“In Many Ways Similar To Coach Coughlin”
May 27th, 2012
Bucs offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan worked the last eight seasons with the Giants under notoriously militant head coach Tom Coughlin.
So it’s safe to assume Sullivan has a world of respect for Coughlin and knows how he operates.
Interestingly, without being asked to compare, Sullivan likened Greg Schiano, leader of the New Schiano Order, to his former boss during an interview yesterday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“Coach Schiano is in many ways similar to Coach Coughlin, from the standpoint of very, very organized and detailed and things like discipline and structure and organization being at a premium,” Sullivan said. “I think he’s very bright. And I think he’s someone that has brought a concept of family.
“You know everyone can say that word [family]. They can throw it around, they can be cliched, we all know there’s certainly the business side that goes along the lines with the NFL. But the thought that while we’re there, while we’re in the building, every member of that football team, all the coaches, having that type of common bond and that mindset, I think that there’s an amount of passion that he brings to the table that will make sure we’re do things the right way, in terms of how he wants it done and yet be open to feedback and suggestion on what’s the best possible way to get things done.
“I think what a lot of folks can expect is just to see a team that’s going to be very disciplined and that’s going to be really focused on the type of preparation it takes to be at their best. And use the elements and use the heat to our advantage.”
A former Army Ranger, Army coach and Army defensive back, Sullivan was no stranger to discipline before he reached Coughlin’s staff. And now he sees the same level of order with the Bucs.
Of course, nobody knows whether discipline will equal wins (and nobody knows if Sullivan can call plays), but Joe suspects the Bucs will at least stop the bleeding on heinous 10 game losing streak and look like a football team again. Wouldn’t that be nice?
May 27th, 2012 at 9:39 am
Hell yeah Joe,
Sullivan is just what the Dr. ordered for our offensive woes.
Greg Olsen, eat your heart out.
May 27th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Go Bucs, I believe Sully will b great at play callin
May 27th, 2012 at 10:15 am
Again, I hark back to the Old Green Bay team run by an demanding coach.
May 27th, 2012 at 10:35 am
When I think about Coughlin all I can remember is his classic fail at Jacksonville. I think he lost a lot of veteran players when he would send them to bed without supper during training camp for making little mistakes.
Another head coach who thought he could discipline players to victory was rocket scientist Ray Perkins who thought our players would hand over our team secrets during hand shakes at mid field. To avoid this dilemma he switched sides with the opposing team, making our players stand facing the sun and the visitors stand in the shade. His former team mates have fond memories of playing poker with him and relieving him of his paychecks. He thought he was the smartest man alive.
For all of our sakes, I hope the Little General has a little brain power mixed in with all the bluster.
May 27th, 2012 at 10:53 am
Ah looks like we traded the next Noll for the next Lombardi.
Amazing!
May 27th, 2012 at 11:33 am
Joe, you stated it in your article, Mike Sullivan is an Army Ranger, this is something you never forget. Rangers are a team, they drill like a team, practice like a team, and win like a team. When the handcuffs are taken off of any of our military, see what happened in the two weeks following December 15, 1972, and since, the military never loses, the politicans might, but they don’t. It carries on though today. If a Ranger Trainee doesn’t buy in and/or can’t do it, they are gone.
Just look at the Bucs in the same way. they are in the first stages of that training and when the first practice game is here, you will see a team practicing, when the season starts you will see, like in real life, some battles are won or lost, but the war as fought is won. The question is the war the playoffs or the SB?
This is the Memorial Day Weekend and we remember all that went before and are doing it now. Until you are under fire, you really don’t know what you or others are going to do, this is something you never forget.
Raise one for the Veterans, past and present! Cheers
May 27th, 2012 at 11:46 am
LOL @Miguel Grande’ brilliant observation that “When I think about Coughlin all I can remember is his classic fail at Jacksonville.”
This “fan” chooses to continue to be down on the Buccaneers using the Coughlin comparison to Coach Schiano while conveniently forgetting, or not “thinking” or “remembering” Coughlin’s winning SUPER BOWLS XLll and XLVl.
Seriously? These are the kind of jackwagon “fans” that annoy the heck out of me.
Most Buccaneer fans saw a NEED for discipline and organization on this team. We have obviously gotten that. But for some IDIOTS complaining is a pleasure they cannot give up.
May 27th, 2012 at 11:47 am
Hey wait didnt ny win the big one last year ,change is good and following raheem this was the onky direction we could go with ,we were slobs last year this change is welcome
May 27th, 2012 at 11:53 am
“But for some IDIOTS complaining is a pleasure they cannot give up.”
I might’a used some wording that’s a bit less ‘incendiary’, but what he said. It might be a valid concern, but let’s at least give him till the end of training camp before we run him out on a rail for being a tyrant
May 27th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
Personally, I couldn’t be more thrilled at how Schiano and his staff are like-mindedly pursuing excellence and establishing this “Buccaneer Way”. If that’s drinking kool-aid, then I believe this fan will have another glass.
And, as has been said, let’s remember what Memorial Day is about, pause to give our heartfelt respects to those who have sacrificed everything to preserve American freedom, which just so happens to include the freedom to enjoy the unique sports culture we’ve cultivated here in the good ole USA.
May 27th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
Hey Miguel… Your comparisons to an earlier version of Coughlin and to Ray Perkins are really not accurate. First, Schiano, despite his obsessive attention to detail and disciplinarian approach, has a lot better interpersonal skills than the other guys. He also is known to demonstrate his interest and concern for his players. This is not an arbitrary dictatorship like Perkins — that dude had no personality and no ability to relate to players. Coughlin, in his earlier years, was said to not relate well to players. Schiano does not appear to suffer from this problem. He is stern, detail oriented, and a disciplinarian. It’s possible to be all those things without alienating players. Because he’s direct and holds himself accountable as well as his players, I think he will engender much greater trust and respect in the long run than Gruden or Morris, and perhaps even more than Dungy. So far, I’m not that concerned about him being too much of a disciplinarian. I’ll start worrying when the performance on field seems to suffer.
May 27th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Sounds like good things are brewing at 1BP.
May 28th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
I didn’t compare the Little General to Coughlin, Joe’s article did. I simply commented that disciplinarians are not exactly the model for a perfect coach.
I had an ex-marine coach in high school that was a moron, kind of like Perkins. I’m neither impressed or disappointed in Coach Schiano at this point in time. I just can’t help to take up the other side of the discussion when grown men are drooling over a new coach who hasn’t really done anything.