Kerr
01-22-2006, 09:59 PM
Q: What made you think Coach Jauron would be a good NFL coach?
Mike: “Dick had been in the league as a player, a good player. Obviously he's an Ivy League graduate, went to Yale. One of the best players to come out of the Ivy League and play in the NFL. Then, his demeanor and his teaching ability - I've watched him work and teach - I thought he got a lot of guys who were good players but not great players. I though he really was a good teacher. He is a very consistent guy, on and off the field. A wonderful family guy. I like him a lot. I kept him and Greg Blache off the old staff, and Greg's their (defensive) coordinator now. Those are the two guys that stayed there off the (previous) staff. Then I hired the rest of the guys, new people. There were two or three times that Dick was there with me and we talked about he had opportunities to be the head coach at Yale. They really wanted him because Carman Cozza, who had been there forever, so they wanted Dick to be the head coach. I thought he would have been a great head coach there. But you're talking about two very different things - the Ivy League and the NFL. I just said, think about it and certainly I'd do whatever I could to help you, but make the decision between college and the pros. That's kind of what you have to think about. So he stayed. When Coughlin got the job in Jacksonville, he and Dick were close friends, he hired Dick to be the coordinator there. He did a good job for Tom. When the Bears were looking for a coach, I talked to Mr. McCaskey about their head coaching job and Dick. I would say this, they had a great year two years ago, and then they were injured like we were last year. He's just a fine guy. He's a good man. I wish him well on most Sundays. I really do. Then this week we're playing against each other.”
This was from a Q&A in 2003, but it gave me a glimmer of hope after reading it because while the majority of fans, including myself, didn't give Jauron much credibility with this reputation coming out of Chicago, you've got a great head coach like Mike Holgrem buttering up Jauron's pedigree as a good head coach. Many want to call his 2001 campaign as a "lucky" season, but maybe it was just a preview of what he could bring out of a team when he has a healthy team. Mike also points out that Jauron had to deal with many injuries the following season, which not every head coach can overcome, unless you're Bill Belichek. Also, Mike pointed out that he thought Jauron had good players, but not great, in his tenure with the Bears. Well, Mike probably forgot to mention Brian Urlacher, but he's right, other than that, he didn't have many other great players either. I'm not incinuating Jauron will be a great coach for us, but the fans should try giving him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he should be given one season before we throw the book at him. Afterall, It was Marv who recommended Wade Phillips as his successor. Didn't Wade do terrible as the Broncos head coach? Wade did a pretty good job in B-lo, except for pulling a Mularkey and fumbling around the qb situation during his tenure here.
So now that Jauron is the new head guy, is it safe to say that we'll be hearing rumors of Mooch coming aboard as OC? They are good friends and have worked together before a couple of times. Regardless of the situation, hopeless as it may seem to some, the bills fan in me makes it hard for me to just give up on next season and the following seasons. Perhaps i'm ready for a few more bad years, but what's new? As a bills fan, i'm used to it by now.
Mike: “Dick had been in the league as a player, a good player. Obviously he's an Ivy League graduate, went to Yale. One of the best players to come out of the Ivy League and play in the NFL. Then, his demeanor and his teaching ability - I've watched him work and teach - I thought he got a lot of guys who were good players but not great players. I though he really was a good teacher. He is a very consistent guy, on and off the field. A wonderful family guy. I like him a lot. I kept him and Greg Blache off the old staff, and Greg's their (defensive) coordinator now. Those are the two guys that stayed there off the (previous) staff. Then I hired the rest of the guys, new people. There were two or three times that Dick was there with me and we talked about he had opportunities to be the head coach at Yale. They really wanted him because Carman Cozza, who had been there forever, so they wanted Dick to be the head coach. I thought he would have been a great head coach there. But you're talking about two very different things - the Ivy League and the NFL. I just said, think about it and certainly I'd do whatever I could to help you, but make the decision between college and the pros. That's kind of what you have to think about. So he stayed. When Coughlin got the job in Jacksonville, he and Dick were close friends, he hired Dick to be the coordinator there. He did a good job for Tom. When the Bears were looking for a coach, I talked to Mr. McCaskey about their head coaching job and Dick. I would say this, they had a great year two years ago, and then they were injured like we were last year. He's just a fine guy. He's a good man. I wish him well on most Sundays. I really do. Then this week we're playing against each other.”
This was from a Q&A in 2003, but it gave me a glimmer of hope after reading it because while the majority of fans, including myself, didn't give Jauron much credibility with this reputation coming out of Chicago, you've got a great head coach like Mike Holgrem buttering up Jauron's pedigree as a good head coach. Many want to call his 2001 campaign as a "lucky" season, but maybe it was just a preview of what he could bring out of a team when he has a healthy team. Mike also points out that Jauron had to deal with many injuries the following season, which not every head coach can overcome, unless you're Bill Belichek. Also, Mike pointed out that he thought Jauron had good players, but not great, in his tenure with the Bears. Well, Mike probably forgot to mention Brian Urlacher, but he's right, other than that, he didn't have many other great players either. I'm not incinuating Jauron will be a great coach for us, but the fans should try giving him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he should be given one season before we throw the book at him. Afterall, It was Marv who recommended Wade Phillips as his successor. Didn't Wade do terrible as the Broncos head coach? Wade did a pretty good job in B-lo, except for pulling a Mularkey and fumbling around the qb situation during his tenure here.
So now that Jauron is the new head guy, is it safe to say that we'll be hearing rumors of Mooch coming aboard as OC? They are good friends and have worked together before a couple of times. Regardless of the situation, hopeless as it may seem to some, the bills fan in me makes it hard for me to just give up on next season and the following seasons. Perhaps i'm ready for a few more bad years, but what's new? As a bills fan, i'm used to it by now.