Insiders.com:Spotlight on Spurrier: What Really Matters?

[TK]

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Spotlight on Spurrier: What Really Matters?

By Rich Tandler -- Posted Dec 13, 2003

Another year of the Ball Coach roaming the Redskins’ sidelines appears to be a certainty no matter what transpires of the remaining 180 minutes of football the Redskins have remaining in 2003. Steve Spurrier has said the he wants to come back, that he intends to come back. Dan Snyder gave a one-word, highly affirmative response, “Absolutely”, when asked if Spurrier would be retained. It’s a done deal.

That, however, is the only question mark about Spurrier’s future that has been erased. The biggest of the remaining questions revolve around Spurrier’s ego.

In his introductory press conference as Redskins head coach, Spurrier said, “That’s why I left the college game, the challenge to see if my style of coaching can win in the NFL.” He made similar statements when he announced that he was leaving Florida. Note that he did not say he’d like to see if he can win in the NFL. He said that he’d like to see if his style of coaching, namely the Fun and Gun, could win.

The Fun and Gun, even in its modified form, is not going to win in the NFL. Well, not at this time with this team anyway. So, the answer to Spurrier’s “challenge”, as he framed it, is no.

If Spurrier continues down the road his system has paved, he’ll go down in history alongside the likes of Rich Brooks and Lou Holtz as college coaches who failed in the NFL. Come to think of it, he’ll have his own wing in this pantheon of the mediocre since he is getting paid $5 million a year. The others were paid more entry-level wages. Given that and his lofty status at Florida, far exceeding that Brooks, Holtz, and many others at their respective college programs, Spurrier would be the biggest flop ever to come out of the collegiate ranks.

Will Spurrier do everything he can to avoid such a fate so severely tarnishing his legacy and change his beloved “style of coaching”? Or will he go down in flames with the Fun and Gun?

It’s difficult to project in the future, but the guess here is that this week Spurrier will adjust to do whatever it takes to win. He realizes how important Dallas games are to Redskins fans and he wants to get to .500 vs. the Cowboys.

Redskins 20, Cowboys 10