An offseason of upheaval among NFL coaching staffs
Success often breeds change in the NFL, particularly when it comes to coaching staffs.
And it's not just the ones that lose.
Playoff teams are forced to restructure their staffs when offensive and defensive coordinators become hot commodities and are offered head coaching jobs. Those teams are expected to maintain their success with new personnel leading the way.
"It's not about me and my particular scheme or our staff and our scheme," new Arizona defensive coordinator Bill Davis said. "It's about what the players can do."
The Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, but coach Ken Whisenhunt had to search for new coordinators in the offseason. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley left to become Kansas City's head coach, while defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast was fired — and later hired for the same position by Haley.
Haley's duties will be split among Russ Grimm (running game) and Mike Miller (passing game), but Whisenhunt will make the major decisions, for now.
In an offseason of upheaval, only eight NFL teams enter this season with the same head coach and offensive and defensive coordinators who began last year, including the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
There are 11 new head coaches, 11 new offensive coordinators and a whopping 22 new defensive coordinators since this time a year ago.
"I would say that, certainly, (there's) pressure to succeed," said Miami's Tony Sparano, entering his second season as coach of the Dolphins. "Certainly, with what I want my players to accomplish, I'd say every one of these young coaches, new coaches, they're in the league right now probably feeling the same way.
"I know that, see, three teams last year that were able to kind of turn it around: Atlanta, Baltimore, ourselves, and you see all that kind of thing, some people may say 'Hey, they were able to do it, so you should be (able).' It's not that easy, doesn't work that way."
Arizona and New Orleans are the only teams that kept their head coach and lost both coordinators from last season.
"The biggest thing are the playbooks and getting used to what the coaches want out of you, especially being a vet," Cleveland center Hank Fraley said.
When teams don't win, coaches pay the price. The Browns are one of seven teamswith an entirely new staff. Coach Eric Mangini, let go by the New York Jets, took over for the fired Romeo Crennel and brought in his own two coordinators.
Meanwhile, the Jets hired Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to be their head man. The son of Buddy Ryan brought Mike Pettine with him from the Ravens to New York to lead his defense, but kept Brian Schottenheimer, the Jets' incumbent offensive coordinator.
With Schottenheimer staying, offensive line coach Bill Callahan, tight ends coach Mike Devlin and offensive assistant Mike Bloomgren were among other coaches on New York's staff who also stuck around.
"The fact that they wanted to stay absolutely puts us ahead of where we probably would have been," Ryan said. "These guys know Brian. They know the system. There's continuity there."
Kansas City and San Francisco are two other teams with a new head coach but who retained at least one of the previous regime's coordinators. Haley kept Chan Gailey as Chiefs OC, while the 49ers' Mike Singletary, who had his interim coach label removed in favor of a four-year deal, kept defensive coordinator Greg Manusky.
In Dallas, defensive coordinator Brian Stewart was replaced by Wade Phillips, the only NFL head coach with those dual roles. Oakland's Tom Cable is the head coach, but will work on the offense with new passing game coordinator Ted Tollner.
