Jeff Fisher

NFL Coach 2
name=Jeff Fisher
Color=#648fcc
fontcolor=white
DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1958|2|25
Birthplace= Culver City, California
Position=Head Coach
Cornerback
College=Southern California
DraftedYear=1981
DraftedRound=7 / Pick 177
Career Highlights=y
DatabaseFootball=FISHEJEF01
player=yes
years=1981-1984
teams=Chicago Bears
coach=yes
coachingyears=1985

1986-1987

1988-1990

1991

1992-1993

1994

1994-"present"
coachingteams=Chicago Bears
(defensive assistant)
Philadelphia Eagles
(defensive backs coach)
Philadelphia Eagles
(defensive coordinator)
Los Angeles Rams
(defensive coordinator)
San Francisco 49ers
(defensive backs coach)
Houston Oilers
(defensive coordinator)
Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans
(head coach)
DatabaseFootballCoach=FISHEJEF01
PFRCoach=FishJe0
NFL=FIS435061
Record=115-99-0 (Regular season)
5-5 (Postseason)
120-104-0 (Overall)
Championships=1999 AFC Championship

Jeffrey Michael "Jeff" Fisher (born February 25, 1958 in Culver City, California) is a football coach, currently the head coach of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. Fisher has the longest tenure as head coach with one team among active head coaches in the league. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2720242 ESPN - Cowher set to quit as Steelers' coach after 15 seasons - NFL] ] He has a 120-104 (.536) record prior to the 2008 season.

Early life

A native of Southern California, Fisher starred as a high school All-American wide receiver for Taft High School in Woodland Hills.

Playing career

Fisher later went on to star as a USC Trojan under coach John Robinson. During his collegiate career (1977–80), he played alongside such defensive stars as Ronnie Lott, Dennis Smith, and Joey Browner. Fisher's USC teammates also included star offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, whom he would coach years later with the Oilers and Titans. Fisher and the Trojans won a national championship during the 1978 season, and in 1980 he was honored with a Pac-10 All-Academic selection.

Fisher entered the NFL as a 7th round draft pick of the Chicago Bears. A special teams star, his playing career came to an end when his leg was broken on a special teams play in Philadelphia. Bill Cowher was the key tackler on the play [http://usclegends.org/jeff-fisher.php] , and Fisher later credited the future Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and close personal friend for ending his playing career, since it got him into coaching.

Early coaching career

Realizing his playing days were over, and not content to be idle, Fisher wanted to still be involved with professional football. In 1985, the Bears put him on injured reserve, so during this time he became a defensive assistant to Buddy Ryan, the Bears' defensive coordinator. After the 1985 Bears won Super Bowl XX, Ryan left Chicago to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Fisher went with him. He joined the Eagles as a defensive backs coach and in 1988 was promoted to defensive coordinator at the age of 30, becoming the youngest one in the league at that point. Fisher found great success despite his youth, and the 1989 Eagles defense led the NFL in interceptions (30) and sacks (62). The 1990 squad led the League in rushing defense and was second in sacks.

In NFL, Fisher headed west to be reunited with his college coach John Robinson, serving as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator for one season. The next two seasons, he served as the defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers. These years as an assistant to George Seifert place Fisher in the Bill Walsh coaching tree. On February 9, 1994, Fisher again became a defensive coordinator, this time for the Houston Oilers under Jack Pardee. Fisher succeeded his one-time mentor Ryan, who left the post to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

Head coach

On November 14 1994, Pardee was fired, and Fisher was promoted to replace him for the last six games of the season. The Oilers retained Fisher as head coach, and the Oilers drafted quarterback Steve McNair in the 1995 NFL Draft. The new coach did not disappoint, leading the team to a 7-9 record in 1995, tied for second place in the division. The following year the Oilers added Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, and they achieved an 8-8 record. However, an inability to get a new stadium deal in Houston caused owner Bud Adams to relocate the team to Tennessee for the 1997 season.

The 1999 season, which saw the renaming of the team to the Tennessee Titans, proved the doubters wrong. Fisher led the Titans to a surprising 13-3 regular season record, leading them deep into the playoffs (thanks to the Music City Miracle), all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV. Fisher's team fell to the St. Louis Rams, 23-16; wideout Kevin Dyson was tackled one yard short of the end zone with no time remaining. This play became known as "The Tackle" in football lore. Tennessee achieved the same record the next year, but were defeated in the AFC playoffs by the Baltimore Ravens who would go on to win Super Bowl XXXV.

The 2001 season was a disappointing one for the Titans, as they could only muster a 7-9 showing. The beginning of the next season proved to be even worse, with the franchise starting off with a 1-4 record. Following one home loss, owner Bud Adams made the comment to reporters that perhaps the Titans "were getting outcoached". This provided a spark the team needed, and they finished the season with a 11-5 record and made it to the AFC Championship Game.

The 2003 season saw more success, with yet another trip to the playoffs and McNair winning the League MVP award. Again, they lost to an eventual world champion, the New England Patriots, but the team's progress did not go unnoticed. The 2004 season, however, was plagued by injuries from the start, and Fisher's worst record as head coach (4-12) was the result. Following the season, many veteran players (such as Samari Rolle and Derrick Mason) were cut in an effort to comply with the strict salary cap. The relative youth of the team resulted in a disappointing 2005 season as well. Before the 2005 season, Fisher hired Norm Chow out of USC to be his offensive coordinator.

In 2006, the Titans finished a better-than-expected 8-8. The Tennessee Titans then exercised their right to extend his contract by a year, keeping him as the head coach through the 2007 NFL season season.

In 2007, he led the Titans to a 10-6 record and made the AFC playoffs as the 6th seed, but lost in the opening round to the San Diego Chargers.

Throughout his tenure with the Titans, Fisher has maintained a good relationship with his players, and is now almost universally known as "Coach Fish".

Some Titans' fans have dubbed him "Field Goal" Fisher, due to his perceived conservative tendency to elect to attempt field goals in crucial game situations, rather than take a more aggressive approach.Fact|date=January 2008 This tendency was perhaps epitomized on October 21 2007, when Titans' kicker Rob Bironas made an NFL record eight field goals in one game.

Fisher is among the relatively few NFL head coaches to have started out as an interim head coach and then go on to enjoy a successful tenure. Many interim NFL coaches that have been hired on a permanent basis have had trouble finding consistent success. Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice is perhaps the best recent example.

Competition committee

Fisher is Co-Chair of the NFL competition committee along with Atlanta Falcons President Rich McKay.

Head Coaching Record

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.nfl.com/teams/coaching/TEN NFL.com Profile]
* [http://www.usclegends.org/jeff-fisher.php Jeff Fisher] Profile at USC Legends