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For anyone who even remotely knows Steve Spurrier, this much was inevitable, as predictable really as tossing his visor to the ground when a University of Florida quarterback overthrew a wide-open receiver streaking through the secondary.
At some point, the gigantic ego of the man who refers to himself as "the ol' ball coach" would dictate that he test his genius at the highest level of the game -- that the lure of the NFL would be a siren song whose tempting refrain was too difficult to ignore. So now, after a dozen seasons with the Gators, he has decided to go swimming among the sharks.
|  | | Wherever ex-Florida coach Steve Spurrier lands in the NFL, he is sure to make a splash. |
But swimming where? NFL players and coaches and owners and general managers kept asking that in the wake of Spurrier's bombshell announcement that he was leaving Gainesville for gains-ville. Good question, and according to his interview with The Gainesville Sun, a query to which not even Spurrier himself claims to have an answer.
It is difficult to believe that even a man so motivated by his own competitiveness, smart enough to orchestrate an offensive game plan without the "crib sheets" other coaches tote to the sideline, would simply walk away from a job that pays $2 million annually without so much as a clue of from whence his next paycheck will originate. But in his interview with The Sun, Spurrier noted strongly he has no agreement with an NFL team in place.
"I have nothing," Spurrier said. "(But) if I was ever going to coach in the NFL, this is it. It's time to see if my style of coaching, my kind of offense, can work in that league. Who knows where it will be? There will probably be five or six openings. If it doesn't work out, I'll just be a retired football coach."
The odds of Spurrier being idle for an extended period are long, the specter of one of the game's most brilliant offensive minds standing in the unemployment line just as absurd, and despite his contentions, he could well be signing an NFL contract by Monday.
Here is a look at the various scenarios, with much of the information gleaned from discussions with NFL executives on Friday and input from some Spurrier confidants:
Atlanta Falcons: Maybe if new owner Arthur Blank tossed in a membership at Augusta National, and promised that Michael Vick would be the starter from the outset of summer camp, Spurrier would listen. But the last time we checked, Blank had a coach in Dan Reeves and is likely to retain him. Blank huddled with league officials in New York earlier this week, making the rounds of key NFL personnel, and all agreed the indications were that he will bring Reeves back, likely with a contract extension. About the only person who can botch the deal, sources insist, is Reeves. And the only way he can do that is if he balks at Blank wanting to incorporate some of his own people into the front office to help steward his half-billion dollar investment.
Carolina Panthers: Definitely a team to watch. Spurrier was popular during a stint at Duke in the 1980s in which his teams overachieved and threw the ball all over the field. Current Carolina coach George Seifert is likely to be fired, probably as early as Monday, and the only top football person who might keep his job is director of operations and cap specialist Marty Hurney. Spurrier will need a top-flight personnel chief wherever he goes, because he will want to leave that component to someone else. Former Falcons vice president Ken Herock, who knows Spurrier well and twice tried to hire him in Atlanta, lives only 250 miles down I-85 and wouldn't mind working with a friend. Spurrier also is tight with Tampa Bay personnel man Tim Ruskell. Almost as important: Spurrier still knows all the best golf courses in the area, probably every break on every undulating green, and still has relatives in the Carolinas. Panthers owner Jerry Richardson isn't adverse to spending big money for a high-profile coach, although he will have to dole out nearly $5 million if he dumps Seifert, as anticipated. Make them a team in the hunt.
Indianapolis Colts: The sudden availability of Spurrier, some suggested Friday, might force owner Jim Irsay to rethink his inclination to bring back Jim Mora for one more season. But know this: Colts president Bill Polian is not especially fond of Spurrier, and he still makes most of the big football decisions for the franchise. In short, it's not going to happen here, folks.
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Spurrier could wait for (the Tampa Bay) job to come to him, to see how deep into the playoffs the Bucs proceed, to gamble that the Glazer family really will dismiss the classy Dungy if the club has an early postseason exit. This is one to monitor. |
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Minnesota Vikings: Unless Spurrier, who plays golf over 200 times a year, wants to play winter rules most of the time, don't look for him to even return owner Red McCombs' phone calls. Spurrier isn't a big fan of snow and, while the Minnesota offensive personnel might intrigue him, this is hardly a marriage made in heaven. Uh sorry, but no chance, Red.
San Diego Chargers: It has been suggested that Spurrier wouldn't consider the Chargers job because the team already has general manager John Butler as a powerful front office presence. Untrue, because, as noted above, Spurrier doesn't want to have to do the "grunt" work of scouting for the draft and evaluating personnel for free agency. There are some world-class golf courses in San Diego, of course, but it appears that Spurrier is far down the Chargers' wish list. Unless the Chargers get rebuffed by a bunch of candidates, Spurrier might not even get a phone call.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Maybe the club will fire Tony Dungy, but what happens if the
Bucs surprise the world (and maybe even themselves) and advance to the Super Bowl? Yeah, yeah, we've seen that offense, too. But, hey, stranger things have happened. Spurrier could wait for this job to come to him, to see how deep into the playoffs the Bucs proceed, to gamble that the Glazer family really will dismiss the classy Dungy if the club has an early postseason exit. This is one to monitor, because Spurrier came oh so close to accepting the job in 1996. There is one more element to the Bucs and their possible interest. Rumors persist that the franchise will soon be sold and that Spurrier is cozy with the potential buyers. Those whispers have been around so long, since the Super Bowl last year, that they are difficult to summarily dismiss.
Washington Redskins: OK, so owner Dan Snyder spent the past six days in Florida, right? But he was there for an Orange Bowl, because he is a fan of Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, and said to not be on official business. But it would be surprising if Snyder didn't somehow arrange to bump into Spurrier while in Miami. Make no mistake, Snyder has coveted Spurrier for more than a year. He will not be outbid for his services. But can Snyder afford the $7.5 million it will take to dump his current coach, Marty Schottenheimer, and have about $4 million per year left over for Spurrier? Notable is that former Green Bay general manager Ron Wolf, who Snyder would love to hire in the same capacity, is an unabashed Spurrier fan. Yet could Spurrier work for Snyder and are there enough warm days and good golf courses in the nation's capital?
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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Leaving the Swamp
