National Football League

It's a pressure cooker

Published Oct. 18, 2010 10:16 p.m. ET

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NFL coaches face a lot of stress, and they have to find balance between personal and professional lives.

By IRA KAUFMAN

ikaufman@tampatrib.com

TAMPA - The hours are long, the stress level is off the EKG chart and job security is a joke.

Still want to be an NFL head coach?

On the other side of the flip card, a $2 million starting salary hardly merits a challenge flag, and you are one of only 32 masters of the pro football universe.

"The saddest part is that no matter who you are, the job takes a toll on you that is simply immeasurable," said agent Bob LaMonte, who represents six NFL head coaches, including Carolina's John Fox and Philadelphia's Andy Reid. "Any person that survives more than a few years is highly unusual."

Working their way up from position coach or coordinator, NFL head coaches often find themselves frustrated by the array of demands from the position.

"You're just more accountable for everything," said Tampa Bay's Raheem Morris, who went 3-13 in his 2009 rookie season. "It's more time away from your family, and it definitely affects your personal life. The responsibilities to the media are a pain in the neck. As head coaches, we talk more than the leader of our nation."

And you're paid better, too.

New England's Bill Belichick tops the salary list at $7.5 million per year, followed by Mike Shanahan ($7 million), who was hired by the Redskins as one of only three coaching changes in 2010.

The Bills (Chan Gailey) and Seahawks (Pete Carroll) also selected new coaches in January, but that represented rare stability for the profession.

There was a frenzy of moves after the 2008 season, when 11 changes were made, churning over more than one-third of the league's head coaches.

"It's basically the Bear Bryant deal - when you win, it's your players and when you lose, it's the head coach," said Wade Phillips, in his fourth year with the Cowboys. "That's fine. That pressure comes with our history. If you don't win the Super Bowl and you coach for a franchise that has won as much as this one, you didn't get the job done."

Coaching takes back seat

NFL head coaches quickly come to the grim realization that you are equal parts manager and teacher.

"You ask any former assistant that becomes a head coach and they will tell that the administrative aspects of the job are very different," Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. "It's a lot less actual coaching, yet it's all-consuming."

For Atlanta coach Mike Smith, success on the job is inextricably linked to the right support staff away from the job.

"It's very important to have balance in your life," Smith said. "You need to have someone who keeps you focused on other things. You can't do one thing and one thing only. We probably spend more time on our job than 95 percent of all professions. When I get back from a home game, I'm ready to watch more football, but we'll have a house full of friends and family and you really need that interaction."

Cleveland coach Eric Mangini thought he was performing a credible balancing act until his son popped the question.

"There's nothing that prepares you for this job ? nothing," Mangini said. "There are so many sacrifices you have to make. One night our oldest son was in bed with us and he asked, 'How come you can't come to my school functions or be like the other dads who drop their kids off in the morning?' It's certainly a challenge. You want to make sure you're not being a bad father in order to be a good head coach."

In Jacksonville, former defensive coordinator and position coach Jack Del Rio said he regrets the little time he spends actually working with players on their technique.

"Stress ? I never knew that word as a player," Del Rio said. "Now, I know it well."

Morris missed the coaching aspect so much, he took over the defense after 10 games last season.

"The reality is that being an NFL head coach today has a lot more to do with being a CEO rather than dealing with X's and O's," LaMonte said. "In the past, when staffs were small, a head coach was involved in all aspects on the field. In the 21st century, that's what your coordinators do so you can deal with media, ownership and marketing."

It's a juggling act

When coaches dwell too much on their football families, spouses and children often pay a price.

"Rod would come home Sunday exhausted, physically and emotionally drained," said Barbara Marinelli, wife of former Lions head coach Rod Marinelli. "I could tell he was distracted at home. He might be there physically, but mentally he was somewhere else."

Marinelli, a former Bucs assistant, is defensive coordinator of the unbeaten Bears. In 2008, Marinelli's final season as head coach, Detroit went 0-16.

"The media can be so ugly," Barbara said. "That last year in Detroit, I stopped reading the papers or listening to the radio. Still, you could feel it in the air."

Jim Caldwell of the Colts thought he knew all the responsibilities of the job when he replaced Tony Dungy in 2009.

"The one thing that's really different is the demands of the media," Caldwell said. "I think we counted 149 times last year that I had to deal with the media in some capacity."

The hours are what you make of them.

Former Bucs coach Jon Gruden used to start his day in the dead of night. It took a while for Del Rio to realize working smart beats working longer.

"If I'm working real late, I feel I'm not being efficient," Del Rio said. "I haven't felt like staying in the building until 2 o'clock in the morning is necessary to compete."

Despite all the pressures and frustrations, the NFL's 32 head coaches know they are part of a unique fraternity.

"It's hard, but it's fair and I love it," Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin said. "There's no manual for this gig, but it drives me. There's never a dull moment. When my feet hit the floor each morning, I'm energized. I wouldn't recommend it for everybody, but it's for me. Still, it's what I do, not who I am. I'm a husband, I'm a father. I love the job, but it's not even in the same conversation as those other things."

Survival is the name of the game for NFL coaches, and Tennessee's Jeff Fisher has lasted 16 seasons under owner Bud Adams.

"More than a privilege, it's an honor to work in this league," Fisher said. "When you have an owner like we do and you surround yourself with good people, you've got a chance to stay in one place a long time."

But only if you're centered.

"You have to learn to find balance in your life," said Falcons owner Arthur Blank. "You have to take care of your family, take care of yourself and take care of your coaches and players. If you get out of whack with any of those, you're in a lot of trouble."

Reporter Ira Kaufman can be reached at (813) 259-7833.

Photo credit: Staff photo by PAUL LAMISON

Photo: Bucs coach Raheem Morris learned a lot from Steelers coach and ex- Bucs assistant Mike Tomlin, and both make it a point to avoid letting the job take away from their families.

Photo: Wade Phillips

Photo credit: Staff photo by CLIFF MCBRIDE

Photo: Raheem Morris had to adjust to the administrative side of the job.

Photo: Jack Del Rio

Photo: Mike Smith

Copyright ? 2010, The Tampa Tribune and may not be republished without permission. E-mail library@tampatrib.com

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