The Jim Bates Thread

[Kaylore]

I got tired of discussing Bates on Patterson and Slowik threads. So here is the Jim Bates thread.

For those of you who don't know, it is being reported that Jim Bates is a likely candidate to replace Larry Coyer as defensive coordinator.

Personally, I'm ecstatic. Here's a little blip on the man.

Jim Bates (born May 31, 1946, in Pontiac, Michigan) is an American football coach. He has coached in the college, USFL, and NFL ranks for close to 40 years.

His first head coaching job in the NFL came in 2004 when he was named interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins following the resignation of Dave Wannstedt. He went 3-4 (including a victory over the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots) with the underachieving Dolphins. When new head coach Nick Saban took over the team, it soon became clear that Bates was not part of his plans, and Bates took over the defensive coordinator job with the Green Bay Packers.

When Mike Sherman was fired by Packers General Manager Ted Thompson on January 2, 2006, Bates was offered the opportunity to interview for the head position. He interviewed on January 10 but was informed the next day the organization would be hiring San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy instead.

Bates took the news very hard. McCarthy met with him on January 15 in hopes of convincing him to stay with the organization. However, after two meetings between McCarthy and Bates, the team announced on January 16 that they would be parting ways. Bates currently is pursuing a number of coaching positions within the NFL.

Bates' defensive scheme uses the defensive tackles to plug the middle, with the defensive ends pressuring the quarterback. Special emphasis is on the linebackers, as short, speedy LB's are especially fitted for this format. Linebacker Zach Thomas and defensive end Jason Taylor are among the players Bates developed in Miami. Bates is well-liked among players for being a fiery, energetic, demanding, yet fair and hands-on coach.

With Nick Saban going to Alabama, Jim Bates is rumored to be a choice for the new head coach. Another rumor has Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis offering Bates a job on his (currently full) staff.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, he now lives in Oneida, Wisconsin. His son, Jeremy, is an offensive assistant for the Denver Broncos. James, his oldest son, played linebacker for the 1996 national champion University of Florida Gators.

Here is how his defense did during his tenure in Miami.

The first number is Scoring and the second is total defense

Miami 2000 3 6
Miami 2001 11 5
Miami 2002 4 3
Miami 2003 3 10
Miami 2004 20 8
Green Bay 2005 20 7
Green Bay 2006 25 12

The Packers don't have very many good players right now and are rebuilding, but you can see the guy has the goods. Miami has been a great team defensively for quite some time and Bates is a large reason for that.

I think he'd be a good fit here, and he already has connections to the organization. We'll see if he comes, but it would appear that our personnel match his scheme...except we'll need defensive line help.

[Rock Chalk]

Sold.

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by Alec

Sold.

Yeah. He knows his stuff and our guys match his style. We'll see, though. The boys in Miami wanted him to more than the interim coach. He was passed on that job and likewise passed at Green Bay. I know he wants a head coaching gig, but sometimes when you get screwed like that, a good thing to do is go to a really good organization that wins a lot. He can eat Bowlen's steak dinners he buys his team, win lots of a games, enjoy the sunny delight of the Rocky Mountains and pad his resume. Sounds like a win-win to me.

[NFLBRONCO]

Bates is a great choice if it happens.

[Traveler]

If Bates gets the job, who's the best available DL coach out there?

[Mediator12]

Bates is a great coach. He should be Shanahan's top Priority right now. There is no one out there who can get more from less than this guy. I am real interested to see what he could do in DEN.

[bpc]

Sounds like the best of the 4-3 dc's we could have available to us.

[BroncoInferno]

The key is going to be what happens with the Miami HC job. If he doesn't get that, it's probably a slam dunk he ends up in Denver.

[BigPlayShay]

I'm in. Who is going to write up the pettition?

[Garcia Bronco]

I would be happy with Bates...I'd like Pelini too

[Kaylore]

Got this from the Packer's website:

A veteran of 14 NFL seasons and 37 campaigns overall in the coaching profession, Jim Bates in 2005 begins his first year in Green Bay as the club's defensive coordinator.

Named to the position Jan. 31, 2005, by Head Coach Mike Sherman, the 59-year-old Bates brings to the Packers a fiery intensity and proven record of coordinator success.

As defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins the past five seasons (2000-04), Bates' units ranked fifth in the NFL. Only the Buccaneers (281.4 yards/game), Steelers (282.5), Ravens (286.4) and Bills (293.1) played better defensively than Miami (294.8) through the course of those five campaigns. His defense ranked in the top 10 after each season, including 2004, when it ranked eighth despite losing four starters to injured reserve; the team ranked sixth in 2000, fifth in 2001, third in 2002 and 10th in 2003. Against the pass, the Dolphins entered the final week of the '04 season leading the league, but wound up second (162.0 yards/game). Miami's passing defense did pace the NFL in 2001, and ranked fifth in 2000, eighth in 2002 and 19th in 2003. Against the run, his squad did not allow a 100-yard rusher over a 20-game stretch that included the last four games of 2002 and the entire '03 campaign.

On an individual level, Bates' units produced 18 Pro Bowl selections (eight players) in five seasons.

Bates' tenure in Miami included a 3-4 record over the final seven games of the 2004 season as the club's interim head coach, including a 29-28 win over eventual Super Bowl Champion New England, Dec. 20.

Prior to his time in Miami, Bates served as the Dallas Cowboys' linebackers coach (1996-97) and assistant head coach/defensive line (1998-99). His first foray into the NFL was on Bill Belichick's staff as linebackers coach of the Cleveland Browns (1991). After coaching the Browns' defensive ends for two seasons (1992-93), he served one year as Atlanta's defensive coordinator (1994), before returning to Cleveland as secondary coach (1995).

One of 13 individuals to serve as a head coach in both the NFL and United States Football League, Bates spent one year (1985) at the helm of the San Antonio Gunslingers. In total, he spent three years in the USFL, including two seasons as a defensive coordinator (Arizona Outlaws 1986, San Antonio 1984).

Additionally, Bates coached another year at the pro level, as an assistant in 1988 for the Detroit Drive of the Arena League.

Bates' resume includes 15 years of coaching experience at the college level. A linebacker at the University of Tennessee (1964-67), he entered the coaching profession with his alma mater (B.S. degree in education 1968) as a graduate assistant in 1968, then made stops at Southern Mississippi (freshman coach 1972), Villanova (offensive line 1973, linebackers 1974), Kansas State (linebackers 1975-76), West Virginia (secondary 1977), Texas Tech (secondary 1978-79, defensive coordinator 1980-83), Tennessee (linebackers 1989) and Florida (defensive coordinator/secondary 1990) before coming to the NFL. From 1969-71, he served as head coach at Sevier County (Tenn.) High School.

Born May 31, 1946, in Pontiac, Mich., Bates and his wife, Beverly, reside in Oneida, Wis. The couple has two sons: James, who was a linebacker and defensive captain on Florida's 1996 national championship team and now produces a variety of sports-related television programming in Florida, and Jeremy, a former player at Rice who currently serves as quarterbacks coach for the New York Jets. In his spare time, Bates enjoys exercising, hunting and fishing.

[Ratboy]

I'm all in! Hopefully he comes here.

[Popps]

Originally Posted by Traveler

If Bates gets the job, who's the best available DL coach out there?

Dan Quinn, defensive line; born September 11, 1970, Orange, N.J. Defensive lineman Salisbury State 1990-93. No pro playing experience. College coach: William & Mary 1994, Virginia Military Institute 1995, Hofstra 1997-2000. Pro coach: San Francisco 49ers 2001-04, joined Dolphins in 2005.

Just throwing it out there. Saban liked this guy a lot. Brought him over from the 49ers.

But, in all likelihood, if Bates IS brought in, he'll be bringing buddies with him. That tends to be how it goes.

The Falcons Bill Johnson is also jobless right now.

[BroncoInferno]

Has anybody heard anything regarding how serious of a contender Bates is for the Miami HC job?

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by BroncoInferno

Has anybody heard anything regarding how serious of a contender Bates is for the Miami HC job?

If I were Bates I'd tell them to cram it up their you-know-what. They brought in Saban and then let Bates go. Then Saban pulls a Saban and up and leaves. The only reason I could think of Bates returning would be for the players who love him. Hopefully he's jaded enough to want to come here.

[Mediator12]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

If I were Bates I'd tell them to cram it up their you-know-what. They brought in Saban and then let Bates go. Then Saban pulls a Saban and up and leaves. The only reason I could think of Bates returning would be for the players who love him. Hopefully he's jaded enough to want to come here.

No, if that were true he would have declined to interview. As it is, he wants the Job he thinks he should have gotten instead of Saban and he is motivated to make it his anyway he can. He really wants to prove Huizenga was wrong to Hire Saban in the first place and get to the playoffs and beyond with that team.

[BroncoInferno]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

If I were Bates I'd tell them to cram it up their you-know-what. They brought in Saban and then let Bates go. Then Saban pulls a Saban and up and leaves. The only reason I could think of Bates returning would be for the players who love him. Hopefully he's jaded enough to want to come here.

I just read that Pete Carrol met with Huizenga for four hours, but he insisted it was just a curtesy/curiosity meeting and that he was staying at USC. I have a feeling Bates in on down the list of candidates, but we'll see.

[broncosteven]

I am all over this guy in the other threads!

I like his philosophy of the DT's stuffing run in the middle & ends pass rushing.

I think we only need to draft well at DE & FS and get a low round DT if we land Bates.

If we get anyone else we would have to retool the D. I still think Shanny wants more toys on O & prefers to use the picks on the Draft on both sides.

I hope Bates signs. With Cutler at QB we will be set!

[broncosteven]

BTW does the fact that Patterson was let go show Bates that Shanny will let him have freedom to implement his dline schemes here with his guys?

Or - Did Patterson just not get it done? I thought the talent was weak for him to get canned.

[Taco John]

Originally Posted by BroncoInferno

I just read that Pete Carrol met with Huizenga for four hours, but he insisted it was just a curtesy/curiosity meeting and that he was staying at USC. I have a feeling Bates in on down the list of candidates, but we'll see.

Carrol has to say that it was courtesy because he's recruiting this month.

From the quote that I read, it sounded like he was at least intrigued by the discussion.

[Breck Bronc]

The Dolphins played real hard for Bates in '04 after Wannstedt was fired. Hell, they almost beat us at the end of the year in Denver with our playoff hopes on the line. I believe that was Plummer's flip-off-the-crowd game. I'd be very happy if Bates was our new defensive coordinator.

[Rock Chalk]

Originally Posted by broncosteven

BTW does the fact that Patterson was let go show Bates that Shanny will let him have freedom to implement his dline schemes here with his guys?

Or - Did Patterson just not get it done? I thought the talent was weak for him to get canned.

Patterson was the one that brought in all that "talent". THATS why he got canned.

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by Alec

Patterson was the one that brought in all that "talent". THATS why he got canned.

And he had a revolver to Sundquist and Shanahan's heads when he did it too! They had no say. Thank goodness we finally got him back for coercing the front office so skillfully.

[OrangeShadow]

All of us speculating is all well and good but im wondering what the chances are he actually gets brought on board

[Kaylore]

Originally Posted by OrangeShadow

All of us speculating is all well and good but im wondering what the chances are he actually gets brought on board

We don't know. This thread is just about the guy, his qualifications and how his scheme would match up with our personnel.

Personally I think he'd be a great fit, but I also don't want to hold my breath about him. He would be great here, but at this point I'm just hoping it's not Slowik.