I feel sorry for the guy. He's head coach of a team that for all intents & purposes, has no home field. The stadium was full (well even at it's capacity, it's hard to use the word full) of Eagles fans yesterday. I'm sure when I go to the game on 11/19, I'll be seeing more of my Bills brethren than Chargers fans.
Now, for full disclosure, I was against Lynn being hired as Bills coach because I didn't want any carryover from Rex's staff getting a promotion within the Bills organization, and I think we got the right coach. But, with the hand he's been dealt, it's going to be tough for Lynn to get any traction as an NFL head coach and is likely to rejoin the assistant ranks long before the end of the McDermott era in Buffalo.
At what point would it be wise for an assistant coach in the NFL to turn down an opportunity to be a head coach? It may mean he'll never get another shot, but at the same time going to a no-win situation can ruin your career as well. Once it was obvious the Bills were not going to hire him, Lynn was put into a very bad corner: accept what might turn out to be the worst coaching job in the league, or miss what might be the only opportunity to be a head coach. I remember Dave McGinnis turned down the Bears in 1999 & a year later got the Arizona job (the team he was an assistant with) and then proceeded to have a horrible record, 17-40 for 3 1/2 seasons and never was a head coach again. Meanwhile 2 head coaches who quit the Bills got other chances & both are current NFL head coaches. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Now, for full disclosure, I was against Lynn being hired as Bills coach because I didn't want any carryover from Rex's staff getting a promotion within the Bills organization, and I think we got the right coach. But, with the hand he's been dealt, it's going to be tough for Lynn to get any traction as an NFL head coach and is likely to rejoin the assistant ranks long before the end of the McDermott era in Buffalo.
At what point would it be wise for an assistant coach in the NFL to turn down an opportunity to be a head coach? It may mean he'll never get another shot, but at the same time going to a no-win situation can ruin your career as well. Once it was obvious the Bills were not going to hire him, Lynn was put into a very bad corner: accept what might turn out to be the worst coaching job in the league, or miss what might be the only opportunity to be a head coach. I remember Dave McGinnis turned down the Bears in 1999 & a year later got the Arizona job (the team he was an assistant with) and then proceeded to have a horrible record, 17-40 for 3 1/2 seasons and never was a head coach again. Meanwhile 2 head coaches who quit the Bills got other chances & both are current NFL head coaches. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
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