Looks like we get Philly's throw away. Lucky us.
Any thoughts?
-Scott
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Rhodes to coach Packers, set to sign 4-year deal
By Bob McGinn and Tom Silverstein
of the Journal Sentinel staff
January 10, 1999
East Rutherford, N.J. -- Former Philadelphia Eagles coach Ray Rhodes will be named the 12th head coach in the Green Bay Packers'
80-year history, probably during a news conference Monday afternoon, sources told the Journal Sentinel Sunday.
All that remained Sunday night were final details of a four-year contract that were being
negotiated between the team and Jim Solano, Rhodes' Philadelphia-based agent.
The four-year deal will pay the 48-year-old Rhodes about $1 million per year. His
predecessor, Mike Holmgren, had been making about $2 million per year before leaving
Friday to become coach and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks.
Rhodes, club president Bob Harlan nor general manager Ron Wolf were available for
comment.
"The Holmgren era is over," safety LeRoy Butler said when informed that Wolf's choice was
Rhodes. "He'll be his own man and he'll let everyone else be their own man. It's time for Ray
to take over."
This will be a return to Green Bay for Rhodes, who spent the 1992 and '93 seasons under
Holmgren as defensive coordinator. The Packers ranked 23rd in total defense his first year
and No. 2 in the second.
After a two-week gap, Rhodes' appointment again will give the National Football League
three African-American coaches, all of whom now work in the NFC Central Division. He is
the first African-American head coach in Packers annals.
Wolf interviewed Rhodes on Thursday at a Philadelphia hotel, the same day that Holmgren
was interviewing in Seattle. Earlier Sunday, Solano said Rhodes had to decide whether to
commit to the Packers or to pursue an opportunity with the Baltimore Ravens that probably
would have given him more control in personnel.
In Green Bay, the structure will remain the same as it has been for seven years. In other
words, Wolf has the power to hire and fire the coach, run the draft, make trades and handle
free agency.
Rhodes had that type of authority during the first three of his four years in Philadelphia.
However, Rhodes' poor record in the draft and free agency helped lead to his dismissal Dec.
28 by Eagles owner Jeff Lurie, one day after Rhodes finished with a 30-36-1 record with
Philadelphia.
In his discussions with Rhodes, Solano said his client wouldn't have any problems accepting
a greatly reduced role in personnel under Wolf.
"Ray told me that he doesn't want to do that (personnel decisions)," Solano said.
Rhodes had one year left on his contract with the Eagles worth $850,000. Solano said no
more than 10 or 12 coaches in the National Football League earned more than $1 million in
1998.
The one NFL assistant coach who appeared genuinely to intrigue Wolf was Dick Jauron, the
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator who coached the Packers secondary from
1986-'94. After the Jaguars were eliminated by the New York Jets, 34-24, on Sunday,
Jauron, 48, said he would be "thrilled" if the Packers should contact him.
"I think it would have worked out either way," Butler said, guessing that Rhodes' experience
as a head coach tipped the scales his way. "Ron is known for his good decisions, and this
will turn out to be a great one."
Nose tackle John Jurkovic and linebacker Bryce Paup, Jacksonville players who previously
played in Green Bay when Rhodes and Jauron were assistants, refused to say who would be
the better choice.
"Two different styles," Jurkovic said. "When Dick talks to the guys he's not as flamboyant as
Ray. Both of them are intelligent and know how to lead people. The only advantage Ray
might have is he's been a head coach before." Although Jauron was never interviewed,
Jurkovic said Jauron told him a few days ago that he had received a telephone message from
Butler. Jurkovic said he would have no way of knowing whether Butler was acting as an
intermediary for Wolf.
Rhodes' relationship with Holmgren would never be the same when he resigned shortly after
the '93 season and then, less than two weeks later, took a job as defensive coordinator of
the San Francisco 49ers.
At the time, Rhodes cited the problems that some of his four children were having living in
the NFL's smallest city, as well as the harsh Wisconsin winters.
Holmgren and others in the organization took Rhodes' decision almost as a personal insult
and a worrisome challenge to the Packers' ability to compete for African-American players
in free agency.
Rhodes led the 49ers defense to a No. 8 ranking in 1994, a season that ended with Rhodes
winning his fifth Super Bowl ring.
His career with the Eagles started in superb fashion with a pair of 10-6 seasons and two
wild-card playoff berths. He was named NFL coach of the year and acquired a reputation
for being a master motivator whose us-against-them mentality worked extremely well,
especially with younger players.
Several times during this period, Rhodes and Wolf took potshots at each other from afar,
including over the Packers selection of Terrell Buckley over Troy Vincent in 1992. Rhodes
told writers that he preferred the bigger man, Vincent, but his voice didn't carry much weight.
Wolf countered by revealing that Rhodes actually had given Buckley a higher grade.
Rhodes' career in Philadelphia hit the skids in 1997 when some of his poor personnel
decisions came back to haunt him. His teams played hard, but at times it seemed as if
Rhodes was becoming emotionally bankrupt looking for ways to inspire a losing team.
The Eagles went 6-9-1 in 1997, after which Tom Modrak was hired over Rhodes in
personnel, and then 3-13 this year, which unofficially ended well before the final game when
Rhodes basically fired himself in a briefing with reporters.
"We've got more talent than Philadelphia," Butler said. "We'll give him more players. Ron
Wolf will give him all the talent he needs. You have to have talent to win."
Rhodes' driven approach to the game should benefit the Packers, according to Butler.
"I think the team will be tougher," he said. "I think last year we had a lot of games where we
just weren't tough and physical enough. I know that's something he will stress and something
we need. "It's just the way he will coach it. It's all he's going to talk about. If a team is tough
and aggressive, then you have won half the battle. There were some games where we were
too finesse, too soft."
Butler also forecast that the Packers would prosper by not having the frequently intimidating
presence of Holmgren on the sidelines.
"The system Ray brings in is a good system," Butler said. "It's a good, aggressive system. He
wants to do his own system, not the one we had.
"If you're one minute late for a meeting Ray won't fine you $500 or $600. If you drop a pass
you won't be afraid to go back to the sidelines. If you drop an interception you won't be
ridiculed.
"He won't be on you so much that you can't perform. If guys aren't relaxed they can't
perform."
Besides Butler, seven other players on the current 63-man roster were with the Packers
when Rhodes was, including Robert Brooks, Mark Chmura, Brett Favre, Frank Winters,
Earl Dotson on offense and Bob Kuberski and George Koonce on defense.
"Give Ron Wolf some credit going out and getting someone aggressive and someone who
will teach us toughness," Butler said. "He'll tell us we need to get tougher. Heck, he could
see his team was tougher when they played us."
The underdog Eagles beat the double-digit spread Nov. 29 but lost to the Packers, 24-16, at Lambeau Field.
Rhodes, a native of Mexia, Texas, played two years at Texas Christian and Tulsa universities, six years as a defensive back and wide receiver
with the New York Giants, and a final year with the 49ers.
He coached the 49ers secondary for 11 years (1981-'91) under Bill Walsh and George Seifert before coming with Holmgren to Green Bay.
Rhodes, his wife and four daughters live in Maple Shade, N.J. |
