Is Jim Schwartz coming after Doug Pederson’s job?
Last week, there were some dubious reports that Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was trying to wrestle some power away from the team’s head coach, Doug Pederson.
I can’t speculate the behind-the-scenes specifics of that, but the idea of a “civil war” is a genuinely interesting conundrum that some teams have found themselves in recently.
Obviously, you’d prefer to keep all your coaches in house. There’s no reason to squeeze out Doug Pederson to promote Jim Schwartz, for example, when they can all stay in the fold. HOWEVER. A need to make a “decision” arises when that prized coordinator or assistant gets offered a head coaching job elsewhere. The franchise can either let them go or boot out their in-house coach.
Teams have approached this problem a few different ways recently. Let’s take a look at how it’s turned out.
Civil wars won by the usurper
Tampa Bay
Lovie Smith’s first season in Tampa Bay was a rough one, but that was partly due to a disaster at his offensive coordinator position. He had originally hired veteran college coach Jeff Tedford for the job, but health reasons caused Tedford to step aside without a proper replacement. The team stumbled to 2-14.
The next season brought QB Jameis Winston and a more experienced coordinator in Dirk Koetter. The team only went 6-10, but the gains made on offense made Koetter a potential head coaching candidate. Rather than risk losing him, the Bucs booted out Lovie Smith and promoted Koetter in his place.
Was it the right move?
While surprising at first, this was the right decision. Koetter continues to have Tampa Bay on the upswing, while Lovie Smith toils away in the college ranks at Illinois right now.
The Bucs made two smart calculations with this move. The first is that Jameis Winston was truly the “franchise,” and his development became paramount. Secondly, they figured Lovie Smith would be easier to replace as a defensive helmsman, which turned out to be true when the team hired the experienced Mike Smith to lead the unit.
New York Giants
After ten years and 2 Super Bowls, Tom Coughlin’s Giants teams had taken a turn for the worse.
That all changed in 2014, when two new additions juiced up their passing offense: rookie WR Odell Beckham, and new coordinator Ben McAdoo. The team still didn’t win many games, but Eli Manning looked more efficient than ever in McAdoo’s offense.
Rather than risk losing McAdoo, the team squeezed out old Coughlin and promoted McAdoo in his place.
Was it the right move?
In hindsight, probably not. McAdoo’s first year as the head coach looks good on paper with an 11-5 record, but much of that was the result of an influx of defensive talent. McAdoo’s offense, on the other hand, took a sizable step back.
Aside from a questionable LT, there are two major concerns with the Giants right now. Perhaps Eli Manning is in a steep decline that’s impossible to reverse. Or perhaps Ben McAdoo was given too much responsibility too soon, and can’t serve as head coach/playcaller at the same time. If the Giants continue to struggle, the franchise may have to start thinking about what life looks like without Eli Manning and McAdoo going forward.
Civil wars won by the reigning king
Chicago
When John Fox came to Chicago, he brought along two top-flight coordinators: young Adam Gase on offense, and veteran Vic Fangio on defense.
Quickly, Gase found himself in head coaching rumors again after only one season in Chicago. Rather than squeeze out the respected Fox, the Bears decided to let Gase move down south to Miami.
Was it the right move?
In a vacuum, you’d prefer Adam Gase as your head coach to John Fox. He’s young and offensive-minded, which is exactly what NFL teams look for these days.
At the same time, we don’t live in a vacuum. You have to consider the actual circumstances and the actual people involved. Would Adam Gase have signed off on squeezing out John Fox, a man whom he’d worked under for several years (dating back to Denver?) And even if Gase was offered the job in Chicago, he may have preferred the talent in Miami more.
That said, IF the politics could have been worked out, Adam Gase as your head coach + Vic Fangio as your defensive coordinator would have been a winning combination, particularly when developing a future QB.
Cincinnati
Marvin Lewis had the benefit of several high-profile and successful coordinator lately, including three future head coaches. Jay Gruden and Mike Zimmer overlapped as coordinators, while Hue Jackson took over after Gruden left.
All three moved on to head coaching jobs, while Cincinnati stayed loyal and stuck by Marvin Lewis.
Was it the right move?
Again, this one needs to be considered politically. When those three coordinators left, Marvin Lewis was still on a playoff streak. It’s hard to boot out a coach who’s been that successful (even if only in the regular season) and so instrumental in turning around this franchise’s reputation.
In hindsight, the decision (or non-decision) looks worse. The Bengals went with a “next man up” philosophy, but new OC Ken Zampese wasn’t up to that task. Right now, Cincinnati’s gone from having one of the most stacked coaching staffs to one of the most depleted in the league.
Perhaps the team could have avoided this by having Marvin Lewis “promoted” to GM, and allowed Hue Jackson to take over in his place. Or perhaps Jackson would have been okay if he had been named the official heir once Lewis retired (the same could have been offered to Gase in Chicago.) Of course, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and the “heir” succession plan doesn’t always work (see: Jim Mora in Seattle, or Conan O’Brien on NBC.)
The wars yet to come
Philadelphia
Let’s re-direct back to our opening, where we mentioned the rumors about Jim Schwartz possibly trying to wrestle power away from coach Doug Pederson.
Schwartz’s defense is strong, and could vault him back into head coaching status by 2018. If that happens, those rumors may become reality and force the Eagles to declare a winner.
What’s the right move?
Despite his reputation in Detroit, Jim Schwartz is a legitimately solid coach and would be a solid hire for a number of teams.
But for this team, Doug Pederson appears more valuable. Schwartz’s defense may be the key to a playoff run this season, but in the long run, the Eagles’ upside will be determined by Carson Wentz. Keeping Pederson in tow and keeping that continuity for Wentz is vital.
Detroit
On the Monday Night broadcast last night, announcer Sean McDonough drew attention to Jim Caldwell’s expiring deal, and expressed an opinion that he should be given an extension.
Apparently, GM Bob Quinn doesn’t agree. After all, he knows that Caldwell is currently benefiting from two real strong coordinators in OC Jim Bob Cooter and DC Teryl Austin. There’s a sizable chance that one (or both) of them will be offered head coaching jobs next season, in which case the team will have to decide whether to let them go or whether to squeeze out Caldwell instead.
What’s the right move?
Again, you’d prefer to keep all three coaches in their place, but we’re talking about a circumstance where a coordinator gets offered a head coaching job and a decision must be made.
If Teryl Austin gets offered a head coaching job, I would push out Caldwell and promote Austin instead. To me, Austin is a more exciting, more charismatic leader that has more long-term upside as a coach. The idea that you can promote Austin and still keep Jim Bob Cooter as a coordinator is feasible, and would be more than enough to give you confidence in the combo going forward.
If Jim Bob Cooter is the one offered a job, that decision’s not as easy to make. Promoting Cooter may bristle Austin, who’s the older and more veteran coordinator of the two. I wouldn’t want to risk Austin leaving as collateral damage of the change. Having Cooter as the head coach without good lieutenants around is a risky proposition, given that he’s only 33 years old and still new at being a coordinator, to begin with. You could have a Ben McAdoo situation on your hands here. Given that, I’d say “yes” to an Austin promotion but “no” to Cooter if push came to shove.
Coordinator wars
This same power struggle can happen in the coordinator ranks as well. Recently, Houston promoted Mike Vrabel from LB coach to DC. Atlanta promoted Marquand Manuel from DB coach to DC. And Oakland promoted QB coach Todd Downing to OC. They didn’t do this out of the kindness of their hearts; they didn’t want to lose them to another gig.
I can see something similar happening again next offseason in a few places.
In Baltimore, run game guru and TE coach Greg Roman may be more valuable than current OC Marty Mornhinweg; if push came to shove, I’d prefer keeping Roman more.
Oakland has another awkward situation on their hands, with “defensive coordinator” Ken Norton and “assistant head coach/defense” John Pagano both on staff. Of the two, Pagano appears more likely to stick around.
In Philadelphia, QB coach John DeFilippo is a rising star. The team appears steadfast on keeping him, so I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they promote him at the expense of current OC Frank Reich next year.
And finally, we may see a power struggle in Carolina if the passing offense doesn’t start clicking. If the team misses the playoffs, QB coach Ken Dorsey may be promoted over current OC Mike Shula.
