herm seems like a first class guy but a middle of the pack head coach
Though I'm quoting you, this isn't directed at you specifically. Who would you put above Herm? I mean is Andy Reid on shaky ground? Has he won the SB yet? Another guy that gets his team to the playoffs but can't win the big game?
What about Bill Cowher? How many Super Bowls has he won?
And if Super Bowls are the measuring stick of a "proven" track record, does that make Billick a must keep?
And no one has mentioned how much influence Herm has into the personnel decisions. I'm not saying that Herm is the greatest coach, but who is? Belichek? I seem to remember he had a few lean years in the early part of his career.
Just like a rookie, it takes coaches some time to develop and learn along the way. Watching Herm develop only to fire him after his first season of missing the playoffs (when the Jets lost their top 2 QBs and 5 offensive starters, I think) would be very premature.