Posted on 01/04/2007 11:35:31 PM PST by mcg2000
Bill Cowher, who led the Steelers to 10 playoff appearances, eight division titles and the fifth Super Bowl title in franchise history, will announce his resignation today after 15 seasons as head coach, sources have told the Post-Gazette.
Cowher and his wife, Kaye, are scheduled to fly to Pittsburgh this morning to attend a 1 p.m. news conference at the team's South Side facility and announce the decision that has been expected for several weeks, if not longer -- that he will resign, at age 49, to spend more time with his family.
"You'll be hearing from me soon enough," Cowher said last night from his home in Raleigh, N.C., where he has spent the past three days. He declined any further comment.
Cowher had planned to return to town and make the announcement Monday. But he called team chairman Dan Rooney -- the man who hired him to replace Chuck Noll in 1992 -- yesterday afternoon to tell him he wasn't going to change his mind and there was no point in delaying the announcement any longer.
Cowher has one year remaining on a contract that paid him between $4.5 million and $4.7 million this season. He said last week he still loves to coach and is not "burned out" from being the longest tenured head coach in the National Football League. He wants to take at least a one-year break from coaching and is not thinking about joining any other team in 2007, whether in the NFL or college football, sources said.
Those same sources also have said Cowher's decision to retire has nothing to do with money and that he is committed to spending the next year with his wife, Kaye, and youngest daughter, Lindsay, in Raleigh.
(Excerpt) Read more at postgazette.com ...
Bill's daughter is a good basketball player...she was on a team at the olympic training center last year.
I could use a year off. Good on 'im!
The Rooneys have been batting a thousand. First, Chuck Noll and then Bill Cowher. It's really doubtful that his successor will join those two in the Hall.
Hope to see you in Raleighwood Bill.
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Cowher didn't wreck Ben's motorbike or infect his appendix.
Cowher didn't make Polamalu's shoulder trouble all year.
Cowher didn't fumble the first Bengal game away on a punt.
Cowher did take a 2-6 team and keep their fire alive, resulting in a 6-2 second half. Had the Steelers been able to win one more game (say the turnover-laden Raider game or the OT game against Atlanta) they would be in the playoffs. And no one would be talking about how Cowher "quit."
ROFL!
Cowher's next coaching gig will be the Redskins, bank on it.
Cowher didn't have the fire until his last game with the Bengals. It was obvious to any who cared to pay attention.
Rats.
Even though he never quite lived up to my personal view of a head coach, I've been happy and grateful to have coach Cowher. Of course, with Chuck Noll winning 4 Superbowls, Cowher would always be "less" unless he matched that mark. Not likely.
I also have a great appreciation for the Rooney family. I'm from Pittsburgh myself, and their family reminds me of my own family. They remind me of my parents and my 12 aunts and uncles, most of whom are alas, gone now..... I truly appreciate having an ownership that believes in family tradition and standing behind your people through thick and thin.
Was Cowher conflicted this season? Yes. Did he "quit"? No more so than his team did.
How is Cowher showing enough emotion to satisfy you supposed to make Ricardo Colcough better suited for fielding punts? How does it stop Ben's cobwebs from throwing bad passes?
About a year ago in the Akron Beacon-Journal there was a column about why the Browns well, suck, and the gist of it was that the Cleveland mgmt lacks the Rooney attitude, that the Steeler organization is a family business that makes good, non-hasty decisions, builds loyal relationships and treats their employees to that end. It was a pretty scathing indictment against the Browns and written in Cleveland - the columnist probably got fired. :)
Don't even joke about that. He is headed for the Browns... please God, let him be headed for the Browns.
Prediction in early January 2008 the Cleveland Browns fire Romeo Crennell and hire Bill Cowher
I don't blame the Steelers' poor performance on Cowher either. But a young Cowher, with his head and heart fully into the game, would been chewing on asses left and right in the face of the poor playing and dump penalties. Instead, he just shrugged it off.
I figure Washington is a heck of a lot closer to North Carolina, and Cowher would never do that to the Steelers, he's not like Steve Spurrier.
I was thinking the same thing. The Browns should give Romeo one more year to turn things around, and if it doesn't work out, give Cowher enough money to make Saban blush.
The Pats rehire Romeo after that then the Pats go and destroy the Browns
They'd still be the Browns. ;-)
I don't see this happening. I don't think Cowher would go to a division rival, out of respect for the Rooneys.
I don't think that makes him a quitter, just not the "young Cowher" he used to be. Few of us are. Maybe he was a tad bit too satisfied early in the year, I can grant you that.
Um, NOBODY who watches the Steelers blames that fumble on Coclough. Anybody who watched any Steelers game was aware that Ricardo Coclough couldn't field punts. He circled under them like a 10 year old trying to catch a fly ball, and then attempted to catch them overhand by trapping the ball against his face. Pittsburgh fans were mystified as to how he was in punt coverage in practice since he couldn't catch. Then why did Cowher have him feilding punts? EVERYONE knew that fumble was coming, except Cowher.
Had the Steelers been able to win one more game (say the turnover-laden Raider game or the OT game against Atlanta) they would be in the playoffs.
A game Cowher lost by burning a timeout with 30 seconds left and the clock stopped to "ice the kicker" (Morton Andersen even!!), then letting time run out when they were in field goal range and couldn't stop the clock. He also wasted a timeout by challenging a short TD run by Warrick Dunn in the first half that he was obviously wrong on. His clock mismanagement lost that game.
Thanks, you've ruined my off-season.
First, during the ND/LSU game Terry Bradshaw says that Brady Quinn would be a good fit for the Browns and now this.
I might as well root for the Lions.
(God, I know I've been asking for a lot lately but PLEASE don't let the Browns draft Brady Quinn)
Brady Quinn = The second coming of Ryan Leaf.
I hope the Lions get JaMarcus Russell. The guy could be every bit as good as Vince Young.
I was thinking the same thing. The Browns should give Romeo one more year to turn things around, and if it doesn't work out, give Cowher enough money to make Saban blush.
hey gator, THESE are the types of posts we like to see.
Go BROWNS!!!
Great picture of Faneca and The Jaw!
****
By the way, the headline ("Cowher is due to resign today, take 1-year off") is stone-*ss WRONG and misleading.
In the text it says, "He wants to take at least a one-year break from coaching".
I really hate misleading titles (but that's just me).
;-)
The Steelers were in the top 10 in offense and defense (for most of the season at least). The dumb penalites and turnovers killed this season, not otherwise poor play. Both these can be corrected by coaching to a great extent. Moreover, he made stupid coaching decisions this year, and even worse personnel decisions (e.g. cutting Chidi and keeping Morey and Staley, starting Ben in the Oakland game when he appeared concussed).
"I don't see this happening. I don't think Cowher would go to a division rival, out of respect for the Rooneys."
Prediction: I pray I'm wrong but Cowher goes to the Panthers for 2008 season.
Fox goes to the Giants.
Coughlin watches season from vacation home.
You heard it here first.
Russell looked like the real deal on Tuesday. Damn, he is one big dude and he can throw the ball a mile. Detroit would be good for him because he could sit behind Kitna for a year and learn how to play the game.
I pity the QB that gets drafted by the Raiders but I am rooting for them to pick Quinn so the Browns won't have an opportunity to do something dumb.
So that wasn't my best example, but of the many turnovers committed this year, you can't blame coaching for the bulk of them. They cost Pittsburgh games and they were not a sign of poor coaching.
You may quibble about trying to ice Andersen, but I recall the Steelers put the voodoo on the other kicker already on that same attempt and Andersen was called in to try a kick outside of his normal range.
Turnovers lost the Atlanta game. The Falcons got 21 points off Steelers turnovers, everything else was just seasoning.
Russell will outperform Young in the pros. He has a much better arm and his mobility is better suited to evading rushers in the pocket, rather than running vertically. I like the way he evades the pass rush while always looking downfield. He looks to me like Ben Roethlisberger with a stronger arm.
It's a good situation for Detroit, if Kitna had a serviceable OL, he would have made the Pro Bowl. The win over Dallas gives me some hope for next year. Kitna probably has two good years left, and then hopefully, if we get Russell, he'll be more than ready by then.
prediction=wishful thinking : )
That's why we Patriots fans love ol' Bill!
My understanding is that Cowher wants big bucks when he returns to coaching, and the Steelers simply aren't going to pay that kind of money.
That's right and I can't blame either side, they are doing what they need to do.
I wish Bill well, but I'm afraid he'll find out he left the best job in the world.
I agree with you. Time to put Kitna on my Fantasy Football late round draft list.
Looks like a special oylmpics poster.
Good, then we Steeler fans won't have to worry about him hoisting the Lombardi trophy for another franchise.
If anyone knows what I'm talking about, its Pats fans. He is simply incapable of winning a postseason game against Belichek - outcoached every time.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OOF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Interesting.
Thee was a time I would have said "no way", Gregg Williams has got that job when it opens up.
But, after the dismal defensive performance this year your prediction has more credibility.
Of course, the offense was also abysmal but they may have made inroads there. The defense is still in shambles.
Cowher-Skins-2008
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