Billick ousted in Baltimore
Brian Billick told the world he was coming back in 2008 shortly after losing his 7th consecutive game:
“I’m going to be back,” Billick said at his news conference Monday, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Unfortunately, there were two problems with his prognostication:
- His team proceeded to lose to the 0-13 Dolphins the following Sunday
- The Ravens owner, Steve Bisciotti, never publicly backed him up
OOPS.
Today the Ravens fired Brian Billick despite the widely held expectation he would return for another season. Billick had signed a 4-year extension prior to the 2007 season; but that wasn’t enough to obscure the calamitous downfall of a 5-win season.
When asked about the move, Bisciotti said:
“I just changed my mind, I can’t explain it to you.”
…and there you go.
You can be sure of a few things:
- Billick, just 53 years old, will absolutely be a head coach in the NFL again (if he wants to). Consider the list of re-treads that get hired for jobs; and then compare their resumes to that of a 53-year old, Super Bowl winning head coach.
- The Ravens vacancy will be among the most coveted this offseason:
- 13 wins in 2006
- Myriad injuries in 2007
- A young owner willing to spend money
- A loyal fan base
- A proven, top-tier general manager
- Billick is unlikely to accept a job as an offensive coordinator; if he doesn’t find any suitable offers for a head coaching job in 2008, expect him to choose broadcasting as an alternative
Loading ...
