Todd Haley, Hubris
The Chiefs hire hot new offensive mind to his first head coaching job. This past offseason? No, the year was 1983 and the coach in question was John Mackovic. He lasted three years as head coach with one playoff appearance. Why did he fail? Well, the reasons were numerous, but a primary reason was hubris. Hubris is a Greek term for excessive pride and proves to be the downfall of many talented individuals. It’s such a common occurance, the Greeks built a whole library of literature describing these events.
This brings us to our latest young talented offensive mind, Todd Haley. Starting from the “I can win two games with 22 guys off the street” comment and the taking over the offensive coordinator and quarterback coaching roles, hubris has been in good supply. This past game with the Raiders got my attention when the commentators relayed a quote from Haley saying that once he gets ‘his guys’ in, things will be going good. I disliked that quote on a number of levels. First, they are all ‘your guys’. Second, you go to war with the team you have, not the one you wish you had. That is, you make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t. You don’t sit there and ask for tuna.
That quote got the attention of someone else, a commentor over at Arrowhead Pride by the name of ChiefDJ. He wrote an excellent post talking about Todd Haley and what he must do to survive and grow. I can’t add much more to it than what I have said. So take a look at it. The question I want to raise is this. How long does Todd Haley have to prove himself as a head coach? I am thinking two years, three maximum. What do you think?
I personally question Haley’s credentials as a great offensive mind. I feel that Arizona’s run to the Superbowl last season was as much the result of Kurt Warner’s frequent audibles as it was Haley playcalling. Funny thing is, I’ve noticed that Matt Cassel never audibles unless we’re in a hurry up offense. At 2-7, there seems ample evidence to now question the “brilliance” of Todd Haley.
Playcalling and wins/losses aside, the biggest risk I see for Haley comes not only from how he talks to his players but how he talks about them. Making public comments such as we need “smarter players” or how he’s looking forward to someday having “his guys” are not only damaging to the team but even moreso damning upon him.
Timeline? If he keeps this up and loses the team as a result, then really there’s nothing left to salvage at that point; he should simply pack his bags post haste.
Sometimes the “Peter Principle” bears out. Let’s hope that’s not the case here and that Haley figures out some effective way to keep (or perhaps gain?) his players focus and respect so that this thing gets turned around before it’s too late.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:37 pmI love this site and that fact that us writers (DD/Merlin) have differing opinions.
Haley has made some rookie mistakes; in personnel, in coaching, in play calling. Hindsight is 20/20. He is learning and will learn from his mistakes.
I say Haley gets better as the year goes on (not saying the team will win much) but you will see improvement. Haley deserves three years to improve this team. If at the end of three years the team is far from competitve, then let him go.
This dog piling when the chips are down is BS in my opinion. Just remember, Haley is not calling the Defensive plays. His DC is obvioulsy not his first choice.
Haley is not missing tackles, Haley is not overthrowing players, Haley is not fumbling the ball, missing kicks, holding, false starting, dropping passes, etc. This team is talent deficient and Haley derves to Coach a team with more talent.
The greates coach in the world would have promblems with this team. Don’t you all agree?
November 18th, 2009 at 3:48 pmI think this should last another year and if there is no progress completed by then, we need to part ways.
As far as Haley goes, he should be so gracious to everyone for giving him an opportunity to make a name for himself as a head coach. Right now I don’t think he is gracious at all. I know he is a head coach so he demands respect from his players, but, there is a balance to work in and he’s just not there right now.
I truly never understood from the beginning of this head coaching transition why we found someone that has ZERO years of experience when you had names like Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan and others in the mix.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:17 pm“A primary reason was hubris”. Thats stated as fact such as “a primary reason water towers are elevated is to increase water pressure”.
November 18th, 2009 at 8:37 pmI’ve read alot of sports stuff over the last few years, I’ve listened many coach press conferences, I espescially have listened to every post gamr or midweek press conferrence Coach Haley has had this year. This last week Thursday or Friday’s conferrence was interesting. I understood what he was trying to say.
He said “we need smarter players, we need smarter coaches.” We didn’t say we needed to replace the current guys with smarter guys. He was saying that the guys needed to play and coach smarter.
I feel people are too eager to dump on Coach Haley right now because we aren’t at or above .500 ball. Things are not all rosey and so shotgun blast at folks for blame placing. It’s too harsh and too soon to be that negative.
Several weeks ago Coach Haley was talking about his learning curve and his being a “rookie” head coach. He wasn’t talking about how wonderful he was. He was talking about how much he had to learn and how hard he and all the team were working to set themselves up for success.
I wonder how many people have gone and listened to the press conferences Haley has a couple times a week before they go online and post things about how messed up or arrogant a person he is.
Beyond that, commenting about what other people say he said is commenting on hearsay. They may be taking him out of context, or even misquoting him. But so-and-so said he said blah blah.
So I’m not with the whole hubris thing. If you want a meak coach, get Wade Phillips or maybe Norv Turner. I say take a deep breath, relax and lets see what happens with the rest of the season and player developement. See what happens in the off-season. But our last two seasons were going in the wrong direction, so lets make sure we’re not still headed in the wrong direction before we storm the palace with our torches held high.
November 18th, 2009 at 11:53 pmThe biggest failure this year has been PIOLI. His lack of productive signings in FA and his poor draft. The fact that we have two guys (Not counting the kicker) that are somewhat contributing to THIS team is a joke. Maybe Jackson and McGee will develop, but at the moment with our lack of talent I would have expected 4 guys on the field.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:10 amI like Haley, I like his fire, its somewhat reminds me of the fire in my heart as a fan when I watch our beloved Chiefs. However, as I watched the Oakland game, Cassel called a time-out in the red zone seemingly because they didnt have time to get the play off. I could read the profanity that Haley was unleashing. The same profanity I was using in my mind….I have a little boy so I gotta watch my mouth, mommy will kick my ass…..so of course I didn’t scream out. I love his fire, but I find hard to motivate anyone with his reactions. Great QBs have great relationships with their coaches…especially their HC. Cassel is here to stay, 6 years……thats our franchise……I’m ok with that. Look in his eyes, he’s a Chief, he’s a professional, he wants to win. As he continues to learn how to be a starting NFL QB, I only hope Haley does the same as a HC to control himself. Teams that hate their coach simply are not good. Buying in is one thing, but abuse equals mutiny ala Cleveland. How long before the love of the fans isn’t enough motivation to win….
November 19th, 2009 at 12:33 amSarge,
“We need smarter players, we need smarter coaches” sounds a lot like finger pointing to me. At what point should we expect Haley, as the Head Coach, to start acknowledging more personal responsibility.
I hear Haley frequently say “we practiced well this week.” Let’s call this statement #1, which translated means, I, as a coach, did my job well this week and the players let me down when it came time to play on Sunday. What I do not hear him saying is “I did not do enough to get my guys prepared.” We’ll call that Statement #2.
Statement #1 is rooted in arrogance and denial.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:37 amStatement #2 is rooted in humility and accountability.
DD, your a freakin’ whine bag. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Haley yells. WHAAAAAAAAAAA Haley is arrogant. WHAAAAAAAAAAA i love Herm Edwards and Dick Vermeil. WHAAAAAAAA can’t we get a nice coach. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA be nice to the players, they are doin the best they can. WHAAAAAAAAA i have no patience or reasonable expectations. WHAAAAAAAAAAAA how come the chiefs that have sucked for the last decade aren’t good 9 games into the 09 campaign. WHAAAAAAAA, WHAAAAAAAAA, WHAAAAAAAAA. If Pioli does next to nothing this offseason. If Haley and the chiefs are still a joke when we are wrapping up the 2010 campaign, then cry to your current level. don’t get me wrong there is plenty to question and complain, but you cry more than my 10 year old daughter. Quit cryin so much, you sound like witlock.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:19 amDD:
I and with you on one point. I am getting tired of hearing Haley talking about how well the team practiced on Friday. It’s starting to sound like an excuse.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:29 amRamble,
Don’t hold back man – tell us how you really feel about my comments and opinions?
November 19th, 2009 at 10:39 amMerlin,
When you say Haley must “prove himself as a coach,” what kind of proof would you be looking for?
November 19th, 2009 at 10:56 am102win. I see your point on Pioli, however, he spent most of his time scouting his own team and plucking info from Herm to make any moves on FA.
Everyone slow down and realize that this team sucked before the new regime got here, and they are still trying thier best.
102, your opinion on this year’s draft class, is well taken, we will have to wait and see.
November 19th, 2009 at 11:36 amwhy are you people disin haley,its 1st yr with nott half the talent he had in ari,it takes timei mean some of you remind me of whining women always bitchin bout something
November 19th, 2009 at 12:03 pmDD:
I am looking for improvement as a team. That doesn’t have to be wins, but ultimately, it is wins. For now, I want to see up competitive in games against good teams. What good teams have we be competitive against? Dallas? yes. Balt? only on the scoreboard, but we were not really in that game. Any other team?
November 19th, 2009 at 1:30 pmDD:
You are the devils advocate. Often enough I don’t agree with your opinions or insight at first glance, but I do respect what you write and the conviction in which you write it with. So keep up the good work.
Just for the record, half the time when I don’t agree with you, your usually right…..thank you for being the voice of reason even when its the last thing I want to hear. Go Chiefs
November 19th, 2009 at 4:54 pmDD are you gonna be at the game, lets get together again if you are
November 19th, 2009 at 5:41 pmDD,
Haley was saying that the coaches need to be smarter. He acknowledged that sometimes he get emotional at the wrong time and it costs us. He stated he is learning. I just don’t see the arrogance here.
But as for statement #2, I can’t help but wonder with you. If we have such good practices, how come that doesn’t translate into better games?
November 19th, 2009 at 6:38 pmRandy,
I was hoping to but turns out I won’t be able to make it. Have a good time buddy.
Go Chiefs!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:09 pmChief fanatics hold on to your britches. This team is a bad team. We lack talent. The coach at this point in time may not be want. I for one think he is immature. His side line rantings are an embarrassment. I believe that when someone is shouting at you tend to tune them out. I know that you have to be heard out there, but this guy just seems out of control. I also believe that he does not move on fast enough. Haley was a golfer you would think that he would have more patience. That is what we all need. This guy was the flavor of the month. We now have to wait and see if he will remain on our menu or not. I have said from the beginning that next year is the test. He doesn’t necessarily need to go the playoffs, but he does need to show us that he has matured.
November 20th, 2009 at 6:47 pmPS; I would like to thank good ole DD for resurrecting
November 20th, 2009 at 6:55 pmthe “Peter Principle” it’s been awhile.
I questioned giving up a 2nd for Cassel-Vrabel. It still might pan out, but it set them behind a bit on solidifying the OL, a fact that works against Cassel on the field, as well.
But as someone else said, (sarge? Jeremy? too lazy to look back now that I’m typing) the cupboard was pretty bare in FA, and retooling the D-Line was a must. Going 3-4 wasn’t short-term smart, considering they prob’ly could’ve upgraded the 4-3 much more easily by chasing every DE prospect available. But long-term, probably smart.
And the OL got a surprising influx of talent late in the game (August/September) with O’Callaghan, Ndukwe and Alleman – probably better prospects than any they were going to land in FA, short of Jason Peters, who, I THINK, is struggling with injuries, after giving Philly a shot in the arm early.
Pioli’s not hit any home runs. He’s just trying to hit plenty of singles, hoping one will go for extra bases, but not painting himself into a corner, like King Carl REPEATEDLY did. With the 3 named OLs, Pioli got VALUE. We’ll see how many of ‘em are starting next year, but still upgraded talent at modest cost and low risk.
We always look at the top of the roster for big names. Pioli “churns” the bottom of the roster, setting a floor (depth), hoping for a diamond, and preparing for his one or two “big moves” (like Cassel and T-Jax). As a whole, the team might take a step or two backwards, but the pieces he’s putting into place probably won’t need scrapping or be crybabies or headcases.
As for all the criticisms of Haley, I just plain like his fire and how he handles himself, generally (except for his burgeoning waistline). When I’m with “the guys” or “my guys,” I’m ashamed to say that F-Bombs proliferate. It’s how we talk. And with that kind of understanding coach-to-player, I think the players know it’s the deed and not the person Haley’s hating on.
And I haven’t seen Haley coming unglued at a guy for lack of talent. Promote or demote on that basis, but Haley’s exposed nerve is MENTAL breakdowns. That’s the ONE thing (other than conditioning) that the players can control, and it’s the one unforgiveable sin in his (and my) eyes.
November 21st, 2009 at 1:53 pmThe thing I questioned about Haley before he even got here was his playcalling. Were it not for a dominant WR like Fitzgerald keeping them in the game against PITT, that game would’ve been a blowout.
It looked to ME like Haley was MUCH slower to make adjustments and counter-adjustments on-the-fly, and the AZ offense was much less productive in the first quarter or two of the SB than they could’ve been. It looked more like a theoretical approach to the game than a clear-eyed assessment of what was happening on the field and taking what is given.
But I’m no expert, and a guy who understands the theory of a thing can generally make better decisions in the moment than a guy who deals with each situation on its own merits, without the guidance of principle. In chess, a grandmaster knows the theory AND is ready to chuck it all in a heartbeat if the opponent’s throat is exposed… By understanding the theory, the grandmaster usually only has to think one or two moves ahead, and doesn’t have to make a jillion concrete calculations at every turn.
Long as I’m dragging out the chess analogy… When you’re in a bad situation, it gets harder and harder for you to make good decisions and easier and easier and easier for your opponent to make genius-type moves. In such a situation, onlookers will point to your obvious blunders. Expert onlookers will realize that there weren’t a whole lot of good moves at your disposal, if any.
November 21st, 2009 at 2:02 pm