Tag: Jeff Fisher

Former Rams coach Jeff Fisher steps down from USFL job

Jeff Fisher is leaving his role as a head coach in the USFL to spend more time with his family

Jeff Fisher returned to the sidelines last year as the head coach of the USFL’s Michigan Panthers but his tenure will only last one season – and not because he was fired. Fisher has decided to step away from coaching to spend time with his family and enjoy his “semi-retirement” as much as he can.

The Panthers will replace Fisher with former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan.

“I have made the tough decision to step away from coaching in the USFL to spend more time with my family, including our five grandbabies, and enjoying my semi-retirement to the fullest,” Fisher said in a statement.

Under Fisher last season, the Panthers went 2-8 and finished third in the North division. It was Fisher’s first coaching gig since he was fired by the Rams in 2016.

During Fisher’s five years with the Rams, he went 31-45-1 as the head coach. He also coached for the Titans, leading them to the Super Bowl in 1999 where they lost to the Rams.

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Jeff Fisher steps down as head coach of USFL’s Panthers

Jeff Fisher has stepped down as head coach of the USFL’s Michigan Panthers after one season.

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher is out as the lead man of the USFL’s Michigan Panthers after just one season.

The announcement was made via an official statement from Fisher, which was released by the team on social media. Fisher will be replaced by former New Orleans Saints assistant, Mike Nolan.

Fisher’s statement read as follows:

“Coaching in the USFL has been an incredible experience, and I am [a] firm believer the league has a tremendous future,” Fisher wrote. “I am extremely grateful to our players, coaches and fans, and the excellent leadership at the USFL.”

Fisher’s lone season was a rough one to say the least. In fact, the highlight was him sporting a backwards hat during games.

The Panthers went an abysmal 2-8, finishing with the worst record in the league. Fisher made some questionable decisions along the way, and his players were spotted fighting on the sidelines on at least one occasion.

The 64-year-old was recently a head coach at the Collegiate Bowl, where he led the American Team to a victory over the Eddie George-led National squad.

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Former Saints assistant Mike Nolan named head coach of USFL team

Former Saints assistant Mike Nolan named head coach of USFL team, replacing Jeff Fisher on the Michigan Panthers:

One former New Orleans Saints assistant coach made headlines on Friday morning, with the USFL’s Michigan Panthers announcing that Mike Nolan has been named their head coach. Nolan replaces Jeff Fisher, who stepped down citing personal reasons.

Nolan coached the Saints linebackers from 2017 to 2019 before leaving for the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator job in 2020; he was let go after the season, but has since returned to lead one of the startup spring league’s eight teams. He was a respected defensive assistant in New Orleans and played a big part in scouting, drafting, and developing players like Alex Anzalone and Kaden Elliss.

While the USFL has used nominally based each of its teams in different cities around the country, they have used a “hub” model in the first season with all games played in Birmingham, Ala. with plans to expand to home venues by 2024. The Panthers expect to play their home games from Ford Field in Detroit. They went 2-8 in 2022 but led the USFL in passing yards per game. Maybe Nolan can build off of that.

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Jeff Fisher’s team bests Eddie George’s in NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

Jeff Fisher’s American Team got the better of Eddie George’s National Team on Saturday.

A pair of Tennessee Titans greats did battle on Saturday afternoon, as Jeff Fisher and the American Team squared off against Eddie George and the National Team in the 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Saturday.

Fisher led his squad to a 19-17 victory over George’s on a last-second, 24-yard field goal from Bijan Nichols, marking just the second time in 11 Collegiate Bowl contests that the American Team has won.

The MVP of the game was East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers, who completed 9-of-12 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. You can check out a full recap of the game right here.

Fisher and George weren’t the only former Titans helping out with the game, as former linebacker Keith Bulluck coached the position on George’s staff.

This was the first time George and Fisher were on opposite sidelines since 2004, when George was with the Cowboys and facing the Titans in a preseason contest.

Fisher is set to return to the USFL’s Michigan Panthers for his second season, while George will be entering his third season at Tennessee State.

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Titans great Keith Bulluck to coach LBs at NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

Titans great Keith Bulluck will serve as the LBs coach under Eddie George at NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

A third Tennessee Titans great will be taking part in the 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

The game already features two former Titans as the head coaches, with Jeff Fisher leading the American Team and Eddie George leading the National Team.

But former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck is also chipping in and will serve as the linebackers coach under George, he announced on Saturday.

A former first-round pick, Bulluck spent 10 seasons with the Titans and was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2003. Fisher was his coach for all 10 of those seasons, and he played with George from 2000-03.

George has spent the last two years as the head coach at Tennessee State University, while Fisher was the head coach of the USFL’s Michigan Panthers in 2022.

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl will be a week-long event that helps prepare draft-eligible players for the NFL, while also allowing them to showcase their talents. The game will take place on Jan. 28.

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Jeff Fisher, Eddie George will square off in NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

Jeff Fisher and Eddie George will coach against one another in the 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

A pair of Tennessee Titans greats, former head coach Jeff Fisher and running back Eddie George, will be on opposite sidelines for the 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

Fisher and George will be going up against one another as the head coaches of the respective squads. The game will take place at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 28 and will air on NFL Network.

George will lead the National Team against Fisher and the American Team. This is Fisher’s second-straight year as a head coach in the game. Here’s a description of the contest, per its official website:

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is the premier postseason all-star game for any draft-eligible college football players. More than just a game, this week-long experience provides players with the opportunity to showcase their game to NFL scouts and coaches, while learning from the best in the business. The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl not only prepares players for the speed and intensity of professional football, but also for the business and lifestyle changes that come with it.

George has spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Tennessee State, where he’s amassed a 9-13 record. Fisher was most recently the head coach of the USFL’s Michigan Panthers, where he went 2-8 last year.

“I’ve witnessed firsthand the caliber of players who come through the Collegiate Bowl, as well as the top-notch experience, provided them by the NFLPA in teaching the business of football,” George said. “It’s a great honor to now be a head coach in the game – and to do it with and against my former NFL coach makes it that much more exciting.”

George spent all but one of his seasons in the NFL with Fisher. The franchise great went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004, but he only met Fisher and the Titans during the preseason.

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Jeff Fisher’s ripped-jeans, skater-shoes look before USFL game screamed ‘how do you do, fellow kids?’

He was a Sk8(-9)er boy.

While I would hardly call Jeff Fisher a football icon, he is something of an anomaly in the football space continuum.

Fisher has never coached a championship team. In a 20-plus-year NFL career, he’s  .500 in the playoffs as a coach. Yet, we love the guy. Everything he seems to do is funny — perhaps unintentionally funny — but funny nonetheless.

Think about it. How many coaches could lean into a meme that essentially makes fun of how mediocre your teams are? Fisher almost seemed to take pride in “7-9” year after year. That takes some thick skin, blissful ignorance, or a combination of the two.

On Saturday afternoon, with Fisher’s USFL Michigan Panthers set to face off against the Birmingham Stallions (-6.5), pro football’s favorite everyman made himself a walking (no pun intended) meme again.

This time, it was Fisher’s fit that made him seem like he came straight out of a 30 Rock skit with Steve Buscemi:

Look at those ripped light blue jeans. Those skater shoes (Vans? Converse?). The sweater that says ‘I’m chilled out’ and ‘I also think it’s 2005 when it comes to fashion.’

Even if Fisher doesn’t understand the humor behind this, it doesn’t appear he cares much. I can’t fault someone for unabashedly being themselves, especially when it’s not really harming others. Huh, now I like him more! How simply uncanny.

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Jeff Fisher makes questionable decision in Panthers loss to Stars

Jeff Fisher took the conservative approach on Friday night, and it didn’t pay off.

Former Tennessee Titans and current Michigan Panthers head coach Jeff Fisher is under fire after making a very questionable decision in his team’s loss to the Philadelphia Stars in Week 4 of the 2022 USFL season.

With the Panthers trailing 26-25, Fisher’s team was at the three-yard line with 28 seconds left and two timeouts. Instead of going for the touchdown, Fisher took the ultra conservative approach and decided to run the clock down and go for the field goal to win the game.

And it ended up biting him in the rear end after his kicker who doubles as a punter, Michael Carrizosa, hit the upright and missed the 21-yard field goal, losing the game for Michigan.

Making Fisher’s decision look even worse is the fact that his kicker had been 1-for-3 on field goal attempts and 0-for-2 on extra points this season before failing to make the kick.

It has been a rough ride for Fisher in his return to coaching in the USFL thus far.

Not only has he been the butt of jokes, but his team is off to a 1-3 start. The former Titans head coach certainly didn’t do himself any favors on Friday night, which was the latest blemish in his coaching record.

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Jeff Fisher on brutal first half of USFL debut: ‘Our opponent is us’

Jeff Fisher’s Panthers had NINE fumbles (two lost) in their USFL debut on Sunday.

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Former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher had a rough USFL debut on Sunday after his team, the Michigan Panthers, dropped its season-opening contest, 17-12, to the Houston Gamblers.

But the final score wasn’t the only issue. Michigan had plenty of problems at quarterback with Shea Patterson and Paxton Lynch, both of whom struggled.

The Panthers’ first six drives were a total disaster and resulted in three punts, two fumbles, and one interception. Patterson started, was replaced by Lynch, and then came back in after the latter found a way to play even worse.

Patterson and Lynch accounted for five of the team’s nine fumbles (two lost). To make matters worse, the communication system between the signal-callers and coaches broke down on multiple occasions.

At halftime, Fisher rightly pointed out that his team’s own worst enemy was itself, according to Brandon Champion of MLive.com:

“You didn’t know anything about your opponent when we stepped out there,” Fisher said. “What we do know now, is our opponent is us.”

Things did get better for Patterson and the Panthers as the game wore on, but their 12-point second half wasn’t enough to overcome the early 17-point hole.

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Adding to the woes of Fisher and the Panthers, two Michigan players got into a fight on the sideline. Fisher also drew some trolling from Twitter for wearing his hat backwards.

After the game, Fisher had this to say about his team’s debut, per The Detroit News’ Tony Paul.

“Since our arrival here 3½, four weeks ago, the one thing that was going through my mind on a daily basis is, how do we measure up and how do we compare against the other seven teams, just because of the unknown and the lack of familiarity with their rosters, what they’re doing,” said Fisher.

“A lot of those questions, at least from my perspective, were answered today. We did some really good things. We got some things done in a short period of time that I’m especially proud of.

“Now, in the game of football, you don’t turn the football over like we did and win very many (games).”

Fisher and Co. will return to the field on Friday, April 22, when they meet the New Jersey Generals.

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Jeff Fisher lost his USFL coaching debut but his outfit was fantastic

Jeff Fisher had Twitter buzzing with his backwards hat and hoodie outfit, despite losing his USFL coaching debut

Jeff Fisher was back on the sidelines for the first time since 2016 on Sunday, making his coaching debut with the USFL’s Michigan Panthers. It didn’t go exactly as planned, with the Panthers losing to the Houston Gamblers, 17-12, in a turnover-filled, low-scoring contest.

Despite possessing the ball for 36:49, outgaining the Gamblers 363-174 in yardage and running 34 more drives than Houston, the Panthers still managed to lose this game. Shea Patterson threw for 192 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers’ loss, far outperforming his backup, Paxton Lynch; Lynch was 2-for-5, gained 1 yard and threw an interception.

The start of the game on offense was particularly ugly for Michigan, getting shut out in the first half.

What caught everyone’s attention, however, was Jeff Fisher’s fantastic outfit. He went with a more casual look on the sideline, rocking a backwards hat and a Michigan Panthers hoodie.

Immediately, everyone on Twitter had the same reaction, tweeting the meme of Steve Buscemi saying, “How do you do, fellow kids” from the show “30 Rock.”

It was fittingly accurate, too.

Here are some of the best reactions to Fisher’s USFL debut, and more importantly, his get-up.