McCarthy comes out firing on first day

[IPBprez]

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Posted Jan. 14, 2006

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Chris Havel

McCarthy comes out firing on first day

Mike McCarthy owes Green Bay a debt of gratitude.

It is the perfect city for a single professional male with a teenage daughter to become totally engrossed in one’s work. McCarthy can dive headfirst into his new job as the 14th head coach in Packers history confident his social life won’t get in the way.

Trust me on this.

McCarthy, 42, will find that the Green Bay fishbowl is teeming with outspoken but well-intentioned fans that feel obliged to let the head coach know what they think. It is frequently charming, occasionally annoying but always educational.

It comes with the territory, and 9 out of 10 times, it’s a good thing. In time, McCarthy will discover that Packers fans like men of conviction, but love men of action. They won’t tolerate ineptitude and have little use for indecision and inactivity.

Cleaning house

Take McCarthy’s first full day on the job.

It was the biggest hit since Fan Fest.

McCarthy interviewed the coaches on Mike Sherman’s staff under contract. He weighed the information, considered the ramifications and rolled up his sleeves.

Then he made like a bouncer at his dad’s bar in Pittsburgh. He showed the door to Tom Rossley and John Bonamego. He gave Larry Beightol and Mark Duffner the boot. He asked Barry Rubin, Bruce Warwick and Vince Workman to hit the road.

And Packers General Manager Ted Thompson thought he had it rough?

McCarthy’s only been on the job one day and he has the GM 9-1 in firings. I can’t say 1265 Lombardi Ave. is a better place for it, but it definitely has a new look. This isn’t rearranging the furniture. This is redecorating the mansion.

Solid decisions, so far

Tearing apart what was is every NFL coach’s first step in assembling a staff. That said, McCarthy’s choices generally seemed to make a lot of sense.

The offensive coordinator (Rossley) and the special-teams coach (Bonamego) had to go. The offensive line coach (Beightol) and the linebackers coach (Duffner) won’t be out of work for long. They are fine NFL assistants. The others should be OK, too.

This is the NFL. It happens.

The moves that McCarthy didn’t make were more curious. On the Packers’ Web site, the names of defensive coordinator Jim Bates and defensive assistants Bob Sanders, Robert Nunn and Lionel Washington still were listed.

Also listed were running backs coach Edgar Bennett, offensive line assistant James Campen and tight ends coach Joe Philbin.

It isn’t clear whether Bates and Co. will be on McCarthy’s staff, but the longer their names are around, the better.

It was a busy first day for McCarthy, but it was just the beginning. He needs to get Bates’ decision, fill out his staff and fly to Mississippi and meet with Brett Favre. If Bates stays and Favre returns, credit McCarthy with two steps in the right direction.

Friday’s dismissal of Rossley and Bonamego qualifies as a good start. As for the new coach’s social life, he’s on his own.

=========================================

Man's right - it's a good first step. We just have to see what his next step might be. One could wish for Steve Mariucci to offer his Services as OC; but, I think Jeff Jogs has that wrapped up - so no Mooch in da house, after all. I'll still support Bates no matter what he does - the Media is sorta silent about his options at this point; they're mentioning everyone else for places like the Jets, etc.... Maybe, just maybe.. he'll decide to stay after all....

 

[CaliforniaCheez]

So there are more firings to come? The office staff can only handle one firing an hour? More on Monday? (Tuesday for government types).

 

[ravage]

So there are more firings to come? The office staff can only handle one firing an hour? More on Monday? (Tuesday for government types).

From the way I understand it, McCarthy is waiting for Bates to make up his mind. If he stays, what is left of the defensive staff will probably be up to Bates to decide who stays and who goes. If Bates doesn't decide over the weekend I think McCarthy will be forced to make the decision for him so he can get his defensive coaching team together. I hope Bates decides to stay and quickly.

As for the guys on the offensive side of the ball, look at how the players at that position did. RBs, the ones healthy overacheived, such as Gado. TEs when healthy they did well, such as Donald Lee. As for asst. OL coach James Canpen, it's probably very tough to fire an exPacker. Once the new OC is in place these guys will know for sure but my bet is at least Bennett and Philbin stay.

 

[Greg C.]

IPB: I'm just curious: What do you think Mariucci could bring to the Packer offense that Sherman and Rossley didn't? I'm not trying to be a smart aleck. It just seems to me that Mariucci's offensive philosophy (West Coast with an emphasis on running the ball) is as close to Sherman's as anyone's. It's not such a bad philosophy, and Mariucci seems like a real nice guy. I just think it would be good to switch things up a little bit and bring in a fresh new approach.

 

[longtimefan]

IPB: I'm just curious: What do you think Mariucci could bring to the Packer offense that Sherman and Rossley didn't? I'm not trying to be a smart aleck. It just seems to me that Mariucci's offensive philosophy (West Coast with an emphasis on running the ball) is as close to Sherman's as anyone's. It's not such a bad philosophy, and Mariucci seems like a real nice guy. I just think it would be good to switch things up a little bit and bring in a fresh new approach.

I think Steve is not interested in coaching at all this year....

I am sorry to see Beightol go...Seemed like he got the most out of the majority of the guy he had to work with...

 

[IPBprez]

IPB: I'm just curious: What do you think Mariucci could bring to the Packer offense that Sherman and Rossley didn't? I'm not trying to be a smart aleck. It just seems to me that Mariucci's offensive philosophy (West Coast with an emphasis on running the ball) is as close to Sherman's as anyone's. It's not such a bad philosophy, and Mariucci seems like a real nice guy. I just think it would be good to switch things up a little bit and bring in a fresh new approach.

I think Steve is not interested in coaching at all this year....

I am sorry to see Beightol go...Seemed like he got the most out of the majority of the guy he had to work with...

Hey Longtimefan - Welcome back - you've been absent for awhile.

I think the difference in Mooch over Sherman - is that he won't back down, or play marty-ball near as often as Sher(ahem)ossley was apt to do. Mariucci likes to go for the throat whenever possible... and his West Coast philosophy pretty much mirrors McCarthy's, from what I've read so far. They'd be able to watch each other's back, so to speak..

 

[Greg C.]

Thanks for the response, IPB. I still haven't read much about McCarthy's offensive philosophy, beyond the fact that it is West Coast and something about him wanting to use a "zone blocking" scheme, like Alex Gibbs did in Denver and Atlanta. If Mariucci would be a good complement to McCarthy, I would be all in favor of them teaming up. It sounds like McCarthy is leaning heavily toward Jagodzinski at this point, though. Nobody has heard a peep out of Mariucci. Maybe he will sit out a year. I think he should be a college coach. He'd be perfect for it.

 

[Zero2Cool]

IPB: I'm just curious: What do you think Mariucci could bring to the Packer offense that Sherman and Rossley didn't? I'm not trying to be a smart aleck. It just seems to me that Mariucci's offensive philosophy (West Coast with an emphasis on running the ball) is as close to Sherman's as anyone's. It's not such a bad philosophy, and Mariucci seems like a real nice guy. I just think it would be good to switch things up a little bit and bring in a fresh new approach.

I think Steve is not interested in coaching at all this year....

I am sorry to see Beightol go...Seemed like he got the most out of the majority of the guy he had to work with...

Hey Longtimefan - Welcome back - you've been absent for awhile.

I think the difference in Mooch over Sherman - is that he won't back down, or play marty-ball near as often as Sher(ahem)ossley was apt to do. Mariucci likes to go for the throat whenever possible... and his West Coast philosophy pretty much mirrors McCarthy's, from what I've read so far. They'd be able to watch each other's back, so to speak..

The bold large text is exactly the difference and is exactly what the Packers lack on offense the most.

 

[IPBprez]

Thanks for the response, IPB. I still haven't read much about McCarthy's offensive philosophy, beyond the fact that it is West Coast and something about him wanting to use a "zone blocking" scheme, like Alex Gibbs did in Denver and Atlanta. If Mariucci would be a good complement to McCarthy, I would be all in favor of them teaming up. It sounds like McCarthy is leaning heavily toward Jagodzinski at this point, though. Nobody has heard a peep out of Mariucci. Maybe he will sit out a year. I think he should be a college coach. He'd be perfect for it.

Yeah - I know what ya mean --- truth is... my neck itches... and when that happens, it usually means something significant is about to happen - you have to be nearby to watch it all go down - made believers out of a few here & there -- anyways... I get this inkling that ol' Steve may go the Hollywood route and take a contract with Inside the NFL, or go the CBS/ESPN route - maybe they'll get rid of Michael Irvin in favor of da Mooch - that'd be a good thing... scrimpin' teams each week has to be easier than bein' a Head Coach, eh? Like I said - my neck itches.......

 

[arrowgargantuan]

The bold large text is exactly the difference and is exactly what the Packers lack on offense the most.

the problem is...thats simply not one of Steve's characteristics, not at all. i can recall several times when he was in SF that he ran the clock out before the half...while they were down!! thats a horrible message to send to your team before they go into the locker room. he's a mediocre play caller at best, and "going for the throat" doesn't describe him in the least.

 

[Zero2Cool]

The bold large text is exactly the difference and is exactly what the Packers lack on offense the most.

the problem is...thats simply not one of Steve's characteristics, not at all. i can recall several times when he was in SF that he ran the clock out before the half...while they were down!! thats a horrible message to send to your team before they go into the locker room. he's a mediocre play caller at best, and "going for the throat" doesn't describe him in the least.

huh?

Steve wasn't with the Packers last year therefore he is not the problem for the Packers last year.

Clarify your point please because I'm thinking you shouldn't try to hold a bear and type at the same time bud.

 

[arrowgargantuan]

huh?

Steve wasn't with the Packers last year therefore he is not the problem for the Packers last year.

Clarify your point please because I'm thinking you shouldn't try to hold a bear and type at the same time bud.

god you're dumb.

the point of the post was that if indeed Steve came here (which will never ever, ever happen) those problems would remain the same. remember that statement you made really big and bold a couple posts back? yeah that one, it's not at all indicative of a Mariucci offense. so if in fact you would like him on the staff, and your post made it sound like you did, don't expect anything like that.

clear enough for you Gomer?

and no, i wasn't holding a "bear" while i was typing. are you high?

 

[Zero2Cool]

huh?

Steve wasn't with the Packers last year therefore he is not the problem for the Packers last year.

Clarify your point please because I'm thinking you shouldn't try to hold a bear and type at the same time bud.

god you're dumb.

the point of the post was that if indeed Steve came here (which will never ever, ever happen) those problems would remain the same. remember that statement you made really big and bold a couple posts back? yeah that one, it's not at all indicative of a Mariucci offense. so if in fact you would like him on the staff, and your post made it sound like you did, don't expect anything like that.

clear enough for you Gomer?

and no, i wasn't holding a "bear" while i was typing. are you high?

Why are you saying 'god you're dumb' what has god done to you?

I don't do drugs at all, I have no excuse

 

[IPBprez]

I can say that kind of banter is totally uncalled for.... this isn't a Philadelphia eagles Forum Board or the CBS Sportline Forum, either.

Who was the HC at SanFran when TO first joined their Team - '98, I believe? Did Mike Sherman beat the Niners every time he played them? I don't believe so - and wasn't da Mooch, their HC when all that went down? I think he was - but, as always.. I'll go back and check...

One thing I know - you can post stats or evidence to point out where someone is wrong, but that kind of tripe posting has no place here...... none whatsoever!

 

[arrowgargantuan]

Waaaaaah!

Slick and I give each other crap on the regular...thats how it's always been with us, and it's always in good fun...so if you disapprove prez, tough ****? :wink:

by the way when Steve was in SF he often passed off his playcalling duties to his OC and Ted Tollner, his quarterbacks coach. just like when he was in Detroit...he passed off the playcalling quite frequently to Olsen and Morris. were you aware of that?

anyways, i don't care for the man as a coach. you do. im fine with that, i hope you are to.

btw, did you know tripe is a homonym? it can also describe the stomach lining of a cow.

-Arrow's one to grow on.

 

[Zero2Cool]

to his OC and Ted Tollner, his quarterbacks coach. just like when he was in Detroit...he passed off the playcalling quite frequently to Olsen and Morris. were you aware of that?

Tollner? Is that the guy who coached Rodgers in College?

 

[arrowgargantuan]

to his OC and Ted Tollner, his quarterbacks coach. just like when he was in Detroit...he passed off the playcalling quite frequently to Olsen and Morris. were you aware of that?

Tollner? Is that the guy who coached Rodgers in College?

you're thinking Tedford...great offensive mind in the college ranks imo. Cal suffered quite a bit this year with QB injuries though. their running game picked up the slack all season.

 

[Greg C.]

arrow: That was my impression of Mariucci too. I can't think of any examples of him being really aggressive with his play-calling, but I do remember him being criticized at times for not being aggressive enough.

Whoever ends up as OC, I hope it is someone who is able to bring something new to the table. With Rossley, I could never tell what he added to the team. Sherman's repeated endorsement of Rossley was that he and Sherman thought alike on play-calling and schemes. I would've rather heard Sherman say that Rossley came up with new ideas, that he was more or less aggressive than Sherman, ANYTHING to distinguish one guy from the other.

McCarthy has at least paid lip service to the idea that coaches should challenge each other and not be afraid to argue. Let's hope he can put that idea into practice. Bringing in Jagodzinski, who was allegedly canned for disagreeing too often with Sherman, might be a good start. That is, as long as Jagodzinski has good ideas and is not just a jerk.

 

[Zero2Cool]

Bringing in Jagodzinski, who was allegedly canned for disagreeing too often with Sherman, might be a good start. That is, as long as Jagodzinski has good ideas and is not just a jerk.

Just read over at Packernews.com its not a done deal for Mr Jagod joining the packers.

Jagodzinski weighs offer to lead offense

New Packers coach Mike McCarthy wants to hire former Packers tight ends


By Pete Dougherty
PackersNews.com

New Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has offered his offensive coordinator job to Jeff Jagodzinski, who is expected to decide in the next day or so whether to accept it or a counter offer to remain with the Atlanta Falcons, an NFL source said.

Jagodzinski, who was the Packers’ tight ends coach from 1999 to 2003, was in Green Bay on Friday night and Saturday to meet with McCarthy. Jagodzinski is the Falcons’ offensive-line coach and has been running a zone-blocking system similar to the Denver Broncos, though it’s unclear to what degree McCarthy is going to adopt that scheme.

McCarthy also has to meet with defensive coordinator Jim Bates to see if he is going to return to the Packers in 2006, and it’s unclear whether they talked Saturday.

General Manager Ted Thompson passed over Bates when he hired McCarthy this week, and McCarthy has said he wants Bates to run the Packers’ defense. But Bates went out of town this weekend to decide whether to return or seek a defensive-coordinator position with another team. There’s also always the chance he could become a candidate for one of the NFL head-coaching positions that remain open, though those odds diminish with each passing day because he has yet to interview with another club.

McCarthy also appears to have targeted former NFL quarterback Alex Van Pelt for the job of quarterbacks coach and USC offensive line coach Pat Ruel to coach that position group for the Packers, a source said.

Jagodzinski, 42, could not be reached for comment Saturday and was believed to be returning to Atlanta, where he’ll meet with Falcons officials. Atlanta coach Jim Mora was expected to offer him a contract extension and substantial raise to remain with the Falcons, with perhaps a promise that he’ll be the team’s next offensive coordinator whenever Greg Knapp leaves that post.

Returning to the Packers has to be attractive to Jagodzinski, a Wisconsin native, though he has to weigh that against Atlanta’s offer and other opportunities he might get this offseason with other NFL teams. Jagodzinski is known to be close with former New Orleans coach Jim Haslett and might be Haslett’s choice for offensive coordinator if he lands head-coaching jobs in either Detroit or Buffalo. Haslett is believed to be a strong candidate for both positions.

As the offensive coordinator for a coach such as Haslett, whose background is on defense, Jagodzisnki would have more control over the offense and coaching staff than he’d have with McCarthy, who has been an offensive coordinator with New Orleans and San Francisco the past six years.

If Jagodzinski accepts McCarthy’s offer, he’ll be in charge of the team’s running game. McCarthy will hire the offensive staff, oversee the passing game and probably call plays.

Van Pelt, 35, played quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh from 1989 to 1992, when McCarthy was an offensive assistant at the school, including quarterbacks coach from 1989 to 1991. Van Pelt played nine years in the NFL as a backup quarterback with the Buffalo Bills and was quarterbacks coach for Frankfurt in NFL Europe last spring. Earlier this month, he accepted the job to coach quarterbacks at the University of Buffalo, where former Packers director of player development\offensive assistant Turner Gill recently became coach.

Ruel was an offensive line assistant for the Packers in 2001-02, then was an assistant offensive line coach for Buffalo in 2003 and the New York Giants in ’04. He became USC’s offensive line coach in ’05.

 

[IPBprez]

Well, Z2C - You got your wish - and from the article - it doesn't "sound" like a bad thing, either.....

Here's the second follow-up article .....

Jagodzinski returns as coordinator

Keep those wish bones laying by the TV set - this is gonna be some ride...!
When was the last time we had a 'born & bred' Cheesehead in the ranks at Lambeau?

 

[Zero2Cool]

Well, Z2C - You got your wish - and from the article - it doesn't "sound" like a bad thing, either.....

Here's the second follow-up article .....

Jagodzinski returns as coordinator

Keep those wish bones laying by the TV set - this is gonna be some ride...!
When was the last time we had a 'born & bred' Cheesehead in the ranks at Lambeau?

holy poop i wished for jag to be our OC? wtf kind of plastic was i smoking!! lol


Seriously i don't remember wishing for him to be our OC, but im gonna support him because Sherman canned him and McCarthy selected him.