Switching Head Coaches(Hypothetical)

[steelreserve]

Okay, then let’s also have a thread: what if we traded Bud Dupree for Kahlil Mack? What would that be like?

I don’t understand the point. If you want to get rid of Tomlin, great. Present an actually POSSIBLE alternative and we’ll discuss the pros and cons rationally. Or we can talk about trading anyone on our team for the very best in the game and masterbate to the possibility.

I mean, I didn't start the thread, but the idea struck me loud and clear as: "what is New England doing that is better than what we are doing, obviously apart from cheating which goes without saying?" That's a perfectly reasonable question.

I don't understand why you'd masturbate over football trades, I mean there are much better things for that if you ask me, but to each his own.

[Edman]

Let's be real and realistic. Tomlin is not on the firing block, and he won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Ben has talked about playing til he's 45, but there is nothing I've seen last season or last night that indicates that he won't even make it to 40, or even the end of his contract. He looked like he just didn't want to be there. You'd think with having complete control over the Offense and having no AB to worry about, he would be more excited and inspire greater offensive cohesion with his receivers. But that's just my Anti-Ben sentiment talking.

However, we also have to be real to the possibility that this team will not be going anywhere with him and the current coaching staff in place. Cincinnati made the same mistake with Marvin Lewis. Year after year there were teases that finally the Bengals would finally break through, and it never happened. Marvin Lewis never had the Bengals under control and would critically self-destruct in one way or another.

As far as who will replace Tomlin, it will be some unknown assistant from another team we've never heard of with minimal pedigree. I think we should go with an offensive-minded coach who knows the changing NFL landscape.

[teegre]

Q: What would be different if Belichick were the Steelers head coach?

A: There’d be a shit-ton of “videotape expenditures” added to the budget.

[steelreserve]

It isn't that someone else might not or might be able to do better. It is about if you are going to go shopping, you might as well have a list rather than the vague idea that you want some new stuff.

If the Steelers were going to go a new direction with coaches, then they should be certain of what they want:

1. A HC that can guide the team through the tail end of Ben's career and then guide Rudolph in his start.
2. I think an offensive focused coach would be best. Few teams are dialing up defenses that are winning anything on their own. Get in on the offensive explosion. "Future proof" the staff to a degree.
3. One could assume that Rudolph would be most comfortable in an "Air Raid" or "spread" or "RPO" style attack. That is good because that is the direction the league is going towards. However, Ben has repeatedly stated he does not like that style of offense. So you would have to find a pretty flexible offensive minded coach. They may have to install two systems in like 4 years. Tricky at best.
4. Because of #2 and #3 you are going to likely end up with a youngish coach that is going to need to be comfortable almost totally outsourcing the defense to a key assistant. Therefore, your HC candidate better have a detailed plan for putting that staff together. Something more than "We will figure it out." McVay had Gregg Williams. The Packers new guy had Pettine. Nagy had Fangio for a year or so with the Bears. Reid is doing all the offensive stuff, but has no plan for defense. Look where the Chiefs are at.
5. Who is going to run the player personnel side? Also needs to be well planned out.

Now is any of the above a reason to not fire/hire a HC? Absolutely not. But it is far more complicated and detailed than "FIRE PEOPLE!".

Aha, an intelligently thought out rationale for what kind of person would make a good coach, but acknowledging that individual might not be a well-known guy who's high on the radar yet? Holy shit, there is hope for the who-would-replace-Tomlin dilemma.

Seriously though, I think that is a pretty damn accurate list of what they need to be looking for. I do think there is a better chance that Rudolph (assuming our optimism is well-founded) would do all right in a Ben-themed offense than Ben would do well in a precision spread attack. Ben is kind of his own animal, and what works with him is gonna work and what's not is just not at this point, so why fight it. I do think that a big reason why Tomlin has been so insulated from the true "hot seat" thus far is the not wanting to switch head coaches so late in your franchise QB's career. BUT ... it really seems like either one of those dominoes could fall at any time, though.

One other thing that's not talked about very much - Colbert is something like 62 or 63 years old, and his contract runs out after this year (team didn't renew it). If he resigns / retires / is fired / mutually parts ways / whatever - that could be the catalyst for a lot of changes to happen in a hurry. A new guy comes in and says, "I have a plan, I see the pieces I've got and I want to do X with them," well then that could set up #3-4-5 on your list pretty quick. Assuming the GM knows what he's doing. No one would be sacred in that case, not even Ben.

Basically, any one of three things -- Ben retiring, Tomlin fired, Colbert retiring -- which are all growing increasingly likely with each passing year, stands a good chance of triggering the other two. I'd say it's better than 50-50 it happens this year or next. I should add that Tomlin being fired is the least likely to happen first.

[teegre]

I like this thread. Really. It’s an interesting question. That said, it’s a lot to talk about; so, I’m going to just talk about one factor of one game (the opener).

The Taperiots schemed to get their RBs on ILBs in a mismatch. The Steelers had that mismatch (Conner was open on just about every play), but only targeted him four times (and, Conner caught all four passes).

So, were Tomlin & Belichick to have switched places, the first time that Ben overlooked a wide-open five-yard completion, Belichick would have been in his ear. “Take advantage of that effing mismatch!!!”

[Mojouw]

Aha, an intelligently thought out rationale for what kind of person would make a good coach, but acknowledging that individual might not be a well-known guy who's high on the radar yet? Holy shit, there is hope for the who-would-replace-Tomlin dilemma.

Seriously though, I think that is a pretty damn accurate list of what they need to be looking for. I do think there is a better chance that Rudolph (assuming our optimism is well-founded) would do all right in a Ben-themed offense than Ben would do well in a precision spread attack. Ben is kind of his own animal, and what works with him is gonna work and what's not is just not at this point, so why fight it. I do think that a big reason why Tomlin has been so insulated from the true "hot seat" thus far is the not wanting to switch head coaches so late in your franchise QB's career. BUT ... it really seems like either one of those dominoes could fall at any time, though.

One other thing that's not talked about very much - Colbert is something like 62 or 63 years old, and his contract runs out after this year (team didn't renew it). If he resigns / retires / is fired / mutually parts ways / whatever - that could be the catalyst for a lot of changes to happen in a hurry. A new guy comes in and says, "I have a plan, I see the pieces I've got and I want to do X with them," well then that could set up #3-4-5 on your list pretty quick. Assuming the GM knows what he's doing. No one would be sacred in that case, not even Ben.

Basically, any one of three things -- Ben retiring, Tomlin fired, Colbert retiring -- which are all growing increasingly likely with each passing year, stands a good chance of triggering the other two. I'd say it's better than 50-50 it happens this year or next. I should add that Tomlin being fired is the least likely to happen first.

I would agree that a Colbert retirement and Ben retiring (either one actually) could (and almost certainly should) trigger a coaching staff shake-up. The biggest thing about Tomlin's status would be whether or not ownership believes he is and would continue to do a good enough job managing everything but just with new coordinators. However, I foresee on major problem with that. All these new whiz-kid coordinators on offense, mainly coming from the college ranks, do not appear to want to be OC's. They want to be the head guy. So that fact alone might force Tomlin out. The other disadvantage is that if you hire a hotshot coordinator to take the reins either on defense (say the next Fangio) or offense (say the next Nagy), you face losing that coordinator to the next round of head coaching jobs. Ownership may feel forced to move Tomlin aside in order to elevate their preferred coordinator to the head-seat and not risk losing them after one year.

Honest question, I wonder how Tomlin would do as the personnel guy? He knows a ton about football. He communicates well. Someone else could do the money stuff...

[Edman]

As long as the Steelers stay away from the Belichick tree, they should be fine. Since the Steelers hire former assistants and relative unknowns and not retreads,

I suggest they look at Marcus Brady (Colts QB Coach) in Indy, or Press Taylor (Philly QB Coach) As the next Coach. If they decide to move on to Rudolph.

[Mojouw]

If I could wave a magic wand and bring in anyone, I would just go straight to the source for all this whiz-bang fancy trendy offensive shit and get Lincoln Reilly. Why settle for a watered down version when you can get the pure uncut stuff?

Now on defense....