Bill Cowher is the only logical choice

[GT17]

give me Gruden

 

[houtz]

now that's a ****ing post. Bravo sir.

t

He may have benefited from the Steelers organization, but he made the playoffs year after year with guys like Neil O'Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Tommie Maddox and Kordell Stewart as his starting quarterbacks. As for this nonsense about continuity being the key to Cowher's success, or success in general, you do realize that Cowher went to the playoffs 6 times in his first 6-years as head coach don't you? He had double-digit wins in 5 of 6 of those years. He never had a losing record until his 7th year as HC and that was the year a 37-year old Mike Tomczak started 5-games. Continuity wasn't the reason he was successful, they had continuity because he was successful. Understand the difference. Cowher had back to back losing records once in his entire career after starting his career 64-27!

Trying to draw parallels between Sparano and Cowher strips you of any credibility. Every Super Bowl-winning coach in history, with the exceptions of Chuck Noll, Tom Landry, John Madden and Hank Stram, won the Super Bowl within 5-years of first being hired. Stram and Landry were hired by the teams they'd eventually win a Super Bowl with long before the Super Bowl even existed, so their cases aren't even applicable, so that leaves Madden and Noll. Madden was in the AFC championship game 4 out of his first 6-years, which gave him the longevity to eventually breakthrough in his 7th. And Noll's Steelers improved in record every year he was HC until they got to an AFC Championship in his 4th year, losing to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. So there are exactly zero historical analogies for your idea of franchise continuity. Of course, the Redskins kept Norv Turner around for 7-years, showing infinite, but unrewarded patience, not the template I'd envision for the Dolphins.

The only thing you've said even remotely sensible, is that coaches that win Super Bowls lose their intensity. You might also add that they rarely have the confluence of circumstances a second-time around that they had the first and winning Super Bowls is a conspiracy of optimum factors--head coach, coordinators, front office, ownership--it's not any one thing, it's several things that are highly improbable a second time around. Cowher's wife recently passed away and after you've gone through something like that, sometimes it's difficult to even function normally again, let alone scale mount improbable. And for that reason alone we should stay away from him.

 

[Alex Trevelyan]

I think he is going to go the route of a big name coach. He looked at Jim Harbaugh last year as he was the "sexy" name at the current time, before deciding to give Sparano another year. There will be three "big name" guys in my opinion, and has been mentioned here many many times as options. Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, and Jeff Fisher. These are the "Big 3" and I think this is the bunch of coaches Ross will take a stab at. Each will bring their own type of buzz and will bring a background of winning a Super Bowl or coming within inches of winning a Super Bowl. In my opinion, one guy stands out above the rest and you know who I think by reading this threads title, but first lets look at why I don't think the other two are as good of choices.

Jon Gruden, or as many call him "Chucky" is already well known in Florida, and would bring the reputation of a Super Bowl winner and a guy who likes to take chances. However, the only Super Bowl he won was with Tampa Bay and was with the players that were assembled the year before by Tony Dungy. So obviously a red flag immediately goes up. Also, he has only 6 winning seasons in 11 years as a NFL head coach. So almost half the time he had a losing record. He also has the reputation of not being able to develop a quarterback and their were many reports that indicated that his players hated him and did not respect him. Gruden would create a buzz in Miami and I predict that Dolphins Chucky dolls would be huge sellers, but I don't know if he is really what this team needs from a Charlie Sheen "winning" standpoint.

Jeff Fisher was fired at an odd time last offseason and you can bet that if he was fired a few weeks earlier that Ross would have sniffed around him. He was the head coach of the Oilers/Titans for 17 years and regularly had the team in the playoff hunt. However, his playoff appearances were even worse than Gruden only making the playoffs 6 times in 17 seasons. He did come inches away from a possible Super Bowl win and took the Titans to another AFC Championship game. Again, he would create buzz, probably less than Gruden would imo, but again I don't see him as the answer for turning this team around.

So now we get to Bill Cowher, the guy I am supporting as the next head coach of the Dolphins. In 15 years with the Steelers he had 11 winning seasons, in 15 seasons. He also has been to 6 AFC Championship games, 2 Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl win. There are obvious concerns about him though. It did take him 14 years to win a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh, so you have to wonder if Ross and Dolphins fans would be as patient with him as Western PA football fans were. He also hasn't coached in the league for five seasons, and I hate to say this, but is his passion for football there as much after the passing of his wife? I know that would be very hard for me and I can only imagine what he is going through. Cowher would create buzz and I think his history in Pittsburgh does speak volume and if he can be fresh even five years away from the game, he is the guy for Miami. Not only in the buzz department but also in the winning department.

I hope Ross decides to go the route of Bill Cowher, because I believe if they clean house Bill would be very interested in coming here assuming the Giants job does not open up in New York. He is the guy I want as the 10th head coach of the Miami Dolphins(assuming that Mike Nolan will be #9).

Harbaugh was a young coaching prospect and a guy who had never been an NFL head coach. He benefited from developing Luck and winning at a high level at a school like Stanford. His parallels to Cowher, Gruden and Fisher are nearly nonexistent. He was the most popular candidate last year but that doesn't equate to "big name" in the sense that Cowher or Gruden or Fisher is a big name. Harbaugh fit the profile of what you want in an NFL head coach as an ascending-type talent. Cowher and company are more like celebrities you hire to give yourself instant box office cred, but maybe not the best change at long-term success.

As for Gruden, it's unfair to say he succeeded with Dungy's team. Gruden changed the offensive personnel greatly and he managed to do something Dungy couldn't do in six-years and Dungy is considered a great coach. People also forget that Gruden built the Raiders team that the Bucs beat in the Super Bowl and he managed to do that coexisting with Al Davis.

Cowher is a name de jour. I love the guy. He's Pittsburgh to me. He would not succeed here. He had an optimum situation in Pittsburgh and that always has something to do with winning a Super Bowl. I believe he's an all-time great, being as consistently good as he was with the garbage he had at quarterback says something special about the guy. There are only a few coaches in history who have won anything without a great quarterback and he got closer than most until Roethelisberger came around, however; having said all that, hiring him would be a profound mistake. He's been away from the game a long time now and circumstances have changed in his life. He, more than most coaches relied upon his intensity to win the day. Does anyone realistically think he has that fire left in him at this point? He's got his ring. His wife died. He's making a ton of money in television. Cowher fed on the blue collar ethos of the Steel City. For him life was about a beer at the local bar, unwinding at the bowling alley, shaking hands with the working class fans. That's not Miami and that's definitely not what Ross is trying to sell. Ross is tone deaf, he thinks putting up a disco ball in a luxury suite and inviting washed-up celebs to the games is going to get the E! Entertainment Television types to tune in to his football team. Cowher would last 2 or 3-years before he realized that he either didn't have it anymore, or the organization didn't have an idea about how to build a winner. I can see another Jimmy Johnson scenario. Not good.

 

[Jersey DolFan]

no imo you want rob ryan just because his brother i a head coach and his dad was sucessful in coaching. ok example look at earnhart senior. just because he was a very big champion you would have thought jr. would have to but he hasnt done squat in nascar. and he is my favorite driver.but bk on track if rob ryan was sooooooooo good then why is he just a dc.??? maybe jerry jones should fire garrett asap and put rr in as coach ?rob ryan hasnt proven **** and theres noway in hell i want to have to wait another 10 years to find the right coach. WOW some people on here. imo i want a coach that i know is proven, and still wants to coach,and will lite a fire under our players *****. i sure as hell dont want a young and up and coming unproven in rob ryan in here as my head coach. theres noway in hell i could last another 10 years of this.

buddy ryan was a good coordinator. . not really successful coaching. the stats show more that already "proven" winners rarely do well on the second go around. what makes you so positively certain that one of these guys will be guaranteed success in miami?

im saying i want a guy with something to prove who wants to make a name for himself, and thats a viable logic. Why are people so enamored with cowhers name? as other people have said - the steelers have not missed a step without him. Its like matt cassell leaving new england - maybe this guy was just a product of the system? maybe not? either way i want to give a new guy a chance. a guy who will go after his QB of the future, and use the talent on the roster, rather than trying to be elevated into this B.S. never-works Head Coach/GM/Mad scientist/ Football GURU thing, tear the team down and then get bored and leave after another 3 years of mediocrity.

but i guess if Ross is looking to fill seats with a name - "Jason_taylor" is the first ticket buyer.

 

[ckparrothead]

Never said "no way Sparano gets fired this season". Perhaps you didn't mean to direct your comment to the OP. I have CLEARLY said over and over that Sparano should be fired if he has a losing season and/or doesn't have us in the playoff race. I said I didn't think he would be fired because I had high expectations and hoped for a good season. I wasn't spending the entire offseason pssing and moaning and saying how I was going to actively root against the team.

It appears a coaching change will be made, so why can't I talk about it?

No, you spent the off season pissing and moaning about people that expressed legitimate gripes about how this franchise was being run. Legitimate, as in proven correct.

 

[Perfect23]

Give me Cowher or give me death.

 

[Finland]

I'd take Gruden. He built up Oakland, another coach took them to the Superbowl the next year. Gruden took over a team and tweaked it without killing it and won a Superbowl. Gruden has star power Ross would like. Gruden would have fan appeal. Gruden might last longer, he still has time to become the best of them all, as a younger coach. He is in no way a bad choice that is for sure. Cowher might be a notch up in ways for sure but what about longevity?

My REAL CONCERN is if Ross has the grace to land someone classy. His business moves are a bit cheesy to me. That whole boardroom meeting thing, after he didn't land a new coach. He seems to lack a bit of class so far as an owner.

 

[Shouright]

 

[roy_miami]

Tony Sparano's time in Miami might be down to just days now.

Didn't you guarantee Sparano would still be the coach next year just weeks ago? What happened? All we've done is lose the games we were supposed to lose.

 

[Nublar7]

No, you spent the off season pissing and moaning about people that expressed legitimate gripes about how this franchise was being run. Legitimate, as in proven correct.

Says the guy who claimed Mallett was a first round prospect. Please don't act like you don't have faults or know all the answers, because you don't. Sorry.

Didn't you guarantee Sparano would still be the coach next year just weeks ago? What happened? All we've done is lose the games we were supposed to lose.

I said I "expected" he would be back, never said he "would be back". Seriously, people need to read posts instead of skimming them so this wouldn't even be a question. I said from day one that if Sparano did not have a winning record or be in playoff contention this season that he would not be back. Review my old posts, it is there.

 

[Finfanforever]

im tired of re-tread coaches. cowher isnt going to put us over the edge, he is going to tear us down and again lead us into a dead end. lets get a young guy with some fire to come in and utilize our talent, draft his QB and put us over the edge.

Yeah...so say no to Gruden, Cowher, and Fischer and hire a total unknown with no head coaching experience...yeah ...I get that logic! :lol2:

 

[ANUFan]

Yeah...so say no to Gruden, Cowher, and Fischer and hire a total unknoiw with no head coaching experience...yeah ...I get that logic! :lol2:

Yep JJ, Wannstach and Parcells worked out sooo welll. I get that logic

 

[Finfanforever]

Yep JJ, Wannstach and Parcells worked out sooo welll. I get that logic

Mostly those failures were due to poor drafting. Anybody we need needs a NEW GM. Gruden, Cowher or Fischer would make this franchise better...in at least we have hope...currently it's only September...and we are already looking forward to the 2012 draft...wow! BTW: JJ did a good job...until his heart wasn't in it anymore and there wasn't enough south Florida beach to have Marino's and JJ's ego on it at the same time. Wann-stach was a pitiful pick made by an owner you really had respect for JJ. Parcells was never our coach...just a personell/president who lost touch with the NFL in the 2000's instead of the 80's.

 

[ANUFan]

Mostly those failures were due to poor drafting. Anybody we need needs a NEW GM. Gruden, Cowher or Fischer would make this franchise better...in at least we have hope...currently it's only September...and we are already looking forward to the 2012 draft...wow! BTW: JJ did a good job...until his heart wasn't in it anymore and there wasn't enough south Florida beach to have Marino's and JJ's ego on it at the same time. Wann-stach was a pitiful pick made by an owner you really had respect for JJ. Parcells was never our coach...just a personell/president who lost touch with the NFL in the 2000's instead of the 80's.

Those old coaches tend to be like old dogs to me! And todays NFL is setup to be a pass first league..i have no doubt defensively cowher can help us..my contention is on offense are we gonna pound the ball 1000x first? with the rules the way their are currently set up? Haven't we seen that show before?

 

[BlueFin]

I would take Cowher.

My biggest concern right now is that we have an owner that is not serious about putting a winning product on the field, if he is a bottom line guy this franchise may be screwed until he sells it one day.