A Coaching Debacle

Right now it looks like Steve Spagnuolo will not be a member of the Giants coaching staff next season and though it is hard to think about next season with the G-Men being two wins away from a second straight Super Bowl appearance and three wins from back-to-back titles, it is important to touch on the subject. There is no doubt in my mind that Spags will be the head coach somewhere next year. Since he appears to be the top assistant in the pool of available and wanted coaches, it is evident that Spags will take a job and he would have to be crazy not to. When you’re hot, you’re hot and you need to take advantage of a situation like that because it might not present itself again, ever. So, while it will be tough to not have Spags running the defense, he has worked hard and deserves to have a shot running his own team.

But how about what is playing out with that other team that plays in Giants Stadium. That team that wears green and white and pulled off their best New York Mets impersonation and possibly did them one better. The New York Jets are a mess right now and are one poor personnel decision decision aawy from setting their team back years. The owners’ love with Brett Favre and the firing of Eric Mangini have turned the Jets into the AFC’s Cowboys and have turned the Jets players on each other.

The funny thing with the Jets is that you either have Eric Mangini and Brett Favre together or you get rid of both because you certainly can’t keep one without the other. Mangini was given his shot over three years and choked his own job away and I totally agree with his firing. But if the team is so keen on keeping Favre then they can’t get rid of Mangini because no established NFL coach is going to take over a team that is obviously on their way to nowhere with Favre as the starting QB. The Jets have already put themselves in one tricky predicament.

Bill Cowher and Mike Shananhan don’t want to coach the Jets with Brett Favre on the team and if the Jets want to get a coach like Spagnuolo they are going to pay the price. Right now Spagnuolo can get a serious extension with the Giants and make great money off being a defensive coordinator for an elite team. So if he is going to coach the Jets, he is going to want a lot of money and security with multiple years given the fact that the Jets could be pretty bad for the next few seasons and are obviously going to be a completely different team once Favre leaves. So, if the Jets are willing to agree to those demands, then they are rolling the dice because who knows how good Spagnuolo will be as a head coach and if they are already going to be paying Mangini for the next couple of years, do they really want to hire Spagnuolo to a several year deal and then have to fire him and be paying two coaches at the same time? I don’t think so.

Enter Mike Holmgren. Holmgren is leaving Seattle and seems to be the perfect fit for the Jets. he and Brett Favre have a history together from their days in Green Bay and a one-year deal with Holmgren is the exact contract the Jets are looking for until they can get rid of Favre and foster their own young quarterback. If Holmgren says he is officially wants no part of the Jets, then they are going to be in a very bad spot and it could get ugly for the organization for a very long time if the wrong move is made.

But what is Holmgren says no? Cross off Cowher, Shanahan, and Holmgren, and you have to hope that you can please Spags or that Romeo Crenell wants to enter the Barnum and Bailey Circus show with Brett Favre as the ringleader. And if they all say no, then what? Because right now Holmgren is a stretch and Spagnuolo might want to stay with the Giants. This leaves a peanut vendor from the upper tier at Giants Stadium, three of the parking lot attendants, and a handful of NYC cab drives that want to coach the Jets. And apparently a source close to the peanut vendor says he unwilling to coach the Jets unless he can bring in his own coaching staff. This is what Brett Favre has turned the New York Jets into. I am sure all those PSL holders are pleased with their recent purchases.

And while this Jets rant goes on, I have always wondered exactly what goes on in the interviews with coaching candidates for NFL teams. Since I have never been present for one of these meetings it has left me wondering what kind of questions are asked. Today I heard that the Browns were impressed with Eric Mangini. How is this possible? Did he use a lot of fancy words? Did he tell them a bunch of jokes? Did he share similar interest in movies and TV shows? Because I can send over game recaps, columns, interviews, quotes, stats, and a DVD of highlights (or in this case lowlights) of the past two seasons if they want more material? It is just mind boggling that he can “impress” these people or any people. I mean did they not watch Jets game ever, or not watch SportsCenter, or any show that might have discussed football in the United States? Honestly, this is just absurd. The man just led his team to one of the most historic collapses in NFL history and about 96 hours later, the Cleveland Browns are “impressed” by him.

Speaking of NFL coaching interviws what do the front office execs of the Lions say in one of these meetings? Seriously, what positive thing could they possibly say to sell the Lions to acoaching candidate? “Um, at least you can’t do any worse than our last coach.”