YardRat
10-16-2011, 08:40 AM
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/jerry-sullivan/article595538.ece
Gailey is a virtual afterthought when people around the country marvel at this 4-1 Bills team. He was an afterthought when the Bills were looking for a coach, too. We wanted hot names, big resumes, borrowed legacies. How many big names turned them down before they turned to this no-name?
Well, if I were putting together a coach of the year list after five weeks, Gailey's name would be right at the top. There's a lot of good coaching being done in the league, but it's hard to imagine anyone changing the competitive culture of a team is such a dramatic way. Ignored and underestimated, Gailey is the ideal man to lead this Buffalo team. However he arrived at the choice, Nix got the coach right.
"We're all kind of looked at the same, as afterthoughts," said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. "Guys are no-names and all that. But a lot of times, teams take on the personality of their coach. Chan is not going to be too fiery and he's not going to get down when we're losing. He knows there's a certain amount of respect we're trying to earn."
Gailey has earned a lot of respect this season, just like his team. He outcoached two of the sport's giants, Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, in the last two wins. Belichick and Reid are among four active NFL coaches among the top 25 all-time in coaching wins. The other two: Tom Coughlin and Mike Shanahan, who coach the Bills' next two opponents.
So if the Bills win their next two, Gailey will sweep the board against the Mount Rushmore of active coaches.
Gailey is a virtual afterthought when people around the country marvel at this 4-1 Bills team. He was an afterthought when the Bills were looking for a coach, too. We wanted hot names, big resumes, borrowed legacies. How many big names turned them down before they turned to this no-name?
Well, if I were putting together a coach of the year list after five weeks, Gailey's name would be right at the top. There's a lot of good coaching being done in the league, but it's hard to imagine anyone changing the competitive culture of a team is such a dramatic way. Ignored and underestimated, Gailey is the ideal man to lead this Buffalo team. However he arrived at the choice, Nix got the coach right.
"We're all kind of looked at the same, as afterthoughts," said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. "Guys are no-names and all that. But a lot of times, teams take on the personality of their coach. Chan is not going to be too fiery and he's not going to get down when we're losing. He knows there's a certain amount of respect we're trying to earn."
Gailey has earned a lot of respect this season, just like his team. He outcoached two of the sport's giants, Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, in the last two wins. Belichick and Reid are among four active NFL coaches among the top 25 all-time in coaching wins. The other two: Tom Coughlin and Mike Shanahan, who coach the Bills' next two opponents.
So if the Bills win their next two, Gailey will sweep the board against the Mount Rushmore of active coaches.