Columnist Dean Juipe: Meyer has unique insight to NFL coaching jobs

Dean Juipe

Saturday, Jan. 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

CASUAL FANS look at baseball, basketball and hockey coaches and in fits of hyperbole exclaim, "I could do that." They don't, however, fancy themselves coaching a professional football team.

It's simply too demanding, too obviously specialized. Football coaches may be second-guessed, but they're rarely envied.

They're also hard to find, as the eight NFL teams who came into this weekend in need of a head coach can confirm.

Not mentioned -- yet, at least -- for any of the coaching jobs but certainly interested is a man with nine years experience as an NFL head coach, Las Vegas resident Ron Meyer.

"I'd listen to anyone right now," said Meyer, who currently works as a casino host at Arizona Charlie's and doubles as an NFL analyst for CNN's Sunday morning preview show. "I've reached out a couple of times, but, really, I've been out of the NFL loop since 1991."

That's not quite true. His CNN duties require him to work the NFL phones and Meyer is in constant contact with players, coaches and executives in the league.

"Coaching in that league is my first love, so I'd certainly like to do it again," he said. "There definitely are a lot of openings right now. And on one hand there are a lot of good candidates, but on the other hand, there aren't."

Meyer believes "there's a dark horse candidate out there somewhere" who will land one of these prestigious NFL jobs. Could he be it? He's 55, his NFL coaching record with New England (1982-84) and Indianapolis (1986-91) is 115-90-1 and twice he was named the AFC Coach of the Year.

Whether he's ever considered for another NFL coaching position or not, he knows who the eight NFL teams in need of a coach are looking at, as well as what that man will need to do to turn his new team around.

* Perhaps the job that really appeals to Meyer is with the New York Jets.

"I know the AFC East, that's for sure," he said, alluding to his previous experience with the Patriots and Colts. "I've also had some great success against the Jets."

He also thinks the Jets might be left standing at the gate if they can't lure current New England coach Bill Parcells from the Patriots, who are playing Jacksonville in the AFC title game today.

"They're counting on Parcells and they don't have a backup plan," Meyer said. "If Bill stiffs them, they're still waiting for the big tuna."

And if Meyer had a chance to take over the Jets?

"I'd get rid of (QB) Neil O'Donnell right away," he said. "They need a better quarterback. They also need stabilization, someone who would come in and say 'Here's how we're going to do it' like Parcells, or me, would say. They've been a rudderless ship for too long."

* The Jets' stadium mates, the New York Giants, are also in the coaching derby but the job looks to be going to Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Jim Fassel.

"He's the leading candidate and everyone else is window dressing," Meyer said. "That wouldn't be a bad team to take over, but I don't think they can do it with (QB) Dave Brown. But (General Manager) George Young thinks they can, and that's where Fassel comes in because he apparently agrees."

* Meyer feels the Giants are something like the San Diego Chargers.

"Neither of those teams are flashy but they're hard to beat," he said. "The Chargers need some help offensively; they're stagnant. They don't have the numbers at receiver and they need a dominant running back and philosophy. And they need to heal up."

The Chargers don't appear to have a leading candidate and Meyer thinks a collegiate head coach, San Diego State's Ted Tollner, could wind up with the job.

* Just up the coast is an intriguing vacancy with the Oakland Raiders. Meyer's sources indicate another collegiate coach, Stanford's Tyrone Willingham, is being considered, as are Raiders assistants Rusty Tillman and Joe Bugel and former New Orleans head coach Jim Mora. Another possibility: Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green.

"Of all the teams in need of a coach, the Raiders would be the easiest to turn around," Meyer said. "The problems they've had are correctable. This past season they were a dumb football team on the field and on the sidelines, and they also brought in some free agents that didn't make sense.

"But they could improve in a hurry."

* One team not apt to improve in a hurry is New Orleans.

"Woo ... I think even the Jets have more talent," Meyer said. "The Saints need a complete revamping, just as the Dolphins did when Jimmy Johnson got there. The first thing I'd do is get rid of (QB) Jim Everett; he does more harm than good."

While the Saints have been turned down by Auburn's Terry Bowden, Meyer has been told two other men who coached collegiately last season might be interested: Texas' John Mackovic and former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz.

"I know Lou has talked twice to them and I know he'd love to take that job," Meyer said. "It would spice things up in New Orleans, too, and they need that because they're having trouble putting people in the stands."

* Also having trouble filling the stadium is the Atlanta Falcons.

"They should have given (University of Florida coach) Steve Spurrier the five-year, $15 million it would have taken," Meyer said. "When they didn't, it seemed like (former New York Giants coach) Dan Reeves was in line, but all of a sudden (former San Diego Chargers coach) Bobby Ross seems better to them, and he might be."

Regardless ... "Atlanta has got to get a quarterback and change their offense around," Meyer said. "Actually, you'd have to start from scratch with them because they're old and their defense is the worst in the world. It'll be a long road for whoever gets that job."

* A less intimidating assignment would be righting the St. Louis Rams.

"The Rams just need to solidify and change their offense a little," Meyer said. "They're young and they could be pretty good if they hire the right guy and give him complete autonomy and control. I don't know if they're going to do that, though."

Philadelphia defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas was interviewed last week but the real front runner is San Francisco defensive coordinator Pete Carroll. If he balks and doesn't take the St. Louis job, it's because he's afraid of front-office interference.

* That leaves Detroit.

"I don't like the quarterback (Scott Mitchell) and their special teams need a lot of work, but they're a much better team than they've shown," Meyer said. "A new coach could look good there without having to do a whole lot."

Don't rule out New England's Parcells from taking the Detroit job, Meyer said, although the known candidates are Ross, Bugel and Carroll, plus University of Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel.

Of course, if Parcells leaves the Patriots, Green leaves the Vikings and coaches like Dallas' Barry Switzer and Kansas City's Marty Schottenheimer depart or are forced out, still more coaching vacancies will exist.

"There are clouds hovering over a lot of places," Meyer said, hoping that someone will see him as a silver lining.

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