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Expansion Texans, others eye Butch Davis
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Butch Davis always has been a guy I admired. He's a good man, a real trooper. He has done it all, from being a high school assistant coach, a high school head coach, a college assistant, a pro assistant and now a successful college head coach at the University of Miami.
|  | | Miami head coach Butch Davis is likely No. 1 on some NFL coaching wish lists. |
It would be fair to say that Davis' time has come. Oh, it's even more than that.
The Hurricanes' coach is the eye of more than one storm around the football world, at both the collegiate and pro level. Let us count the ways.
Davis is a favorite for the prestigious University of Alabama job. But it's not an automatic jump, nor is it his only enticing option.
Davis probably can succeed Norv Turner as coach of the Washington Redskins at the end of the season, but Dan Snyder is, well, Dan Snyder.
Davis also has emerged as the leading candidate for the plum coaching job of the expansion Houston Texans.
Davis also knows that he can remain in the comfortable confines of South Florida, where the Miami board of trustees is prepared to offer a new five-year extension starting at $1.25 million per year with $100,000 raises each year, according to sources.
My guess is, Davis has prioritized his preferences like this: 1. Texans; 2. Miami; 2a. Alabama; 4. Redskins.
Davis is no different than most coaches who generally look for another mountain to scale. He will celebrate (I'm presuming) his 49th birthday on Friday. Coaches worry about that 50 mark, wondering how attractive they will be to suitors when they cross that milestone. I think he's ready for a move.
I believe this puts the ball in the court of the expansion Texans.
Houston general manager Charley Casserly is the man owner Bob McNair has entrusted with identifying worthy candidates for a team that won't take the field until the 2002 NFL season.
Casserly has operated under the "we're in no rush" rule in his coach search. He has indicated that if the right man is available after the 2000 season, the Texans may hire that man a year early. Or they can wait until January or February of 2002. But Davis might be the right man and sources say Casserly now understands he may have to rush to beat the competition.
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There is a sound argument that Davis shouldn't even sniff out the NFL. It's a league that devours its coaches. ” |
Davis meets much of Casserly's criteria as a candidate; actually, it's the same criteria that drive many franchises. The Texans want a man with head coaching experience, preferably with an NFL background. A successful track record in both areas is preferred.
Davis was part of Jimmy Johnson's staff (as defensive line coach and defensive coordinator) at the University of Miami and the Dallas Cowboys when Johnson captured his three rings -- a national championship and two Super Bowl titles.
Davis also is a terrific candidate because he withstood the most tumultuous period in Miami's history when, in 1995, he inherited scandals from the Dennis Erickson era that almost crashed the program. Instead of crashing, Davis has resurrected the Hurricanes to their current status as the No. 2-ranked team in the nation. In six seasons, he has a 48-20 record and is 3-0 in bowl games.
Casserly surely understands that Davis' experience, combined with the integrity he has exhibited in Miami, makes him more than qualified to handle today's NFL. He certainly has a grasp on a culture of young players that the league seemingly struggles with as well as the usual turnover that accommodates an expansion team -- not to mention the built-in turmoil created by free agency and the salary cap. There is hardly a turmoil that Davis hasn't conquered.
Of course, there is a sound argument that Davis shouldn't even sniff out the NFL. It's a league that devours its coaches. Davis also may be one year away from enjoying the fruits of his hard labor in Miami. While the Hurricanes are in the national title hunt this year, the coaching staff always considered 2001 to be the year that would produce a dominant team that could run the table.
One reputable NFL front office man said, "I don't know why any secure college coach like Butch Davis would even consider the mess we've got in this league."
Then again, there are the rigors of coaching a big-time college program. Davis spends a considerable amount of time on the road away from his wife Tammy and son Drew (age 7). There are positives and negatives in both football worlds.
Maybe Houston fans are hoping for one of those phantom offensive geniuses out there to help groom their No. 1 draft pick in 2002, assuming that player is a quarterback. Let me assure those same fans that your head coach doesn't have to be a so-called offensive genius.
Colts president Bill Polian chose Jim Mora to be his coach, knowing that Peyton Manning likely would be the team's first pick in the '98 draft. Mora had a defensive background; Manning has thrived under Mora.
When Polian was the general manager of the Buffalo Bills, he hired Marv Levy to do the job. Levy was renowned for his expertise in special teams. Jim Kelly thrived under Levy.
Ask Polian what qualities he looks for in a coach, and he's pretty quick to answer. "A leader" is the first thing he'll tell you. Polian is a five-time executive of the year. I think he might be on to something.
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Norv Turner is not a candidate to become the Texans' first coach, as has been recently speculated. ” |
People also should not think that McNair, the popular Houston owner, is overly serious about his statement that he prefers a Texan for the head coaching job -- which has made Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak a rumored favorite. When McNair hired Casserly, he went for what he thought was the best available man. Casserly is a Massachusetts man.
Besides, Davis was born in Oklahoma and played defensive end at Arkansas. He coached for the Cowboys. That's close enough.
One thing Houston fans also need clarified is that the Redskins' Turner is not a candidate to become their first coach, as I've seen recently speculated. It's well documented that Turner and Casserly were not on the same page when they worked together in Washington. They are not about to try a sequel.
Then again (and you gotta love this plot), it's very possible that Snyder and Casserly are standing in line for the same ticket.
Butch Davis is the featured attraction going into the holiday season. Buy a ticket, grab the popcorn, sit back and enjoy.
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