Bill Cowher Rumors: Will Ex-Steelers Coach Return in 2013?
Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher has not paced a sideline since 2006. He has been involved with the NFL as a TV analyst for CBS’ Sunday morning pre-game show. However, his success and reputation are still valued today as he is a hot commodity among NFL teams looking to hire a new head coach.
As a successful head coach, Cowher’s reputation is known for having A) a very strong and tough defense B) an undying commitment to run the ball. Basically, Cowher is an old-school guy.
With that reputation, of the coaching vacancies available in the NFL, which team would presume to fit Cowher and have the best chance to land his services? Well, first, the presumable team would have to have some prerequisits. In my opinion, I don’t think Cowher is going to take a “rebuilding” or “project” job like Cleveland or Arizona; so we can scratch those two.
Kansas City seems to be all about Andy Reid so they are out.
The remaining teams are Buffalo, Philadelphia, San Diego and Chicago. Of those four teams, Buffalo stands out as the one with the most work to do. They do have the parts for a running game but too much has to be done on the defensive side and QB is a major question. With that, I have to rule the Bills out.
That leaves the Eagles, Chargers and Bears. All three teams have a history and supportive fan base. And all three are “big-name” teams that are considered highly valued frachises. That is an important aspect to getting Cowher.
The Eagles have LeSean McCoy who is a very talented running back so Cowher would have him to carry his signature running attack. Defense is where Cowher could bring his expertise and change the Eagles. There are some nice pieces on defense for the Eagles and Cowher could undoubtedly mold a tough and stout bunch with a few additions.
The question for the Eagles is at QB and Cowher is not an offensive guy. To me, the Eagles would pose too much of a project for Cowher to be able to win now. That’s why I’m taking the Eagles out.
Next on the list are the Chargers. They have a QB in Philip Rivers but the rest is a crap-shoot. RB Ryan Matthews hasn’t panned out as the top pick San Diego thought they got and Antonio Gates is getting old right before our eyes. Cowher would have to find and give a ton of autonomy to an offensive coordinator to really get San Diego in tune offensively.
The Chargers defense isn’t that bad. They are good against the run but need secondary help. Cowher could fix that pretty easily in my opinion.
So are the Chargers a fit? I say possibly. The big question is the running game. If Cowher thinks he could shape and work with Ryan Matthews, I give San Diego a realistic chance to land him. Plus, the weather is pretty nice too!
My primo-pick for Cowher is the Chicago Bears. To me, the two go together like peanut-butter and jelly. This is a no-brainer and here’s why.
First, Chicago already has what Cowher needs on offense. He has a QB in Jay Cutler, a top-tier WR in Brandon Marshall, and two talented running backs in Matt Forte and Michael Bush. Cowhere has to like that. I could see Cutler getting a little more free reign in Cowher’s offense; especially with the way he and Brandon Marshall are in sync.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears have the pieces to win now. Granted, they are getting old on defense but with Cowher’s defensive mind I could see him maximizing another two solid years from the group that is there. Brian Urlacher in a Bill Cowher defense is just downright scary!
Chicago is also a cornerstone NFL team with a rich history. George Halas, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Walter Payton, Mike Ditka….the list goes on and I could see Cowher being heavily tempted to bring the Bears back to the glory days and join that list of Bear greats.
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I’ve been praying for Bill to take over for years! The only problem is just how cheap the Bears really are! And although he has been out for over 6 years, his experience will go along ways. The Bears need someone who actual looks like they care on the sidelines. Not the statuesque dazed look we always got from Lovey.
Charles, I think this is a perfect fit for both Bill and the Bears. Maybe this time the Bears will realize they will get what they pay for in Cowher. Basically, you really can’t get much better than him right now.
Bill Cowher has never been involved with a team that was shaped for a 4-3 defense. Cowher is all about speedy “Jack” OLB’s and a defensive line that are all 2-gap players. If the Bears do not have the pieces to run a 3-4 that Cowher specializes in then how does he fit in Chicago? Cowher doesn’t want to spend a couple of seasons getting these pieces in Chicago because that would be too much like rebuilding. Just because a few other things seem to fit doesn’t mean that it trumps the most important one of them all…a true 3-4 defense which is a must for a Cowher defense.