Brooklyn Nets let head coach P.J. Carlesimo walk

The Brooklyn Nets NBA basketball team has decided to head in a new direction regarding the team’s head coach. The Nets announced on May 5 that interim coach P.J. Carlesimo will be leaving the club since they won’t be offering him the full-time job. Carlesimo was let go just a day after Brooklyn was eliminated from the playoffs and the franchise will now begin searching for a new head coach.

Billy King, the club’s general manager, said the organization would like to thank Carlesimo for everything he’s done for the team as both an assistant and head coach over the years and for the way he represented them on and off of the basketball court. He also wished the former coach and his family success for the future.

The 63-year-old Carlesimo became the club’s interim head coach last December after being promoted from his
position as an assistant coach. He took over from Avery Johnson, who was let go by King after the Nets struggled to a 14-14 record at the start of the season. Carlesimo helped turn the team’s fortunes around when taking over behind the bench and led Brooklyn to a 35-19 record for the rest of the season. The Nets finished in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, but were eliminated from the postseason in the first round by the Chicago Bulls in seven games.

Did Chip Kelly Jump Ship to NFL Because of Looming Allegations?

According to the Oregonian and Portland local news station KATU Monday night, the University of Oregon shared documents with the NCAA that both agree were "major" violations committed by the football program during the tenure of former head coach Chip Kelly. The school has admitted that at least one major violation was committed by members of the coaching staff.

The main suspect in the alleged allegations is Will Lyles, who ran a recruiting and scouting service under the payment of $25,000 from Oregon, one violation that the school and the NCAA are disagreeing about. According to KATU, NCAA enforcement staff wrote in the report:

"There were underlying major violations coupled with failure to monitor violations involving the head coach (2009 through 2011) and the athletics department (2008-2011),"

'Dunk City' coach moves to SoCal

For those of us in the midwest, it was big news when the Wichita State Shockers made their trip to LA. A trip to the Elite 8 was a monumental accomplishment.

That is now forgotten with their planned trip to Atlanta, but it looks like WSU's coach Marshall wasn't the only mid-major coach interested in LA.

Andy Enfield, the young coach of Florida Gulf Coast exploded onto the college basketball scene as his LA Times.  Regardless of the announcement date, it was no joke with USC confirmed that their 2 and 1/2 month coaching search was over with the hiring of the 43 year old Enfield. 

underdog Eagles flew over and around Georgetown and San Diego State on their way to the Sweet 16. According to the

There is no question that the style of play Enfield's team showed at FGCU will be welcomed by sports fans in Southern California, and with UCLA in the coaching hunt as well, this was a great time to hire a coach with an exciting style.  The question is, was this too quick a hire?  One big year does not a career make, and this is a huge jump for the husband of lovely Amanda Marcum, is making a HUGE jump. 

ALFORD-ABLE CARE ACT

Apparently not able to afford an elite Coach, UCLA settles for Steve Alford, despite the 10-year contract extension he agreed to with New Mexico two weeks ago, and despite the fact that his team scored less per game last year than the Bruins, and despite the fact that his record for the last ten years is not as good as Ben Howland’s… but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad hire

Did the Bruins just hire the best Coach THEIR money could buy?  When UCLA fired Ben “3 straight Final Fours” Howland despite Ben’s team winning the Regular Season Conference Championship this year, Bruin fans were hoping that his replacement would be a marked upgrade — a proven winner who could get the Bruins another National Championship.  Names like Pitino and Donovan were bandied about, while young hotshots Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens were directly targeted.

Apparently, UCLA couldn’t induce Smart or Stevens to leave their present employers, and they couldn’t come up with enough cash to lure the Pitino’s and Donovan’s of the World.  So the Bruins went to Plan B — looking for a second tier Coach.  Fans were thinking about the current Coaches of Marquette, Florida Gulf Coast, Villanova, and Wichita State.  Those fans were NOT considering Steve Alford, since he just consented to a ten-year extension to continue coaching at New Mexico.  But on Saturday, those fans were all shocked when UCLA announced that Alford was the man.

Rob Ryan keeps up family tradition of oversell, under-deliver

Rob Ryan was fired by the Dallas Cowboys after a second consecutive 8-8 season, and after another year of his defense being incapable of holding onto a lead when handed to them. Of course, he considers himself a scapegoat and is (genuinely, I believe) shocked that Jerry Jones gave him the boot, according to Dan Hanzus of ESPN:

“Oh yeah, look, I was a little shocked,” Ryan told ESPNDallas.com after watching a Dallas Mavericks-Golden State Warriors game on Saturday night. “I knew they had to do something after an 8-8 season. They choose me to be the guy, sure.”

Translation: Jerry Jones was looking for a scapegoat and I was his choice.
“Better coaches than me have been fired,” Ryan said. “Just not many.”

Shortly after being fired, while on vacation with his wife, Ryan boasted he would have a job in “five minutes.” Now, we get this }not many coaches better than me” line.

Last week, Ryan was offered the St. Louis Rams job. Apparently, however, Jeff Fisher sobered up just in time to realize what a colossal mistake adding the flamboyant, over-cusser to his staff would be and withdrew the proposal, leaving Ryan still unemployed.

NFL Refuses To Allow Indiana Man To Keep His Trademark Of “Harbowl”

Nothing more frustrating than having a grand idea almost come to fruition, but have the powers that be come in and deny you.

That is exactly what Roy Fox is experiencing after he thought that he had purchased the trademark rights to the phrase Harbowl.

Last February after the NFC Championship Game, Fox spent more than $1000 to file for the trademarks
“Harbowl” and “Harbaugh Bowl,” in anticipation that Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh might actually face each other in the Super Bowl.

“Right before the conference championship games last year, I thought to myself, ‘Can you imagine if these guys played each other?’” Fox said. “If Pat Riley would go through the trouble of trademarking three-peat, why shouldn’t I try this?

Sounds like a fan being aware that two brothers coach strong NFL teams that would have Super Bowl aspirations year in and year out.

Texas A and M Head Coach Kevin Sumlin to Receive Contract Extention

Coach Kevin Sumlin, head football coach of the Texas A&M Aggies is going to be receiving a nice raise and contract extension based on how well his team performed this year according to Dallas Morning News .

Exceeding expectations, the Aggies went 11-2 including a victory over eventual national champion Alabama and a more than convincing victory over former Big XII foe Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Not to mention also coaching the first freshman to ever win the Heisman in Johnny Manziel. With the amount of success Sumlin has had in his first year at A&M in their first year in the SEC, I’m sure Aggie faithful know that kind of success will get money thrown at him from plenty of other suitors.

The Chip Kelly Effect

Standing in the concourse of the Rose Garden before the Portland Trail Blazers played the Cleveland Cavaliers, I didn't hear much talk about the young, exciting team that has so far exceeded everyone's expectations. The talk wasn't about rookie guard Damian Lillard, who has won two straight rookie of the month awards. Not one word was heard about coach of the year candidate Terry Stotts. Instead, the talk was all about a man who has nothing to do with basketball and who was 3,000+ miles away: Chip Kelly.

Wednesday was a whirlwind day when it came to the Chip Kelly saga. Kelly, who was believed to be staying in Eugene as of a couple weeks ago, all of a sudden was off to Philadelphia to coach the Eagles.

The story first broke on Twitter and continued to spread like wildfire throughout all media sources. Sports talk radio was buzzing, Twitter kept constant updates coming and everyone had their opinions on Facebook.

Jaguars Hire Gus Bradley as Head Coach

The Jaguars hired Seahawks defensive coordinator, Gus Bradley, as their head coach.

From 2009-2012, Bradley served as the Seahawks defensive coordinator. Seattle’s defense made huge strides under the guidance of Bradley. Prior to working with the Seahawks, Bradley worked closely with Monte Kiffin in Tampa, as a defensive quality control coach.

Bruce Arians Accepts Cardinals' Head Coaching Position

Bruce Arians has officially taken the Arizon Cardinals' head coaching position, vacating his offensive coordinator position.

The favorite for Coach of the Year (along with his partner in crime, Chuck Pagano) will go to Arizona, and take over a woeful Cardinals offense that features an aging unhappy superstar, no real good quarterback, the worst offensive line in the NFL, and a pourous running game. However, he will also be going to a team with a top 10 defense with some real stars like Daryl Washington, Patrick Peterson, and Darnell Dockett. There are a lot of up and downs on this team.

Jim Harbaugh Says He’s Half The Coach His Brother John Is

It must be a gift and a curse to have a brother in the same profession, when both of you are really good at what you do and people around you expect you to fight for supremacy.

The Harbaugh brothers like any siblings are competitive with each other to a point, but do their best to avoid it turning into a rivalry.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is the older of the two and has always been a coach, Jim had success as a NFL quarterback before throwing his coaching hat on as well.

San Diego Chargers to name Mike McCoy as coach

The San Diego Chargers have whisked away offensive coordinator Mike McCoy from the Denver Broncos to name him as their head coach.

According to the league’s website,  McCoy has told the Broncos that he has accepted the position.

McCoy has been a hot name on the coaching carousel having interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Arizona Cardinals and was expected to meet with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Charger’s new GM  Tom Telesco must have dangled several carrots to get him onboard with a team that has been a disappointment for some time now.

The Chargers have several pieces in place that can help them become a good team again.

On paper they are a long way from being the Super Bowl contender that they once were.

Brian Kelly Will Remain At Notre Dame

The Kelly boys are having a ball flirting with the Philadelphia Eagles, but not being able to commit.  After Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly flirted with the thought of joining the Eagles and declined.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly to everyone’s surprised did the same, even before his Irish were steam rolled by Alabama.

He too could not commit.  Pro Football Talk is reporting that Brian Kelly will indeed remain with the Fighting Irish.  Kelly released this statement.

Oregon Ducks Head Coach Chip Kelly's Decision

The entire state of Oregon let out a deep sigh of relief once Chip Kelly decided to stay in Oregon (Okay, maybe not the entire state, but a majority of it.)  Coach Kelly has done a lot for the school and for the state.

The Oregon Ducks will be a highly ranked team and will be in the conversation for the National Championship for years to come!  He had two choices in front of him: the possibility of being one of the best coaches in the NCAA or being a rookie coach in the NFL.  This is actually a decision that I faced a few months ago (My decision did not involve millions of dollars, but there is a correlation.)

I was working for a technology company and I had been there for 6.5 years.  I was in a stride and I was doing great at my job.  Customers were happy with my work, my management was happy that the customers were happy and my cats were happy (I was working from home full time and they liked the attention I gave them.  But I am not crazy; they only talked to me once or twice.)  If this was high school football, I would have been on the varsity team (Maybe not the all-star quarterback dating the head cheerleader, but I was at least a consistent starter.)  Then I received a job offer from a large company.

They wanted to bring me in and I was very excited.  It was a great opportunity for my career and for me personally.   I had to make the choice: did I want to be a big fish in a small pond, or did I want to be “just another fish” in a large pond?

That is a similar decision to what Coach Kelly had in front of him.  With the success he has had with Oregon, he has a safe job for the next few years and he is loved in the school and in the state.  If he decided to go to Cleveland or Philadelphia, he would have had more of pressure on him and almost no job security.

 He would have gone into the pressure-cooker that is the NFL and become “another target” for the media members and the fans.  

Dick Vermeil to Eagles: Hire Jon Gruden

If Jon Gruden is going to land his next NFL coaching gig, he’ll have his peers to thank.
Appearing on Philadelphia sports radio Tuesday, Dick Vermeil weighed in on the Eagles’ search for a head coach, recommending the Monday Night Football commentator.

“My choice would be Jon Gruden,” Vermeil said, via Philly.com. “… I just think he’s a helluva of football coach, and I don’t want him to make the mistake I made, to wait too long to go back. I just think he’s a helluva football coach and a great personality.”

Vermeil, the former Eagles, Rams and Chiefs head man, even suggested the Eagles should skip the pleasantries and show the 49-year-old Gruden the money.

Buffalo Bills hire Syracuse coach

The Buffalo Bills stayed out of the limelight during their hiring process for a new coach.

Now they found their man and he is not one of the box office names on the market.

The Bills came to terms with Syracuse coach Doug Marrone on Sunday.

Marrone comes with NFL experience having been an assistant coach with both the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets.

The hire could be a good one.

Coming from an offensive background, the new lead man will be charged with making sense of Buffalo’s quarterback situation.

It’s no secret that Bills GM Buddy Nix wants to see a different face under center.

Buffalo is secure with their skill players as both Steve Johnson and running back C.J. Spiller have the potential to be superstars in this league.

Marrone must have blown the Bills away as Buffalo pulled the trigger before taking the opportunity to interview Denver Broncos’ offensive cordinator Mike McCoy on Sunday.

McCoy was expected be heavily courted by Buffalo.

The same was said for former-Bears coach Lovie Smith.

What this round of coaching hires is proving is that we should all expect the unexpected.

For ever rumor and hyped report comes a eventual truth that did not seem expected.

For Bills fans, they have to hope that Nix found the right guy to restore playoff  hopes.

The Bills have not been to the tournament in almost a decade.

It has been longer than that since they were a serious contender for the ultimate prize.

Buffalo invested a great deal of money in DE/OLB Mario Williams last off-season only to seem him come up short.

Is Marrone the guy that will find and develop a quarterback and inspire their huge defensive investment into stepping up and taking charge?

Those answers will start to fall during the NFL Draft.

The post Buffalo Bills hire Syracuse coach appeared first on Players View.

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Report: Ex-Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson “Fired” His Wife When He got Cowboys Job

In 1992, Dallas Morning News Business Columnist Cheryl Hall did a feature piece on ex-Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson.  After spending about two hours with Johnson at his office at Cowboys’ headquarters, Hall came away with some unique insights about the two-time Super Bowl winning coach, including this bit from Johnson that Hall shared in today’s Dallas Morning News as she reflected on the best interviews of her 20-year career:

 “Above everything else, the thing that matters most to me as CEO is that we win,” Johnson said. “There is only one goal. If anyone in the organization doesn’t have that goal, then I get somebody new in the organization.”

What Has Todd Haley Done as Steelers Offensive Coordinator to Earn a Head Coaching Interview?

Gee, I thought a coordinator had to accomplish something before interviewing for a head coaching job in the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed the Arizona Cardinals to interview offensive coordinator Todd

Haley for their head coaching position, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Haley had some success coaching the Kansas City Chiefs. After a 4-12 season in his first year as head coach, the Chiefs went 10-6 in 2010 and won the AFC West before things went bad in 2011.

Haley’s appeal as a head coaching candidate must be based on his track record in Kansas City and Arizona, where he ran an offense that got the Cardinals into the Super Bowl.

The Cardinals, who fired Ken Whisenhunt, probably figure Haley is the guy who can recapture the magic of that 2008 Super Bowl run.

His tenure in Pittsburgh so far has been anything but magical.

Andy Reid’s First Interview with Kansas City Chiefs, Not Arizona Cardinals

Yesterday was a very interesting day in the Andy Reid personal coaching carousel. Since being fired on Monday by the Philadelphia Eagles, his name has been strongly linked to the Arizona Cardinals vacancy.

There was a lot of conflicting information and we even saw two respected football journalists, Mike Florio and Jason LaCanfora going at it on twitter (Here is a great breakdown of the spat courtesy of our friends at Larry Brown Sports).

Today, we have an interesting development in the story. League sources indicate that Reid will actually first meet with Kansas City Chiefs officials in Philadelphia about their head coaching position.

Personally, I think it would be great if KC came in and swept Reid right out from under Arizona, mainly because it would prove just how fickle twitter journalism is.

Robert Littal

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Jerry Jones: Change is coming to Cowboys

He may have spared head coach Jason Garrett, but let’s be clear: ‘Happy’ is not an adjective you’d use to describe Jerry Jones.

Appearing on his weekly radio show, the Cowboys’ outspoken owner angrily said the coming months will be “very comfortable” at Valley Ranch, the team’s headquarters, following an 8-8 season.

“I can assure our fans this, that it’s going to be very uncomfortable from my standpoint, it’s going to be very uncomfortable for the next few weeks and months at Valley Ranch,” Jones said, via ESPNDallas.com.

A “frustrated, angry and perhaps flustered” Jones vowed to make changes to his club, declaring it in such a way that would make even Sam Cooke proud.

“I can tell you change is necessary at 8-8,” Jones said. “Change is in order when you spend the two seasons in a row down to the last two games and lose them, so we’re going to have to have changes.”