Your Head Coach preference?

[Chris]

Both are tough, no-nonsense guys.

One has a résumé chock full of success as a Head Coach. One does not.

 

[Bulldog]

Eric Bieniemy is like a project employee who has one year of experience as a project manager and is trying to interview for a VP position.

Harbaugh not only has already been a successful VP but a CEO as well.

There is really no comparison - in fact looking at the resumes one would think that Eric would be working FOR Harbaugh at his next stop,

 

[Boone]

Thinking Derek means in terms of temperament not resume...

 

[burgold]

How our prospects did (updated after second week of playoffs):

Harbaugh: Won College National Championship
Johnson: Won playoff game 1 against Rams. Won game 2.
Slowik: Annihilated Browns playoff game 1. Embarrassed by Ravens D in game 2.
Quinn: Lost to Greenbay at home. Slaughtered.
Vrabel: Fired and sitting at home.
Belichik: Fired and sitting at home.
McDonald: Very impressive defensive effort in playoff win.

 

[Canadian Hog]

I have to say that Ben Johnson put on a bit of a clinic today vs. the Bucs. Three straight TDs in the second half when it mattered most down the stretch, great use of his TEs in key spots, efficiency in the redzone, leaned on his offensive line and speed out of the backfield in critical spots. There is a lot to like I must say.

 

[burgold]

It's a weird conundrum. OTOH, I want Johnson to look fantastic especially if he's to be our head coach. On the other hand, I want our next head coach available, signed, sealed and delivered. I was rooting for Slowik from that contrarian/Shanny tree sense that we should get at least one of the Shanny HC prodigies, but the recency effect has swayed me. Slowick has done an amazing job with Stroud, but he was embarrassingly outclassed by the Ravens. This makes me wonder if Slowik needs more seasoning.

 

[Boone]

Unless he just totally shits the bed in interviews, I have to believe it's Johnson's job to lose. That means we'll be waiting another week or 3 for confirmation. If we don't sign someone early this week, I think that will mean they have a handshake agreement with Ben Johnson to be the next head coach.

 

[Chris]

Or Macdonald.

 

[Boone]

Possible. I think, based on Harris' comments previously, that they will put a lot of stock in interviews. That makes me a little nervous as in my experience, being able to interview well and being able to perform are separate skills. Have to hope we make a savvy choice and get the right guy. For me, prior performance is MUCH more important than interview skills.

I would be perfectly fine with Johnson, Macdonald, or Slowik.

I think Johnson is the consensus 'best available' though - and I'd love to see us start a new era with the top-rated GM candidate and top-rated HC candidate running the show.

 

[Bulldog]

Johnson and MacDonald have talent as coordinators but they also have superior talent at a number of positions.

Slowik was overmatched by Baltimore because Baltimore is a 13-14 win team and #1 seed, and that is as it should be at this stage.

Aaron Glenn is another guy that has been making chicken salad out of chicken ****.

Those DBs are awful in coverage.

 

[Boone]

 

[Primus Porcus]

Thinking Derek means in terms of temperament not resume...

Exactly


There has been a strong support within this fanbase to bring in a 'leader of men' type. A guy who is going to demand excellence. A guy who will walk in and eliminate the 'club Jay' vibe. Everything we've heard about EB is that he is that, if nothing else. Playcalling aside, he's apparently been 'too tough' on a very weak minded crew.

This wasn't an endorsement on my behalf, just an identification that if we want Harbaugh, because he's a got those traits, the same could be said about EB.

and for the record, my vote is still for Bobby Slowick, with Ben Johnson not too far behind... though Macdonald is quickly climbing the charts.

 

[Chris]

I agree with the premise wholeheartedly.

At this point I have no idea if any of those 3 possess or don’t possess those attributes. I trust the deciders to determine that and make the right choice.

EB showed those traits for sure but he also engineered a dubious offensive strategy for the players that were at his disposal. That alone eliminates him in my mind.

 

[Chris]

Good multitasker.

 

[Boone]

 

[Boone]

This is the calm before the storm.

Tough to be patient but that's where we are. Once that HC shoe drops, it's going to be a wild stretch between then and free agency and NFL draft. Get your sleep and rest up

 

[Primus Porcus]

 

[Knightingale]

Interesting article on examine the hiring trends for head coaches.
Lends more weight to a former OC hire.

Reviewing head coach hirings over the past 5 years for success trends

Across the NFL, over the past five years, an astonishing 35 head coaches have been hired (and 16 of those fired), at a pace of seven vacancies filled per year. Several of those hirings (and...

www.hogshaven.com

 

[Bulldog]

I am not interested in Dan Quinn. His defense in Dallas didn't show up in big games and the scheme vs the Packers using 6 DBs for most of the contest and only 5 defenders near the line of scrimmage was pure suicide. And the kicker is he didn't change a thing after Green Bay was abusing that alignment for the first 30 minutes of the game on crucial downs.

And while Quinn was paired with Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta I can't forget the fact that with a 28-3 lead on New England, Quinn didn't tell Shanahan to run the ball more and throw short passes to take time off the clock instead of having Matt Ryan try and push the ball downfield and end up with 3 and outs and possessions that lasted less than 2 or 3 minutes.

If we are talking about defensive coaches give me MacDonald or Morris, although my preference is still Johnson - the reason being it seems there are more capable DC candidates out there to pair with an offensive coach than the other way around.

MacDonald, like Peters, comes from organizations that win games and don't BS around coddling high maintenance buffoons like Dallas does.

Morris seems like he is a good motivator and got A LOT out of a Rams defense that was starting several rookies taken in the middle rounds in 2023.

The only issue I see with Morris is he may be TOO LIKED by players and for a coordinator that is great as we saw with Norv in Dallas.

But can Morris maintain discipline and accountability across a 53 man roster?

Is he a guy like Mike Tomlin or Andy Reid that stamps out locker room cancers and gets them off the roster?

 

[burgold]

Agreed. MacDonald and Johnson are currently my number ones. Slowick is probably my number 2.