Big Show Coaches

[Brit Pack]

Apologies I know there is a next coach thread. This is just narrowing it down based of Super Bowl connections and some quite interesting connections came out.

The premise and the assumption that I am biased towards is that to find a new coach that is a step up from MM, is to find a coach that has either been to the Big Show as either a HC, OC, DC or after being in the Super Bowl as a positional coach is now in one of those roles. Why that premise? Because with that comes the experience and the knowledge of what it takes to take a team there, it is a very important aspect for a resume of a potential candidate and interesting enough I discovered some of the names we are talking about have that Super Bowl connection.

Yes, we have had success with MM who never had any HC experience or any relation to a Super Bowl team, and there are other coaches who have had success without any previous Super Bowl experience but I feel that we are in a different situation now having let go of a coach who has had the pedigree and we are looking at a QB who is at the back 9, we don't have the time to build (it took MM five years to get us to a Super Bowl). A new coach is a risk regardless. One with experience in the Big Show for me is a much lesser risk. That’s why I have no interest in College coaches.

So here we go.

Looking back the last 12 years (later than that seemed pointless) these are coaches who have coached in the Super Bowl and who are not entrenched in a HC position currently and could be potentially available:

Jim Caldwell
Ken Whisenhunt
John Fox
Lovie Smith
Jim Harbaugh
Gary Kubiak

Kubiak seems quite interesting if he wants the stress of being a HC again. He has the most pedigree and probably the only name I would actually feel is a step up from what we had in MM.

Smith and Fox are passed it in my mind. Harbaugh is interesting but I don’t like the fact he has been away from the NFL for so long. Caldwell is okay I guess. If Whisenhunt hadn’t had that bad spell as  the Titans HC I would be tempted after the good work he did in Arizona with Warner as a QB.

Next looking back last 6 seasons these were individuals who were either OC’s or DC’s or Assistant HC’s in the Super Bowl:

Jim Schwartz
Josh McDaniels
Raheem Morris
Wade Philips
Darrell Bevell
Adam Gase
Vic Fangio
Greg Roman

Schwartz had his chance in Detroit and didn’t do anything that great. Wade Philips too old for my liking. Raheem Morris is quite an interesting name. He had a go at Tampa and did have one winning season there. He was pretty young then as well and now as an assistant HC/WR coach with the Falcons and might be ready to be a HC again.

Fangio, Roman, Gase and McDaniels I guess are all strong candidates but I’m not really sold on but I reckon are probably the most likely candidates we’ll be fishing around.

Bevell is another interesting name and has ties with Green Bay.

This next set of guys were former positional coaches in the Super Bowl and are now either OC’s or DC’s (mainly former Pats coaches), this is again going back as far as 6 years:

Brian Flores
Brian Daboll
Matt La Fleur
Marquand Manuel

All younger up and coming coaches. Carry more risk than the group above but could be a little more interesting. Manuel was a former Packer player.

These are guys who have had recent experience as OC or DC with a Super Bowl team in the last 6 years but who I think are passed it or not really that hot and I would throw up if we selected:

Greg Knapp
Mike Shula
Tom Cable
Jack Del Rio
Dean Pees

Final set of guys are those who have had links with the Packers and were around for the 2010 run:

Joe Philbin
Tom Clements
Ben McAdoo
Edgar Bennet
Joe Whitt

Joe Philbin is the obvious one there as a potential candidate.

Final name to throw out there, which is totally left field and not really realistic but because of his name could be a candidate, Stephen Belichick. Been around the Pats for the last 6 years, last two as safeties coach, probably way too early for him as a HC but if the apple don’t fall too far from the tree could be an interesting name.

After all that my run down on HC preference in order:

Kubiak
Philbin
Morris
Bevell

[{Family Ghost}]

1 hour ago, Brit Pack said:

 

After all that my run down on HC preference in order:

Kubiak
Philbin
Morris
Bevell

All that and you come up with these four?  I'd be highly disappointed.  Kubiak is a solid coach, but the health issues would give me much pause.   The other three seem like we are setting are sights too low.  I'm hoping for the collegiate program/culture builder like Chris Peterson, Pat Fitgerald, or a guy who has coached college and pro .. like Jim Harbaugh.  There really isn't a slam dunk candidate this year .. I'd say Jim Harbaugh is the highest profile guy that could possibly be available.  I sure do hope they get the right guy.  

 

[Brit Pack]

Those are my personal preferences, with a strong leaning towards Raheem Morris. He had Alex Van Pelt in Tampa with him as well which is quite interesting. However, there are other 'good' names, like McDaniels, Fangio, Gase etc. which have Super Bowl experience which were listed.

With college coaches very few have succeeded in the NFL and I think if you go down the college route you have to invest time in them which we don't have.

Harbaugh big yes, slight negative that he hasn't coached in the NFL for four years plus I think we'll get outbid by other teams for his services if he chooses to come back. 

[Lieker]

I understand the want for a coach who has Super Bowl experience. At the same time all those guys won one at some point without that experience. I’m not sure that would be a prerequisite for me. Or at the very least, the main way I’d narrow down my coaching selection. Interesting thought process though!

[OneTwoSixFive]

I just don't get this idea that coaches have to have superbowl experience. It's nice to have, but it's not that important a criteria and certainly not THE basis on choosing a new HC. 

What kind of respect do they have from their peers (that was what sold me on Pettine as DC), both as people and for their creativity, now THAT is worth something. Do they have a plan if they are made HC.......that was what supposedly got McCarthy the job when he interviewed, he had a day-by-day plan, all fleshed out. 

[Brit Pack]

How many coaches have won or appeared in a Super Bowl with no previous experience at the Big Show? in recent memory off the top of my head I can think of Carrol and John Harbaugh. Both had four seasons before getting to the Super Bowl as HC's I think. Doug Pederson is the only coach with no previous and with one season of HC experience before winning it. You think we'll strike gold like that?

In all aspects of life I'd pick a guy for a job with experience. And in this instance more so when the window to win with Rodgers is so small now.

[ThatJerkDave]

I was secretly hoping this was a thread about Paul Wight.

[OneTwoSixFive]

20 minutes ago, Brit Pack said:

In all aspects of life I'd pick a guy for a job with experience. And in this instance more so when the window to win with Rodgers is so small now.

I disagree. Pick a guy with talent, one that other senior guys in the same field respect. no need to rule out talented prospects artificially.

[incognito_man]

Of these listed, the guys I'd be interested in:

Jim Harbaugh - Still my overall top choice

Josh McDaniels - The offensive firepower potential is alluring, the personality/professionalism is a call for the guys doing the hiring

Gary Kubiak - Would love, but can't see him leaving Denver. If he wants to coach again, I suspect Denver would hire him in a heartbeat.

Adam Gase - Admittedly don't know too much about him, but I"m intrigued by the chatter here about him.

Matt La Fleur - Intrigued because he's young and ascending, otherwise nothing excites me about him yet.

 

Pretty much  zero interest in anyone else mentioned in the OP as our next head coach. I like Caldwell, but I don't want boring 'safe' pick, I want a home-run swing.

[Brit Pack]

Just as a reference, looking back the last 12 Super Bowls the following were head coaches in the game:

Eagles – Pederson – No previous SB experience
Pats – Bilicheck – Serial winner
Broncos – Kubiack – SB winner ‘97 and ’99 as OC/QB coach and as Broncos HC in 2015
Pete Carroll – no SB experience
John Fox – DC of Giants which lost SB 2000 season, SB losing HC with Broncos 2013
Ron Rivera – Bears DC 2006 SB losing, SB losing HC with Panthers 2015
Dan Quinn – DC with Super Bowl winning Hawks 2013, SB losing HC with Falcons 2016
Jim Harbaugh – QB coach with SB losing Raiders 2002
John Harbaugh – no previous SB experience
Tom Coughlin – no previous SB experience
Mike Tomlin – SB winning DB coach in Tampa 2002,
Sean Payton – OC of SB losing Giants 2000
Jim Caldwell – QB coach and ast HC of 2006 SB winning Colts, SB winning Ravens OC in 2012
Ken Whisenhunt – OC of SB winning Steelers in 2006
Tony Dungy – no previous SB expience
Lovie Smith – DC for SB losing 2001 Rams
Mike McCarthy -  no SB experience

Last 12 Super Bowls, 17 different HC have appeared and out of those 6 have had no history with the Big show. If you know what winning looks like I think you have got a better chance of taking a team there.

[incognito_man]

Also meant to give a like to @Brit Pack for consolidating this info. I'm also in the camp that thinks 'big show' exposure is invaluable. Especially with QB/HC combos. Perhaps not the SB itself, but the added intensity of post-season games is a unique experience.

[Toddfather]

8 hours ago, {Family Ghost} said:

All that and you come up with these four?  I'd be highly disappointed.  Kubiak is a solid coach, but the health issues would give me much pause.   The other three seem like we are setting are sights too low.  I'm hoping for the collegiate program/culture builder like Chris Peterson, Pat Fitgerald, or a guy who has coached college and pro .. like Jim Harbaugh.  There really isn't a slam dunk candidate this year .. I'd say Jim Harbaugh is the highest profile guy that could possibly be available.  I sure do hope they get the right guy.  

 

Considering the way our team stays healthy this would be the worst place for him to come. It's in the air. He would dead on arrival. 

[davekenya]

Assuming the premise that SB experience is a deciding factor (for sake of this thread's topic), I'd be most excited about Fangio coming over from the Bears.  GB has struggled for whatever reason to field a strong defense for at least a decade.  He seems most able to correct problems on that side of the ball.  To me that's more likely to translating into a few more wins/season than messing with the offensive side of the ball.    Maybe Fangio'd keep Philbin to run the offense as he has good rapport with AR and would maintain offense continuity if that is viewed as a positive. AR'd stay happy; Fangio wouldn't have to focus on that side of the ball.   Fangio would also seem the safest new head coach (in a good way) in that he could keep what's working okay and enhance what isn't working.  We need some kind of change on defense.  With CMIII likely gone, this may also be the time to experiment with a less traditional 3-4 scheme (like Fangio used in SF) that could be brought to GB.  PR-wise, Fangio would have more instant credibility with both team and fans based on his track record.  This might keep the wolves at bay longer than a coaching hire w/o NFL pedigree -- he'd likely have a longer leash. He might be a bit too outspoken for GB's culture though.  If you believe Fangio has simply been the recipient of better talent to create superior defenses, then he might not be a big upgrade over Pettine.  All I know GB has taken so many defensive swings with #1-#3 rounders over the last decade.  Has it consistently been poor defensive drafting or poor defensive coaching with that talent?

[incognito_man]

The more I think about it, the more I actually like Josh McDaniels here.

*He's the best pure candidate available

*He's been holding out for a dream position, GB is that. 

*His failures before were personnel related. He will only be a coach here.

*He will have his pick of assistants. He will (probably by far) be able to assemble the best staff of anyone.

[Leader]

23 minutes ago, incognito_man said:

*He's been holding out for a dream position, GB is that.

I think the dream job he's holding out for is NE.

24 minutes ago, incognito_man said:

*He will have his pick of assistants. He will (probably by far) be able to assemble the best staff of anyone.

Yeah. If he shows those assistants a signed, witnessed and notarized copy of a contract with GB.