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Shaw is prepared, but it's essential to hire right guy
By Bernie Miklasz
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/03/2006
John Shaw is on the clock. The future of the Rams' franchise is in his hands. Shaw, the team president and de facto owner, is searching for a new coach. And the competition will be extreme.
Seven NFL teams need to hire head coaches, and that list undoubtedly will grow. The Rams are entering a crowded field, and Shaw is in a tough spot. On the one hand, he must be patient and thoroughly check out several candidates through the normal interview process. This is an important hire, and Shaw shouldn't rush into anything. But Shaw can't procrastinate, either. An indecisive Shaw probably would lose out on preferred choices.
After an extensive visit with Shaw on Monday, I'm convinced that he has a handle on this process - at least at the start. Shaw has been planning for Martz's formal departure for the past two months. He's relied on a network of NFL contacts to accumulate extensive files on at least 10 candidates. These advance scouting reports give Shaw a head start.
This doesn't ensure a smooth process. If Shaw gets turned down by some candidates and is slow to make a move on others, then his careful planning will blow up and he'll be left scrambling. But as he begins this adventure, Shaw is fully prepared.
Unlike 1997, when Shaw zeroed in on two or three names and had no "Plan B" until hooking up with Dick Vermeil for a surprising hire late in the game, Shaw in 2006 has a comprehensive list of names to draw from. And he's done his homework on each potential recruit.
Shaw's last two hires paid off: Vermeil, then Martz. (In 1995, Shaw was busy moving the Rams from Los Angeles to St. Louis and allowed then-GM Steve Ortmayer to hire Rich Brooks.) But no two coaching searches are the same.
Let's examine the pertinent questions:
What positives do the Rams have to offer? Answer: a talented offense and a winning tradition. Just make a few key moves to revive the defense, and this can be an immediate playoff contender. If the Rams bring in a new personnel director, the new coach will have a substantial voice in that hiring and can bring in someone he trusts. That should be an appealing feature of this job. If you want to be the head coach of the Rams, you can be in the loop and help restructure the football operation. Besides, Shaw and director of football operations Jay Zygmunt won't be here forever. After 25 years with the Rams, they'll be looking for new challenges, perhaps sooner than we think. And if they move on, the new coach could be king before long.
What are the negatives? Answer: the perception that the Rams are a dysfunctional, divided franchise, contaminated by politics. And no wonder, given the public and occasionally ugly sparring between deposed head coach Mike Martz and the executive branch. But let's not overstate it. The harmony between bosses and coaches was sufficient to produce two Super Bowl appearances, a Super Bowl championship and five playoff trips in seven seasons.
Just because the relationship between Martz and his bosses deteriorated, it doesn't mean difficulty for the next coach. If anything, Shaw and Zygmunt will be out to prove that a head coach can thrive in the environment at Rams Park.
"It's clear to me that in order to be successful, all of the executives and the head coach have to work closely together to accomplish the goal of winning," Shaw said. "We're committed to that. I'm really taken aback by the suggestion that we're dysfunctional. This has been a successful organization that's won a lot of games over the last seven years."
What is Shaw looking for? Answer: Shaw declined to offer a specific profile, but in my conversations with him it's obvious Shaw will initially seek a coach with a strong defensive background. Defense is the team's weakest area, and it makes sense to bring in a coach who best can administer a quick fix.
But Shaw hasn't ruled out hiring an offense-minded coach, as long as that coach is prepared to hire a first-rate defensive coordinator. Shaw wants a balanced outlook. So if he picks a defense-oriented coach, the coach must have an impressive offensive coordinator lined up. That's the football side. On the human side, Shaw wants a warmer personality, a coach with some charisma, someone who can bring people together and help unite the organization.
So who's on Shaw's list? Answer: Post-Dispatch football writer Jim Thomas runs some of the names in today's newspaper. But I'll toss this in: Shaw may have a surprise name or two before it's all over. Make no mistake: This is no game. All of the pressure is on Shaw now. He's on the clock. There's nothing at stake except the future of the franchise.
__________________
"I would much rather have a bottle in front of me than a
frontal lobotomy"!!
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