NFL Coaching Carousel III

Jan 07

In this third part I want to comment about the – in the meantime three – other NFL Head Coaches who will not return in 2007: Nick Saban, Art Shell, Bill Cowher.

Nick Saban (resigned as Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 3rd, to accept the Head Coaching Job at Alabama University) – actually no surprise (to me) and everybody who cared to listen: He already mentioned before that he misses the college coaching, so when the Alabama rumors arose, it was only a question of time until Saban would resign from the Miami Dolphins and accept the Alabama duties… maybe it’s actually the better solution for both sides?

Art Shell (the Oakland Raiders announced on Jan 4th, that he will not return in 2007) – again no surpise: He was on the top of my list of ‘endangered’ Head Coaches in the NFL: Before the season he wanted to bring the ‘swagger’ back home to the Raiders, all he brought back home was more losses in a single season than the Raiders ever had. The defensive performance was – compared to the offensive performance – pretty good, could maybe Rob Ryan (currently Defensive Coordinator for the Raiders) be the next Head Coach of the Raiders? We’ll see…

Bill Cowher (the Pittsburgh Steelers announced his retirement on Jan, 6th) – also no surprise: That this would be his last season was already suspected before the season when Jerome Bettis let his (obviously insider) knowledge accidently? out.
But whoever will inherit the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a difficult task – not that the team is worn down – as the Raiders were (and still are) when Art Shell took over – or anything like that, but 15 years of Bill Cowher style of Football will leave it’s marks as well on the players as also on the fans and their expectations (not only win-wise but also style-wise).
Well I’ll be excited to see who’s taking over and how the Steelers will look in a year from now – more style-wise than what the win-column will show, which I think should be secondary to building a new coaching aera at the Pittsburgh Steelers.