Cowher Talking to Skins about Job in '08?

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by GMScud

I guess it's tough to explain. As the head coach, YOU'RE the guy. The buck stops with you and you alone as far as the success of the team. You have to motivate an entire coaching staff, as well as offense, defense, and special teams. Maybe these great coordinators/poor HC's aren't as effective under that kind of pressure. Maybe they have spent so much of their career focused on one side of the ball that they can't effectively manage a team as a whole.

Look at Brad Childress last year in Minnesota. He's been a defense coach his entire career. And their D was very stout in his first year as a head coach. (#1 against the run). But their offense stunk out loud. I don't think discipline/motivation was his problem, but certainly his lack of offensive coaching experience was. The same with Gregg Williams as Buffalo's head coach. The team was disciplined and good defensively, and had an offense that was near the bottom of the league. On the flip side, Norv has put together great offenses, but his teams lacked discipline and strong defense.

I don't know an exact answer. That's what I can come up with off the top of my head.

Childress was the O coodinator in Philly though.

I think a lot of great head coaches are very hands off on one side of the ball or the other. That's just part of delagating responsibility.

Ultimately this entire debate fizzles down to the fact that good players with good chemistry will produce good results, and a coach can't do much to improve that or stand in their way. Likewise bad players with bad chemistry will produce bad results. Nothing a coach can do.

Norv had some pretty solid offensive talent as a coordinator, and not so much as a head coach, thus is his legacy.