NFL Coaches and General Managers Wanted: No Job Security

About Bill Formby
I consider myself a conservative pragmatic progressive liberal, meaning that I think practically liberal, act practically liberal, and I am not going to change in the near future. But, if I do you’ll be the first to hear about it.
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While it seems unlikely that many people, especially your average unemployed person, will be crying any crocodile tears for them, the end of this National Football League season saw somewhat of a a wholesale cleaning of house of coaches and general managers this past week. Making your living in professional sports is definitely a “what have you done for me lately” business.

There is not much in the form of loyalty when it comes to whether a coach has his team winning or whether a player is being productive. In a way it is sort of the the mob, “nuthin’ personal, just bidniz”. If you remember two years ago Peyton Manning was the darling of Indianapolis but he got injured and sat out.

Not wanting to deal with chancing the return of an aging player the Colts cut the 14 year veteran loose during last years off season, despite the fact that Manning wanted to continue to play. This may come back to bite them in the butt since Manning has led his new team, the Denver Broncos into the playoffs. This is the way of our present day gladiators and their coaches, but this year seems to be a bit unusual says the AP:

Andy Reid is the winningest coach in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles. Lovie Smith led the Chicago Bears to the 2007 Super Bowl.

Now they’re looking for work.

Seven coaches and five general managers were fired Monday in a flurry of pink slips that were delivered the day after the regular-season ended.

Ken Whisenhunt is out after helping Arizona reach the Super Bowl following the 2008 season. Also gone: Norv Turner in San Diego, Pat Shurmur in Cleveland, Romeo Crennel in Kansas City and Chan Gailey in Buffalo.

Three teams made it a clean sweep, saying goodbye to the GM along with the coach — San Diego, Cleveland, Arizona. General managers also were fired in Jacksonville and New York, where Rex Ryan held onto his coaching job with the Jets despite a losing record.

Reid was the longest tenured of the coaches, removed after 14 seasons and a Super Bowl appearance in 2005 — a loss to New England. Smith spent nine seasons with the Bears.

Turner has now been fired as head coach by three teams. San Diego won the AFC West from 2006-09, but didn’t make the postseason the last three years under Turner and GM A.J. Smith.

“Both Norv and A.J. are consummate NFL professionals, and they understand that in this league, the bottom line is winning,” Chargers President Dean Spanos said in a statement.

Whisenhunt was fired after six seasons. He had more wins than any other coach in Cardinals history, going 45-51, and has one year worth about $5.5 million left on his contract. GM Rod Graves had been with Arizona for 16 years, nine in his current position. A 5-11 record after a 4-0 start cost him and Whisenhunt their jobs.

Gailey was dumped after three seasons with the Bills; Shurmur after two; and Crennel had one full season with the Chiefs.

So, for all of you chair coaches and Monday morning quarterbacks there seems to be plenty of jobs open. I assume you can contact the team of your choice to apply for one of the positions.

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