Post by Lithfan on Jan 5, 2016 8:43:40 GMT -5
January 5, 1995
I know we are all still disappointed with what happened two days ago. But look on the bright side. At least it's not 1/5/95. The first day of the Rich Kotite era.
The Jets fired head coach Pete Carroll. That is future Super Bowl winning, national championship winning head coach Pete Carroll. After only 1 year as head coach. Because Leon Hess just had to have Rich Kotite, a former Jet assistant who had been fired as head coach of the Eagles a week earlier.
Carroll got off to a solid start as Jets head coach, with a 6-5 record until a 5 game losing streak at the end of the season sealed his fate. Owner Leon Hess said he decided to make the change in December, in the midst of the losing streak. The Eagles, with Kotite as their head coach, had suffered through a 7 game season ending losing streak, to finish a season after a promising 7-2 start with a 7-9 record.
“I’m one of the fans, disappointed like the rest of them,” Hess said in explaining the move. “I just felt I owed it to the fans, to the Jets and to myself to do something. I decided to change the coach.”
Hess made the decision on his own, without conferring with GM Dick Steinberg or team president Steve Gutman. Steinberg had recently been diagnosed with Cancer and Hess did not want to burden him with this type of decision.
“It wasn’t in my hands,” Steinberg said. “This was totally Mr. Hess’ decision. He informed me when it was time for me to know. The owner owns the team. He calls the shots.”
Hess presumably thought an experienced coach like Kotite could help turn the franchise around more quickly than Carroll who just finished his rookie season. “I’m 80 years old,” he said. "I want results now, not five years from now.”
He did get results with Kotite -- they just weren’t any good. 4-28.
Source: The Reading Eagle
I know we are all still disappointed with what happened two days ago. But look on the bright side. At least it's not 1/5/95. The first day of the Rich Kotite era.
The Jets fired head coach Pete Carroll. That is future Super Bowl winning, national championship winning head coach Pete Carroll. After only 1 year as head coach. Because Leon Hess just had to have Rich Kotite, a former Jet assistant who had been fired as head coach of the Eagles a week earlier.
Carroll got off to a solid start as Jets head coach, with a 6-5 record until a 5 game losing streak at the end of the season sealed his fate. Owner Leon Hess said he decided to make the change in December, in the midst of the losing streak. The Eagles, with Kotite as their head coach, had suffered through a 7 game season ending losing streak, to finish a season after a promising 7-2 start with a 7-9 record.
“I’m one of the fans, disappointed like the rest of them,” Hess said in explaining the move. “I just felt I owed it to the fans, to the Jets and to myself to do something. I decided to change the coach.”
Hess made the decision on his own, without conferring with GM Dick Steinberg or team president Steve Gutman. Steinberg had recently been diagnosed with Cancer and Hess did not want to burden him with this type of decision.
“It wasn’t in my hands,” Steinberg said. “This was totally Mr. Hess’ decision. He informed me when it was time for me to know. The owner owns the team. He calls the shots.”
Hess presumably thought an experienced coach like Kotite could help turn the franchise around more quickly than Carroll who just finished his rookie season. “I’m 80 years old,” he said. "I want results now, not five years from now.”
He did get results with Kotite -- they just weren’t any good. 4-28.
Source: The Reading Eagle
