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Fraley: Philly plan points to wisdom of hiring promising 1st-timer Garrett
12:17 AM CST on Sunday, January 9, 2011
Column by GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
By installing Jason Garrett as the eighth head coach in Dallas Cowboys history, owner-general manager Jerry Jones followed the path that has produced the most successful of all the hires during his time in the NFL.
Jones went the Philadelphia route.
When the Ray Rhodes era had run its course with a 3-13 season in 1998, Philadelphia needed a new coach. Eagles owner Jeff Lurie faced the same decision that Jones dealt with this season: please the fan base by hiring a familiar name with wins on his résumé, or skip the retreads and go with a little-known but promising first-timer.
Lurie chose the latter, bringing in Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Andy Reid. Garrett had a history with the Cowboys as a player, offensive coordinator and interim head coach this season. Reid was "Mr. X" to Eagles' backers, a complete mystery.
Reid stands as the best head coaching hire since Jones arrived in the NFL with his purchase of the Cowboys before the 1989 season.
Since New Year's Day of 1989, there have been 141 head coaching hires in the NFL. Determining the best in any period is a perilous undertaking. To make the call on Reid, we ignored opinions and relied on the pure objectivity of a points system.
The system awarded points on a scale ranging from one for a winning season to 10 for a Super Bowl victory. An extra 50 percent was added if the coach took over a club that had had two consecutive losing seasons.
Reid tops the charts with a score of 114.5, and counting, for his 12 years with the Eagles. Reid is a half-point ahead of Bill Belichick, for his 11 seasons with New England. A total of 46 coaches did not score a point. That includes Dave Campo, the Cowboys coach from 2000-02.
The Eagles are in the playoffs for the ninth time under Reid. They are 18-10 in playoff games during that span. In the same time period, the Cowboys have had four coaches, been to the playoffs five times and are 1-5 in postseason play.
Reid's success, based on his offensive planning and people skills, raises an inevitable question for Lurie. Why did he choose to go with a first-time head coach?
"We didn't go into it looking for a first-time head coach or a second-time head coach," Lurie said. "What was important to us was to find the best person. We didn't want to get the person that the fans would immediately applaud. We had to get the best person for the job."
Pedigree figured in the decision for Lurie with Reid and Jones with Garrett.
Reid joined the Eagles after spending eight years on Mike Holmgren's staff at Green Bay. Holmgren is third on the coaching scoreboard, with a 110.5 for his time with the Packers.
"I had a hard time believing as a head football coach in the National Football League anybody did it any better than Mike Holmgren," Reid said. "And now that I've been a head coach, I still feel that way.
"The way he handled all the different situations, there weren't a lot of holes there. And he's a smart guy, good with people and makes good decisions."
Reid did not win over the populace by going 5-11 in his first season. Halfway through the second season, after Reid had made the controversial pick of Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb in the first round, Lurie became convinced the Eagles had their head coach for the long haul.
He was right. Since his rookie year, Reid has had eight seasons of 10-plus wins and only one losing season.
"We became very confident, beyond a shadow of a doubt, during the middle of the second season," Lurie said. "You could see we had a very good, young team. We were very optimistic about where we were headed, with Andy as the head coach."
Some owners have sought out Lurie for advice when they began yet another search for a head coach. Lurie avoids specifics, because what might fit into one organization would cause friction with another, and suggests how to do a search rather than whom to hire.
"Take your time, and do your homework," Lurie said. "Make sure it's a good fit with the organization."
Most of all, do not listen to the roar of the crowd. Had the Eagles done that, Andy Reid would be somewhere other than starting another playoff run with Philadelphia today.
Grading the Cowboys coaches during the Jerry Jones era:
Coach, Tenure, Pts
Jimmy Johnson,1989-93, 84
Barry Switzer, 1994-97, 39
Bill Parcells, 2003-06, 10.5
Wade Phillips, 2007-10, 10
Chan Gailey, 1998-99, 6
Dave Campo, 2000-01, 0
Note: This grade scale was used to award points to NFL head coach hires since 1989: (1) winning season; (2) playoff spot; (3) win in wild-card round; (5) win in divisional round; (7) Win in conference title game; (10) win in Super Bowl. Score multiplied by 1.5 if head coach took over a club that had had two consecutive losing seasons.
Grading current and former NFL head coaches
This grade scale was used to award points to NFL head coaching hires since 1989: (1) winning season; (2) playoff spot; (3) win in wild-card round; (5) win in divisional round; (7) win in conference title game; (10) win in Super Bowl. Score multiplied by 1.5 if head coach took over a club that had had two consecutive losing seasons.
Coach Team Tenure Pts
The leaders (through the end of the 2011 regular season)
Andy Reid Philadelphia 1999-current 116.5
Bill Belichick New England 2000-current 116
Mike Holmgren Green Bay 1992-98 110.5
Bill Cowher Pittsburgh 1992-2006 92
Jimmy Johnson Cowboys 1989-1993 84
George Seifert San Francisco 1989-96 82
Mike Shanahan Denver 1995-2008 76
Tony Dungy Indianapolis 2002-08 55
Marty Schottenheimer Kansas City 1989-98 51
John Fox Carolina 2002-2010 48
By background (First-timers with offensive background)
Andy Reid Philadelphia 1999-current 116.5
Mike Holmgren Green Bay 1992-98 110.5
Dennis Green Minnesota 1992-2001 37
Sean Payton New Orleans 2006-current 36
Ken Whisenhunt Arizona 2007-current 36
By background (First-timers with defensive background)
Bill Cowher Pittsburgh 1992-2006 92
George Seifert San Francisco 1989-96 82
John Fox Carolina 2002-2010 48
Jeff Fisher Tennessee 1994-2010 41
Mike Tomlin Pittsburgh 2007-current 32
Recycled, on the second stop or later
Bill Belichick New England 2000-current 116
Tony Dungy Indianapolis 2002-08 55
Marty Schottenheimer Kansas City 1989-98 51
Dick Vermeil St. Louis 1997-99 37.5
Tom Coughlin New York Giants 2004-current 35
Former college coaches
Jimmy Johnson Cowboys 1989-93 84
Barry Switzer Cowboys 1994-1997 39
Bobby Ross San Diego 1992-96 36
Nick Saban Miami 2005-06 1
Bobby Petrino Atlanta 2007 0
Steve Spurrier Washington 2002-03 0
• • •
12:17 AM CST on Sunday, January 9, 2011
Column by GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
By installing Jason Garrett as the eighth head coach in Dallas Cowboys history, owner-general manager Jerry Jones followed the path that has produced the most successful of all the hires during his time in the NFL.
Jones went the Philadelphia route.
When the Ray Rhodes era had run its course with a 3-13 season in 1998, Philadelphia needed a new coach. Eagles owner Jeff Lurie faced the same decision that Jones dealt with this season: please the fan base by hiring a familiar name with wins on his résumé, or skip the retreads and go with a little-known but promising first-timer.
Lurie chose the latter, bringing in Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Andy Reid. Garrett had a history with the Cowboys as a player, offensive coordinator and interim head coach this season. Reid was "Mr. X" to Eagles' backers, a complete mystery.
Reid stands as the best head coaching hire since Jones arrived in the NFL with his purchase of the Cowboys before the 1989 season.
Since New Year's Day of 1989, there have been 141 head coaching hires in the NFL. Determining the best in any period is a perilous undertaking. To make the call on Reid, we ignored opinions and relied on the pure objectivity of a points system.
The system awarded points on a scale ranging from one for a winning season to 10 for a Super Bowl victory. An extra 50 percent was added if the coach took over a club that had had two consecutive losing seasons.
Reid tops the charts with a score of 114.5, and counting, for his 12 years with the Eagles. Reid is a half-point ahead of Bill Belichick, for his 11 seasons with New England. A total of 46 coaches did not score a point. That includes Dave Campo, the Cowboys coach from 2000-02.
The Eagles are in the playoffs for the ninth time under Reid. They are 18-10 in playoff games during that span. In the same time period, the Cowboys have had four coaches, been to the playoffs five times and are 1-5 in postseason play.
Reid's success, based on his offensive planning and people skills, raises an inevitable question for Lurie. Why did he choose to go with a first-time head coach?
"We didn't go into it looking for a first-time head coach or a second-time head coach," Lurie said. "What was important to us was to find the best person. We didn't want to get the person that the fans would immediately applaud. We had to get the best person for the job."
Pedigree figured in the decision for Lurie with Reid and Jones with Garrett.
Reid joined the Eagles after spending eight years on Mike Holmgren's staff at Green Bay. Holmgren is third on the coaching scoreboard, with a 110.5 for his time with the Packers.
"I had a hard time believing as a head football coach in the National Football League anybody did it any better than Mike Holmgren," Reid said. "And now that I've been a head coach, I still feel that way.
"The way he handled all the different situations, there weren't a lot of holes there. And he's a smart guy, good with people and makes good decisions."
Reid did not win over the populace by going 5-11 in his first season. Halfway through the second season, after Reid had made the controversial pick of Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb in the first round, Lurie became convinced the Eagles had their head coach for the long haul.
He was right. Since his rookie year, Reid has had eight seasons of 10-plus wins and only one losing season.
"We became very confident, beyond a shadow of a doubt, during the middle of the second season," Lurie said. "You could see we had a very good, young team. We were very optimistic about where we were headed, with Andy as the head coach."
Some owners have sought out Lurie for advice when they began yet another search for a head coach. Lurie avoids specifics, because what might fit into one organization would cause friction with another, and suggests how to do a search rather than whom to hire.
"Take your time, and do your homework," Lurie said. "Make sure it's a good fit with the organization."
Most of all, do not listen to the roar of the crowd. Had the Eagles done that, Andy Reid would be somewhere other than starting another playoff run with Philadelphia today.
Grading the Cowboys coaches during the Jerry Jones era:
Coach, Tenure, Pts
Jimmy Johnson,1989-93, 84
Barry Switzer, 1994-97, 39
Bill Parcells, 2003-06, 10.5
Wade Phillips, 2007-10, 10
Chan Gailey, 1998-99, 6
Dave Campo, 2000-01, 0
Note: This grade scale was used to award points to NFL head coach hires since 1989: (1) winning season; (2) playoff spot; (3) win in wild-card round; (5) win in divisional round; (7) Win in conference title game; (10) win in Super Bowl. Score multiplied by 1.5 if head coach took over a club that had had two consecutive losing seasons.
Grading current and former NFL head coaches
This grade scale was used to award points to NFL head coaching hires since 1989: (1) winning season; (2) playoff spot; (3) win in wild-card round; (5) win in divisional round; (7) win in conference title game; (10) win in Super Bowl. Score multiplied by 1.5 if head coach took over a club that had had two consecutive losing seasons.
Coach Team Tenure Pts
The leaders (through the end of the 2011 regular season)
Andy Reid Philadelphia 1999-current 116.5
Bill Belichick New England 2000-current 116
Mike Holmgren Green Bay 1992-98 110.5
Bill Cowher Pittsburgh 1992-2006 92
Jimmy Johnson Cowboys 1989-1993 84
George Seifert San Francisco 1989-96 82
Mike Shanahan Denver 1995-2008 76
Tony Dungy Indianapolis 2002-08 55
Marty Schottenheimer Kansas City 1989-98 51
John Fox Carolina 2002-2010 48
By background (First-timers with offensive background)
Andy Reid Philadelphia 1999-current 116.5
Mike Holmgren Green Bay 1992-98 110.5
Dennis Green Minnesota 1992-2001 37
Sean Payton New Orleans 2006-current 36
Ken Whisenhunt Arizona 2007-current 36
By background (First-timers with defensive background)
Bill Cowher Pittsburgh 1992-2006 92
George Seifert San Francisco 1989-96 82
John Fox Carolina 2002-2010 48
Jeff Fisher Tennessee 1994-2010 41
Mike Tomlin Pittsburgh 2007-current 32
Recycled, on the second stop or later
Bill Belichick New England 2000-current 116
Tony Dungy Indianapolis 2002-08 55
Marty Schottenheimer Kansas City 1989-98 51
Dick Vermeil St. Louis 1997-99 37.5
Tom Coughlin New York Giants 2004-current 35
Former college coaches
Jimmy Johnson Cowboys 1989-93 84
Barry Switzer Cowboys 1994-1997 39
Bobby Ross San Diego 1992-96 36
Nick Saban Miami 2005-06 1
Bobby Petrino Atlanta 2007 0
Steve Spurrier Washington 2002-03 0
• • •
