NFL Head Coach Dynasty

[kdmajoslin]

Lovie Out In Chicago

Apparently beating the Packers isn't enough to keep a job in the Windy City, especially if you get swept by the Lions.

Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith was handed his walking papers today. Smith took the Bears to the playoffs in 2005 and the Super Bowl in 2006, but failed to have much success in 2007 posting a 7-9 record and then fell even further in 2008 with a 5-11 record. After a dismal season, owner Vernon Van Alstyne lost confidence in Coach Smith and has decided to go with someone new.


It is expected that Smith won't be alone. Look for the Bears to clean house and start 2009 with a lot of new faces in Halas Hall.

Week 1
Bears 3
Colts 31

Week 2
Bears 3
Panthers 10

Week 3
Buccaneers 33
Bears 0

Week 4
Eagles 27
Bears 9

Week 5
Bears 0
Lions 24

Week 6
Bears 29
Falcons 38

Week 7
Vikings 30
Bears 13

Week 8
Bye

Week 9
Lions 20
Bears 10

Week 10
Titans 7
Bears 17

Week 11
Bears 20
Packers 13

Week 12
Bears 3
Rams 17

Week 13
Bears 23
Vikings 5

Week 14
Jaguars 3
Bears 17

Week 15
Saints 13
Bears 10

Week 16
Packers 0
Bears 13

Week 17
Bears 9
Texans 28

[kdmajoslin]

New HC in Chicago

Owner Vernon Van Alstyne has decided to go outside of the organization to find a new coach. Van Alstyne reportedly interviewed several candidates including Michigan's Gary Hammermill, Army's General Sanders, Philadelphia DC Jim Johnson, and Oakland DC Rob Ryan. He opted to go with none of them, the new Head Coach of the NFL's Chicago Bears is 39-year-old Ken Joslin.

It's a very big opportunity for a very smart guy.

Born in Illinois and raised in Oklahoma, Kenneth was a quarterback at Oklahoma State University. He began his pro career playing in the Canadian Football League and the old World Football League, before making the Green Bay Packer's active roster in 1996. Joslin played for the Packers in 1996-1998, the Panthers in 1999, and the Patriots in 2000. Joslin played for 4 years in the NFL but never started a game.

After retiring from the NFL, Joslin became a coach. Coach Joslin used what he learned playing for some of the NFL's best coaches (Belichick, Holmgren, Seifert) to become a very successful small college coach. He has coached at Lehigh, Virginia Military and Delaware. Joslin's most recent position was with Oklahoma State University under HC Mike Gundy.

Despite his success in Division 1A College Football no football analysts predicted a NFL head coach job was destined for Joslin. Even John Madden, former NFL TV analyst supreme and champion Super Bowl coach, who called him one of "the smartest men in football" was shocked when he heard the announcement. "He's not ready, there's no way he's ready" commented Madden.

A New Beginning?

The Bears finished 5-11 in 2008 and looked to need some major retooling of their playbooks. Joslin, previously the Oklahoma State Cowboys offensive coordinator (where he was one of colleges elite playcallers) is expected to bring in his own staff, and is expected to install both a new offense and defense.

One thing he won't be doing is calling the shots on Draft day. Owner Van Alstyne has made it clear that Coach Joslin is here to coach and not GM. Still no word out of Chicago who will taking on that job as Bears GM Jim Andrews is definitely on his way out.

[kdmajoslin]

Big Names Want Out of Chicago

DT Tommie Harris and FS Mike Brown have let it be known they want out of Chicago. Both players were in the last year of their contract in 2008, but never made any attempts to renogiate new contracts.

DT Harris is widely considered to be one of the best at his position and the Bears definitely were interested in keeping him. Unfortunately for them, he wasn't interested in staying. Harris had this to say when asked about the situation, " I think it is time for me to move on. Things just aren't happening here. I'm tired of losing. I don't want to be a Bear anymore." Many experts predict that Harris, coming off a solid season (42 tackles, 14 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles, 2 Fumble Recoveries, 53 Hurries and only 2 missed tackles)and considered to be a top 5 DT talent, will command a big payday when he hits the free agent market.

FS Brown while not elite, is still a talented DB, who still has several good years in him. Brown posted 5 INTs in 2008, and should be a welcome addition to another team.

Also leaving will be QB's Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton. Both players weren't resigned in 2008. This leaves the Bears with no QB's on their roster.

[kdmajoslin]

Van Alstyne Lays Down the Law

Chicago Bears owner Vernon Van Alstyne has let it be known that things are going to change at Halas Hall. After being named as the third worst owner in the NFL in 2008 by Yahoo! Sports, Van Alstyne was considerably upset. Okay, he was pissed. Yahoo! Sports stated "They (the Bears) get the least out of what they pay for than any other team in the league."

Van Alstyne has decided to prove them wrong. To do this he has set his own Halas Hall Salary Cap. From this day forward the Bears will spend less than other teams and produce better results. Van Alstyne has let it be known that he expects the Bears to have a Salary Cap number under $92 million (roughly 80% of the normal cap of $116 million).

In addition, he has decided that he wants talent to be cultivated from within the organization, so there will be a limit on dollars spent on free agents. The HC can bring in anyone he wants, provided he stays withing a $7M budget each year.

Can this work? Lets face it the Bears weren't doing a great job when they were throwing money around. Can they do better with tighter purse strings?

[kdmajoslin]

One Coach Survives

Special Teams Coach Dave Toub was the only member of the Bears coaching staff retained by new HC Ken Joslin.

Toub had a very average year in 2008, with his unit rating 17th in Avg Punt and Avg Yards per Return, 15th in FG % and 18th in Special Teams TDs.

When asked about Toub, HC Joslin had this to say "Dave is a great coach with lots of potential. I don't spend much time with special teams so it was important for me to have a guy that knows that well. Coach Toub is a welcome addition to my staff."

[kdmajoslin]

Gary Meese Named GM

Former Giants GM Gary Meese has been named the new GM in Chicago. Meese left the Giants for the opportunity to rebuild a once great franchise and he will have full control of that process. Owner Vernon Van Alstyne has let it be known that when it comes to the Draft, GM Meese has the final word. HC Joslin will set up the board, bug Meese will pull the trigger, making any draft day trades and selections. GM Meese will also have the final say on who is on the trading block.

HC Joslin will have some say. He can make trades (only guys on the trade block.) He can sign free agents (provided all Free Agents brought in cost less than $7M) and HC Joslin will have the final call on Training Camp cuts.

Meese is a native of Tiptonville, Tennessee, where he played for the Lake County Falcons' 1980 state champion 1-A high school football team. He then played for the University of Tennessee at Martin where he was later an assistant coach before taking a job as a scout for the New York Giants. From 2002 until becoming General Manager, he was the Director of Pro Personnel for the Giants.

Meese is considered a tactical genius after the success of almost all of the Giants' draft picks from the 2007 NFL Draft, which included Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Jay Alford, Kevin Boss, Michael Johnson, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Zak DeOssie. All of them contributed greatly to the Giants' Super Bowl XLII victory.

With gapping wholes in the roster, most notably at quarterback there is no question that Meese has his work cut out for him in Chicago.

In a bit of irony, former Chicago GM Jim Andrews was hired by the Giants to replace GM Meese.

[kdmajoslin]

Bears Coaching Staff Announced

HC Ken Joslin OVR 16 Performance 5, Special Skills: Ambition, Reg. Season Seminar, Off-Season Seminar

OC Brian Schottenheimer OVR 38 (Jets)

DC Greg Blache OVR 45 (Redskins)

STC Dave Toub OVR 79 (only holdover)

QBC Paul Hackett OVR 30 (Former Buccaneers QBC 2005-2007)

RBC Tom Rathman OVR 61 (Raiders)

WRC Zeke Montgomery OVR 42 (OSU)

OLC Tom Cobble OVR 35 (formerly of the Raiders)

LBC Pepper Johnson OVR 48 (Patriots DLC)

DBC Mark Carrier OVR 11 (Ravens)

DLC Tim Spangler OVR 23 (Delaware)

GM Gary Meese OVR 65 (Giants)

Trainer Robert Wyman OVR 99 (Bengals)

[kdmajoslin]

New Head Coaches Around the NFL

Michigan HC Gary Hammermill OVR 45 brings the Michigan Spread to the nation's capital as he takes over for Jim Zorn for the Redskins.

SF fires Mike Nolan and replaces him with Jim Westgate OVR 42

Al Davis continues to confound the experts (as well as any reasonable person) with the selection of Joe Marciano OVR 36 as his new HC. Marciano was formerly the Texans STC.