Mystify Me...

Mystify…

Okay, can someone please explain to me how of all people…Chan Gailey became a hot “NFL” coaching commodity? Yes, I know that he’s now been ruled out in Pittsburgh (1/16). But what I want to know is how does he get to that level to begin with?

It’s who you know...

I guess in a way, this proves without any question that the NFL is very much a closed fraternity.

This past week on our Count/Pointercount “7 in 7” segment, Gil Tyree explained the coaching tree that helped carry Bobby Petrino to the Atlanta Falcons. He explained the connections and evolution that brought Petrino through to the place that he is now. (Or as Jon says “At least until the next job”)

It really is Carousel...

Yeah, it really is. Coaches go in to be “Re-Born” and come out with new or better jobs. Heck if you are Jim L. Mora...you get fired one week and are interviewing by the end of the same week for a job.

Believe it or not, there is sort of precedence for all of this. I don’t know how many of you followed the NBA in the late 70’s and through the 80’s, but look at what they did with coaches as a prime example.

Take for instance - Kevin Loughery. Loughery somehow managed to coach in the NBA for 22 years. In that time, he coached 6 NBA teams and had a career winning percentage of 41. Yet he kept getting jobs! Guys like him, Stan Albeck, Gene Shue and Bill Fitch…made careers of bouncing around the league as coaches.

Weren’t we talking about Gailey?

Yes, we were talking about Chan Gailey. Gailey is another example of what I just spoke about. He got his interview with Pittsburgh because rather than recommend a former assistant coach for the job…former Steeler Head Coach Bill Cowher recommended Gailey. Same thing in Miami, he got the interview because after his stint as Offensive Coordinator in 2000, he stayed friendly with the owner Wayne Huizenga. In fact, his chief competition for the Miami job is none other than Jim L. Mora.

Don’t get me wrong. Chan Gailey is a good man and a solid football coach. He’s been at Georgia Tech for 5 years and had modest success there. Tech is not a national powerhouse any more in Football (though the fans think they are), but rather a good team that on a given day might surprise someone.

The problem with Gailey is this. He’s a solid coach…not a great coach. It’s not a positive thing for him that neither the Yellow Jackets administration nor the fan base is concerned with his name cropping up for other jobs. In fact – his boss, Dan Radakovich was quoted as saying “If something happens, we’re prepared to deal with it.” What does that mean? Who knows?

Ad Nauseam…

I know that we’ve gone over and over and over these stories the past couple of weeks. But you know what? It, in a way, has become a sport of its own. “Spin the Wheel…and find out where your favorite coach has landed.” All that would be missing is Wink Martindale to be holding the long skinny microphone and then you too, can find out where your coach will be today.

NOTE: The latest name to surface for the Miami Dolphins job…Mike Shula. How ironic would that be? In the span of a month Shula could be hired to replace the guy (lying Nick Saban) who replaced Shula after he got fired. Get it? No…I don’t get it either.

--Phil Cantor

“The time has come, my song is over, thought I’d something more to say” Time- (Pink Floyd)