# NFL Coaching carousel, who stays and who goes?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [December 29, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430 "2013-12-29T20:01:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 6, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/41 "2014-01-06T18:20:56Z")

</div>

Just to update this.

> [@Omniscient](#):
>
> **Houston Texans**  
> GM: Rick Smith - SAFE  
> HC: Gary Kubiak - FIRED  
> OC: Rick Dennison - FIRED  
> DC: Wade Phillips - FIRED

> [@Omniscient](#):
>
> **Dallas Cowboys**  
> GM: Jerry Jones - SAFE

And there was much rejoicing in the NFC East.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 6, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/42 "2014-01-06T18:24:53Z")

</div>

I don’t understand why the Texans dumped Wade. And I now think Chud’s firing is probably the worst since Marty Schottenheimer.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/43 "2014-01-06T18:51:40Z")

</div>

[A fun article by Mike Tanier on the desirability of the various head coaching vacancies](http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/66247674/).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 6, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/44 "2014-01-06T19:03:42Z")

</div>

> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> I don’t understand why the Texans dumped Wade.

It wasn’t the organization but Bill O’Brien. He fired most of the upper level assistant coaches. Coordinators getting axed after a new coach comes in is nothing new and is usually preferable. A head coach should be able to bring in support staff of his choosing.

On the more amusing side, Wade sent out a tweet [stating he wouldn’t be renewing his skybox tickets](http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2014/01/wade-phillips-declines-to-renew-texans-suite-tickets-after-being-fired/).

> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> And I now think Chud’s firing is probably the worst since Marty Schottenheimer.

It’s up there. For all that talk about emulating the Steelers, Haslam is off to a bad start.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 6, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/45 "2014-01-06T19:09:28Z")

</div>

> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> It wasn’t the organization but Bill O’Brien. He fired most of the upper level assistant coaches. Coordinators getting axed after a new coach comes in is nothing new and is usually preferable. A head coach should be able to bring in support staff of his choosing.

I know what _normally_ happens, but most legacy defensive coordinators aren’t running top ten defenses (the Texans ended the regular season as the #7 team defense in yardage.) Who’s O’Brien going to bring in that will be better?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 6, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/46 "2014-01-06T19:14:09Z")

</div>

Good point, but it’s no secret Wade wants another shot at a HC gig. It wasn’t going to be long before he left of his own accord. I’m a little surprised he hadn’t already, but I don’t think there was much interest out there.

Also, despite giving up few yards, the Texans gave up a lot of points. I know a lot of that is on the offense, but red zone defense fell apart last season. At the very least there was going to be some shaking up.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/47 "2014-01-06T20:06:45Z")

</div>

The Dolphins fired Mike Sherman.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 6, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/48 "2014-01-06T20:56:03Z")

</div>

> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> Good point, but it’s no secret Wade wants another shot at a HC gig. It wasn’t going to be long before he left of his own accord. I’m a little surprised he hadn’t already, but I don’t think there was much interest out there.

Wade’s already failed as an HC in Buffalo and Dallas. I very much doubt he’s getting a third gig. Look what bad first-round head coaching gigs did to other star coordinators - Marty Morhinweg, Rod Marinelli, Dave Campo…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/49 "2014-01-07T16:04:42Z")

</div>

> [@dalej42](#):
>
> [Munchak out in Tennesssee](http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10242606/mike-munchak-fired-tennessee-titans)

Munchak’s firing has a weird twist to it. [Mike Munchak Fired After Turning Down Raise - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/mike-munchak-fired-turning-down-raise-2014-1)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/50 "2014-01-07T16:29:49Z")

</div>

It’s very likely Josh McDaniels is the new HC of the Cleveland Browns. They’re doing the same bullshit routine that they did with Lombardi where they deny a decision has been made but really it has, no one else asked to interview McDaniels and the Browns aren’t interviewing many serious candidates.

It’s bad enough that Lombardi has to fuck up the FO, but I hate the idea of him having the main pick over the head coach too. He’s just sucking Bellichick’s dick as usual, and that’s the only reason he has any sort of NFL career - that and the name I guess.

I’m actually not convinced McDaniels is awful… it sounds like he’s a very good game planner, a good systems coach, he’s just a little twerp that all the players hate. Maybe he learned from his first stint, and, being able to focus solely on coaching and not wearing the GM hat too, he can have his shit together. I really don’t know. I wouldn’t hate the hire, but I’m not sure. The fact that it’s a handpicked, fast tracked Lombardi hire makes me want to hate it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/51 "2014-01-07T16:44:43Z")

</div>

> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> It’s very likely Josh McDaniels is the new HC of the Cleveland Browns. They’re doing the same bullshit routine that they did with Lombardi where they deny a decision has been made but really it has, no one else asked to interview McDaniels and the Browns aren’t interviewing many serious candidates.
> 
> It’s bad enough that Lombardi has to fuck up the FO, but I hate the idea of him having the main pick over the head coach too. He’s just sucking Bellichick’s dick as usual, and that’s the only reason he has any sort of NFL career - that and the name I guess.
> 
> I’m actually not convinced McDaniels is awful… it sounds like he’s a very good game planner, a good systems coach, he’s just a little twerp that all the players hate. Maybe he learned from his first stint, and, being able to focus solely on coaching and not wearing the GM hat too, he can have his shit together. I really don’t know. I wouldn’t hate the hire, but I’m not sure. The fact that it’s a handpicked, fast tracked Lombardi hire makes me want to hate it.

If Todd Bowles picks up a Head Coach’s job and McDaniels brings in his own guys at Cleveland, I would have Ray Horton back at Defensive Coordinator in Arizona in a heartbeat.

On a separate note, the scuttlebutt appears to be that Whisenhunt is going to get the job in Detroit. Probably a good hire, in that there is a passable QB there already and he does OK when there is one of those around. If Stafford ever leaves/goes down injured permanently whilst he is there though, Detroit fans better get ready for the fact that the man can’t identify an NFL QB by himself and all the grief that entails (I speak as a man who saw Max Hall start games under Whisenhunt at QB).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 7, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/52 "2014-01-07T16:50:12Z")

</div>

I admire Munchak’s loyalty, but not his brain. What did he think would happen to all those assistants when _he_ got fired, too?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/53 "2014-01-07T19:50:02Z")

</div>

> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> I admire Munchak’s loyalty, but not his brain. What did he think would happen to all those assistants when _he_ got fired, too?

He didn’t quit to save their jobs. He quit because he didn’t want to fire them.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/54 "2014-01-07T22:29:16Z")

</div>

> [@VarlosZ](#):
>
> [A fun article by Mike Tanier on the desirability of the various head coaching vacancies](http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/66247674/).

My favorite line: “Jim Schwartz’s master plan for instilling discipline was to talk a lot about having a master plan for instilling discipline.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/55 "2014-01-07T23:05:48Z")

</div>

> [@Marley23](#):
>
> He didn’t quit to save their jobs. He quit because he didn’t want to fire them.

Exactly. He wasn’t willing to save his own job by having to fire his staff in the process.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 8, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/56 "2014-01-08T17:14:58Z")

</div>

> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> Who’s O’Brien going to bring in that will be better?

Reports are Romeo Crennel is currently in Houston for an intervew. Interesting choice. A disastrous head coach, but a very good defensive coordinator.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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 8, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/57 "2014-01-08T19:24:42Z")

</div>

> [@Marley23](#):
>
> He didn’t quit to save their jobs. He quit because he didn’t want to fire them.

I get that. I don’t get the point. He didn’t quit; he was fired because he wouldn’t do what he was told. Does he think his assistants care who’s firing them?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/58 "2014-01-08T19:35:43Z")

</div>

They might not, but that wasn’t in his control.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/59 "2014-01-08T19:57:00Z")

</div>

Jeff Ireland is out in Miami, and McDaniels has reportedly taken himself out of the running for the Browns job.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430/60 "2014-01-08T19:59:17Z")

</div>

In the ‘stay’ category, I heard on the radio at lunch that the entire Chiefs coaching staff will remain in place.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430.md?page=2)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-coaching-carousel-who-stays-and-who-goes/677430.md?page=4)
