Carolina Panthers to Let Coach Fox Go. Will Cowher Be the New Heir?

[SMR]

Here's the article:

Fox era in Carolina officially to end Sunday

By MIKE CRANSTON, AP Sports Writer 25 minutes ago



CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—As John Fox left the practice field Friday, he insisted he’s known about his impending departure for about two years.

A few hours later, the Carolina Panthers formally announced the end of his nine-year run in which he led the franchise to its only Super Bowl.

In a news release sent 10 minutes after the end of a college football bowl game at the team’s stadium that owner Jerry Richardson attended, the Panthers finally announced the contracts of Fox and the rest of his staff wouldn’t be renewed after Sunday’s game at Atlanta.
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“I told John today that I appreciate everything he has done for us over the last nine years, but as happens in this business, it is time for both sides to move in different directions,” Richardson said in a statement.

Fox’s departure has been no secret, and his last full practice at the Panthers’ complex was an odd scene with the Meineke Bowl about to kick off just a few steps away. Fox gathered the players around him shortly before noon, with a burst of laughter heard from players as they broke toward the locker room.

“It’s been a lot of great memories, a lot of fond memories, a lot of great relationships and something I’ll cherish forever,” Fox said. “Now (I’ll) just embark on the next chapter.”

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101231/...n_panthers_fox


Hmmmm.....will the Panthers become Cowher's Cats? Let the speculation continue....

[Psycho Ward 86]

Just saw it on NFL.com.

Which coaches are getting let off anyways?

[SMR]

So now it's Fox and Singletary getting the ax....so far.

[43Hitman]

So now it's Fox and Singletary getting the ax....so far.

And McDaniels, if he even counts as a head coach.

[SMR]

And McDaniels, if he even counts as a head coach.

True.

[HometownGal]

In answer to the OP's original question - rumor has it that The Chin really wants to coach in Miami but taking the Panthers HC position would keep him close to his daughters. It's hard to say at this point. Before Kay's death, I firmly believed he was just waiting for the job to open up when Fox got the boot but now that Kay is gone, he most likely will go where the best offer and a GM position to go along with the moola is.

[NCSteeler]

I don't see richardson paying any "moola", but as my wife will tell you , I've been wrong many a time. quote me if i'm right LOL, but I think there is a possibility that Ron Meeks was hired last year to be Fox's replacement. Only time will tell. the D played very well amongst the crap that is the Panther s this season.

[BigNastyDefense]

Head coaching jobs that are open:

Minnesota (Interim HC Leslie Frazier has a chance to keep the job)
Dallas (Interim HC Jason Garret has a chance to keep the job)
San Fransisco
Carolina
Denver

Jobs that could possibly open up:

Cleveland
Cincinnati
Oakland
Houston
New York Giants

[T&B fan]

to answer the ? will Bill , NO he will stay at CBS

[BigNastyDefense]

to answer the ? will Bill , NO he will stay at CBS

IF the Giants job opens up, I think he will take it. He has a daughter who goes to Princeton so he'd be really close to her.

[T&B fan]

and they do the CBS show where ???? NY ,that is all thank you

[Wallace108]

In answer to the OP's original question - rumor has it that The Chin really wants to coach in Miami but taking the Panthers HC position would keep him close to his daughters. It's hard to say at this point. Before Kay's death, I firmly believed he was just waiting for the job to open up when Fox got the boot but now that Kay is gone, he most likely will go where the best offer and a GM position to go along with the moola is.

^^This. I always felt it was just a matter of time before Cowher took over in Carolina. But with the passing of his wife, there's nothing to keep him there. And Carolina isn't exactly an ideal job to step into right now.

[rookie phenom]

If Cowher would come back it would be an ideal situation for him. A team like the giants, where it already has the pieces yet just hasnt had the production.

[SMR]

If Cowher would come back it would be an ideal situation for him. A team like the giants, where it already has the pieces yet just hasnt had the production.

I'm sorry, I just don't buy into idea that the G-Men would let Coughlin go. It would be ridiculous.


Here now is the update, haha!


By Ohm Youngmisuk
ESPNNewYork.com
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LANDOVER, Md. -- New York Giants president and CEO John Mara didn't take long to decide the fate of Tom Coughlin.

In fact, not long after the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight year, a defiant Mara announced that his head coach was coming back for another season.

"I'm obviously disappointed we didn't make the playoffs but that doesn't mean you blow the whole thing up," Mara said after the Giants beat the Redskins 17-14 in the regular-season finale that proved meaningless after the Packers clinched a playoff berth with a 10-3 win over the Bears. "I think we have a good solid organization and there are some things we can improve on but he's still the guy that we want as our head coach."

Mara met with Coughlin during the middle of last week to express that ownership supported the head coach. Mara said he did not need to see what happened on Sunday to bring the 64-year-old head coach back.

The Giants (10-6) needed to beat the Redskins and have the Packers lose to the Bears in order to make the playoffs. Their slim playoff hopes were dashed with Green Bay's win.

Of course, the Giants let their playoff chances slip through their hands like one of their 42 maddening turnovers this season. They had the NFC East title within their grasp but blew a 31-10 lead over the Eagles in the last eight minutes of a 38-31 defeat to their division rival two weeks ago.

The Giants were trounced in Green Bay the following week, 45-17, with a playoff berth at stake.

Despite that, Mara felt players still believed in Coughlin and played for the head coach, who is only three seasons removed from one of the greatest Super Bowl victories of all time. Coughlin has had just one losing season (6-10 in 2004) with the Giants since taking over in 2004.

"I'm proud of how the players battled through the injuries," Mara said of a team that had to use six different starting combinations on the offensive line and had five wide receivers land on injured reserve. "I think that is a testament to the coach."

"In this society, everybody wants to fire the coach all the time," Mara said. "The Yankees get knocked off in the playoffs, everybody wants to fire the manager. Well, we don't do that here. He's going to be our coach. Because I believe in the guy, I believe in stability, you can't build anything if you are constantly making changes and firing people. That is not our culture and it is just not what we believe in. We know this guy is a good coach and we want him to lead us into next season."

With head coaches like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and John Fox among those potentially looking for new jobs, the Giants would have been an attractive destination for a high-profile coach had they decided to make a change.

But Mara said he and chairman Steve Tisch wanted Coughlin back. Coughlin has one year remaining on his contract and the Giants will have to figure out whether they want to extend his contract and for how long.

"That is a discussion for a later date," said Mara, who could always add on another year to Coughlin's deal.

Coughlin said he understood why the team waited until the season was over to announce that he was returning.

"I'm very, very appreciative for the support of the Mara and Tisch family and Mr. Mara coming out at this point in time and making that very clear to everyone is greatly appreciated by me and my family and hopefully our team," Coughlin said. "Again, I was appreciative that he did come by [last week to talk]. It did mean a lot because it was a big game for us."

Last year, Mara was fuming after the Giants opened the season 5-0 only to finish 8-8. The Giants may still make some changes this offseason to the coaching staff and player personnel but the head coach is staying.

"It really came down to one bad half of a quarter for us but I don't think when that happens that means you have to blow the whole thing up," Mara said. "Stability is something we strive for here and I think the only time you make a change is if it appears like the players are not responding to the head coach and that is just not the case."

"I didn't feel like I needed to [talk to any players] this year," Mara added. "There have been times where I have done that in the past but just watching their body language in practice and in the locker room, I knew that they wanted him back."

Ohm Youngmisuk covers the Giants for ESPNNewYork.com.