coordinator directs the thinking of an entire staff, and he has a 51% vote with the head coach." Gil Haskell, Seattle Seahawks Haskell might be best known as the assistant coach who was run over by Green Bay Packers wide receiver Robert Brooks in the 1995 NFC Championship Game and fractured his skull when he hit the ground. That's a shame, too, because his work as a strategist has been outstanding. Working under an offense-oriented head coach such as Mike Holmgren certainly helps, but Haskell has played a significant role in the development of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and running back Shaun Alexander. The improvement in Seattle's wide receiver corps also should be credited in large part to Haskell. At 60, Haskell is not a likely candidate to move up, but he also is comfortable working with Holmgren, whom he's been with seemingly forever. Scott Linehan, Minnesota Vikings After working at four colleges, Linehan made his pro coaching debut in 2002 with the Vikings. Minnesota's offense has been somewhat inconsistent, but part of the reason for that has been a spate of injuries. Linehan has found ways to keep mercurial wide receiver Randy Moss happy, and that alone could catapult him into a head-coaching position. If the Vikings are as dynamic with the ball this year as many observers expect Linehan's name will be mentioned for openings next winter. At only 40, though, he has plenty of lime to ascend to the next level. DEFENSIVE COORDINATORS Monte Kiffin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Kiffin faces a major challenge this season now that safety John Lynch and tackle Warren Sapp are gone, but don't expect the defense to fall apart. When Jon Gruden, whose forte is offense, was hired to replace Tony Dungy as head coach in 2002, he knew better than to mess with Kiffin's unit. Gruden stuck to his strength and let Kiffin handle his. The result: a Super Bowl championship in 2002. At 64, Kiffin no longer is a head-coaching candidate. He's worked for six different pro franchises, usually improving the defense at each stop. Tampa Bay was his dream job, though. Never before did he have tools like Lynch, Sapp, linebacker Derrick Brooks, and defensive end Simeon Rice. One season removed from the Super Bowl championship, Kiffin knows how important it is to get his partially rebuilt unit up and running. "If we can be consistent on defense, we can be up there," Kiffin says. In other words, the Buccaneers likely will be up there. Romeo Crennel, New England Patriots Just like Weis, Crennel has a long history of working with Bill Parcells and Belichick. His specialty has been adaptability: If the head man wants a 4-3, Crennel works it out; if the preference is for a 3-4, Crennel designs schemes for it. It sometimes seems that Crennel and Belichick share one brain. They come up with an assortment of looks that are unique and befuddling. Crennel makes the pieces fit so that Willie McGinest or Mike Vrabel can play the same spot, be it rush end or rush linebacker. He also has figured out how to utilize his best defender, Richard Seymour, on either the inside or outside of the defensive line. And how many other coordinators would be as successful as Crennel has been despite Constant roster turnover on the Patriots? Jim Schwartz, Tennessee Titans Another star defensive coordinator out of the Fisher/Titans stable, Schwartz was a college coach for only four years. He moved up quickly in the professional ranks, too. His strength is linebackers, and Tennessee is among the best in the league at the position. Schwartz deserves kudos for his work with All-Pro Keith Bulluck and Peter Sirmon. Look for big things this year from Rocky Calmus, too. Bulluck readily credits his coordinator for what he has accomplished as a player. "When the defense is comfortable in what they do and confident in the players around them, a lot of things can happen," Bulluck says. "When you know what you're doing, you can force the other team to make mistakes, especially when you play hard." Jim Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles The master mixer of the blitz, Johnson isn't the mad scientist many people think he is. There are no smoke and mirrors here. His defenses are just as cerebral as they are physical and aggressive. The fact that Johnson, who makes more than $1 million a year, will rely on all-out rushes in nearly any situation certainly makes his Eagles defense as entertaining as any in football. Now if the Eagles could stop the run better ... At any rate, Johnson has helped Philly get to the upper echelon of the league in pass rushing despite not having any superstars on his front seven. His best defenders generally have been backs, including supreme blitzer Brian Dawkins. Jerry Gray, Buffalo Bills One of the smartest moves new coach Mike Mularkey made when he became Buffalo's head coach this 0ffseason was to retain Gray. Gray, who spent eight seasons as a defensive back in the NFL, served his apprenticeship as a coach in Tennessee under head coach Jeff Fisher and coordinator Gregg Williams. When Williams got the No. 1 spot with the Bills in 2001, Gray came along as the defensive coordinator.
