ESPN Insider - Mueller: hiring by personality

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ESPN Insider

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With all but one of the NFL head coaching openings now filled (the Raiders' job remains open), I thought we'd take a look at what has transpired in each city.

Each team had different criteria when it came to choosing the right guy, but it seems a common theme in almost every case was teams wanted a certain degree of change just for the sake of change. In most cases, teams chose a coach who possessed a different personality and philosophy than his predecessor.

Let's take a closer look.

New York Giants: In one of the worst-kept secrets in football, the G-men hired Tom Coughlin. He was the much-preferred choice of ownership because of his history with the team (he was an assistant on Bill Parcells' staff) and his penchant for tough, disciplined dealings with his players. His expertise is similar to Jim Fassel's as an offensive-minded coach, but his demeanor and personality couldn't be more different.

With Tom Coughlin in charge, Giants players can say goodbye to the days of relaxed practices.

Fassel, who dealt freely and openly with the press and whose Friday and Saturday practices were very loose and relaxed, will be replaced by a coach not nearly as flexible and whose practices in Jacksonville opened with players crossing a "concentration line" as they stepped on the field.

One had to look no further than his opening press conference to see how different things would be in 2004 for a team that most saw as underachieving in 2003. Tom was direct and to the point, not to mention all business.

Atlanta Falcons: In what most considered an upset (Lovie Smith had been seen by many as a sure thing here), Jim Mora Jr. was hired to replace the departed Dan Reeves. Chalk this hiring up to the 49ers family selling Arthur Blank and Rich McKay on the West Coast offense as the answer for Michael Vick.

Mora had the backing of Bill Walsh, Steve Young and others who have blossomed under the 49ers tree of success. I think it's a good choice, as well. Jimmy will bring a certain amount of newness, energy and passion to the job and will be a nice change of pace to Reeves, who is a great coach, but one who dealt with the players much differently.

With what the Falcons have been able to do in marketing and public image since Blank took over, Mora and McKay will give that team a fresh new tandem to rally around.

Washington Redskins: Hail to the Redkins -- finally. Dan Synder couldn't have picked a better leader for not only the Redskins but himself and the rest of the front office. What was lacking most in D.C. was a respectability that not even "the 'Ol Ball Coach" could bring after his years as king of college football.

Joe Gibbs should be able to coax Synder into leaving him alone and letting him run the football team. Growing up a passionate Redskins fan, Synder revered and worshipped Gibbs. He might actually respect him enough to listen to him. This "Old Ball Coach" has a proven track record of winning in the NFL.

Yes, it was pre-salary cap, but Gibbs' leadership and ability to deal with players will far outweigh his lack of knowledge in the era of free agency. I think too many clubs in this day and age are run with the philosophy that "the salary cap is king." It will be refreshing to see one being run by a football coach, of all things.

The Cardinals need Dennis Green to be the face of the franchise.

Arizona Cardinals: In Arizona the Bidwell family had to find a way to put a new face on Cardinals football in the desert. Replacing the likeable Dave McGinnis, who deserved a better fate, was not going to be easy, but years of losing gave them no choice.

Once they elected not to hire a strong general manager, the choice of Dennis Green was a no-brainer. Known for wanting control over personnel issues, Dennis gives them a nice mix in the front office with VP Rod Graves. They needed more than just a coach there, and Green gives them that. He'll treat the job like he's the CEO of a company and won't shy away from being the public face of the Cardinals.

This will allow the Bidwells to slip back out of the limelight and let the coach be the spokesman. With a new stadium coming on line in 2006, the cash should be available to both re-sign current players and acquire some young talent for this team. There should be no more excuses in Arizona.

Buffalo Bills: Most insiders thought GM Tom Donahoe would go the route of replacing Gregg Williams with a proven commodity as a head coach. So much for the insiders being right. By choosing a coach with whom he is very familiar but one who has no head coaching experience, Tom has put the pressure to win squarely on himself.

Mike Mularkey was a rising star in the league a year ago and by most measures has all the tools to be an effective head coach in the NFL. His offensive background will be a different approach from Williams, who grew in the business as a defensive coordinator under Jeff Fisher in Tennessee.

However, there is a learning curve for new head coaches. The expectations in Buffalo were big this year. People saw the Bills as a playoff team ready to make a run deep into the postseason. That, as we all know, didn't happen, but it won't make for any lower expectations this year. Mike will have to produce instant results in a tough division to show Donahoemade the right choice.

Chicago Bears: The not-so-secret courting of LSU coach Nick Saban came to an abrupt end last week when the specifics of a deal could not be worked out to Saban's liking. He has been the Bears' choice for the last six months, but money, control and staffing were concerns that couldn't be overcome.

Once Saban high-tailed it back to Baton Rouge, the fun began in Chi-town. A short courtship of Jeff Tedford (University of California coach) ended with Jeff electing to stay in the college game. Russ Grimm's late addition to the search showed that the plan was changing on the fly. Settling on Lovie Smith, whom most thought would not be available until after the Super Bowl, gave the Bears an option that might just work out best for everybody involved.

The Bears wanted a coach who wouldn't bring a long list of demands and would allow the front office to have say in personnel and his coaching staff. Smith fits the criteria. He brings the same tough, defensive accountability that Dick Jauron had. Hopefully he can bring an innovative offense with him, as well.