Question: How Does a Head Coach Fire a GM?

Riddle me this, batman, how exactly does a Head Coach fire a GM?

I ask this question because in 99% of the organizations around the NFL the position of GM is above the position of Head Coach. So, for example, in San Diego it was the GM that fired Schottenheimer not the other way around.

The answer, of course, is that your Head Coach must also hold the title Executive Vice President of Football Operations (as Mike Shanahan does). But, as many people will tell you, the EVP title for a Head Coach is about as rare as an intelligent Raider fan.

Now, it has long been understood that Shanahan is the top decision-maker on all things Orange and Blue. It is also well known that he has spent his time in Denver surrounding himself with well-trusted people that will do his bidding (which is not necessarily a bad thing).

But I have heard a BUNCH of fans (mostly comments over on the Post and on forums) beating Ted up and celebrating his departure. They site high profile failures like, Javon Walker, Sam Adams and the draft of ‘o3. But these are all items that Mike Shanahan HAD to have approved of (if not initiated) as the EVP. Sundquist did not have free reign to do as he pleased without oversight. That is even more clear today by Ted’s comments about bad personnel decisions…

“I’m personally willing to stand up for the decisions that have been made, but understand I don’t necessarily agree with them. The military taught me a lot about how to handle situations like that… The question isn’t whether Mike is getting the right advice, as much as how it is being used.” — Ted Sundquist 3/12/08

If you want my opinion on this strange move, I would have to say that it wasn’t because of bad personnel choices Sundquist made. Rather it was because Ted Sundquist (being around as long as he has and knowing Mike better than anyone but a certain Head Coach in Houston) felt he could voice concerns about the direction Shanahan wanted to take the team. It seems to me that it is much more likely that Ted is unemployed this morning because he raised a dissenting voice against his boss… who also happens to be the team’s coach.

This all makes me wonder if Pat didn’t make a mistake in 2002 (I think that was the year Shanahan was promoted to EVP – someone want to check that for me?).

I mean, we won two Super Bowls with Shanahan as the Head Coach. We’ve won none since he was promoted to EVP. Is that because he’s had bad personnel below him making bad choices, or is that because he’s making poor personnel decisions? Either way, it’s bad news for Shanahan. If you’re the man running the football operation, then you had better start hiring better people or supervise them closer to avoid the bad decisions. If you’re the one making the bad calls, then we have an even bigger problem in Denver.

I will disclaim all of this by saying that I love Mike Shanahan as our Head Coach. Any call for him to leave or for Pat to fire him are coming from complete morons. Shanahan is a top tier coach and there are no other coaches in his league that I would rather have on our sidelines.

My only question is about his role at EVP…

We’ll see this year (especially in the draft) if Mike Shanahan was being held back by Ted, or if Ted was desperately trying to keep Shanahan from making even more bad choices.

The proof will be, as they say, in the pudding.