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Who'll coach Rams in 2006?
By Bernie Miklasz
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, Nov. 23 2005
The Rams' 2005 season is slipping away, but a surprisingly hopeful future is
within easy reach if the organization makes the right moves.
First of all, let's clear something up before we move on: team president John
Shaw will be back next season. Shaw won't be fired, and he isn't quitting, and
team owner Georgia Frontiere isn't selling the team to partner Stan Kroenke.
While frustration with the current state of affairs at Rams Park is certainly
understandable - I've done plenty of venting - the reality is what it is. Fans
and media personalities can demand Shaw's ouster, or plead with him to go away,
but it ain't going to happen.
Shaw will continue in his role as the point man for ownership.
Shaw can be an effective leader, just as he proved after the 1998 season when
he nudged Dick Vermeil into making a series of changes that transformed a loser
into a Super Bowl champion.
Now Shaw must do it again.
Some key questions:
What will Shaw do with his longtime associate, Jay Zygmunt, the team's
president of football operations? Shaw may not have to do anything.
Zygmunt has sent signals that he'll withdraw from personnel involvement. If
Zygmunt remains he'd likely concentrate on salary-cap and contract matters and
make himself available to a new head coach in other areas where assistance is
requested.
Will there be a new head coach? Absolutely. The working
relationship, and the friendship, between Shaw and Mike Martz has run its
course. Both men are exhausted by the melodrama. Martz will be moving on, one
way or another.
Who will be the new head coach? Hold on; we'll explore that in a
minute.
Will there be a new power structure? Under Shaw, we can expect a revamping of
the personnel department - in both pro scouting and college scouting. It's long
overdue, because the Rams have wasted too many premium picks on duds. And the
pro personnel judgments have been a disaster; the $25 million invested in
free-agent linebackers Chris Claiborne and Dexter Coakley; and the failure to
sign a top safety are the latest and most glaring examples of incompetence.
And the new head coach obviously must be able to play a major role in shaping a
new system for evaluating players. No respected coaching candidate will take
the STL job unless he's compatible with those assigned to oversee personnel.
OK, so who's the new coach?
Shaw will have a long list to choose from.
The Rams have terrific pieces on offense, and would benefit by bringing in a
head coach with a strong defensive background to assess potential defensive
players and make sure they're coached properly. If this defense is fixed
quickly, the Rams can rebound immediately.
But the hunt won't be limited to defensive leaders. A hard- nosed coach who
believes in a physical running game - without being one-dimensional - has
appeal. There's no need to junk the passing game. Just balance the run-pass
ratio.
Here are our (mostly) REALISTIC candidates. We're eliminating flight-of-fantasy
names such as Jimmy Johnson. And we won't include golden oldies such as Mike
Ditka, who have no shot at this gig.
Drum roll . . .
Jeff Fisher: Tennessee's head coach has a year left on his contract,
but if he's fired, or can get out of his deal, his toughness and comfortable
history with Shaw (as a Rams assistant) makes for a solid fit.
Kirk Ferentz: The Iowa coach has demonstrated first-rate leadership
skills at the college level, and he served a valuable NFL apprenticeship as an
assistant to Bill Belichick.
Gregg Williams: He was Fisher's top aide at Tennessee, flunked in
his first head-coaching gig at Buffalo, and was recruited by Joe Gibbs to run
the Washington Redskins' defense. Williams has said he learned a lot from his
mistakes and is ready for another head-coaching opportunity.
Jerry Gray: Buffalo's respected defensive coordinator was a longtime
Rams defensive back, so there's a natural connection.
Donnie Henderson: The New York Jets' fiery defensive coordinator has
built a good reputation with the NFL.
Pat Hill: The Fresno State head coach does a great job, and he also
served on a Belichick staff in the NFL. One potential issue: He's buddies with
Martz.
Jim Schwartz: Not a big name - but possibly the brightest young
defensive mind to emerge in the NFL in awhile. He was trained by Fisher and is
the Titans' defensive coordinator.
Pete Carroll: A number of NFL teams will pursue USC's coach, but he
had a bad experience interviewing with Shaw and the Rams before Vermeil got the
job in 1997.
Ken Whisenhunt: The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator has
earned kudos for devising a punishing rushing attack. And quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger developed quickly.
Ron Rivera: Chicago's defensive coordinator is generating positive
buzz in NFL circles. He'd certainly make the Rams more physical.
Jeff Tedford: The California head coach runs a dazzling offense but
has no NFL experience.
Mike Shula: Alabama's head coach was an assistant for Tampa Bay and
has the bloodlines.
Ralph Friedgen: Maryland's head coach was offensive coordinator for
Bobby Ross for the 1994 AFC Champion San Diego Chargers.
Brian Billick: If the Ravens' head coach is fired, the Rams could do
worse. He's been a stable leader in Baltimore, and won a Super Bowl.
Scott Lenihan: The Miami Dolphins' offensive coordinator; had the
same job with the Minnesota Vikings and did well.
Or how about Dick Vermeil II?
RamBill
__________________
"I would much rather have a bottle in front of me than a
frontal lobotomy"!!
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