Cover-Two: Grading the coaching hiresBy Chris Burke & Doug Farrar SI.comPosted January 09, 2014
Jay Gruden (right) will be the next head coach of the Washington Redskins. (John Biever/SI) The 2014 coaching carousel is in full swing. Which teams are making the right decisions for their future? Chris Burke and Doug Farrar grade all the offseason coaching hires in the latest Cover-Two. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins Chris Burke: D+. Jay Gruden probably will receive more of the blame than he should for the issues Cincinnati had on offense — Andy Dalton’s play at times, like in the playoffs against San Diego, hamstrung him some. Still, this does not feel like a groundbreaking move for the Washington franchise. Perhaps a huge chunk of that may be because defensive coordinator Jim Haslett will reportedly stick around on the new staff, despite the 2013 Redskins underperforming on that side of the football. Gruden’s background working with quarterbacks obviously carries to the nation’s capital the hope that he can get Robert Griffin III back to being the dynamic player he was in 2012, as opposed to the banged-up, hesitant QB Washington dealt with this season. But Gruden’s preference for a pass-first scheme may contrast with the best of Griffin’s abilities at the NFL level. True to form for this franchise, owner Daniel Snyder may have gone for name over substance here. Nothing really jumps off the page about Gruden’s past work, particularly coming off the inglorious playoff exit. Doug Farrar: B. It’s entirely possible that no head coach could be entirely successful with Dan Snyder as his team’s owner, but Gruden will have a better chance than most. During his three years in Cincinnati he learned to deal with an owner in Mike Brown who knows far less than he thinks he does, and Gruden unquestionably developed Andy Dalton to the peak of his (rather obvious) limitations. Gruden simplified things for Dalton, and as the Bengals added more and better weapons, their offense chugged along as far as Dalton could take it. Now, in Washington, Gruden will work with a general manager in Bruce Allen who he worked with in Tampa Bay from 2002 through ’08. As long as Gruden and Allen are on the same page, it could solve at least some of the dysfunction that’s been going on with this team since Snyder bought it. The disconnect between Mike Shanahan and Robert Griffin III was clear, and Griffin’s talents far outstrip Dalton’s, so Gruden comes in with a headstart. We don’t yet know if Gruden has the ability to oversee everything, an important attribute in his new position, but given the circumstances, the Redskins could have done a lot worse.
Bill O’Brien, Houston Texans Chris Burke: B+. Bill O’Brien landed on several franchise wish lists, mainly because he checks off a number of the boxes ownership usually looks for in their head man: NFL experience, head coaching experience, positive reputation, success at multiple levels. Also working in O’Brien’s favor — something that had to have been a factor in this hire — is his past time spent working with successful quarterbacks. O’Brien helped coach Tom Brady in New England, then gave Matt McGloin a boost in his final Penn State season and quickly turned freshman QB Christian Hackenberg into a Big Ten-ready signal-caller. It is anyone’s guess who will be under center for Houston come the start of the regular season, though the team’s spot at No. 1 overall in the upcoming draft certainly leaves the door open for Teddy Bridgewater or Blake Bortles to inherit the job. O’Brien will be expected to bring whoever claims that job along rapidly, because this is a team with playoff aspirations despite a 2-14 finish. O’Brien paid his dues to get here, as he worked his way up through the college ranks to the NFL and then back to college for a head-coaching gig. He does, however, have just two years as a head coach under his belt, so the Texans are taking a leap of faith in his abilities. Doug Farrar: B-. It’s clear the Texans needed a new influx of offensive juice after a season in which they lost their last 14 games and were outscored by 152 points. But is O’Brien that guy? Everyone admires the job he did in two seasons at Penn State, and for good reason — it’s tough to imagine a more difficult situation to inherit, and O’Brien created a new culture while managing to win at the same time. No small feat. Still, we’ve been burned by enough Bill Belichick assistants and associates to wonder if O’Brien is truly the guy who can buck that trend. From Eric Mangini to Scott Poili to Josh McDaniels, former Patriots staffers have hit the NFL with far more ego than actual franchise-building ability. Given Belichick’s complete control over everything that happens in Foxboro, it’s always worth noting that current Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff is the only one to leave Belichick’s employ and go on to unqualified success — and even his resume has taken more than a few hits of late. That’s not to say that O’Brien isn’t different. He may very well be. He certainly seems capable, and he’s inheriting a solid core upon which to rebuild. The Texans have a fundamentally great defense, several high-quality skill-position players and the first overall pick in the draft — meaning that O’Brien can get his kind of quarterback. But when your quarterback isn’t Tom Brady — O’Brien worked with him from 2007 through ’11 — how many dings are revealed?
Lovie Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chris Burke: A. The Buccaneers occasionally appeared to be in disarray under Greg Schiano’s guidance. Now, just a short time after letting him go, they may have one of the strongest and most stable coaching staffs in all of football. Lovie Smith may have struggled to get Chicago into the playoffs in recent seasons — just one trip over his final six years there — but he also was canned after a 10-6 mark and left with an 81-63 record overall. He brings a steady hand to the role, along with the proven ability to deliver a strong defensive performance on the field. Add in the arrivals of defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and former Cal coach Jeff Tedford as offensive coordinator, and the Buccaneers have a chance to create tactical advantages each week. Smith was a no-brainer candidate for several jobs this offseason, even before some of them became available. After sitting out the 2013 season, Smith appeared set to have his choice of landing spots. By picking Tampa Bay, he instantly restored credibility to the Buccaneers’ staff, following a rocky couple of years, and he could have this team ready to compete in short order. Doug Farrar: A. Smith was fired by the Chicago Bears after a 10-6 season in 2012, and the fact that he didn’t get another head coaching job in 2013 was a mystery to a lot of people. Bears cornerback Charles Tillman told me last season that no matter how well things went with Marc Trestman, Smith’s replacement, a lot of players were confused and hurt by the way Smith was treated. That’s a testimonial to Smith’s ability to motivate and connect with his players, traits that will be in high demand as Smith goes to Tampa to clean up all the little messes left in the wake of Greg Schiano’s two-year reign. Schiano operated in an environment of suspicion and mistrust, while Smith looks to build bridges and bring people together. Of course, none of this happy stuff would matter if Smith couldn’t coach, and he’s one of the finest defensive minds of his generation. The Bears consistently terrorized their opponents on defense when Smith was their head coach, and as Smith’s preferred Cover- and Tampa-2 schemes became easier to diagnose in the last few years, he adapted to more diverse fronts and coverage concepts. Given the mixture of coaching and personnel, the Bucs should have an absolutely unholy defense with Smith in charge. Any doubts about Smith’s ability to get the right offensive coaches on staff — and this was a constant issue in the Windy City — can be mitigated to a degree by the fact that his offensive coordinator, ex-Cal head coach Jeff Tedford, will put his players in better positions to win matchups than did former offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan. That particular question is the only thing preventing me from giving the Smith hire an enthusiastic A+.
