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Loyalty was key for Fisher in OC search
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_5f73bc36-da5d-5282-a0c6-dc3da462ea95.html
After Brian Schottenheimer decided to head south to the Georgia Bulldogs, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said there was “no doubt in my mind that I had his replacement on the staff.”
Why, then, did it take more than a month for Fisher to formally introduce Frank Cignetti as the team’s offensive coordinator?
“I think you’re rewarded for patience,” Fisher said.
He used the hiring of running backs coach Ben Sirmans to illustrate his point.
“I think we have an outstanding running backs coach in Ben, and we interviewed eight different coaches before we hired Ben three years ago,” Fisher said.
That was 2012, Fisher’s first Rams staff. Sirmans wasn’t hired until March 2012.
“Through the process, often times, different opportunities come up,” Fisher said.
In other words, he never has been one to rush into staff hires. And with rare exception, Fisher is very loyal to his assistants once they get hired.
This time around, Fisher said he only had one formal interview with an outside candidate. That was former Buffalo offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
A second interview was scheduled with Hackett during Super Bowl week.
By that time, Fisher was firmly committed to going in-house, meaning the second interview with Hackett was for either the Rams’ quarterbacks or tight-ends coaching job. (Depending on whether Fisher promoted Cignetti from QBs coach or tight ends coach Rob Boras to offensive coordinator.)
Hackett decided instead to follow Doug Marrone, who was his head coach in Buffalo, to Jacksonville as quarterbacks coach. Marrone is assistant head coach/offensive line coach for the Jaguars.
Fisher said he talked to a couple of other candidates on the phone (a group that included Kyle Shanahan, who ended up as Atlanta’s offensive coordinator, and Adam Gase, who ended up with that position for Chicago).
Alex Van Pelt and Rob Chudzinski might have gotten interviews with Fisher, but Green Bay (in the case off Van Pelt) and Indianapolis (Chudzinski) denied interview requests by the Rams.
But in the end, Fisher wanted to stay with his overall offensive philosophy. Stability and continuity were very important to him.
“Your terminology, your run-game philosophy, your game-calling philosophy, the understanding of your philosophy — it’s ingrained in you,” Fisher said. “From an organizational standpoint, I didn’t want to change any of that ... I just wanted to get better.
“I knew that this staff was qualified to do that. We just needed some new leadership, and that’s what we have.”
Perhaps with that in mind, Cignettii emphasized leadership and motivation as characteristics he brings to the coordinator’s job at his introductory news conference on Friday.
In his two interviews or “meetings” with Fisher, Cignetti stressed those points.
“I wanted to be the coordinator because I love to lead,” he said. “I love to try to bring a group of men together, coaches and players, and try to make it something great. To go from good to great.”
Obviously, calling the Rams’ offense good last year — or in any of the three years with Schottenheimer as coordinator — would be stretching it. The Rams finished 21st in points per game in 2014, 28th in total offense, 20th in rushing offense and 23rd in passing offense. But Cignetti’s overall point is that he relishes the challenge and the opportunity of trying to improve the offense.
“As coach (Fisher) and I sat down in our two meetings, I think what happened was we got to know each other better,” Cignetti said. “Coach asked great questions. I was very comfortable in both meetings, and if anything, it just built our relationship.
“That’s the other thing that’s important in the leadership role is that you’ve got to care about people and build trusting relationships. I think through our process, that’s what happened. We got to know each other better.”
Cignetti, 49, said the core of his philosophy as a coordinator is the ability to run the football. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Fisher’s track record as a head coach. He wasn’t going to hire a coordinator who planned to throw the ball 50 times a game.
“I believe in running the football,” Cignetti said. “You run the ball to win. The quarterback’s best friend is running the football. But you also have to be flexible enough to do whatever it’s gonna take to win a game.”
To Cignetti, it’s more about players (and maximizing their strengths), than play-calling. And doing whatever you can to get the ball in your playmakers’ hands.
Of course, just about every offensive coordinator says he will mold his philosophy to the particular strength of his players. Often that turns out to be little more than lip service.
There is at least some evidence in Cignetti’s past that he has that flexibility. At Fresno State, for example, he had run-heavy teams that were successful and had pass-heavy teams as well.
“When you have a guy like (wide receiver) Bernard Berrian, who was one of the best college football players, you want to get the ball in his hands,” Cignetti said. “Because you can throw him a little bubble screen and it might end up in the end zone. So you take a look at your personnel and how can you take advantage of their abilities. That’s just a quick example.”
On the subject of playmakers, Cignetti made it clear he plans to get Tavon Austin involved more in the offense. We’ve heard that before.
But Cignetti said he already has had discussions with wide receivers coach Ray Sherman and the rest of the offensive staff on that topic.
“Tavon Austin is an outstanding football player,” Cignetti said. “I saw him here (last) week. I’m fired up to get working with him.
“As coach Fisher and I sat down, it was: Hey, you think players, not plays. Especially in tough situations. Tavon Austin’s a playmaker.”
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_5f73bc36-da5d-5282-a0c6-dc3da462ea95.html
After Brian Schottenheimer decided to head south to the Georgia Bulldogs, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said there was “no doubt in my mind that I had his replacement on the staff.”
Why, then, did it take more than a month for Fisher to formally introduce Frank Cignetti as the team’s offensive coordinator?
“I think you’re rewarded for patience,” Fisher said.
He used the hiring of running backs coach Ben Sirmans to illustrate his point.
“I think we have an outstanding running backs coach in Ben, and we interviewed eight different coaches before we hired Ben three years ago,” Fisher said.
That was 2012, Fisher’s first Rams staff. Sirmans wasn’t hired until March 2012.
“Through the process, often times, different opportunities come up,” Fisher said.
In other words, he never has been one to rush into staff hires. And with rare exception, Fisher is very loyal to his assistants once they get hired.
This time around, Fisher said he only had one formal interview with an outside candidate. That was former Buffalo offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
A second interview was scheduled with Hackett during Super Bowl week.
By that time, Fisher was firmly committed to going in-house, meaning the second interview with Hackett was for either the Rams’ quarterbacks or tight-ends coaching job. (Depending on whether Fisher promoted Cignetti from QBs coach or tight ends coach Rob Boras to offensive coordinator.)
Hackett decided instead to follow Doug Marrone, who was his head coach in Buffalo, to Jacksonville as quarterbacks coach. Marrone is assistant head coach/offensive line coach for the Jaguars.
Fisher said he talked to a couple of other candidates on the phone (a group that included Kyle Shanahan, who ended up as Atlanta’s offensive coordinator, and Adam Gase, who ended up with that position for Chicago).
Alex Van Pelt and Rob Chudzinski might have gotten interviews with Fisher, but Green Bay (in the case off Van Pelt) and Indianapolis (Chudzinski) denied interview requests by the Rams.
But in the end, Fisher wanted to stay with his overall offensive philosophy. Stability and continuity were very important to him.
“Your terminology, your run-game philosophy, your game-calling philosophy, the understanding of your philosophy — it’s ingrained in you,” Fisher said. “From an organizational standpoint, I didn’t want to change any of that ... I just wanted to get better.
“I knew that this staff was qualified to do that. We just needed some new leadership, and that’s what we have.”
Perhaps with that in mind, Cignettii emphasized leadership and motivation as characteristics he brings to the coordinator’s job at his introductory news conference on Friday.
In his two interviews or “meetings” with Fisher, Cignetti stressed those points.
“I wanted to be the coordinator because I love to lead,” he said. “I love to try to bring a group of men together, coaches and players, and try to make it something great. To go from good to great.”
Obviously, calling the Rams’ offense good last year — or in any of the three years with Schottenheimer as coordinator — would be stretching it. The Rams finished 21st in points per game in 2014, 28th in total offense, 20th in rushing offense and 23rd in passing offense. But Cignetti’s overall point is that he relishes the challenge and the opportunity of trying to improve the offense.
“As coach (Fisher) and I sat down in our two meetings, I think what happened was we got to know each other better,” Cignetti said. “Coach asked great questions. I was very comfortable in both meetings, and if anything, it just built our relationship.
“That’s the other thing that’s important in the leadership role is that you’ve got to care about people and build trusting relationships. I think through our process, that’s what happened. We got to know each other better.”
Cignetti, 49, said the core of his philosophy as a coordinator is the ability to run the football. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Fisher’s track record as a head coach. He wasn’t going to hire a coordinator who planned to throw the ball 50 times a game.
“I believe in running the football,” Cignetti said. “You run the ball to win. The quarterback’s best friend is running the football. But you also have to be flexible enough to do whatever it’s gonna take to win a game.”
To Cignetti, it’s more about players (and maximizing their strengths), than play-calling. And doing whatever you can to get the ball in your playmakers’ hands.
Of course, just about every offensive coordinator says he will mold his philosophy to the particular strength of his players. Often that turns out to be little more than lip service.
There is at least some evidence in Cignetti’s past that he has that flexibility. At Fresno State, for example, he had run-heavy teams that were successful and had pass-heavy teams as well.
“When you have a guy like (wide receiver) Bernard Berrian, who was one of the best college football players, you want to get the ball in his hands,” Cignetti said. “Because you can throw him a little bubble screen and it might end up in the end zone. So you take a look at your personnel and how can you take advantage of their abilities. That’s just a quick example.”
On the subject of playmakers, Cignetti made it clear he plans to get Tavon Austin involved more in the offense. We’ve heard that before.
But Cignetti said he already has had discussions with wide receivers coach Ray Sherman and the rest of the offensive staff on that topic.
“Tavon Austin is an outstanding football player,” Cignetti said. “I saw him here (last) week. I’m fired up to get working with him.
“As coach Fisher and I sat down, it was: Hey, you think players, not plays. Especially in tough situations. Tavon Austin’s a playmaker.”
