Marty Schottenheimer Fired

If a head coaching firing in the NFL can be both stunning but not unexpected at the same time, this is it. The San Diego Chargers finally decided to cut their losses with the embattled Marty Schottenheimer after 5 years as coach. The tipping point has been building in the last month ever since the juggernaut Chargers lost in the divisional playoff to the Patriots then witnessed an exodus of assistant coaches to other teams (i.e. Wade Phillips and Cam Cameron) and higher positions. An already frosty (at best) relationship between Schottenheimer and GM A.J. Smith couldn't take any more stress than it had already come under, and as a result the last thread that Marty was holding on by finally snapped.

Of course this is the logical and correct decision by San Diego in the decision of GM Smith or Coach Schottenheimer. If one of them had to go - and clearly, one did - it was going to be Schottenheimer. He was already a lame duck head coach who hasn't won a playoff game in more than a decade. And let's not forget that Smith has done an incredible job assembling a roster than many regard as the most talented in the league.

What does this mean for the Chargers? Who will they hire at this point so late in the game? Again, Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera pops out as a obvious possibility. Colts assistant Jim Caldwell, who along with Rivera interviewed last week for the Cowboys job, could also get a look. Maybe they'd try to lure Redskins offensive coordinator Al Saunders? It's hard to envision the Bolts going after a college coach - it's much too late, with National Signing Day having just wrapped up last week.

And now, what happens to Marty Schottenheimer? At 63, I'd say that he has one more coaching stint left in him. He's going to get a call from teams that need a coach next year, no doubt about it - he's too good for that not to happen. But you would think that'll be his last chance to win a Super Bowl. And considering how badly he wants to win one, I don' t think he'd take just any job. I doubt that at this point in his career, he's willing to wait around and build a team from scratch. The team he takes over will need to have some pieces in place.

For an offseason that wasn't supposed to have too many spins on the coaching carousel, this will be the seventh head coaching change of the offseason. Just par for the course in the oftentimes crazy world of the NFL.

marty schottenheimer
a.j. smith
ron rivera

Wade Phillips Named Cowboys Coach

Jerry Jones decided to take everyone a little bit by surprise today and introduced former Chargers defensive coordinator and erstwhile Broncos and Bills head coach Wade Phillips as the new Dallas head coach.

In hindsight, this is probably the logical ending to an illogical search. After hiring Jason Garrett as the offensive coordinator before the head coach was hired, it wouldn't have made sense to bring in Norv Turner to be the head coach, like most expected was going to happen. Norv's biggest strength as everyone knows, is his mind for offense. That's why he's always been a great offensive coordinator. But he's not exactly Bill Parcells when it comes to the intangibles of getting a team ready to play as a head coach. So why bring in Garrett if you'd just be better off having Turner call the plays? That would make Garrett a wasted hire, and from what everyone seems to be saying about him, he's a bright guy with quite a future ahead of him as a coach in the league. In the end, Jones wasn't going to leave the potential of his young star, Garrett, unfulfilled.

There are two camps that should be especially thrilled with the Phillips hiring. One is DeMarcus Ware. Under Phillips' direction, Shawne Merriman exploded as maybe the most feared player in the NFL over the last two years. Ware is another linebacker with just as much freakish skill as Merriman, and he could very well blow up this coming season with Phillips as his mentor.

The other player that should be relieved at the Phillips hire is actually a group of players - namely, the San Francisco 49ers offensive unit - in particular, QB Alex Smith and RB Frank Gore. With Phillips the man in Dallas, Turner stays on as the offensive coordinator in San Francisco, meaning that the 49ers' two young offensive cornerstones who made incredible strides this year, can take the next steps towards greatness under Turner's tutelage.

Finally, while Phillips got a three year deal to coach the Cowboys, in reality, he probably has two years to get Dallas into the Super Bowl. Dallas has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, and all signs point to the NFC being open for the taking next year, just as it was this year. Expectations are high, and if Phillips can't take the team to an NFC title at the least, I would think that Jones will be looking to his hotshot new assistant in Garrett or maybe even another big name that surfaces, like Bill Cowher. Enjoy the honeymoon now, Wade, because the expectations are enormous.

wade phillips
jerry jones
norv turner