Is Caldwell the right guy for the job?

[DukieBabe]

I'd like to compare Jim Caldwell to some other famous coaches that inherited a championship team. I'm sure there are others but these are the ones that come to mind.

(1) Bob Knight fired from IU in 2000. Mike Davis takes over and in his second year of coaching a Bob Knight recruited and coached team makes it to the NCAA Finals. In the next 4 years the team makes two appearances in the NCAA Tourney exiting in the second round, they make the NIT one year exiting in the first round, and miss post season play all together in the other year. Davis is gone.

(2) Tony Dungy is let go by Tampa Bay in 2001. John Gruden takes over and in his first year of coaching a Tony Dungy constructed team wins the 2002 Super Bowl. Gruden is released after dismal performance by the team from 2003 through 2008.

(3) Tony Dungy retires as coach of the Colts and is succeeded by Jim Caldwell. In his very first year of coaching a Tony Dungy constructed team he looses in the Super Bowl to New Orleans. The next year (2011) the Colts make an early exit after losing to the Jets in the Wild Card game.

I believe I see a pattern here.

Now don't get me wrong, I like Jim Caldwell but he's not Tony Dungy and in my honest opinion he's not the right guy for the job. He was handed a championship caliber team and it appears that he can't handle it. Someone used the word "deer in the headlights look" when describing Caldwell, and I have to agree. He's in over his head and is incapable of making the correct decisions when the decision needs to be immediate.

I agree that the Colts have been hit hard with injuries, but even with that they've had opportunites to win and have been coached into losing. JMHO

[ALuck12]

I totally agree with on this. He is not the coach everyone thought he was when he was appointed the job. He hasn't done anything with the talent this team has, and us fans are getting tired of exiting the playoffs early, when we should be in the Super Bowl. He isn't preparing the team well enough to win. He makes stupid mistakes like last year in the playoff game against the Jets where he gives them a gift and calls a timeout for them so they can move the ball closer and kick a game winning FG.

Fire his a#* already Irsay or Polian!!!!!!!

[Zachris]

I am not a fan. I personally think we need to go a new direction with coaching. I loved Dungy, but lets face it. Coaches that don't show any emotion, isn't getting us anywhere. And coaching is being questioned big time here.

[LUVTHESHOE]

I totally agree with on this. He is not the coach everyone thought he was when he was appointed the job. He hasn't done anything with the talent this team has, and us fans are getting tired of exiting the playoffs early, when we should be in the Super Bowl. He isn't preparing the team well enough to win. He makes stupid mistakes like last year in the playoff game against the Jets where he gives them a gift and calls a timeout for them so they can move the ball closer and kick a game winning FG.

Fire his a#* already Irsay or Polian!!!!!!!

I dont remember anyone being stoked about him being hired. there is no way they hired him because of his famous pedigree, i believe it was more of a convenience and now some are to thick headed to say it was a mistake, so our slide to mediocracy will continue.

[FireJimCaldwell]

He never was.

[presto123]

I didn't like that hiring from the get go and unfortunately we have management that is too stubborn to budge on anything. Look at the defensive scheme. That hasn't worked in like forever. Just tired of the Colts standing pat on everything and HOPING something gets better. Amazing that Manning could cover up so many weaknesses.

[Rblake]

Oh good! Another thread on this topic...

[Jaric]

No. Neither is his staff.

[jtrester]

If you hire someone else, you have to be willing to change the scheme. We have not been prepared to spend the money on personnel to change the scheme. I feel like we will get some sweeping changes after this season. If Caldwell survives, we will have new coordinators all the way around. When Peyton is healthy we have an O-Coordinator on the field, we need a REAL defensive coach. Smash mouth, hit them because they look at you funny, defense. Angerer, Freeney, and Mathis are fitting that mold. Our DB play is pitiful at best!

[manningup]

"Oh good! Another thread on this topic...."

As far as I'm concerned, there can't be enough threads about this group masquerading as a coaching staff. If we're fortunate enough to get Peyton back for a few more years (hopefully more), then we owe it to him to have the best available coaching staff that money can buy.

Of course, to get a top-notch staff, Polian (and son) would probably have to share some power with them and I don't see that happening. Clueless Caldwell is no threat to the powers that be, so they pretend that he's not the major problem that he is. Something's got to change, or it's only going to get worse. The only possible silver lining to losing Peyton this year is exposing just how inept this "coaching" staff is and bringing in a proven winner.

[dn4192]

Lets see in first season he akes the Colts to the SB

Lets see in second season with a high number of key injuries to key positions he gets the Colts to the playoffs

Lets see in third season with out Peyton he has kept the team in tact and even though they are 0-4 have only had 1 bad blowout.

Yes Caldwell can coach, I doubt any other person would have had any better of a record then Caldwell given the same things to work with.

[Robin]

we need a better DC

[cmgww]

I agree that it's time to change DCs...and maybe Caldwell. I have supported him ardently, but after last night's gaffes (not going for it on 4th down, no challenge on the fumble) I am starting to doubt him too.

[Fx Stryker]

Here is some info. In 1992 Wake Forest went 8-4 and won the Independence Bowl under coach Bill Dooley. In 1993 Wake Forest drop off and goes 2-9 under coach, that's right you guessed it, Jim Caldwell. Wake Forest does not see another winning season until 1999 at a whopping 7-5. In 2000 they again drop off. After the release of Jim Caldwell Wake Forest has only had 3 losing season.

[LUVTHESHOE]

I'd like to compare Jim Caldwell to some other famous coaches that inherited a championship team. I'm sure there are others but these are the ones that come to mind.

(1) Bob Knight fired from IU in 2000. Mike Davis takes over and in his second year of coaching a Bob Knight recruited and coached team makes it to the NCAA Finals. In the next 4 years the team makes two appearances in the NCAA Tourney exiting in the second round, they make the NIT one year exiting in the first round, and miss post season play all together in the other year. Davis is gone.

(2) Tony Dungy is let go by Tampa Bay in 2001. John Gruden takes over and in his first year of coaching a Tony Dungy constructed team wins the 2002 Super Bowl. Gruden is released after dismal performance by the team from 2003 through 2008.

(3) Tony Dungy retires as coach of the Colts and is succeeded by Jim Caldwell. In his very first year of coaching a Tony Dungy constructed team he looses in the Super Bowl to New Orleans. The next year (2011) the Colts make an early exit after losing to the Jets in the Wild Card game.

I believe I see a pattern here.

Now don't get me wrong, I like Jim Caldwell but he's not Tony Dungy and in my honest opinion he's not the right guy for the job. He was handed a championship caliber team and it appears that he can't handle it. Someone used the word "deer in the headlights look" when describing Caldwell, and I have to agree. He's in over his head and is incapable of making the correct decisions when the decision needs to be immediate.

I agree that the Colts have been hit hard with injuries, but even with that they've had opportunites to win and have been coached into losing. JMHO

i truly believe he is the right mann for the job, if you are in the demolishion business!

[Jaric]

Do some of you not realize that 31 other teams manage to find ways to win games without Peyton Manning?

[John Waylon]

Nope.

But it aint gonna change, so buckle up and get used to it.

[ruksak]

BURN THE WITCH!

He has brought a curse to our village!

[Zachris]

Lets see in first season he akes the Colts to the SB

Lets see in second season with a high number of key injuries to key positions he gets the Colts to the playoffs

Lets see in third season with out Peyton he has kept the team in tact and even though they are 0-4 have only had 1 bad blowout.

Yes Caldwell can coach, I doubt any other person would have had any better of a record then Caldwell given the same things to work with.

Really? I think after this year, it is proven not only that Manning did all this stuff, but that Manning also should have been the league MVP for 10 years in a row.

Caldwell didn't do any of this stuff.

[basketballsteve]

Not commenting on the comparison but Caldwell is a complete "happy talk" guy putting a positive spin on everything to the point of unreality. I don't trust Caldwell's judgement because his words don't fit the pattern how he coaches especially when players who seem to have more talent and have shown that on the field (i.e. Tryon) are not played without logical reason. If you go by Caldwell's words there is never any problem(s) everything is always correctable, he leaves me confused with what is going on.

[basketballsteve]

Oh I forgot to say, Caldwell should be railing about his special teams play and yet no anger, no upset and absolutely dismal special teams play throughout his 3 year tenure. If it's so correctable then correct it for god's sake.

[GoGoColts]

We should have gone with Gruden.

[Balzer40]

Lets see in first season he akes the Colts to the SB

Lets see in second season with a high number of key injuries to key positions he gets the Colts to the playoffs

Lets see in third season with out Peyton he has kept the team in tact and even though they are 0-4 have only had 1 bad blowout.

Yes Caldwell can coach, I doubt any other person would have had any better of a record then Caldwell given the same things to work with.

How anybody can continue to use this ridiculously lame argument is beyond me. I haven't even been calling for Caldwell's head, but using this argument for him to keep his job is juvenile. It has no foundation in reality. Virtually everybody, but a few select Colts fans knew this team was going to be awful without Manning running the offense. We have other good players but the coaching staff nor the front office have put them in the posistion to be successful without Manning.

[The Fish]

I'm sure he's never late to work and he fields a team on time on sundays, Other than that, probably better coaches available. The thing to remember is that he was brought in to not f*** with the offense's scheme. The Tampa 2 stuck because of the players we have on D. He'd look totally OK with Peyton, but this whole season is shot w/o P. If he keeps the team playing hard and giving it a serious whirl all year than fine. He will be accountable if and when they lay down, I don't expect that though.

[1959Colts]

Caldwell is just terrible.

[dn4192]

How anybody can continue to use this ridiculously lame argument is beyond me. I haven't even been calling for Caldwell's head, but using this argument for him to keep his job is juvenile. It has no foundation in reality. Virtually everybody, but a few select Colts fans knew this team was going to be awful without Manning running the offense. We have other good players but the coaching staff nor the front office have put them in the posistion to be successful without Manning.

How many teams lose their Starting QB and win? NE got lucky, and even then they didn't make the playoffs. Exactly "how" should the Colts' mag't team prepared this franchise for play without Peyton Manning with the present CBA and the contracts other Colt key players have?

[OLD FAN MAN]

If you hire someone else, you have to be willing to change the scheme. We have not been prepared to spend the money on personnel to change the scheme. I feel like we will get some sweeping changes after this season. If Caldwell survives, we will have new coordinators all the way around. When Peyton is healthy we have an O-Coordinator on the field, we need a REAL defensive coach. Smash mouth, hit them because they look at you funny, defense. Angerer, Freeney, and Mathis are fitting that mold. Our DB play is pitiful at best!

if we wait untill after the season to make sweeping changes, then next season will be gone too, make the changes this year, then next year we will be ready to win

[Balzer40]

How many teams lose their Starting QB and win? NE got lucky, and even then they didn't make the playoffs. Exactly "how" should the Colts' mag't team prepared this franchise for play without Peyton Manning with the present CBA and the contracts other Colt key players have?

Before this last offseason the Colts never dipped their hand into free agency to shore up area's that everybody and their brother knew were weak area's. I don't think anybody expected them to go out and spend millions on a ton a free agents but 1 or 2 decent players for the last umteen yrs. would have helped tremendously. They signed players to ridiculously big contracts that were never worth the money I.E. Bob sanders, Kelvin Hayden. Admittedly Sanders could have been worth the money except he was never on the field, but then they hung onto him 2 yrs. longer than they should have. The defensive scheme is an absolute joke that is simply not executed well or not coached well or both. I could probably go on and on but im not going to waste my time I have to go pick up my Daughter.

[Smitto]

No he's not... he says he needs to do better at his coaching but i dont see any progress, not that i would know what to look for but after tonight someone has to go.

[joo 2h]

Does anyone see Jim on game day talking to players when they mess up?

Does anyone see Jim tell the OC "run the dang ball" when its third and one?

Does anyone see jim do anything durning the game but walk around and put hit 1 finger up when we score a touchdown?

if anyone can say yes to anyone of these question then <yes> then he should stay the HC of this team.

if not.........

[dn4192]

Before this last offseason the Colts never dipped their hand into free agency to shore up area's that everybody and their brother knew were weak area's. I don't think anybody expected them to go out and spend millions on a ton a free agents but 1 or 2 decent players for the last umteen yrs. would have helped tremendously. They signed players to ridiculously big contracts that were never worth the money I.E. Bob sanders, Kelvin Hayden. Admittedly Sanders could have been worth the money except he was never on the field, but then they hung onto him 2 yrs. longer than they should have. The defensive scheme is an absolute joke that is simply not executed well or not coached well or both. I could probably go on and on but im not going to waste my time I have to go pick up my Daughter.

People keep screaming for FA hires...well to do that you must first have the money under the cap to do so...the Colts didn't and you have to have a GM who believes in that way of building a franchise and again the Colts don't. So the whole FA aspect won't fly in Indy as long as a Polian is in charge.

Teams outside of maybe NE hold onto players to long, there is always that hope especially high picks that things will turn around. It's the nature of the business.

As for the defensive scheme, we don't know, we have no inside knowledge or even an understanding of the game like those doing have to know if the issue is scheme, talent, execution or what. Our D is buit talent wise to play a certain way and you can't change that overnight.

[dn4192]

Does anyone see Jim on game day talking to players when they mess up?

Does anyone see Jim tell the OC "run the dang ball" when its third and one?

Does anyone see jim do anything durning the game but walk around and put hit 1 finger up when we score a touchdown?

if anyone can say yes to anyone of these question then <yes> then he should stay the HC of this team.

if not.........

Each coach has his own style of coaching, are you saying Caldwell never talks to the players at all?

I don't believe Caldwell calls the players, that is what an offensive coordinator/Peyton do.

So you believe yelling and screaming works? Really how well is that working for say the Cheifs whose coach goes nutts all the time? Why do coaches have to be yellers?

[Smitto]

Does anyone see Jim on game day talking to players when they mess up?

Does anyone see Jim tell the OC "run the dang ball" when its third and one?

Does anyone see jim do anything durning the game but walk around and put hit 1 finger up when we score a touchdown?

if anyone can say yes to anyone of these question then <yes> then he should stay the HC of this team.

if not.........

Yes i did see him, he does motivate the players during the game... there was one play where the camera caught caldwell on the sideline while focusing on a player and he was actually yelling something out to some of the players.... that still dont mean he should stay though.

[chad72]

If you hire someone else, you have to be willing to change the scheme.

Not if you get someone like a Brian Billick to coach the Colts and maybe Marvin Lewis (if he is fired)/Mike Singletary to coach the 4-3 D.

There are options out there but it is a bridge we can cross at the end of the season if necessary.

[joo 2h]

Each coach has his own style of coaching, are you saying Caldwell never talks to the players at all?

I don't believe Caldwell calls the players, that is what an offensive coordinator/Peyton do.

So you believe yelling and screaming works? Really how well is that working for say the Cheifs whose coach goes nutts all the time? Why do coaches have to be yellers?

Well im not asking him to yell or scream. I want him to take control of the team. Right now that peyton is not playing the HC needs to step his game up. A few things i would like to see durning the game after a bad play or drive by lets say the offense. I want to see him get over there and try to correct the problem. I understand he does not call the plays (And Im Glad he doesnt) but as a head coach im are u suppose to do something? durning the game, I mean i may be wrong but it really looks like he is just a guy there for show, it sounds like he reads a script after the game. Its like bill hands him 2 scripts 1 if we win and 1 if we lose. He remembers both of them and then after the game he stand there like a blank look on his face and read it off to us. I understand that we are losing right now. Because of the fact jim is the HC me as a fan want to hear his thoughts see him be more involved in the game process more then he is.

[1959Colts]

If you hire someone else, you have to be willing to change the scheme. We have not been prepared to spend the money on personnel to change the scheme.

The scheme stinks. Thats a big part of the problem.

[Coltsman1788]

If you hire someone else, you have to be willing to change the scheme. We have not been prepared to spend the money on personnel to change the scheme. I feel like we will get some sweeping changes after this season. If Caldwell survives, we will have new coordinators all the way around. When Peyton is healthy we have an O-Coordinator on the field, we need a REAL defensive coach. Smash mouth, hit them because they look at you funny, defense. Angerer, Freeney, and Mathis are fitting that mold. Our DB play is pitiful at best!

I agree with this poster here. Because of where we are regarding Peyton's career, I fear we are stuck with Caldwell for the duration of the Manning era. Too late to switch schemes and overhaul personnel now.

Since Larry Coyer has taken over our defense the secondary has gone down the toilet. This is not a new phenomenon as the same thing happened in Denver. Yes... I will keep posting this today because I am that sick of it. I thus now propose a new phrase, "the Coyer effect". It is what happens to a team's defensive backfield after several years of Coyer as defensive coordinator. He has got to go.

[manningup]

One other thing about this coaching staff. Tom Moore and Howard Mudd both "retired" from the Colts and then "un-retired" to join other teams (Moore with the Jets and Mudd with the Eagles). Do you think that working with "coach" Caldwell had something to do with their decisions? For some reason they weren't considered for the head coaching position even though they had a much longer tenure with the organization........or, maybe they weren't comfortable working for someone who has no business standing on the Colts sidelines?

[FireJimCaldwell]

A good defensive minded coach can come in and make due with what we have as he progresses to what he prefers during the next off-season or two.

You don't think that Rex Ryan or even his brother for that matter, could have utilized the strengths of our defense even though they are primarily 3-4 guys. Of course they could because they know defense. Baltimore was primarily a 4-3 defense and only truly experimented with a 3-4 for a couple of years. The sad thing is that we could be under year three of a Rex Ryan defensive revamping.

If a healthy Manning returns, then the offense will be like it was for Dungy "hands off" and some coaches aren't going to accept that. Some would with open arms because they know the offense would be in good hands for a few years. Even with a strong offensive guy, I think that he and Manning can meet and the new guy could offer some wrinkles, which would only make the offense better by being a bit less predictable.

I'm not sure who the right guy is, Each of us could throw out 5-10 names that we would like or prefer, and it's quite likely that each of them would be an upgrade over Caldwell, but that isn't saying very much.

[DukieBabe]

From reading all of the replies it appears that over 90% agree that Caldwell is not the right guy for the job. A lot of other points were brought up that I hadn't considered.

It was Manning that led this team to the Super Bowl just a couple of years ago, not Caldwell. It was Manning that coached the offense from the field and by leading the team and putting lots of points on the board there didn't need to be much defensive coaching. We could just outscore the other teams.

It's at times like these when your team leader (on field coach) is down and you have numerous injuries that a head coach shows his true ability. His inability is all we've seen.

Caldwell is a great assistant, but not a head coach. He works well under another's leadership, ie Dungy and Manning.