No-nonsense Cecil to coach Rams' secondary ..

[MauiRam]

BY JIM THOMAS
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 12:20 am

With the general manager search now concluded, coach Jeff Fisher is putting some finishing touches on his first Rams coaching staff.

Chuck Cecil, a longtime assistant under Fisher with the Tennessee Titans and a former Pro Bowl safety as a player, will become the team's secondary coach, according to league sources. Given Cecil's playing and coaching style, suffice to say he will not be teaching finesse football.

During seven seasons as an NFL player for Green Bay, Arizona and the Houston Oilers, Cecil had a reputation as one of the game's biggest hitters — and then some.

In fact, a 1993 story in Sports Illustrated asked: Is Chuck Cecil too vicious for the NFL?

The trademark photo of Cecil featured a bloody nose or forehead from some of those hard hits. And during a time when fines weren't as common as they are now in the NFL, he was fined numerous times for helmet-first hits.

Cecil, now 47, was an All-American safety at the University of Arizona, made the Wildcats' all-decade team for the 1980s and since has been named to the College Football Hall of Fame.

He broke into coaching in 2001 as an assistant with Tennessee and spent his first eight seasons there on Fisher's Titans staff working with the secondary in some capacity. The 2008 team had three players in the Pro Bowl, the first time that has happened in franchise history. In 2009, Cecil replaced Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator after Schwartz took the Detroit Lions' head-coaching job.

Cecil's first season as a coordinator went well enough, with the Titans finishing 11th in the league in run defense and eighth in interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns. But in Fisher's final year with Tennessee, 2010, Cecil wasn't retained after the defense finished 26th in total defense and 29th in passing defense.

Cecil's feistiness got the best of him that season as well. He once was fined $40,000 after making an obscene gesture to officials in protest of a penalty.

Talented field

For even the most diligent NFL observers, it's difficult to get a true read on the worthiness of general manager candidates if they're being promoted from No. 2 or No. 3 positions in a team's personnel department.

But one indication that the Rams might have put a good candidate list together is that six names on their list got promotions during the process, either from their existing clubs or new teams.

Atlanta's Les Snead (Rams), Philadelphia's Ryan Grigson (Indianapolis) and Tennessee's Ruston Webster (Tennessee) ended up getting general manager jobs. Grigson and obviously Snead were both interviewed by the Rams. Webster was promoted before the Rams interviewed him, although they had asked for and received persmission to do so.

In addition, Minnesota's George Paton was promoted to assistant general manager to stay with the Vikings, Tennessee's Lake Dawson was promoted to vice president of personnel in Nashville, and Indianapolis' Tom Telesco was promoted to vice president of football operations after the Colts hired Grigson.

Scouting changes?

During the general manager interview process, candidates were told that no one was untouchable in the scouting and personnel department. So if new general manager Snead wants to make changes there, it's his prerogative.

Even if changes are made, they probably would not take place until the spring because most contracts of scouts and personnel department employees do not expire until after the draft.

The Rams already are adding NFL scout and personnel executive Rich Snead to their department, although his job title is not known at this time.

[UK Ramfan 83]

"...But in Fisher's final year with Tennessee, 2010, Cecil wasn't retained after the defense finished 26th in total defense and 29th in passing defense..."


Hmmmmmm.........

[HUbison]

Fear the Spear!

I don't know, guys. Never really liked him as a player for the same reason most folks don't like Richie Incognito. He was a dirty player.

[UK Ramfan 83]

Agreed...

Just take a look at the likes of Cortland Finnegan for his influence as a coach.

Regardless of Finnegans ability which I believe is good, I can't understand that some were championing his trade to St Louis with a view to him following Fisher.

At the time Finnegan had his dust up with Andre Johnson, the commentators were saying that he is widely regarded as the leagues dirtiest player.

Hell I hear Lawrence Phillips has been working out hard, and is on contention for a return.......If we can bust him out of jail.

While were at it when is Daryl Henley due for parole?

Go figure..

[NJ Ramsfan1]

Always liked Cecil. Good player, feared hitter. Many of his hits were perfectly legal back in the day. I find it ironic that some people who campaigned for Cortlandt Finnegan, Vincent Jackson, Brandon Marshall and every other talented pain in the ass out there with questionable character would be skeptical of Cecil's hire.

This team needs toughness and an attitutde that says "the Rams are no longer going to be the league's patsies". Cecil fits.

[UK Ramfan 83]

Always liked Cecil. Good player, feared hitter. Many of his hits were perfectly legal back in the day. I find it ironic that some people who campaigned for Cortlandt Finnegan, Vincent Jackson, Brandon Marshall and every other talented pain in the ass out there with questionable character would be skeptical of Cecil's hire.

This team needs toughness and an attitutde that says "the Rams are no longer going to be the league's patsies". Cecil fits.

I would suggest back in the day you could get away with a lot more. Although I for one never championed Finnegan (as can be seen) I'd be first in line for some toughness for this team, but it doesn't matter how tough/in your face/rough/aggressive you are when all (much needed) progress and impetus are buried under a sea of yellow hankies because you can't necessarily control yourselves.

Still we shall see...

[Truth]

Mixed emotions on this one. However, it's not like our secondary couldn't use some attitude and aggressiveness. I also feel that Fisher wouldn't have made the hire if he felt that Cecil hadn't learned some very important lessons from his previous coaching experience. Fisher might also be willing to chance a few issues to get this defense to be a more agressive bunch. I'm going to take the high road, and look at this as a positive step forward.

[HUbison]

This team needs toughness and an attitutde that says "the Rams are no longer going to be the league's patsies". Cecil fits.

Toughness is one thing. The 26th overall defense, 29th pass defense, and useless fines/penalties are quite another.

[laram0]

Our team needs an identity......Tough and Physical work for me, with a little bit of dirty mixed in....

[GROUND DOG 39]

Our team needs an identity......Tough and Physical work for me, with a little bit of dirty mixed in....

It also works for all the best defenses in the league. Its no coincidence to me, that Harvey Dahl and Darian Stewart, are two of the Rams best players. Both play on the edge. I think you get my drift, Laram0. You don't get anywhere in this league, being passive. So as long as they get away with it, they can mix in as much dirtiness as they want. It will be tolerated by me, if it's the difference between WINNING and losing.?

[Bing69]

Toughness is one thing. The 26th overall defense, 29th pass defense, and useless fines/penalties are quite another.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That was when he was defensive co-ordinator, which he isnt with the Rams, hes only coaching the backs...

[Tampa_Ram]

Toughness is one thing. The 26th overall defense, 29th pass defense, and useless fines/penalties are quite another.

That was when he was DC not DB coach. He seems like a great DB coach so i like this hire. Also remember Fisher teams usually had high penalties. So i already expected our fines/penalties to go up.

[NJ Ramsfan1]

I am personally a fan of defenses that are bullish, aggressive and intimidate (legally). Those teams are traditionally successful. Baltimore comes to mind. SF this year. Philly through most of the 2000's. I have long wished the Rams would adopt a similar identity on defense, and I think Fisher is attempting to do just that. His hiring of Gregg Williams and now Chuck Cecil speaks to that. He's implied that while discipline will be important, we're not going to have a "choir boys only" mentality while constructing this team.

My overwhelming impression of the Rams as a whole is that we had a physically and mentally soft team under Spags. A team often injured. A team that expected to lose. When was the last time you saw a Rams defender just light up some poor hapless back or receiver? This must change. I'm confident it can and will under Fisher.

I pay no mind to Cecil's 26th ranked defense in Fisher's last year as Titans coach. After 17 years of continuous service with one team, Fisher's run finally came to an end. Not a big deal.

[HUbison]

I pay no mind to Cecil's 26th ranked defense in Fisher's last year as Titans coach.

I envy you. I wish I could just ignore facts taht ran counter to what I wanted.

Look, he's Fisher's boy, and I get that. Hopefully, he can improve the secondary.

[Tampa_Ram]

How could you not want this guy as db coach? He wont be in charge of the defense, just DB coach. I love it. Our defense is gonna be vicious!!!