Devaney surrounds himself with advisers

[GolfnRAMFAN]

Rams GM surrounds himself with advisers

Associated Press
Updated: December 30, 2008, 5:30 PM ET
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ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams general manager Billy Devaney has the final say in the search for a new coach. Along the way, he has surrounded himself with big-name advisers to help him make the right choice for a franchise that's a sorry 5-27 the past two years.

Other members of Devaney's inner circle during the search are retired personnel whiz Bobby Beathard and Rams personnel director Lawrence McCutcheon, who'll sit in on initial interviews. Hall of Fame lineman Dan Dierdorf and former star running back Marshall Faulk will serve as advisers.

"I'm not someone that I hope it ever gets to that point where there's such an ego that I can do this thing on my own or I don't need any help," Devaney said Tuesday. "I don't mind reaching out to people that I trust."

John Shaw, who resigned as team president last week as part of the front office overhaul in which Devaney was made GM, will be involved with the final interviews, along with team owners Chip Rosenbloom, Lucia Rodriguez and Stan Kroenke. Shaw and Jay Zygmunt, the former president of football operations who also resigned, have been blamed for the franchise's decline in recent years.

"John wants to sit in on that and ask questions, and I'm sure he'll have an opinion," Devaney said. "And that's fine, I think that's good.

"They told me they'll have an opinion and they want a chance to meet these guys, but when it's over they'll let me make the decision."

The first candidate will be Winston Moss, the Packers assistant head coach and linebackers coach, due to be interviewed at the end of the week. Moss, 43, has been with Green Bay for three seasons.

Devaney said Jim Haslett, 2-10 after replacing Scott Linehan, will be among the finalists for the job.

Beathard was the Chargers GM when Devaney was San Diego's director of player personnel from 1990 to 2000. Devaney said he'd lean on McCutcheon and Beathard, who retired in 2000 after being part of four Super Bowl champions, for league contacts that will help with background checks and research.

"We'll be in this together, and I'll lean on both of those guys for a lot of help and a lot of information," Devaney said. "Bobby just said, 'Let me know, and I'll be available.' "

Faulk and Dierdorf fit into more informal roles, serving as sounding boards for Devaney's ideas. Before unveiling his plan for the search, Devaney said he spent half an hour on the phone with Faulk going over names, recommendations and other background material.

Devaney said he'd rely more on gut instinct than a cut-and-dried points system, which was used in the Atlanta Falcons' search that landed Mike Smith and led to their big turnaround this season. The Rams' search began a few weeks ago, a head start Devaney intends to have pay off with a new coach about the third week of January.

The Rams have missed the playoffs five straight years, but Devaney believes the head coaching job will be plenty attractive. Devaney said he'd control personnel and the draft, and the coach would control the roster.

"I don't think we have to sell it at all," he said. "I think people look at this really not as a place you come in and have to gut the whole thing, start from scratch."

Like Haslett, Moss is a former NFL linebacker. He also was an assistant under Haslett in 2000 with the Saints and in late October, he told Green Bay reporters he had a timeline and was "on track" to becoming a head coach. The additional responsibilities he had as assistant head coach under Mike McCarthy couldn't hurt.

"You always want to be stimulated," Moss said. "You always want to do more and grow. I think the thing I appreciate about Mike the most is that he's given me the opportunity to do just a little more each year."

[ScottD413]

ugh...Dan Dierdorf. A tree stump knows more about football than that moron.

[RealRam]

Ugh...Dan Dierdorf. A tree stump knows more about football... -- ScottD413

A 'tree stump' he says!

No, really, I think Big Dan knows a lot about football and the NFL but I wouldn't think he's HC adviser material.

[HUbison]

Shaw and Jay Zygmunt, the former president of football operations who also resigned, have been blamed for the franchise's decline in recent years.

....and in other news, massive amounts of water are to blame for flooding, fire is the cause of most forest fires, lack of food leads to starvation, loss of oxygen is the main indicator for sufocation, and scientists have proven Yoko Ono to be the root cause of most self-inflicted eardrum punctures.

[HUbison]

ugh...Dan Dierdorf. A tree stump knows more about football than that moron.

Scott, it's funny you mention that. I recently found a transcript of an interview between Devaney, Dierdorf, and a tree stump. It was rather insightful.

Devaney: So gentlemen, I guess you know why you're here. This organization is looking for an advisor to help with a few football related matters. So let's begin, shall we?

Let's start with you, Dan. Tell me why you should be my advisor.


Dierdorf: Well, Bill, I was an All-American lineman at Michigan and played 13 seasons in the NFL, all in St. Louis. I was selected to 6 Pro Bowls, as well as 6 All-Pro selections. I was a 3 time winner of the NFL Players Assoc.'s NFC lineman of the year award. And I was named to the 70's All-Decade team. Also, in 1975 our line set a record for allowing only 8 sacks the entire year. And, personally, I played the entire '76 and '77 seasons without giving up a single sack.

Upon retirement, I remained in football as a broadcaster; first on radio for KMOX, then for CBS. In '87 I went to work for ABC as part of the Monday Night Football lineup. Later I went back to CBS as a commentator where I remain currently. For my work as a broadcaster I am the 2008 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

And for my work on the field, I am a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Hall of Fame.


Devaney: Well, that's very impressive, Dan. Thank you. Mr. tree stump, what qualifies you for this position?

Tree Stump: ---silence---

Dierdorf: Uh, Bill....I don't think he's going to say anything..........'cause, you know.....he's a tree stump.

[ScottD413]

Scott, it's funny you mention that. I recently found a transcript of an interview between Devaney, Dierdorf, and a tree stump. It was rather insightful.

Devaney: So gentlemen, I guess you know why you're here. This organization is looking for an advisor to help with a few football related matters. So let's begin, shall we?

Let's start with you, Dan. Tell me why you should be my advisor.


Dierdorf: Well, Bill, I was an All-American lineman at Michigan and played 13 seasons in the NFL, all in St. Louis. I was selected to 6 Pro Bowls, as well as 6 All-Pro selections. I was a 3 time winner of the NFL Players Assoc.'s NFC lineman of the year award. And I was named to the 70's All-Decade team. Also, in 1975 our line set a record for allowing only 8 sacks the entire year. And, personally, I played the entire '76 and '77 seasons without giving up a single sack.

Upon retirement, I remained in football as a broadcaster; first on radio for KMOX, then for CBS. In '87 I went to work for ABC as part of the Monday Night Football lineup. Later I went back to CBS as a commentator where I remain currently. For my work as a broadcaster I am the 2008 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award.

And for my work on the field, I am a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Hall of Fame.


Devaney: Well, that's very impressive, Dan. Thank you. Mr. tree stump, what qualifies you for this position?

Tree Stump: ---silence---

Dierdorf: Uh, Bill....I don't think he's going to say anything..........'cause, you know.....he's a tree stump.

Shaw: I like the stump. How does 5 million a year for 10 years sound?

[HUbison]

Shaw: I like the stump. How does 5 million a year for 10 years sound?

Devaney: John, I told you to stay out on the patio with Chip and Lucia. You three finish your lemonades, then move to the theater room and start Chip's latest movie. Later, if your good, I'll tell you who the new coach is going to be.

[ScottD413]

Devaney: John, I told you to stay out on the patio with Chip and Lucia. You three finish your lemonades, then move to the theater room and start Chip's latest movie. Later, if your good, I'll tell you who the new coach is going to be.

HAHA! You win!

[Dwight Frye]

I REALLY hope that I don't hear John Shaw's name at all next year. It'll haunt me enough knowing that he's behind the curtain. Just stay back there, John.

[Dwight Frye]

I AM really glad McCutcheon and Ellard are still around. Lawrence was the man when I was a kid.

[mde8352gorams]

The best news here is that Bobby Beathard is involved. He's a pretty solid evaluator of talent and I trust he will be able to see that skill in any HC candidate. We desperately need that talent in the FO.

As for the tree stump, well that's a whole other matter that has hysterically been discussed here!

Go Rams!

[GameTime]

in the paper today, Devaney was quoted with saying that Dierdorf would be an adviser as to if a candidate's personality would mesh with the city. Dierdorf means a lot to St. Louis football. So either way its a good PR move to get fans to buy into the coaching search. all in all, it looks like Billy knows what he is doing.

[GameTime]

paper referenced was St louis post dispatch