My face is a bit sore from punching myself therein yesterday...repeatedly. Of course, this all springs from the horrid season in which we're stuck. A season we're in mostly due to the fact that we have a head coach who, while is a great man and was an elite linebacker, possesses almost zero qualities becoming of a head coach.
James had his "end of the road" epiphany post yesterday and there has been constant discussion on NN the past few days on the subject of Singletary being fired sooner or later...and who might come to replace him. One of the most intriguing comments I read went something like this:
Wouldn't just about anyone with [significant] head coaching experience be able to do wonders with this team's talent?
I stopped for a minute and thought about some of the complaints we've had recently about the team. Most of us agree there is a lot of young talent on this team and we've seen it on display at times. Sure, not everyone is a future-pro-bowler but what team has even ten guys going to Hawaii? I'm talking potential too...we've seen these guys, when operating in favorable situations (such as protection, blocking, well-thrown passes, help from other defenders, etc.) make great plays...a sign of what they could be with coaching and a team that came together.
I then started thinking...what coach wouldn't want to take over a team mostly stocked full of talented young players who, for the most part, have good attitudes and have shown they will fight even when the team as a whole sucks? Most new coaches come into situations where they have to get rid of stale veterans with bad attitudes and then they spend the next few seasons drafting and acquiring fresh young talent...guys they can mold and build a long-term winner out of.
We've talked about guys like Gruden and how it's debatable if he really improved Tampa Bay or did he just inherit a good team already on it's way? There's talk of "no defensive-minded coaches" because we need more help on offense. There's talk of whether a particular candidate has had enough success, is the BEST guy we could possibly get, etc.
But think about it...we have issues getting plays in, commit countless penalties, can't decide whether or not to go for it on 4th down, or punt, or kick a FG...We have players using poor technique week-in and week-out. We have game-plans that seem ill conceived and rigid. Wouldn't a guy who's had some significant experience (and yes, some success) preparing for and managing games as a coach be infinitely better than what we have?!?
Someone who doesn't have to posture and say "I'll have to look at the film" eleven times in a post-game presser? Someone who inspires some confidence in his own ability beyond just laying out some core principles and "firing guys up"?
Part of me feels like you take Singletary and pretend he was never hired after the 2008 season, insert a coach with more NFL coaching experience, change little else...would we be 3-7 circling the drain and running around like chickens with our heads cut off?