Thursday, October 2, 2008

The second time around

Scott Linehan became the first NFL head coach to lose his job this season when the Rams let him go early this week.  His defensive coordinator, Jim Haslett, takes over on an interim basis.

Haslett (pictured here), the NFL's defensive rookie of the year in 1979, served as head coach of the Saints for six seasons (2000-2005).  In his first season in New Orleans, he earned coach of the year honors.

"I always thought a second-time head coach, if you look at the track record, are better coaches because of the experiences they went through the first time," Haslett said. "And I went through the last year (in New Orleans) the ultimate experience with the hurricane and being displaced and all that. If you look at the track record with the Tony Dungys and those type of people, they're always better the second time around."