Big Lead Sports Bar

12/13/2009

CHANGES COMING TO STEELERS STAFF



As surprises go, this isn't exactly on the level of the Tiger Woods saga, but nonetheless, ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting pending changes in the Steelers' coaching staff following their 2009 freefall.
Changes are expected with Pittsburgh's special teams coach Bob Ligashesky, amongst others.

Other coaches that could be in trouble in Pittsburgh include offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and offensive line coach Larry Zierlein.
A telltale sign of a great coaching staff is one that gets picked clean by the rest of the league after the season, and that's never been a hallmark of a Mike Tomlin team. Look at the old Bill Cowher staffs - they were basically breeding grounds for future NFL head coaches. The only current Tomlin coach I've heard mentioned in the running for another job was running back coach Kirby Wilson for the UNLV job a few weeks ago - not exactly the same as losing Jim Haslett to run the New Orleans Saints, or Dom Capers to coach the Carolina Panthers.

This team won a Super Bowl and returned all their major coordinators - that's virtually a rarity in today's football culture. Even the Super Bowl runner-up lost their offensive coordinator to another NFL team. While it's true that the window has closed on Dick LeBeau's head coaching career, Arians has never been a hot property as a head coaching candidate, and at 57 has probably seen his window close as well. The league is skewing towards younger, energetic, workaholic coaches, not 57-year-old lifetime assistants. Perhaps Tomlin should look for a few ladder-climbers when making up the 2010 coaching staff. It's certainly worked out well in the past for this organization.

*By the way, be sure to watch ESPN's embedded video, where Cris Carter points out at the 2:41 mark that "it's hard to impose your will on a team, and that part has caughten up to the Pittsburgh Steelers." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Source: Steelers staff on shaky ground [ESPN]

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13 comments:

Dave said...

How can you say that something is or is not a "hallmark" of a Mike Tomlin team? He's had, what, two offseasons (not including the offseason that he was hired)?

Don't get me wrong, these guys need to go, but you can't make any kind of statement like that -- the sample size is waaaaaaay too small.

Jeff_King_Fan said...

10 day break, almost like another bye week. the team has played like crap the last 5 weeks, but keep it close in one way or another. a bunch of teams ahead of us for that 6th seed, but only by one game with three to go. the season didnt end vs oakland or in cleveland. keep the faith STEELER NATION

the nigerian nightmare said...

come on man......stop.

AME said...

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

Actually you could seeing as how "caughten" isn't a word.

Chip said...

Wait a minute. What Carter was saying in the "impose your will" part was the Steelers throw too much. That was the sentiment all the panelists echoed except Keyshawn, who everybody knows is a friggin' idiot.

Anyway, YOU were one of the putzes who posted about how those of us whining about "Stillers Football" need to get with the times and Big Ben is the greatest pocket passer since Dan Marino. Now you're doing a 180. Great job at football analysis there. Or should I say "Sticking your finger in the air and seeing which way the wind blows..."

Steve said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Steve said...

Adam "Copernicus" Schefter is another know-nothing ESPN employee who gets all of his scary boring info by reading blogs and sensing the clearly obvious. "Changes are expected"...Well, no $hit Sherlock.

This report comes 2 days after Schefter reported that Steelers may not be playing well after all and that the world could possibly be round.

Louis Lipps Sinks Ships said...

1. AME -- "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Actually you could seeing as how "caughten" isn't a word."

Thanks for explaining the joke.

2. "Anyway, YOU were one of the putzes who posted about how those of us whining about "Stillers Football" need to get with the times and Big Ben is the greatest pocket passer since Dan Marino. Now you're doing a 180. Great job at football analysis there."

Chip -- Is this directed at Cris Carter or at Don?

3. "Adam "Copernicus" Schefter is another know-nothing ESPN employee"

Steve -- Schefter is actually one of the better ones. ESPN head-hunted him a few months ago and, as per ESPN contract, he's obligated to post something eight times a day, no matter how insignificant or obvious. To his credit, he is pretty reliable with injury and personnel news, though.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

I've whined about people whining about "Stillers football".

Yes, having a strong running game is a good idea. But if you can't, then put the ball in the hands of your best player on offense.

When he's not concussed (and with a coordinator who doesn't constantly call slow developing pass plays 20 yards downfield on 3rd and 1) Ben and the receivers can get it done.

Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE to be more BALANCED on offense. But no, we shouldn't go back to running it 60% of the time and playing "Stillers football". I'll take 50/50 thankyou. It increases the effectiveness of both.


For God's sake, just fire Arians! The only time our offense was on fire this year was the San Diego game where they made a lead so big that not even our defense could blow it (and by God they tried!). With that much offensive talent, 1 great game is unacceptable.

P.O. said...

when we hired Bruce Arians as our wide receivers coach i said "oh no" and that was followed up with emails and messages from friends of mine from Cleveland saying "good luck with that guy, he sucks" because the BROWNS FIRED HIM AS OC!! That should be the first sign that a guy isn't too bright. Like the Seinfeld where Jerry finds out the girl he is dating used to date Newman and Newman was the one that ended it. Newman found her so unappealing that she wasn't good enough for him that it instantly turned Jerry off. Browns = Newman, Steelers = Jerry.

Also, Louis Lipps may be your homeboy and he may sink ships, but he absolutely drinks at Sloppy Joe's on Shiloh Street in Mt Washington on a regular basis.. I SEEN HIM!!

the nigerian nightmare said...

P.O. -

That parallel between Seinfeld and the Steelers is one of the greatest things I've read in a long time. It's seriously genius. Bravo.

Steve said...

I'm not sticking up for Arians by any means but the Browns also fired Belichick, so making an analysis based on anything the Browns do or say really holds no water.

P.O. said...

Steve,

Belichick in Cleveland was before the invention of camcorders, thus his failure there, and his lack of sustained success in NE since "Spygate" (19-10 as of right now past two seasons)