Read the debate intro and Bleacher Fan’s argument that firing a coach early in the season is warranted.
I am well aware of the fact that today’s society is a “what have you done for me lately” society. I realize that people want answers now, not tomorrow. I realize that fans like Bleacher Fan have suffered, and I sympathize with those frustrations. I am a diehard Atlanta Falcons fan, fully aware that the organization has never had back to back winning seasons. I do understand the need to go after a potential quick fix. But firing a coach early in the season is not the answer.
I have never been in favor of firing a coach during the middle of the season, whether middle is four games in, two months in, or with six games to go in the season. It rarely has an positive impact. For every success story like Jim Tracy being hired in May and leading the Rockies to the wild card, there are 100 stories that detail how midseason change is not the way to go. For example, since 1970 no NFL head coach hired in midseason has made it to the playoffs.
In the examples listed by Sports Geek in the intro, coaches like Jeff Fisher are established coaches who have had success in this league. There is no doubt the Tennessee Titans are off to an atrocious start, though they competed in three fairly close games before the disaster this past week against the Jaguars. But, does that warrant a firing? Not hardly.
How about those who are head coaches for the very first time? Raheem Morris (Tampa Bay), Todd Haley (Kansas City) and Steve Spagnuolo (St. Louis) all fall under this category. All three of these teams are in obvious rebuilding mode. The Bucs have had a lot of personnel turnover in the past couple of and admit the team is in rebuilding mode. (Loyal Homer still openly questions the firing of Jon Gruden, but that is a debate for another day.) Kansas City, which was a competitive team not so long ago, failed to win games the majority of the time under former coach Herman Edwards and are now rebuilding. The Rams, who not so long ago had the “Greatest Show on Turf” now has one of the worst shows on turf, having been outscored 63-0 by two division opponents so far this season (28-0 Seattle and 35-0 San Francisco). Those results spell rebuilding. What should be expected? Is it fair to expect these three guys to go 4-0 in their first four games? All three of them were established assistant coaches. It is not fair to judge them on their first four games. What if you were judged solely on your first four days on the job?
Plus, firing a coach at this point in the season, or at any point during the season, nullifies the previous months of work. Organized team activities, training camp, preseason, and the first four games of the season have gotten the team to this point. Does firing the coach really improve the team right now? What if a new coach with an entirely different system comes in and brings his playbook and his coaches? That arrangement basically tosses aside the last THREE quarters of the season. That is not the answer!
To reiterate, I do understand the frustration of the fans of those teams who are currently sitting winless. It is maddening! But there is hope. Give established guys like Fisher and John Fox a chance to do what they do best. They are proven winners. And, give the new guys a chance. They are still laying the groundwork on hopefully building a good team. It just requires a little patience.
Posted by Loyal Homer 
