Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

[imbondz]

It'd be interesting to see the average years it took for a coach to turn a franchise around into a SB contender.

Obviously Levy turned us around immediately in 1987/88. Dick Vermeil took over the Rams in 1997, won the Superbowl in 2000. Harbaugh and the 49ers immediately. Any other coaches turn a franchise around that quick? Someone like Mike Tomlin doesn't count because he inherited a great team.

Gary Kubiak of the Texans - He started there in 2006, so it's taken him 5-6 years to turn them into a contender (not sure they were a real contender last year but this year obviously). Belicheck started coaching NE in 2000 but NE was in the SB in 96, made the playoffs in 97 and 98. So they were already on the right path when he got there. His first year they were 5-11, 2nd year, SB.

[Night Train]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

The refusal to take the QB position more seriously beyond Fitz and the lack of adjustments on D when the Pats game was getting out of hand drove the nail in the coffin for me.

I give every staff a chance but bail on those who deny the hole in the ship while 20 feet under the surface. Being stubborn while losing proves nothing beyond future unemployment.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

Well, the thing is that if you don't turn a team around, they fire you in 3-4 years. It's rare that you see a guy take 8 years to turn a team around, because he just wouldn't get that kind of time, he'd already have been fired. You can probably name 15 times the amount of coaches that haven't turned a team around in 3 years or less to those that have turned a team around in 3 years or less.

[imbondz]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

Kubiak's Records at Houston:

2006 - 6-10
2007 - 8-8
2008 - 8-8
2009 - 9-7
2010 - 6-10
2011 - 10-6***
2012 - 4-0

Would we have kept him around after 2010? Would a better coach have made the Texans a contender in 2009 instead of 3 years later? I'm not sure it's coaching as much as it is players. We've been spinning our wheels w/ coaches for 13 years and it's beyond frustrating. Until we find a franchise QB, does it matter who the coach is?

[GingerP]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

I don't disagree Houston showed some patience with Kubiak, but they were an expansion franchise. Tom Landry got years to get Dallas established as well when they were an expansion franchise, although that was pre-free agency.

[zone]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

I don't disagree Houston showed some patience with Kubiak, but they were an expansion franchise. Tom Landry got years to get Dallas established as well when they were an expansion franchise, although that was pre-free agency.

The Bills may as well be the free agent talent that has been willing to come here is minuscule and when it does they rarely live up to the hype. That's why a team like buffalo needs to be built through the draft and developed properly which takes more time. i.e. Houston, Cincinnati, Detroit.

[eperkins99]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

The 49ers were in the play offs 2 years prior to Jim taking over as coach so that is a poor example.

[bluerosekiller]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

For me, it's all going to be based on how They perform in the Titans game.
If they even remotely look like a team that's just going through the motions for their paychecks after three straight losses, then it'll be obvious that they're going to tank the entire rest of the year & they'll be lucky to go 4-12.
Hell, I've of the opinion that even matching last year's 6-10 mark won't be good enough to keep Gailey around.
But with THIS organization & it's good ol' boy GM backed by a senile, one foot in the grave owner?
Hell, they'll probably find excuses why 2-14 is going to be good enough.

[EDS]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

I rather bring in a new GM first, then allow him to pick a new coach then to give Buddy a second bite at the apple. Need a strong GM first and foremost.

[Bill Cody]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

3 years is nowhere near enough time. You need at least 15 years.

Signed,

Ralph Wilson

[BLeonard]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

Of course three years is enough time for a coach to turn a franchise around... That is, if the coach is worth a damn.

Thats the Bills' problem... They never hire a coach that's worth a damn. They simply hire who's willing to accept the pay offered and willing to accept the framework that the job entails. "Framework" including, but not limited to: Benching players so that they don't achieve bonuses, trading players in order to dump salary and keeping Chris Kelsay on the roster regardless of if you can find a better replacement for his roster spot.

While I agree that coaching has been a problem in Buffalo for quite some time, that's at least partially attributed to the Front Office, who are only willing to hire people that command a certain pay range and are willing to play within their rules, no matter how it affects the on-field product.

That's why you didn't see guys like Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Brian Billick in Buffalo. These guys, given their amount of success in the leage, might want some actual say on how they form their roster. That's a deal breaker for the Bills Front Office.

-Bill

[Philagape]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

Kubiak's Records at Houston:

2006 - 6-10
2007 - 8-8
2008 - 8-8
2009 - 9-7
2010 - 6-10
2011 - 10-6***
2012 - 4-0

Not quite the same as having a losing record in every single one of those seasons.

[SquishDaFish]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

If we are to get rid of Chan I hope its this year and bring in the CHIN! COWHER!!

[Jeff1220]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

The last coaching search was downright embarrassing. That showed us a lot: Cowher is not coming to Buffalo - I believe they tried pretty hard the last time around, and he wanted no part of it. And there's a reason why Billick isn't a sought after candidate. Gailey isn't the best candidate, but he's all they have.
In this era of Bills sucktitude, the common denominator in these hires is Russ Brandon. The problem is, he does his job very well - deceiving the public into buying the product. Sales are good and Brandon isn't going anywhere. If he gets rid of Gailey, prepare for another cast-off nobody would want, and that list of candidates would probably include Wanny.

[YardRat]

Re: Is 3 years enough time for any coach to turn a franchise around?

Coughlin took over a 4-12 Giants team and had them in the playoffs year #2, champions in year #4.