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  • #1

    Vermeil still retiring after 2005

    From a Jacksonville Jaguars notebook....


    Vermeil's retirement on track

    Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil reiterated Wednesday that he will retire after next season, no matter how much his close friend, Kansas City general manager Carl Peterson, tries to persuade him otherwise.

    The Chiefs are 1-3 this year but went 13-3 last year in Vermeil's third season, tying the franchise record for victories.

    "I'm definitely retiring [after next year],'' Vermeil said. "I'll finish this year and go one more, which is what I told Carl all along. I'll be 69 when I retire, and I will miss it.''
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  • RamWraith
    Rams, Chiefs in Cup Battle
    by RamWraith
    By Nick Wagoner
    Staff Writer

    It’s unlike any other preseason game, but like most at the same time. When St. Louis and Kansas City meet in the annual Governor’s Cup game, there are bragging rights, a trophy and jobs on the line. There is not much else at stake, though, when the cross-state rivals get together. Kickoff is at 7:08 p.m. Monday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

    The Governor’s Cup goes to the winner of the game each year. In 2003, the Chiefs claimed a 22-6 win, one of the few preseason matchups that Kansas City has taken. Both teams enter the game with an 0-1 record in the preseason.

    Dick Vermeil, who coached the Rams to a win in the 1999 Super Bowl, leads the Chiefs into his fourth season as head coach. A year ago, Kansas City had one of the league’s best teams, finishing the regular season 13-3 before an AFC Divisional Playoff loss to Indianapolis.

    Vermeil’s success in St. Louis makes him a favorite on both sides of the state. He retired after the Super Bowl win, but his passion for the game brought him back two years later, this time on the western side of Missouri.

    Since taking over the team, he has transformed the Chiefs into a Super Bowl contender within three years, much as he did in St. Louis. His first year resulted in a 6-10 finish, followed by an 8-8 before last season’s magnificent turnaround.

    The affection his former players have for Vermeil is a mutual feeling. Known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, Vermeil said he will always have a place for the players that took him to football’s highest peak and is excited about seeing the 10 remaining Rams from his time in St. Louis. “I always look forward to seeing them,” Vermeil said. “They were part of a great experience, and will always remain a part of a great experience, you can’t change that, you can’t lose it, and you’ll never forget it. I’m looking forward to seeing those guys and I’m proud of how well they’ve done.”

    When Vermeil retired, his offensive coordinator, Mike Martz, took the reins. Martz continued building on what Vermeil started and has made the Rams into one of the league’s premiere franchises.

    The game against Vermeil’s Chiefs marks the second reunion with a former Rams coach. The first preseason game had former Rams’ defensive coordinator Lovie Smith back in St. Louis as head coach of the Bears. This time, it is Martz going against one of his former mentors.

    Martz said he isn’t worried about any of the commotion surrounding the game. The trophy means little and, while he is always happy to see Vermeil, whenever the game starts, he has on thing on his mind, winning. “I don’t care where it is, or what cup it is,” Martz said. “The tea cup, the Governor’s cup, the coffee cup, I could care less. We want to play as good as we can. I’m not trying to diminish anybody’s thoughts about anything, but if you’re a competitor...
    -08-23-2004, 06:36 AM
  • RamWraith
    Vermeil pays visit, brings good karma
    by RamWraith
    By Jim Thomas
    ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
    Tuesday, Aug. 12 2008
    MEQUON, WIS. — Since he left coaching — for good, this time — after the 2005
    season with Kansas City, Dick Vermeil hasn't been to an NFL game. (Other than a
    couple he worked for the NFL Network in 2006.)

    He has stayed away from NFL training camps, even though he has gotten several
    invitations.

    "I just try and stay away, especially from places that I've coached," Vermeil
    said Monday.

    But not only did Vermeil accept Scott Linehan's invitation to visit Rams camp
    at Concordia University Wisconsin, he arrived Sunday wearing a prop — the
    larger-than-life Super Bowl championship ring from that magical 1999 season
    with the Rams.

    "I don't wear it much at all anymore," Vermeil, 71, said. "First off, at home
    it gets in the way."

    That's because Vermeil's always doing some kind of chore on his 114-acre ranch
    outside Philadelphia.

    "I can put a chainsaw in my hand anytime I want, I'll find something to do,"
    Vermeil said.

    But he purposely brought the ring with him to Rams camp.

    "Because you look at it, it's a great symbol of so many wonderful things that
    happen," Vermeil said. "I wanted the 'kids' here to see that the Rams — there's
    people in this building — that know how to do it. They've already done it."

    Vermeil did it under the most improbable of circumstances as coach of the Rams.
    The team had endured nine straight losing seasons, including records of 5-11
    and 4-12 in Vermeil's first two seasons in St. Louis, before the amazing '99
    turnaround.

    In inviting him to Concordia, Linehan hopes Vermeil can sprinkle some of that
    '99 magic dust on the '08 Rams.

    "I was glad he was able to make it," Linehan said. "I told him I'd like him to
    come, spend a couple days, visit ... kind of pick his brain about '99. Every
    year's different, but as coaches, we've all got to kind of stick together
    because you have those up waves and those down waves."

    When Vermeil arrived at Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport, he
    was greeted by none other than D'Marco Farr, one of the starting defensive
    tackles on the Super Bowl XXXIV championship squad.

    "They didn't tell me he was coming to pick me up," Vermeil said. "I look out
    there and he's standing there. He's such a special piece of work."

    Farr, who does radio and television work for the Rams, has been with the team
    throughout camp and drove Vermeil from the airport to Concordia. At dinner time
    Sunday night, the hug-a-thon began in the university cafeteria as Vermeil
    ...
    -08-12-2008, 04:32 AM
  • RamsFanSam
    Vermeil says he's not returning to Rams
    by RamsFanSam
    Lyndal Scranton • News-Leader • September 19, 2008


    The man who coached the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl championship nine years ago has shot down speculation he could return to the struggling team.

    Dick Vermeil, appearing at a Missouri Sports Hall of Fame luncheon, said he’s happy in retirement.

    “There’s no truth to it,” Vermeil said of the possibility he could return to the Rams in a coaching or player personnel capacity.

    “First of all, they don’t need me,” Vermeil said. “They have outstanding people there.”

    Ron Jaworski, an announcer on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, implored the Rams this week to call Vermeil and ask him to return.

    St. Louis is 0-2 and been outscored 82-16. Head coach Scott Linehan has drawn heavy criticism in the St. Louis media.

    Vermeil said Rams general manager Jay Zygmunt “helped us do what we did and was a major factor in our success. They also have a fine coaching staff.”

    Vermeil said his time in pro football has passed. He coached the Rams from 1997-99 and the Chiefs from 2001-05.

    The passion still burns, he said, but he has a wine business — Dick Vermeil Cabernet — that he’s restructuring.

    “I’ll be 72 this coming month,” he said. “I have the energy to coach and to work in pro football, but I don’t have the stamina any more.

    “It’s such a demanding, demanding pace and it goes for so long. I wouldn’t want to shortchange the ownership by not being able to do it by the standards that I set for myself and the standards required to be successful.”
    -09-19-2008, 10:51 AM
  • RamWraith
    Rams on short rest, Chiefs minus Green for Governor's Cup
    by RamWraith
    By R.B. FALLSTROM
    Updated: 5:46 p.m. ET Sept. 1, 2005
    ST. LOUIS - The Governor's Cup series between the St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs is never much more than an average preseason game.

    This year it may be even more of a yawner given that the Chiefs will be without Trent Green, who's been experiencing numbness in his lower left leg and foot, and that the Rams will be playing their second game in five days. Coach Mike Martz noted it could be worse, given that the NFL had originally wanted this game to be held on Thursday, precious little time in either case coming off a 37-13 victory at Detroit on Monday night.

    "You don't want it to be that way," defensive tackle Tyoka Jackson said. "That's not how you would draw it up. I've never played a game this quickly, so this is something new for me."

    Like most final exhibition games, it's primarily a test for players trying to make the 53-man roster.

    "This is a great opportunity for some of these guys to make this team, and some that may not, to expose themselves to the whole NFL," Martz said. "It's very important for these guys, that's really what we're kind of banking on."

    With only two days of practice to prepare for the game, the Rams will be going with a skeletal game plan.

    "We did nothing for Kansas City, nothing," Martz said. "So whatever happens, happens out there."

    The frontliners won't play much, either.

    "We're going to protect our starters in this last game," Martz said. "You have to. Only a fool wouldn't do it."

    Jonathan Quinn will start at quarterback for the Chiefs in place of Green, recovering surgery on his lower left leg. He remains on track to start in the opener Sept. 11 at home against the Jets.

    Quinn, who was with the Bears last year but was unemployed before the Chiefs signed him two weeks ago, likely will play the first half. The regular backup, Todd Collins, is out with a hand injury.

    One of the more intriguing story lines for the Chiefs could be the debut of former Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell, who has one game to audition for a job. The Chiefs picked him up at the start of training camp but he's been sidelined by a knee injury and for a time considered arthroscopic surgery.

    "I've got four years of game tape," Mitchell said. "Hey, I was breast-fed on big games. I'm ready to go out there."

    Cornerback Eric Warfield also figures to get his only extensive action in the preseason. He's suspended for the first four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

    This will be the third trip back to St. Louis for Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, who coached the 1999 Rams to their only Super Bowl championship. The Rams have 12 players that played for him,...
    -09-01-2005, 06:05 PM
  • raiderhater
    Rams/chiefs
    by raiderhater
    I was just wondering how you Rams fans really feel about Dick Vermeil being in Kansas City and the fact that he took Tony Horne and Trent Green with him. I mean does this really piss you off or could you really care less. Just seems like this a good border war going on there now. Too bad you guys don't play each other every year.
    -08-28-2001, 09:56 AM
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