SO we're at that time of year when many coaches will be looking for a new job and some undeserving coaches will keep their jobs. Who do you think will get fired this season? Some worthy/likely candidates to get the ax:

Brian Billick, Ravens: Until the owner told the team this morning I would have thought he'd be gone. But I guess Kyle Boller's improvement at the end of the season has given him a reprieve.

Mike Tice, Vikings: Despite the 6 game win streak after losing Culpepper, I still think he needs to go, if for no other reason than to allow me to change my screen name! He has very poor clock management skills and he is not nearly enough of a disciplinarian. And the 6 game streak was against some pretty lousy competition.

Dom Capers, Texans: He gone.

Dick Vermeil, Chiefs: Certainly won't be fired, but it sounds like he may retire. And cry.

Bill Parcells, Cowboys: If anything, he might retire, but I strongly doubt it. If they can upgrade at QB, the Cowboys can be a threat in the NFC.

Jim Haslett, Saints: I hope he got the same $40,000 Katrina payout the rest of the team got because he's going to need the nest egg.

Norv Turner, Raiders: How did the Raiders O struggle so much with Randy Moss and Jerry Porter at WR? Al Davis didn't invets all that money in Moss to limp through the season, so I think Norv is done.

Dick Jauron, Lions: Look up "interrum" in the dictionary and there is a picture of Jauron. Millen can't afford to not go out and get a big name coach, despite failing with Mooch.

Joe Vitt, Rams: Took over for ailing Mike Martz five games into the season. Hope he enjoyed it because he's through. And I doubt they'll bring Martz back despite the bad PR it may bring.

Mike Mularkey, Bills: Perhaps one of the most disappointing team this season but I think MM will be back. But if they get a chance to get a major upgrade, he could be gone.

Despite their poor seasons, I'm pretty sure Mike Sherman and Jeff Fisher are solid. And Herm Edwards only leaves the Jets if the KC job opens up and the Jets let him go.

Norv is toast, hopefully!

I wonder what big-name coach would want the Lions job, with Millen in charge?

Not sure of an exact name, but these guys have egos. One of them is bound to think he could turn this mess around.

The Kansas City Star and the AP are reporting that Dick Vermeil has already informed the Chiefs he is retiring. I immediately called by broker and had him buy as much Kleenex stock as possible.

So now I wonder if I am watching Herm Edwards coach his last game in New York? Despite his numerous statements to the contrary, he would seem to the leading candidate to take over there. Though why people seem to be so infatuated with him is beyond me.

And Chris Mortensen is reporting that Dom Capers and Mike Martz will both be fired. That's some real Woodward and Bernstein work there Chris!

I wouldn't take Chris Mortensen's word as gospel. He did say that Parcells was "seriously contemplating" retirement only to have to backtrack when Parcells called him on it. Mortensen then hedged his bets by saying he didn't mean immediate retirement, only that Parcells considered retirement to part of his future. Ummm....don't we all?

~Adam

Any chance Marty Schottenheimer or Jim Mora are in trouble after their teams underachieved and missed the playoffs. I wouldn't think so, but neither team suffered any major injuries to their key players. They don't have that as an excuse.

Congrats FMTN! What's your new name gonna be?

Yep, it's officially over for the captain of the love boat.

I kind of feel Mike Tice was to the Vikings and the NFL what Pete Rose was to the Reds and MLB.

Happy days are here again!
The skies above are clear again!
Let us sing a song of cheer again!
Happy days are here again!!!!!!

I need a confetti-tossing, tap dancing emoticon!!!!

More Mikes go down. The Rams officially fired Mike Martz and the Packers have dumped Mike Sherman.

If Spanos can keep Ross around after the 8-8 '93 season, he should keep Marty after this 9-7 hiccup. Compared to last year, the o-line was in scramble mode, losing Oben, watching Fonoti balloon and get shipped to the Viking as well as some other line injuries.

Of course the "anyone but Marty" camp in San Diego will blame him for everything wrong that happens to the Chargers. Given his (lack) of postseason track record in CLE and KC, I think only a Lombardi could reverse the court of public opinion.

Actually the only coach that may not return to SD next year is OC Cam Cameron, rumored to be a head coaching candidate in some of the openings.

If Spanos can keep Ross around after the 8-8 '93 season, he should keep Marty after this 9-7 hiccup. Compared to last year, the o-line was in scramble mode, losing Oben, watching Fonoti balloon and get shipped to the Viking as well as some other line injuries.

Of course the "anyone but Marty" camp in San Diego will blame him for everything wrong that happens to the Chargers. Given his (lack) of postseason track record in CLE and KC, I think only a Lombardi could reverse the court of public opinion.

Actually the only coach that may not return to SD next year is OC Cam Cameron, rumored to be a head coaching candidate in some of the openings.

[ January 02, 2006, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: Boltergeist ]

Haslett was just fired, and Mike "4th and 26" Sherman got the boot earlier today.

It seems to me that unlike other teams that had a lot of injuries and such, the Chargers were pretty healthy all year, and underachieved in a major way. Next year a playoff run is a must, if you ask me.

Apparently Haslett's dismissal was at his request. He's been asking for weeks to be released from the last year of his contract.

[ January 02, 2006, 12:54 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

Why would Haslett ask out of a job with such a promising future? :confused:

Norv is out

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2279219


Williams is off the market.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6010300765.html

As long as that golem , Al Davis, wants to keep his wizened hands on the reins of the raiders, no matter which coach he brings in to replace Norv Turner, the team is doomed.

~Adam

I am hearing that Brad Childress the offensive coordinator of the Eagles is pretty close to signing with the Vikings as head coach. He was also to interview with Green Bay. I think Minnesota would be a better opportunity for him since I think they have better offensive tools.

If he does sign perhaps GVF could change his name for the first couple of games to Georgeviking-eaglesfan in honor of the hiring. wink

[ January 05, 2006, 05:26 PM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]

ESPNews reports that the Vikings will announce the Childress hiring tomorrow.

Noooooo Please God Noooooo!

He hasn't even been hired yet and you want to fire him???

[ January 05, 2006, 05:45 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

Naw was just being silly...I'm in a mood. Gonna stop posting until it changes...lol.

The King is dead...long live the King!!!

Welcome to the board KingChildress.

At least someone else will understand when we discuss the pass, pass, pass, pass, run ratio next year.

Holla at cha.

Well the difference is that we have the receivers to handle the pass pass pass run ratio.

The Jets and Chiefs have reached an agreement on Herm Edwards. The Jets will get only a 4th round draft pick. The Jets must have been desperate to get rid of him. Or maybe the Chiefs aren't all that thrilled.

It'll be interesting to see what Childress does, now that he's no longer a figurehead for the real offensive coordinator, Andy Reid. (Marty Mornhinweg is the Eagles new figurehead offensive coordinator, by the way.)

I read something last night that the Jets became disenchanted by the interest Edwards had in the Chiefs job to the extent that they didn't really want him back. But the Chiefs didn't want to give up anything of substance and the talks had broken down. Had they not come to terms the Jets would've likely had to fire Edwards.

The Vikings hiring of Childress has me asking one burning question...will Childress ever be a bitch?

Usually your burning question has to do with a trip to the clinic.

Putting any retirement rumors to rest, Bill Parcells has agreed to a 2 year extension with the Cowboys.

Remembering the furor that surrounded the Lions' then-hiring of Steve Mariucci without first going through the proper, NFL-sanctioned, interviews of qualified minority candidates, why were there nocritics voicing similar complaints when the Vikings just went out and hired Childress without going through the interviewing process?

I understand the Vikings wanted to move fast on Childress when it appeared that Green Bay also was interested, but doesn't the NFL now require teams to interview minority candidates, even if said interviews are just for show?

~Adam

They interviewed Cottrell, their Defensive Coordinator, so I believe that would have filled the minority quota. They also interviewed Jim Caldwell, who is African-American. Childress and Al Saunders are both white. That makes 2 black interviewees and 2 white interviewees. That's why there is no outcry.

ESPN is reporting that Steve Mariucci is likely to take a year off from coaching. He's good friends with Brett Favre, so people we wondering if the Packers would consider hiring him. Apparently, the Packers hadn't shown any interest in Mooch.

ESPN Story

any team who hires Mooch gets what they deserve--a loser

Green Bay will announce the hiring of 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy as their new coach, once they negotiate the contract. What will this mean to Brett Favre, I wonder? He was the Packers' QB coach in 1999, so he has a prior relationship with Favre, but Favre's agent said it was more likely Favre would return for another season if Mariucci were hired.

[ January 11, 2006, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

Hire a new coach who was the offensive coordinator of the NFL's lowest scoring offense that gained the fewest YPG just to appease an over the hill QB who has maybe 1 year left because the dude was his QB coach a few years back? Genius!

Brett Favre really that much of a diva? And does he really need a QB coach at this stage of his career? Not that I care. I sounds like a great move-for the Vikings.

Just heard that Mike Mularkey will resign as Bills coach. I wonder if 103 year old Marv Levy will step down from teh office and back onto the sidelines.

I also don't get the GB hire - baffling.

UGGGHHHH!!!

What now.....they gonna drag Chuck Knox outta whereever he's at to be the new coach.

Can't blame Mularkey for stepping down if it happens, he lost the guy that hired him and he couldn't have lasted much longer unless Marv wanted to keep him.

tis official....Mularkey has stepped down as Bills head coach.

Immediate candidates for the job are two men with Buffalo connections. Former Saints head coach Jim Haslett(LB during 70-80's) and Former Vikes defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell(Cottrell had same job in Buffalo a while back).

aye...aye...aye....slowly going down the drain.

I just read this in an AP article at Yahoo:

A "football-first" community? You mean, like Pittsburgh, where he worked before taking the Buffalo job?

If he's going to be concerned about his family adjusting in a "football-first" community it's going to limit his future head-coaching jobs to...where? Arizona? LA (if they ever get a team)?

This guy sounds like a loser if this isn't a smokescreen for the real reasons he's leaving (organization upheaval, etc.).

[ January 13, 2006, 01:23 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

I sense organizational upheaval has a bit more play in this.

They dumped the man(Donohoe) who hired him thanks to lack of success and growing rift between him and Wilson. They hire a man to replace him(Levy) who has never shaken off the idea of returning to the sidelines as head coach.

If you're Mularkey, wouldn't you be thinking you are on thin ice anyway??

Another thought that was posed by one of the local commentators and seconded by an ESPN personality(Pasquarelli) that seems to back up the family aspect of this is that the NFL coaching fraternity truly seems to be shaken a bit by the tragic death of James Dungy.

With that there is a realization that a head coach works such long hours that family life does tend to take a hit.

Mularkey has a pair of teenage kids, one about J Dungy's age btw.

The Texans will name Gary Kubiak their head coach as soon as the Broncos are eliminated from the playoffs (which will hopefully be this weekend-sorry Theo!) according to ESPN.

The favorite for the Jets opening is Pats assistant Eric Mangini with Mike Heimerdinger and Mike Tice eek! also in the running.

I hope it's not Mike Tice. I don't think I will be able to use the FireMikeTiceNow handle, since it's been used already. wink

Try Don'tHireMikeTiceNow.

I hope it's Heimerdinger. Think of the fun we can have with that name!

This may have some credence. I was listening to our local sports radio and the co-host today has Buffalo ties. He said that according to a friend of his who runs the sports radio station up there, the following incident occurred this week...

Mularkey has a kid who's in school. (The guy said it was grade school, but if his kids are teenagers it would have to be an upper grade.) Earlier this week the regular teacher was out and they had a substitute. The substitute teacher is calling roll, alphabetically, gets to the Mularkey kid and says "Mularkey...wait, is this Mularkey as in the LOSER BILLS COACH???"

Nice. And a teacher, yet!

Marv Levy will not be a candidate for head coach in Buffalo.

Jim Haslett looking to be a strong candidate right now. I have mixed emotions about him, I understand that he had an impossible situation to deal with and had a goofy owner above him but his talented clubs always underacheived.

We shall see.

Not unemployed for long, Norv Turner was hired across the bay to run the 49ers offense.


Norv to work his magic with Alex Smith and Co.

I read this column today defending Herm Edwards. It seems that some media types, including those in NYC, are ripping him for leaving the Jets. They're claiming it was just a money grab since his yearly salary from the Chiefs will be a lot higher. But it seems that it wasn't about money but the stress of coaching in NY for five years...

Meanwhile, it's been reported that Eric Mangini will replace Edwards as Jets' head coach.