Jeff Fisher's return to L.A. as coach of the Rams "ended abruptly" yesterday when he was "fired with three games left in a disappointing season," according to Gary Klein of the L.A. TIMES. The Rams' loss to the Falcons on Sunday "dropped the team’s record to 4-9 and was Fisher’s 165th defeat as an NFL coach, equaling a league record." Rams Exec VP/Football Operations & COO Kevin Demoff said Fisher's firing was "solely a performance-related issue.” During a 40-minute news conference, Demoff "described the situation as an 'organizational failure' and said the move was 'more about direction and hope.'" Demoff said that he "spoke at length" with Rams Owner Stan Kroenke on Sunday night and then "revisited the discussion" yesterday morning before they informed Fisher. Demoff said of Fisher's reaction, "I don’t think he was certainly expecting it." Demoff said that GM Les Snead's future will be "determined at the end of the season after the Rams evaluate all parts of their operation" (L.A. TIMES, 12/13). ESPN L.A.'s Alden Gonzalez notes Snead, who "like Fisher, signed an extension" through '18 before the start of this season, is "not guaranteed to return." As the season went on, the Rams "faced increasing pressure from the outside to make a change at coach." Demoff: "It would be easy to say that played into it. I think what that overlooks is the fact that all of that is generated off the won-loss record" (ESPNLA.com, 12/13).
IT WAS TIME: ESPN's Michael Wilbon said of the move, "You can’t be surprised. Owners get impatient. The richer the owner, the greater the impatience. So Mr. Kroenke said, 'I’m sorry, I’m building a brand-new stadium. I just paid you, (take it) as a parting gift.'" ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said of the Rams losing 42-14 to the Falcons in Week 14, "You cannot, at home, lose that badly, because your owner gets afraid he's already lost the market" ("PTI," ESPN, 12/12). ESPN's Trent Dilfer said, "You almost get the sense that Stan Kroenke ... (and) the rest of management is just overwhelmed with embarrassment (at) how the last handful of weeks have gone down" ("Monday Night Countdown," ESPN, 12/12). NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said there had been "discord" between Fisher and Snead for "some time" regarding personnel. Rapoport: "They tried to get on the same page, but in the end, the on-field product was just too much of a symbol for this organization going in the wrong direction" ("NFL Total Access," NFL Net, 12/12). ESPN's Chris Mortensen said, "The negativity is something I think Stan Kroenke felt and felt like he had to go forward and in a way clean the deck here" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 12/13).
NEED TO BE BETTER: Demoff said of the Rams coaching position, "This is going to be a very attractive opening. You look at the opportunity to play for a really good owner, in a great market, in what will be a world-class stadium. ... There's talent on this roster." He added, "I don't think this move is designed to appease the fans in a short moment. ... This move is looking at a period of time over five years, where we think, as an organization, we needed to be better" (ESPNLA.com, 12/13). In St. Louis, Jim Thomas writes the in-season move was "out of character for Kroenke." But with fans "already staying away in droves in LA, and with PSLs to sell for a new stadium scheduled to open" in '19, the Rams "decided to make the move now" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/13). In L.A., Jack Wang in a front-page piece notes Demoff "dismissed any suggestions that Kroenke and the Rams might be focused on promoting their new Inglewood stadium." He "parried questions about empty seats" at L.A. Memorial Coliseum, "losing the trust of a nascent fan base, and the Chargers’ potential move north from San Diego." Demoff said that if the team can win games, all those concerns will "resolve themselves" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 12/13).
TIME TO MOVE ON: In L.A., Bill Plaschke in a front-page piece writes, "In just four months, the powerful bond between the NFL’s returning Rams and their Los Angeles fans had dissolved into empty Coliseum seats, derisive chants and an alienation that was tearing the welcome mat into tatters." The Rams simply "needed to do something." Fisher's firing is a "clear win" for Kroenke and Demoff, as they showed they are "sensitive to their new fans, aware of their new marketplace and understanding of the need to push the reset button before the town’s welcoming embrace was completely withdrawn" (L.A. TIMES, 12/13). Plaschke added the city and its fans "really had our arms open for this team and they’ve really made it a ... complete debacle" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 12/12). ESPN L.A.'s Gonzalez writes, "In the end, the Rams had no choice but to let Fisher go." The "noise that surrounded this organization would've made it impossible to justify bringing Fisher back," as the "collective moaning from the nation's second-largest media market had become deafening" (ESPNLA.com, 12/13). ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner noted Fisher is "one of the staunchest supporters of smashmouth football," and "so long as he remained stuck in the past offensively, he was never going to be able to take the Rams to the next level" (ESPN.com, 12/12).
SCORN CONTINUES In St. Louis, Benjamin Hochman asks, "Why was there so much fury toward Fisher?" Hochman: "What irked us so much about Fisher was -- he was getting away with it. He kept losing and losing in St. Louis and kept his job after a horrendous fourth season." That "particularly stung St. Louisans, because getting away with something is a symbol of Kroenke" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/13). In N.Y., Jake Becker notes St. Louis-based KTVI-Fox yesterday "added a 'Professional Liar' designation to Demoff’s resume while showing video from the exec's press conference." His title read, "Rams Chief Operating Officer/Professional Liar" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/13).
GO JOHNNY GO? In L.A., Sam Farmer writes, "Buckle up. This won’t be a typical NFL coaching search." The spectrum of possible candidates is "wide and flashy." Hiring a big name like ESPN analyst Jon Gruden "probably would require Kroenke to break the bank" and pay more than $10M per year, something he "hasn’t shown a particular willingness to do." But sources "close to Gruden have indicated he would listen to a Rams pitch." Gruden and Demoff "worked together with the Buccaneers" (L.A. TIMES, 12/13). ESPN's Steve Young said, "Stan Kroenke’s building a multi-billion dollar stadium. This is a Hollywood-type of event. He needs Hollywood-type performers, big time. So you feel like Jeff is such a substantive, low-key, down-to-Earth guy. I assume management’s looking for somebody a little bit more L.A." ("Monday Night Countdown," ESPN, 12/12). FS1's Jason Whitlock said, "It's going to be Jon Gruden. I think that Jon Gruden is on a bad 'Monday Night Football' crew. I think he's bored. I think 'Monday Night Football' is boring. I think he wants back in the action. ... That's going to create some excitement. Give him a budget to go out and hire whatever coaches he wants on his assistant staff" ("Speak For Yourself," FS1, 12/12).
PETER PETER: YAHOO SPORTS' Charles Robinson cited sources as saying that that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll "intrigues the power brokers inside the franchise." But he is "under contract" through the '19 season. Carroll is the "archetype" of a coach the Rams "will seek" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/12). FS1's Michael Lombardi said of the Rams' vacancy, "Hire a coach like (Sehawks Owner) Paul Allen did. Get Pete Carroll and then bring in his personnel guy and let the two build the organization hand in hand together and define where this place is going" ("Speak for Yourself," FS1, 12/12).
OTHER NAMES OUT THERE: In L.A., Vincent Bonsignore writes, "It's time to load up Stan Kroenke’s personal Brinks truck, back it up to (Jim) Harbaugh's office in Ann Arbor, Mich., hand him the keys and tell him to take whatever he wants." He "would fit perfectly in Los Angeles in every way" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 12/13). FS1's Colin Cowherd noted Saints coach Sean Payton has a daughter that "goes to college" in L.A. Cowherd said of Payton, "He needs a reboot. He gets a new, young quarterback. Sean Payton’s a star. Sean Payton does endorsements." But Cowherd asked of the Rams' coaching vacancy, “How good of a job is it? ... I'm not sure if Stan Kroenke is invested in winning as much as real estate" ("Speak for Yourself," FS1, 12/12).
