Is Colorado QBs Coach Rip Scherer a Candidate For Steelers OC Position?

[Hambert5958]

How convoluted is this...........

Is Colorado Quarterbacks Coach Rip Scherer a Candidate For Steelers Offensive Coordinator Position?
by Neal Coolong on Jan 30, 2012 12:00 PM EST

Since it appears Caldwell-to-Pittsburgh was just a smokescreen (possibly to jack up his price to Baltimore, where he will be named the team's quarterbacks coach), other speculative names pop up as potential replacements for departed offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.
It's interesting what one can find with a little bit of research, in particular, a name no one has discussed yet; Colorado QBs coach Rip Scherer.
Scherer has an extensive resume, most notably, working with Cleveland's Derek Anderson during a season in which the casual observer assumes Anderson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for a 2007 Pro Bowl berth. The following season, Scherer left Cleveland for Carolina, where he brought Matt Moore, an unknown, to a pretty successful end of a brutal season for the Panthers.
A coaching change moved Scherer from Charlotte to Boulder, where he works under Jon Embree.
Back in 1996, though, when Scherer was the head coach at Memphis University, he hired a graduate assistant by the name of Mike Tomlin. Scherer inherited a coaching staff in 1995 that included current Steelers linebackers coach (and possible Colts defensive coordinator) Keith Butler. Butler stayed in that position through the 1997 season, and Tomlin left for the wide receivers coach job at Arkansas State that year.
At Arkansas State, Tomlin worked under current Steelers quarterbacks coach Randy Fichter, a Memphis graduate (1993). In 1998, Arkansas State hired Butler as their defensive coordinator, and Tomlin worked that season under him as the defensive backs coach.
The trio separated in 1999, when Tomlin moved to Cincinnati for the defensive backs coach with the Bearcats, Butler was the linebackers coach for the expansion Cleveland Browns under Butch Davis (along with former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and current Colts head coach Chuck Pagano), and Fichtner stayed at Arkansas State.
Fichtner remained in that position through 2000, and was named the offensive coordinator at his alma mater Memphis, as part of a new staff that replaced Scherer in 2001.
At that point, Tomlin moved to Tampa Bay and Scherer was the offensive coordinator at Kansas (2001) and Southern Miss (2002-04). Scherer moved into the NFL with Cleveland (2004-08) then to Carolina (08-10).
Did I mention he was born in Pittsburgh and is the cousin of Steelers GM Kevin Colbert? And that he was a coach at North Carolina State in 1976, when Bill Cowher was a freshman? Interestingly enough, Scherer is also a graduate of William and Mary, just like Tomlin (although Tomlin wasn't born when Scherer graduated).
If all of these things are a coincidence, then it's even more bizarre that nearly every coach currently (or recently leaving) the Steelers has ties to either the University of Alabama or Memphis. The coaching fraternity is incestuous, and it seems what you know is less important than who you know.
Fichtner still seems like a logical choice, and InsidePittsburghSports.com speculated Art Rooney II is recommending offensive line coach Sean Kugler for the position. There are still strong connections with Packers quarterbacks coach Tom Clements. Maybe Tomlin hates Scherer. However, there was talk about Scherer replacing Mike McCoy, Denver's offensive coordinator who was a serious candidate for the head coaching job that went to Packers OC Joe Philbin.
It's hard to keep it all straight, but the fact of the matter is connections are everything, and there are enough to suggest the Steelers may turn over lots of rocks not considered by the fanbase in their search for their first new offensive coordinator since 2007.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...ll-sean-kugler

[Steelreign]

Thanks for putting this up......very cool

[Crash]

Scherer has an extensive resume, most notably, working with Cleveland's Derek Anderson during a season in which the casual observer assumes Anderson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for a 2007 Pro Bowl berth.

He wasn't named to the Pro Bowl. He was an injury replacement for Tom Brady.

[Palmetto Steel]

He wasn't named to the Pro Bowl. He was an injury replacement for Tom Brady.

The statement didn't say that he was "named" (although that is pretty poor as well)... It said a "Pro Bowl berth"...

Get over the semantics... The point was that somehow (fluke) he got there....

... I still think that Fichtner is the leading candidate. (pronounced F-ee-t-ner... The "ch"is silent, just like the Q in fish)... My dad went to school with Randy's father, and apparently word is out and he thinks he'll get the job... Happy either way, from a 3rd party... For what it's worth....

[Steelreign]

The Q in fish I'm all for Fichtner.........continuity just about equals some spread offense.

[Palmetto Steel]

The Q in fish

... It's a statement that us "old timers use", or at least some of us, or maybe just me and my family...

... Point being that the "ch" is silent in pronunciation.... I'll leave it at that... Not that it matters....

[Kipper]

****! I forgot about the Butler/Tomlin connection... heck I kind of barely remembered the Fichtner one... actually I lie, I remembered there was one but not what it was. For a guy that was hired as an "outsider". 6 degrees of separation all throughout this.

Fichtner seems like the boring but logical choice. Don't know if Fichtner makes Rooney happy but it's probably the closest thing to making Ben happy. From there, it could go the way of a guy like Scherer, although, Derek Anderson riding the injury wave into the Pro Bowl as a list of accomplishments doesn't exactly "wow" me, it doesn't really suggest anything negative either.

[Kipper]

The Q in fish I'm all for Fichtner.........continuity just about equals some spread offense.

Eh.... I'm not one either way for continuity regarding hiring personnel. I like continuity from the stand point of allowing coaches time to implement changes and work with talent rather than pull plugs on them quickly like the NFL or sports in general do. Wish we knew more about Feetner from a an Offensive stand point. that makes all of the difference in the world to me

[Palmetto Steel]

Don't know if Fichtner makes Rooney happy but it's probably the closest thing to making Ben happy.

I'll back-up and throw out a comment from Dale Lolley that sorta makes sense when discussing who makes the decisions...

The bottom line is that Dan Rooney has the title of chairman and Art II that of team president. If they were unhappy with the direction of the offense, they were free to express it.

In fact, Art did just that a couple of years ago, saying the team needed to run the ball more effectively.

And you know what, the Steelers made that a point of emphasis in 2010.

But the offense obviously took a step backward in 2011, though the defense's lack of forced turnovers certainly didn't help.

Still, the point is that Art Rooney II or Dan Rooney or whoever made the call for Arians to go - I believe it was Dan - was perfectly within their rights to do so. They are, after all, the guys writing the checks.

And this isn't out of character for the Steelers. Remember, back in 1989, Dan Rooney ordered Chuck Noll to fire linebackers coach Jed Hughes.

If Noll can be ordered to fire an assistant - one that Noll liked - why not Mike Tomlin?

[Kipper]

I'll back-up and throw out a comment from Dale Lolley that sorta makes sense when discussing who makes the decisions...

I don't think it does. Dan Rooney is about as much of a figure head right now as Art was back in the 80's. I have no doubt that Art is the one making the decisions, the key ones now. I'm sure Dan is involved but I feel the reigns were passed to Art. the first sign I saw of this was with Cowher. Cowher and Art didn't get along and it seemed that the more power Art got, the more Cowher seemed to be getting ready to go.

Just a gut feeling which with regards to whose is calling the shots is likely as good as any. nobody really knows. I just think Lolley's reasons for why he thinks the way he does is flawed just because Dan Rooney isn't 22-23 years younger when he was telling Noll what to do

[Palmetto Steel]

I don't think it does. Dan Rooney is about as much of a figure head right now as Art was back in the 80's. I have no doubt that Art is the one making the decisions, the key ones now. I'm sure Dan is involved but I feel the reigns were passed to Art. the first sign I saw of this was with Cowher. Cowher and Art didn't get along and it seemed that the more power Art got, the more Cowher seemed to be getting ready to go.

Just a gut feeling which with regards to whose is calling the shots is likely as good as any. nobody really knows. I just think Lolley's reasons for why he thinks the way he does is flawed just because Dan Rooney isn't 22-23 years younger when he was telling Noll what to do

But Dan has already announced his "resignation" from the post in Ireland, and is returning to Pgh.... Is it, or could it, be possible that Dan is making more decisions as of late?... I dunno... Just a possibility...

[Kipper]

But Dan has already announced his "resignation" from the post in Ireland, and is returning to Pgh.... Is it, or could it, be possible that Dan is making more decisions as of late?... I dunno... Just a possibility...

Any of it is a possibility but I just don't believe he has his hands in it like he once did. Since 1989 as Lolley mentioned, Art has taken on a very significant role with the steelers and with allof the decision making. He certainly handles all of the day to day operations and that stuff much like Dan did for Art Sr. I think Art has a far stronger hand in the decision maing and direction of things that Dan does these days. Dan just comes off more as the type that is going to give you the final blessing

[Palmetto Steel]

Any of it is a possibility but I just don't believe he has his hands in it like he once did. Since 1989 as Lolley mentioned, Art has taken on a very significant role with the steelers and with allof the decision making. He certainly handles all of the day to day operations and that stuff much like Dan did for Art Sr. I think Art has a far stronger hand in the decision maing and direction of things that Dan does these days. Dan just comes off more as the type that is going to give you the final blessing

Yea... I guess we'll all find out soon enough in one way or another. I had just read a few things sorta implicating Dan was gonna take more control now that he'd be back in the country and in Pgh... Guess we'll see... But then again, who can really differentiate between the decisions?.... Oh well, just another thought to contemplate.

[Crash]

From what I understand when Dan isn't the Ambassador he handles most league issues for the Steelers and Art II runs the team.

This is all Art.

Now there is interest in Haley. His 3 wide offense is excellent but he's a bit of a paranoid yo yo.

[Steelreign]

From what I understand when Dan isn't the Ambassador he handles most league issues for the Steelers and Art II runs the team.

This is all Art.

Now there is interest in Haley. His 3 wide offense is excellent but he's a bit of a paranoid yo yo.

He seems to have confrontational issues with players but he would be an interesting choice with connections to the organization.