From short nfl.com clip including insight from Ian Rapoport.
A few main points. Some I had never heard before. Aside from impressing in interview with Rams last season, Wilks is well respected in league circles and is thought of as a hardcore disciplinarian and his players genuinely like him. That in and of itself is rare.
His defense performed well this season, and according to Rapoport whenever Rivera had to delegate responsibility with the Panthers or handle a family issue, it was always Wilks who was left in charge, so he was basically second in command and not without some seasoning as a leader.
More and more I am getting excited about bringing this guy in.
Wilks - (
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Agreed he has to get some "gray beards" on his staff and most importantly the top o-line coach available
I doubt he will head coach from the booth...that is much ado about nothing. There are some legit reasons to be cautious about him but that is not one.
Similarly, he doesn't have a ton of letters in his last name? W-I-L-K-S! Just five letters. I'd like a coach with more letters than that. It doesn't sound in-chargey enough.
We are fucked if he's the guy. He's missing an E. Probably missing a D too!!!
WTF!?
Patricia's beard is too long!
McDaniels wife is not hot enough!
Peyton Hillis vehemently disagrees with this!!
Bingo -
Who is he going to bring in for an offensive staff to work with QB's and Odell. That is the big question.
How often would that have happened? Wilks has been DC for one season, is Rivera really away form the team that much?
A coordinator does have leadership responsibilities, which is why it is a good training ground for future HC's, but is one year at that level enough? Maybe in some markets it is, but this is NY, you better have your big boy pants on.
There is probably a good amount of experience to be gained from carrying that title or else why would it exist?
It's not nothing.
There is probably a good amount of experience to be gained from carrying that title or else why would it exist?
It's not nothing.
That is fair, if you can explain what his role as asst HC comprised of. I'm not sure how much leadership a position coach can display, even with an AHC title. My guess is that title was a way to appease a coach they clearly thought highly of when passing him over for a DC position.
Similarly, he doesn't have a ton of letters in his last name? W-I-L-K-S! Just five letters. I'd like a coach with more letters than that. It doesn't sound in-chargey enough.
If nothing else, it would appear Rivera wanted to be sure Wilks remained on his staff until McDermott got his opportunity which was surely going to come first.
I guess I view it as Rivera placing that value on Wilks and recognizing that DC/HC potential in Wilks while still a position coach.
As for specific duties? It might be nothing more than what Rapoport described. Taking the reigns during what probably amounted to a few times Rivera couldnt physically be in the building over the last several years. Maybe some additional preparation or gameday responsibilities.
Couple the lack of experience with the fact that he'll be thrust into the fire. He'll have to deal with Apple, the Eli decision, Odell drama, etc. He's not ever had to make decisions or handle situations like this before. All under scrutiny of NY media. Yet we're all so sold he can handle this? Based on what?
The other huge area of concern I have which few are talking about is, the HC/GM are of two of the three critical things you require for sustained success. The thirds is a franchise QB. If we hire Wilks, who is going to develop Eli's successor? As green as this guy is, does he have the connections to build an A+ staff? With his inexperience he's going to need some seasoned veterans to help run his offense and defense and develop Eli's successor. These are very big concerns.
With the above, McDaniel's seems like a much better fit to me. He can help foster in the patriot way, scheme in ways we have not seen in a long long way, will develop Eli's successor, has connections to build a top notch staff, has been a part of SB winning organization, and the experience to navigate all the challenges I've listed above.
Yes, McDaniels had his lumps the first go round. But he also has the benefit to have learned from them. Wilks doesn't have such benefit. He will make his mistakes here.
The concerns about developing young QB and building A+ staff are very big concerns for me. This guy had better have some very good answers or we could really blow a great opportunity here.
To listen to BBI every HC candidate is terrible, and all the QBs are terrible, but we are also upset because all the HC candidates will surely sign elsewhere.
Good lord. How do you guys muster the courage to get out of bed in the morning.
If nothing else, it would appear Rivera wanted to be sure Wilks remained on his staff until McDermott got his opportunity which was surely going to come first.
I guess I view it as Rivera placing that value on Wilks and recognizing that DC/HC potential in Wilks while still a position coach.
As for specific duties? It might be nothing more than what Rapoport described. Taking the reigns during what probably amounted to a few times Rivera couldnt physically be in the building over the last several years. Maybe some additional preparation or gameday responsibilities.
I read somewhere that he helped Rivera in day to day duties as his right hand man. Whether this is true or not I am not sure but to give a position coach Assistant Head Coach title (which comes with more money) Rivera has to hold him in high regard as well as the rest of the Organization.
He was already high on their list.
It's an added bonus that he's worked with our GM before.
And again, what does Ben McAdoo have to do with Wilks? The league-wide reputation of Wilks is that he's strict and commands a locker room. Pretty much the opposite of the coach we came to know in McAdoo.
As for BBI's coolective feeling on McAdoo, I'm pretty sure a lot of people were not thrilled with or at least not comfortable with the search last time, feeling that it was handed to him based on maintaining continuity with Eli.
As it turned out, McAdoo did some good things in year one, and for whatever reason, completely changed his personality in year two. Not only did he lose his handle on the team, he came off like a major asshole too.
What we know for sure about McAdoo now is that he was not a leader or disciplinarian, nor did his "basketball on grass" offensive philosophies line up with the traditional Giants style of play.
Wilks has NOTHING to do with McAdoo.
He was already high on their list.
"Mike Tomlin wouldn't have gotten this opportunity without this rule," said Shell, the first modern black NFL head coach. "He never would have sat down with Dan Rooney."
Said Rooney: "To be honest with you, before the interview he was just another guy who was an assistant coach. Once we interviewed him the first time, he just came through and we thought it was great. And we brought him back and talked to him on the phone and went through the process that we do, and he ended up winning the job."
Sure sounds like he was high on their list before the interview..
If nothing else, it would appear Rivera wanted to be sure Wilks remained on his staff until McDermott got his opportunity which was surely going to come first.
I guess I view it as Rivera placing that value on Wilks and recognizing that DC/HC potential in Wilks while still a position coach.
As for specific duties? It might be nothing more than what Rapoport described. Taking the reigns during what probably amounted to a few times Rivera couldnt physically be in the building over the last several years. Maybe some additional preparation or gameday responsibilities.
That is kind of my point, the AHC title was a way to give a coach they thought very highly of a little more responsibility and money so he wouldn't leave when they promoted McDermott. That isn't a criticism of Wilks, more of an endorsement really, but I'm not sure there are any leadership responsibilities with being an AHC.
If you want to point to his role as AHC as a reason he should be hired, then you probably should have an idea of what that role means.
I think he will. People have been speculating about Al Holcomb as the DC once Wilks is hired but that's not what I've heard. Eric Washington would be his choice.
We are fucked if he's the guy. He's missing an E. Probably missing a D too!!!
Wilkes? ... in the Booth?
We're getting John Wilkes Booth as our next HC?
Cooter's done a good job in Detroit, but one of the reason's Patricia is speculated as being the leader in the clubhouse is that he's willing to keep Caldwell's offensive staff on board.
The guy I really want as DC is John Fox (since it's not looking like he'll get another head coaching job this year). Give me Norv Turner as OC and John Fox as DC and we won't have to worry so much about Wilks's inexperience as a HC.