A week ago, it seemed certain that the former head coach of New England and possibly the best coach in NFL history, Dan Quinn, would take the helm as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
When Belichick took a plane to Atlanta earlier in the week for a follow-up interview, most members of the media assumed he would be appointed the new head coach in a few hours. It never happened, which surprised me, and I have a strong suspicion as to why. It began more than 30 years ago, when I was employed by the New York Giants.
The New York Giants required a new head coach in January 1993. Actually, the origin of that dates back to May 1991. Under the guidance of Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells, the Giants won their second Super Bowl in five years that January. Parcells had the power to obtain additional authority within the company and an extraordinary deal after winning two Super Bowls in a short period of time. In late April, Parcells abruptly quit as head coach, citing health issues, when neither had materialised by the Draft.
Given that Parcells’ resignation came in early May, long beyond the customary hiring cycle for coaches, General Manager George Young was left with a difficult predicament. In May, where would he look for a new head coach? He quickly realised that he had limited options, so he appointed Ray Handley, the running backs coach, as head coach.
The next two seasons were a complete disaster for the Giants, so it didn’t take long for us to realise that this was the wrong choice. At the conclusion of the 1992 NFL season, Handley was let go as the Giants’ head coach, and a new hiring process was initiated.
Dan Reeves was the most sought-after name at the time. Reeves had been the Denver Broncos’ Head Coach for the past twelve years, during which time he had won five division titles and three Super Bowl appearances.
In Denver, Dan Reeves had complete authority over all football operations, much like Bill Belichick did in New England. Although he had the position of Vice President of Football Operations, he had the same authority as a general manager despite not holding the title. Dan Reeves was in charge of all football operations.
It was believed that there might be an issue during Reeves’ interview with the Giants since, similar to New York, there was a power imbalance inside the company. Longtime general manager George Young was regarded as one of the best, if not the best, in football history at the time. All football operations, including the Personnel Department and the Draft, were completely under George’s authority. Reeves in Denver possessed the same abilities.
Reeves gave assurances to Wellington Mara, the owner of the Giants, and to George during interviews that he could follow the organisational structure the team had. He asserted that he wasn’t in need of all control and that it could be preferable not to be part in every decision-making process.
Reeves’s first year in New York went well. He seems content to only coach the football team and didn’t challenge any of the judgements made in football. After Reeves’ first season, the Giants made it to the playoffs, and he decided it was time to take more command. Although he didn’t beg for it, his behaviour suggested as much.
It became into a conflict between the personnel department and Reeves and the coaching staff between veteran free agency and the Draft, and it continued for the next two off-seasons. As a front office employee, I had never worked in a more depressing environment than the Giants front office at that time.
