Who will the new coach/GM be?

burgold said:
Would it though (Serious question)? Aren't defense and offense little fiefdoms. Doesn't an offensive head coach mostly stay with the offense and let the defense do its thing and visa versa? How much of a head coach's attention is really diverted to things outside of game pnning their side of the ball and preparation?

Now, it's true. It takes a lot of practice to look stern and cross your arms over your chest. That takes a ton of time in front of the mirror to get right. And sure, head coaches are obligated to have more media availability, but I guess after all these years I don't know what a HC does that makes it impossible for them to be a HC and OC or a HC and a DC.
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I get wanting to mock Rivera who deserves it. But a head coach - is involved in almost everything. You're talking about a guy in EB who has half a season of experience as a true OC, and he's supposed to suddenly do that job AND be the head coach? Every single decision/planning point that normally would go to Rivera is now on his replacement. Media obligations, practice schedules, decisions about gameplans, starters and backups, injury decisions, travel plans... yes - there are folks helping with all of that stuff, but it is not as simple as shifting the title to someone else.

Bienemy immediately has less time and focus on Sam Howell if he's the HC. I don't see how that is debateable. I'm not saying not to fire Rivera. But it might actually be counterproductive at this point.
 
That's fair. Though I imagine practice schedules and travel is already set or should be. But it's a good list and makes your point. There are a little of little details on a HC's plate.
 
Well, all that being said, I feel like it's time for Rivera to go. Hell - put Jack Del Rio in charge. That might be the best option to close out the season. Not like less JDR management of the D is going to frighten any of us.
 
Boone said:
Well, all that being said, I feel like it's time for Rivera to go. Hell - put Jack Del Rio in charge. That might be the best option to close out the season. Not like less JDR management of the D is going to frighten any of us.
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Rewarding JDR would infuriate me.

If we had to fire Rivera midseason and I couldn't pick Bienemy then I'd probably go with the Special Team's coach or some positional coach. Hell, we could go radical and name Tress Way the HC.
 
Maybe Fred Smoot for DC. At least the defensive meetings would be entertaining. 😉
 
Better yet, I'd name a super computer the HC and let AI call the plays, manage the schedules, and root through sports' cliches for the media obligations.
 
burgold said:
Would it though (Serious question)? Aren't defense and offense little fiefdoms. Doesn't an offensive head coach mostly stay with the offense and let the defense do its thing and visa versa? How much of a head coach's attention is really diverted to things outside of game pnning their side of the ball and preparation?

Now, it's true. It takes a lot of practice to look stern and cross your arms over your chest. That takes a ton of time in front of the mirror to get right. And sure, head coaches are obligated to have more media availability, but I guess after all these years I don't know what a HC does that makes it impossible for them to be a HC and OC or a HC and a DC.
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During practice, you are probably correct. At least partially. Head Coaches have significantly more media responsibility though and there are administrative things that take away from coaching time (per head coaches I have heard talk about how it differs from being an assistant).

During the game, I think it makes a big difference. How many times have we seen EB sitting on the bench next to Sam talking through what has happened, the looks they have seen, and how they are going to adjust on the next series? That is real-time coaching that is important to Sam's development. It is also the kind of stuff that would stop if EB were the head coach because he would need to be paying attention to what is happening on the field with the defense and special teams.
 
Boone said:
My question is, if the continuing development of Sam Howell is your #1 priority for the rest of this season (anyone disagree that it has to be?), how does handing the HC role to Bienemy helpful in that regard?

Seems like it could actually be the worst thing you could do from that vantage point.
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Bienemy is weeded out by mid second quarter with only the OC duties. He obviously needs a strong HC to calm him, which he had in Reid, not even close in rivera. No way do you hand him the HC duties, you hope the interim HC can provide a calming influence and maybe see the whole team prosper. This team is so down right now with the current HC, I would love to see a change to just about anyone. Otherwise it could be complete destruction.
 
I think what this conversation is making clear is that firing HCs and coordinators in-season is problematic.

I've said it before, but think it's worth saying again. One of the problems with dumping HC-ing duties on EB in season is that it's simply unfair. As a potential future head coaching candidate, you don't want his audition being this scenario, where he's suddenly asked to rescue a team in disarray with no ability to bring in his own coordinators and assistants. If it doesn't go well, now you've cast all of this doubt upon his abilities based on an impossible situation. I think that's why Harris may bite his lip and ride out the season with Rivera.
 
Boone said:
I think what this conversation is making clear is that firing HCs and coordinators in-season is problematic.

I've said it before, but think it's worth saying again. One of the problems with dumping HC-ing duties on EB in season is that it's simply unfair. As a potential future head coaching candidate, you don't want his audition being this scenario, where he's suddenly asked to rescue a team in disarray with no ability to bring in his own coordinators and assistants. If it doesn't go well, now you've cast all of this doubt upon his abilities based on an impossible situation. I think that's why Harris may bite his lip and ride out the season with Rivera.
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100% again.
 
No 71 year old coaches that want to be the GM and Team President.

That type of move is one Snyder would have made.

The Patriots are one of the teams that has drafted as poorly or worse than Washington since 2020 and currently sports two fewer wins.

34 year old Cam Newton, Bailey Zappe, Mac Jones?

Belichick is worse than Ron.
 
I asked Google's Bard about the coach and this is what I got.

Who are potential candidates to coach the Washington Commanders next season?


With the Washington Commanders' disappointing season coming to an end, speculation has already begun about who might replace Ron Rivera as head coach next season. Here are some of the potential candidates:

Eric Bieniemy, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator: Bieniemy has been a highly respected offensive mind for years, and he has been passed over for multiple head coaching jobs in recent years. He finally got his chance this offseason when he left the Kansas City Chiefs to take the offensive coordinator job with the Commanders. Bieniemy has a proven track record of success, and he is a strong candidate to be the next head coach of the Commanders.

DeMeco Ryans, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator: Ryans is a rising star in the coaching world, and he is considered to be one of the top head coaching candidates in the league. He has a strong defensive mind, and he has been instrumental in the 49ers' success in recent years. Ryans is a charismatic leader, and he is a strong candidate to be the next head coach of the Commanders.

Jonathan Gannon, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator: Gannon is another rising star in the coaching world, and he is considered to be one of the top head coaching candidates in the league. He has a strong defensive mind, and he has been instrumental in the Eagles' success in recent years. Gannon is a smart and innovative coach, and he is a strong candidate to be the next head coach of the Commanders.

Shane Steichen, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator: Steichen is a young and up-and-coming coach, and he is considered to be one of the top offensive minds in the league. He has been instrumental in the Eagles' offensive success in recent years, and he is a strong candidate to be the next head coach of the Commanders.

Other potential candidates:

Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders head coach: McDaniels is a proven head coach, and he has a Super Bowl ring on his resume. He is a strong candidate to be the next head coach of the Commanders.

Sean Payton, former New Orleans Saints head coach: Payton is another proven head coach, and he has won a Super Bowl with the Saints. He is a strong candidate to be the next head coach of the Commanders.

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines head coach: Harbaugh is a successful college coach, and he has a winning record in the NFL as well. He is a strong candidate to be the next head coach of the Commanders.

Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals head coach: Kingsbury is a young and innovative coach, and he has been instrumental in the Cardinals' offensive success in recent years. He is a strong candidate to be the next head coach of the Commanders.

These are just a few of the potential candidates to coach the Washington Commanders next season. The Commanders have a lot of options to choose from, and the
y will likely take their time to make a decision.
 
Jim Harbaugh.

He’s done with the NCAA and won’t be back at Michigan in 2024.

If there’s going to be a ‘name’ hire, I don’t see Harris investing in Belichick who is a crusty 71 years old.

Harbaugh’s stay in the NFL was fairly short but he was 2 or 3 minutes away from winning a Super Bowl with Colin Kaepernick at quarterback.

That’s saying something 💪
 
In terms of giving the new regime the best chance of immediate on the field improvement and wins, hard to argue that Harbaugh isn't one of the more intriguing possibilities. His record during 4 seasons as San Fran's HC was 44-19-1, that's nearly a 70% winning percentage. Those teams weren't exactly prototypical NFL winners, because they did it with the rushing attack. Harbaugh's offenses were bottom of the league in passing every year, and top 10 in rushing every year. His defenses were awesome both against the run and pass. His OC and DC were Greg Roman and Vic Fangio all 4 seasons, and it was mostly pounding Frank Gore on offense with a lot of Kaepernick rushing supplementing. Those San Fran teams played a smashmouth ball control pound the football style that would look pretty familiar in the old NFC East. I'm not sure that Greg Roman-style offense gets it done in 2023. But he is probably one of the most successful NFL coaches theoretically *available*. He certainly would be the 'anti-Rivera' hire as he is as fiery and animated as they come.

I don't think bringing him as a GM/HC type would be advisable. He had GM Trent Baalke managing GM duties during his San Fran stint and has no track record having those kinds of responsibilities. If a new GM wants Harbaugh as HC and he's willing, I think it could be a great hire. It might be attractive for Harbaugh given the close proximity of his brother in Baltimore.
 
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I would love to see Rivera go on Black Friday but as I'm sitting here I'm thinking Harris is likely to revamp the front office, so what would he gain by doing a coaching change when we are out of it?
 
I think being reactive because a bunch of media personalities and angry fans are screaming for someone's head would be a bad sign. We all want change, but with Snyder's departure, we also were hoping that we'd finally have some responsible grown-ups in charge.

I think in this situation, responsible grown-ups see there is little to be gained by in-season firings. I sort of wish Harris would just come out and say, this coaching staff will remain intact for the duration of the season. Leaving it an open question, with every media outlet continually asking questions (now even directly to players) is not helpful.
 
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