The HC Search Was Weak, The Result Looks Strong
I was not happy about how the Krafts handled replacing Bill Belichick. As much as I was OK with the decision to let Belichick go, I was part of the majority that wanted them to put together an exhaustive search for the next guy. If you landed on Jerod Mayo, great! If you landed on someone else because they blew you away, great! No search? Not so great.
However, looking at the results around the league, I must admit: Would an exhaustive search have done anything of substance in the end? Are there any hires that have wowed you, aside from Jim Harbaugh going to LA? Let’s look at the results:
Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers: How many people knew who Canales was before his name surfaced as being interviewed by the Panthers? I’d be willing to bet the vast majority of people had no idea who he was or what he did, until January 1st. At the earliest. I’m not comfortable telling you that Canales is a better hire than Mayo.
Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans: Callahan never called plays for Cincinnati. He’s mostly known for being Bill Callahan’s son. That’s not to say he’ll fail. Like all first-time head coaches, including Mayo, we have no idea. But, needless to say, Callahan was a surprise. Was the success in Cincinnati because he’s a great assistant coach or was it because they had Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Mixon with Zac Taylor calling the plays? We’ll find out, since Callahan now has Will Levis & Co. Are you comfortable saying Callahan’s better than Mayo?
Harbaugh, LA Chargers: This is where I think we have to use the word realistic. The Chargers are a better gig than the Patriots. They have Justin Herbert and you have…Yeah, right, QB ‘X.’ Harbaugh also likes to run his own shop and has been known to go to the next best job as soon as that job meets his demands. I never thought Harbaugh would fit here post-Belichick and I’m not sure he would have even been interested in the slightest.
Do we even need to go through the others? Fine, quickly: The other three hires all come from the defensive side. I don’t think I heard one person utter they’d want a defensive mind over Mayo, other than one name that was out there, which we’ll get to shortly.
But, let’s look at the guys that actually got jobs. Dan Quinn lands in Washington. His last three years in Atlanta looked like this: 7-9, 7-9, and 0-5 before getting canned. After Kyle Shanahan left his staff, Quinn went 24-29. Meanwhile, Raheem Morris has a career record of 21-38. Are you excited about those retreads? And, the final hire was Mike MacDonald in Seattle who is another young defensive mind, like Mayo. Not sure why you’d take him over the guy you have known his entire professional career.
Out of the realistic options, there is ONE guy I’d still hire before Mayo: Mike Vrabel. However, the fact that Vrabel didn’t land a job during this cycle is noteworthy. There could be lots of reasons for that, including but not limited to: Bad management, disagreement with the current front office philosophy, and Vrabel wanting full personnel say. We might never know.
The point is, as much as most of us hated the lack of a search, did it really hurt the Patriots? Are any of the five hires more “sexy” to you than Mayo? Back at the end of the year it was a very logical and popular opinion that the Krafts should have gone after the Bobby Slowiks and Ben Johnsons of the world…But, here we are, the cycle is over, and both of those guys staying put for another season.
This should also stand as a reminder for all of us: Lots of “Hot Head Coach Candidates” are hot because their agents say that to insiders and writers. Lots of favors are done. Or, writers take a liking to that certain individual, personal or professional. But none of us know what the league is truly thinking. Who had Canales and/or Callahan on the bingo card? Who would have thought that Morris and Quinn would have jobs, while Belichick & Vrabel don’t?
Now it’s time to see if any of these guys actually succeed…
NBA Trade Deadline In The Crosshairs
The NBA trading deadline is less than a week away. The Celtics have limited financial resources to get any deals done and are handcuffed in a number of different ways by the CBA. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for them to find help. And, to me, there are still two needs for this team, even though they are sitting high and mighty in the Eastern Conference.
I’d love to see the Celtics acquire a versatile scoring wing that isn’t a defensive sieve. As much as I love Sam Hauser, who is a much better defender than people outside of Boston would give him credit for, I still would like to see someone with more athleticism, a more versatile shot profile, who can get to the FT line, and doesn’t lose their tuckus on defense.
Brad Stevens should also search for a ‘4’ who can play spot minutes at the ‘5.’ I’m still not comfortable with Kristaps Porzingis’ injury history or Al Horford’s age. Luke Kornet has been fine, but do you really want him to be your first or second big off the bench in a meaningful playoff game? Also, the only big who does an adequate job versus physically strong and imposing bigs is Horford. It’s greedy and might be VERY difficult to find, but I’d love some dependable insurance there.
The Bruins’ Unsung Heroes
As the Bruins are on their All-Star break, it’s a fitting time to shout out some of the unsung heroes that have helped the B’s finish the first half with 71 points and atop the Eastern Conference. Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle have been terrifically productive with the retirements of David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. Coyle & Zacha are on pace to combine for more points this season than Krejci and Bergeron had last year.
Speaking of Coyle, he currently sits at 42 points, which is a pace that would smash his previous career high of 56. Trent Frederic should cruise past his career high in points, being only three away. And, “Good Jake DeBrusk” showed up big in the last 16 games before the break, scoring 14 points and being a +8 on the ice. Hopefully the “Bad Jake DeBrusk” that scored a total of five points in the 16 games prior to that, stays away.
The Red Sox…
Give me a break.