Report: Falcons eye Schottenheimer
December 21, 2007 at 1:18 pm by Scott Freeman in News, SportsThe San Diego Union-Tribune reports today that the Bill Parcells-spurned Atlanta Falcons have made overtures to former San Diego Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer and to assistant Chargers GM Buddy Nix.
Known as a no-nonsense coach, Schottenheimer was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2004 and in the fickle manner of pro football, fired two years later after conflicts with the Chargers general manager. He also infamously played quarterback Drew Brees in a meaningless final game in 2005 that resulted in a shoulder injury that almost devastated Brees’ career.
Nix, according to the paper, is being eyed as the new general manager for the Falcons. Nix joined the team in 2001 just in time for the Chargers to pull off the best trade in San Diego history: the first overall draft pick in the 2001 draft to the Falcons. The Birds picked Michael Vick; the Chargers used the Falcons’ draft pick to select a running back you might have heard of: LaDainian Tomlinson.
For the Falcons, the wheels keep spinning. Bill Cowher turned them down. Bill Parcells used them to leverage a deal in Miami. Schottenheimer is known for turning losing teams into winners. He also tends to stick around a while, something a couple of previous Falcons head coaches weren’t, uh, known for.
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