The Case For Todd Haley
My reasons for being a fan of Chiefs coach Todd Haley are not logical. They’re not based on past achievements, or even current skills. They are based, in part, on the notion that Haley is a potential up-and-comer. Someone like that is more likely to buck convention and take chances, and I’m always in favor of that. If there is one thing I’ve learned from years of studying the NFL, its that following conventional wisdom means falling behind. In theory, a new coach is less likely to be attached to old sensibilities. For me that’s a plus.
But the main reason I like Todd Haley is simple: he is the anti-Herm Edwards.
So there’s my bias, OK? I hated Herm, Haley is very different from Herm, so I am naturally predisposed to liking Haley. I understand that isn’t good logic, but its how I feel. I can’t control it. After three years of a coach who was constantly fake-laughing and finger pointing, we brought in a coach that never, ever does either of those things. I love that. Thus, I am a fan of Todd Haley.
I’m not blind. I saw how Haley looked last year. He looked bad. Clownish. He played the wrong players, his gambles failed, and his sideline antics often made him look like an amateur. The low point for me was the bizarre “core players” interview at the end of the season. You know, the one where he listed Brodie Croyle and Quinten Lawrence as core players? The one where he didn’t mention most of our good players? That was a head-scratcher. I wanted to dismiss it like so many others have, but I just can’t see what an intelligent man’s motivation would be for saying something so detached from reality.
Clearly, I have my concerns about Todd Haley. I’m biased in his favor, but by recognizing and identifying that bias, I hope to prevent it from clouding my judgment.
Here’s the thing though: I’ve still just got this feeling about him. He’s got a really important quality in a coach, a quality I respect: he can admit when he’s made a mistake.
That might sound simple, but it really isn’t. Admitting mistakes, even to themselves, is something most GMs and coaches can‘t do. Our last regime taught us that lesson well. I feel like I got my doctorate in excuse-deciphering from those guys. Say what you want about Haley, but he doesn’t play those games. He admitted mistakes on several occasions. Sure he delivered coach-speak like any other coach, but he never pointed fingers. And he could have. The roster he was handed was a joke. Pioli didn’t do him any favors in free agency or the draft. Step one: hire former receivers coach and offensive coordinator. Step two: draft block eaters.
People have said firing Chan Gailey was a mistake, and they’re probably right. It was an impetuous move. But if impetuous works people call it called bold. Haley assumed too much responsibility, fine. I can think of worse mistakes. I’ve seen them. We all have. Our head coach rejected a possible scapegoat. That right there is music to my ears. Sure, the results were bad. But then, we have Charlie Weis now. So how bad a decision was it to fire Chan Gailey really?
Some people assume Todd Haley will get better just because he’s young. They say things like, “Check your history, dude. Parcells sucked at first too. Case closed.” That logic is seriously faulty. Not all first-time coaches get better after bad years. Some do. More don’t. Just because someone else did something, that doesn’t mean Haley will. I have a hard time seeing how Parcells, Cowher, or any other coach is relevant to the Kansas City Chiefs. We should be looking at our coach, not other coaches. The question is what qualities Todd Haley has that make improvement a possibility. As I’ve said, I think he has a really big one.
In today’s NFL, an ideal quality in a coach or GM is the ability to learn from mistakes and adjust views accordingly. The first step to learning from mistakes is admitting them to yourself. Based on what I’ve seen from Haley, I think he can do that. If I’m right, that’s a potentially huge advantage he has over the majority of other coaches who are more set in their ways. A coach who can learn lessons is a coach with upside.
If the season starts and Haley shows up with a fresh batch of motivational signs for the locker room I’m really going to look like an idiot.
Article by Big Matt