AP: Cowher to call it quits on Friday

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While Cowher would be resigning with one season left on his contract, there is no indication he would retire from pro football. He said recently he is not close to being burned out, and still likes coaching and dealing with players.

Cowher is the NFL’s longest-tenured coach with his current team; Tennessee’s Jeff Fisher, with 13 seasons, is second. Cowher, a former Pittsburgh area high school player, is third among active coaches in regular-season victories with a 149-90-1 record, and fourth overall with a 161-99-1 record counting postseason games.

If he wants to return to a sideline immediately, with another team and at a much higher salary, that team would have to work out compensation with the Steelers because Cowher is under contract for 2007. But several players said they were certain that if Cowher didn’t coach the Steelers next season, he would not coach any team.

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Alums General NCS Football

13 Responses to AP: Cowher to call it quits on Friday

  1. BoKnowsNCS71 01/05/2007 at 8:42 AM #

    think its interesting that with all the “Fire Chuck — Hire Cowher” proponents on this site (and all the others) in past months that Bill clearly said that he had no interest in the State job.

    He has now made it crystal clear he is walking away from the Steelers job (with no awaiting job).

    So what’s the take on what Mr. Bill will do? Be an announcer? Be our new AD? (although we have one). Hold out for the Miami job? Hold out for more money somewhere else in the NFL? (Would that get him the same criticism as Sabin?) Or will he just sit in Raleigh, cut the grass, enjoy his kids and come to a NCSU game every now or then?

    No one’s been right yet on reading what Mr Bill will or won’t do — I sure as heck don’t know.

  2. highonlowe 01/05/2007 at 9:42 AM #

    Let the speculation begin.
    Cowher gets $4M/yr, that’s half what Holmgren earns in Seatle ($8M), the man he beat to win Super Bowl XL. Now, with so many vacancies opening up, (Miami), he could easily leveage big $ if he wants it. It should get interesting.

  3. BJD95 01/05/2007 at 9:56 AM #

    I really hope we see him at games this year, and he can be more a part of the program. We love him here, even if he will likely never be our coach.

  4. sautz 01/05/2007 at 10:07 AM #

    On the day that Saban takes the Bama job it makes me wonder how much Fowler talked to Cowher about the job here. There probably wasn’t a chance he’d take it, especially with the speculation he will take a year or so off then go back to the NFL for $8M or more, but in the back of my mind I wonder if SFNs interim coach idea may have worked…

  5. Dan 01/05/2007 at 10:18 AM #

    If nothing else, even an unofficial presence with the team will help exposure and maybe motivation.

  6. BoKnowsNCS71 01/05/2007 at 10:35 AM #

    Trying to put oneself in his shoes:

    If BC is burned out (although he says he isn’t) then a 1 year sabbatical doing nothing would solve the 1) contract issue and 2) provide the R&R he needs. I would still see him getting some announcing gigs throughout the year.

    If BC is looking for a higher payday then he may be doing this honorably. Giving the Roooney’s time to hire. Not taking another job for a year. Then he gets away from the contract issue until he is a free agent next year. Plus his kids get to see him for a year.

    No where in this do I see him ever becoming (or wanting the job as) the AD at State. I think that if that was in the cards, this would be more in the public realm. Unless there is some legal problem lingering from that last year on his Steeler contract.

    Option 2 seems to make more sense.

  7. NCSUwolfpack4Life 01/05/2007 at 10:41 AM #

    There was a story ran on ESPN that Cowher’s WIFE was the one who made the decision. She told Cowher last year after he won the superbowl that it’s either coaching or her. She took his daughter and came down to NC and SHE bought the $2mil dollar house in Raleigh and told him if he can’t come stay with his her and his daughter then she doesn’t care and she’s going to live in NC with their daughter and he can just live anywhere he wants to. Cowher didn’t want to leave the Steelers job, he didn’t want to leave the NFL… his wife did. This is why he wasn’t interested in the NCSU job, because his wife doesn’t want him coaching anymore. Take it or leave it.

  8. old13 01/05/2007 at 10:55 AM #

    Cowher for AD! . . . PLEASE!

  9. BoKnowsNCS71 01/05/2007 at 11:03 AM #

    The love connection. Interesting if true.

    As I recall, Jimmy Johnson upon leaving UM to go to the Dallas Cowboys opted to divorce his wife. The quote was that he did not have time for anyone or anything except the job. Not sure if she wanted to leave UM or not.

    If BC is doing this to appease his wife and child, he sure has his priorities in the right place. But it sure is hard to imagine any woman wanting to walk away from hubby making $4m per year to possible $8m in the future.

  10. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 01/05/2007 at 11:32 AM #

    If Bill does stay in coaching it would be nice if he could find a place on his staff for Chuck. Like many people I thought it was time for a change in Raleigh but Chuck deserves the opportunity to coach defense somewhere if he wants to.

  11. legacyman 01/05/2007 at 1:28 PM #

    It appears to me that Bill is taking a rest and is lobbying for a doubling of his current salary. He was said to be asking to be the highest paid NFL coach which would move him from 4MM to 8MM per year and Rooney wasn’t too hep on the financial thing. If that happens then it is clear why he wasn’t interested in the State job.

  12. redfred2 01/05/2007 at 3:15 PM #

    I have three daughters and an overbearing wife, but please tell me that the head coach of the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, and a guy like Bill Cowher, isn’t p* whipped! I need to retain some slight glimmer of hope for my own future.

  13. stlouiswufpacker 01/05/2007 at 7:35 PM #

    I think he’ll end up with the RedSkins or Panthers in ’08. Would make geographic sense anyway.

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