Sports Radio Interviews

Dick Vermeil on Raiders Situation: “I Don’t Know What a Chemical Term for Toxic Would Be.”

In my opinion Dick Vermeil is one of the greatest coaches of all-time. He won Coach of the Year in high school, junior college, at a division I college and in the NFL. I don’t believe any other coach has achieved that feat. He is most known for his days in Philadelphia coaching the Eagles and later the Rams. In his first two seasons in St. Louis, he went 9-23 but the Rams front office believed that he was the guy to turn the franchise around (at least in the short term.) That is exactly what he did.

After Trent Green went down in the preseason with a horrible knee injury, things looked bleak when they had to turn to Arena Football League veteran, Kurt Warner. With Warner under center, the Rams offense exploded and they went on to win Super Bowl XXXIV. After the Super Bowl win, Vermeil later retired in 2000 and soon returned to coach the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001 until 2005. Although he does have the itch to coach again, he is happily retired and in the wine business.

Dick Vermeil joined ESPN 101 in St. Louisto talk being patient with Coach Spagnuolo in St. Louis because it is hard to turn things around, whether he has ever been in a meeting room where two coaches wanted to fight, chemistry of a coaching staff being important, and whether he gets the itch to coach again.

On being patient with Coach Spagnuolo in St. Louis because it is hard to turn things around:

“No it’s not. You have to be patient and be understanding. The price of the tickets cost the same so people think they are getting robbed sometimes when they are paying a price for a team that is not playing well. When the team is playing well again they are paying the same price. They have to give them some time and hopefully he is the kind of guy that can get it done. They are having a terrible time of scoring points. You know I follow them just to stay in touch with what is going on. We only have one former Ram player that I coached still on the roster, Leonard Little. I still maintain the interest because it is St. Louis of course. The big thing is to recognize… First off if it was good football team the job wouldn’t be open… And the coaches are always the ones who get the blame for losing and there is usually more than one person involved in the reason you are losing and it is going to take some time to get them going again.”

On whether he has ever been in a meeting room where two coaches wanted to fight:

“No, I really never have. I really never have. I have been an assistant on a coaching staff where they would shove each other once in a while and then laugh like hell after the meeting was over but nothing like that incident (Tom Cable incident.) Nothing.”

On chemistry of a coaching staff being important:

“Oh I know it but the chemistry of the Raiders has been…I don’t know what a chemical term for toxic would be. For a long time it permeates an entire organization including the coaching staff and including the football team. You know it is a tough situation.”

On whether he gets the itch to coach again:

“You know Demarco (former Ram DeMarco Farr), I miss it. There is no question about it but I don’t regret doing what I did because I knew it was time. I just don’t have the emotional and physical stamina to do it at the level that it has to be done that’s all. I noticed this in my last year with the Chiefs by Sunday and not sleeping all week or averaging about 4 hours a night you sleep you night and you don’t catch up. Your mind doesn’t work like it ought to work especially when you get to your 70 year old groups. Your mind doesn’t work properly and you lose a little confidence in your decision making ability when you are tired. I feel so much better and your mind works so much better when you have plenty of rest. You never get plenty of rest… (Host: You can be the NFL version of Bobby Bowden) No thank you. You move off into the sunlight and get into the wine business that is what you do. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is.”

Dick Vermeil on ESPN 101 in St. Louis with the Fast Lane

Tags: Dick Vermeil, fighting among coaches, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Head Coach, St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl XXXIV winner, throw a punch at assistant coach, Tom Cable incident