Robiskie hopes team won't play name game
Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 12:49 pm
Robiskie hopes team won't play name game
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter
Browns interim coach Terry Robiskie is hoping that history doesn't repeat itself, that he won't be passed over for a big-name coach as he was by owner Dan Snyder in Washington.
The year was 2000. Robiskie had just won his season finale as interim coach of the Redskins over Arizona, a 20-3 victory to close out his record at 1-2. Robiskie felt he deserved the head coaching job, but Snyder passed him over in favor of a big-name coach, Marty Schottenheimer.
But Snyder soon discovered that bigger isn't always better. Schottenheimer went 8-8 his first season and was replaced by former Florida coach Steve Spurrier, who went 12-20 in two seasons. Spurrier was replaced by Joe Gibbs, who went 6-10 this season.
"All of those guys had won possibly a thousand games among them," Robiskie said Monday. "Joe Gibbs had three Super Bowl rings, Marty had been to the championship game and Steve Spurrier had a national title. And all together, I don't think they've won 18 games since I left [actually they've gone 26-38).
"I had never won a game as a head coach other than that one against Arizona and I had never won a Super Bowl as a head coach or a national title. But I think if I had been in Washington for the four years they've been there, I would've won more than [26] games."
During his three-week interim period under Snyder, Robiskie got the sense that Snyder wanted to hit a home run with his coaching hire.
"His ideas about the whole program were huge," he said. "He had to go get some big-name guy that was just going to go blow it up out of the water. It wasn't necessarily going to be the best guy for the job or the guy that fit his program or his football team. It was that he had to go out and get a big-name guy."
He said Snyder confirmed as much to him in a two-hour conversation following the victory against the Cardinals.
"He said his first choice was Bill Parcells, his second choice was Steve Spurrier and his third choice was Joe Gibbs," Robiskie said. "He told me if he had to hire a coordinator, it would be me."
Robiskie said that when Snyder hired Schottenheimer, he knew it would be a bad fit with a roster full of big-name players such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders and Mark Carrier.
"It was like trying to put a left shoe on a right foot," he said. "It wasn't going to work. The Spurrier shoe didn't fit either."
Robiskie said he doesn't know what Lerner's thinking is, but that he feels he stacks up well against some candidates mentioned, including Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress and Ravens offensive consultant Jim Fassel.
"Some of those guys have been in recent Super Bowls and I've been in one, but I don't ever try to measure myself off of another man and what he's accomplished," Robiskie said. "I just believe in me."
He said his advantage is continuity. If he's hired, the offensive system will remain in place, and he'll have the benefit of getting injured players back such as Kellen Winslow Jr. and Ryan Tucker. What's more, he knows the players well and they like him.
"San Diego almost made changes last year, but they kept Marty one more year and he went from 4-12 to 12-4," he said. "People said Pittsburgh might make a change, but their owner didn't and they went 15-1 this year. Sometimes changes look good on paper, but it doesn't necessarily hold up in those locker rooms."
Robiskie said the hardest part was taking over an injury-ravaged team that lost more key players during his tenure, such as Kelly Holcomb. He said he wants a chance to show what he can do with a healthy roster and a full year at the helm.
"I've done all I can do, and I think I'm ready to be a head coach," he said. "I think I can connect with the people of Cleveland, I have the ability to communicate with my guys, and I know I can teach."
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plainde ... 239250.xml
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter
Browns interim coach Terry Robiskie is hoping that history doesn't repeat itself, that he won't be passed over for a big-name coach as he was by owner Dan Snyder in Washington.
The year was 2000. Robiskie had just won his season finale as interim coach of the Redskins over Arizona, a 20-3 victory to close out his record at 1-2. Robiskie felt he deserved the head coaching job, but Snyder passed him over in favor of a big-name coach, Marty Schottenheimer.
But Snyder soon discovered that bigger isn't always better. Schottenheimer went 8-8 his first season and was replaced by former Florida coach Steve Spurrier, who went 12-20 in two seasons. Spurrier was replaced by Joe Gibbs, who went 6-10 this season.
"All of those guys had won possibly a thousand games among them," Robiskie said Monday. "Joe Gibbs had three Super Bowl rings, Marty had been to the championship game and Steve Spurrier had a national title. And all together, I don't think they've won 18 games since I left [actually they've gone 26-38).
"I had never won a game as a head coach other than that one against Arizona and I had never won a Super Bowl as a head coach or a national title. But I think if I had been in Washington for the four years they've been there, I would've won more than [26] games."
During his three-week interim period under Snyder, Robiskie got the sense that Snyder wanted to hit a home run with his coaching hire.
"His ideas about the whole program were huge," he said. "He had to go get some big-name guy that was just going to go blow it up out of the water. It wasn't necessarily going to be the best guy for the job or the guy that fit his program or his football team. It was that he had to go out and get a big-name guy."
He said Snyder confirmed as much to him in a two-hour conversation following the victory against the Cardinals.
"He said his first choice was Bill Parcells, his second choice was Steve Spurrier and his third choice was Joe Gibbs," Robiskie said. "He told me if he had to hire a coordinator, it would be me."
Robiskie said that when Snyder hired Schottenheimer, he knew it would be a bad fit with a roster full of big-name players such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders and Mark Carrier.
"It was like trying to put a left shoe on a right foot," he said. "It wasn't going to work. The Spurrier shoe didn't fit either."
Robiskie said he doesn't know what Lerner's thinking is, but that he feels he stacks up well against some candidates mentioned, including Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress and Ravens offensive consultant Jim Fassel.
"Some of those guys have been in recent Super Bowls and I've been in one, but I don't ever try to measure myself off of another man and what he's accomplished," Robiskie said. "I just believe in me."
He said his advantage is continuity. If he's hired, the offensive system will remain in place, and he'll have the benefit of getting injured players back such as Kellen Winslow Jr. and Ryan Tucker. What's more, he knows the players well and they like him.
"San Diego almost made changes last year, but they kept Marty one more year and he went from 4-12 to 12-4," he said. "People said Pittsburgh might make a change, but their owner didn't and they went 15-1 this year. Sometimes changes look good on paper, but it doesn't necessarily hold up in those locker rooms."
Robiskie said the hardest part was taking over an injury-ravaged team that lost more key players during his tenure, such as Kelly Holcomb. He said he wants a chance to show what he can do with a healthy roster and a full year at the helm.
"I've done all I can do, and I think I'm ready to be a head coach," he said. "I think I can connect with the people of Cleveland, I have the ability to communicate with my guys, and I know I can teach."
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plainde ... 239250.xml