No Contradiction on Williams

Florida Times-Union sports columnist Gene Frenette discusses his views on jacksonville.com on all topics in the sports world. The following is posted for Thursday Feb. 7.

After my column today on the Jaguars' hiring of Gregg Williams as their defensive coordinator, a reader wanted to know why I gave the move such a high approval rating after last Sunday's column in which I doubted that the hire would take place. There's no contradiction in the two columns. In the first column, yes, I did doubt whether Williams and head coach Jack Del Rio could reach an agreement because Williams had complete authority over the defense when he was with the Washington Redskins. Joe Gibbs gave him complete autonomy. It's hard to imagine Del Rio turning over the keys on defense like he does, to a greater extent anyway, with Dirk Koetter and the offense. That's why I questioned whether Williams would come to Jacksonville. But since he and Del Rio have obviously talked through that issue and resolved it, then it's a great hire, at least on paper.
Who has better credentials as a defensive coach, among those pursuing NFL positions or wanting to be coordinators, than Williams? The guy has put together top-five defenses with the Tennessee Titans as a defensive coordinator, with the Buffalo Bills as the head coach, and with the Redskins as assistant head coach-defense. What Jaguars' fan doesn't remember their all-time best team being beaten three times in 1999 by Tennessee and scoring a combined 47 points in the process?
This may be just a one-year gig for Williams. If he has any success with the Jags' defense in 2008, you can bet he will get a head coaching job offer and probably be gone if he likes the organization. So Del Rio may be looking for another coordinator next season, but that's OK. If teams are coming after your coaches, that's a good thing because it means you're winning.
The Jaguars must improve from their No. 12 NFL ranking in total defense to be a Super Bowl contender, and Williams more than has a proven resume in that regard. As a head coach, Del Rio's job is to get the best possible support system in place to win. The only thing that matters now is what happens in 2008. If Williams leaves after one season for a better job, then you deal with that dilemma when it comes up.
For now, you take the gift of Williams' expertise, which only became available because Redskins' owner Dan Snyder is too fickle when it comes to hiring people. He's always looking for the flavor of the month instead of staying the course. Williams was suppose to be the successor to Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, but Snyder, as his track record suggests, can't seem to zero in on a solution and stick with it.
Who knows how things will turn out for the Jags' defense in 2008? Injuries will impact that, as they always do. But at this moment, it's impossible to give the hiring of Williams anything but a positive review.

Here's my only problem with the NCAA and the University of Florida clearing Gators' football coach Urban Meyer of any wrongdoing in the recruiting of wide receiver Carl Moore, based on allegations that Meyer made improper phone calls to Moore's girlfriend, UF gymnast Maranda Smith. If Meyer is innocent, why not say why there was no rule broken? Is it because Smith made false statements about being contacted by Meyer? Is it because the NCAA rule about permissable callers in the recruiting section of the NCAA bylaws was not broken? What exactly is the reason why Meyer was cleared?
Florida fans, opposing fans and the media had a lot of interest in the story when it first came out. But when it's resolved and the coach has been cleared, I think everyone has the right to know why.

Bob Knight's midseason resignation this week as the Texas Tech basketball coach was a stunner. The man who asks players to give him their maximum effort just quits with a month left in the regular season. Unless there's an unknown medical issue that he wants to keep to himself, this decision looks a bit suspicious. It sure looks like he just wanted to get to 900 wins and then leave at a time when the Red Raiders are encountering the most difficult stretch in their schedule. Knight is a fabulous coach with a long history of bully-type behavior. Unless his health is involved, this exit raises a lot of eyebrows and strikes me as more self-serving than having the team's best interest in mind.

What a terrific Super Bowl game. As I watched it while out in Colorado for my brother Eric's memorial service (he lost a five-month battle with cancer), I couldn't help but wonder if the New York Giants would pull it out because the New England Patriots missed chance after chance to seal the outcome. They could never stretch out that 7-3 lead. Why Bill Belichick passed up a 48-yard field goal in ideal conditions with a four-point lead is a real head-scratcher. If New England misses the kick, it only gives up seven yards of field position. The risk-reward factor was definitely in the Patriots' favor, especially since it was 4th-and-13 and not 4th-and-3. Bad call.
And on the Giants' game-winning drive, the Patriots, including Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, had opportunities to end the game or essentially kill the drive with either an interception or a quarterback sack. That didn't happen. They kept leaving the door open for Eli Manning, and he eventually walked in and ruined a perfect season.
That 32-yard pass to David Tyree, after Manning wiggled out of the grasp of lineman Jarvis Green, was easily the greatest play in Super Bowl history. Maybe even in the history of professional sports, given the stakes and pressure of the situation.
It was great drama and a deserving reward for Giants coach Tom Coughlin, who finally climbed the NFL summit in his 12th season as an NFL head coach. One of the benefits of being a Super Bowl champion that is most important to Coughlin will be in raising money for his Jacksonville-based charity, the Jay Fund, which helps children who are cancer victims.
Coughlin and his charity are trying to raise a $5 million endowment and have already collected over $2 million in pledges. Now that he's a Super Bowl champion, it'll be a little easier to reach that all-important goal. His annual big fund-raiser, which includes a memorabilia auction and golf tournament, will be in May.