(Coach) Hunting Season

NHL and NBA coaches beware, you are in the crosshairs as the seasons have ended for non-playoff teams.

Today, we got news that Eddie Jordan was fired by the 76ers after one season and a lousy 27-55 record. Rather than question Jordan's track record, which I guess was so overwhelming since the Wizards made the playoffs four straight seasons with Jordan running the show. Note that Jordan's Wizards only won 25 games during his first season in DC so it's obvious that the Wiz were not expecting much and got just the same. It's hard to imagine what the Sixers were expecting? The Allen Iverson experiment was cute but it surely did not pan out and the roster is loaded with players that belong in the current version of the ABA since the NBDL is above their caliber of play.

In Philly, management felt it was time for a coaching change but perhaps a change in management is what's needed. It's often the case in pro sports that the GM has a longer life span than the coach(es) they bring on board for reasons unbeknownst to most rational thinking people. Was the team really in a position to win? The Sixers surely were not but Jordan was the scapegoat.

In the NHL, Atlanta has relieved John Anderson of his duties after two seasons and an 83 point season (5 points shy of the 8th playoff spot) and the Lightning have cleaned house by dumping GM Brian Lawton and coach Rick Tocchet (in his first full season and 8 points out of the playoffs.) All the praise Tocchet's received for helping Steven Stamkos elevate his game just wasn't enough to retain his job but at least the GM went too. Anderson has never really been given much to work with in the ATL though I'm sure the vast majority of sports fans in the city would not even recognize the name if given a multiple choice question as to whom the Thrashers' coach is/was.

Putting the coach in the spotlight keeps an inept GM employed, keeps an inept scouting department off the hot seat, and takes the focus away from a poor player development staff as well. Some might argue that the coach has something to do with player development and I agree 100%. A good coach can squeeze a little extra out of his players but he's got to have some players that can truly compete to begin with.