When a team fails to meet expectations, the first target of the media and vigilante fans regardless of the sport is the coaching staff. Unfortunately for coaches, General Mangers and other Front Office higher-ups can use these cross-hairs to their own personal benefit. By joining the mob, GMs can mask their fatal personnel decisions and turn the coach into a scapegoat just like everyone else.
For this reason, ownership needs to make sure that their GM and coach share the same team philosophy. Why hire a coach if you are going to handcuff the coach’s ability to coach the way that he or she would like or not provide the coach with the players that would allow the coach to succeed?
By making sure that the coach and GM are philosophically on the same page, it cuts off the blame game. The GM can’t blame the coach for failure because this is the GM’s coach. The coach can’t blame the Gm because the GM provided the coach with the correct players for the coach’s system. This makes the coach and GM a team working for the benefit of the franchise rather than corporate rivals. The coach can’t succeed without the GM (and vice versa).
A great example of not how to treat a GM-Coach relationship can be seen with how Eric Mangini was fired as Jets coach, because GM Mike Tannenbaum threw him under the metaphorically bus. Mangini and Tannenbaum were brought in together after Herm Edwards left to coach the Chiefs and Terry Bradway was reassigned from his GM position, yet when the players that Tannenbaum brought in faltered down the stretch, it was Mangini that was immediately let go.
It was not that Mangini is blameless, but it wasn’t Mangini that brought Brett Favre into town and threw 7 INTs in 3 pivotal games. It was Tannenbaum’s risy decision to bring in Brett Favre (rumor has that Mangini did not even want Favre). If Mangini got canned, Tannenbaum should have gotten the boot with him. Tannenbaum was the one that hired Mangini and Tannenbaum was the one that brought in Favre.
Over should be the days were incomptent Front Office personnel (I’m looking at you Kevin McHale, Isiah Thomas, and Matt Millen) get extra miles on their leashes at the expense of coaches.
