NFL coaching vacancies...

Freak

... are slowly beginning to fill out. Today, the Jets named ex-Patriots DC Eric Mangini their coach, while the Saints snagged ex-Cowboys assistant Sean Payton. The 49ers also announced they've appointed Norv Turner their offensive coordinator, replacing Mike McCarthy, who is now head coaching the Packers.

Who does that leave? I heard the Bills are talking to Dick Jauron and Mike Sherman, and I guess the Lions still need a coach. Have the Texans hired anyone?

Jim Bates stepped down as Packers DC, which kills me. He was one of just a few good things the team had going for them.

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

The Texans havent hired anyone yet. I think Dick Jauron deserves a second chance. He coached an absolutely miserable Bears team with *ugh* Kordell Stewart as his QB and they played much tougher than they had any right to play.

i think I remember Freak saying Jauron was terrible because he tried running the option with Kordell, but I mean, considering how bad that Bears team was, it doesn't hurt to try something different, in my opinion.

Freak

Jauron was the coach back then, but I was actually probably talking about John Shoop, the OC. Easily the worst play-caller I've ever seen in my life. You can try something "different" without having Kordell Stewart run an OPTION a bunch of times in one game.

As for Jauron, I remember him being a pretty bad coach, benefitting from one of the luckiest seasons in pro football history (that year the Bears won 12 games, most on weird plays in the final minutes).

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

Yeah, I remember that season...that was the year that Mike Brown ran back like 3 game-winning INTs...I was actually more impressed by Jauron's last season when he went 7-9 in 2003.

Here is the roster from that year:

QBs: Kordell Stewart (9 starts), Chris Chandler (8 starts), Rex Grossman (3 starts)

RB: Anthony Thomas

WR: Marty Booker, Dez White, David Terrell

TE: Desmond Clark

And with that mediocre offense, they topped 20 points in half their games, including a win at Denver, 6-2 home record, 2 2-point losses, and two more 7-point losses. I thought they were pretty scrappy that year.