Question for Steelers Insiders/Experts. (1 Viewer)

[DCThunder]

If the rumors are true that Russ Grimm won't get the HC job in Pittsburgh, what is his future with the team? Does he resign after being passed over or does the team give him some big title and a pay raise to make him happy and keep him around? Does Grimm just quit and move on?

I'd love to get Grimmy back in DC where he belongs as the real heir apparent to Joe Gibbs rather than Gregg Williams or Al Saunders. Hell, the Skins already have about 7 Assistant Head Coaches, each paid mega bucks, what's one more, especially if he's a Charter Member of the 5 O'Clock Club and a head Hog.

 

[Black&Gold]

He's gone. Tomlin can't afford to keep him. If the Steelers would say start out 0-3, he can't have the crowd chanting...."WE WANT RUSS". He's gone, and good luck to him.

 

[DCThunder]

He's gone. Tomlin can't afford to keep him. If the Steelers would say start out 0-3, he can't have the crowd chanting...."WE WANT RUSS". He's gone, and good luck to him.

This makes perfect sense, but any rumors about why the Steelers passed him over and went outside the organization?

 

[pfalvey]

I think the Steelers look for leadership qualities first and foremost from their HC and the scheme issues of the HC are not as important concern as they are for the coordinators. I think Tomlin's energy, enthusiasm and passion for the game remind me alot of a young Bill Cowher. Grimm seemed to me to be very low-key, almost too much so, and I think this hurt his chances. Simply put, Grimm may have had the football mind for the job, but not the personality. As a Steeler fan, I'm pretty excited about the Tomlin hire and think the Rooney's did very good.

 

[monessen]

I think the Steelers look for leadership qualities first and foremost from their HC and the scheme issues of the HC are not as important concern as they are for the coordinators. I think Tomlin's energy, enthusiasm and passion for the game remind me alot of a young Bill Cowher. Grimm seemed to me to be very low-key, almost too much so, and I think this hurt his chances. Simply put, Grimm may have had the football mind for the job, but not the personality. As a Steeler fan, I'm pretty excited about the Tomlin hire and think the Rooney's did very good.

After the 1988 season, Dan Rooney instructed Chuck Noll to fire Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator. He didn't think Dungy could be forceful or effective enough in that role. After Dungy's success as a DC elsewhere, Rooney was contacted by teams looking for a head coach and asked his opinion of Dungy. His pessimistic view was that, while Dungy had a good football mind, he was too low-key to command respect and to run an NFL team.I can see Grimm going elsewhere and being successful. He was a finalist for the Pittsburgh job which he nearly got. I would call Belichick and Noll low-key and they've been pretty good coaches, wouldn't you say?

 

[Bojang0301]

I think the Steelers look for leadership qualities first and foremost from their HC and the scheme issues of the HC are not as important concern as they are for the coordinators. I think Tomlin's energy, enthusiasm and passion for the game remind me alot of a young Bill Cowher. Grimm seemed to me to be very low-key, almost too much so, and I think this hurt his chances. Simply put, Grimm may have had the football mind for the job, but not the personality. As a Steeler fan, I'm pretty excited about the Tomlin hire and think the Rooney's did very good.

After the 1988 season, Dan Rooney instructed Chuck Noll to fire Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator. He didn't think Dungy could be forceful or effective enough in that role. After Dungy's success as a DC elsewhere, Rooney was contacted by teams looking for a head coach and asked his opinion of Dungy. His pessimistic view was that, while Dungy had a good football mind, he was too low-key to command respect and to run an NFL team.I can see Grimm going elsewhere and being successful. He was a finalist for the Pittsburgh job which he nearly got. I would call Belichick and Noll low-key and they've been pretty good coaches, wouldn't you say?

Anybody else ever heard this?

 

[Ben Stiller]

Dungy was asked by Noll to take a demotion in his final year. He chose to leave instead. I've never heard of the Rooneys talking badly about him or anyone.

I have heard that Russ Grimm is a saucehound, don't think for a minute that didn't come into play.

 

[redman]

Dungy was asked by Noll to take a demotion in his final year. He chose to leave instead. I've never heard of the Rooneys talking badly about him or anyone.I have heard that Russ Grimm is a saucehound, don't think for a minute that didn't come into play.

I would think that would be an asset to anyone with the sirname of "Rooney". I've never heard that about Grimm, but it wouldn't shock me. The Redskins teams he was on had some hellraisers on them, particularly on the o-line. He was considered a team leader, but he was also the main prankster in that locker room. I'm wondering right now whether Grimm finds his way back to Gibbs as an advisor to the Redskins for a year or something.

 

[Godsbrother]

According to local media, Grimm was asked to be released from his contract with the Steelers and it has been granted.

 

[3C's]

According to local media, Grimm was asked to be released from his contract with the Steelers and it has been granted.

I've heard that too, but no links or anything official.

 

[Franknbeans]

According to local media, Grimm was asked to be released from his contract with the Steelers and it has been granted.

I've heard that too, but no links or anything official.

Right here"One coach who won't return was the runner-up to Tomlin in the 16-day search for Cowher's replacement. Russ Grimm, the team's assistant head coach and offensive line coach, will be granted a release from his contract with the Steelers at his request. Grimm could join new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt in Arizona, but also could entertain other offers."

 

[3C's]

According to local media, Grimm was asked to be released from his contract with the Steelers and it has been granted.

I've heard that too, but no links or anything official.

Right here"One coach who won't return was the runner-up to Tomlin in the 16-day search for Cowher's replacement. Russ Grimm, the team's assistant head coach and offensive line coach, will be granted a release from his contract with the Steelers at his request. Grimm could join new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt in Arizona, but also could entertain other offers."

Thanks. Question is, is it "official"? Obviously it wouldn't surprise anyone.

 

[Franknbeans]

According to local media, Grimm was asked to be released from his contract with the Steelers and it has been granted.

I've heard that too, but no links or anything official.

Right here"One coach who won't return was the runner-up to Tomlin in the 16-day search for Cowher's replacement. Russ Grimm, the team's assistant head coach and offensive line coach, will be granted a release from his contract with the Steelers at his request. Grimm could join new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt in Arizona, but also could entertain other offers."

Thanks. Question is, is it "official"? Obviously it wouldn't surprise anyone.

Not quite but I think that's only a formality at this point.

 

[Godsbrother]

I saw a clip where a reporter was talking to Dan Rooney about Grimm. The way he talked it is an absolute certainty that Grimm won't be back.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Maybe Jerah Jones will mine the history of an old rival and grab up Grimm

 

[redman]

Maybe Jerah Jones will mine the history of an old rival and grab up Grimm

Bite your tongue! I would hate as a 'Skins fan to see an iconic former Hog standing on that sideline coaching that team.

The thought did occur to me, though, that he's got to be on Jones' radar in his coaching hunt. Personally I think he bides his time with Whisenhunt for a year or two before becoming head coach somewhere. That's shaping up to be a pretty exciting offense in the desert, especially if they bring in an o-line guru like Grimm.

 

[pfalvey]

I think the Steelers look for leadership qualities first and foremost from their HC and the scheme issues of the HC are not as important concern as they are for the coordinators. I think Tomlin's energy, enthusiasm and passion for the game remind me alot of a young Bill Cowher. Grimm seemed to me to be very low-key, almost too much so, and I think this hurt his chances. Simply put, Grimm may have had the football mind for the job, but not the personality. As a Steeler fan, I'm pretty excited about the Tomlin hire and think the Rooney's did very good.

After the 1988 season, Dan Rooney instructed Chuck Noll to fire Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator. He didn't think Dungy could be forceful or effective enough in that role. After Dungy's success as a DC elsewhere, Rooney was contacted by teams looking for a head coach and asked his opinion of Dungy. His pessimistic view was that, while Dungy had a good football mind, he was too low-key to command respect and to run an NFL team.I can see Grimm going elsewhere and being successful. He was a finalist for the Pittsburgh job which he nearly got. I would call Belichick and Noll low-key and they've been pretty good coaches, wouldn't you say?

Your right about Noll and Dungy being low-key. However, I think there's a difference between being low-key and non-assertive. In Grimm's interview with the media last week, he sounded very tentative and a bit nervous. The Rooney's may have had concerns he would be a bit of a pushover in the locker room and that Grimm could easily lose the respect of some of his players. Making things worse, I also think it's harder for an assistant to gain the respect of the players as the new HC than it is for a newcomer such as Tomlin.

 

[redman]

I think the Steelers look for leadership qualities first and foremost from their HC and the scheme issues of the HC are not as important concern as they are for the coordinators. I think Tomlin's energy, enthusiasm and passion for the game remind me alot of a young Bill Cowher. Grimm seemed to me to be very low-key, almost too much so, and I think this hurt his chances. Simply put, Grimm may have had the football mind for the job, but not the personality. As a Steeler fan, I'm pretty excited about the Tomlin hire and think the Rooney's did very good.

After the 1988 season, Dan Rooney instructed Chuck Noll to fire Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator. He didn't think Dungy could be forceful or effective enough in that role. After Dungy's success as a DC elsewhere, Rooney was contacted by teams looking for a head coach and asked his opinion of Dungy. His pessimistic view was that, while Dungy had a good football mind, he was too low-key to command respect and to run an NFL team.I can see Grimm going elsewhere and being successful. He was a finalist for the Pittsburgh job which he nearly got. I would call Belichick and Noll low-key and they've been pretty good coaches, wouldn't you say?

Your right about Noll and Dungy being low-key. However, I think there's a difference between being low-key and non-assertive. In Grimm's interview with the media last week, he sounded very tentative and a bit nervous. The Rooney's may have had concerns he would be a bit of a pushover in the locker room and that Grimm could easily lose the respect of some of his players. Making things worse, I also think it's harder for an assistant to gain the respect of the players as the new HC than it is for a newcomer such as Tomlin.

This may be the key - promotions in the military and many large companies, for example, are often accompanied by a transfer to a different unit/division/location because of that very reason. It's hard not to be seen as the former assistant as opposed the head coach.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Aside from the players on the field, Tomlin will be using his handpicked coaching staff now (no Cowher dynasty leftovers). If Tomlin flops bigtime in 2007 everything is lined up for a Cowher to Steelers return in 2008 and start brand new... (if Rooney will pay market value to Cowher that is but that is probably a slim chance as well). If Tomlin is successful in 2007 (Steelers makes playoffs) then there would be no chance for a Cowher return.

 

[DCThunder]

Maybe Jerah Jones will mine the history of an old rival and grab up Grimm

Bite your tongue! I would hate as a 'Skins fan to see an iconic former Hog standing on that sideline coaching that team.

The thought did occur to me, though, that he's got to be on Jones' radar in his coaching hunt. Personally I think he bides his time with Whisenhunt for a year or two before becoming head coach somewhere. That's shaping up to be a pretty exciting offense in the desert, especially if they bring in an o-line guru like Grimm.

I could also see him coming back to Ashburn to supplant Joe Bugel as O-Line/O-Coordinator and then have a real competition with Gregg "The Genius" Williams to replace Gibbs.

 

[Iron Mike Tomczak]

Aside from the players on the field, Tomlin will be using his handpicked coaching staff now (no Cowher dynasty leftovers). If Tomlin flops bigtime in 2007 everything is lined up for a Cowher to Steelers return in 2008 and start brand new... (if Rooney will pay market value to Cowher that is but that is probably a slim chance as well). If Tomlin is successful in 2007 (Steelers makes playoffs) then there would be no chance for a Cowher return.

This makes absolutely no sense.Tomlin signed a 4 year deal with the option on 5.

 

[redman]

Maybe Jerah Jones will mine the history of an old rival and grab up Grimm

Bite your tongue! I would hate as a 'Skins fan to see an iconic former Hog standing on that sideline coaching that team.

The thought did occur to me, though, that he's got to be on Jones' radar in his coaching hunt. Personally I think he bides his time with Whisenhunt for a year or two before becoming head coach somewhere. That's shaping up to be a pretty exciting offense in the desert, especially if they bring in an o-line guru like Grimm.

I could also see him coming back to Ashburn to supplant Joe Bugel as O-Line/O-Coordinator and then have a real competition with Gregg "The Genius" Williams to replace Gibbs.

We've been debating this on the Redskins board. The Redskins already have too many coaches on that sideline, and Grimm as an aspiring head coach will want a title that suggests that his career path continues to be on the rise. I don't see what they can give him. I also have heard nothing to suggest that Bugel wants to retire; he actually did a great job with the line this year, once again. In theory, Grimm's return to Gibbs' staff makes sense, but I don't think the time is right now. I think Grimm, if he's not hired as a head coach, will join Whisenhunt in Arizona to coach that offense. As it happens, that team's primary offensive need is to bolster its o-line play, and that's Grimm's forte'.

 

[redman]

Aside from the players on the field, Tomlin will be using his handpicked coaching staff now (no Cowher dynasty leftovers). If Tomlin flops bigtime in 2007 everything is lined up for a Cowher to Steelers return in 2008 and start brand new... (if Rooney will pay market value to Cowher that is but that is probably a slim chance as well). If Tomlin is successful in 2007 (Steelers makes playoffs) then there would be no chance for a Cowher return.

This makes absolutely no sense.Tomlin signed a 4 year deal with the option on 5.

Short of an absolute , there's no way that that organization will dump Tomlin after only one season. That's the kind of thing you expect from Al Davis or Bill Bidwell, not the Rooneys.

 

[dgreen]

Dungy was asked by Noll to take a demotion in his final year. He chose to leave instead. I've never heard of the Rooneys talking badly about him or anyone.I have heard that Russ Grimm is a saucehound, don't think for a minute that didn't come into play.

I would think that would be an asset to anyone with the sirname of "Rooney". I've never heard that about Grimm, but it wouldn't shock me. The Redskins teams he was on had some hellraisers on them, particularly on the o-line. He was considered a team leader, but he was also the main prankster in that locker room. I'm wondering right now whether Grimm finds his way back to Gibbs as an advisor to the Redskins for a year or something.

Well, he was a member of the 5 O'clock Club.

 

[Godsbrother]

Aside from the players on the field, Tomlin will be using his handpicked coaching staff now (no Cowher dynasty leftovers). If Tomlin flops bigtime in 2007 everything is lined up for a Cowher to Steelers return in 2008 and start brand new... (if Rooney will pay market value to Cowher that is but that is probably a slim chance as well). If Tomlin is successful in 2007 (Steelers makes playoffs) then there would be no chance for a Cowher return.

This makes absolutely no sense.Tomlin signed a 4 year deal with the option on 5.

Agreed. The Steelers didn't sign Tomlin just to abandon him after only one year. The only way Cowher comes back is if three or four years from now Tomlin has been a flop AND Cowher is not already employed somewhere else AND Cowher wants to return. Extremely unlikely.

 

[Pops]

Local tv, kdkca.com is reporting he is going to Arizona to talk to whisenhunt about a job.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Aside from the players on the field, Tomlin will be using his handpicked coaching staff now (no Cowher dynasty leftovers). If Tomlin flops bigtime in 2007 everything is lined up for a Cowher to Steelers return in 2008 and start brand new... (if Rooney will pay market value to Cowher that is but that is probably a slim chance as well). If Tomlin is successful in 2007 (Steelers makes playoffs) then there would be no chance for a Cowher return.

This makes absolutely no sense.Tomlin signed a 4 year deal with the option on 5.

Short of an absolute , there's no way that that organization will dump Tomlin after only one season. That's the kind of thing you expect from Al Davis or Bill Bidwell, not the Rooneys.

I realize a Cowher return in 2008 is slim/no chance. But if the situation presents itself (i.e. a complete collapse of Steelers in 2007) and Cowher is ready to return to the NFL in 2008 the planets are alligned at least. Regarding past comments:1) coaches get fired all the time with years left on their contract2) Rooney has never had the opportunity I've stated (young HOF coach in Cowher available in '08 for a team and owner he has long track-record with). I doubt Rooney would do that but it would be hard to pass up if the money was right. Additionally, I don't know the $$$ yet but I'm sure Tomlin as unproven 34 year old will be coming in at a minimum wage youngster and not in the Gibbs, Parcels, Holmgren price tag. I'm just guessing here though.

 

[monessen]

I think the Steelers look for leadership qualities first and foremost from their HC and the scheme issues of the HC are not as important concern as they are for the coordinators. I think Tomlin's energy, enthusiasm and passion for the game remind me alot of a young Bill Cowher. Grimm seemed to me to be very low-key, almost too much so, and I think this hurt his chances. Simply put, Grimm may have had the football mind for the job, but not the personality. As a Steeler fan, I'm pretty excited about the Tomlin hire and think the Rooney's did very good.

After the 1988 season, Dan Rooney instructed Chuck Noll to fire Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator. He didn't think Dungy could be forceful or effective enough in that role. After Dungy's success as a DC elsewhere, Rooney was contacted by teams looking for a head coach and asked his opinion of Dungy. His pessimistic view was that, while Dungy had a good football mind, he was too low-key to command respect and to run an NFL team.I can see Grimm going elsewhere and being successful. He was a finalist for the Pittsburgh job which he nearly got. I would call Belichick and Noll low-key and they've been pretty good coaches, wouldn't you say?

Your right about Noll and Dungy being low-key. However, I think there's a difference between being low-key and non-assertive. In Grimm's interview with the media last week, he sounded very tentative and a bit nervous. The Rooney's may have had concerns he would be a bit of a pushover in the locker room and that Grimm could easily lose the respect of some of his players. Making things worse, I also think it's harder for an assistant to gain the respect of the players as the new HC than it is for a newcomer such as Tomlin.

This may be the key - promotions in the military and many large companies, for example, are often accompanied by a transfer to a different unit/division/location because of that very reason. It's hard not to be seen as the former assistant as opposed the head coach.

Absolutely. Yet there are many examples of assistants over the years who've ascended to head coach of that same team and led them to greater heights than the predecessor. Further, there've been coordinators/assistants who inspired players and were held in a higher regard than the HC. An illustration would be Buddy Ryan in Chicago whose Bear defense allegiance was such that half of them wanted to jump ship and join the Eagles when he moved on. Didn't they carry Ryan off the field when they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl? More recently, we heard of the great affinity the Steelers defense demonstrated toward **** LeBeau leading up to the Super Bowl last year.When the Steelers hired Cowher, they allowed him to assemble his own coaching staff (except for the untouchable **** Hoak). The 1991 team was coming off an average season much like the 2006 Steelers. So why the emphasis on continuity now in terms of retaining Arians and LeBeau? If Tomlin's defensive philosophy is such a contrast to LeBeau's, it makes one wonder what the point was in hiring an outsider as head coach. If Tomlin is the great football mind and motivator he is being heralded as, why not let Tomlin be Tomlin and allow him to fashion a staff consistent with his vision? It appears that the Steelers want it both ways: they want to appease the veteran players and the fans and reassure them they won't have to worry about change for the time being while lauding Tomlin for being a breath of fresh air. Bottom line----they must crave continuity for now, so Tomlin will be hamstrung for awhile until he can implement the system he wants. This implies 2 things: 1. The agent for Whisenhunt and Grimm must have really ticked off the Rooneys if continuity was indeed vital, and 2. The Rooneys are not prepared yet to give their new head coach free reign; there are some trust issues that will have to play out during 2007.

I've been a Steeler fan over 40 years, folks, and want them to succeed. This is not meant as subversion, just opinion.

 

[Fear The Turtle]

I'm a long time Skins fan (and Hog worshipper) and, obviously, I don't know the guy personally but talk of Grimm becoming a head coach has always surprised me. Frankly, I wonder whether he has the intellectual wherewithall for the job. I'm just going by many interviews of his I've seen and from heresay and, of course, I could be dead wrong but he's never struck me as outstandingly bright.

 

[pfalvey]

I think the Steelers look for leadership qualities first and foremost from their HC and the scheme issues of the HC are not as important concern as they are for the coordinators. I think Tomlin's energy, enthusiasm and passion for the game remind me alot of a young Bill Cowher. Grimm seemed to me to be very low-key, almost too much so, and I think this hurt his chances. Simply put, Grimm may have had the football mind for the job, but not the personality. As a Steeler fan, I'm pretty excited about the Tomlin hire and think the Rooney's did very good.

After the 1988 season, Dan Rooney instructed Chuck Noll to fire Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator. He didn't think Dungy could be forceful or effective enough in that role. After Dungy's success as a DC elsewhere, Rooney was contacted by teams looking for a head coach and asked his opinion of Dungy. His pessimistic view was that, while Dungy had a good football mind, he was too low-key to command respect and to run an NFL team.I can see Grimm going elsewhere and being successful. He was a finalist for the Pittsburgh job which he nearly got. I would call Belichick and Noll low-key and they've been pretty good coaches, wouldn't you say?

Your right about Noll and Dungy being low-key. However, I think there's a difference between being low-key and non-assertive. In Grimm's interview with the media last week, he sounded very tentative and a bit nervous. The Rooney's may have had concerns he would be a bit of a pushover in the locker room and that Grimm could easily lose the respect of some of his players. Making things worse, I also think it's harder for an assistant to gain the respect of the players as the new HC than it is for a newcomer such as Tomlin.

This may be the key - promotions in the military and many large companies, for example, are often accompanied by a transfer to a different unit/division/location because of that very reason. It's hard not to be seen as the former assistant as opposed the head coach.

Absolutely. Yet there are many examples of assistants over the years who've ascended to head coach of that same team and led them to greater heights than the predecessor. Further, there've been coordinators/assistants who inspired players and were held in a higher regard than the HC. An illustration would be Buddy Ryan in Chicago whose Bear defense allegiance was such that half of them wanted to jump ship and join the Eagles when he moved on. Didn't they carry Ryan off the field when they beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl? More recently, we heard of the great affinity the Steelers defense demonstrated toward **** LeBeau leading up to the Super Bowl last year.When the Steelers hired Cowher, they allowed him to assemble his own coaching staff (except for the untouchable **** Hoak). The 1991 team was coming off an average season much like the 2006 Steelers. So why the emphasis on continuity now in terms of retaining Arians and LeBeau? If Tomlin's defensive philosophy is such a contrast to LeBeau's, it makes one wonder what the point was in hiring an outsider as head coach. If Tomlin is the great football mind and motivator he is being heralded as, why not let Tomlin be Tomlin and allow him to fashion a staff consistent with his vision? It appears that the Steelers want it both ways: they want to appease the veteran players and the fans and reassure them they won't have to worry about change for the time being while lauding Tomlin for being a breath of fresh air. Bottom line----they must crave continuity for now, so Tomlin will be hamstrung for awhile until he can implement the system he wants. This implies 2 things: 1. The agent for Whisenhunt and Grimm must have really ticked off the Rooneys if continuity was indeed vital, and 2. The Rooneys are not prepared yet to give their new head coach free reign; there are some trust issues that will have to play out during 2007.

I've been a Steeler fan over 40 years, folks, and want them to succeed. This is not meant as subversion, just opinion.

I think the reason for keeping Lebeau is that the Rooney's feel they don't have the personnel right now to run the 4-3 effectively and they want a more gradual shift to that scheme, hence they kept Lebeau for this transition and not so much for continuity reasons. I think if the Steelers had optimal 4-3 personnel, I'm not so sure Lebeau would be brought back. I'm not sure about Arians, however. I'm not sure why some Steeler fans seem to be so high on him, his offense didn't seem special to me in Cleveland, although I realize he didn't have great talent. I'd much rather take a chance on Whipple if they were determined to hire from within. Who really cares about experience if it's bad experience.

 

[redman]

I'm a long time Skins fan (and Hog worshipper) and, obviously, I don't know the guy personally but talk of Grimm becoming a head coach has always surprised me. Frankly, I wonder whether he has the intellectual wherewithall for the job. I'm just going by many interviews of his I've seen and from heresay and, of course, I could be dead wrong but he's never struck me as outstandingly bright.

I don't think that I've ever seen him interviewed, however his career path seems to have been good, and if guys like Tice and Shell and Del Rio can be hired, why not him? He's certainly not a Norv Turner or Mike Martz clone, but there's more than one mold for a head coach. Edit to add: In today's media age, it is its own asset that a coach is good in front of the camera independent of whether or not he's got the intellectual wherewithall to be a head coach. I doubt that was a huge consideration with the Rooneys in Pittsburgh though.

 

[Jason Wood]

The Grimm situation is an interesting one...being assistant head coach, one would've thought it was his job to lose, particularly once Whisenhunt took himself out of the picture.

I read something the other day which said Bill Cowher recommended Chan Gailey for the job. Not sure if this is confirmed anywhere, but combine that with the fact Grimm was passed over for an outsider and it makes you wonder whether something is missing.

The real question will be what's to become of Grimm at this point? I can't see him taking an offensive line coach job on another team when he has HC aspirations, but are there really any OC jobs open for him?

Arizona needs an OC, but I can't imagine he wants to be under Whisenhunt's wing again [PIT fans, are these guys reported to be buddies or pure rivals?]

Dallas needs an OC, but Grimm may or may not be a fit depending on who gets the head coaching job.

Curious times indeed.

 

[theToes]

ESPN.com is reporting that Grimm has joined the Cardinals as Asst Head Coach / Offensive line coach.

 

[Irish]

The Grimm situation is an interesting one...being assistant head coach, one would've thought it was his job to lose, particularly once Whisenhunt took himself out of the picture.I read something the other day which said Bill Cowher recommended Chan Gailey for the job. Not sure if this is confirmed anywhere, but combine that with the fact Grimm was passed over for an outsider and it makes you wonder whether something is missing.The real question will be what's to become of Grimm at this point? I can't see him taking an offensive line coach job on another team when he has HC aspirations, but are there really any OC jobs open for him?Arizona needs an OC, but I can't imagine he wants to be under Whisenhunt's wing again [PIT fans, are these guys reported to be buddies or pure rivals?]Dallas needs an OC, but Grimm may or may not be a fit depending on who gets the head coaching job.Curious times indeed.

I don't remember if I read it here or somewhere else, but there are rumors that Russ likes to tip the bottle quite a bit.

 

[dgreen]

I'm a long time Skins fan (and Hog worshipper) and, obviously, I don't know the guy personally but talk of Grimm becoming a head coach has always surprised me. Frankly, I wonder whether he has the intellectual wherewithall for the job. I'm just going by many interviews of his I've seen and from heresay and, of course, I could be dead wrong but he's never struck me as outstandingly bright.

I don't think that I've ever seen him interviewed, however his career path seems to have been good, and if guys like Tice and Shell and Del Rio can be hired, why not him? He's certainly not a Norv Turner or Mike Martz clone, but there's more than one mold for a head coach. Edit to add: In today's media age, it is its own asset that a coach is good in front of the camera independent of whether or not he's got the intellectual wherewithall to be a head coach. I doubt that was a huge consideration with the Rooneys in Pittsburgh though.

From what I've heard, Grimm is a great leader. My guess is he'd hire brains on both sides of the ball if he's ever a HC. He'll most likely have a tough, running philosophy, but his leadership characteristics would lead him to bring in the Xs and Os guys.

 

[Jason Wood]

The Grimm situation is an interesting one...being assistant head coach, one would've thought it was his job to lose, particularly once Whisenhunt took himself out of the picture.

I read something the other day which said Bill Cowher recommended Chan Gailey for the job. Not sure if this is confirmed anywhere, but combine that with the fact Grimm was passed over for an outsider and it makes you wonder whether something is missing.

The real question will be what's to become of Grimm at this point? I can't see him taking an offensive line coach job on another team when he has HC aspirations, but are there really any OC jobs open for him?

Arizona needs an OC, but I can't imagine he wants to be under Whisenhunt's wing again [PIT fans, are these guys reported to be buddies or pure rivals?]

Dallas needs an OC, but Grimm may or may not be a fit depending on who gets the head coaching job.

Curious times indeed.

Now I'm really confused...Russ Grimm has joined Ken Whisenhunt's staff in Arizona in the same capacity he left Pittsburgh: Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach. This now makes two stops where Grimm hasn't been named OC or called the plays (I presume Whisenhunt plans to call the plays); is this going to really help his chances of landing a HC job elsewhere?http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2740378

 

[redman]

The Grimm situation is an interesting one...being assistant head coach, one would've thought it was his job to lose, particularly once Whisenhunt took himself out of the picture.

I read something the other day which said Bill Cowher recommended Chan Gailey for the job. Not sure if this is confirmed anywhere, but combine that with the fact Grimm was passed over for an outsider and it makes you wonder whether something is missing.

The real question will be what's to become of Grimm at this point? I can't see him taking an offensive line coach job on another team when he has HC aspirations, but are there really any OC jobs open for him?

Arizona needs an OC, but I can't imagine he wants to be under Whisenhunt's wing again [PIT fans, are these guys reported to be buddies or pure rivals?]

Dallas needs an OC, but Grimm may or may not be a fit depending on who gets the head coaching job.

Curious times indeed.

Now I'm really confused...Russ Grimm has joined Ken Whisenhunt's staff in Arizona in the same capacity he left Pittsburgh: Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach. This now makes two stops where Grimm hasn't been named OC or called the plays (I presume Whisenhunt plans to call the plays); is this going to really help his chances of landing a HC job elsewhere?http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2740378

Unfortunately for Grimm, he's out on the market a bit late given that he was undoubtedly angling for the Pittsburgh head coaching job, so by now there aren't many spots left. The only two that I'm aware of are in Dallas (which doesn't even have a head coach) and Oakland (which just hired a young, offensive guy). I suspect this is the next best thing for him for the coming year, at which point he'll seek a long term position as a head coach or at least as a coordinator/play-caller somewhere else. Who knows though - maybe Whisenhunt will want to delegate more responsibility to Grimm in AZ than he had in Pittsburgh. :shrugh: