Rebuilding the Bills - New Coach

[Dozerdog]

Let's play- "Rebuild the Bills"


This will be a series of Polls to see what the overall consensus on what you- the fan- think the Bills will /or should do this offseason.


While it is impossible to predict what the Bills will do/where the Bills will pick/ how the team will finish, this exercise will attempt to see how the Bills can be rebuilt. Only realistic options will be put forth. (No Bill Parcells for coach, Bring in Brett Favre)


It should be fun- let's seee where it goes!


Part 1-

The season has ended, and the Bills , for the sake of discussion- finish somewhere around 6-10 or 7-9. Gregg Williams is not renewed for his contract and is released 2 days after the conclusion of the season. While Gilbride remains under contract, he will either be fired with Gregg or fired by the new coach coming in. With all the possible candidates, i selected only the top ones mentioned on the boards.


Who will the new coach be?


1) The retreads- (coaches currently employed not being considered)


Tom Coughlin- Former Jacksonville coach, has been calling around to assemble a staff during the offseason- safe to say if this is the choice, the entire current Bills staff will be let go. Start with a clean slate


Dennis Green- Just for the sake of arguments, Dennis Green retains some if not most of the defensive coaching staff. Will bring in new coaches on the offensive side of the ball.

Dick Lebeau- On staff already, will retain most coaches on staff, eliminate Gilbride and Ruel. Maybe promote Steckel to OC, retain Gray as DC


2) The College coaches

Nick Saban-LSU- Rumored to be headed to the NFL for a number of years, has taken LSU as far as it will go. Will finally jump to the NFL- will retain some defensive coaches.

Kirk Ferentz- Iowa- Another one who was almost an NFL coach last season- hot candidate this season. Will Bring in new OC

3) The hot Coordinators

Romeo Crennel- DC-Pats Has tortured Buffalo for a couple of seasons- will be an NFL coach next season

Mike Zimmer- DC- Cowboys Retained by Parcells from the Campo regime, has kept Dallas near the top in defensive rank despite lack of talent & rookies

Lovie Smith- DC- Rams Architect of top defenses in Tampa and St Louis

[Dozerdog]

I did not add Haslett, Reeves, or others who still have jobs at this point

[Dozerdog]

After trumping Coughlin since last offseason when he was available- I've changed my mind. After researching all the candidates, I'm torn between Crennel and Saban. i went with Saban- strictrly because he's got HC experience.

[DraftBoy]

Lovie Smith

[HenryRules]

I don't think any of the candidates are that good or I don't know anything about them (college coaches), so I'm not voting on this one.

I never like DC's as head coaches ... just a belief of mine - so that wipes out all the co-ordinators.

Coughlin and TD I think would be a bad relationship (actually, Coughlin and just about anyone would be a bad relationship - I don't want him at all) ... Green sucks and LeBeau falls under my DC theory.

[Dozerdog]

DC's make bad coaches?

Bellicheck, Dungy, Haslett, Marvin Lewis, Jeff Fisher, Parcells, Fox, Dom Capers,

OC's- Billick, Holmgren, Marriucci, Gruden, Callahan, Shanahan,


Most OC's that are good coaches are West Coast offense guys.

[Ebenezer]

I have to say DC never make good HC in Buffalo.

[cordog]

I would love seeing Haslett come back to buffalo, but 2nd on my list is Crennell, Smith, then Zimmer. I would be real happy with any of those 4.

[RedEyE]

I think that premoting LeBeau will cause the least amount of ripples. Saban would be my priamry choice if we needed to completely rebuild.

[The Spaz]

I'm all about new blood and went with Kirk Ferentz he is an offensive coach and is particularly good with offensive line play. He is also very innovative with his play calling and schemes.

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/iowa/sports/m-footbl/auto_headshot/k-ferentz.jpg
Kirk Ferentz

http://hawkeyesports.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ferentz_kirk00.html

[Tatonka]

ferentz
saban
crennell

in that order..

isnt lovie smith in st. louis now? tampas defense is not the same, so i assume he is not there.

[Dozerdog]

Yes- he's in ST Louis- been there for 2 seasons- built the Tampa Defense before that

[Historian]

Haslett or Coughlin. I can never vote in the polls...I think its an AOL thing.

[Billsbabee]

Haslett
Saban
Crenell or LeBeau

Coughlin, not sure. Some days I think yes, others no. :idunno:

Didn't vote cuz I'm not real high on any particular one yet

[Historian]

For those of you who want a college coach, Keep something in mind. Wilson is 85 years old! We may not have another three of four years to waste while someone cuts their teeth as an NFL Coach. We already wasted three years with Williams. There is a good chance that this is the last Coach Ralph hires in this lifetime. Its got to be a good choice. It has to be someone with NFL experience.

Given the economic climate in this area...GM and Motorola are laying off, Kodak is downsizing, and Buffalo China is pulling out. This is not good news, even with regionalization. If Wilson passes, there is no one to keep the team here. Personally, I think the league would just LOVE to move this team to Anaheim, Portland, or any place in the sun belt.

Again, this could be the last Coach hired by this organization in Buffalo. IMO, it has to be someone with experience, and they have to win within the next few years, if its going to happen at all.

[helmetguy]

I went with LeBeau, strictly from a familiarity standpoint. That is, he is already familiar with the team's strengths and weaknesses, and has worked with TD before. From his days in Pittsburgh, LeBeau showed he wasn't averse to tweaking his overall plan to fit the situation each game. Offensively, Steckel would be more than adequate, for many of the same reasons. To totally dismantle the coaching staff would be far too disruptive if the team is to be competitive ant time soon. Neither LeBeau, Steckel, nor TD seem to be the types to look for a complete overhaul through the draft which, in the case of the Bills, isn't necessary in the first place. In the second, TD especially is a stckler for continuity, along with some fiscal restraint, so as to provide for decent depth through free agency and the draft.

[JayWood]

My vote would have tobe for Haslett, that is if he can get out of that mess of a job in NO. I really like Ferentz and Saban, but the question is does Mr. Wilson want a college coach? Living here in RI and seeing the Pats all the time i really like Romeo Crennell and i know this guy will make a great head coach, but who is the real defensive genius on that team Romeo, or Billy boy?? Thats the real question? By this time i dont care who we bring in, they have to be alot better than what we have had to put with over the past 3 seasons....Its sad i cant wait for baseball season to begin, and i never say that during football season ahhhhh!!!

[R. Rich]

Give us Nick Saban or Walt Harris and watch our team improve drastically.

[L.A. Playa]

Lovie Smith would bring a style of defense that would work here and if he brings a hybrid of the St Louis offense considering Bulger/Warner are similar in style to Bledsoe and Mc Gahee if healthy is similar to Faulk and Moulds similar to Holt and if we got owens similar to bruce it could be a very good and scary team

[ublinkwescore]

pmac, you are smoking some really good stuff aren't you.

[northernbillfan]

i listen to dennis green every week on espn radio, and he still has a great football mind. i know it is easy to be an analyst, especially after the fact, but he talks about locker room mentality and other things that would still make him a good coach for somebody. does he fit the bills? dunno, but he's available and experienced.

[zone]

Originally posted by Billsology
For those of you who want a college coach, Keep something in mind. Wilson is 85 years old! We may not have another three of four years to waste while someone cuts their teeth as an NFL Coach. We already wasted three years with Williams. There is a good chance that this is the last Coach Ralph hires in this lifetime. Its got to be a good choice. It has to be someone with NFL experience.

Given the economic climate in this area...GM and Motorola are laying off, Kodak is downsizing, and Buffalo China is pulling out. This is not good news, even with regionalization. If Wilson passes, there is no one to keep the team here. Personally, I think the league would just LOVE to move this team to Anaheim, Portland, or any place in the sun belt.

Again, this could be the last Coach hired by this organization in Buffalo. IMO, it has to be someone with experience, and they have to win within the next few years, if its going to happen at all.

Just the thought of this scares the hell out of me.......

[HenryRules]

Originally posted by Dozerdog
DC's make bad coaches?

Bellicheck, Dungy, Haslett, Marvin Lewis, Jeff Fisher, Parcells, Fox, Dom Capers,

OC's- Billick, Holmgren, Marriucci, Gruden, Callahan, Shanahan,


Most OC's that are good coaches are West Coast offense guys.

I didn't say they make bad head coaches ... merely that I don't like them as coaches.

The reason I don't like them is that I like a head coach who can take charge of the offensive playcalling once in a while to shake things up if need be (i believe that the more important decisions are made on offense) and i have more faith in a former OC making that move than a DC.

[Dozerdog]

Interesting results so far-


22 individuals voted.

10 of them voted for an NFL Head coach - but the vote was evenly split amongst Coughlin, Green, with LeBeau one vote behind.

Right behind the retreads were a vote for a successful College HC- Nick Saban garnering 4 votes and Kirk Ferentz 5 votes.

Assistants did poorly- only 1 of every 7 votes went for an assistant- with all 3 votes going for lovie Smith. No love for Lovie.

[shelby]

i would like to see either Coughlin or Denny Green at the helm.

[hurls]

my vote put Coughlin in the lead

[dubl59zy]

Bear in mind that NFL HC experience usually = has already been fired from somewhere else. Overall those coaches don't have notable NFL success. (Granted, the Bill's four notable periods of reasonable success have all occurred under coachs that have already been fired from somwhere else, but how many other teams can say the same thing?)

FWIW, I voted for Lovey Smith, although I think that Williams should be brought back if the team finishes the season stong. I think the team needs to craft an offense that plays to Bledsoe's strength, which I suspect is something like the Redskins circa early 90's: strong running game, max protect, quality receivers.

[BuffaloRanger]

Originally posted by Billsology
For those of you who want a college coach, Keep something in mind. Wilson is 85 years old! We may not have another three of four years to waste while someone cuts their teeth as an NFL Coach. We already wasted three years with Williams. There is a good chance that this is the last Coach Ralph hires in this lifetime. Its got to be a good choice. It has to be someone with NFL experience.

Given the economic climate in this area...GM and Motorola are laying off, Kodak is downsizing, and Buffalo China is pulling out. This is not good news, even with regionalization. If Wilson passes, there is no one to keep the team here. Personally, I think the league would just LOVE to move this team to Anaheim, Portland, or any place in the sun belt.

Again, this could be the last Coach hired by this organization in Buffalo. IMO, it has to be someone with experience, and they have to win within the next few years, if its going to happen at all.

If the Bills ever moved there are those of us that would force opening week of the next season to be cancelled. Contacts have already been made. There's diehard bills fans in every NFL city. Think FightClub but with 50yd lines blowing up and goal posts coming down instead of buildings.

Buffalo's
United
Fans
Fighting
Against
League
Owners

Oh, of course I'm only kidding. That would be crazy right?

[Cntrygal]

Originally posted by BuffaloRanger
If the Bills ever moved there are those of us that would force opening week of the next season to be cancelled. Contacts have already been made. There's diehard bills fans in every NFL city. Think FightClub but with 50yd lines blowing up and goal posts coming down instead of buildings.

Buffalo's
United
Fans
Fighting
Against
League
Owners

Oh, of course I'm only kidding. That would be crazy right?

:eek: