Now that coaches are beginning to return to work, I got to thinking: Which ones get to leave first? You know what I mean. Who's in the greatest danger of being fired?
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| Dallas' Wade Phillips has a clear mission: Do some damage in the playoffs. (Getty Images) |
They are the few. The proud. The imperiled. And keep on reading because what follows is my list of the top five coaches with the most to lose ... and I'm not talking about ballgames.
Mike Nolan, San Francisco 49ers
When he was hired in January, 2005, Nolan talked about getting the woebegone 49ers "back on track," but 4-12, 7-9 and 5-11 isn't exactly what he or owner John York had in mind. After last season's flat tire, there was talk that Nolan would get fired. Instead, he got another chance, and don't ask me why. The 49ers went backward, with Nolan and quarterback Alex Smith exchanging verbal blows in public and the team's offense stuck in neutral.
When Nolan was hired he said, "There is an expectation level of performance, and we have a responsibility to past players." Well, I haven't seen the performance, and the responsibility is squarely on Nolan's shoulders to get this club back to the playoffs. Anything short of that probably sends him back to hard labor as an assistant coach in another city. Besides, with Mike Holmgren leaving Seattle after this season there's a logical fit sitting out there awaiting a call from York, and it makes too much sense not to happen.
Remember, there was speculation a decade ago that Holmgren would return to San Francisco, and there will be speculation again with Nolan on a short leash. York helped out Nolan by lifting the team's personnel responsibilities from his shoulders and giving them to GM Scott McCloughan. He also agreed to have Mike Martz hired as an offensive coordinator, and I don't care what you think of Mad Mike as a head coach, he can light up a scoreboard. Both of those moves should help Nolan. The rest is up to him. The clock is ticking.
Scott Linehan, St. Louis Rams
Nobody owes more to former Rams' owner Georgia Frontiere than Linehan. It was a dying Frontiere who after last season urged team executives to keep Linehan. That took guts.
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| Scott Linehan is on a short leash in St. Louis. (US Presswire) |
The problem for Linehan is that he needs to win early to convince his players and bosses that this is indeed a new team headed by a different head coach. But the early schedule is difficult: Five of the Rams' first seven opponents are playoff teams, including the New York Giants and New England Patriots. If the Rams struggle out of the gate, the bottom could fall out, and Linehan will be looking for a life preserver.
New personnel chief Billy Devaney already has helped with a strong draft and behind-the-scenes support. But he can't coach this team to victories. That's up to Linehan, and if he doesn't get this team turned around fast he can start dialing a realtor.
John Fox, Carolina Panthers
When the Panthers traded next year's first-round pick to draft tackle Jeff Otah, they signaled everyone they're all about winning now. That makes sense because if they don't win now there's no next season for Fox. It's not that he can't coach. He can. We all know that.
Fox had the Panthers to two conference championship games and one Super Bowl. But this team hasn't done much in two seasons, and owner Jerry Richardson is impatient to return to winning. That means he won't stand for another 7-9 finish, which also means Fox better get his act in gear and put this team back in the playoffs.
Yes, Fox is locked into a long-term contract, but Richardson won't sit still if he thinks there's a better option out there -- and the last time I checked Bill Cowher was picking up his mail in Raleigh. Nevertheless, I wouldn't count Fox out.
Drafting running back Jonathan Stewart was smart. Overhauling the offensive line was, too. Now, Carolina must get more than a handful of sacks out of Julius Peppers and a complete season out of Jake Delhomme, who is coming off Tommy John surgery. If Fox fails, get ready for a lot of fast and loose talk about Cowher.
Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys
So the guy produces the NFC's best record -- his best record ever -- in his first year on the job, and now he's in trouble? Doesn't seem right, does it? Welcome to the NFL. The critical figure here is not so much Phillips as it is owner Jerry Jones, who kept offensive coordinator Jason Garrett from taking a head-coaching job by paying him a gazillion dollars. The perception is that Jones can't wait to make Garrett his head coach, and Phillips must know it.
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Phillips also must know he better win a playoff game to keep Garrett in his assistant's chair. The Cowboys haven't won a postseason start since 1996 and were surprised last year by the New York Giants, a team they beat twice in the regular season. Phillips hasn't won a playoff game, period, in Buffalo or Denver, and, trust me, the prosecution carts that out as Exhibit A if he doesn't make it again.
I feel for Phillips because he's in a tough spot. Not only does he have to handle a combustible locker room -- with "Pacman" Jones joining Terrell Owens and Tank Johnson -- he can't afford to look over his shoulder at the guy calling plays. Granted, it was Phillips who told Jones "to hold on to (Garrett) no matter what," but this is a risky move. I covered a San Diego team in 1986 where Don Coryell's successor sat behind him, and it didn't work.
Phillips is a wonderful guy and a good coach. A year ago he was a good head coach. I don't know if Jason Garrett can run a winning operation, but I know Wade Phillips can. The Cowboys are playing a tricky game here that could backfire.
Lane Kiffin, Oakland Raiders
I'll make this short: I don't know what happens in Oakland, but I do know that what happens in Oakland doesn't stay in Oakland. And what happened in Oakland earlier this year were reports of an alleged squabble between the head coach and owner.
Let's see if I have this straight: According to what was out there, owner Al Davis wanted Kiffin to resign, but Kiffin refused to budge -- daring Davis to fire him. The Raiders denied the stories, Kiffin remained on the job and everyone lived happily ever after.
But wait a minute: Didn't Kiffin try to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan before Davis intervened to say he couldn't? And wasn't assistant James Lofton added to Kiffin's staff without the head coach approving the hire? Great. So the head coach isn't happy. The owner isn't happy.
The defensive coordinator can't be fond of his head coach because the head coach doesn't sound as if he's fond of the defensive coordinator. Anything else? Oh yeah, the team can't win and is in the same division as San Diego.
Good luck, Lane. You'll need it.
