I'm not saying Jeff Fisher is an awful coach, I'm really not. He has a lot of respect around the league and seems to get good marks from his players. (VY not withstanding of course) However, he does not have a track record of significant success. I know the argument for the Rams keeping him was the whole "he's been through a move before" which is weird, but whatever, but now the report this morning is that they are talking about EXTENDING him. An extension? Is this crazy? He hasn't finished .500 or better in a single season with the Rams and he's only had a winning record in 2 of his last 11 seasons as a head coach. An extension?
I just saw that and thought the same thing. I like his attitude but I think he's a horrible coach. Kubs got roasted and ran out of town and had more winning seasons in 7 years than Fisher in 20.
Add me to the list of those asking, "WTF?!" He was the definition of mediocre in Nashpatch (and he's actually slipped with the Rams). He's an amazing motivator and he gets more with less than most coaches, but he is HORRIBLE with X's and O's. I don't get why he sticks around.
Captain 8-8 somehow always still has a job. He has been coaching since 1994 averaging slightly better than 8 wins a season. He's never had better than 7 wins with the Rams. He hasn't been to the playoffs since 2008. Hasn't won a playoff game since 2003 season and yet he always manage to keep his job.
I lost respect for him in how he handled Kerry Collins and Vince Young. However, he did run one of the best Defenses in history in 2001 ( even statistically better than the Ravens if you can believe it ), as well as a pretty good one in 2000. He did also adapt a conservative offense in 2000 to the high flying offense Steve McNair excelled in around 2003. Getting them to the AFC championship game. He has shown some ability with the Titans to adapt and survive. And yet I do agree, he is overrated, he plays to the media to much, and has not delivered over the long term. Think it's possible that while he backs Case Keenum, his conservative approach will kill Case's opportunity to be great.
I agree he's overrated. You correctely posted his greatest accomplishments are all from 2003 and earlier. That should tell everyone he's peaked as a head coach.
He is actually an awful coach. He doesn't know how to develop offensive players, let alone run a scheme successful enough to win games. He's a yes man to the FO. He does what he's told, and Ten/Rams seem to be content with it. The Rams will wake up eventually, as Ten did, and let him go. He's got old football ties to everyone. He's one of the good ol' boys of the NFL, and that alone will let him stick around until teams truly dig into his abilities, and understand that he has none.
He rode Pardee and Gilbride's offense drafts to a superbowl and then ain't done squat since Rocket River
Of course if he ever gets fired, I guarantee you someone will hire him again. If you ever had any success as a head coach no matter how long ago, NFL teams will always consider you because they love retreads.
He might have been fired if they stayed in St. Louis but there is no way you want to fire your coach on a move. There are just so many complexities there. You want to minimize those as much as possible. Plus he has done it before. That doesn't mean he'll coach better, he'll just understand the logistics and what works and what doesn't when it comes to transferring an entire operation to a new city. The team will already have 1000 things to worry about and take care of. Hiring an entirely new coaching staff that you'll be stuck with for at least 3 years is not worth it.
Again, what does that even mean? He has to call the movers and put packing labels on everything? A better answer, here's a caretaker coach and we don't feel like paying for a new one cause who cares we're just here to move to LA and take all of your money regardless of what happens on the field.
He's had one Great stretch in his 21 year coaching career. 99-2003. 4 playoff appearances and losing super bowl 34. He had a nice stretch in 2007-2008 going to the playoffs both years but losing. And that's it. Every other year is average or below average.
Do you honestly think this process is as simple as calling a moving company? The owner and upper administration will have their hands full with all of the logistics. Temp Stadium, New Stadium, new marketing, new business relationships etc. Having to rebuild a coaching staff is not just this easy thing to do and doesn't require any time and attention. They will have their hands full. There are so many inconsistencies with the entire franchise in the offseason that having consistency in the coaching staff is impossible to pass up no matter who the coach is. Fisher has seen how moves effect players both in team facilities and also their ways of life. It's just one less person that's clueless about what to do and how this works. It's nowhere as simple as you imagine.
Agreed... next year could have the effect of being just one long-ass road trip for the entire team. A lot of their families may not make the move out there.. and the ones that do will still feel uprooted. If you had to couple that sort of stress with an entirely new regime with new regimens/rules/training schedules/etc, and that would basically fully alienate any of their existing players.
The coach and hte players, half of whom live elsewhere, show up at a building/buildings and do whatever they need to do - does it really matter in the year 2016 whether that building is here or there or anywhere? It's not as melodramatic as you are making it out to be. Do you think the Rams players really need to call Jeff Fisher to remind them to fill out their USPS forwarding notifications? Or maybe he can send them a nice gift basket. Or do their mileage reimbursment.
I think keeping a average coach around just because he went through a relocation before is as bad as hiring Dom Capers as your first coach just because he went through the expansion process before. If anything, I think this is the perfect time to bail on Fischer. It's 2016. Most Rams players don't live in St. Louis in the offseason anyways and there are always players changing cities every offseason. But captain 8-8 keeps chugging along. Now with the move, he probably bought himself another 3 years where nobody will mention that he hasn't had playoff success since 2003.
McNair, Dyson, Eddie George? Wychek, their leading receiver for years, wouldn't have even existed in Pardee's offenses.