Some Howard Balzar...

Marketing will drive Rams head coaching search
[www.all22.com]

When Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff faced the media this past Monday following the firing of head coach Jeff Fisher, he tried to convince the world the decision to move on from Fisher was all about football and on-field performance.

Although it can’t be denied the team’s performance over the previous three weeks while being outscored 117-45 by New Orleans, New England and Atlanta was dreadful, the decision to move on from Fisher was certainly about a lot more than wins and losses.

Demoff and owner Stan Kroenke found themselves embroiled in a toxic situation that began with Fisher’s refusal to put quarterback Jared Goff on the field until the second half of the season. He then engaged in a war of words with Hall-of-Fame running back Eric Dickerson, who took offense to being denied sideline passes for him and his friends because the former Ram criticized the team and Fisher on his local radio show.

With pricey PSLs for the new stadium scheduled to be marketed beginning in early 2017, it became apparent they might be a tad hard to sell with Fisher as the team’s coach.

Wanting to get Fisher away from the team as quickly as possible, he was jettisoned two days before the Rams would travel to Seattle for Thursday night’s game against the Seahawks, which they lost 24-3 with special teams coordinator John Fassel as the interim head coach.

It’s also likely Demoff and Kroenke didn’t want to take the chance of the team finishing the season strong under Fisher because they have usually played well during his tenure against NFC West teams, and the Rams will be home against San Francisco and Arizona to conclude an embarrassing first season in Los Angeles.

Which brings the Rams to the task ahead. Demoff confidently said, “We will find the right leader for this football team moving forward.”

Rams fans have to wonder if they are capable of getting it right. The club made a splash before the draft, trading too many draft picks to get in position to select Goff with the first overall choice.

Now, with those PSLs to sell, their search for a head coach and new face of the franchise will undoubtedly lead to an effort at convincing a “name” coach to take over the development of Goff.

That’s what has prompted the rumor mill to churn out names like Jim Harbaugh, Pete Carroll and Jon Gruden.

It’s difficult to imagine Harbaugh leaving his alma mater to once again enter the fishbowl world of the NFL, but Kroenke’s millions can be enticing. To be sure, to get the man he wants, Kroenke will virtually hand his guy a blank check.

Carroll is under contract to the Seahawks, so that possibility is pie-in-the sky.

From an image standpoint, Gruden makes sense. He has a good Q rating from Monday Night Football, and he is perceived as a “quarterback whisperer.” Plus, Demoff was in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office from 2005-2008, the final four seasons of Gruden’s seven-year tenure as the Bucs head coach. Would it surprise anyone if there has already been contact between Demoff and Gruden to gauge his interest?

However, a closer look at his record reveals that he wasn’t much better than Fisher, save for the Super Bowl title won in his first season after being hired to replace Tony Dungy. So, Demoff should tread lightly.

The Bucs were 15-4 in 2002 including the postseason, but 45-53 in the next six seasons. That 60-57 overall record is 51.3 percent. His regular-season record of 57-55 is 50.9 percent. Fisher concludes his Rams tenure with a 31-45-1 record (40.9 percent). Overall, he is 178-171-1 (51.0 percent) and 173-165-1 in the regular season (51.2 percent).

Gruden did have two other playoff seasons with records of 11-5 and 9-7, but failed to win in the postseason either year. There was one non-playoff season with a 9-7 record and marks of 7-9, 5-11 and 4-12 in the other three.

Consistency? Not so much, considering this seven-year arc: 12-4, 7-9, 5-11, 11-5, 4-12, 9-7, 9-7.

Quarterback whisperer and/or developer? Not so fast.

In 112 regular-season games in Tampa, Gruden’s teams started nine different quarterbacks with Brad Johnson, the Super Bowl winner, leading the way with 33. That was followed by Jeff Garcia, 24; Brian Griese, 21; Chris Simms, 15; Bruce Gradkowski, 11; Luke McCown, 3; Rob Johnson and Tim Rattay, 2; and Shaun King, 1.

Three quarterbacks were selected in the draft: Simms in the third round in 2003, Gradkowski in the sixth round in 2006 and Josh Johnson in the fifth round in 2008, Gruden’s final season.

Needless to say, none will ever be sitting to have their busts crafted for a spot in Canton.

For those wondering, Fisher watched seven quarterbacks start in his five seasons with the Rams: Sam Bradford, 23; Case Keenum, 14; Nick Foles, 11; Kellen Clemens, 9; Austin Davis and Shaun Hill, 8; and Goff, 5.

Still, Gruden, if he would be willing to leave the broadcast booth for the sideline, would fit Kroenke’s bill. Once that PSL money is in the bank, whatever happens afterward probably doesn’t matter much to him.

The intriguing question is what the Rams will do if Gruden or any other experienced head coach can’t be had.

On one level, the Rams have to be impressed with what first-time head coaches with an offensive pedigree have accomplished this season: Adam Gase in Miami (8-5), Ben McAdoo with the Giants (9-4), Dirk Koetter in Tampa Bay (8-5) and to a lesser degree Doug Pederson in Philadelphia (5-8) with rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and a decimated offensive line.

While Demoff claimed it’s not imperative to hire a coach with an offensive background, it’s infinitely easier to find a quality defensive coordinator than one on offense.

Most important, if the offensive-minded head coach finds success, he’s not leaving to go anywhere. However, stability can be uprooted when an offensive coordinator departs to become a head coach for another team.

Does anyone believe the Buccaneers would be where they are now had Koetter been hired as a head coach by another team after the 2015 season? That would have resulted in quarterback Jameis Winston likely being forced to adjust to a new system. With Koetter on the interview list for several teams, the Bucs quickly fired Lovie Smith and hired Koetter.

However, would the Rams be able to “sell” an inexperienced coach along with their PSLs?

That could be difficult. However, there is one “name” that makes sense: Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Not only has he had success as a play-caller, but he has that marquee last name as the son of Mike Shanahan.

Is there a guarantee he would be successful as a head coach? There never is, just as there’s no guarantee with a “retread” head coach.

Kyle Shanahan makes all the sense in the world for what the Rams are looking for because for them it’s all about what the team will look like when the move to their new stadium occurs in 2019.

Most everywhere, perception is reality, but it’s even more true in Hollywood.

Kroenke and Demoff now know that more than ever before.

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Best,
Laram