Building the Ideal NFL Head Coach
Jerod Brown attempts to build the perfect head coach
By Jerod Brown
The relatively dead period in the NFL has slowed down the news cycle significantly. That’s a good thing. June and July can be the most stressful months in the entire year for NFL head coaches and general managers. This year, players are generally avoiding arrests and maintaining a low profile, just as their coaches might hope.
Unfortunately, the break in action leaves every bit of news to become a headline. While waiting for teams to reconvene in late-July, fourth-string running back signings give us an excuse to evaluate rosters.
For a moment, rather than poking and prodding at every possible storyline, let’s take a break from analyzing the players, and instead analyze the coaches.
The list of incredible coaches, both currently in the NFL and previously, extend through nearly every franchise.
The common names like; Vince Lombardi, Bill Walsh, Paul Brown, John Madden and Bill Parcells are familiar to us. Each man consisting of his own makeup that helped him succeed, they are household names for a reason. Their teams won. In the NFL, the best way to be noticed is to be a winner.
In theory, coaching is an intersection of character that draws from leadership, intelligence, morality and confidence. Those qualities emanate from the best coaches that contribute to the NFL. Simultaneously, the best coaches offer much more than an on-field product. They are personalities and stars in their own right.
And yet, some head men never manage to introduce themselves as successful leaders. The combination of their qualities, and perhaps the talent on their rosters, hold them back from entering the conversation. These men, although highly valued for other reasons, rarely stay long in the NFL spotlight.
The aspects and characteristics of head coaches that make them unique and intriguing toggle between the tangible and intangible. The ability to lead NFL players is a unique skill set that draws from multiple personality types and combines in a cohesive manner–or a not-so-cohesive manner in some coaches.
In building the best possible NFL head coach, drawing from current coaches might provide a blueprint of an exciting, interesting and successful coach. Current head coaches in the NFL represent a diverse group of men that each hold unique qualities in addition to their own football knowledge.
If picking and pulling from the current pool of NFL coaches were possible, the potential to build a superstar coach would be immediate. Blending the skills of multiple men with the ability to scheme, teach, interact and lead would serve as a shining example of the best that the current coaches offer.
In looking for the skills that might create the “perfect” NFL coach, who might the hybrid draw from?
Bill Belichick’s Intelligence
Everyone knew this would be the primary characteristic that builds the perfect coach, right? Since becoming head coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick has routinely shown an ability to prepare his team and teach them the on-field necessities to be successful.
While his dealings with the media can often be curt and harsh, he is simply a man with an immense knowledge of the game of football and its rules. Players often leave the Patriots with an improved ability to prepare and diagnose because of the extreme expectations that Belichick places on his players. Those expectations are a direct result of his own preparation.
Malcolm Butler, the hero of Super Bowl 49, spoke about the film study and advice from Belichick that went into his understanding of what Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks might try to do in the redzone. Based on the offensive alignment, Butler knew his own role and duties that led to his game-sealing interception.
Sparing no tendencies in preparation, Belichick is versed in every nuance and detail. He excels at passing that along to his team. As a result, the New England Patriots are consistently at the top of the league.
Rex Ryan’s Media Presence
Remember that this is not a list of the best coaches, or the coaches that win the most. However, regardless of your opinion of Rex Ryan, the man gives one hell of an interview. Nearly every year, he comes out and predicts that his team will win the Super Bowl. In addition to that, he speaks with a passion that is evident.
Media members rarely have to dig or sift through Ryan’s interviews. He is serving up softballs for local media to enjoy as he prepares his team. While head coach of the New York Jets, Ryan’s team was on the HBO program Hard Knocks that follows a team through training camp. Ryan, in all of his boisterous glory, was a captivating character in the show.
While his teams manage to do just enough to keep his job, he is continually honest and authentic in his dealings with the media. Ryan is playful, loud, enthusiastic and engaged as he interacts with reporters. While some coaches seem uncomfortable in front of a camera or microphone, Ryan seems to actively seek an opportunity to speak. While that ability doesn’t translate to wins as often as he might like, it makes for one hell of a storyline.
Bruce Arians’ Style
Deion Sanders, perhaps one of the most exciting and watchable superstars the NFL has ever seen, once noted the connection between looking good and playing good. In an effort to save myself from butchering it, I’ll let Deion tell you himself.
Bruce Arians happens to almost always look good. Subsequently, his team has rapidly become one of the best teams in the NFL. With an offense that scores easily, and a defense that is fast, aggressive and suffocating, Arians’ confidence and swagger has trickled down to every bit of his roster.
While some coaches are trotting out to the sidelines in the same old dreary team sweater, Arians steps out like a man on a mission. His style, both on the sideline and among his colleagues, makes him noticeable from the moment he walks in the room. The correlation is clear; dress well to feel confident. Fortunately, Arians’ ability to clean up has blossomed into a personal confidence that has his team competing at the top of the NFC.
In building the ideal coach, a sense of confidence in appearance as the leader of a franchise is key. Nobody is ahead of Arians in that category. And it isn’t very close.
Mike Tomlin’s Relatability
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL at just 44 years old. Tomlin has the benefit of coaching for an organization that has managed to only have a handful of head coaches in its entirety. The steadiness of the organization has provided Tomlin security as he takes his lumps as a young coach.
Now, after nine years as the head coach, Tomlin has a clear plan as a leader. The Pittsburgh Steelers showed faith in hiring Tomlin after just one year as a defensive coordinator and he hasn’t disappointed. The team has made the playoffs six out of nine seasons, pointing to Tomlin’s ability to effectively lead despite his age.
Additionally, his youth and enthusiasm give him the ability to relate to the majority of his players. As one of the very few African American head coaches in the league, Tomlin represents a model of success. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ coach has personality on the sideline, in press conferences, and in the locker room.
While the grind of an NFL season can wear everyone down, Tomlin manages to continually keep his team engaged and in the race for the playoffs. He’s even managed to become the subject of an excellent gif in the meantime.
The success of NFL coaches is largely due to the roster that they either inherent or build throughout their time with a franchise. However, the unique characteristics that a coach brings along contributes to the potential for success.
In the case of some coaches, on-field success is only a piece of the equation that keeps them employed.
The NFL is weekly entertainment and, while coaches with tremendous knowledge are needed, other abilities factor into the hire-ability of any candidate. The men mentioned above, for multiple reasons, have managed to stand out in a group of men at the top of their respective profession.
While the coaching greats like Walsh and Landry were known for their wins, these men are carving out roles that spill far beyond the win-loss column. NFL fans are fortunate to have a mixed-bag of coaches that seemingly coexist in the same arena despite being vastly different.
In building the perfect coach, a little mixing and matching is required. The qualities that lead to success happen to show themselves all throughout the league.
Originally published at thereadoptional.com on June 27, 2016.
