If sitting NFL OC, could it be...

[ponyinNC]

Correct me if I am wrong, but from listening to Steve-O seems like we are going the NFL route as we are waiting and he said the coaches they are talking to do not want to rock their teams boat so to speak. Which leads me to think we are talking to a coach on a team bound for the playoffs. And this looks like a year where head-coaching turnover will be small. So most likely a Coordinator or the like. Mike Shula would be my first idea here, but:


Buffalo Bills: Steve Fairchild
Miami Dolphins: None (Head Coach Cam Cameron calls plays)
New England Patriots: Josh McDaniels
New York Jets: Brian Schottenheimer
Baltimore Ravens: Rick Neuheisel (didn't billick say he gave permission??)
Cincinnati Bengals: Bob Bratkowski
Cleveland Browns: Rob Chudzinski
Pittsburgh Steelers: Bruce Arians
Houston Texans: None (Head Coach Gary Kubiak calls plays)
Indianapolis Colts: Tom Moore
Jacksonville Jaguars: Dirk Koetter (if not Shula)
Tennessee Titans: Norm Chow
Denver Broncos: Rick Dennison (Mike Heimerdinger is Assistant Head Coach for Offense)
Kansas City Chiefs: Mike Solari
Oakland Raiders: Greg Knapp
San Diego Chargers: Clarence Shelmon


NFC

Dallas Cowboys: Jason Garrett
New York Giants: Kevin Gilbride
Philadelphia Eagles: Marty Mornhinweg
Washington Redskins: Don Breaux (Al Saunders is Associate Head Coach -- Offense)
Chicago Bears: Ron Turner
Detroit Lions: Mike Martz
Green Bay Packers: Joe Philbin
Minnesota Vikings: Darrell Bevell
Atlanta Falcons: Hue Jackson
Carolina Panthers: Jeff Davidson
New Orleans Saints: Doug Marrone
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bill Muir
Arizona Cardinals: Todd Haley
San Francisco 49ers: Jim Hostler
St. Louis Rams: Greg Olson
Seattle Seahawks: Gil Haskell

[BRStang]

If that is the case and we go for an NFL coordinator...

WHY THE F*CK DO WE HAVE TO WAIT AND TEXAS A&M DOES NOT HAVE TO WAIT TO GET SHERMAN?????? HUH????

EITHER SMU PLAYS BY IMAGINARY RULES OR OUR AD IS A JOKE!!!

[ponyinNC]

If that is the case and we go for an NFL coordinator...

WHY THE F*CK DO WE HAVE TO WAIT AND TEXAS A&M DOES NOT HAVE TO WAIT TO GET SHERMAN?????? HUH????

EITHER SMU PLAYS BY IMAGINARY RULES OR OUR AD IS A JOKE!!!

my only guess would be it is Jax Jaguars (or whatever team)'s rule. And Texans are not in the playoff hunt so Sherman was free to go...

[PK]

If that is the case and we go for an NFL coordinator...

WHY THE F*CK DO WE HAVE TO WAIT AND TEXAS A&M DOES NOT HAVE TO WAIT TO GET SHERMAN?????? HUH????

EITHER SMU PLAYS BY IMAGINARY RULES OR OUR AD IS A JOKE!!!

Do you honestly think the A&M/Sherman deal was done in three days...and by the way, he is still busy with his NFL duties. Yes he has some staff set up...again, do you think that all got orginized in three days?

[MustangLaxer]

Agreed. The wait doesn't necessarily mean we are getting a coordinator. It could just as likely mean no one worthy is interested in the SMU head coaching position.

[ebrooks11]

My moneys on Shula!!!!!

[Mustang1991]

Question: What is the fascination with Neuheisel? Has anyone seen the Ravens' offense? NO. THEY HAVE NONE.

[ponyinNC]

My moneys on Shula!!!!!

at this point, it's the only answer that makes sense. If it was the usual list of re-treads, deal would be done (franbowdenbarnettnueheisel) by now.

My only question/concern is, I hope the deal for Shula is basically done and we are not waiting again w/ no promises like we did for PJ!!!

[mustangbill67]

Or possibly our "top" candidates are in bowls and for whatever reasons do not want to formally engage in discussions until after the bowl. What if we are after O'Leary or the guy from Tulsa? The available guys such as Fran or Barnett may be on the list but below guys currently coaching. It seems to me that Orsini probably has certain high profile guys targeted who have given a strong informal indication of interest but who are not ready or able to engage in formal discussions. My opinion and yes the sky is not falling.

[giacfsp]

Question: What is the fascination with Neuheisel? Has anyone seen the Ravens' offense? NO. THEY HAVE NONE.

They have no offensive talent. You could stick Don Coryell, Joe Gibbs, Bill Walsh or any other offensive mastermind and they wouldn't do anything with that bunch. Grandpa McNair? Kyle Boller? Troy Smith? No thanks.

I'm with most of the people here, though. Hire the coach, let him name at least a handful of assistants and go back to work, if he has to.

[PonyPatrol]

I had tried to keep an open mind about Shula, but the more I dig into his coaching history, the less I am impressed.

He has no real history of success at any stop in his career. Fired after three seasons as OC in Tampa Bay, after an NFC CHAMPIONSHIP appearance. Does anyone remember how good that team was on defense and how BAD their offense was?? To be fired after a playoff run like that typically means the coach was thought to have been holding the team back. His offense in TB never finished above 22nd in the league.

Furthemore, while his time at Bama seems difficult to judge (one great season, a couple very mediocre), he did have to battle recruiting restrictions imposed in the wake of Fran.

Either way, it would be nice to see some evidence of sustained success, or offensive innovation (since he is an offensive guy). If his name wasn't Shula, would this guy ever have been more than a QB coach?

IF, this is the guy we're targeting, and we never even contacted guys with the track records of Bowden and Neuheisel, this whole bit about "the best coach available" is absurd.

[atl_stangs]

I had tried to keep an open mind about Shula, but the more I dig into his coaching history, the less I am impressed.

He has no real history of success at any stop in his career. Fired after three seasons as OC in Tampa Bay, after an NFC CHAMPIONSHIP appearance. Does anyone remember how good that team was on defense and how BAD their offense was?? To be fired after a playoff run like that typically means the coach was thought to have been holding the team back. His offense in TB never finished above 22nd in the league.

Furthemore, while his time at Bama seems difficult to judge (one great season, a couple very mediocre), he did have to battle recruiting restrictions imposed in the wake of Fran.

Either way, it would be nice to see some evidence of sustained success, or offensive innovation (since he is an offensive guy). If his name wasn't Shula, would this guy ever have been more than a QB coach?

IF, this is the guy we're targeting, and we never even contacted guys with the track records of Bowden and Neuheisel, this whole bit about "the best coach available" is absurd.

This reminds me of something funny...grew up a Bucs fan and was always watching the games when Shula was OC.

We used to make jokes when Shawn King made a big play that Shula must have stepped out to the Can, or that a monkey broke into the pressbox and was calling in the plays.

Man, I forgot all about that and how impotent his offense really was.

[EastStang]

I went back and looked at when Charlie Weis was named coach of Notre Dame and it was December 13, 2004. My reason for adding this is that he was coaching at New England at the time. It would seem that current coaching responsibilities should not impair an announcement of an NFL assistant coach. Now if its a current NFL head coach, maybe we need to wait until the season is over.

[Big Hoss]

Question: What is the fascination with Neuheisel? Has anyone seen the Ravens' offense? NO. THEY HAVE NONE.

Very true. And why are people interested in bringing in a guy who screwed over Colorado due to his recruiting violations, and then got fired from Washington for gambling?

I realize that gambling isn't the worst offense ever in college sports (see A&M players' recent arrest for armed home invasion), but everyone knows it's off limits.