Cowher’s Contract? Interim Solution?

General NCS Football108

Fanblogs.com had a nice comprehensive piece that will interest you.

The entry includes links to Pittsburgh newspapers that highlight Bill Cowher’s contractual status with the Steelers has him committed through next season. The newspapers also suggest that the Rooney family is probably not inclined to allow Cowher out of his contract to coach anywhere next season – including a college job.

Obviously this is just speculation and nobody knows what goes on behind the scenes. But, as much as the last seven years have seen the stars move closer to alignment for the dream of Bill Cowher coaching at NC State, it kind of feels like the stars could still be just one year a away from reaching optimal positioning.

With ^this said, allow me propose a potential solution and throw something out for fun. I realize that this is a stretch, but SFN is a fan site and this is what we do; we talk like fans and come up with fan-like scenarios.

Assumptions
First, we must assume for a moment that the following information and speculation is correct (some of which we KNOW is correct…but just run with it) :

* Consistent with many past public and private statements, Bill Cowher truly would like to end his coaching career as the head football coach of his alma mater, NC State University.

* Bill Cowher really would be willing to trade an NFL salary and job that will pay him north of $6 million per annum in the future for a different challenge on the college level that would pay him approximately $2 million a year.

* The Rooney’s will refuse to release Cowher to coach anywhere other than Pittsburgh in 2007.

* Kay Cowher and Bill Cowher would like to take a year off from coaching (2007) on any level before getting back into the game.

Proposed Solution
IF these three variable are all true AND Bill Cowher would commit to be NC State’s Head Football coach starting in 2008, then why wouldn’t NC State consider an INTERIM HEAD COACH for 2007?

If Cowher truly wants the job and the problem is truly nothing more than logistics, then why wouldn’t NC State consider an INTERIM HEAD COACH for 2007?

Stick with me here and think about this as I propose it.

This solution could achieve almost everything that both sides want. State gets its man AND Coach Cowher gets the job that he has previously indicated he wants while having the year of family time without the Rooney’s having any power over the situation? Aren’t ‘win-win’ scenarios the goal of all great solutions?

* Let’s be clear about one thing — this solution is predicated on public disclosure and knowledge that Coach Cowher would be leading the program in 2008. This public component of the recipe is vital to its potential success. This is not a suggestion that we tell the world that “Coach X” is taking over and then Cowher arrives in 2008. The world must know of the situation so that the assistants can be immediately staffed ‘permanently’ and so that the program can be recruiting to Coach Cowher’s presence and reputation immediately.

Try to think innovatively about this and realize that there may be very plausible solutions staring us in the face. I am going to talk about one coach (Jim Donnan) in this scenario but ask you to recognize that Donnan is simply an example of one of many potential coaches that may fit the proposed solution.

As SFN reported yesterday, Jim Donnan has been making a play at the NC State job. (Also, please don’t read anything into that other than the fact that Donnan has expressed an interest. As far as SFN has heard there is little to no reciprocation of interest from the NC State side)

Additionally, allow me to share a little something more that I find interesting – BEFORE Chuck Amato was fired, I was told by someone connected to a big Georgia booster that Donnan had made reference to this booster of his interest in the NC State job. But, what was most interesting is that Donnan had added a statement that he (paraphrased) “would even do the job on an interim basis if that is what State wanted”.

At the time I heard this I found this unprompted reference to being an interim coach interesting. Considering where we stand today, I find this fascinating.

We all know that IF Bill Cowher was ever going to be named head coach in Raleigh that he would have to bring with him an experienced and highly-qualified COLLEGE staff. The two pieces of the puzzle that are going to be most vital for Cowher will be: (1) an assistant who can help him maneuver the college system and (2) a keen COLLEGE offensive coordinator.

Well…who does that describe? If Jim Donnan would be willing to be the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator when Cowher arrives would you NOT want to take this package deal?

NC State fans who love what Paul Johnson did at the Division 1-AA level certainly can’t complain with this idea. Like Johnson, Jim Donnan also won a 1-AA National Championships and 2 Coach of the Year honors while successfully scaring the hell out of Division One teams at Marshall. He also succeeded on a much higher level at Georgia than Johnson has at just Navy. (Donnan was 40-19 overall and 25-15 in the SEC)

In addition to coaching at Florida State, Donnan was the Offensive Coordinator of Oklahoma’s high powered offenses from 1985-1989 when the Sooners won 49 games, including 27 straight Big Eight contests and the 1985 National Championship.

Donnan is currently a part-time ESPN announcer who is not going to get another Head Coaching gig unless he does something else first. Even if he only wants to use the interim job as a stage to get another head job then what harm is there? State would get one of the best head coaches of the 1980s and 1990s on our sideline who is obviously driven to succeed as much as he can with his opportunity. I’ve got no problem with that. If he stays then you get Donnan’s offensive success and knowledge of the college game packaged with Bill Cowher’s Super Bowl trophy and NFL success That ain’t too bad.

Again, remember that these suggestions are designed to be ‘win-win’ for all involved and:

* are obviously based on a situation where Cowher is committed to NC State but the logistics can’t immediately come together

* use Jim Donnan as a specific example that fits the proposed solution. There obviously could be many other coaches that also fit the solution.

Talk to me. Why wouldn’t we do this? Tell me what you think!

General NCS Football

108 Responses to Cowher’s Contract? Interim Solution?

  1. DIXIE Wolf 11/29/2006 at 1:59 PM #

    Do whatever it takes to land Cowher.

  2. RAWFS 11/29/2006 at 1:59 PM #

    ^ That’s an interesting conspiracy theory but one erroneously based on the idea that the big donors and athletic director care about what fans think. Keep in mind that the AD calls places like this “internet chatter” from “the lunatic fringe” and so forth and so on.

  3. beowolf 11/29/2006 at 2:06 PM #

    Oh, RAWFS, that’s just to provide plausible deniability, as you well know.

    P.S. Elvis, Amelia, Karl and Big-Foot says it’s your turn to bring the sammiches.

  4. ibleedred 11/29/2006 at 2:07 PM #

    But you have to admit lunatic fringe sounds cool, it really rolls off the tongue

  5. for2n8son 11/29/2006 at 2:15 PM #

    ^”That’s an interesting conspiracy theory but one erroneously based on the idea that the big donors and athletic director care about what fans think. ”

    Based on what has happened in the last year due to fan dissatisfaction , I bet they do care. Big money is great, but it takes a bunch of us little guys to fill in the gaps on budgets.

  6. RAWFS 11/29/2006 at 2:39 PM #

    Beo, will Jim Morrison be there this time? My wife thinks he’s still sexy-cool and that combo he fronts with Kurt Cobain…man…are they good! I still think the Remington Blowhards is a great name for a band, too.

  7. ldr of pk 75 11/29/2006 at 3:13 PM #

    Seems I’ve heard before that one of the Rooney clan was a State student/grad in the late 30’s early 40’s. Maybe wrong but… if true is there a way they might help make BC happen? Costly more than likely. I like the Donnan bridge to Cowher. I’m growing old and a tad senile, what are the bridges Donnan burned here?

  8. Running Wolf 11/29/2006 at 3:29 PM #

    O.K….this is very interesting and I like the idea but for different reasons…I don’t buy the idea that if BC wants to leave the Steelers that the Rooney’s would not let him out of his contract…the last thing any Team needs is a lame duck last year coach not wanting to be there… However, the idea makes more since because BC might like a year off and if all parties agree then you lock in JD or who ever fits that spot to a three year deal…one as HC and the other 2 years as Asso., HC/OC IMHO. 😉

  9. pack7483 11/29/2006 at 3:50 PM #

    watch WTVD tonight at 6pm………Bill Cowher will be on

  10. legacyman 11/29/2006 at 3:57 PM #

    If we were going to have an interim coach then we should have let Chuck stay one more year and then resign gracefully. That would have been a better plan than the firing crap we just went through. Donnan doesn’t do it for me…I remember his history.

  11. pack7483 11/29/2006 at 3:59 PM #

    should have said he will be on LIVE at 6pm on WTVD

  12. RAWFS 11/29/2006 at 4:19 PM #

    75 IIRC, Donnan stomped out of CFS with his Marshall team claiming that they were cheated after a fourth quarter comeback by State snatched a win from them.

    I was at the game and remember feeling rather glum almost the entire time…execept during the comeback.

    Other guys can add more.

  13. 98st8 11/29/2006 at 4:22 PM #

    is someone there interviewing him?

  14. pack7483 11/29/2006 at 4:27 PM #

    cowher says no……it is now on PackPride.com

  15. CarnifeX 11/29/2006 at 4:30 PM #

    any more detail pack?

  16. pack7483 11/29/2006 at 4:34 PM #

    he basically said, “i am flattered, but i am NOT a candidate for the job”.

  17. highonlowe 11/29/2006 at 4:42 PM #

    From Tuesday’s update:
    We are expecting this “search” to be pretty quick and pretty painless.

    It now looks as thought things are evolving as it has appeared they would – if Bill Cowher says no then Paul Johnson is the man. We expect that NC State will receive an answer from Bill Cowher by the end of the week (likely Thursday or Friday).

    Well, Cowher just said no. Is Paul Johnson still the man?

  18. CarnifeX 11/29/2006 at 4:43 PM #

    b/c I am still in the middle of a season? or b/c I’m a high rolla now bitches?

  19. xcharbo 11/29/2006 at 4:44 PM #

    It’s done… Mediocraty returns to the NCSU football program… It really sucks, b/c Cowher would have been a great fit…

    http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/today/s_481956.html

    Besides the names listed, are there any other NCSU alums coaching football? Isn’t the guy at Marshall from NCSU?

  20. highonlowe 11/29/2006 at 4:46 PM #

    ^ its been here since Rivers left charbo

  21. GAWolf 11/29/2006 at 5:13 PM #

    Hate to say it… but we weren’t spectacular when Rivers was here either. Anything that’s not competing for a national or conference championship is pretty much “mediocre.”

    This isn’t the end of the world… did you really expect he would come here? I didn’t.

  22. Wolfpack4ever 11/29/2006 at 5:35 PM #

    Dan Says: ” I’m not even sure how Cowher could even begin to assemble a staff if he isnt officially the coach. The idea is absurd when you start to think of the actual running of the program.”

    What’s absurd is the way the program was run this year.” I love Chuck but the wheels came off this year.

  23. rky 11/29/2006 at 5:37 PM #

    Great point, GAWolf. Let’s not get all gloomy. The reality of the situation was that BC would not come. Now we know. Let’s move on and look forward to a new coach. Just because we didn’t get the big prize does not mean we are inevitably screwed.

  24. Wolfpack4ever 11/29/2006 at 5:38 PM #

    for2n8son Says: “Based on what has happened in the last year due to fan dissatisfaction , I bet they do care.”

    What happened last year due to fan dissatisfaction?

  25. GAWolf 11/29/2006 at 5:41 PM #

    If Fowler was in charge of this search and we would get publicly played for raises at every major university in the country, I’d be gloomy about this announcment. Otherwise, this gives Neinas a chance to earn his cash.

    Geterdid, Maker of Kings… or whatever your handle is big man.

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