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Why did Jim Fassel never get another chance?

Captplanet : 1/4/2017 8:26 am
This is the time of year that old coaches become new again. We will hear about several coaches who never won a Superbowl, or even taken a team to a Superbowl. Yet they will get a second/third chance at running a team. Why did Jim Fassel never get a second chance? I'm not saying he should have a chance now, but I've always wondered why?
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Cruzin  
Big Blue '56 : 1/4/2017 8:27 am : link
might be able to fill you in on that..😜
Hookers,  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 1/4/2017 8:27 am : link
and broken dreams.
Several years ago  
mrvax : 1/4/2017 8:33 am : link
Fassel interviewed for the Redskins HC job they eventually gave to some unknown college coach.

It was said at the time that Fassel came off as arrogant.
most head coaches are arrogant  
Captplanet : 1/4/2017 8:36 am : link
Plus, you would think the NFL would not have an issue with a coach, who has his own boat and loves hookers.
it's very  
area junc : 1/4/2017 8:39 am : link
strange. IIRC Jim Zorn was the guy they chose over Fassell and he never got another interview

the NFL owners are definitely a boys club, there had to be an understanding (as there was with La'el Collins)
He did something to piss off Wellington Mara.  
an_idol_mind : 1/4/2017 8:40 am : link
He also had a poor working relationship with Accorsi.

Beyond that, I don't think details have ever really been verified.
RE: it's very  
an_idol_mind : 1/4/2017 8:42 am : link
In comment 13304045 area junc said:
Quote:
strange. IIRC Jim Zorn was the guy they chose over Fassell and he never got another interview

the NFL owners are definitely a boys club, there had to be an understanding (as there was with La'el Collins)


IIRC, Fassel almost had the Redskins job twice. The first time, Gibbs came out of retirement. The second time, he had already started assembling his staff, including Zorn as offensive coordinator. Then Snyder pulled the rug out from under him by hiring Zorn as head coach.
an idol mind  
area junc : 1/4/2017 8:44 am : link
while all of that may be true, obviously JF isn't the only coach to ever piss off the owner or not work with the GM well.

we are talking about a coach who got to the Super Bowl, well-liked by his players, was a known QB guru and had some excellent assistant coach hires.

i can't recall a more successful guy who never got another chance
He wasn't the same coaching legend  
Route 9 : 1/4/2017 8:45 am : link
Like Jeff Fisher was/is
Taking away the off the field stuff  
Bobby Humphrey's Earpad : 1/4/2017 8:46 am : link
His team looked unprepared in the Super Bowl in which he coached, with several players throwing him under the bus afterward for the game plan.

His own friend dismissed him in Baltimore, and the word was that the commitment wasn't there to the job but to prepare for another HC gig. His interviews with Buffalo and Washington went well, and he had the Skins job before Danny Boy changed his mind due to public backlash and hired Zorn.

Unfortunately, I think Jim's time has passed. He should've went back to college and coached at a Pac-12 school.
Off the field stuff  
JonC : 1/4/2017 8:47 am : link
never left his reputation, in addition to BHE's post.
The success that got Fassel the Giants job  
JonC : 1/4/2017 8:49 am : link
was 20 years ago ... he's done little since the Giants let him go.
.....  
Route 9 : 1/4/2017 8:49 am : link
Maybe it was just me but I always looked at Jim Fassel as, kind of ...a joke? Sure. He got the Giants to the Super Bowl in 2000, but I could never take him seriously and didn't cry when he was fired after the 2003 season. Getting to the Super Bowl was cool, but that game vs Baltimore was a pure fucking embarrassment.
I remember the whole Fassel in DC thing  
jcn56 : 1/4/2017 8:51 am : link
They put out rumors that Fassel was the next HC (as they were planning his staff with him), and the outrage from the fan base caused them to go with his choice for OC instead, Jim Zorn.

Fassel recaps the whole mess at the link below.

Personally, I think Fassel had some off the field problems that he carried into the room with him. He was allegedly a big partier/drinker, there were rumors that he didn't get the team prepared appropriately for XXXV because he was too busy celebrating, and his stop in Baltimore with Billick ended in him being fired because he apparently wasn't taking the job seriously, figuring he was too good for it. That kind of shit is not going to get you hired at that level.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2015/01/14/jim-fassel-remembers-when-he-was-supposed-to-get-the-redskins-head-coaching-job/ - ( New Window )
I'm not sure what the off-the-field stuff was  
Mike from SI : 1/4/2017 8:51 am : link
but it's always hinted at here.
Booze, boats, extra-marital fun  
JonC : 1/4/2017 8:52 am : link
etc.
RE: Off the field stuff  
Bobby Humphrey's Earpad : 1/4/2017 8:52 am : link
In comment 13304060 JonC said:
Quote:
never left his reputation, in addition to BHE's post.


I would again like to point out that Sean Payton in his tenure in NO has done much more off-the-field dirt than what got Gentleman Jim blacklisted by the Maras. Time, place and who your friends are, I guess.
He stunk as a headcoach, that is why  
SomeFan : 1/4/2017 8:52 am : link
That is why. Was lucky to gave a very talented defense ang good coordinators.
He did win  
Giants_ROK : 1/4/2017 8:53 am : link
back to back championships with the Las Vegas Locomotives.

Shocking that those didn't translate to another head coaching job. (not really)
And his off field antics  
SomeFan : 1/4/2017 8:54 am : link
could not be offset by his coaching which was shitty
George Young hired him because GY  
SomeFan : 1/4/2017 8:58 am : link
like to hire people who had previously worked for the GMen. He felt he knew them but he was stupid here as he didn't really know Fassel - see off field antics. The other reason he hired Fassel was to fix the unfixable and that was Dave Brown. Brown was a nice kid but a bad NFL QB and not NFL starter quality and not a guy that would ever sniff the SB.
RE: an idol mind  
an_idol_mind : 1/4/2017 9:07 am : link
In comment 13304055 area junc said:
Quote:
while all of that may be true, obviously JF isn't the only coach to ever piss off the owner or not work with the GM well.

we are talking about a coach who got to the Super Bowl, well-liked by his players, was a known QB guru and had some excellent assistant coach hires.

i can't recall a more successful guy who never got another chance


I think it might be a bit different when it comes to Mara, who had a ton of pull with owners. He wasn't normally a guy who said much, but when he did he got people to listen.

It's very small, but here's what I could find regarding Mara giving a poor reference when Fassel was interviewing with the Bills:

Multiple sources confirmed that Giants owner Wellington Mara called Bills owner Ralph Wilson before Jim Fassel interviewed with Buffalo. Mara and Wilson have been friends for years, and Mara wanted to warn Wilson of Fassel's 'occasional questionable' off-field behavior that had embarrassed New York management at times during Fassel's tenure.
Old URL - ( New Window )
RE: RE: Off the field stuff  
mrvax : 1/4/2017 9:12 am : link
In comment 13304079 Bobby Humphrey's Earpad said:
Quote:


I would again like to point out that Sean Payton in his tenure in NO has done much more off-the-field dirt than what got Gentleman Jim blacklisted by the Maras. Time, place and who your friends are, I guess.


They will cut you slack if you're the guy bringing the hydrocodine.

RE: He stunk as a headcoach, that is why  
Section331 : 1/4/2017 9:15 am : link
In comment 13304082 SomeFan said:
Quote:
That is why. Was lucky to gave a very talented defense ang good coordinators.


He was a better coach than you give him credit for. Unlike, say, Jeff Fischer, he was intimately involved in offensive game planning, and called plays for most of his tenure here. I'm not saying he was Vince Lombardi reincarnated, but far worse coaches got more chances than Fassell did.

I think Wellington let all owners know that Fassell couldn't be trusted, and owners didn't want to risk hiring him. By the time Wellington had passed, Fassel's time had, as well.
because he's a doosh. and a megalomaniac. and his teams  
Victor in CT : 1/4/2017 9:16 am : link
were notoriously undisciplined.

But all that said, if an asshole like Rex Ryan can get a second job immediately after getting canned, Fassel surely deserved a 2nd chance.
Work ethic, arrogance and hookers  
Ron Johnson 30 : 1/4/2017 9:16 am : link
But I disagree he was a crappy coach. I think he's better than several currently working.
people mention the super bowl  
Les in TO : 1/4/2017 9:16 am : link
but they conveniently neglect the 41-0 epic beatdown of a talented Vikings team two weeks prior or winning the nfc east in his first season with the legandary danny kanell and dave brown as his QBs.

ultimately while he was a good strategist and great QB coach, he had too many epic collapses, stinkers and upset losses against backup quarterbacks/inferior opponents that demonstrated his team was not always prepared.
RE: George Young hired him because GY  
Giants2012 : 1/4/2017 9:20 am : link
In comment 13304098 SomeFan said:
Quote:
like to hire people who had previously worked for the GMen. .


Well, Mara wanted Parcells back yet Young had already offered the job to Fassel.

Can you imagine what could have happened?

Belichick followed Parcells. Parcells could have returned to the Giants and Belichick could have taken over.

We made out ok but, ya know.
RE: RE: RE: Off the field stuff  
Bobby Humphrey's Earpad : 1/4/2017 9:21 am : link
In comment 13304121 mrvax said:
Quote:
In comment 13304079 Bobby Humphrey's Earpad said:


Quote:




I would again like to point out that Sean Payton in his tenure in NO has done much more off-the-field dirt than what got Gentleman Jim blacklisted by the Maras. Time, place and who your friends are, I guess.



They will cut you slack if you're the guy bringing the hydrocodine.


Vicodin!
RE: RE: RE: RE: Off the field stuff  
mrvax : 1/4/2017 9:23 am : link
In comment 13304138 Bobby Humphrey's Earpad said:
Quote:


Vicodin!


Vicodin = hydrocodine
Technically  
mrvax : 1/4/2017 9:25 am : link
it's hydrocodone.
RE: George Young hired him because GY  
Ron Johnson 30 : 1/4/2017 9:30 am : link
In comment 13304098 SomeFan said:
Quote:
like to hire people who had previously worked for the GMen. He felt he knew them but he was stupid here as he didn't really know Fassel - see off field antics. The other reason he hired Fassel was to fix the unfixable and that was Dave Brown. Brown was a nice kid but a bad NFL QB and not NFL starter quality and not a guy that would ever sniff the SB.


He was considered by many to be the next Bill Walsh. He was in demand and could waited for several jobs.

I also think the way he treated Sean Payton hurt him. It worked short term but he lost some credibility. Strahan rebelling while he was at his Mom's funeral was a black mark. The chips speech was a low point in NFL history.
Wait, a low point in NFL history?  
jcn56 : 1/4/2017 9:31 am : link
A speech about him being all in on his team's playoff chances, vs. Rae Carruth gunning down his pregnant girlfriend or Ray Rice knocking out his wife in an elevator?

You know what a low point is, right?
Any video of Hamilton "hold"  
Elisthebest : 1/4/2017 9:34 am : link
in SB? Game changer for Fassel, both in game and carreer
Fassel  
Pete in MD : 1/4/2017 9:38 am : link
blames then Redskins' GM Vinny Ceratto for what happened the second time when they hired Zorn. Apparently, Zorn was Cerrato's guy who he talked Fassel into hiring as OC if Jim got the HC job but then Vinny got nervous because he thought Zorn would be poached by another team "within a year" so he talked Snyder into hiring Zorn over Fassel.

Well, Zorn was and disaster and was shown the door along with Cerrato. On a side note, Vinny does a sportstalk show here in Baltimore and comes off like a complete tool.
RE: RE: George Young hired him because GY  
Victor in CT : 1/4/2017 9:38 am : link
In comment 13304135 Giants2012 said:
Quote:
In comment 13304098 SomeFan said:


Quote:


like to hire people who had previously worked for the GMen. .



Well, Mara wanted Parcells back yet Young had already offered the job to Fassel.

Can you imagine what could have happened?

Belichick followed Parcells. Parcells could have returned to the Giants and Belichick could have taken over.

We made out ok but, ya know.



aaah, what might have been.
After what happened on the party boat...  
arcarsenal : 1/4/2017 9:40 am : link
That was pretty much it.
Fassel's Superbowl downfall....  
Racer : 1/4/2017 9:48 am : link
..was a lot like Bill Callahan's with Oakland against Tampa Bay. You don't reduce the opportunities to do what you do well simply because it's 'the big game'. The players just aren't going to buy in, and in both cases, the players were really pissed off. Amani Toomer or Rich Gannon were both pretty vocal on Sirius in the last couple of years on the subject.
maybe everyone realized he was a fraud  
upstatenyg : 1/4/2017 9:48 am : link
he got lucky because he had sean payton and john fox for the SB team. i think it is well accepted the sean payton's offense, which he carried forward to NO is what helped Kerry Collins in the playoffs that year.

RE: Wait, a low point in NFL history?  
Ron Johnson 30 : 1/4/2017 9:52 am : link
In comment 13304160 jcn56 said:
Quote:
A speech about him being all in on his team's playoff chances, vs. Rae Carruth gunning down his pregnant girlfriend or Ray Rice knocking out his wife in an elevator?

You know what a low point is, right?


You know what hyperbole is, right?
RE: most head coaches are arrogant  
BMac : 1/4/2017 9:53 am : link
In comment 13304042 Captplanet said:
Quote:
Plus, you would think the NFL would not have an issue with a coach, who has his own boat and loves hookers.


Man in the boat overboard!
RE: Fassel's Superbowl downfall....  
Victor in CT : 1/4/2017 9:54 am : link
In comment 13304190 Racer said:
Quote:
..was a lot like Bill Callahan's with Oakland against Tampa Bay. You don't reduce the opportunities to do what you do well simply because it's 'the big game'. The players just aren't going to buy in, and in both cases, the players were really pissed off. Amani Toomer or Rich Gannon were both pretty vocal on Sirius in the last couple of years on the subject.


Great point. It was a chicken shit game plan, neck and neck with Dan Reeves' fetal position offense at SF in 1993. 2 of the most disgraceful Giants performances in my lifetime.
i don't buy the party boat  
Les in TO : 1/4/2017 9:56 am : link
thing as the deciding factor. that allegedly happened in the 1999 offseason. he was never arrested. he coached the team for 3 more years. I think the 2002 collapse to san fran and the 2003 injury plagued 4-12 season were the major reasons. it came down to the bottom line of team's performance. if the giants held on against the 49ers in 2002, I think he would have coached the team in 2004.

if every coach or player who ever had some fun on a party boat or cheated on their spouse was blackballed from the league, there wouldn't be enough players to form 32 teams.

I think there may be some truth to how he did not perform as an assistant in Baltimore as a major reason he was never hired again as a HC.
The SB game changer  
BobOnLI : 1/4/2017 10:49 am : link
was when fat Tony flopped on Collins and dislocated his left shoulder. I still don't know how Collins was able to stay in the game.
RE: He stunk as a headcoach, that is why  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 1/4/2017 11:42 am : link
In comment 13304082 SomeFan said:
Quote:
That is why. Was lucky to gave a very talented defense ang good coordinators.


You forget how terrible our offense was when he became head coach. He managed to get us a capable QB in Kerry Collins, and helped him turn his life around.

Also, very good coaches surround themselves with great coordinators. He had John Fox and Sean Payton. Both very successful coaches.
What Fassel did  
PaulN : 1/4/2017 11:45 am : link
Was unforgiveable to the Mara's, I will say that. It is not just another off the field thing and has nothing to do with any fucking boat. But people are correct when they assume if he had won the Superbowl and there were not any total sideline meltdowns during playoff games, maybe the Mara'a would have had to figure out what to do. Fassel made it easy.

After the Giants he interviewed poorly and when given an opportunity with the Ravens he had a bad attitude even with his buddy who hired him, he was bitter. Maybe rightfully, but that is it in a nutshell.
what did he do with his boat and hookers?  
upstatenyg : 1/4/2017 11:51 am : link
I really haven't heard this before.
Fassel got some mediocre Giants teams to play hard for him  
mfsd : 1/4/2017 11:52 am : link
and overachieve. We won a division in 97 with Danny Kanel at QB, for example.

IMO he was a better coach than he often gets credit for - but his tenure was also marred by some epic meltdowns - 97 playoffs vs Vikings, no-show in the Super Bowl, 2002 wild card game in SF.

Still, all things being equal if it were based on coaching ability alone, he would have gotten another shot. The rumors of arrogance, being unprepared and extra marital shenanigans clearly dogged him
Morals and extra baggage.  
Ivan15 : 1/4/2017 12:03 pm : link
The Maras probably cringed with him as HC but weren't about to get rid of him as long as he was successful.
^^^^^^^^^^This is the case  
HBart : 1/4/2017 12:05 pm : link
Fassel got impressive results considering what he had to work with. Case in point: Matt Bryant. We hired him because we were so tight against the cap we couldn't afford anyone who made more than rookie minimum. He kicked great till out punter was hurt and we had to do the same. Unlike Bryant, our new punter Allen sucks at everything, including holding for FGs, and Bryant misses like 4 kicks in 2 games as a result. But he was otherwise perfect, and went on a long and excellent career after being let go because..........

Then we lose our long snapper leading to the famous missed FG snap leading to the NFL apologizing and saying we should have had another chance leading to Steve Marioucci's "bummer" quote. And Bryant getting let go.

Fassel had the Skins job theoretically locked up prior to Gibbs emerging, and as a result he half asses his AZ interview because he knew he was already taking a better job. His off field partying penchant did him in in Buffalo and elsewhere.

Fassel was a good coach - he got very good results considering what he had to work with. But he had very bad juju. Very very very very bad juju.
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