Post your OC candidates here....

[hawaiiansteel]

Todd Haley, plus he's a Pittsburgh guy.

I just can't see Ben getting along with Todd Haley though...


If Arians is out, who's next?

THURSDAY, 19 JANUARY 2012 WRITTEN BY BOB SMIZIK


Ed Bouchette has an excellent speculative article at PG+ for those of you who have access to that site.

He suggests that if Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians does not return for the 2012 season, the decision might not be Arians or Mike Tomlin’s but Art Rooney’s.

Rooney hinted at an interview session earlier this week that a ``senior'' assistant coach might not return.

And if that is the case, who hires the next coordinator: Tomlin or Rooney?

Bouchette also writes that running backs coach Kirby Wilson was the in-house candidate to succeed Arians, but he is fighting for his life as a result of severe burn injuries in a house fire.

The only other in-house candidate is quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner, who had much success running at spread offense at Memphis.

There are, of course, dozens of other available and qualified candidates.

One of note, is Todd Haley, an Upper St. Clair native, who most recently was the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, whose explosive offense with Kurt Warner at quarterback almost beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

[url="http://communityvoices.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/sports/bob-smiziks-blog/31599-if-arians-is-out-whos-next"]http://communityvoices.sites.post-gazet ... -whos-next[/url]

[Dee Dub]

Guys I doubt very serious if the Steeler bring in a O-coordinator who has roots in a spread offense or a West Coast offense. Not gonna happen. They do not have the personnel for that...especially at QB.

[Sugar]

Somebody who doesn't read message boards!!

[isonator07]

I wish John Gruden would be willing to be an OC. I think Gruden is a great coach.

[Slapstick]

I guess that's up to Irsay and the GM...it can't hurt to ask, assuming Tomlin is interested...

Both Caldwell and Christiansen were holdovers from the Dungy regime...again, I don't see why you don't grant permission if the house is being cleaned...

Apparently, the Rams granted New England permission to interview and hire Josh McDaniels...

If there is interest it wouldn't hurt to ask. I just think the Colts will just wait until the have a HC in place and let the HC decide if he wants to bring his own guy in.

I do believe McDaniels was released from his contract by the Rams and the Patriots didn't have to ask them for permission or they told him he wouldn't be held to his contract. Either way...He was on his way out.

FWIW, Minnesota hired a Colts assistant to be their DC...

[Chadman]

Steelers could go in-house & just pick Coach Kuglar...

[hawaiiansteel]

FWIW, Minnesota hired a Colts assistant to be their DC...

Vikings choose ex-Colts assistant coach Alan Williams to be new defensive coordinator

By Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings have hired Alan Williams, the defensive backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts for the past 10 years, as their new defensive coordinator.

He’ll be supervising the man he’s replacing in that role — and try to help the Vikings revive a group that was the easiest in the league to throw a touchdown pass against this season.

Yes, this is a unique arrangement and a challenging job. For Williams, though, what’s most important is his strong relationship with the guy who hired him, head coach Leslie Frazier. They shared responsible of the Colts defensive backs for two years, including the Super Bowl-winning team in 2006-07.

“It was another opportunity to work together, first of all, and to win some more championships,” Williams said Thursday, after signing a two-year contract.

To get to that level, Frazier, Williams and the rest of the Vikings have a lot of work to do coming off a 3-13 season, beginning with a depleted secondary that gave up a NFL-most 34 touchdown passes against only eight interceptions in 2011.

Those struggles were contributing factors in Frazier’s decision — he also said he sought some “new energy” — to dismiss defensive line coach Karl Dunbar and demote defensive coordinator Fred Pagac to linebackers coach.

But with defensive end Jared Allen’s league-leading 22 sacks, a late resurgence by defensive tackle Kevin Williams and an established outside linebacker in Chad Greenway, there is some talent there.

“Any time you get a chance to come in with a lot of the building blocks already in place, you want to jump at that,” Williams said on a conference call.

Promotions are attractive, too, of course. The 42-year-old Williams, a college teammate of former Vikings defensive coordinator and current Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, was chosen after Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mel Tucker decided to stay with the Jaguars.

Frazier said he also spoke with fired St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo, but the timing wasn’t right.

“We were fortunate that Alan was available,” Frazier said, adding: “I was a little nervous that we might not be able to get the guy I thought would be able to help us.”

Frazier will have a big hand in that help. He said he wasn’t involved as he should have been in the defense at the beginning of the season, and he’ll have heavy input with Williams, who has been schooled in the same 4-3 scheme and Tampa Two zone coverage the Vikings have used versions of for years.

“Having a full offseason together, I’ve got to believe is going to be a big plus for us,” Frazier said.

Brendan Daly, an assistant defensive line coach for the Vikings from 2006-08 who joined Spagnuolo’s staff with the Rams in 2009, was hired by Frazier to replace Dunbar as the defensive line coach.

But Pagac is staying, as is Frazier’s old teammate, Mike Singletary, who remains an assistant head coach — and a linebackers coach. Neither Frazier nor Williams said they were sure yet how Pagac’s and Singletary’s duties would be divided.

Frazier said he wasn’t concerned about a too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen problem with running the defense.

“Hearing their feedback, that assured me that it could work,” Frazier said. “If you don’t have the right kind of people it can be a dicey situation.”

Frazier lauded the ability of Williams to communicate and relate to the players. Williams is another branch of the Tony Dungy coaching tree, having learned under the soft-spoken, respected former coach of the Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Williams said he wasn’t worried about Frazier micromanaging his job. He also said he wasn’t concerned about the potential awkwardness of working with Pagac, the man he was hired to replace. If Frazier said this would be fine, well, that was all he needed to hear.

“I know his word is golden. I know his judgment is second to none,” Williams said.

Williams said he doesn’t believe “wholesale changes” are necessary for the secondary and vowed that the Vikings will be better and faster as a defense. While his personality is more muted than Tomlin’s, he said they have a similar philosophy about how to teach their players and how to call a game.

“We’re going to run. We’re going to tackle. We’re going to hit. We’re going to play tough football better than our opponents,” Williams said.

[url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/vikings-choose-ex-colts-assistant-coach-alan-williams-to-be-new-defensive-coordinator/2012/01/19/gIQA9qeCBQ_story.html"]http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/re ... story.html[/url]

[Dresden]

Matt Canada

[SS Laser]

Interesting article here:
[url="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1031661-pittsburgh-steelers-who-will-be-the-offensive-coordinator-next-year"]http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1031 ... -next-year[/url]

Mark Whipple, Tom Clements, Todd Haley, Randy Fichtner.

I bet it will be Randy. And I vote Batch to QB coach. He has been a good assistant for a few years anyway. :P

[hawaiiansteel]

Decision on Steelers coordinator Arians expected soon

Replacement likely would come from outside if he leaves

Friday, January 20, 2012
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, seen talking with coach Mike Tomlin, may not return next season. Replacing him could be a difficult task for the team.

The Steelers have a long and successful history of promoting offensive coordinators from within their coaching ranks -- Tom Moore, Chan Gailey, Mike Mularkey, Ken Whisenhunt, Bruce Arians. Three of them left to become head coaches in the NFL.

But, if Arians doesn't return as offensive coordinator in 2012, the Steelers might have to go outside their organization for the first time in 13 years to hire his replacement. And that hasn't been a successful proposition.

Since Chuck Noll became coach in 1969, the Steelers have gone outside their organization to hire an offensive coordinator only three times -- Joe Walton in '90, Ray Sherman in '98 and Kevin Gilbride in '99. The Steelers never made the playoffs in the five years those outsiders served as offensive coordinators.

Arians, who has been the offensive coordinator since Mike Tomlin became head coach in '07, might not return for the '12 season. It is uncertain if he is considering retirement -- something he pondered a year ago -- or not having his contract renewed. A decision is expected this weekend.

If he doesn't return, it's likely his replacement isn't on the Steelers staff.

Running backs coach Kirby Wilson probably was next in line to be offensive coordinator, but his health, after suffering severe burns over 45 percent of his body in a fire Jan. 6 at his home, precludes that possibility. Quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner is a possibility, but not considered a likely candidate

The previous time the Steelers hired an offensive coordinator from outside their ranks was '99 when Bill Cowher brought in Gilbride, a former head coach with the San Diego Chargers, to run his offense. Gilbride lasted two non-playoff years before he was fired, primarily because he couldn't work with quarterback Kordell Stewart.

Gilbride was hired because his predecessor, Ray Sherman, who was hired from the Minnesota Vikings in '98, lasted only one year on the job. He resigned before he was fired.

Before that, the Steelers had gone to the playoffs every year since Cowher became coach in '92 -- first with Ron Erhardt as offensive coordinator from '92-95, then with Gailey running the offense in '96 and '97.

Gailey was the wide receivers coach before being promoted to replace Erhardt, who was let go after the Super Bowl XXX loss to the Dallas Cowboys. When Gailey left after the '97 season to become Cowboys head coach, Cowher went outside to hire Sherman. The Steelers did not make the playoffs in the three years Sherman and Gilbride were the offensive coordinators.

Since Gilbride left, the Steelers have missed the playoffs only three times in 11 seasons with three different coordinators.

They went to the AFC title game in '01 and the divisional playoff round in '02 with Mularkey as offensive coordinator; went to back-top-back AFC title games and won a Super Bowl in '05 when Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator; and went to two Super Bowls, winning one, when Arians was the offensive coordinator. Each of them was promoted from a position coach on the staff.

Even Noll, who served as the offense coordinator for many years, didn't have luck when he went outside the organization to hire an offensive coordinator.

When long-time offensive coordinator Tom Moore left after the '89 playoff season, Noll brought in Walton, a former New York Jets coach, to run his offense. That decision led to a near-revolt among the players, who complained that Walton's playbook was too expansive and too complicated.

The Steelers never made the playoffs in two years with Walton as offensive coordinator. Noll retired after the '91 season.

Safe to say, it has not been a successful process.

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