NY Daily News: Coaches on the hot seat

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http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/sports_stats/nfl/

Line of Scrimmage: Coaches on the Hot Seat, and Who's Next
By Tony Moss, NFL Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - To paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy:

If your first name is Mike, and you are employed as a head coach in the National Football League, you might be on the hot seat.

Whether your surname is Holmgren, Martz, Shanahan, Sherman or Tice, your job in 2005 will be to win football games, preferably a whole lot of them. Mike Nolan, the new head guy in San Francisco, is the member of the Mikes that gets a break for the foreseeable future, if that's what you want to call working for John York.

The others are among a group of NFL coaches who must meet expectations, or risk being asked to pass the mike. An eager group of skippers is waiting in the wings, quietly hoping that their chance to operate with ultimate authority on an NFL sideline is imminent.

Below we take a look at the coaches that enter 2005 on the hot seat, followed by a glimpse of the possible next generation of league head men:

THE HOT SEAT 1. Norv Turner, Raiders (5-11 in one season with Oakland) - If Turner doesn't just win, baby, in his second year in Oakland, the notoriously quick hook of owner Al Davis is bound to make an appearance. With the additions of Randy Moss and LaMont Jordan on offense, the Raiders expect to challenge in the AFC West, and if they don't, Turner will be seeking employment elsewhere.

2. Jim Haslett, Saints (42-38 in five seasons with New Orleans, 1-1 in playoffs) - Haslett saved his job when the Saints won their final four games and nearly made the playoffs in 2004, but the fact that the organization has yet to give him a multi-year extension is telling. If New Orleans misses the postseason for the fifth straight year in '05, you can expect Haslett's tenure to expire.

3. Dom Capers, Texans (16-32 in three seasons with Houston) - The Texans have made slow and steady improvement in their first three years of existence, from 4-12 to 5-11 to last year's 7-9, but anything less than a prominent place in the playoff picture could spell the end of Capers' tenure in Houston. In a division that includes the Colts and up-and-coming Jaguars, the head coach has a tall order.

4. Steve Mariucci, Lions (11-21 in two seasons with Detroit) - Lions team president Matt Millen is very lucky to be gainfully employed after four years and a 16-48 record under his watch, and by extension, Mariucci is in trouble as well. If the Lions struggle again and Millen gets the boot, Mariucci could be swept away along with him.

5. Mike Martz, Rams (51-29 in five seasons with St. Louis, 3-3 in playoffs) - Though they made the playoffs and even won a postseason game last season, St. Louis was 3-7 against teams not from the worst division in football, the NFC West (and two of the three wins were at the end of the year against the Eagles and Jets, who had already secured playoff berths). Martz's act has begun to wear a bit thin in the Arch city, and a losing season could spell his exit.

6. Mike Tice, Vikings (23-26 in four seasons with Minnesota, 1-1 in playoffs) - Minnesota improved itself by leaps and bounds in the offseason, and Tice's team is expected to be a Super Bowl contender in 2005. If the Vikings continue to underachieve, Minnesota's new ownership doesn't figure to have a great deal of compassion for Tice.

7. Mike Holmgren, Seahawks (50-46 in six seasons with Seattle, 0-3 in playoffs) Holmgren has taken a consistently mediocre franchise and made it slightly less mediocre, raising expectations to the point that many Seahawks fans are fed up with the team's lack of playoff success. Last season's three-game sweep at the hands of the Rams incensed Seattle supporters, with the home playoff loss inciting the most sizeable wrath. If the Seahawks sputter their way through the worst division in football again in 2005, Holmgren would be well-advised to duck and cover.

8. Mike Shanahan, Broncos (101-59 in 10 seasons with Denver, 7-4 in playoffs) - Two Super Bowl rings don't make you untouchable in Denver, and the presence of just one losing season in 10 years isn't doing much to satisfy Broncos fans either. Shanahan's team hasn't won a postseason game since John Elway retired, and many observers are expecting the worst after the team gambled big-time in both the draft and free agency this past offseason. A losing season, which is in no way out of the question in the improving AFC West, could mark the end of the line for Shanahan.

9. Lovie Smith, Bears (5-11 in one season with Chicago) - The Bears took a step back in the first year of the Lovie Smith era, and a similar sophomore campaign for the former Rams defensive coordinator could prompt the Chicago brass to target some change. At the very least, the NFL's worst offense of a year ago has to produce a few more points and a lot more excitement than it did in '04, a directive which the collective presence of QB Rex Grossman, RB Cedric Benson, and WR Muhsin Muhammad should aide.

10. Mike Sherman, Packers (53-27 in five seasons with Green Bay, 2-4 in playoffs) - Sherman was probably as popular in Green Bay last season as he has been during his five-year tenure, as he seized offensive play-calling duties from coordinator Tom Rossley and promptly turned a 1-4 start to a 10-6 finish and NFC North crown. Still, cheeseheads aren't going to offer much leeway for that home playoff loss to the Vikings, and they're not wild about the fact that Sherman has never gotten the Pack as far as the NFC Championship. Green Bay had an awful offseason, and if they drop off as much as some expect this year, there will likely be a new head man patrolling the home Lambeau sideline in 2006.

...and keep an eye on:

11. Marty Schottenheimer, Chargers (24-24 in three seasons with San Diego, 0-1 in playoffs) - Sure, the Bolts were back last year, but if they slip back into the abyss, Schottenheimer will be held accountable.

12. Jeff Fisher, Titans (93-73 in 10 seasons with Tennessee, 5-4 in playoffs) - The Titans have been predicted by some to be the worst team in the NFL this year, and if that happens, Fisher's long history in the Music City could come to an end.

13. Tom Coughlin, Giants (6-10 in one season with New York) - It's the Big Apple (well, close enough), and if the Giants don't make progress, Coughlin could be a two-year wonder a la Ray Handley.

14. Jon Gruden, Buccaneers (24-24 in three seasons with Tampa Bay, 3-0 in playoffs) - Some Bucs fans have taken to giving more credit to Tony Dungy than Gruden for that Super Bowl win, and a third straight losing season would prompt some loud calls for Chucky's head.

15. Herman Edwards, Jets (35-29 in four seasons with New York, 2-3 in playoffs) - He plays to win the game, but if they miss the playoffs and/or are embarrassed by the Patriots again in hostile New York, Edwards could be coaching elsewhere.