Our own Tim Graham's take on Bills' search

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Wing Man posted this on another thread (thanks Wing Man) but I thought it deserved to be its own topic.

 

I totally agree with Tim's take and it's refreshing to see what a professional observer feels about the Bills' coaching search after reading so many different and misguided opinions on this board.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/...-bills-progress

 

While I agree with Tim's take, I should also mention that it's not that late in the coach hunting season.

 

I did a little research to help put the Bills' coaching timeline in perspective.

 

Here are the dates of hire for last year's coaches when an NFL record number of head coaches were hired. Keep in mind that last year's Divisional playoff round was January 10th and 11th. This year's are January 16 and 17th. This means that the date of hire for the below coaches is roughly equivalent to a hire this year if you add six days to last year's date.

 

Put differently, if the Bills hired a coach tomorrow (Jan 15th, one day before the divisional playoffs), it would be equivalent to someone who was hired on January 9th last year. As you can see, no coaches were hired that early last year.

 

Bottom line, it's not that late yet to hire a coach. It just seems that way because we're all on pins and needles. If the Bills haven't hired a coach by about January 24-25, then it's getting late.

 

 

Todd Haley Feb. 6

 

Tom Cable Feb. 3

 

Rex Ryan Jan. 19

 

Mike Singletary Jan. 18

 

Steve Spagnuolo Jan. 17

 

Raheem Morris Jan. 17

 

Jim Schwartz Jan. 16

 

Eric Mangini Jan. 14

 

Josh McDaniels Jan. 13

 

Jim Caldwell Jan. 13

 

Jim Mora Jan. 13

[dave mcbride]

Wing Man posted this on another thread (thanks Wing Man) but I thought it deserved to be its own topic.

 

I totally agree with Tim's take and it's refreshing to see what a professional observer feels about the Bills' coaching search after reading so many different and misguided opinions on this board.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/...-bills-progress

 

While I agree with Tim's take, I should also mention that it's not that late in the coach hunting season.

 

I did a little research to help put the Bills' coaching timeline in perspective.

 

Here are the dates of hire for last year's coaches when an NFL record number of head coaches were hired. Keep in mind that last year's Divisional playoff round was January 10th and 11th. This year's are January 16 and 17th. This means that the date of hire for the below coaches is roughly equivalent to a hire this year if you add six days to last year's date.

 

Put differently, if the Bills hired a coach tomorrow (Jan 15th, one day before the divisional playoffs), it would be equivalent to someone who was hired on January 9th last year. As you can see, no coaches were hired that early last year.

 

Bottom line, it's not that late yet to hire a coach. It just seems that way because we're all on pins and needles. If the Bills haven't hired a coach by about January 24-25, then it's getting late.

 

 

Todd Haley Feb. 6

 

Tom Cable Feb. 3

 

Rex Ryan Jan. 19

 

Mike Singletary Jan. 18

 

Steve Spagnuolo Jan. 17

 

Raheem Morris Jan. 17

 

Jim Schwartz Jan. 16

 

Eric Mangini Jan. 14

 

Josh McDaniels Jan. 13

 

Jim Caldwell Jan. 13

 

Jim Mora Jan. 13

Good info. That was a Chicken Little-ish article.

[Guest dog14787]

I just asked Darryl Tally on twitter if Levy could handle another run and he said "Marv is content being retired. We drained him."

 

dogonit, I say bring the old goat out of retirement to fix this mess he made, Levy could get a nice piece of the pie and go out with a big smile on his face.( saying to himself where would you rather be then right here, right now )

[Sisyphean Bills]

How many teams are changing coaches this year?

 

Today is 1/14/10.

 

Buffalo: Jauron fired 11/17/09, have only interviewed 1 potential replacement

Washington: Zorn fired 1/4/10. Shanahan hired 1/6/10.

Seattle: Mora fired 1/9/10, Carroll hired 1/12/10.

Oakland: ???

 

Drawing parallels to a year when there were 11 head coaching changes seems suspect.

[iinii]

Good info. That was a Chicken Little-ish article.

While there may be a bit of Chicken Little in the article, there is starting to be a wave building around the media to where this coaching search is becoming some what of a punch line. You may say screw the media and the pundits but where there is smoke there is fire. How many people have turned this job down now? How many second tier guys have turned down is the bigger issue to me. Cleveland, Seattle, Washington have all been able to target their prospect and close the deal. We on the other hand don't seem to be able to get anything to stick to the wall. I hope I am wrong but the tea leaves are starting to suggest if it walks like a duck.....

[San Jose Bills Fan]

How many teams are changing coaches this year?

 

Today is 1/14/10.

 

Buffalo: Jauron fired 11/17/09, have only interviewed 1 potential replacement

Washington: Zorn fired 1/4/10. Shanahan hired 1/6/10.

Seattle: Mora fired 1/9/10, Carroll hired 1/12/10.

Oakland: ???

 

Drawing parallels to a year when there were 11 head coaching changes seems suspect.

 

I said "roughly equivalent." You're welcome.

[PNW_Bills_Fan]

How many teams are changing coaches this year?

 

Today is 1/14/10.

 

Buffalo: Jauron fired 11/17/09, have only interviewed 1 potential replacement

Washington: Zorn fired 1/4/10. Shanahan hired 1/6/10.

Seattle: Mora fired 1/9/10, Carroll hired 1/12/10.

Oakland: ???

 

Drawing parallels to a year when there were 11 head coaching changes seems suspect.

 

Not a lot of info in that article. He is basically saying they have not interviewed anyone unless they don't know about it. I would not put it past the Bills to have interviewed a couple people without telling anyone.

[PromoTheRobot]

This is becoming disturbing. I'm afraid Ralph Wilson is reaping the fruit of his mismanagement. He may have good people in place now but no one cares because the old man is still in charge.

 

PTR

[Buffalo_Stampede]

How many teams are changing coaches this year?

 

Today is 1/14/10.

 

Buffalo: Jauron fired 11/17/09, have only interviewed 1 potential replacement

Washington: Zorn fired 1/4/10. Shanahan hired 1/6/10.

Seattle: Mora fired 1/9/10, Carroll hired 1/12/10.

Oakland: ???

 

Drawing parallels to a year when there were 11 head coaching changes seems suspect.

Maybe your missing that Shanahan didnt have a job, and Carroll was in college.

 

The Bills didnt wait for Charlie Weis and settled for Mike Mularkey. We didnt wait for John Fox, so we settled for Gregg Williams.

[Sisyphean Bills]

I said "roughly equivalent." You're welcome.

 

So, last year there was an army of guys on the pier casting their lines and trying to reel in the big one. It was a freaking tournament, a competition between some of the best anglers around, all trying to outdo each other. Plenty of fish and plenty of fisherman.

 

Change the scene. Now we have one guy sitting on an old cardboard box with his rusted worm can. He's been there since yesterday at the end of the pier casting his line; he got a "jump" on everybody. He hasn't caught anything and he hasn't gotten more than a nibble. A couple of young teenagers rode their bikes up, cast a line, immediately hooked a big fish for dinner, and took off hours ago. The seagulls are circling the old fisherman and using his head as a poo target.

 

No cause for alarm. The fishing scenes are identical.

[bills_fan]

I will only start getting nervous if Grimm turns us down and/or is not offered the job. I'm really feelin' Grimm as HC.

 

And I don't get where this whole *one* interview thing comes from. We interviewed the following guys:

 

Shanahan

Fewell

Frazier

Cowher

 

with Grimm up next.

 

Thats a decent list.

[NobesBLO13]

I will only start getting nervous if Grimm turns us down and/or is not offered the job. I'm really feelin' Grimm as HC.

 

And I don't get where this whole *one* interview thing comes from. We interviewed the following guys:

 

Shanahan

Fewell

Frazier

Cowher

 

with Grimm up next.

 

Thats a decent list.

+1

[Sisyphean Bills]

Maybe your missing that Shanahan didnt have a job, and Carroll was in college.

Are you saying the reason the Bills can't get anyone to come to Buffalo for an interview is because Shanahan was being paid to sit home and Carroll was dominating the college football scene the past decade?

The Bills didnt wait for Charlie Weis and settled for Mike Mularkey. We didnt wait for John Fox, so we settled for Gregg Williams.

Historically inaccurate revisionism.

[GG]

How many teams are changing coaches this year?

 

Today is 1/14/10.

 

Buffalo: Jauron fired 11/17/09, have only interviewed 1 potential replacement

Washington: Zorn fired 1/4/10. Shanahan hired 1/6/10.

Seattle: Mora fired 1/9/10, Carroll hired 1/12/10.

Oakland: ???

 

Drawing parallels to a year when there were 11 head coaching changes seems suspect.

 

Both of those guys were specifically targeted for the opening. Mora doesn't get hired if Paul Allen doesn't reach out to Carroll, or vice versa. Shanny would have been in DC sooner if Zorn was fired in November.

 

Not that it should make us feel better right now, but unfortunately the best candidates are the assistants, and the good ones are still in the playoffs.

[Wing Man]

Great post.

 

Between now and January 24, Russ Grimm is supposed to interview, and he may well decline the offer. Which brings us back to Leslie Frazier. Nothing against Leslie, I think he'll make a good head coach, probably for us.

 

Time for Nix to hit the rolodex. If you can't come up with any names, consult nfl.com. I hear Ryan Leaf is free.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Both of those guys were specifically targeted for the opening. Mora doesn't get hired if Paul Allen doesn't reach out to Carroll, or vice versa. Shanny would have been in DC sooner if Zorn was fired in November.

 

Not that it should make us feel better right now, but unfortunately the best candidates are the assistants, and the good ones are still in the playoffs.

Yes. I know. And, it is patently obvious from the time lines that I gave. All of which underscores my point. There is no parallel between last year and this year. But, if it gives people a warm fuzzy ... ok, then.

 

But, if we just wait until February then whatever assistant on whichever team wins the Super Bowl will be falling all over himself to become our next head coach.

[reddogblitz]

But, if we just wait until February then whatever assistant on whichever team wins the Super Bowl will be falling all over himself to become our next head coach.

This worked for the Cardinals when they got the Whiz after Pitt won SB XL. Seems to have worked for them.

[In space no one can hear]

The problem IMHO, is there are too many cooks in the kitchen.

 

This organization is like a train that has gone of the tracks for a decade and is incapable of righting itself.

 

After all, name any 800 million dollar corporations (like the Bills are)- that have been "righted" by a 90 year old man?

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Yes. I know. And, it is patently obvious from the time lines that I gave. All of which underscores my point. There is no parallel between last year and this year. But, if it gives people a warm fuzzy ... ok, then.

 

But, if we just wait until February then whatever assistant on whichever team wins the Super Bowl will be falling all over himself to become our next head coach.

Sisyphus,

 

You don't seem to understand my post. I said I agreed with TG's take which means that I think the search has not gone well so far.

 

I added, because this board is always so sorely lacking in perspective, the dates of last year's hirings along with a correction factor in the form of the NFL schedule.

 

The Senior Bowl is in 2 weeks time. It is traditionally a time where new head coaches look to fill out their staffs. As much as I don't think the Bills' search is going well, I still think there's time left to hire a strong candidate. I would be surprised if the Bills haven't hired a head coach within the next week, unless they're interested in Grimm, and the Cardinals win this week, and the Bills choose to wait it out.

 

If you want to continue your harangue about last year's dates having no relevancy this year, by all means, plow ahead.

 

Kudos to you and your timeline which underscores your point.

[Dan]

My guess, at this point, the Bills are either ready to hire Frazier as soon he's done in the playoffs. He was talked about being the top candidate for a while.

 

Maybe there's another playoff team's assistant, but other than Grimm, there have been no rumors.