(01-10-2025, 12:59 PM)rpr52121 Wrote:

(01-10-2025, 10:17 AM)TheDogCatcher Wrote: I look at Glenn and Vrabel as men, and the younger ones -- Coen especially -- as college kids based on their youthful faces. I think the former two will project leadership. The 30ish coaches, like Mike McDaniel, are like wonky young savants. They're viewed as the cool hipster at first. But when their wizardry gets figured out or their team's personnel isn't great, it will be tough for them to command the locker room and grind through the tough times. By contrast, Dan Campbell garnered instant respect as a former player and seasoned man to instill discipline and fortitude in the locker room. That's why I'm casting my vote for Glenn or Vrabel.

We have no idea. Everyone is just spinning their tops.

People said the same thing for McVay or LaFleur, but both guys have the respect of their teams, can control/lead a locker room men, and manage a team. Whereas there have been many primarily culture guys who failed because they couldn't develop players, didn't have coherent schemes, could not make adjustments, or their message/stick got stale and fell on deaf ears at the first sign of struggle.

There is no way to predict which guy will have enough of those characteristics to succeed. Some of it may be right time, right place, right maturity. Some may be getting paired with the right star/franchise players or GM to balance them out.

The primary thing to look for though is trying to find a force multiplier at the HC. That is a guy who is able to coach up one or more position groups several notches above their talent level. That could be via elite scouting/development, assistant coach identification, film room/scheme identification, and/or play calling. But then it allows you to devote way fewer resources (cap space/draft capital) to parts of the team, and use it to shore up other sectors.

Some examples would be Green Bay and OL's, San Fran and RB's, Seattle under Carroll and DB's, Belicheck and his def Front 7.

That is how you win regularly in this league.

Also if people really want pure culture guys, why aren't you including the elite Special Teams coaches that have been considered for years but still have not been given a shot?

Yeah, I largely agree with this. Remember, we were told that Gus Bradley, because of his personality, would be this great leader.  How did that work out?  When I was one of the few who didn't like the Urban Meyer selection because of no NFL experience, I was told that the only thing that matters was being a "leader".  How did that work out?  I think some on here believe that all an NFL coach needs to do is make an inspiring speech at half time and then the worst team in the league will magically dominate over the best team.  Afterall, it works in virtually every sports movie.  The problem is that it doesn't usually work like that in real life.  

Let's go back to my argument regarding college coaches.  College coaches (without NFL experience) have such a bad track in the NFL that few even get interviewed anymore.  I currently see 32 different candidates having received requests for NFL head coaching interviews.  Only 2 are from the college ranks without any NFL experience.  Why?  I'm sure there are a number of college head coaches with excellent leadership skills.  The reason is NFL teams knows that it takes more than leadership to be a good NFL head coach.  NFL knowledge is also extremely important.  

I reject the notion that just because someone is a good coordinator that they can't also be a good leader.  Keep in mind that an offensive coordinator is the leader of the offense.  Their success was likely due in part to their leadership.  In terms of a young coordinator, I will say that I also believe that leadership has little to do with age.  Don't most player's respect their team captains?  How old are they?  A young person can be a leader just as much as an older person.  

The bottom line is I want both.  I want a brilliant NFL mind (which probably means a successful NFL coordinator) who is also a leader.  I also do think the NFL rules over time have changed the focus of the game to being more about offense.  As such, it's not an absolute, but yes, I would prefer an offensive coordinator over a defensive coordinator, assuming all else is equal.  It's not all about Trevor, but if I could ask a new head coach to take an existing player and turn him into an elite level player, I would want it to be the quarterback.  It's not even close.

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