Doug Marrone- Best Hope in a Bills Coach Since Chuck Knox?

[tennesseeboy]

why would Marrone be a "best hope"? He just happens the coach at the moment, hasn't won any playoff games, hasn't gotten to the playoffs, hasn't head coached an NFL team, and hasn't even coached a freakin pre-season game yet. Why on earth is he a better hope than Jauron? or Wade Phillips? or for that matter...gag, gag. Chan Gailey? Let him get a winning season under his belt and he will be in the ranks of coaches such as Wade Phillips...Let him get four losing superbowls and he'll be in the ranks of Marv Levy. Let him win a superbowl and he will be the best bills coach of all time. But the best before pre-season actually gets going? I don't think so.

[tombstone56]

Not since 1982 when Chuck Knox could not negotiate a new contract with the Bills and left to become the Seahawk's head coach have the Bills had a head coach who was not fired by previous teams or proven not to be NFL head coaching material.

It could possibly be argued that Mike Mularkey is NFL head coaching material- clinging to his position with the Jaguars- but with a .333 career record and coming off a 2 and 14 season- he is in the margin.

That's 31 years since such a hire.

 

1983- 1985 Kay Stephenson. Did not return as an NFL head coach.

1985- 1986 Hank Bullough. Did not return as an NFL head coach.

1986- 1997 Marv Levy. Fired by Kansas City before joining the Bills.

1998- 2000 Wade Phillips. Fired by Denver before joining the Bills.

2001- 2003 Greg Williams. Did not return as an NFL head coach.

2004- 2005 Mike Mularkey. Did not re-sign with the Bills, poor head coaching record.

2006- 2009 Dick Jauron. Fired by Chicago before joining the Bills.

2010- 2012 Chan Gailey. Fired by Dallas and Georgia Tech en route to the Bills.

 

Granted Marv and Wade are very good NFL coaches but an argument could be made that they underachieved with the player talent they had available to them and miss out on the highest level of NFL coaching hierarchy. But the rest clearly were poor NFL head coaches. Also granted that there is no guarantee that Doug Marrone will prove to be a successful NFL head coach.

However, it is refreshing and encouraging for the Bills to be off to a new start with a successful college level head coach with NFL experience who has written his own ticket to date.

REVISIONIST HISTORY OR WHAT?..KNOX ALL BUT GUTTED THE DRAFT BY TRADING FOR HAS BEENS,, WHICH LED TO THE BACK TO BACK 2- 14 YEARS,,THOSE TEAMS UNDER KNOX HAD MORE DEGENERATES AND DOPE FIENDS THAN FILLMORE AVE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT

[tennesseeboy]

Let's assume the facts of the previous coaches. Gregg Williams and Mike Mularkey had successful NFL experience prior to their beginning their respective coaching tenures.. I don't know why they wouldn't have been AT LEAST as much of a "best hope" as Marrone. Jauron, Phillips and Levy were successful coaches with a lot of NFL experience and quite respected in NFL ranks. I hope Marrone turns out to be the best coach...but I see no reason to give him any credit at this point in his career.

[BuffBill]

Not since 1982 when Chuck Knox could not negotiate a new contract with the Bills and left to become the Seahawk's head coach have the Bills had a head coach who was not fired by previous teams or proven not to be NFL head coaching material.

It could possibly be argued that Mike Mularkey is NFL head coaching material- clinging to his position with the Jaguars- but with a .333 career record and coming off a 2 and 14 season- he is in the margin.

That's 31 years since such a hire.

 

1983- 1985 Kay Stephenson. Did not return as an NFL head coach.

1985- 1986 Hank Bullough. Did not return as an NFL head coach.

1986- 1997 Marv Levy. Fired by Kansas City before joining the Bills.

1998- 2000 Wade Phillips. Fired by Denver before joining the Bills.

2001- 2003 Greg Williams. Did not return as an NFL head coach.

2004- 2005 Mike Mularkey. Did not re-sign with the Bills, poor head coaching record.

2006- 2009 Dick Jauron. Fired by Chicago before joining the Bills.

2010- 2012 Chan Gailey. Fired by Dallas and Georgia Tech en route to the Bills.

 

Granted Marv and Wade are very good NFL coaches but an argument could be made that they underachieved with the player talent they had available to them and miss out on the highest level of NFL coaching hierarchy. But the rest clearly were poor NFL head coaches. Also granted that there is no guarantee that Doug Marrone will prove to be a successful NFL head coach.

However, it is refreshing and encouraging for the Bills to be off to a new start with a successful college level head coach with NFL experience who has written his own ticket to date.

I truly understand the frustration, desire for the Bills to finally become a winner, the beating us Bills fans have went through, but this is quite a ridiculous reach. I hope he does great, but his only head coaching experience, was in a very weak college conference and he was about a .500 coach? Were you also the person who said "Ryan Fitzpatrick, the best QB hope since Jack Kemp?"

[peterlaw]

 

Granted Marv and Wade are very good NFL coaches but an argument could be made that they underachieved with the player talent they had available to them and miss out on the highest level of NFL coaching hierarchy. But the rest clearly were poor NFL head coaches. Also granted that there is no guarantee that Doug Marrone will prove to be a successful NFL head coach.

However, it is refreshing and encouraging for the Bills to be off to a new start with a successful college level head coach with NFL experience who has written his own ticket to date.

 

I am optimistic with the Marrone signing. But who can honestly make an argument that Marv Levy underachieved with the Bills. Granted he had a lot of decent player talent to work with but Marv was pivotal to the success of the Bills of the early 90's. The Bills were hopeless before Marv arrived and much worse than the 6-10 team inherited by Marrone.

[thewildrabbit]

REVISIONIST HISTORY OR WHAT?..KNOX ALL BUT GUTTED THE DRAFT BY TRADING FOR HAS BEENS,, WHICH LED TO THE BACK TO BACK 2- 14 YEARS,,THOSE TEAMS UNDER KNOX HAD MORE DEGENERATES AND DOPE FIENDS THAN FILLMORE AVE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT

Gotta be a troll...

[RocBuffalo]

I am pumped up for this coaching staff, but his record is .500.............in college at Syracuse!! This is nothing to be discussed about as he was on a college team and shouldn't be compared to any NFL coach as he hasn't even coached one bills game yet, let alone been a head coach for on game in the NFL entirely.

 

Yes he did return Syracuse to somewhat relevant again and winning some bowl games, but the NFL is completely different. Nick Saban is a perfect example of that. He is the best college coach, but couldn't "Nathaniel Hackett" in the NFL.

[Luxy312]

Maybe best hope since Marv Levy. While we all remember the 4 straight losses in the big dance, do we easily forget that the team then had the best regular season record of any team in football? At the end of the day, I'm just happy to see the team go a different route than the cast off/retread/has been. New coaches equals lots of new energy and optimism.

[JuanGuzman]

I think the reality is we find reasons to talk ourselves into any coach. That is partly why they were hired in the first place because they convinced the Organization that they were the right guy for he job. I remember salivating over Dick Jauron's 13-3 record with the Bears in 2001, I also thought wow Gailey was 2 for 2 in making playoffs as a HC, On Mularkey I though ok here comes an up and coming OC from winning organization etc.

 

Right now I am focusing on the positives with Marrone, but the great thing about football is we will get our answer shortly as to whether he was the right person for the job.

[jethro_tull]

REVISIONIST HISTORY OR WHAT?..KNOX ALL BUT GUTTED THE DRAFT BY TRADING FOR HAS BEENS,, WHICH LED TO THE BACK TO BACK 2- 14 YEARS,,THOSE TEAMS UNDER KNOX HAD MORE DEGENERATES AND DOPE FIENDS THAN FILLMORE AVE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT

Ouch!

 

why would Marrone be a "best hope"? He just happens the coach at the moment, hasn't won any playoff games, hasn't gotten to the playoffs, hasn't head coached an NFL team, and hasn't even coached a freakin pre-season game yet. Why on earth is he a better hope than Jauron? or Wade Phillips? or for that matter...gag, gag. Chan Gailey? Let him get a winning season under his belt and he will be in the ranks of coaches such as Wade Phillips...Let him get four losing superbowls and he'll be in the ranks of Marv Levy. Let him win a superbowl and he will be the best bills coach of all time. But the best before pre-season actually gets going? I don't think so.

 

Because hope is the essence of the offseason and a new coaching regime. The essence of the article is that THE BILLS picked with a trend that seems to have good odds lately- successful college coach with prior NFL coaching experience. I look at a Harbaugh and a Carroll and I get a little pumped at imagining a little of their success rubbing off on the Bills.

He ain't a retread, he ain't an up and coming coordinator who was proven to not be good enough, DM fits the latest mold that offers the most hope.

 

I am optimistic with the Marrone signing. But who can honestly make an argument that Marv Levy underachieved with the Bills. Granted he had a lot of decent player talent to work with but Marv was pivotal to the success of the Bills of the early 90's. The Bills were hopeless before Marv arrived and much worse than the 6-10 team inherited by Marrone.

 

He did a lot- no doubt. The argument is should the Bills have won a championship? I believe yes- especially when you smack up against the game plan Parcells executed to stop the Bills in the first bowl. Levy did not anticpate or counter that plan. The Bills offense should have smoked the Giants IMHO.

 

I am pumped up for this coaching staff, but his record is .500.............in college at Syracuse!! This is nothing to be discussed about as he was on a college team and shouldn't be compared to any NFL coach as he hasn't even coached one bills game yet, let alone been a head coach for on game in the NFL entirely.

 

Yes he did return Syracuse to somewhat relevant again and winning some bowl games, but the NFL is completely different. Nick Saban is a perfect example of that. He is the best college coach, but couldn't "Nathaniel Hackett" in the NFL.

 

Don't we need to consider the less than ideal talent and recruiting prospects on the Orange? Kind of a cinderella story IMHO bringing that team to 8 and 5, 5 and 2 in the Big East and a bowl victory in 2012.

Edited May 22, 2013 by jethro_tull

[peterlaw]

 

 

He did a lot- no doubt. The argument is should the Bills have won a championship? I believe yes- especially when you smack up against the game plan Parcells executed to stop the Bills in the first bowl. Levy did not anticpate or counter that plan. The Bills offense should have smoked the Giants IMHO.

 

Don't we need to consider the less than ideal talent and recruiting prospects on the Orange? Kind of a cinderella story IMHO bringing that team to 8 and 5, 5 and 2 in the Big East and a bowl victory in 2012.

 

Proud to say that I was at the Tampa Superbowl. (And the 3 that followed). My recollection was that we could not stop the run and the Giants killed us on time of possession. The 2-5 defence front also provided us with some problems. Agree that Marv was out coached by Parcells that evening. But as we know the final story could have been so different. Yes we lost all 4 bowls, the last 3 to physically superior teams but all in all over his tenure Marv overachieved. Of course it helps having a decent QB at the helm.

[Greybeard]

Proud to say that I was at the Tampa Superbowl. (And the 3 that followed). My recollection was that we could not stop the run and the Giants killed us on time of possession. The 2-5 defence front also provided us with some problems. Agree that Marv was out coached by Parcells that evening. But as we know the final story could have been so different. Yes we lost all 4 bowls, the last 3 to physically superior teams but all in all over his tenure Marv overachieved. Of course it helps having a decent QB at the helm.

 

Marv overachieved???? Marv Levy, the perfect coach to lead a team to 4 straight superbowls. Unfortunately, the perfect coach to lose all four.

if he wasn't so good with a quote, he wouldn't be remembered so fondly.

[peterlaw]

 

 

Marv overachieved???? Marv Levy, the perfect coach to lead a team to 4 straight superbowls. Unfortunately, the perfect coach to lose all four.

if he wasn't so good with a quote, he wouldn't be remembered so fondly.

 

Any other coaches led their teams to 4 straight Superbowls ? Yes one or two SB wins would have been nice but take a reality check on what was achieved. 4 Lamar Hunt Trophies are a great achievement. Shame the Pats weren't involved in the play offs in those days.

[3rdand12]

One of the details that stand out to me are the combination of these particular coaches together today at this time and then the history of the education of said coaches. Some of these guys have been influenced directly by some of the best .

After looking a little more into Marrone's staff. Such as Hackett and Pettine , you would surely consider this team to have some credible potential over the next couple years.

Look at Doug Whaley as an example of potential.

 

Some folks here did not have any idea how he came to be on the Bills staff and then promoted.

Once he was announced ! Stuff started popping up. Nice quotes and almost all solid recommends from around the league.

Alot of Marrone's staff , including himself have been considered very good to excellent in their skills as coaches.

If you dig around enough you cant help but think that the BB really have a shot to run it up the flagpole.

heck someone already had a sincere article that Hackett will graduate to HC sooner than later. after readin up on he and his father i am not surprised.

Better than Knox ? time will tell.

I am looking forward to this season

go Bills

Edited May 22, 2013 by 3rdand12

[BADOLBILZ]

There was a back story to the Polian era. He was constantly battling Littman and fighting for more flexibility and less restraint from the money side of the operation. . Were there player transactions that he would have wanted to make to get the Bills over the hump? I believe so.

 

Polian is far from being an angel. His combative style can become very troublesome in an organizational setting. The owner got tired of the battles between the combustable Polian and his financial guardian of the business, Littman. The owner simply got tired of the rambunctious GM and his challenging behavior. After the Polian saga John Butler took over the football operation. Eventually, he also got worn down by the constant internal battles with the business side of the franchise.

 

There is no doubt that Polian has some very negative personal traits. Has he made mistakes in guiding the franchises he has been involved with? Absolutely. But his overall record at all of his stops (Colts, Bills and Panthers) has been superb, especially compared to the franchise he left in western NY.

 

I think the battles were more with Ralph's personality and pride. Polian obviously won his battles with Littman. Polian and Butler spent freely on players. I am sure Littman may have had concerns because the Bills were spending like crazy for that 12 year period. The last 4-5 of those years ncluded Butler relentlessly overpaying to retain his own average players like Ken Irvin and Sam Rogers to name just a couple. Those things buried the Bills in cap debt.

 

Ralph isn't cheap.....he is just bi-polar when it comes to his commitment to winning. Sometimes he was willing to spend whatever it took....other times he would get cheap as if to say..."I could finish last without this player"....which is basically the same attitude as a lof of the Bills apologists here. Emotionally offended by perceived snubs and perceived disloyalty.

 

There is a lot of cliche talk about having an owner who is committed to winning and it is implied that the owners who aren't are ONLY concerned about the bottom line........but the difference doesn't have to be night and day to be crippling and the more emotionally involved the owner is the more damaging having a mercurial owner is.

[brucethomas34]

We are due for a good coach...

[eball]

I wanted Lovie Smith and an OC with a track record of successful running attacks like Norv Turner or Tom Cable. I thought given the Bill's roster that combination might be good enough for a wild card birth this year. But then again I thought Wanny's track record of success as a DC was going to help us this year.

 

But I agree with the general sentiment that Marrone has more upside than a re-tread and I like some of the early stuff I have read about him.. If DM turns out to be the next Mike McCarthy or Sean Payton than the organization hit it out of the park.

 

Hackett as the OC kind of scares me though, i understand that he was/is young and was not in a position of control his last time around with the Bills (and our personnelle sucked) but dear god I still have nightmares about that that Turk Schoenert, Alex, Van-Pelt, Hackett offesnive scheme.

 

What you wanted couldn't be farther from what I wanted.

[thewildrabbit]

What you wanted couldn't be farther from what I wanted.

Yea well, if Marrone falls on his face hard this season, and pulls a 0-16 like the 2008 Detroit Lions under Rod Marinelli , or a 1-15 season like Cam Cameron did with the Dolphins. I would think Doug Whaley might just consider hiring a proven NFL winner in Lovie Smith. While I can certainly understand Brandon's reluctance to hire another ex Chicago HC who likes to run (the now infamous to Bills fans) Tampa two defense.

 

Lovie Smith was the HC for twelve years with the Chicago Bears while compiling an 81-63 record. 563%, 3 playoff seasons and a trip to the SB all with mostly scrubs at QB...think about that for a min. Missing the playoffs this season with a record of 10-6 in that black n blue division against the Packers.

 

Unlike Dick Jauron, Lovie Smith finally found a good QB in Jay Cutler! But very much like Jauron, Lovie failed to find the right OC to run his offense...OC's Mike Martz, & Mike Tice being his latest failures.So the poster JuanGuzman had a solid point about hiring Lovie and making him hire Norv Turner as OC or even Cam Cameron as both men are noted to be great at developing QB's. (dunno about Tom Cable tho)

 

 

Don't get me wrong as I'm earnestly hoping Marrone takes this team to a winning season this year or even shows great promise in a losing effort. I'm really pulling for Marrone, Hackett, Pettine to do well.

[eball]

Yea well, if Marrone falls on his face hard this season, and pulls a 0-16 like the 2008 Detroit Lions under Rod Marinelli , or a 1-15 season like Cam Cameron did with the Dolphins. I would think Doug Whaley might just consider hiring a proven NFL winner in Lovie Smith. While I can certainly understand Brandon's reluctance to hire another ex Chicago HC who likes to run (the now infamous to Bills fans) Tampa two defense.

 

Lovie Smith was the HC for twelve years with the Chicago Bears while compiling an 81-63 record. 563%, 3 playoff seasons and a trip to the SB all with mostly scrubs at QB...think about that for a min. Missing the playoffs this season with a record of 10-6 in that black n blue division against the Packers.

 

Unlike Dick Jauron, Lovie Smith finally found a good QB in Jay Cutler! But very much like Jauron, Lovie failed to find the right OC to run his offense...OC's Mike Martz, & Mike Tice being his latest failures.So the poster JuanGuzman had a solid point about hiring Lovie and making him hire Norv Turner as OC or even Cam Cameron as both men are noted to be great at developing QB's. (dunno about Tom Cable tho)

 

 

Don't get me wrong as I'm earnestly hoping Marrone takes this team to a winning season this year or even shows great promise in a losing effort. I'm really pulling for Marrone, Hackett, Pettine to do well.

 

I'm on record with this in other places, but hiring another retread (yes, I know Lovie has had success, but he's a retread) who only can manage one side of the ball is so "old school" and it's exciting to see the Bills moving in a progressive direction. Nothing about Marrone thus far tells me he's a guy who can't handle being the "CEO" of the team. What do Cam Cameron and Rod Marinelli have in common? Both, again, are guys totally fixated on one side of the ball, who had never enjoyed any sort of success as HC at the pro or major college level. Cameron was 18-37 in 5 seasons at Indiana, and Marinelli was a 1st time HC. Marrone, on the other hand, took a Syracuse program that was in the toilet and brought them back to respectability with two bowl winning seasons.

[KeisterHollow]

To defend the op's POV - even though Marrone has done nothing yet - I'll say:

 

He DID bring in Pettine, who IMO is the best DC we've had since Wade Phillips. Pettine brings INSTANT credibility to our defense, and is the reason the Bills are getting so much attention and positive attention this offseason. If Marrone had hired a no-body or someone who hasn't done anything yet in the NFL as a DC, the Bills would be looked at with the same type of dismissive attitude they've always been treated with these past 15 years or so. Watch Pettine on BuffaloBills.com - there's a video of him being interviewed just the other day after a practice - he really comes off as a SMART, INTENSE, DC, who is also very well spoken. I like what we're going to have around here on D!

 

A lot of times H.C.'s have come in here and gotten rid of a bunch of guys, a bunch of coaches, and then spent the draft picking up a mismatch of players that does not come close to filling the roster on either offense or defense, leaving us fans to say, "Well, it's a new coaching staff, a new "regime", we have to give them a few years...yada yada yada. Marrone comes in and doesn't really take too much off the roster, and he especially, eventually, replaces what he's cut with younger, or more promising, scheme appropriate players. Marrone comes in and after the FA and draft, I look at this roster and there aren't a lot of places I see us needing to upgrade anymore. Sure, there are a lot of question marks, but those are young players who will have a chance to prove they belong. This is, not only a young roster, but a talented one.

 

I don't have the feeling like we'll need 3 years to compete this time around. I am optimistic - as I've said before, not since Williams have I been so much so.