how Fisher got such an experienced staff

[Anonymous]

McQuaide, in the artlcle just posted about him, said there's "just a greater sense of trust in the new coaching staff." They all talk about it. Bradford, Jackson. Both have said things along those lines.

Why? Been there. Experience. It's a very experienced staff.

That;s the short version. There's a long version.

First, Fisher not only could attract top veteran coaches, there were many available.

It wasn't like that with the Titans, where Fisher basically started a lot of guys off in their careers (including Williams). Far more often than not, Fisher guys in Tenn. came up through the ranks. At one point he even fired a coordinator (Cecil, who, interestingly, he just re-hired as his DB coach in St.Louis--first time I've ever seen that, where a head coach fires a coordinator and then later re-hires him as a position coach). That includes guys like Munchak and Schwartz.

A couple of things happened to make 2012 different.

1. It is manifestly clear that Stan green-lighted giving massive salaries to position coaches. In fact, at one point Waufle left the Giants because he was asking for too much relative to a budget for a position coach. My bet is that one of Fisher's "talkin with Stan before gettin hired" negotiation positions was precisely that--a very high budget for the coaching staff. We already know that experienced coordinators like Williams and Shottenheimer are expensive. The Rams went the extra yards and got a budget for expensive POSITION coaches.

2. It's fascinating, but a WHOLE bunch of legendary position coaches became available all at the same time. All by being let go, interestingly. That includes Waufle (DL), Sherman (WR), Boudreau (OL), and then of course coordinators like Shottenheimer and Fassel (STs). Then on top of it they were easing McGinnis out in Tenn.--he was being eased into personnel/administration, so it was easy for them to agree to a parting of ways. Williams was also available, but he wasn't let go--his contract expired. Imagine that. A coordinator long familiar with the system and his contract expires the same year Fisher gets back into coaching.

So.

Fisher got the budget go-ahead (no one has officially said this but it stands to reason).

Then a massive load of some of the best position coaches in the NFL are suddenly available, which is a quirk of fate, frankly.

Fisher never had a staff like this with the Titans. If nothing else he probably never had the budget for it.

But then Fisher also has the longevity and standing to get guys like that to coach for him. Usually you only see one guy like this on a team. He landed several.

On top of it, on defense, he landed several who already know the system: Cecil, Williams Jr., Fisher Jr., and McGinnis. It's really not all that common for a head coach to bring in that many position coaches who know his system from years back.

Back to the short answer.

The players look around them and see long long years of experience. Mixed in with green beginners and youngsters, sure (the coach's kids, the qb coach, the RB coach, etc.). But a ton of experience. It's a unique staff and they wander around just looney tunes with been-there-ness.

The players naturally pick up on that.

 

[Speeps]

That was a great read. I agree with your post. The experience coaching staff also made it easier for the Rams to go extremely young this season. Remember when Spags first got here? They went young with a young coaching staff. That didn't work out very well. Spags had the right idea, but not the right people in place. This regime will have a lot of success.

 

[Anonymous]

That was a great read. I agree with your post. The experience coaching staff also made it easier for the Rams to go extremely young this season. Remember when Spags first got here? They went young with a young coaching staff. That didn't work out very well. Spags had the right idea, but not the right people in place. This regime will have a lot of success.

Thanks for the kind words. But I disagree with something. It worked fine for Spags--if you consider the actual situation and what really went wrong. IMO you have to account for the fact that 2009 was a stripped down rebuild team with massive injuries (including several on the OL and then 3 different qbs getting injured a total of 5 times). Then 2010 shows improvement, and then 2011 they had the most injured offense in the entire last decade (according to a stats analysis of injuries).

There was good buzz around about several of Spags's young coaches, including his secondary coach and his DL coach. And of course Fisher comes in and praises how Shurmur handled Bradford and the offense in 2010.

All Fisher ever had with the Titans, mostly, was first-time position coaches and first-time coordinators. That's actually normal.

In 1983 John Robinson hired several young coaches who then went on to become legends, including Zampese, Norv Turner, and the legendary OL coach Hudson Houck. But they weren't legends yet in 1983.

Fisher's situation in 2012 is ideal. That doesn't mean every other situation is bad in comparison.

 

[Thordaddy]

I agree with the first point ,Kroenke is not afraid to pay for quality and IMO if his MO was in place Linny and Spags neither one would have coached here.
Then again it coulda been Greg Williams

But JMO every year sees a significant number of assistants available,the year Martz was fired 11 staffs were on the streets. Funny how few second time HC's were hired that year, I called it a salary dump league wide in anticipation of a large salary cap hike without a new TV contract.
Shoot we sent two great coordinators packing this year, but either way, good post ,food for thought and discussion.

 

[Speeps]

That was a great read. I agree with your post. The experience coaching staff also made it easier for the Rams to go extremely young this season. Remember when Spags first got here? They went young with a young coaching staff. That didn't work out very well. Spags had the right idea, but not the right people in place. This regime will have a lot of success.

Thanks for the kind words. But I disagree with something. It worked fine for Spags--if you consider the actual situation and what really went wrong. IMO you have to account for the fact that 2009 was a stripped down rebuild team with massive injuries (including several on the OL and then 3 different qbs getting injured a total of 5 times). Then 2010 shows improvement, and then 2011 they had the most injured offense in the entire last decade (according to a stats analysis of injuries).

There was good buzz around about several of Spags's young coaches, including his secondary coach and his DL coach. And of course Fisher comes in and praises how Shurmur handled Bradford and the offense in 2010.

All Fisher ever had with the Titans, mostly, was first-time position coaches and first-time coordinators. That's actually normal.

In 1983 John Robinson hired several young coaches who then went on to become legends, including Zampese, Norv Turner, and the legendary OL coach Hudson Houck. But they weren't legends yet in 1983.

Fisher's situation in 2012 is ideal. That doesn't mean every other situation is bad in comparison.

That's a great point, but we can't discount the bizarre coaching and personnel decision that Spags regime made.

 

[Anonymous]

That was a great read. I agree with your post. The experience coaching staff also made it easier for the Rams to go extremely young this season. Remember when Spags first got here? They went young with a young coaching staff. That didn't work out very well. Spags had the right idea, but not the right people in place. This regime will have a lot of success.

Thanks for the kind words. But I disagree with something. It worked fine for Spags--if you consider the actual situation and what really went wrong. IMO you have to account for the fact that 2009 was a stripped down rebuild team with massive injuries (including several on the OL and then 3 different qbs getting injured a total of 5 times). Then 2010 shows improvement, and then 2011 they had the most injured offense in the entire last decade (according to a stats analysis of injuries).

There was good buzz around about several of Spags's young coaches, including his secondary coach and his DL coach. And of course Fisher comes in and praises how Shurmur handled Bradford and the offense in 2010.

All Fisher ever had with the Titans, mostly, was first-time position coaches and first-time coordinators. That's actually normal.

In 1983 John Robinson hired several young coaches who then went on to become legends, including Zampese, Norv Turner, and the legendary OL coach Hudson Houck. But they weren't legends yet in 1983.

Fisher's situation in 2012 is ideal. That doesn't mean every other situation is bad in comparison.

That's a great point, but we can't discount the bizarre coaching and personnel decision that Spags regime made.

Well, I know that's one opinion. From my POV, offering a different opinion, I can easily discount all that cause I never say any "bizarre coaching and personnel decisions" by the last regime.