Dick Vermeil regrets leaving Rams

[Prime Time]

Dick Vermeil sees a “very successful” Jon Gruden return to coaching
Posted by Michael David Smith on July 14, 2014

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Dick Vermeil was 46 years old when he retired as the coach of the Eagles and went into broadcasting, and then coached the Rams when he was in his 60s and won a Super Bowl. Vermeil thinks Jon Gruden may do the same thing.

Vermeil said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he believes Gruden, who left coaching at age 45 and is now the commentator on Monday Night Football, may eventually come back and succeed as a coach, just as Vermeil did in St. Louis.

“No question, he’s a hell of a lot better coach than I am, and a lot smarter,” Vermeil said of Gruden. “I think he would be very successful. I hope he does come back, because I like him a lot.”

Vermeil said that coaches often regret walking away — and Vermeil himself regretted it when he retired from the Rams after winning Super Bowl XXXIV. Vermeil said he foolishly left the Rams because he wanted to spend time with his family and didn’t want to cut some of the aging veterans he had grown fond of. In hindsight, all he needed was a vacation.

“Poor decision — I made a mistake,” Vermeil said of leaving the Rams. “My family wanted me home and I was tired and I didn’t want to cut the squad and go into free agency and I thought at my age, to go out a champion was a great opportunity.”

Fortunately for Vermeil, he got a third shot in coaching when the Chiefs came calling a year later. Gruden may get another shot in coaching too. And he may find just as much success as Vermeil did.

 

[RamzFanz]

I always knew in my gut he would feel that way some day. It seemed like such a rash move. Then when he came back, I was sure he made a mistake. Who leaves GSOT for KC?

Too damn bad too. He could have held together what MM couldn't.

 

[LesBaker]

I always knew in my gut he would feel that way some day. It seemed like such a rash move. Then when he came back, I was sure he made a mistake. Who leaves GSOT for KC?

Too damn bad too. He could have held together what MM couldn't.

When it all went down I was thinking "We'll be fine with Martz, nothing to worry about".

 

[Prime Time]

When it all went down I was thinking "We'll be fine with Martz, nothing to worry about".

We did fine with Martz until the wheels came off at the end. I blame that more on the front office at the time. He had a .623 winning percentage - the best of any Rams coach going back to Chuck Knox during the 70's. Of course he had a good team and could have learned to play nice with others, etc.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I regret him leaving too.

 

[Boffo97]

I remember back in the day that there were conspiracy theories about Vermeil being forced out in favor of Martz. Hopefully this can put those to rest.

And honestly... maybe if Vermeil had had some extra time, rode out the front office dysfunction, and maybe left with an actual GM making decisions rather than the coach trying to GM (which, by far, was Martz's weak point, although he didn't have full GM powers, and left defensive decisions in the hands of his DCs), maybe Martz would have been a lot better off.

 

[mr.stlouis]

Yeah, forget family. Football is always the better decision. *blue font*

I think there's a lot of regrets from the GSOT era. It's was über glorious, but the ending was very sad. I mean Warner getting the boot, Bruce going the Niners, and Holt yelling at Linehan was a very hard to witness. Ugh...

 

[LACHAMP46]

Me to Dick, get in line...:eek:

 

[PowayRamFan]

I, for one, remember thinking "WTF is he doing"? Just stupid shit, I think we would have a second ring if he wasn't weak on that moment after the SB. Sucks

 

[Thordaddy]

I think there's more to the story,but at this point it doesn't matter.

 

[LesBaker]

I think there's more to the story,but at this point it doesn't matter.

That's always there on the periphery of this topic........oh well.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I wish DV would have stayed. He might have been able to keep the office dysfunction in check.

Then again, if I recall; Martz was a hot HC candidate after that SB win. If we didn't promote him, we could have lost him... Unless we structured a successor deal or something like that to keep him OC. Tough situation.

 

[LesBaker]

I wish DV would have stayed. He might have been able to keep the office dysfunction in check.

Then again, if I recall; Martz was a hot HC candidate after that SB win. If we didn't promote him, we could have lost him... Unless we structured a successor deal or something like that to keep him OC. Tough situation.

He already had that written into his contract didn't he? He was assured of following DV as HC I thought.

 

[Boffo97]

He already had that written into his contract didn't he? He was assured of following DV as HC I thought.

That's what I heard at the time: that the agreement was that Martz would stay OC and replace Vermeil when he left, not necessarily that Vermeil would leave after that season.

 

[CGI_Ram]

He already had that written into his contract didn't he? He was assured of following DV as HC I thought.

I seem to recall something; did he sign an extension before the SB or something?

I doubt he signed on (originally) as an unproven OC to be successor.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

We would have still been cheated out of the next superbowl. Dick Vermeil couldn't have avoided that one. Even if he was a much better head coach, which I don't think he was, that wouldn't have changed anything.

 

[Zombie Slayer]

When he left I understood because he was in his mid 60s and spending time with family seemed like a nice option. Add that to the fact that he was going out on top as a champion that not many people get to do. When he came back it was kind of upsetting because he could have just stayed with the Rams and continued to build on what he started a few years earlier. Too bad because it could have been a much different ending. But we will never know

 

[thirteen28]

I have little doubt the Rams get at least one more ring if DV sticks around.

Damn.

 

[Stranger]

We would have still been cheated out of the next superbowl. Dick Vermeil couldn't have avoided that one. Even if he was a much better head coach, which I don't think he was, that wouldn't have changed anything.

nothing in this world could have changed the results in our next SB appearance. They were going to do whatever it took to make sure the cheatriots were 'victorious'

 

[shaunpinney]

IMO - he did the right decision, he was obviously exhausted and needed that year out, the following season could have been a post SB slump (as many Champions do) and we could be talking about whether the SB win was a fluke. It is always good to bow out at the top...