The media are speculating that this will be Bill Cowher's last season in charge of the Steelers. Jerome Bettis added his fuel to the fire over the weekend.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/peter_king/08/13/morning/3.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=2548813

With Jeff Fisher in the last year of his current contract I am a little concerned that we need to extend his contract ASAP. 2007 is an option year on his current deal but that doesn't squat, we could lose his services & receive little by way of compensation.

I don't mean to be negative & I know my own thoughts are speculative but I just wondered what the rest of you guys think on this.

i'll be subtle but to the point

If Cowher retires / resigns
and Jeff is unemployed.....
then ,yes, i feel Pitt would inquire about his services

I like Fish right where he is though
I don't like the thought of getting aquainted to a new coach / system

I'm not sure if Pittsburgh would inqure about his services. But, oddly enough, he coaches the same style of football the play. :suspect:

Hmm? :hmm:

And, one of the biggest mistakes this organization ever made was firing Bum Phillips. It took a long time to recover from that one.

Time for us to lock Jeff up long term.

I'm not sure if Pittsburgh would inqure about his services.

why not ?

why not ?

Because I'm not in the inner circles of the Steelers organization.

I don't think we need to lock up Fisher until we see how this season plays out.
If there's still no team chemistry and players are quitting, then it would seem Fishers time here should end.

Sometimes, even a good coach becomes played out in one place and needs to move on. Doesn't mean he's not a good coach, just that he becomes stagnant for whatever reason and everyone needs a change.

I don't think we need to lock up Fisher until we see how this season plays out.
If there's still no team chemistry and players are quitting, then it would seem Fishers time here should end.

I can't see how too many players on this team would quit on him.

We've got a lot of new (first or second year) players on the roster. And, the key veterans on the team are players that were just brought in as FA's this past off-season. So, his will be a fresh voice to them. And, the other veterans who may have tuned him out over the last year or two will probably be among those who will be replaced by other players or draft picks in the off-season, anyway.

I agree Moose, I'm just supposing.

Because I'm not in the inner circles of the Steelers organization.

well, any team would be crazy to not at least consider Jeff a candidate for an open HC job (imo). especially an organization accustomed to longevity

i believe thats why they kept wisenhunt from the raiders this offseason. i see him as the next coach. soon too. cowher has a new home in nc and college age daughters. good time for atleast a break

I agree Moose, I'm just supposing.

That's what I thought.

well, any team would be crazy to not at least consider Jeff a candidate for an open HC job (imo).

I agree.

I liked what Fisher said today about blowing opportunities. He gave out some credit but quickly pointed out mistakes. I don't think we'll see him using the kid gloves this season.

Since this is not a public poll... I'm posting my choice.

Yes we want him longterm no matter what

that is what I chose.

I liked what Fisher said today about blowing opportunities. He gave out some credit but quickly pointed out mistakes. I don't think we'll see him using the kid gloves this season.

Good to hear.

Cowher retires after the 2006 season.

The titans go 6-10 and fisher is fired.

Steelers go after a coach who has won just won 15 games in 3 seasons?

No way! They will hire from within.

Rolltide, you keep thinking that.

Keep thinking what?

What kind of post is that?

IF, IF we have the 6-10 type season many here think we will have fisher will be fired. IF, IF cowher does decide to retire to North Carolina the steelers will replace him with a protoge of his not a coach who has had three successive losing seasons.

What about that do you disagree with?


FYI, cold pizza just showed the $2.5M home the cowhers just purchased near Raleigh North Carolina. Both Cowher and his wife went to North Carolina State and they have family and friends down there. Maybe he will retire after this year.

Cowher retires after the 2006 season.

The titans go 6-10 and fisher is fired.

Steelers go after a coach who has won just won 15 games in 3 seasons?

No way! They will hire from within.


At this stage in our rebuilding phase if we go 6-10 it would take a special kind of idiot to fire Fisher.

Name me the coach who could have done better with our team over the last 3 seasons:fish:

A better question would be to name any coach that couldn't have done what fisher did the last 2 years. Anyone could have coached that team to 4 wins last season. Anyone! He did a horrible job!

And if we don't do much better than that this year he deserves to be fired and probably will be.

Note that I did not predict a 6-10 type season. I think we will win 9 games but don't go tell me what a great coach he is if he has three straight horrible seasons.

Name any good coach in this league who has had 3 straight losing seasons.

the titans would be mad ,to let fisher go,1 a great person2,a great coach,and all salary cap hardships at the titans over the past few years,and even from here in the UK I can see the team he is building for the future,we will all just have to be a bit more patient,but who could turn down the steelers,the just don,t sack coaches do they!

If we have 6-10 talent and go 6-10 does that mean jeff fisher did a good job? No it doesn't!

If jeff fisher is a better than average coach then he should coach his team to more wins than the talent he has shouldn't he? Would 6 wins be an example of that?

Nobody is saying we should have been a playoff contender last year. Nobody is saying we should be going to the super bowl this year. But anyone who calls jeff fisher a great coach better darn have higher standards for him than 6 wins. That's pathetic!

And in case you have not noticed childress todays NFL does not allow teams multiple seasons to rebuild. Not when you have a 50% turnover in personel every three years. A lot of very young players got a chance to play over the last 2 seasons and now they have to deliver.

A 6-10 record would give us a 31% winning percentage over 3 seasons! Name me any team sport where that is tolerated for that long a time? 31% ok in the english football(soccer) league? NBA? 31% in major league baseball would be like the 62 mets.

But you guys think that a coach can lead a team to that record and still be great? What the hell is your definition of great?

We had the injury excuse in 2004. The cap in 2005. There is none this year!!

Name me the coach who could have done better with our team over the last 3 seasons:fish:

Cowher ?

whats with the poms coming in? they are invading.

Cowher ?

I doubt it.

A better question would be to name any coach that couldn't have done what fisher did the last 2 years. Anyone could have coached that team to 4 wins last season. Anyone! He did a horrible job!

And if we don't do much better than that this year he deserves to be fired and probably will be.


Note that I did not predict a 6-10 type season. I think we will win 9 games but don't go tell me what a great coach he is if he has three straight horrible seasons.

Name any good coach in this league who has had 3 straight losing seasons.

Fisher has already proved he can turn a losing a team into one that can have a good long run as a legitimate superbowl contender. Big mistakes were made in overpaying under achieving vets in trying to maintain the playoff run hence the cap hell but we as fans were happy to go along for the ride.

IMO 3 losing seasons in the big picture of things is a small price to pay if we're going to build another team capable of a long run. I'm thankful that Adams has had the wisdom not to hit the panic button because a change of staff would delay our return to success.

I really think Fisher can do it again & I hope he's here for a long time to come. We were very fortunate in drafting a core of blue chip players on bothsides of the ball from 95'-00' but since then we haven't seemed to be able to draft well enough to compensate for who we lost in free agency which didn't help in maintain our winning streak.

How much of that is on Fisher I don't know but not many teams have stayed contenders for long. The Pat's,Bronco's,Panther's, Eagles,Steeler's , Colts & have been consistent contender's recently. Maybe the Seahawks will be for a while.

The Buc's,Ram's,Raider's.Raven's had brief success but have since sucked. The rest of the teams in the league have either had flash in the pan successful seasons or been consistently crap.

We don't often see a coach have 3 straight losing seasons precisely because owners panic. There have been 29 head coaching changes since we went to the superbowl not including 10 more changes this year. Of those only Dungy has produced a team with a decent run. Change in the NFL doesn't often mean success.

We're rebuilding for the long haul again. If we have a crap season again this year I'll be as gutted as anyone but I'll still want to stick with Fisher.

PS: Granted it was early in his career but Belichick lost 3 straight with the Browns 91-93 & look at him now.


Poms rule. Well maybe once a long time ago:hmm:

In all reality
I think Jeff tried to keep this team under control
but in the end, it got loose from him
injuries and cap notwithstanding, I still think he could've adjusted a little better
one thing that still bothers me, is the way he hangs on to players that just don't appear to be headed upwards

Jeff Fisher is a great coach - my favorite NFL coach currently
but I wouldn't try and make a case that he is the best
or say that he held the team together better than any other coach in the league
he did a superb job '95-'98, maybe noone could have pulled THAT off

the good news is the Titans under Fisher have set a trend
starting in '99, they won 2 (seasons) lost one - then won 2 and lost 2 ; hopefully the next round of losing isn't "lost 3"
but it still means we're looking at 2 winning seasons (if history repeats itself)
:yes:

i agree with puck, fisher is a great coach, and i don't think anybody else could have done that either.

us poms are no NFL expert, but it sems to me if fisher went.who would replace,and also is it so easy just replace a whole team when
a/ you cannot afford it
b/ changing great players in the NFL is not as easy in english soccer league,but with time if fisher gets the right blend of experience and youth,things will turn round,I know most of you go to titan games every other week and pay good money,but youth with good experience will come through.
it is the same in the english soccer league.
and as for our australian being scottish could not care about cricket.

I agree with Rolltide in that such a winning percentage like 31% can't be tolerated for a long period of time, even if the team is rebuilding. The Titans wanna win.

But I believe we need Fisher right now, I don't think we'll have a winning season, but I don't think the Titans are gonna fire Fisher, he has had a hard job to do these last 2 seasons and now I wanna see him get more physical with the players, be harsh you kno.

We should be back too winning ways in 08, if not, Fisher WILL be fired.
*Poms Rule*

Cowher came close to being fired, the fans were calling for him to be, until last season. I remember the stories about his children being harassed in school, people putting For Sale signs in his yard. Steelers had some down years, but they stuck with Cowher and he proved he could coach a SB Champion team.

Fisher has proved he can produce a SB team, and perennial contenders. There's no reason to think he can't again, once he has the tools.

If we have 6-10 talent and go 6-10 does that mean jeff fisher did a good job? No it doesn't!

If jeff fisher is a better than average coach then he should coach his team to more wins than the talent he has shouldn't he? Would 6 wins be an example of that?

Nobody is saying we should have been a playoff contender last year. Nobody is saying we should be going to the super bowl this year. But anyone who calls jeff fisher a great coach better darn have higher standards for him than 6 wins. That's pathetic!

And in case you have not noticed childress todays NFL does not allow teams multiple seasons to rebuild. Not when you have a 50% turnover in personel every three years. A lot of very young players got a chance to play over the last 2 seasons and now they have to deliver.


Are you familiar with the term average? How many coaches in the NFL have been to the superbowl? Eleven of 32. That's above average, 34% have been there, 66% have not. How many coaches in the NFL have a playoff run like Fisher had through 2003?
The team was demolished in 2004, and 2005 -- for different reasons. It's hardly sensible to say a team that is debuting a new quarterback should be expected to win nine games. Especially one that's won 4 games the last couple of seasons. Maybe Phillip Rivers in San Diego is expected to do that well, but he's taking over a competitive team.
I'm hopeful, but 9 wins is a little much to ask for.
Fisher should be extended unless something truly dramatic happens to this team that is unforseen. He's proven his worth.

So because fisher had a team in the super bowl 7 years ago he should never be fired. 3 straight horrible seasons doesn't matter.

If this team goes 6-10 this season that would give fisher a career record of 108-99 playoffs included. If that isn't average what is? If we have a losing season this year that would mean that fisher has had 4 losing seasons and 4 winning seasons. Average?

Why would you judge a coach on a thin criteria from 7 years ago and nothing else? That is what you are saying. Is this franchise so pathetic and it's fans with such low self esteem that we have no standards for our football team? Based on your criteria ditka would still be the coach of the bears. How could they fire a guy who won a super bowl? Sentimentality, emotion and nostagia rule the day!

your last post in reply to berkman seems to bear little in relation to berkman's actual post.Where did the guy say anything about Fisher being owed a job because he took a team to the superbowl 7 years ago.

We have consistently responded to your posts in relation to this thread with respect to your opinion but it seems to me that on reviewing it in it's entirety ;u are unwilling to acknowledge that the opinions of others on Fisher's value to the team carry any weight.

I have found your posts on other threads more often than not make valiid & interesting points however in relation to this thread ur posts seem out of character & u seem unwilling to respect anyones opinion other than ur own.

What gives dude?

your last post in reply to berkman seems to bear little in relation to berkman's actual post.

that's the way RollTide works.

lol