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Several coaches already running out of time


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[quote][size=5][b]Several coaches already running out of time[/b][/size]
by Alex Marvez
Updated: September 24, 2008, 1:16 PM EST

Technically speaking, Lane Kiffin is still the head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

But given that his firing is more a question of "when" than "if," there's not much sense in pointing out that Kiffin's seat at Raiders headquarters is so hot, he's probably got third-degree burns on his butt.
It is, however, worth noting that Kiffin isn't the only one whose job security is anything but secure. Here's a look at five more coaches who have reason to worry about their futures just three games into the 2008 season.


1. Scott Linehan
Joined Rams: 2006. Record: 11-24, including 16 losses in the past 19 games.

Why he's on the hot seat: After signing Linehan, late Rams owner Georgia Frontiere compared hiring a head coach to selecting a "star for a movie." Frontiere didn't know she was casting for a horror flick. Coming off a 3-13 campaign, the Rams have been outscored by an average of 29 points in their first three games this season. Linehan — hired despite having only four previous seasons as an NFL assistant — is clearly in over his head.

In his defense: A decade of bad personnel decisions by the Rams' front office continued even after Linehan's hiring. The drafts are especially brutal. Three players chosen in the first two rounds in 2006 and 2007 — cornerback Tye Hill, fullback Brian Leonard and Joe Klopfenstein — are backup material at best.

Reason for optimism: Trent Green? Hey, that's the best we've got. Linehan announced Tuesday that Green will start Sunday ahead of Marc Bulger, who was signed to a six-year, $65 million contract extension in 2007. While his past two seasons have ended because of concussions, the 38-year-old Green has excelled before in the offense installed by new coordinator Al Saunders. Bulger has been sacked 11 times in the first three games and failed to post a quarterback rating above 74.6.

Summary: New Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom already has publicly expressed displeasure with his team's play. This doesn't bode well for Linehan's short-term future. Without a home victory over Buffalo, he could be a goner as the Rams head into their bye week. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett seems the likely replacement even though his unit has surrendered an NFL-high 116 points.


2. Rod Marinelli
Joined Lions: 2006.

Record: 10-25, including 10 losses in the past 11 games.

Why he's on the hot seat: So much for the good vibes generated by a 4-0 preseason. The Lions have allowed at least 31 points in all three of their losses. A 31-13 defeat Sunday at San Francisco was especially humiliating, as 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz and quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan were discarded by the Lions after the 2007 season.

In his defense: Marinelli inherited what may be an unsalvageable mess created by now-fired team president Matt Millen. The Lions have a 31-84 record since Millen's 2001 hiring.

Reason for optimism: After the 49ers loss, Marinelli blamed his team's woes on not being good at the "simple things." If those mistakes are correctible during this week's bye, the Lions should at least play more competitively. Rudi Johnson, who was signed just before the start of the regular season, will play a bigger role as he learns the offense.

Summary: Lions management has shown incredible patience with Millen and Marinelli but that is clearly ending. Now that Millen is gone, Marinelli could be canned as well.


[b]3. Marvin Lewis[/b]
Joined Bengals: 2003.

Record: 42-42, including an 0-3 start in 2008.

Why he's on the hot seat: Even with most of the core players still on the roster, the Bengals are less of a playoff contender now than two seasons ago. Cincinnati desperately needs a home victory Sunday against winless Cleveland (0-3). Otherwise, the Bengals could stand at 0-7 following upcoming games against Dallas, the New York Jets and Pittsburgh.

[b]In his defense: [/b]Lewis often butts heads with Bengals owner Mike Brown regarding personnel decisions, especially when it comes to adding misfits to the roster. Lewis' lack of juice was exposed in August. He was overruled by Brown when the Bengals re-signed troubled wide receiver Chris Henry.

[b]Reason for optimism:[/b] The Bengals played much better in last Sunday's 26-23 overtime road loss to the New York Giants. Brown also is the antithesis of Raiders owner Al Davis when it comes to patience with head coaches. Brown gave Dave Shula, Bruce Coslet and Dick LeBeau far more time than they deserved to right this franchise. Whether he likes it or not, Lewis has a legitimate chance of finishing out a Bengals contract that runs through 2010.


4. Mike Nolan
Joined 49ers: 2005.

Record: 17-33 with no winning seasons.

Why he's on the hot seat: Nolan is feeling less heat after San Francisco's 2-1 start, but the flames could easily shoot up again. We'll learn whether the 49ers are a legitimate NFC West contender after an upcoming stretch that includes five tough opponents (New Orleans, New England, Philadelphia, the Giants and Seattle).

In his defense: In this case, Nolan bears the bulk of responsibility for San Francisco's woes the past three seasons because he had final say on roster moves. Selecting quarterback Alex Smith with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft was the first of many bad decisions that led to Nolan being stripped of his personnel power during the offseason.

Reason for optimism: Martz's hiring has paid early dividends. Nolan is able to concentrate more on San Francisco's defense, which is his specialty. The NFC West race also is wide open.

Summary: Nolan's days could be numbered without a postseason appearance. There already is speculation that San Francisco may try to woo Mike Holmgren — a Bay Area native — as coach, general manager or both. Martz also could get strong consideration as head coach if Nolan is ditched.


5. Brad Childress
Joined Vikings: 2006.

Record: 15-20, including a 1-2 start this season.

Why he's on the hot seat: On paper, Minnesota's only major questionable area entering the season was at quarterback. Childress' steadfast support of Tarvaris Jackson blew up in his face. Jackson was recently benched in favor of 37-year-old journeyman Gus Frerotte.

In his defense: Childress got off to a rough start in 2006 when he clashed with personnel director Fran Foley, who was subsequently dismissed. Childress and Foley replacement Rick Spielman form a more cohesive tandem. Minnesota's 8-8 record in 2007 marked a two-game improvement from the previous season.

Reason for optimism: The Vikings have a first-class defense that can win games with even nominal offensive support. Frerotte did a nice job in Sunday's 20-10 victory over Carolina but there are major questions whether he can successfully guide this unit for the long haul.

Summary: Vikings owner Zigi Wilf doled out $60 million in guaranteed salaries for player acquisitions during the off-season. A fourth consecutive year without a playoff berth could prompt Wilf to make a coaching change.[/quote]



[url="http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8596794/Several-coaches-already-running-out-of-time?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=6778"]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8596794...62&ATT=6778[/url]
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[quote name='ccartman2' post='705108' date='Sep 25 2008, 02:08 PM']Surprised Crennel is not on this list. I would guess he is closer to out of work then Marvin.[/quote]

...I would say Romeo is much closer to the door then Marvin. Marvin has a 500 record all the other guys are under 500 . I don`t know what Romeos record is, but it has to be well below 500... Besides Mike is not going to fire Marvin. Cause then he would have to pay him the rest of his contract and too mike that would not be prudent
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[quote name='TheBeaverHunter' post='705230' date='Sep 26 2008, 06:57 AM'][b]Out of all the coaches on the list, Marvin has the most talent to work with by far,[/b] has the longest tenure, has brought in his players, and has gone through 3 DCs. The first couple years the coach plants the seeds, by year 6 those fruits should be ready. I think our orchard is lacking.[/quote]

how would you rank the front offices of those 5 franchises?
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This is supposed to be a list of coaches on the hot seat.

Therefore, Marvin has no place on it.

I agree too that Romeo should be on this list, especially if we win this weekend.

But Marvin? We could go 0-16 and he wouldn't get fired. Well, until his contract is up, that is.
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[quote][size=5][b]Bengals, Browns coaches under pressure[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Who will take the Battle of Ohio? Fourth straight loss of the season could spell doom for either coach[/b][/size]
By Chick Ludwig

Staff Writer

Friday, September 26, 2008

CINCINNATI — The Bengals' Marvin Lewis and the Cleveland Browns' Romeo Crennel are similar in many ways.

They're NFL head coaches — two of the league's six African-American mentors — whose squads are 0-3.

The difference? Crennel acknowledges and accepts the fact he's on the hot seat while Lewis doesn't.

Their winless teams collide Sunday when the 70th "Battle of Ohio" unfolds at Paul Brown Stadium, with the Bengals holding a 35-34 series lead.

Nearly half (48.4 percent) the 600-plus respondents in a DaytonDailyNews.com poll believe the losing coach should be fired. If that happens, either owner — Cincinnati's Mike Brown or Cleveland's Randy Lerner — will eat a big contract.

Lewis is signed through 2010 at a yearly salary believed to be at least $3 million, while Crennel was rewarded in the offseason with a contract extension through 2011 in the range of $4 million annually.

"There's pressure on coaches when you win," said Crennel, whose 10-6 squad from 2007 has gone in the tank. "When you don't win, there is more pressure. Only time will tell about the outcome of Sunday's game and how it impacts my future in Cleveland.

"All I know is that if I can win the ball game, I have a better chance of staying here than if I don't win the ball game."

The pressure also is mounting on Lewis, whose squad is 0-3 for the first time since his inaugural season of 2003. The Bengals topped out in 2005 with a playoff berth that accompanied an 11-5 record. Now it has bottomed out.

Nevertheless, Lewis believes he's secure enough that his ouster won't come calling on Monday if his team fails the day before.

"Oh, I don't think it has a bearing on my future," Lewis said. "Beyond that, it's up to (the media) if you think it does. It's serious (business) to me, but it's got nothing to do with my future. And if it does, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

"So you don't have to worry about me losing sleep over it, other than the fact that I want to win the football game. But my future doesn't cause me any worry, OK? So if you ever have to ask questions or you're thinking about questions (regarding my future), we can dispel that one right now — ever. If my future has anything for me to worry about, it doesn't."

Lewis said "both teams are looking at it the same way, and have each other circled. You've got to get ready to win the football game."

Crennel called it "a must win" for both clubs.

"Whoever wins is not totally out of it," he said. "It looks like the (AFC North) division is going to be a tough division. Everybody is playing tough teams. So it's not over by probably a long shot. Whoever doesn't win has a long way to go."


Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.

[b]Hot seat six-pack

NFL head coaches on slippery slope:[/b]

Romeo Crennel, Browns (0-3) — Randy Lerner bolted from owner's box early in Baltimore; not a good sign for Crennel.

Marvin Lewis, Bengals (0-3) — Turned the club's losing culture around, but one playoff berth in five years doesn't cut it.

Lane Kiffin, Raiders (1-2) — His relationship with owner Al Davis is so cold, the team plane has to stop for de-icing.

Scott Linehan, Rams (0-3) — Once considered "The Greatest Show on Turf," the scoring circus has closed down.

Herman Edwards, Chiefs (0-3) — He took over for a legend in Dick Vermeil, but myriad problems have engulfed him.

Rod Marinelli, Lions (0-3) — President and CEO Matt Millen got the ax this week; can Marinelli's ouster be far behind?[/quote]


[url="http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/oh/story/sports/pro/bengals/2008/09/26/ddn092608sphotseat.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=25"]http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/cont...=7&cxcat=25[/url]
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[quote name='Bengals1181' post='705246' date='Sep 26 2008, 07:42 AM']how would you rank the front offices of those 5 franchises?[/quote]


I know nothing about those front offices, other than Millen should have been fired about 4 years ago. I know our front office is weak, but they did get us this talent that we have on this team. The only other team that comes close to us in talent on the list is the Vikings, and 95% of their talent is on the D side.
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Obviously Lewis wont be fired, simply because Mike Brown stuck with much worse coaches for much much longer, so it just wouldn't make sense and would be totally out of character to fire Marvin.

But the reality is, in 6 seasons he's made the playoffs 1 time and has zero playoff wins. That is not impressive at all. I don't think it's unfair to expect a turnaround to a consistently good team within 10 years of coaching.........it's already been 6 (yes I'm including this season even though it's not over but we're 0-4.......so yeah not makin the playoffs)
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[quote name='ColorChanginClique' post='706361' date='Sep 28 2008, 08:43 PM']Obviously Lewis wont be fired, simply because Mike Brown stuck with much worse coaches for much much longer, so it just wouldn't make sense and would be totally out of character to fire Marvin.

But the reality is, in 6 seasons he's made the playoffs 1 time and has zero playoff wins. That is not impressive at all. I don't think it's unfair to expect a turnaround to a consistently good team within 10 years of coaching.........it's already been 6 (yes I'm including this season even though it's not over but we're 0-4.......so yeah not makin the playoffs)[/quote]

Lets not forget the last time Mike Brown was in this position and waited way too long to make a change the Bengals were brutalized in the media and by other owners. If we lose the next 2 Marvin will become a lightening rod. Brown probably won't fire him but the pressure will be huge.
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Some interesting notes.

My seats are in the section with Moe Egar (sp) he sits a few rows above me. The entire section was yelling Fire marvin in a big chant at the end of the game, had the section of 304-306 yelling it together. it was funny actually, oh and several people in our section bringing bags to the steelers game when we will probably be 0-6. Might as well have fun with it. B)

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[quote name='scharm' post='706344' date='Sep 28 2008, 07:34 PM']My fault. Lewis should be extended.[/quote]

Marvin is awesome. He's the only coach who could have gotten us so close to the W today.

:rolleyes:

I wouldn't even be surprised if he asked Palmer not to play so he could have yet another of his patented "reasons we didn't win."

:ninja:

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[quote name='rudi32' post='706391' date='Sep 28 2008, 08:29 PM']On the way home I heard lap in the locker room with carson, after the interview a few people said the words 'tommy john surgery for carson", any word? I heard he is to have an MRI this week, I have a bad feeling that he may not return this year....thank you O-line, <_<[/quote]

hope it's not true...that would be awful...it takes 2 years or so to fully recover from Tommy Johns surgery :o

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[quote name='bengalsfan850' post='706387' date='Sep 28 2008, 08:23 PM']we need to do like the chiefs next draft, bolw it the fuck up, trade a bunch of veterns for draft picks suffer through 2009 with a very young team then reap the benefits 2010,11, and 12, etc.[/quote]



OR we could fix the o-line, let the defense continue to mature, and have a good 2009 season? We're 0-4, but there's still too much talent around to "blow it up and have a rebuilding year". Fix the oline, and we'll be alright.
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