Falcons Coach Petrino Quits; Signs with Arkansas

[12thMan]

I hope the NFL learns it's lesson from this. It seems like most of these guys just don't have the emotional wherewithal to be good coaches in the NFL. You have to stick it out through the lean years to get to some winning ones. Look at Cleveland?

The notion that Petrino was hanging his hat on Mike Vick is absurd. The Falcons signed him to a multi-million dollar contract and accepted the terms of the deal with the understanding that this won't be an easy task; not this year, not next year, and maybe not year three.

It just seems like no one wants to take their lumps anymore. Everyone is in a win now mode, and to an extent I can understand that. Truthfully, there really is a fine line between 11-5 and 6-10 in the NFL. Most teams are probably 7 or 10 points away from having really good records.

This mentallity just sucks.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

I hope the NFL learns it's lesson from this. It seems like most of these guys just don't have the emotional wherewithal to be good coaches in the NFL. You have to stick it out through the lean years to get to some winning ones. Look at Cleveland?

The notion that Petrino was hanging his hat on Mike Vick is absurd. The Falcons signed him to a multi-million dollar contract and accepted the terms of the deal with the understanding that this won't be an easy task; not this year, not next year, and maybe not year three.

It just seems like no one wants to take their lumps anymore. Everyone is in a win now mode, and to an extent I can understand that. Truthfully, there really is a fine line between 11-5 and 6-10 in the NFL. Most teams are probably 7 or 10 points away from having really good records.

This mentallity just sucks.

I think there's just such a huge difference between coaching in college and coaching in the pros. The NFL is really a year round job now, and the time these guys put in each week is insane. They really have to dive head first into the job and everything else in their life is a distant 2nd on their list of priorities. And then there's the win now or else pressure the media and the fans demand.

I don't blame him at all for leaving.

But the way in which he did it really irks me. At least finish out the string. Don't quit with games on the schedule. I think it seriously calls into question his character.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I think there's just such a huge difference between coaching in college and coaching in the pros. The NFL is really a year round job now, and the time these guys put in each week is insane. They really have to dive head first into the job and everything else in their life is a distant 2nd on their list of priorities. And then there's the win now or else pressure the media and the fans demand.

I don't blame him at all for leaving.

But the way in which he did it really irks me. At least finish out the string. Don't quit with games on the schedule. I think it seriously calls into question his character.

True. I think you further expanded on what I was trying to say. It's not a nine to five like it used to be. But still, they know this from jump street. They know that the stakes are higher and so is the level of committment.

I just don't get how one minute a guy stands in front of a podium and say how he's "excited", inks a big deal, and six months later is waving good bye saying, this just 'aint for me.

Just to be fair, I think Petrino is probably a good man....and even a good coach. In the end I guess he just wasn't cut out for the NFL.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I think there's just such a huge difference between coaching in college and coaching in the pros. The NFL is really a year round job now, and the time these guys put in each week is insane. They really have to dive head first into the job and everything else in their life is a distant 2nd on their list of priorities. And then there's the win now or else pressure the media and the fans demand.

I don't blame him at all for leaving.

But the way in which he did it really irks me. At least finish out the string. Don't quit with games on the schedule. I think it seriously calls into question his character.

I think more importantly is the fact that in college you are coaching kids and in the NFL you are coaching men. It takes a whole different management style and it seems a lot of these coaches lack exactly that. The ability to manage their team from a personell standpoint. Rarely do they looked overmatched football-wise but they almost always seem to have troubles getting guys to play for them.

Even the successful ones like Jimmy Johnson basically was coaching a college team for the first few years. That team was insanely young and he was able to slowly mature his coaching style as they aged. Those types of teams don't exist anymore. Who was the last successful college coach?

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I think more importantly is the fact that in college you are coaching kids and in the NFL you are coaching men. It takes a whole different management style and it seems a lot of these coaches lack exactly that. The ability to manage their team from a personell standpoint. Rarely do they looked overmatched football-wise but they almost always seem to have troubles getting guys to play for them.

Even the successful ones like Jimmy Johnson basically was coaching a college team for the first few years. That team was insanely young and he was able to slowly mature his coaching style as they aged. Those types of teams don't exist anymore. Who was the last successful college coach?

It would seem you're right, Spurrier found out quickly that his mgmt. style didn't work in the nfl.

In college, coaches have both the NCAA & the university to back them up. Players are students first (I know, but in theory they are) & players 2nd. This gives coaches a lot of disciplinary discretion if they choose to use it. Add to that, players lose eligibility when they transfer in Div. 1, so there is a dis incentive to leave.

In the NFL, the players have a union & free agency. There are penalties the league can enforce on players, but coaches really have the burden of enforcing basic rules & sticking to them, and even then the players union is a strong legal advocate for players that can challenge coaching decisions.

[Rajmahal33]

Someone made the comment that college coaches are jerks and really dodgy...Spurrier, Saban, Les Miles, Petrino. Different sport but let's not forget Donovan. That was one of the biggest cop outs, I've ever heard of. Now look at the Orlando Magic, they are looking really good this year and I hope Donovan never gets back to the final four. He said he cried about the decision. FOR GOD'S SAKE, u are a grown ass man. Learn to evaluate a decision, make the right one, and stick with it. Chump

As for Petrino, his rap is that he can never stick around in a place for more than a few years so the Falcons had to have known about the risk. I thought it was funny that Arthur Blank was the guest on MNF in the booth this week and he made the comment that he was more confident over hiring Petrino now (2 days ago) than he was before the season started. The big picture is that the falcons are probably better off that Petrino resigned now rather than in the middle of hte offseason or even worse after the draft. At least they can start the rebuilding process and righting the ship as soon as possible. If u r a falcons fan, what do you have to look forward to though?

[RiggoDrill]

Who was the last successful college coach?

You already stated it, Jimmy Johnson. Unless you want to count Barry Switzer - although I would give a great deal of the credit to Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson for Switzer's NFL success. It is rare for college head coaches to find success in the NFL. As someone stated earlier, it's not really about football intelligence, but more about management style and people skills.

I have been trying to think of college coaches who had success in the NFL, and my list is painfully short and certainly open for debate. John MacKay coached very successfully at USC before taking over the expansion Buccaneers. After an 0-26 start, he had that team in the NFC championship game in their 4th season.
Other than Mackay, I can only think of failures - Lou Holtz, Butch Davis, Pete Carroll, John Robinson, Rich Brooks to name a few.

Petrino was in a bad situation from the start, the Falcons are a bad football team with a history of underperformance, so it was going to take a few years at least to get that thing pointed in the right direction.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by RiggoDrill

You already stated it, Jimmy Johnson. Unless you want to count Barry Switzer - although I would give a great deal of the credit to Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson for Switzer's NFL success. It is rare for college head coaches to find success in the NFL. As someone stated earlier, it's not really about football intelligence, but more about management style and people skills.

I have been trying to think of college coaches who had success in the NFL, and my list is painfully short and certainly open for debate. John MacKay coached very successfully at USC before taking over the expansion Buccaneers. After an 0-26 start, he had that team in the NFC championship game in their 4th season.
Other than Mackay, I can only think of failures - Lou Holtz, Butch Davis, Pete Carroll, John Robinson, Rich Brooks to name a few.

Petrino was in a bad situation from the start, the Falcons are a bad football team with a history of underperformance, so it was going to take a few years at least to get that thing pointed in the right direction.

Definitely Jimmy Johnson.

Switzer was a joke who totally road the coattails of JJ. That team basically coached itself that year. Aikman has pretty much said as much.