{"id":335827,"date":"2011-03-24T10:09:28","date_gmt":"2011-03-24T10:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-03-24T10:09:28","modified_gmt":"2011-03-24T10:09:28","slug":"difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Difficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

NEW ORLEANS (AP)\u2014Welcome to the NFL head coaching fraternity, gentlemen.
\nBy the way, you can\u2019t talk to your players, install new schemes or go after free
\nagents right now.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not exactly what the rookie coaches bargained for. With the lockout,
\nit\u2019s what they\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a most damaging dynamic to teams starting anew such as the 49ers,
\nBrowns, Panthers and Broncos who went completely outside their organization to
\nhire a new head man. At least Denver grabbed a grizzled veteran in John Fox, who
\nwon a conference title during his nine seasons in charge in Carolina. Jim
\nHarbaugh in San Francisco, Pat Shurmur in Cleveland and Ron Rivera in Carolina
\nare newbies.<\/p>\n

The new coaches in Tennessee (Mike Munchak), Oakland (Hue Jackson),
\nMinnesota (Leslie Frazier) and Dallas (Jason Garrett) either were with those
\norganizations last year or, in Frazier\u2019s and Garrett\u2019s cases, actually took over
\nas interim coaches in 2010. So their handicap isn\u2019t quite as severe.<\/p>\n

Still, the lockout is a hindrance as all eight of them try to rebuild
\nstruggling teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s given us a little disadvantage,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cYou want to have the
\nteam around and your veteran guys so you get a sense or a feel for what they do.
\nThere will always be a learning curve and now it\u2019s steeper.\u201d<\/p>\n

More like a slippery slope. Rivera couldn\u2019t put in place his offensive and
\ndefensive systems. He can\u2019t identify who the key players will be on his roster
\nbecause of all the turnover required in Carolina. He can\u2019t chase free agents to
\nfill some of the massive holes on both lines.<\/p>\n

Teams aren\u2019t exactly dead in the water because all 32 of them are preparing
\nfor the draft, which was protected under the collective bargaining agreement
\nthat expired on March 11. But it\u2019s hardly business as usual.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to be fluid, be ready as time goes on,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cThe bottom
\nline that we talk about is we have to be ready to play and adjust to whatever
\nthe situation winds up being.\u201d<\/p>\n

The longer the work stoppage, though, the more difficult it will be for the
\nnew guys. Except in Dallas and Cleveland, the quarterback scenario is in flux.
\nIt\u2019s possible the starter whenever the season begins\u2014if there is a 2011 season
\n\u2014 isn\u2019t even on the roster in San Francisco, Minnesota, Tennessee or Carolina.<\/p>\n

New coordinators in most of those cities have little familiarity with their
\nplayers. No matter how quick a study they might be, an assistant coach\u2019s film
\nwork doesn\u2019t replace hands-on teaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coaches are getting plenty of time to get ready for that,\u201d Munchak
\nsaid with a chuckle. \u201cYou have to be smart about it. Let your staff do what it
\ndoes best, let your coordinators do what they are comfortable with, nothing
\ndrastic. You don\u2019t want to be switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oops. That\u2019s almost what Fox is doing as he moves from Carolina to Denver;
\nthe Broncos are switching to the 4-3.<\/p>\n

But Fox also knows his way around the league, going 73-71 with the Panthers
\nand losing the 2004 Super Bowl to New England.<\/p>\n

\u201cRetread,\u201d he said with a loud laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a chance to meet our players early on. I\u2019ve watched plenty of tape.
\nI think system-wise offensively we\u2019re not much different since our offensive
\ncoordinator from a year ago will be back again. Defensively we\u2019ve got some
\n(coaches) back, but there\u2019s no doubt we\u2019ve got an adjustment as we go 4-3.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut again, these things are not rocket science.\u201d<\/p>\n

They can be complex, though, when someone is coming from the college ranks
\nand has been out of the NFL since 2003. Harbaugh, who spent 14 years as a pro
\nquarterback for five teams, comes from coaching bloodlines. His father Jack has
\nspent more than four decades on the sideline, and brother John has led the
\nRavens to the playoffs in all three seasons in charge in Baltimore.<\/p>\n

For the new 49ers coach, who chose San Francisco over Miami\u2014or remaining
\nat Stanford or going back to his alma mater, Michigan\u2014the biggest challenge is
\nto stay positive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t do any good to get frustrated and I wish I could be with the
\nplayers right now,\u201d said Harbaugh, who is finishing up his playbook and
\npreparing for the draft. \u201cThe thing I was most looking forward to coaching in
\nthe National Football League was being back with those guys. The pros.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll happen. But they\u2019ll be back. We\u2019ll be back with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

When that occurs, the Niners in many ways will be starting from scratch. The
\nother three teams in the division\u2014Seattle, St. Louis and Arizona\u2014are far
\ndeeper into their systems, their staffs far more familiar with the players.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody seems to agree that it\u2019s a disadvantage for first-year
\ncoaches,\u201d Harbaugh said. \u201cIt probably is. But we\u2019ll find a way to overcome it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love being in uncharted waters. There is something about it.
\nThere\u2019s more of a challenge to it. Maybe it\u2019s because I grew up in 12 different
\ntowns before I graduated from high school, I don\u2019t know. Something about it, I
\njust feel more comfortable when it\u2019s the uncharted waters.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

See more here:
\nDifficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW ORLEANS (AP)\u2014Welcome to the NFL head coaching fraternity, gentlemen. By the way, you can\u2019t talk to your players, install new schemes or go after free agents right now. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-335827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nDifficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP) - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Difficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP) - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"NEW ORLEANS (AP)\u2014Welcome to the NFL head coaching fraternity, gentlemen. By the way, you can\u2019t talk to your players, install new schemes or go after free agents right now.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ghanamma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ghanamma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Difficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP)\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-03-24T10:09:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/\"},\"wordCount\":914,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/\",\"name\":\"Difficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP) - Ghanamma.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-03-24T10:09:28+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/\",\"name\":\"Ghanamma.com\",\"description\":\"News In Ghana - Latest Ghana News Headlines\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Difficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP) - Ghanamma.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Difficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP) - Ghanamma.com","twitter_description":"NEW ORLEANS (AP)\u2014Welcome to the NFL head coaching fraternity, gentlemen. By the way, you can\u2019t talk to your players, install new schemes or go after free agents right now.","twitter_image":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif","twitter_creator":"@ghanamma","twitter_site":"@ghanamma","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Difficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP)","datePublished":"2011-03-24T10:09:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/"},"wordCount":914,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/","name":"Difficult welcome for new NFL coaches (AP) - Ghanamma.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif","datePublished":"2011-03-24T10:09:28+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/24\/difficult-welcome-for-new-nfl-coaches-ap\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/42590c7ei.gif"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/","name":"Ghanamma.com","description":"News In Ghana - Latest Ghana News Headlines","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}