Head Coach - Lions announce Jeff Tedford as 2015 HC

[Toppy Vann]

I think Clements would make a heck more money as an OC in the NFL than a head coach in the CFL but if he decides to come North I would welcome him with open arms. He has played in the CFL and knows the game.

http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/tom ... f437249c9f

this says Tom knows coaching.

Loved this inclusion:

Inducted into the Canadian Football League’s Hall of Fame in 1994, Clements played QB for Ottawa (1975-78), Saskatchewan/Hamilton (1979), Hamilton (1981-82) and Winnipeg (1983-87) during a 12-year career in the CFL. Selected seven times as a divisional All-Star, Clements guided two teams, Ottawa (1976) and Winnipeg (1984), to Grey Cup championships, earning the Outstanding Offensive Player award in each game. The league’s Rookie of the Year in 1975 and Most Valuable Player in 1987, Clements completed 2,807 of 4,657 passes (60.3 percent) for 39,041 yards and 252 touchdowns during his CFL career.

[cromartie]

I like Nuss, among others mentioned. However, just to play devil's advocate, if you're of the type that wants Wally to have someone that will push back on coaching decision autonomy, you probably want someone who has prior head coaching experience, would you not?

[WestCoastJoe]

I like Nuss, among others mentioned. However, just to play devil's advocate, if you're of the type that wants Wally to have someone that will push back on coaching decision autonomy, you probably want someone who has prior head coaching experience, would you not?

Autonomy for a Head Coach?

A confident guy like Don Matthews, as an example, might insist on it, even in his first pro HC gig, with the Lions. He had been extremely successful as a Head Coach in high school football in the American northwest, before coming into the CFL.

Attending a banquet at which he was guest speaker, I was astonished to hear his record in high school, spoken factually without emotional embellishment.

Autonomy? Depends on the guy, it seems to me. A protege with mentor? Not so much ...

[Hambone]

I think Clements would make a heck more money as an OC in the NFL than a head coach in the CFL but if he decides to come North I would welcome him with open arms. He has played in the CFL and knows the game.

For whatever it's worth this is from eHow re: NFL DC salaries.

Salary Basics

The 2013 mean annual salary for coaches of spectator sports was $58,400, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But big-money professional sports pay coaches much higher salaries. After all, they stand to lose a lot in ticket sales, concession receipts and merchandising revenue if their teams don't perform well. According to ESPN, the average salary for assistant coaches in the NFL was $150,000 to $175,000 in 2000. Since then, salaries for NFL coordinators have shot through the roof. In September 2009, the Los Angeles Times, citing an NFL source, reported that the average NFL defensive coordinator made approximately $850,000. A few made more than $1 million, and Norv Turner, now the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, earned $3 million per season.

Coaching Superstars

Top defensive coordinators receive star treatment from team owners, fans and the media. Diehard football fans know the names of these top NFL assistant coaches and clamor for team owners of their favorite franchises to replace unsuccessful coaches with one of the league's top coordinators. In 2011, the Houston Texans signed Wade Phillips to a three-year contract paying him $2.1 million. The Texans defense improved under Phillips, but the Texans released him after the 2013 season. Monte Kiffin accepted the defensive coordinator job with the Dallas Cowboys prior to the 2013 season. According to ESPN, USC paid Kiffin $1.5 million while he coached at USC in 2012, and the Cowboys likely gave him at least $1 million in 2013. He ranked as one of the better-paid defensive coordinators. But the Cowboys struggled on defense, and team owner Jerry Jones demoted Kiffin to assistant coach for the defense before the 2014 season and likely cut his pay

[South Pender]

I think Clements would make a heck more money as an OC in the NFL than a head coach in the CFL but if he decides to come North I would welcome him with open arms. He has played in the CFL and knows the game.

For whatever it's worth this is from eHow re: NFL DC salaries.

Salary Basics

The 2013 mean annual salary for coaches of spectator sports was $58,400, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But big-money professional sports pay coaches much higher salaries. After all, they stand to lose a lot in ticket sales, concession receipts and merchandising revenue if their teams don't perform well. According to ESPN, the average salary for assistant coaches in the NFL was $150,000 to $175,000 in 2000. Since then, salaries for NFL coordinators have shot through the roof. In September 2009, the Los Angeles Times, citing an NFL source, reported that the average NFL defensive coordinator made approximately $850,000. A few made more than $1 million, and Norv Turner, now the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, earned $3 million per season.

Coaching Superstars

Top defensive coordinators receive star treatment from team owners, fans and the media. Diehard football fans know the names of these top NFL assistant coaches and clamor for team owners of their favorite franchises to replace unsuccessful coaches with one of the league's top coordinators. In 2011, the Houston Texans signed Wade Phillips to a three-year contract paying him $2.1 million. The Texans defense improved under Phillips, but the Texans released him after the 2013 season. Monte Kiffin accepted the defensive coordinator job with the Dallas Cowboys prior to the 2013 season. According to ESPN, USC paid Kiffin $1.5 million while he coached at USC in 2012, and the Cowboys likely gave him at least $1 million in 2013. He ranked as one of the better-paid defensive coordinators. But the Cowboys struggled on defense, and team owner Jerry Jones demoted Kiffin to assistant coach for the defense before the 2014 season and likely cut his pay

That's an interesting piece and establishes a realistic perspective for us when considering OCs and DCs from the NFL (or, for that matter, from the top NCAA football factories).

Tom Clements is considered one of the better NFL OCs for his work with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' really potent offense. In fact, the Packers' offense is just about the best in the NFL, with any deficiencies on the team coming on the defensive side. As a result, I think we have to assume that Clements (who is noted for his quiet, unassuming, yet very effective manner and approach) is likely making north of $1M. I couldn't track down his exact salary, but I think we can safely assume that it is close to three times what he'd get as a HC in the CFL. Whether this is a key variable, I don't know, but I think it puts our chances of landing him pretty close to zero.

One other interesting thing about Clements is that he has a law degree and practiced law in Chicago for a few years between coaching jobs. He's a really smart and top-quality guy.

The declining Canadian dollar (currently just under .87 US) isn't helping either with potential US candidates.

[WestCoastJoe]

Wally had mentioned a few years back another CFL quarterback, who went on to success in US football coaching.

Mike McCoy. I had never heard of him until Wally mentioned his name, as a very smart QB.

Long gone. Unavailable. Suitably employed.

[WestCoastJoe]

And Mike Riley, DB in the CFL, now HC at Nebraska ...

Some young coaches might be willing to take a lower salaried CFL gig, if they see the stepping stone it can be, as it was for Mike Riley.

Riley has been off the CFL radar for a few years now. Got his first HC gig with Winnipeg 26 years ago, then on into the US field.

Ain't no coming back for him.

[cromartie]

Money talks.
My first choice for the Leos' Head Coaching job from a major US program would be Doug Nussmeier. Incidentally, Matt Sekeres did not have too many kind words about Danny Barrett (don't forget that Sekeres has deep CFL ties and was a beat reporter, so he likely knows what he's talking about).


DH

Nussmeier pulled in $800k last years as OC at Michigan. So I don't think a 75% pay cut is in the offing. Bummer.

[TheLionKing]

Mike Riley had an opportunity to return to the CFL but turned it down. Very unlikely he's interested.

[South Pender]

Mike Riley had an opportunity to return to the CFL but turned it down. Very unlikely he's interested.

Boy, I'll say it's unlikely. Nebraska is an iconic college football power, and Riley will make $2.7M in his first year there, along with another $950K in possible bonuses. Here's something on it:

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/husker-coa ... db28b.html

[South Pender]

Nussmeier pulled in $800k last years as OC at Michigan. So I don't think a 75% pay cut is in the offing. Bummer.

CFL head coaches only make $200K? Geez, I thought it was much higher than that--something on the order of $400K--but I'm not sure where I got that idea.

[David]

Money talks.
My first choice for the Leos' Head Coaching job from a major US program would be Doug Nussmeier. Incidentally, Matt Sekeres did not have too many kind words about Danny Barrett (don't forget that Sekeres has deep CFL ties and was a beat reporter, so he likely knows what he's talking about).


DH

Nussmeier pulled in $800k last years as OC at Michigan. So I don't think a 75% pay cut is in the offing. Bummer.

Probably so, but you at least want to have a dialogue. And I think the club could come up a bit from $200K (especially if a local university coach would be making more). Maybe you make Nussmeier de facto OC too and save a bit there.

Who knows, maybe he enjoyed his time here and aspires to being a HC. Perhaps he's tired of the itinerant college coaching lifestyle. The grind of being in a big program and wants to return to his roots in the Northwest (Doug is from just outside Portland OR). It doesn't hurt to at least hold exporatory talks.....


DH

[cromartie]

Probably so, but you at least want to have a dialogue. And I think the club could come up a bit from $200K (especially if a local university coach would be making more). Maybe you make Nussmeier de facto OC too and save a bit there.

Who knows, maybe he enjoyed his time here and aspires to being a HC. Perhaps he's tired of the itinerant college coaching lifestyle. The grind of being in a big program and wants to return to his roots in the Northwest (Doug is from just outside Portland OR). It doesn't hurt to at least hold exporatory talks.....


DH

Hey, if he has that pension and the security he was looking for, it can't hurt to make the phone call. It's not like whomever takes the Michigan job is likely to keep him.

Mike Riley just assumed he was going to retire at Oregon State. The Nebraska offer was a surprise. And with a nice raise and a higher profile program, he shouldn't have, and didn't, turn them down.

[TheLionKing]

Mike Riley had an opportunity to return to the CFL but turned it down. Very unlikely he's interested.

Boy, I'll say it's unlikely. Nebraska is an iconic college football power, and Riley will make $2.7M in his first year there, along with another $950K in possible bonuses. Here's something on it:

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/husker-coa ... db28b.html

That contract is insane

[South Pender]

That contract is insane

I have to agree. Things are badly out of whack in our society, but I guess that's a topic for another day.