Firm Hand Indeed - Bill Cowher Thread

[cmmiller711]

Quit looking for reason when it comes to throwing names out there. I have seen the following names mentioned seriously:

Rush Probst
Bill Belichick
Bill Parcells

yeah... cuz bill belichick would leave the pros... not. if someone was really serious when they said any of those names, they need an MRI.

 

[Alanbama27]

Re: Official Bill Cowher Thread

Man I wish!!! :eek2: Actually if I could pick any coach in football right now it would be him. You talk about motivation and discipline, there would be no doubt who is charge. I can't even imagine his reaction to seeing Tubby holding up his little hand. :biggrin2: And can you imagine the o-line coming to the sideline after letting the DE fly by them and level JPW? They might actually go to the other sideline. But you are just teasing me, I don't think it would happen. But I can dream right?

Personally I don't see it happening either, but it seems as though there is at least a very small chance it could happen. IMHO the only way it happens is if Saban turns us down and Ozzie makes a phone call on our behalf. However, don't forget...Cowher would have to have left the Steelers as well, but that seems like a foregone conclusion to me at this point in time.

 

[BamaFan1961]

Didn't he turn down his AM, NCSt? Why would he consider Bama?

He wants to get him an SEC! :biggrin2:

 

[DiamondDust]

I'd file it under my pipe dream candidates. I'd love to have someone like Bill Cowher, but I'm also a realist.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I think more likely he wants him a vacation...

 

[BamaFan1961]

I think more likely he wants him a vacation...

I hear T-Town is the number one vacation spot for coaches. There is the Bryant Museum and other great attractions such as statues. :biggrin2:

 

[Boo Radley]

Imagine that mug in bronze on the B-D Plaza. :biggrin2:

 

[Bama323]

I agree that Cowher is very unlikely to come to Alabama. However, if he is tired of the NFL and wants a change and a new challenge, then why not Alabama? It wouldn't be as demanding as the NFL, because of the shorter season and limitations on practice time. Also, I'm sure he could afford a house in North Carolina AND in Tuscaloosa with the salary he would make.

 

[Hawk324]

"I feel very blessed to be in an organization that has been so supportive. I'm very fortunate, to say the least. When you look around the league, you recognize you're in a performance-now business. I'm lucky to have football people at the top (of the organization) that understand its hard to sustain that (high) level year in and year out."

"After the '98 and '99 seasons I wasnt sure I was going to still be here. But Mr. Rooney stuck with me." Bill Cower in an interview with Lindy's magazine prior to the 2006 season.

"Basically, if you think your people are doing a good job, the idea of keeping them is a real plus from many standpoints. You're going to have down times. Just because we dont make the playoffs one year doesn't mean that we'll make a change." Art Rooney in the same article prior to the 2006 season.

Ok, here's my question. Have feelings changed since Mr. Rooney and Bill Cower made those statements in the off-season? Why do some think Bill Cower is no longer happy at Pittsburgh? I've read in the paper that he was, but everything in the organization seemed to be great just prior to the 2006 season.

Yes, he'd be a terrific coach here imo, but why is he so unhappy now when he obviously loved the job earlier?

 

[bama61]

Let's get one thing straight. All of you who believe that the only reason he would leave Pittsburgh is because he's tired of coaching are completely out of touch with reality. The reason he IS CONSIDERING leaving Pittsburgh right now (read USA Today yesterday) is because he and the Rooney's don't get along at all and he has made the public statement that he will let everyone know if he's leaving Pittsburgh next week.

There was also an interview done with an NFL Insider who said "if Bill leaves Pittsburgh, I wouldn't be suprised if he showed up in Tuscaloosa."

As for your thoughts Earle, I disagree completely. Just because he wouldn't go to a lousy NC State, doesn't mean he won't come to a lousy Alabama. The reason is that he can look at Alabama and see the exact same situation he entered when he joined Pittsburgh. A team with a HUGE tradition that desperately wanted to return to glory. NC State has no such tradition!

Also, I am baffled why people think that the only school someone is interested in in their Alma Mater. Have all of you forgotten about Vince Dooley and Pat Dye? Alma Maters don't mean as much in coaching as people think.

With all due respect, and despite the fact there are few coaches I'd rather see in Tuscaloosa the Cowher, I have to agree with Earle. Cowher is a graduate of NC State as is his wife Kaye, who also played basketball for Kaye Yow there. They have only recently complete the construction of a new home in the Raleigh area and I have told by some State folks that his wife and youngest daughter are now residence. It seems unlikely that should he elect to enter the college coaching ranks it will be any where else other than at his AM.

 

[Hawk324]

Ok Mods, help me out. :biggrin:

I'm not gonna ask directly who the next Bama coach will be. Just tell me this. Tomorrow, should i pay closer attention to the Dolphins game, the Steelers game or the Bucs game?

 

[mjstide]

There has been a lot of talk about Cowher all over the radio stations down here. I Would personally love to have him. I think it is a low chance but according to the radio Bill Cowher's agent expects that if Saban turns down the offer that Bill will recieve an offer as well. The problems with Bill and the front office are still there, if you watched the Pitt game today all they talked about at the end was bill's future and how this could be his last game there. I dont think it is likely but i dont think it is as impossible as some think.

 

[Penn-Bama]

There has been a lot of talk about Cowher all over the radio stations down here. I Would personally love to have him. I think it is a low chance but according to the radio Bill Cowher's agent expects that if Saban turns down the offer that Bill will recieve an offer as well. The problems with Bill and the front office are still there, if you watched the Pitt game today all they talked about at the end was bill's future and how this could be his last game there. I dont think it is likely but i dont think it is as impossible as some think.

Being that I am a native Pittsburgher and currently live here; I have been watching this as closely as I have the Bama search for a new coach. Now one thing I can surely say is that I would probably pass out if Cowher was named Bama's coach. Talk about a dream come ture for me. For what it's worth there has not even been so much as a blip on the media radar here about him possibly coming to Bama, and I think if there were anything the local guys here might have caught wind of it.

As happy as Cowher coming to Bama would make me, and knowing people that work for the Steelers (I am friends witha couple of team scouts). I can honestly say that it is a extreme outside shot that he would come to Bama, I'm talking like 500:1 kind of outside shot. But it is most likely he will leave the Steelers and I guess anything is possible; and I would be thrilled if he came to Bama.

I also wan't to disspell some rumors I've read in this thread. #1 there is no tension between him and the Steelers ownership, the Rooney's were just getting a bit uncomfortable with the situation earlier this year. It was nothing big just a small "family" squabble so to speak. #2 The nature of the uneasiness came from that Cowher always renewed his contract with the Steelers with one year remaining, when he didn't do that the Rooney's were confused with his intentions. They thought he might jump to another team (Washington), and they were not happy about that. When they found out that he would retire, the whole thing calmed down. #3 The only tension that ever arose in Cowher time as coach came around the 1998-1999 seasons when he had a power struggle with Mark Donahue (sp?) at the time the director of operations. Cower won out Dona hue went to Buffalo and we see how thats worked out for both teams.

All in all if you're a Steelers fan; smart money around here says look for Ken Wisenhunt on the sideline next year. Also look for Cwher to be back in coaching in a few years, with a nice $8 mil + contract, most likely in Washington after Joe Gibbs leaves. With practically no Bama ties, unless Bill decides that is he really curious about college football there is really very little chance of him showing up in Tuscaloosa. But I'm hoping he does, stranger things have happened.

 

[Braveheart]

I laughed about the pictures above with him scowling because I watched the Steelers game yesterday vs the Bills and midway through the 4th quarter, one of his OL got penalized for some infraction and Cowher went NUTS with the scowl, yelling at the offending player, demanding he get over to the sidelines where Cowher went off on the guy. On a positive note, immediately after he went off on him, he apparently gently patted him on the helmet, so he must not have been TOO angry.

Still, that classic scowl is the way I'll always remember him. He's a great coach and I love his fire in the belly for the game. However, he's not coming to Bama. It's just not happening.