# 2012 NFL Coaching Carousel **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 2, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191 "2012-01-02T22:46:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/121 "2012-01-28T20:36:17Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Why did Hue Jackson get canned? He almost had the Raiders in the playoffs; what more did they expect? A better record than Tom Cable managed last year without sacrificing so many draft picks. Cable went the same 8-8 last season (and also nearly made the playoffs) without giving up all those draft picks for an overvalued vet QB and with fewer penalties/penalty yards. He took a losing team and almost had them there. Hue Jackson took a strong contender for division champ and completely underachieved. And screwed over the Raiders in terms of the draft for years to come. It’s common practice for a new GM to bring in a new coach. But I can’t imagine there was any doubt Jackson needed to be canned, even if Reggie McKenzie hadn’t been brought in. Do you recall that last press conference? Blaming his players and a lack of personal organization power for the losses? The guy dug his own hole and didn’t stop digging. And it’s gotten even tougher for them. Looks like Jack Del Rio as the new Denver DC. He wasn’t much of a head coach in Jacksonville, but he knew how to build a good defense. And the two of them worked together in Carolina before. That defense is going to remain stout into next year. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/122 "2012-01-28T22:51:57Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Well, rumors are spreading the the Bears have [made a decision](http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/bears-talk/post/Bears-offer-Emery-GM-job?blockID=636692&feedID=661) on their open GM spot finally. Supposedly it’s going to be Kansas City director of college scouting Phil Emery. This corresponds with a report that San Diego’s director of player personnel Jimmy Raye was informed he was no longer a candidate. > > Not sure how I feel about this. Raye was my favorite option based on admittedly thin pretexts but he’s not been a particularly hot candidate prior to now anywhere and it’s possible that he’s badly overshadowed by AJ Smith out there. Emery seems to have the thinnest credentials at least recently with the middling Chiefs, and I’m especially troubled by the knowledge that he and Ruskell are reportedly close. Emery’s Bears connections aren’t a particularly strong point in his favor either, though he’s been gone a while and he may have been involved in some of the good picks before things went south. It’ll be particularly interesting to see what happens here, if in fact the Bears intend to somehow retain both Ruskell and Emery. > > Some have speculated that this incoming GM could be a lame duck further tied to Lovie, and that a failure again next year could mean a clean slate across the board. That’s terrible logic, but I wouldn’t put it past them. If Emery, Lovie and Ruskell are of a kind this would probably make some sense. > > I also wonder if the fact that Marc Ross and Jason Licht’s teams are still playing for the next 2 weeks played a role in this decision. Maybe the Bears decided to move on instead of waiting, choosing immediacy over what might be 2 better candidates. If Emery and these other guys were considered a push I could see that happening. Shortsighted move I’m afraid. > > Eh, we’ll see. If it is in fact Emery, I’m taking one small piece of solace that it might improve the Bears chances of landing the free agent at the top of my wish list in Dwayne Bowe. Well, the Bears have made it official. Phil Emery is [the new GM](http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/7513812/chicago-bears-select-phil-emery-next-general-manager). I’m in the process of talking myself into this hire. The ESPN article highlights many of the points in his favor. He’s apparently a grinder and a workaholic which could be an asset to an organization who’s scouting process and roster management often seemed to take the path of least resistance at times. The Bears have frequently drafted players from the same school over and over again and seem to play favorites with certain scouts and college coaches as well as with players on the rosters who are insiders. This approach can be viewed as loyal or lazy depending on your point of view. Emery has had a lot of success in the first couple rounds when he was with the Chiefs and Falcons and was a scout here when the Bears stacked the defense with the veterans currently on the tail end of their careers. He’s described as professional and diligent, to aspects that Jerry Angelo seemed to suck at, with the gaffes during the draft process and with the media. The big concerns are that Emery doesn’t have any executive experience and thus far is basically a super scout. It’s unclear how much he learned form Pioli in Kansas City and Dimitroff in Atlanta. He may become little more than a GM in name, with Lovie taking the final say in the direction or the organization and final roster moves which would be to our detriment. Emery must be empowered for better or worse in this role. His first task will be to remake the scouting department. His supposed work ethic will be as asset and his broad scouting experience will also be key. Most of the Bears scouting staff is out of contract and the cupboards are pretty much bare, which is good considering the issues we’ve had in the draft of late. Emery must make this his beachhead and he must bring in the right people who can get this coming draft right. Success there will ensure that he’s empowered to make future difficult calls and build capital to trump Lovie when necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/123 "2012-01-29T00:03:03Z")
At least Emery won’t be sitting around whistling Dixie, I presume. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/124 "2012-01-29T01:17:15Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Why did Hue Jackson get canned? [ul] [li]He achieved mediocre success with mediocre talent, while making the team older and trading away draft picks. [/li][li]He has no real record of success, either as a Head Coach or an OC; like most Raiders coaches of the last 20 years, he got the job because Al Davis liked him and because nobody better wanted the job. [/li][li]He flamed out at the end of the season, throwing the players under the bus and making a hamhanded power play in public.[/li][/ul] Typically, 8-8 wouldn’t merit an immediate firing, but when that you have a new GM taking over trying to put his stamp on a franchise, the question becomes why you’d want to keep the guy around. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/125 "2012-01-29T04:50:43Z")
Well, do _you_ want to be the Raiders’ head coach? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/126 "2012-01-29T22:30:47Z")
All of the above about Hue Jackson is true, but is this new guy really better? I’d like to see any new coach deal with losing his starting QB and RB the same year that the GM/Owner dies. That being said, Hue was certainly a dickwad egotist that had lost the team. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/127 "2012-01-29T22:48:10Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > All of the above about Hue Jackson is true, but is this new guy really better? I’d like to see any new coach deal with losing his starting QB and RB the same year that the GM/Owner dies. I’d like to see the head coach who took over and gave away the future in the form of two first round draft picks for an over the hill mediocre QB who couldn’t do enough to get you in the playoffs, keep his job. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/128 "2012-01-30T03:33:23Z")
Was Jackson actually behind the trade? ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191/129 "2012-01-30T04:39:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Was Jackson actually behind the trade? By all accounts, devoid a GM, Jackson was the one with final say on that move. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-nfl-coaching-carousel/608191.md?page=6)