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Olive · 06-24-2014, 06:24 PM

Quote:Pagano - he's not that good, but much like Dungy in Indy, he'll get credit for happening to be the guy coaching while Luck is the QB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Dungy

Doesn't Dungy's 1996 rookie head coaching season seem a little similar to Coach Bradley's 2013 rookie head coaching season. I think many of us would be tickled pink if Coach Bradley can turn our team around like Tony Dungy did in Tampa. Without Manning, and a perpetual losing franchise that was considered amongst the worst in NFL history.

Quote:

1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

Assistant coaching positions

Following his NFL experience as a player, Dungy was invited to become an assistant coach for his alma mater, the University of Minnesota in 1980. After one season in charge of defensive backs, he was asked to return to the NFL, this time as a coach. He was hired as an assistant by Steelers head coach Chuck Noll, his former head coach from his playing days with the team, in1981. His work under Noll put Dungy in the Sid Gillman coaching tree.

In 1982, he was named defensive backfield coach, and was promoted in 1984 to defensive coordinator. He left the Steelers in 1989 to become the defensive backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, and took over the defensive coordinator position for the Minnesota Vikings under Dennis Green in 1992. While at Minnesota, Dungy's defense was ranked first in the NFL.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dungy achieved his dream of being an NFL head coach when he was hired by Rich McKay to reform the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team well known for its lack of success, on January 22, 1996. Dungy installed his version of the Cover 2 defense with defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin with a few new wrinkles. The result was the now-famous Tampa 2, though Dungy openly admitted it was based on concepts he'd picked up from his days in Pittsburgh.

1996

1996 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

Despite finishing with a 6-10 record in 1996, the Buccaneers finished strong and showed signs of developing into a winning team. After a home win versus the Raiders, the Buccaneers fell to a quick 14–0 hole to the Chargers in San Diego. Instead of folding, the team fought to a hard win, their first win on the West Coast in 15 years. Many Bucs fans believe that this was where the long-beleaguered franchise finally turned the corner. It turned out to be the only losing season Dungy would suffer as a head coach.

1997
In 1997, the Buccaneers started 5-0--their best start since 1979. They ultimately finished second in the NFC Central division, Tampa Bay's first winning season since 1982. In the last game played at Tampa Stadium, the Bucs defeated the Detroit Lions for only their second playoff win in franchise history. They lost the next game to the defending championGreen Bay Packers.

Quote: 1998-2001
While the Bucs barely missed the playoffs in 1998, they rebounded strongly in 1999 to win their first division title since 1979, only to lose to the St. Louis Rams in the NFC Championship Game. They went on to reach the playoffs again in 2000 and 2001, only to get shut out in the wild card round each time by the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bucs were hobbled by constant changes to the offensive coordinator position; QB Shaun King had to work with three different coordinators in three years. Dungy was fired on January 14, 2002 due to the club's repeated losses in the playoffs. Additionally, owner Malcolm Glazer felt Dungy's offense was too conservative. Dungy thus became the first coach in Bucs history to leave the team with a winning record.

The following season, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, their first appearance in the championship game. Though Dungy was fired the prior season and replaced with Jon Gruden, Dungy has been credited for constructing the team.

To add to the original topic.

1) Whisenhut – I would like to base my opinion on how I felt Whisenhut finished with Arizona after losing Kurt Warner. It wouldn't be fair not to consider his entire body of work as an NFL head coach. He has already proved he can coach a team to the Superbowl level.

2A) Bradley - On coaching ability alone. Not necessarily because of the Jags W-L record. That future record will also be dependent on how well Bortles progresses at the NFL level. I believe Bradley has already proved he can win with a less talented team. Can he continue to do it? I would like to think he has what it takes. He has came from a winning background, and solid coaching tree.

2B) Pagano - I haven't seen him fail as a Coach, and not unlike Bradley it does appear the Colts players respond well to his coaching. The Colts won games the last two years that they were easily on the short end of the talent match-up. Looking back at the Colts 2012 season, is Bruce Arians a better Coach than Whisenhut? If I weren't a slight bit biased, maybe Pagano should be 2A). Either way, I don't see how either coach can be labeled better at this point when we are discussing three years in the future.

4) O'Brien – It would be hard to place him ahead of the other three choices at this point, simply because there is no body of work to use in predicting how he will, or will not fare as an NFL head coach. At least with the other three choices we have at minimum one year of work at the NFL head coaching position that we can take into consideration.