Jeff Fisher: Not So Great

The Jacksonville Jaguars play host to the Tennessee Titans this Sunday, and if there is one thing any self-respecting Jaguars fan hates, it is losing to their Jeff Fisher-led divisional rivals. Listening to a local sports talk radio show during my commute last evening, I was subjected to the hosts of the show heaping praise upon Titans coach Jeff Fisher, describing his coaching with adjectives such as great, fabulous, and masterful. After taking pause to swallow the vomit that had crept into my mouth, the way it does whenever I hear people talk glowingly about the mustachioed one, I started to think. Is Jeff Fisher a great coach?My initial reaction to that question was no, Fisher is not a great coach. That reaction was solely based on the complete disdain that I, as a Jaguars fan, have for Jeff Fisher. For Fisher and his Titans handing the Jaguars their only three losses in 1999, the last of which came in the AFC Championship Game. For Fisher, who once referred to Jacksonville and Alltel Stadium as the Titans "other home field." So knowing that utter contempt led to my initial reaction, I decided to take a look at the numbers and form an objective opinion based on the facts. And the fact is, Jeff Fisher is not the great coach that many make him out to be.While Fisher is indeed a good, solid coach, the numbers do not support elevating him into the category of great. Fisher took over as head coach of the Titans, then the Houston Oilers, midway through the 1994 season. In the 15 years that have followed, Fisher's teams have only managed to win three division titles. And while Fisher did manage to get the Titans into the 1999 Super Bowl, and an AFC Championship Game after that, both games ended in a loss for his team. In 15 years, Fisher has had his team in the playoffs six times. Not too bad, but those represent the only six seasons his team has finished with a record above the .500 mark. Hardly the same as the likes of Bill Walsh, Jimmy Johnson, and Bill Belichick - coaches of recent memory who actually deserve to be referred to as great as determined by their teams success on the field.So the bottom line is that Jeff Fisher is not a great coach. A good coach, yes. A great coach, no. Great coaches don't take a team with as much talents as is on the Titans roster, and get them off to an 0-3 start. Great coaches don't have their owner publicly state that they are being out-coached, as happened to Fisher in the past. Great coaches win more than three divisional titles in 15 years.If I had to choose one word to describe Fisher (besides smug) right now, it wouldn't be great. It would be overrated. And hopefully, come Sunday afternoon, I can also describe him as 0-4.