Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher says that General Manager Omar Khan ruined his career just because

Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher says that General Manager Omar Khan ruined his career just because

 

Though Jerome Bettis is soon to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Steelers had other nominees in 2014.One of the 113 nominees for the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class was former head coach Bill Cowher.After missing out on this year’s class, is there any chance that Coach Cowher will one day be admitted into the Hall of Fame? Initially, I said “no,” but I also considered the fact that Cowher’s predecessor, Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll, was a factor in my thinking.

Cowher has a mediocre record in contrast to Noll.Ultimately, it was under Noll that the Steelers won four Super Bowls.He turned the once-struggling team into a force on both sides of the ball over his 25 years as coach, establishing the bar for greatness for the Black and Gold.

What is Cowher’s situation now? Cowher is Cowher, and Noll is Noll, to use Mike Tomlin’s words. For Bill Cowher to be admitted into the Hall of Fame, his accomplishments do not need to match or surpass those of his predecessor. But is his track record sufficient? The smooth transition from the epic Era of Noll to the Cowher years is one intangible statistic, even if there were major setbacks in the latter part of the 1980s and the early 1990s.

The Rooneys and other people play a major role in the transition’s success, but Cowher is also accountable for the Steelers’ performance under his direction, control, and coaching style. Even though the team was struggling when Cowher came over, he managed to continue Noll’s legacy of excellence.

Secondly, even though he only had one Super Bowl victory, his appearances were separated by ten years. Stated differently, he trained two different groups of men to the same degree of proficiency. The common factor between these two teams is not a collection of outstanding players but rather Cowher’s system, even if other coaches have led their teams to more Super Bowl trips and victories.

Some facets of Cowher’s legacy are not as noteworthy. For instance, in 2004 the Steelers finished 15-1, however they were not able to make it to the Super Bowl. The Steelers under Cowher did not exhibit Bengals-caliber postseason ineptitude, but there were plenty of heartbreaking losses and disappointments during the postseason.

These includes the Broncos’ devastating loss in 1997 and the 1994 home losses in the AFC Championship game against the San Diego Chargers. What is Cowher’s current Hall of Fame comparison with the other coaches?

Cowher is no match for the coaches who have won three Super Bowls. Although Joe Gibbs’s winning percentage was slightly lower—just under 63%—some of his worst seasons happened while the Redskins were owned by Dan Synder, the man most known for turning the team into a talent cemetery where gifted players go to play poorly and eventually retire dejected. It is an amazing accomplishment to have led the Redskins to three Super Bowl victories in his first 11 seasons with the team.

In addition to Bill Walsh, there are other two-ring coaches in the Hall of Fame, such as Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Bill Parcells, and Tom Flores. Jimmy Johnson, who led the Cowboys to two consecutive Super Bowl titles, is still awaiting induction, as are two-ring coaches Tom Flores of the Raiders and George Seifert of the 49ers.

In 2001, Marv Levy was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Although he never coached a team that won the game, he did go to four consecutive Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993. Therefore, a championship ring is not necessary to be inducted, but four consecutive trips, even without a victory, are unquestionably significant.

Although Cowher has an outstanding coaching record, it might take more for him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Thankfully, Chuch Noll is not the standard for induction; yet, it is impossible to avoid drawing comparisons between Noll and Cowher given their respective roles in the Steelers’ past. Still, Cowher has made a noticeable difference in the Steelers organization, and his league accomplishments are just amazing. It’s uncertain if voters will concur.