Did we hire the right guy?

[jjakq27]

We are fast approaching the 5 year anniversary of the beginning of the Marvin Lewis era. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the other candidates at the time.

Jack Del Rio (2003-2007) Jacksonville Jaguars

45-35 regular season (+10)

1-2 in the playoffs in two seasons (2005, 2007)

one losing season (2003)

not interviewed by the Bengals

Was he even considered for this job or had he already been hired?

Tom Coughlin (2004-2007) NY Giants

35-29 regular season (+6)

1-2 in the playoffs in three seasons (2005-07)

one losing season (2004)

interviewed by the Bengals

thought to be preferred by Mike Brown

Watching Coughlin win makes me think back to the pre-Marvin era and reminds me of why I initially wanted him to be the coach. He's tough and his team plays hard. I thought that his experience with the Jacksonville expansion team would prove invaluable in how to build a team from scratch. I thought that was needed. He seems like an abrasive person but the guy seems to get a lot out of his team.

Mike Mularkey (2004-2005) Buffalo Bills

14-18 regular season (-4)

no playoff appearances

one winning season (2004)

interviewed by Bengals

I don't really remember much about Mularkey other than he was the OC for the Steelers and Tommy Maddox. They had a nack for the trick play and I wasn't overly impressed by that. But looking at a coach from a division rival wasn't a bad thing. I just didn't think he was really ever in it.

Marvin Lewis (2003-2007) Cincinnati Bengals

42-38 regular season (+4)

0-1 in the playoffs (2005)

one losing season (2007)

thought to be preferred by Katie and Troy Blackburn

After giving it some thought and listening to him I came away impressed with Marvin. Obviously he knew the inner workings of the Steelers and the Ravens so that had to be a great advantage. Other than this year, the team seems to have done well against our division opponents. His handling of people seemed to be a bright spot when compared to Coughlin. I found that refreshing after the likes of Coslet and LeBeau.

But looking back now I wonder if we indeed got the right guy. Marvin seems to have lost some of the control and respect that he had in the locker room. Then there are times that I think he has actually done a good job of keeping things together and that alot of other guys would have done alot worse considering all of the circumstances and issues with the team and franchise in general. So I am really not sure even after five years.

I think this has got to be the year that this team gets it going in the right direction again or we start all over. And I fear that if we start all over the fan base and support will just not be there for the next guy.

[Kazkal]

Yes we did,any of those coaches would not be more successful then marvin had they came here.

[bengalsfan17]

Tom Coughlin would have been more productive hands down!!

Its time to move on from marvin he has lost this team

[Kazkal]

Why would Coughlin have been better?

[Bengals1]

Kazkal's right, Vince Lombardi himself would find it difficult to win with this franchise the way it's run by SoP.

[Ænigma]

I remember halfway through the season I was realy ticked off at Marvin. But then I sat and thought that this was his first losing season. We all know that he is going to take this hard, now that about this is it just a conspiracy.

Marvin lewis gets hired as the Bengals head coach, hes been here almost five years and this is his first losing season. Now for some reason when he finally realizes that hes in a loss. he blows the whole team up, firs two coaches and says there is more to come. So obviously he never wants to lose again.

Mark my words. Cincinnati goes to the playoffs next year, If not the AFC Championship. Or Even...The Superbowl.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Why would Coughlin have been better?

Not sure if he'd have been *better* necessarily, but he'd have ripped Chad a new cornhole a long time ago. We most certainly would not be listening to this crap.

[COB]

Kazkal's right, Vince Lombardi himself would find it difficult to win with this franchise the way it's run by SoP.

Marvin has won with this franchise the way it's run by Mike Brown. Is Marvin better than Lombardi?

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Kazkal's right, Vince Lombardi himself would find it difficult to win with this franchise the way it's run by SoP.

Marvin has won with this franchise the way it's run by Mike Brown. Is Marvin better than Lombardi?

If by 'won', you mean three 8-8, one 7-9, and an 11-5 that's looking more and more like an abberation, then yes, he's won. I think that particular record might fall short of 'winning' by Lombardi's standards, however.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I wanted Coughlin at the time and still do. I don't care if he doesn't kiss up to players and let them get away with things like Marvin does.

He also demanded changes Mike Brown was unwilling to make - so he wasn't hired.

Oh well...

[derekshank]

Coughlin's Giants were in shambles last year much more than the Bengals are now. Coughlin was able to turn it around somehow. It can be turned around in Cincinnati. Can Marvin do it? We'll find out soon enough.

[COB]

If by 'won', you mean three 8-8, one 7-9, and an 11-5 that's looking more and more like an abberation, then yes, he's won. I think that particular record might fall short of 'winning' by Lombardi's standards, however.

Since we just learned that Lombardi would have found it difficult to win here, I'm sure his standards would have been much lower.

[Jet23]

Coughlin's Giants were in shambles last year much more than the Bengals are now. Coughlin was able to turn it around somehow. It can be turned around in Cincinnati. Can Marvin do it? We'll find out soon enough.

Yup, Coughlin was blasted by his players and the media. What a difference 1 year can make. Supposedly, we are seeing the kinder, gentler Coughlin.

[HoosierCat]

Tom Coughlin (2004-2007) NY Giants

35-29 regular season (+6)

1-2 in the playoffs in three seasons (2005-07)

one losing season (2004)

interviewed by the Bengals

thought to be preferred by Mike Brown

IIRC, scuttlebutt at the time was that Mike's preferred choice was Mike Mularky. But the Bengals wanted to fill the spot quickly and Mularky was in the playoffs with Pitt; he supposedly wanted to wait until they were over in order to explore other coaching vacancies. So the Bengals went with Marvin, who was allegedly Katie's favorite.

Coughlin, so the story goes, was pretty much a nonstarter. He supposedly came in with a full-throated plan to rebuild the organization from the top down, including hiring a personnel guy and a whole bunch of scouts, spending in FA, etc. Basically treat the Bengals like an expansion team.

Marvin was definitely a better hire than Mularky, and Coughlin's view on what needed to be done meant that he was never a real candidate.

[jjakq27]

I never heard that about Mularkey. I thought Mike was more in the Tom Coughlin corner but I may be mistaken.

I did hear that Coughlin wanted to blow the whole thing up though. It's funny that the very things we are complaining about are the things that he wanted to fix 5 years ago. And here we sit and he is playing in the NFC Championship game with an average QB at best.

I think you saw the difference in philosphy yesterday also. Coughlin's teams have put a premium on a strong defensive line. That carried over in Jacksonville after DelRio took over. I hope someone from this organization was paying attention. The Giants made Romo look like a high schooler in that fourth quarter. It's amazing what a pass rush will do for you.

[HoosierCat]

I never heard that about Mularkey. I thought Mike was more in the Tom Coughlin corner but I may be mistaken.

There were rumors that floated up after Marvin was hired that not only was Mularky Mike's favorite, but that he had actually been offered the job -- but as that year's hot OC didn't want to jump at the first offer.

It's amazing what a pass rush will do for you.

Yup. The two guys who make that Giants D go are Strahan and Umenyora.

[HairOnFire]

Tom Coughlin - He was my first choice, almost entirely because I felt he would have gutted the team and started fresh. In hindsight that almost certainly would have meant more losing upfront....something that would have only fed the overwhelming negativity and losing culture that still exists. Thus, there would have been no honeymoon period, and without that brief respite it's entirely possible the team would have remained in the death spiral that had gripped it. That said, it's interesting to think where an entirely rebuilt team would be now.

Marvin Lewis - My second choice, and in hindsight still a damn good one. Managed to turn the fortunes of the team around almost overnight, and I still believe Lewis's first three seasons were as good as anyone could have managed....including any of the NFL's biggest coaching names. Now, fresh off of two disappointing seasons in a row, Lewis faces the challenge of trying to recapture "the moment", a task made more difficult now that Cincy's media and fanbase have returned to their familiar sulking ways. Regardless, he'll get that chance this year, and unless I miss my bet he'll get next season too.

Mike Mularkey - During the debates on the now defunct Huddles board I admitted that if Mularkey was the final choice I would almost certainly stop being a Bengal fan. I simply had no faith in his ability to stare down the culture of losing while attempting to rebuild the team, either from the ground up or on the fly. In fact, I'm almost certain Bengal players would have tuned him out from the start, the media would have savaged him in ways that Lewis and Coughlin wouldn't have faced, and Bengal fans, including myself, would have looked upon his hire as Dave Shula V.2.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I never heard that about Mularkey. I thought Mike was more in the Tom Coughlin corner but I may be mistaken.

There were rumors that floated up after Marvin was hired that not only was Mularky Mike's favorite, but that he had actually been offered the job -- but as that year's hot OC didn't want to jump at the first offer.

It's amazing what a pass rush will do for you.

Yup. The two guys who make that Giants D go are Strahan and Umenyora.

As evidenced by the fact that their secondary was down to guys of Ohalate's caliber, and they still won.

[Kazkal]

Pass rush is a wonderful thing.

[bengalboomer7]

Last time I checked coaches don't suit up, so I dont think it's that big of a deal

[Scottishbengal]

We are fast approaching the 5 year anniversary of the beginning of the Marvin Lewis era.

Marvin Lewis (2003-2007) Cincinnati Bengals

42-38 regular season (+4)

0-1 in the playoffs (2005)

one losing season (2007)

thought to be preferred by Katie and Troy Blackburn

Other than this year, the team seems to have done well against our division opponents.

2007: 7-9 finished 3rd in AFCN: Divisional Games = Won 3 Lost 3

2006: 8-8 finished 2nd in AFCN: Divisional Games = Won 4 Lost 2

2005: 11-5 finished 1st in AFCN: Divisional Games = Won 5 Lost 1

2004: 8-8 finished 3rd in AFCN: Divisional Games = Won 2 Lost 4

2003: 8-8 finished 2nd in AFCN: Divisional Games = Won 3 Lost 3

[jjakq27]

Looks like we are trending backwards since the high point of '05 and its 17-13 overall. Maybe it's my perception that we are doing better than the record indicates I I'd say we have done quite well against the Browns and Ravens recently. My point is that we have more than held our own within our division with the exception of the Steelers. I think winning divisional games has a direct bearing on how the season will go. Witness 2007.

[jjakq27]

Coughlin's toughness was evident yesterday. We could use a dose of that around here.

[CarsonDaMan]

Under the circumstances I don't think many people could have done a better job than Marvin has here. Within three years of being here he had a team that was a dark horse Super Bowl contender with a healthy quarterback. And that's after years and years of misery and being the laughing stock of pro sports.

Now in the present the inability of the Bengals front office to adapt with the rest of the NFL has hamstrung him in the worst way. They gambled on too many turds in the draft and refuse to use Free agency as a means to improve their talent level. When the overall depth of your team is average it's going to catch up with you.

After this season and with some of the egos some of our current players have it's going to be curious to see if Marvin can get this team back where it needs to be. I still feel he's one of the better coaches in the league but the situation he's in would make any man grey.

[gregstephens]

Under the circumstances I don't think many people could have done a better job than Marvin has here. Within three years of being here he had a team that was a dark horse Super Bowl contender with a healthy quarterback. And that's after years and years of misery and being the laughing stock of pro sports.

Now in the present the inability of the Bengals front office to adapt with the rest of the NFL has hamstrung him in the worst way. They gambled on too many turds in the draft and refuse to use Free agency as a means to improve their talent level. When the overall depth of your team is average it's going to catch up with you.

After this season and with some of the egos some of our current players have it's going to be curious to see if Marvin can get this team back where it needs to be. I still feel he's one of the better coaches in the league but the situation he's in would make any man grey.

I think I agree with you. I believe Marvin can take a promising team with no discipline issues and that team to the next level. I think he'd do wonders with Arizona. I don't think he can take a train wreck (Cincinnati?) and take it to the next level for a sustainable time period. 2005 was the honeymoon period. Now it's over. But, I think we need to give him one more year to prove me right or wrong. I hope I am wrong.