2021-2022 NFL Season

[Jockey]

It really is hard to tell what exactly they are looking for in a head coach.  All the candidates mentioned have been...fine...but the real key is what they are going to do offensively if they hire a defensive minded coach like Eberflus or Flores. 

And in the end they may end up getting a good GM and coach, but the process they are following sure makes it harder.

What's your opinion on the most important quality for a HC? I think all of these guys mentioned by the bears know their x's and o's. Should that be the priority or are real leadership qualities even more important?

[MU82]

Know how to lead and motivate and manage egos, know a lot about every phase of football even if you're not an expert on both sides of the ball, and hire great coordinators and let them do their thing. That's a good recipe for any NFL coach, whether he has been a DC, OC or whatever in the past.

John Harbaugh was a special-teams and defensive-backs coach; he's been a pretty good NFL coach. Belichick and Carroll were defensive guys but they've had some fine offensive teams. Brian Billick was considered an offensive guru but he won a Super Bowl despite a meh offense because he had a great defense. Bill Walsh was an offensive genius but his 49ers had outstanding defenses. And, of course, Ditka my friend. Etc etc etc. 

[Herman Cain]

It would not surprise me if Bryon Leftwich  becomes a Head Coach this cycle and then brings along some of the excess offensive talent from The Bucs to his new team . Especially if the new team has cap room.

[JWags85]

Todd Bowles?  I mean WTF.  Dude crashed and burned literally 3 seasons ago.  I like Leftwich's potential a lot though.  He has a lot of attractive tools and experience

As for what makes a good HC, I agree, its management now, not being a great playcaller.  Manage your coordinators.  Manage your players.  Manage the game.

Look at a guy like Mike Tomlin.  Only had a year of being a coordinator.  But he's a consummate HC.  And while he was defensive in his experience, he has had A LOT of good offenses cause they get the right people running that side of the ball.

[Herman Cain]

Todd Bowles?  I mean WTF.  Dude crashed and burned literally 3 seasons ago.  I like Leftwich's potential a lot though.  He has a lot of attractive tools and experience

As for what makes a good HC, I agree, its management now, not being a great playcaller.  Manage your coordinators.  Manage your players.  Manage the game.

Look at a guy like Mike Tomlin.  Only had a year of being a coordinator.  But he's a consummate HC.  And while he was defensive in his experience, he has had A LOT of good offenses cause they get the right people running that side of the ball.

Todd Bowles gets a mulligan because he was coaching for a dysfunctional organization, The Jets . To me that qualifies him well for coaching the Bears .

[jesmu84]

Agree with the above.

To me, it makes a lot more sense to hire a leader/CEO type. Someone who can manage the locker room/culture. Someone who can manage coordinators/staff. Let the coaches/coordinators get into the minutiae of playcall/scheme.

[Billy Hoyle]

It would not surprise me if Bryon Leftwich  becomes a Head Coach this cycle and then brings along some of the excess offensive talent from The Bucs to his new team . Especially if the new team has cap room.

The Jags make the most sense considering A) his having played there and B) his potential to develop Trevor Lawrence.

[Jockey]

Look at a guy like Mike Tomlin.  Only had a year of being a coordinator.  But he's a consummate HC.  And while he was defensive in his experience, he has had A LOT of good offenses cause they get the right people running that side of the ball.

I think being a leader is something one is born with. You either have that quality or you don’t. It’s what makes guys like Tomlin, BB, LaFluer, McVae, etc. such great coaches. They know HOW to lead and their authority is unquestioned. And they are all great football minds.

[MU82]

Todd Bowles?  I mean WTF.  Dude crashed and burned literally 3 seasons ago.  I like Leftwich's potential a lot though.  He has a lot of attractive tools and experience

As for what makes a good HC, I agree, its management now, not being a great playcaller.  Manage your coordinators.  Manage your players.  Manage the game.

Look at a guy like Mike Tomlin.  Only had a year of being a coordinator.  But he's a consummate HC.  And while he was defensive in his experience, he has had A LOT of good offenses cause they get the right people running that side of the ball.

Yep. It's why I think stuff like, "I want a guy who's been a play-caller" is generally overrated. Now if you've got an Andy Reid, who is probably in the "offensive genius" category, maybe that's something else entirely. But in general, give me a coach who knows how to manage people, who is crazy-organized, who is good at delegating responsibility and holding people accountable, who stays cool under pressure when having to make huge in-game decisions, etc.

Tomlin is a great example of a coach who is very good at all the important stuff. He doesn't need to waste his time and energy calling plays. I'm sure the Steelers are glad they didn't go after whoever the hot, young offensive play-caller was at the time.

[Uncle Rico]

No, I agree with you about Gutey. He was very well respected in GB - I meant that he wasn't a hot name league-wide and most had never heard of him. I certainly don't follow a lot of guys who work under a GM.

I went to college with one of Guteys HS buddies.  Guess he can pound beers and was a huge Vikings fan growing up. 

[GB Warrior]

No, I agree with you about Gutey. He was very well respected in GB - I meant that he wasn't a hot name league-wide and most had never heard of him. I certainly don't follow a lot of guys who work under a GM.

IIRC, San Francisco was sniffing around him prior to hiring John Lynch.

[MU82]

I went to college with one of Guteys HS buddies.  Guess he can pound beers and was a huge Vikings fan growing up.

Sounds pretty much like every U of Minn student I knew.

[jesmu84]

Up to date info on bears candidates:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CHIBears/comments/s1ffk5/gmhead_coach_interview_trackers/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

[Uncle Rico]

Sounds pretty much like every U of Minn student I knew.

Think he went to La Crosse

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Think he went to La Crosse

Do college students in La Crosse drink beer?

[Pakuni]

Regarding young, up-and-coming coordinators vs "leaders of men," I don't think there needs to be a distinction there. Pretty much every good "leader of men" NFL coach was at one point the young, up-and-comng coordinator, including guys like Belichick and Tomlin. The one notable exception may be John Harbaugh, who was a special teams guy before the Ravens hired him.
The risk is that it's usually impossible to know whether the young coordinator can become a good head coach until you make him a head coach.

[Uncle Rico]

Do college students in La Crosse drink beer?

No.  It’s a UW school and students that are part of the UW system are 100% sober.  That’s why it’s so hard to get into Madison

[Pakuni]

Joe Judge has been fired.

[Jockey]

Joe Judge has been fired.

Once Gettleman "retired". it was only a matter of time.

I hear he may start a new league with all of the guys who called and said they wanted to play for him.

Seriously, though, it doesn't matter. Coaching is not the problem. Ownership is. When three coaches in a row that you hire are fired within 2 seasons, dysfunction is rampant at the top.

It is clearly evident why teams like the Giants, Jets, and Bears flounder year after year.

[Pakuni]

Once Gettleman "retired". it was only a matter of time.

I hear he may start a new league with all of the guys who called and said they wanted to play for him.

Seriously, though, it doesn't matter. Coaching is not the problem. Ownership is. When three coaches in a row that you hire are fired within 2 seasons, dysfunction is rampant at the top.

It is clearly evident why teams like the Giants, Jets, and Bears flounder year after year.

It's been all downhill for the Giants since the boat picture.
11 wins in the season before the boat picture.
22 wins in the five seasons since the boat picture.

[GB Warrior]

It's been all downhill for the Giants since the boat picture.
11 wins in the season before the boat picture.
22 wins in the five seasons since the boat picture.

Live look at the state of the Giants:

[Billy Hoyle]

Joe Judge has been fired.

There are now ZERO Bill Belichick assistants employed as head coaches in the NFL. Josh McDaniels is the most likely candidate to change that.

[Uncle Rico]

Joe Judge has been fired.

Rodgers is going to have a lot of choices this off-season to play for a hand-picked coach

[Pakuni]

There are now ZERO Bill Belichick assistants employed as head coaches in the NFL. Josh McDaniels is the most likely candidate to change that.

Daboll and Flores also could have HC gigs soon. And Jerod Mayo and Bill O'Brien are going to get some looks.

[tower912]

I think history gets made and a former Detroit coach gets another gig.