New Coaches Hope to Upgrade NFL/College Programs
By: Jim Feist
Football head coaches get all the glory, but top assistants can be extremely important in a team's success or failure. Offensive and defensive coordinators have great influence on game plans and a unit's effectiveness. There was no better example two years ago than NY Giants' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He came over from the Eagles under outstanding DC Jim Johnson and was a key cog in their amazing Super Bowl run. For this season he has moved on as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.
Assistants are often the NFL star head coaches of tomorrow. A former defensive assistant, Lovie Smith, helped to turn the Bears around. Bill Parcells lost one of his top assistants three years ago, Sean Payton, who went to New Orleans and helped lead the Saints turnaround in 2006, reaching the NFC Championship game.
Competent football assistants can be huge assets. Buddy Ryan was the principle architect of the Bears' 46 defense that led the way to the 1986 Super Bowl. He left the team after that victory and the Bears were never as dominant defensively. Let's look at some key coaching changes in the college and pro ranks.
Browns: The Browns dumped Romeo Crennell but brought in another former Bill Belichick assistant in new Head Coach Eric Mangini. He has a lot to prove, after running the NY Jets' train wreck late last season with Bret Favre. Both of them flamed out fast and it cost Mangini his job.
Cleveland's defense has struggled badly, so Rob Ryan is the new defensive coordinator. Ryan had been the Raiders DC since 2004. Oddly, he was a favorite of owner Al Davis even though the Oakland defense ranked 27th, 22nd, 3rd, 27th, and 30th. Let's say BOTH these coaches have something to prove!
Broncos: 33-year old Josh McDaniels is the new head coach, the offensive coordinator of the Patriots the last three years. He has had a firestorm of a start, replacing popular Mike Shanahan, then shipping young star QB Jay Cutler out of town after an unnecessary feud. McDaniels admitted he was interested in trading for QB Matt Cassell and Cutler went ape (all the way to Chicago).
So now the new coach has QB Kyle Orton and a new staff. Mike Nolan, the former 49ers head coach, is the defensive coordinator. McDaniels has been criticized for failing to address the team's defensive needs in the draft. They traded next year's first-rounder to Seattle to move up in the second round and snag Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith, though the main problem Denver has had the last two years is stopping the run. You have to wonder how patient Denver fans will be.
Buccaneers: Raheem Morris is the new head coach in Tampa Bay. Who? He spent the past two seasons as the Buccaneers defensive backs coach after also serving on the Buccaneers defensive coaching staff from 2002-2005. Jim Bates is the defensive coordinator, after working with the Broncos, Packers and Dolphins since 2000.
The new offensive coordinator is Jeff Jagodzinski, who coached Boston College the last two years before a well publicized divorce. The real question for the coaching staff is, "Who will quarterback?" The Bucs have a logjam of mediocrity with Byron Leftwich, rookie Josh Freeman, Luke McCown and Brian Griese.
Auburn: Life in the SEC, one bad season, and you are out! Coach Tommy Tuberville was let go after one bad 5-7 SU, 2-9 ATS season. The new coach is Gene Chizik, who didn't impress in a short stint at Iowa State. At least he made a good move in getting offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn on board, who has done remarkable things with high scoring, spread offenses.
After averaging 17.3 points in 2008, the Tigers need some offensive changes. The defense has a lot of talent for new coordinator Ted Roof. Auburn is 14-8 ATS its last 22 as a dog and 15-7 SU, 13-9 ATS the last five years on the road.
Tennessee: The Volunteers went 9-4 and 10-4 in two straight seasons (10-4 ATS in 2007), then fell off the map last year in a 5-7 campaign that cost Coach Phil Fulmer his job. New Lane Kiffin doesn't have much of a resume, but does have a dynamite, veteran staff around him, including Ed Orgereon (former Ole Miss coach) and his father, Monte Kiffin, who will run the defense. He ran dominant defenses with the Tampa Bay Bucs over the last decade.
The main concern is the offense, which was a disaster, averaging 146 passing yards per game, and finishing 107 in the nation in passing efficiency. Jim Chaney is the new offensive coordinator, after spending the last three seasons as an assistant offensive line and tight ends coach with the St. Louis Rams. Prior to that, he spent nine seasons as the OC at Purdue under Joe Tiller.