General Manager/Head Coach Interview Discussion

[Burl]

Yeah, no. Some other desperate team can take the Josh McDaniels gamble on that.

[dplank]

Flores has not earned that type of demand IMO.

I keep thinking about old retreads for some reason. I mentioned Del Rio before, but what about Marvin Lewis? I'd rather have him than Caldwell I think.

[Hiphopopotamos]

Flores has not earned that type of demand IMO.

I keep thinking about old retreads for some reason. I mentioned Del Rio before, but what about Marvin Lewis? I'd rather have him than Caldwell I think.

He's earned whatever the market will give him. And after the GM/Owner shit show in Miami I'd want to make sure I had some say in that area too.

[Artbest]

For me, if he wasn't 66 years old, Caldwell would be at the top of the list of "retreads" to hire. Has had a degree of success wherever he's been. That said, if the Bears hire a defensive minded head coach, Caldwell would make for a solid OC imo.

Flores has not earned that type of demand IMO.

I keep thinking about old retreads for some reason. I mentioned Del Rio before, but what about Marvin Lewis? I'd rather have him than Caldwell I think.

[UOK]

Caldwell seems like one of those coaches I'd love to play for. Guy is charming, down to earth, and seems like a Lovie-esque locker room dad. I don't know if that wins you football games, but it's food for thought.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

You're not supposed to say this, and I may be a troglodyte, but does anyone else have discomfort that Daboll is so obviously out of shape?

It isn't supposed to matter but he definitely doesn't cut the figure. (Neither does Andy Reid or Matt Patricia but still ...)

Feel free to flame away.

Nagy was as fit as a flea.

Maybe Daboll’s partner has significant discomfort

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

but Smith is so much of a no-brainer that even the Bears brain trust shouldn't even be able to screw this up.

I just have visions of George reading this post and saying to himself

“Oh yeah! We’ll see about THAT buddy.

[dplank]

You're not supposed to say this, and I may be a troglodyte, but does anyone else have discomfort that Daboll is so obviously out of shape?

It isn't supposed to matter but he definitely doesn't cut the figure. (Neither does Andy Reid or Matt Patricia but still ...)

Feel free to flame away.

No

[The Cooler King]

Reports were Wolf and Brown were scheduled today, but no announcement yet from Bears. Seems like on previous days they announced by 5pm or so.

[Xee]

I'm just curious, does anyone have a link explaining what's typically asked in a GM interview? I heard that Glenn Cook did well which made my wonder what questions are typically asked.

I haven't found anything yet about the interview process for general managers but I did come across a recent article about how the HC process goes. Go figure, one of the people quoted in it was Jerry Angelo:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/329 ... -x-os-ceos

[The Cooler King]

https://theathletic.com/podcast/211-the ... pisode=290

Podcast episode that gets into the GM and HC process. Probably more HC focused, but some GM parts too.

[Mikefive]

Call me dumb. Or crazy. But I don't understand why we're interviewing for coaches when we haven't hired our GM yet. Shouldn't we hire our GM first and then let him hire his coach?

Further, I can understand why potential coaches are busy right now if they're still busy prepping for their upcoming playoff game. But why would any potential GM candidate be so busy right now that they couldn't prep for and interview for the biggest promotion of their life?

Step 1. Hire your GM.
Step 2. Let him hire the Head Coach.

[TheWorldBreaker]

So the Bears only announced the interview of Wolf. I wonder what happened with Brown?

Not a very productive day considering how many people they want to interview.

[The Cooler King]

So the Bears only announced the interview of Wolf. I wonder what happened with Brown?

Not a very productive day considering how many people they want to interview.

It's definitely curious. As far as we know it's all zoom interviews. And even if one had gotten unexpectedly canceled, the announcement came really late.

[The Marshall Plan]

You're not supposed to say this, and I may be a troglodyte, but does anyone else have discomfort that Daboll is so obviously out of shape?

It isn't supposed to matter but he definitely doesn't cut the figure. (Neither does Andy Reid or Matt Patricia but still ...)

Feel free to flame away.

LOL!

I mean yeah, a big guy like that under a lot of stress, that can't be good for him. Hopefully he changes his lifestyle before his health becomes an issue.

But no, there have been a bunch of fat guys as coaches. Some good some bad.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

Call me dumb. Or crazy. But I don't understand why we're interviewing for coaches when we haven't hired our GM yet. Shouldn't we hire our GM first and then let him hire his coach?

Further, I can understand why potential coaches are busy right now if they're still busy prepping for their upcoming playoff game. But why would any potential GM candidate be so busy right now that they couldn't prep for and interview for the biggest promotion of their life?

Step 1. Hire your GM.
Step 2. Let him hire the Head Coach.

I think the unsatisfactory answer to your question is that Georgie boy has made it quite clear that the hiring of the GM and HC will ultimately be his decision.
Interviewing the HCs now at least gives George an idea about who he’s not prepared to hire.

[bearsoldier]

He is my 1st choice as well but as you said... "Smith is so much of a no-brainer that even the Bears brain trust shouldn't even be able to screw this up."


That is exactly what concerns me... We had Arians at Halas Hall wanting to sign on as HC and the dumb asses passed on him for Trestman... We know all to well how this typically goes for the Bears.

Who passed on Arians? Phil Emery was the GM. Did you want the owner to override the choice of his GM? That GM is gone.

I did not indicate exactly "who", and of course Emery being the GM was one of the dumb asses at the time and certainly could be considered the primary person to blame for sure... I did not say meddle but would expect at the very least George and Teddy agreed and signed off on it and as a result would be the secondary and tertiary dumb asses. If they had no voice or involvement on some level, they are still grouped into my opinion that they are dumb asses.

1 - I believe an owner should take ownership over their own business and run it. If they disagree with a decision, especially an obvious one, I absolutely think that owner should do something in any business. It is their business after all.

I also believe the McCaskey's are idiots. Just because I believe their idiots doesn't mean I don't think they should run their business the way they see fit. It's their business, not mine. I hate alot of the decisions they make but I choose to be a fan of their product, thats on me not them. I also can not remember a time where I have said the McCaskey meddle. Maybe I have and forgot but it's not a line of thinking I really am a part of. So let's not group me with those who think they meddle too much please. Thinking they are idiots that make wrong decisions is different then meddling too much with the coach or GM.

2 - Arians, even with issues, was coming off a coach of the year season, was a respected, tougher coach that had just shown he could lead a locker room during adversity. The Bears were a family type team and Lovie was their father figure. Trestman never had a chance to win that locker room and it was obvious to any one with eyes. If i recall correctly, Marinelli told Emery he wouldnt work with Trestman but would consider Arians. That should have given Emery the pulse of the locker room right there.

My thoughts exactly HurricaneBear... I also "hate alot of the decisions they make but I choose to be a fan of their product, thats on me not them." As a STH, who keeps paying for season after season, believe me, every year when I fork over the $, I tell myself that I too am a dumb ass. Lol...

[dplank]

It’s the most common and accepted form of discrimination left. And it shows here, if this had been a dig about his sexuality or race you’d have seen members lining up to admonish the poster - even if it was light hearted. But fat shaming? Fair game still.

[Hiphopopotamos]

The Raiders have requested permission to speak with Champ Kelly for their open GM position.

[dave99]

Call me dumb. Or crazy. But I don't understand why we're interviewing for coaches when we haven't hired our GM yet. Shouldn't we hire our GM first and then let him hire his coach?

Further, I can understand why potential coaches are busy right now if they're still busy prepping for their upcoming playoff game. But why would any potential GM candidate be so busy right now that they couldn't prep for and interview for the biggest promotion of their life?

Step 1. Hire your GM.
Step 2. Let him hire the Head Coach.

I think the unsatisfactory answer to your question is that Georgie boy has made it quite clear that the hiring of the GM and HC will ultimately be his decision.
Interviewing the HCs now at least gives George an idea about who he’s not prepared to hire.

But George made clear: "In our structure, it’s the GM who has ultimate football authority and oversight over the entire football operation."
So what if the GM wants a guy that hasn't been interviewed or worse crossed off the list? Does the GM have "ultimate football authority" or only authority unless George wants to dabble? And how does that impact attracting a quality candidate?
If they hire a coach first they are all but guaranteeing that the HC and GM (and maybe the QB) will not be on the same page. This is the same old movie come around again with stale popcorn and melted candy.
And it's typical of the McCaskey's. They don't know what to do and if they did they wouldn't know how to do it.

[Hiphopopotamos]

I think the unsatisfactory answer to your question is that Georgie boy has made it quite clear that the hiring of the GM and HC will ultimately be his decision.
Interviewing the HCs now at least gives George an idea about who he’s not prepared to hire.

But George made clear: "In our structure, it’s the GM who has ultimate football authority and oversight over the entire football operation."
So what if the GM wants a guy that hasn't been interviewed or worse crossed off the list? Does the GM have "ultimate football authority" or only authority unless George wants to dabble? And how does that impact attracting a quality candidate?
If they hire a coach first they are all but guaranteeing that the HC and GM (and maybe the QB) will not be on the same page. This is the same old movie come around again with stale popcorn and melted candy.
And it's typical of the McCaskey's. They don't know what to do and if they did they wouldn't know how to do it.

Then you're probably not hiring that guy. None of these decisions are made in a vacuum - and even a GM with full-authority isn't making the decision alone or without some kind of owner involvement. Its hard to deal in hypotheticals here - but in what situation would an owner mark a guy as a 'no way' but the GM still want to hire them? Depending on the circumstance (say a personality conflict) I would hope that the GM, if he felt that strongly would have the capability to bring the owner to his way of thinking - that's at least part of the job.

I know we hate the word 'collaborate' but that's exactly what the good Front Offices across the league are doing everyday - even the ones with an all-powerful football person at the top of the organization.

As for hiring a Head Coach before the GM - if that's the case then you're probably looking at a situation of a Head Coach led organization - even if he doesn't have GM responsibilities. I brought it up in another thread - but Charles Robinson used the example of Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch in San Francisco. That's essentially what you'd be doing here. John Lynch is the GM and makes personnel decisions but that entire ship is being steered by Kyle Shanahan.

[The Cooler King]

Nuance is dead. Preference means absolute rigidity to an ideal.

I think you bring up a good point about collaboration as well. Even once the GM is in place he'll seek counsel from other views. I recall reading about one of the Baltimore execs and noted on his resume was being apart of the hiring team for Harbaugh. That means perhaps the best exec over the past 2 decades even employed a team of people for a HC search.

Once the GM is in place, if he wants to prioritize getting a HC right away, his support, for better or worse, will be limited to who's in house already (plus Polian). But there's a lot of paper resume hiring going on by fans. GMs still need to get coaches in the door IMO. It seem comparatively easier for a coach to have pre-built a staff than a GM pre-picked a coach.

[IotaNet]

It’s the most common and accepted form of discrimination left. And it shows here, if this had been a dig about his sexuality or race you’d have seen members lining up to admonish the poster - even if it was light hearted. But fat shaming? Fair game still.

I made the original comment and I used poor judgement.

My apologies.

[IotaNet]

Nuance is dead. Preference means absolute rigidity to an ideal.

… there's a lot of paper resume hiring going on by fans…

Two of the best comments I’ve seen in a while.
People don’t hire resumes, they hire people. The resumes tell “a” story but not the whole story. We have no idea what’s happening behind closed doors.

[UOK]

[The Cooler King]

If I was a gambler I'd take a shot at those Eberflus odds.

[dplank]

Nuance is not dead and that’s just poor sportsmanship Cooler. Folks are concerned that George, a self professed non football guy, isn’t just going to hire the GM (unavoidable unfortunately) but may also hire the HC also, or at a minimum restrict the options for the GM who he claims he wants to make the hire. The logic is simple, if you know you aren’t qualified then get out of they way and let qualified people do it. Focus on getting those qualified people in place as quickly as you can so you don’t have lost opportunity (I.e. a bunch of coaches already signed elsewhere). Each day they spend time interviewing coaches instead of GMs exasperates this concern. The only way to mitigate it would be to have Polian make the actual decision and let George just have veto rights if he’s strongly opposed for some reason.

[wab]

Nuance is dead. Preference means absolute rigidity to an ideal.

… there's a lot of paper resume hiring going on by fans…

Two of the best comments I’ve seen in a while.
People don’t hire resumes, they hire people. The resumes tell “a” story but not the whole story. We have no idea what’s happening behind closed doors.

TCK has been posting some real bangers lately.

[The Cooler King]

Nuance is not dead and that’s just poor sportsmanship Cooler. Folks are concerned that George, a self professed non football guy, isn’t just going to hire the GM (unavoidable unfortunately) but may also hire the HC also, or at a minimum restrict the options for the GM who he claims he wants to make the hire. The logic is simple, if you know you aren’t qualified then get out of they way and let qualified people do it. Focus on getting those qualified people in place as quickly as you can so you don’t have lost opportunity (I.e. a bunch of coaches already signed elsewhere). Each day they spend time interviewing coaches instead of GMs exasperates this concern. The only way to mitigate it would be to have Polian make the actual decision and let George just have veto rights if he’s strongly opposed for some reason.

I mean he told us flat out he might hire a HC first. So yea it's a concern, I guess, but you're acting like it's... something else?

As to Polian "making the decision" I'm sure he won't, but I'd imagine a HC first hire would require a great amount of consensus including from Polian. So if it happens, we'll see.

[Z Bear]

I am sure the Bears (well I should say I hope) are asking what coaches the GM candidates like and asking the coaching candidates who they like as GM. COMPLETELY FABRICARTED SCENARIO: If the Bears really like Flores but Flores says no way in hell I am working for Dodds, then it would make no sense to hire Dodds unless he was far and away the best candidate. Then you scrap Flores and go with the coach Dodds like. But it makes total sense to feel all the candidates out for who they would like to work with on both sides. You do not want another scenario where the new GM is forced into a coach that really does not fit his vision, like Fox and Pace.