The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

LEARY: Health of NFL coaches should be more widely discussed

LEARY: Health of NFL coaches should be more widely discussed

With all the attention the health of NFL players received in the past few years, it’s no wonder the health of NFL coaches remains a rarely discussed subject.

That was until this week, when two separate incidents brought the immense stress of the job to light.

Last season, ChuckStrong was all the rage. Indianapolis Colts’ coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2012, and the Colts rallied around his story of hope to go 11-5 a year after posting the worst record in the NFL. Even with the importance put on Pagano’s illness, the events of this week were unprecedented.

Saturday, Denver Broncos’ coach John Fox was rushed to the hospital after suffering a presumed heart attack. While the Broncos later said Fox just had a spell of light-headedness, it turns out he will need aortic valve replacement surgery to deal with a preexisting heart condition. He will miss “at least the next several weeks.” Current defensive coordinator and former Jaguars coach Jack del Rio will take over as interim head coach.

Just when the Fox story seemed like the dominant coach health issue of the weekend, Houston Texans’ coach Gary Kubiak collapsed along the sideline on his way to the locker room during Sunday Night Football. A scary scene ensued, as dozens of medical and Texans personnel surrounded Kubiak as he slowly sat up and was carted off the field into an ambulance. The Texans announced that he will spend the next 24 hours in the hospital for tests to determine whether he had a stroke. Kubiak could miss time on the sidelines just like Fox.

These two separate incidents in the two-day span brings to light the question of whether being an NFL head coach can significantly affect health. It might be the most stressful job in America. Last season, eight of the 32 NFL coaches lost their jobs for performance reasons. Just 11 of the 32 current coaches were hired before 2010.

Job security is something attained by only a few coaches. Of the seven coaches hired before 2008, only Kubiak and Cincinnati Bengals’ coach Marvin Lewis have yet to win a Super Bowl, and both of them faced serious job security concerns in the past.

Not only do NFL coaches cope with intense organization scrutiny, they deal with fans criticizing each and every decision they make. Two weeks ago, local Tampa Bay radio station 102.5 The Bone purchased a billboard that read “Fire Schiano,” in reference to the Buccaneers’ coach who led his team to an 0-8 start. Imagine if someone put your name on a billboard demanding you lose your job. You certainly wouldn’t sleep well at night.

Last night on Sunday Night Football, color commentator Chris Collinsworth suggested the NFL mandate coaches work a maximum of 12 hours per day, from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. While NFL coaches make millions of dollars, a system like this would make sense to help coaches manage stress.

With so much fuss being made about NFL players suffering life-altering concussions, maybe it’s time to address the health of the men who run the show from the sidelines.

Story continues below advertisement
Leave a Comment

Comments (0)

All Marquette Wire Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *