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With more and more NFL franchises pulling the trigger on younger guys in the league to be head coaches, some teams still believe in the old-school mentality and go with older coaches who are 40-plus. Example: the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants.
The genesis of the youth movement in the NFL coaching ranks dates back to 2017, when the Los Angeles Rams hired 30-year-old Sean McVay. McVay became the youngest head coach in the NFL since 1938, when the Cleveland Rams hired Art "Pappy" Lewis. Lewis was only 27 years old. Less than a month after the hiring of McVay, the San Francisco 49ers hired 37-year-old Kyle Shanahan. In the nine years since, the NFL has hired 23 head coaches who were under 40.
In the 20 years before 2017, only 11 coaches were hired who weren't quite 40.
Recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants weren't quite as receptive to the trend of going young. Some may expect that, out of two of the most storied franchises in professional football. The two franchises that have been owned by the same owners for decades recently found themselves in uncharted waters, with two head-coaching vacancies at the same time.
Both decided to stick with the old-school approach and hire two veteran coaches with Super Bowl rings. The other remarkable note is that the new Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Mike McCarthy, and the New York Giants head coach, John Harbaugh, have eerily similar overall records. McCarthy's overall record is 185-123-2, with 11-11 in the playoffs, while Harbaugh's is 193-124, with 13-11 in the postseason. Not to mention, each has been a head coach for 18 seasons.
Did the two teams buck the NFL trend of hiring younger head coaches? It may not be intentional, but it could raise questions depending on the outcome of the next season or two for both teams. Each coach will be tasked with completely different operations and schemes. But both are definitely looking to win now and regain their expected prominence.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: The genesis of NFL youth head coaching movement is not for every team
Continue reading...
The genesis of the youth movement in the NFL coaching ranks dates back to 2017, when the Los Angeles Rams hired 30-year-old Sean McVay. McVay became the youngest head coach in the NFL since 1938, when the Cleveland Rams hired Art "Pappy" Lewis. Lewis was only 27 years old. Less than a month after the hiring of McVay, the San Francisco 49ers hired 37-year-old Kyle Shanahan. In the nine years since, the NFL has hired 23 head coaches who were under 40.
In the 20 years before 2017, only 11 coaches were hired who weren't quite 40.
Recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants weren't quite as receptive to the trend of going young. Some may expect that, out of two of the most storied franchises in professional football. The two franchises that have been owned by the same owners for decades recently found themselves in uncharted waters, with two head-coaching vacancies at the same time.
Both decided to stick with the old-school approach and hire two veteran coaches with Super Bowl rings. The other remarkable note is that the new Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Mike McCarthy, and the New York Giants head coach, John Harbaugh, have eerily similar overall records. McCarthy's overall record is 185-123-2, with 11-11 in the playoffs, while Harbaugh's is 193-124, with 13-11 in the postseason. Not to mention, each has been a head coach for 18 seasons.
Did the two teams buck the NFL trend of hiring younger head coaches? It may not be intentional, but it could raise questions depending on the outcome of the next season or two for both teams. Each coach will be tasked with completely different operations and schemes. But both are definitely looking to win now and regain their expected prominence.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: The genesis of NFL youth head coaching movement is not for every team
Continue reading...
