Within a span of days three head coaches were out of a job. To Paul Maurice, Bruce Boudreau, and Jack Del Rio, it's a lesson they need to learn.
The role of head coach, field manager, chief tactician, whatever you call it, is to make plays, prepare the players, and to psychologically strategize and scout the opposition before and after a game. The coach is responsible for the victories and defeats of his team. Coaching is a pressure-packed position, and often adds stress to the individual who takes this challenge.
The decision to fire a coach has to do with the following: lengthy losing streaks, lack of chemistry with players, owners' impatience, a new ownership, and poor starts and/or finishes. Add to that is the intrigue factor. Coaching a team is usually a dream come true for the individual hired to this position, but certain expectations are often set, either realistic or long-shot, which adds to the demands of the position.
For Jack Del Rio, his Jaguars finishing out of the playoffs the last four seasons, and another losing season looming, may have been the reason for his firing, but another possibility may have to do with a new ownership situation in Jacksonville, where owner Wayne Weaver intended to sell the team to Pakistani-American automotive magnate Shahid Khan. Mel Tucker will take over the team on an interim basis.
For Bruce Boudreau, a lengthy losing spell cost his job after four seasons. Boudreau took the Capitals to four division titles during his tenure, but failed to advance past the second round on two different occasions. This despite having one of the best players in Alexander Ovechkin. This season, the Caps began 7-0, but lost four of their last 13 to officially shut the door on Boudreau, who was the fastest to 200 wins. Dale Hunter, a former Caps player, was hired for the remainder of the season.
For Paul Maurice, his dismissal was the end result of the Hurricanes currently placing 14th in the Eastern Conference. Maurice, in his second go-round with Carolina, took his team to the playoffs in 2009 and upset the top-seeded Bruins in the second round. Since then however the 'Canes failed to make the playoffs two straight years, and after a poor start it was time to show Maurice the door. Inexperienced Kirk Muller took over for the season.
Earlier in the season, the St. Louis Blues hired controversial coach Ken Hitchcock, after firing Davis Payne, even though the Blues were in the top eight.
Owners feel impatient towards the need for immediate success. Their drive to win is usually the end result of such expectations. But in the end, sometimes patience pays off. Boston's sports teams, the Celtics and Bruins, showed why.
After a 24-58 record in 2006-07, Celtics ownership and GM Danny Ainge kept the faith on head coach Doc Rivers, and after adding Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join Paul Pierce, the Celtics won 66 games and eventually the NBA title the next season. Even after blowing a 3-0 lead to the Flyers in the second round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli stayed on coach Claude Julien's side. The next season, the Bruins swept the Flyers and eventually won the Stanley Cup.
For every sports owner, patience is a reward for their hard work and continued faith. But sometimes the itch to win overwhelms the need of being patient. As exemplified earlier, not even a change on the fly may be the solution towards immediate victory. Good luck to the new coaches looking to change their club's fortunes.
'Til We Meet Again: Paul Maurice, Bruce Boudreau, Jack Del Rio
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