Schefter hints Bears may not keep Fox is season is disaster

[UOK]

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@WaddleandSilvy
Asked @AdamSchefter about Cutler's future w/ the #Bears. His response: "Depends on who the coaching staff is."
That surprised me.

This is fringe news at its fringiest, but it's something to ponder as we go along.

[MoFugger]

Aren't we supposed to inflict a self imposed 2 week ban if we dare suggest firing fox this early?

[bearsfaninaz]

Sad thing was i was happy when we hired fox. Finally a hc with good coordinators coming in something idr us seeing in who knows when. As it stands right now I'm ok with him getting fired. We seem to have no sense of urgency ever.

[Moriarty]

I don't think Fox deserves that.
However, it might be good in an indirect way.

If Fox got 'fired by ownership' and then Pace got to hire another coach, presumably that would buy more time for a lengthier rebuild, which is what's necessary.

What I don't want to see is Fox & Pace go into yr 3 both on thin ice, desperate to do whatever it takes to make a fast turnaround, making bad moves for the sake of short-term benefit.
(Not drafting a QB early and taking someone with quicker impact, for example. Or throwing big money at shitty FAs, like a Jared Allen scenario.)

[G08]

I don't buy that, I think he was hinting at the offensive coordinator.

Fox is under contract until 2018 AND all the players that Pace has acquired have come at the request of John Fox ("get me throwback players, we need a pass rusher", etc). You don't do that for 1.5 seasons and then bail, even if we go 0-16 John Fox isn't getting fired.

[MoFugger]

Sad thing was i was happy when we hired fox. Finally a hc with good coordinators coming in something idr us seeing in who knows when. As it stands right now I'm ok with him getting fired. We seem to have no sense of urgency ever.

We have no identity. I probably wouldn't mind sucking if we weren't so Fucking bland.
I was all for getting rid of the crazy guys but the downfall is this team has nearly no entertainment value whatsoever.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Personally I think that Fox was more of a McCaskey hire than a Pace hire. I would give Fox one more season after this, and then, if things haven't drastically improved. Launch him. Let Pace do his own hiring, and see if we can get a younger, hungrier HC in here that has more in common with Pace than a work address.

[DaDitka]

Aren't we supposed to inflict a self imposed 2 week ban if we dare suggest firing fox this early?

Damn Right

Besides....the question was about NEXT year (so after the season)

And furthermore there is a lot that goes into "coaching staff".

Loggins is here FOR Jay....if Loggins is replaced BY Fox and Pace, there could be a new QB.

Unless the relationship is THAT bad between Pace and Fox....I don't see him going anywhere. Pace is gambling his ability to ever get another GM gig if he dumps Fox so quickly and the next hire doesn't turn things around in the first year or two.

[DaDitka]

Personally I think that Fox was more of a McCaskey hire than a Pace hire. I would give Fox one more season after this, and then, if things haven't drastically improved. Launch him. Let Pace do his own hiring, and see if we can get a younger, hungrier HC in here that has more in common with Pace than a work address.

Couldn't agree more.

[MoFugger]

Personally I think that Fox was more of a McCaskey hire than a Pace hire. I would give Fox one more season after this, and then, if things haven't drastically improved. Launch him. Let Pace do his own hiring, and see if we can get a younger, hungrier HC in here that has more in common with Pace than a work address.

What if we finish the season 3-13 and still look like we are drawing plays up in the dusting have always ad a high respect for Fox. But when he was hired here I am on record for calling it "underwhelming" .
I wanted Todd Bowels, but I wad told I was foolish because that would mean switching to a 3-4 and there was no way the Bears could/would do that.

So, again. If the next 14 games continue to be underwhelming do you really still want Fox back here next year?

[G08]

Personally I think that Fox was more of a McCaskey hire than a Pace hire. I would give Fox one more season after this, and then, if things haven't drastically improved. Launch him. Let Pace do his own hiring, and see if we can get a younger, hungrier HC in here that has more in common with Pace than a work address.

What if we finish the season 3-13 and still look like we are drawing plays up in the dusting have always ad a high respect for Fox. But when he was hired here I am on record for calling it "underwhelming" .
I wanted Todd Bowels, but I wad told I was foolish because that would mean switching to a 3-4 and there was no way the Bears could/would do that.

So, again. If the next 14 games continue to be underwhelming do you really still want Fox back here next year?

"Want"? No. But for the sake of continuity, yeah I'd bring him back. I give coaches 3 years to turn it around or show substantial progress. We can't be the Raiders/Browns and flip coaches every few years.

[MoFugger]

Personally I think that Fox was more of a McCaskey hire than a Pace hire. I would give Fox one more season after this, and then, if things haven't drastically improved. Launch him. Let Pace do his own hiring, and see if we can get a younger, hungrier HC in here that has more in common with Pace than a work address.

What if we finish the season 3-13 and still look like we are drawing plays up in the dusting have always ad a high respect for Fox. But when he was hired here I am on record for calling it "underwhelming" .
I wanted Todd Bowels, but I wad told I was foolish because that would mean switching to a 3-4 and there was no way the Bears could/would do that.

So, again. If the next 14 games continue to be underwhelming do you really still want Fox back here next year?

"Want"? No. But for the sake of continuity, yeah I'd bring him back. I give coaches 3 years to turn it around or show substantial progress. We can't be the Raiders/Browns and flip coaches every few years.

So you were against bouncing Trestman after only 2 seasons?

[karhu]

I wanted Todd Bowels, but I wad told I was foolish

Only because Frank "Nearly Killed Him" Rectum was available, too.

[G08]

Personally I think that Fox was more of a McCaskey hire than a Pace hire. I would give Fox one more season after this, and then, if things haven't drastically improved. Launch him. Let Pace do his own hiring, and see if we can get a younger, hungrier HC in here that has more in common with Pace than a work address.

What if we finish the season 3-13 and still look like we are drawing plays up in the dusting have always ad a high respect for Fox. But when he was hired here I am on record for calling it "underwhelming" .
I wanted Todd Bowels, but I wad told I was foolish because that would mean switching to a 3-4 and there was no way the Bears could/would do that.

So, again. If the next 14 games continue to be underwhelming do you really still want Fox back here next year?

"Want"? No. But for the sake of continuity, yeah I'd bring him back. I give coaches 3 years to turn it around or show substantial progress. We can't be the Raiders/Browns and flip coaches every few years.

So you were against bouncing Trestman after only 2 seasons?

That was a tire fire but if you recall I wanted to give him one more year and was clamoring for Wade Phillips as our defensive coordinator.

[UOK]

There are some conspiracy theories around that Pace was instructed to hire Fox by ownership, but I doubt that. Pace personally flew out there to woo Fox and there was some pretty well documented stuff about him wanting to make a big splash with his coaching hire, and at the time? Fox was exactly what the Bears needed.

Truth be told, he's still a very decent coach, even if he does stuff the media hates or the fans hate, or if the in-game decision making is sort of stupid and backwards. Compared to Trestman/Kromer/Tucker/DeCamillis, Fox and his crew are about 500,000x more legitimate.

Problems through two games are just shit-ass execution.

[Otis Day]

And lack of talent and depth. With all the injuries, it will probably only get worse.

[G08]

Can I pull a Mike Brown and say "We Suck."?

And then pull a Lovie Smith and say "We're going to look back at the beginning of this season and laugh because of how good we're going to be."?

Get me to 3-5 or 4-4 at the bye and I'm a happy G-unit.

[DaDitka]

the in-game decision making is sort of stupid and backwards

Literally EVERY fan base is complaining about the exact same thing right now. There are callers blaming McCarthy for Green Bays woes. Pittsburgh fans have complained about Tomlin's game management ad nauseam. Here in Chicago we think Fox is too conservative while there is a large contingent in Arizona that thinks Arians is too much of a risk taker. Look in Carolina...Rivera was an idiot...didn't know how to handle in game decisions....then the players execute on a few of them and he's 'Riverboat Ron'.

Look...everyone knew what you were getting in John Fox when he was hired. It's not sexy, it's not exciting..but it is effective.

Dude has...

6 seasons of 11 or more wins
9 of his 13 seasons have been 500 or better
2 Superbowl appearances
And only 1 season below 7 wins before arriving here in Chicago

The number of injures this team has suffered since is arrival is almost unfathomable. Combine that with the dearth of talent that was the roster he and Pace inherited a mere 18 games ago.

All of us to a man voiced out concern about the lack of depth on this roster.....now we're down as many as 10 starters at times (exposing that lack of depth) and suddenly John Fox doesn't know how to coach.

Right....

Those first 13 seasons were a fluke....these 18 injury plagued games are the REAL John Fox.

You can't fool us!

[G08]

the in-game decision making is sort of stupid and backwards

Literally EVERY fan base is complaining about the exact same thing right now. There are callers blaming McCarthy for Green Bays woes. Pittsburgh fans have complained about Tomlin's game management ad nauseam. Here in Chicago we think Fox is too conservative while there is a large contingent in Arizona that thinks Arians is too much of a risk taker. Look in Carolina...Rivera was an idiot...didn't know how to handle in game decisions....then the players execute on a few of them and he's 'Riverboat Ron'.

Look...everyone knew what you were getting in John Fox when he was hired. It's not sexy, it's not exciting..but it is effective.

Dude has...

6 seasons of 11 or more wins
9 of his 13 seasons have been 500 or better
2 Superbowl appearances
And only 1 season below 7 wins before arriving here in Chicago

The number of injures this team has suffered since is arrival is almost unfathomable. Combine that with the dearth of talent that was the roster he and Pace inherited a mere 18 games ago.

All of us to a man voiced out concern about the lack of depth on this roster.....now we're down as many as 10 starters at times (exposing that lack of depth) and suddenly John Fox doesn't know how to coach.

Right....

Those first 13 seasons were a fluke....these 18 injury plagued games are the REAL John Fox.

You can't fool us!

Not to rain on your parade because I hear what you're saying and I'm desperately looking for glasses with the faintest hint of kool-aid for me to drink, but I think he pretty much is a .500 coach (or a couple games under) without Peyton Manning at QB, no?

[DaDitka]

the in-game decision making is sort of stupid and backwards

Literally EVERY fan base is complaining about the exact same thing right now. There are callers blaming McCarthy for Green Bays woes. Pittsburgh fans have complained about Tomlin's game management ad nauseam. Here in Chicago we think Fox is too conservative while there is a large contingent in Arizona that thinks Arians is too much of a risk taker. Look in Carolina...Rivera was an idiot...didn't know how to handle in game decisions....then the players execute on a few of them and he's 'Riverboat Ron'.

Look...everyone knew what you were getting in John Fox when he was hired. It's not sexy, it's not exciting..but it is effective.

Dude has...

6 seasons of 11 or more wins
9 of his 13 seasons have been 500 or better
2 Superbowl appearances
And only 1 season below 7 wins before arriving here in Chicago

The number of injures this team has suffered since is arrival is almost unfathomable. Combine that with the dearth of talent that was the roster he and Pace inherited a mere 18 games ago.

All of us to a man voiced out concern about the lack of depth on this roster.....now we're down as many as 10 starters at times (exposing that lack of depth) and suddenly John Fox doesn't know how to coach.

Right....

Those first 13 seasons were a fluke....these 18 injury plagued games are the REAL John Fox.

You can't fool us!

Not to rain on your parade because I hear what you're saying and I'm desperately looking for glasses with the faintest hint of kool-aid for me to drink, but I think he pretty much is a .500 coach (or a couple games under) without Peyton Manning at QB, no?

Yes....

However....

He went to a superbowl without Manning
He went to two NFC Championship games without Manning
He had 3 sesons of 11 or more wins without Manning
He won at least 7 games every year but one without Manning
He won his division twice without Manning
He made the playoffs four times without Manning

Throw everything out the window that he did with Manning..

Look at those stats, and consider......

Consider he went to a Superbowl with Jake Delhome
Consider he went to the playoffs and won a playoff game with Tim Tebow

Dude didn't exactly need #15 to win football games.

I'm not saying he's infallible...hell, he's been fired twice...

I'm just saying he's got a track record that should earn him a bit more time to turn around this team (unlike the situation with Trestman)

[Moriarty]

the in-game decision making is sort of stupid and backwards

Literally EVERY fan base is complaining about the exact same thing right now. There are callers blaming McCarthy for Green Bays woes. Pittsburgh fans have complained about Tomlin's game management ad nauseam. Here in Chicago we think Fox is too conservative while there is a large contingent in Arizona that thinks Arians is too much of a risk taker. Look in Carolina...Rivera was an idiot...didn't know how to handle in game decisions....then the players execute on a few of them and he's 'Riverboat Ron'.

Look...everyone knew what you were getting in John Fox when he was hired. It's not sexy, it's not exciting..but it is effective.

Dude has...

6 seasons of 11 or more wins
9 of his 13 seasons have been 500 or better
2 Superbowl appearances
And only 1 season below 7 wins before arriving here in Chicago

The number of injures this team has suffered since is arrival is almost unfathomable. Combine that with the dearth of talent that was the roster he and Pace inherited a mere 18 games ago.

All of us to a man voiced out concern about the lack of depth on this roster.....now we're down as many as 10 starters at times (exposing that lack of depth) and suddenly John Fox doesn't know how to coach.

Right....

Those first 13 seasons were a fluke....these 18 injury plagued games are the REAL John Fox.

You can't fool us!

Not to rain on your parade because I hear what you're saying and I'm desperately looking for glasses with the faintest hint of kool-aid for me to drink, but I think he pretty much is a .500 coach (or a couple games under) without Peyton Manning at QB, no?

Yes....

However....

He went to a superbowl without Manning
He went to two NFC Championship games without Manning
He had 3 sesons of 11 or more wins without Manning
He won at least 7 games every year but one without Manning
He won his division twice without Manning
He made the playoffs four times without Manning

Throw everything out the window that he did with Manning..

Look at those stats, and consider......

Consider he went to a Superbowl with Jake Delhome
Consider he went to the playoffs and won a playoff game with Tim Tebow

Dude didn't exactly need #15 to win football games.

I'm not saying he's inflatable...hell, he's been fired twice...

I'm just saying he's got a track record that should earn him a bit more time to turn around this team (unlike the situation with Trestman)

?

[Boris13c]

I was very happy the Bears hired Fox. And maybe I am in the minority, but I want him to fulfill his contract.

The only thing I am faulting him for at the moment is not actively seeking and hiring an OC to replace Gase. The "promote from within" practice only works if next man up is capable. The guy we have another thread about is not NFL ready as an OC. So the first person fired should be Loggains.

Hell, grab the guy Buffalo fired. Greg Roman was able to coach the Buffalo offense to 31 points. He could do some good work in Chicago.

[Boris13c]

Throw everything out the window that he did with Manning..

Look at those stats, and consider......

Consider he went to a Superbowl with Jake Delhome
Consider he went to the playoffs and won a playoff game with Tim Tebow

Dude didn't exactly need #15 to win football games.

I'm not saying he's inflatable...hell, he's been fired twice...

I'm just saying he's got a track record that should earn him a bit more time to turn around this team (unlike the situation with Trestman)

?

[DaDitka]

I'm not saying he's inflatable...hell, he's been fired twice...

?



[/quote]

Well played....I have now fixed my original post.

[Wounded Bear]

There are some conspiracy theories around that Pace was instructed to hire Fox by ownership, but I doubt that. Pace personally flew out there to woo Fox and there was some pretty well documented stuff about him wanting to make a big splash with his coaching hire, and at the time? Fox was exactly what the Bears needed.

Truth be told, he's still a very decent coach, even if he does stuff the media hates or the fans hate, or if the in-game decision making is sort of stupid and backwards. Compared to Trestman/Kromer/Tucker/DeCamillis, Fox and his crew are about 500,000x more legitimate.

Problems through two games are just shit-ass execution.

Wait a minute. That's not how I remember things. Feel free to chickity check myself, before I rickity wreck myself (RIP Eazy-E).

But I remember Ted Phillips and the McCaskeys in typical Phillips/McCaskey fashion hired Pace, but AS ALWAYS, immediately handcuffed him by hiring Ernie Accorsi as a consultant to hire the next Bear coaches. This is the McCaskeys do, they hire a GM, handcuff him, put training wheels on him, and hire a consultant to help hire the coaches (or something of that nature). Another example of the inept McCaskeys interfering with GM duties is when ol' Virginia herself ordered Angelo to re-up Jauron after the miracle 13-3 season. Angelo knew it was a fluke, wanted to go in another direction, but the Queen of the Dipshits, Virginia McCaskey, gets involved and Angelo extends Jauron's contract and set us back another several years. Although Angelo's eventual pick, Lovie Smith, wasn't that exciting or inspiring, he was still shit loads better than Dick Jauron. That dude was lame on steroids.

But let's not forget what this backwards assed organization did to Trestman. They went out and hired Phil Emery, who was a lazy hire because he was a familiar face (former scout for the Bears) with less than a dynamic past. He, in classic Bear fashion, hires Marc Trestman, but immediately handcuffs him and saddles him with Mel Tucker. Fait accompli......Trestman never had a chance.


And this is a pattern. And this is the reason why one of the most storied franchises in all of sport has a difficult time attracting Grade A talent. It is my assertion that this starts at the very top and our only hope as Bear fans is that once Virginia McCaskey dies, the ill-bred offspring hopelessly fight it out for control of the team and as time goes on, they all realize that they possess neither the passion nor the talent that it takes to run the team. Ultimately they decide to liquidate the assets and end up selling the team.......probably to Mark Cuban.

And the nightmare continues.

[G08]

There are some conspiracy theories around that Pace was instructed to hire Fox by ownership, but I doubt that. Pace personally flew out there to woo Fox and there was some pretty well documented stuff about him wanting to make a big splash with his coaching hire, and at the time? Fox was exactly what the Bears needed.

Truth be told, he's still a very decent coach, even if he does stuff the media hates or the fans hate, or if the in-game decision making is sort of stupid and backwards. Compared to Trestman/Kromer/Tucker/DeCamillis, Fox and his crew are about 500,000x more legitimate.

Problems through two games are just shit-ass execution.

Wait a minute. That's not how I remember things. Feel free to chickity check myself, before I rickity wreck myself (RIP Eazy-E).

But I remember Ted Phillips and the McCaskeys in typical Phillips/McCaskey fashion hired Pace, but AS ALWAYS, immediately handcuffed him by hiring Ernie Accorsi as a consultant to hire the next Bear coaches. This is the McCaskeys do, they hire a GM, handcuff him, put training wheels on him, and hire a consultant to help hire the coaches (or something of that nature). Another example of the inept McCaskeys interfering with GM duties is when ol' Virginia herself ordered Angelo to re-up Jauron after the miracle 13-3 season. Angelo knew it was a fluke, wanted to go in another direction, but the Queen of the Dipshits, Virginia McCaskey, gets involved and Angelo extends Jauron's contract and set us back another several years. Although Angelo's eventual pick, Lovie Smith, wasn't that exciting or inspiring, he was still shit loads better than Dick Jauron. That dude was lame on steroids.

But let's not forget what this backwards assed organization did to Trestman. They went out and hired Phil Emery, who was a lazy hire because he was a familiar face (former scout for the Bears) with less than a dynamic past. He, in classic Bear fashion, hires Marc Trestman, but immediately handcuffs him and saddles him with Mel Tucker. Fait accompli......Trestman never had a chance.


And this is a pattern. And this is the reason why one of the most storied franchises in all of sport has a difficult time attracting Grade A talent. It is my assertion that this starts at the very top and our only hope as Bear fans is that once Virginia McCaskey dies, the ill-bred offspring hopelessly fight it out for control of the team and as time goes on, they all realize that they possess neither the passion nor the talent that it takes to run the team. Ultimately they decide to liquidate the assets and end up selling the team.......probably to Mark Cuban.

And the nightmare continues.

I think you have it backwards, McCaskey/Phillips hired Accorsi and Accorsi recommended them to interview Pace. After they hired pace I think Accorsi might have suggested Fox, but he didn't force him on Pace.

Other than that you're spot on. Emery asked Marinelli who he preferred, Arians or Trestman; Marinelli said Arians. After Emery hired Trestman, Marinelli said I will not work for that man, goodbye.

[VA_Mountain_Bear]

Fire everyone! Get all new personnel! Start from ground zero again!

Come on ya'll this would be the biggest mistake ever. We have been screwed for 8 years by constant changing of coordinators and coaches. No continuity can be built like that. The only possible coach I would fire of importance is the OC, but only if at the end of the season he hasn't shown he can build a game plan and adjust on the fly. Even then I won't be too thrilled.

I do wish instead of Trestman we would have hired Toub. He was tough, creative, and knew how to adjust his plan to the players.

[wab]

I said it at the time it happened, and I still stand by it now: The hiring of Adam Gase was the best and worst thing that could have happened to this franchise. Everyone knew that he was a one year rental, no matter how good or bad the Bears record was. All of this ties back to the Gase hire. I'm not saying it was the wrong thing to do, but that set the stage for a big regression in year 2. And that's why I went into this season with tepid expectations.

[Funkster]

This is exactly what the bears DON'T need. Fox is a very competent HC. He has brought an old school hard work mentality back to the organization. He has turned around a defense that would get walked over into a competitive group. Let's not forget he did this with players that didn't fit his or Fangio's scheme. The Bears were able to draft and use free agency to acquire some really talented players like Trevathan and Freeman that fit the 3-4 base. The defense is keeping the games competive, if they can create turnovers or points from turnovers this will help out the team tremendously. Fox was able to bring guys in like Fangio and Gase, who IMO wouldn't have given the job even a thought. Gase has excelled so much under Fox he is now a HC. Fox and Fangio are coaches that require fundamentals, perfect for teaching young players. IMO, what now has to happen is Pace needs to find an OC, then draft a QB that fits what that OC is trying to accomplish systematically. The only problem I have with Fox is he is conservative to a fault. I would like to see him get a little more agressive when the team has a lead and not just try to run out game clock.

[G08]

All I can hope for at this point is a linear progression of improvement starting this week. The Texans loss crushed me even more because our first defensive drive was an INT and our resulting offensive drive was a TD. I had a false sense of 'holy shit we made it'. And then the second half slapped me right back to reality.

I hope we go full-bore conservative on offense this week, run the ball more than we pass, and rely on our defense to win the game for us. That's a nice building block/template for the rest of the season.