Would Fox be safe if...

[Cyberjag]

I'm NOT interested in what you would do, but instead in what you think the Panthers would do. We all know that Fox wasn't necessarily consulted on all of the cuts, and that he's been given a team with little experience and no veteran QB.

So here's the question. If Fox had three years left on his contract, do you think he would be fired at the end of the season? If so, how many wins would he need to eke out between now and then to save his job?

Remember, it's not what you would do, it's what you think the Panthers management would.

[CLTPanther]

If I were JR and didn't give him much to work with, then fired him, I would worry about other good coaches not wanting to work for me.

[Munkey]

Management would be retarded to keep him after this year, even if he had 3 years left after it. Fox ball is sooooooooooo old now, that I think fans understand why he's still here this year (sadly) but anymore time here and it would seriously hurt sales I think.

[Davidson Deac II]

Fox ball is the same type of Ball that the Steelers and the Ravens and several other teams run with pretty good success. Fox has failed in one key area, and that is developing a solid QB.

I think the front office would fire him after this year no matter how many years he had left. I think the only reason that he wasn't fired after last season was that Richardson is planning on doing a reboot of sorts after the new contract is signed next year. He will start fresh with a new coach, and a low payroll that allows him to sign some free agents.

[CLTPanther]

Management would be retarded to keep him after this year, even if he had 3 years left after it. Fox ball is sooooooooooo old now, that I think fans understand why he's still here this year (sadly) but anymore time here and it would seriously hurt sales I think.

What if your boss told you to haul 5 tons of dirt to a construction site or lose your job, then gives you a pedal bike to haul it with?

[KillerKat]

JR fired Capers 2 years removed from reaching the NFC Championship Game, so yes he would be fired based on his recent 5 seasons.

And after reading this:

Capers (30-34) was released two years after leading the Panthers to a 13-5 record and the NFC West title, prompting his selection as the NFL's top coach.

But Carolina followed that 1996 success with a 7-9 season before dipping to 4-12 this year. The year ended Sunday with a 27-19 victory over Indianapolis. It represented the Panthers' first back-to-back victories in nearly 14 months, but it wasn't enough to convince owner Jerry Richardson to retain Capers for another season.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/news/1998/12/28/capers_fired/

It sounds eerily similar to my assessment here (especially the bold):

First 2 of the last 5 seasons: 8-8 and then 7-9

3rd year: gets blown out in the playoffs because he keeps calling pass plays with a incompetant QB and has never heard of Larry Fitzgerald.

4th year: starts that incompetant QB 11 games even after he continued shitting the bed while stating that "he gives us the best chance to win". Finishes 8-8 after the season when starting a QB near the end that knew what he was doing at the time. Too little too late. As always the case with Fox.

5th year: 0-5 start, no more than 4-5 wins on the horizon AT BEST

Overall record: 35-34 with it most likely ending up below .500 at the end of the 5th season. If he even lasts that long.

Wow thats really impressive

This is a "what have you done for me lately" league. Fox hasn't done squat in the past 5 seasons. With his 2 most recent seasons very piss poor (which is a combined record of 8-13 so far with the loses mounting).

[frash.exe]

Depends on how much fox's early success means something to JR. If it's a reasonable amount, then no, he would not be safe.

[Cyberjag]

The difference is that Capers was also acting as GM, made a retarded trade for Gilbert, screwed up with Collins, and had clearly lost the locker room. I'm not trying to make a case either way, but the situations were clearly different.

[KillerKat]

Fox's gameplanning and adjustments (or lack thereof), loyalty to certain players, game management, stubborness, and conservatism has hurt us just as much the last 5 seasons. A case can also be made that he's starting to lose his team this year too.

[CLTPanther]

Of course he's losing the team. They are losing and he is gone after this year. I'm not a Fox defender, but particularly this year, he wasn't given anything to work with. I definately think he was way to loyal to Jake for one. Oh well, won't matter after Janurary.

[JungleCat]

So here's the question. If Fox had three years left on his contract, do you think he would be fired at the end of the season? If so, how many wins would he need to eke out between now and then to save his job?

Remember, it's not what you would do, it's what you think the Panthers management would.

I think he would need to get this team a wildcard playoff game with a 9-7 record or better to keep his job. I thought he could do that before the season started and I was wrong. It's not entirely his fault but "it is what it is". I think a lot more changes are coming and I just hope this team can get a few wins this season and come back to be a competitive team next season or the one after if there's a lockout. JMO

[panthers55]

As Cyberjag said Fox's situation and Capers were not even close. Capers was fired because he lost the locker room and the players were extremely divided. He wasn't close to the players nor was he good managing people. He is very knowledgeable and a good coordinator but not a good head coach.

Fox is a player's coach, a good motivator and gets the best out of his players. I don't know what would be different if he were going to be here but I doubt they would be this bad, I doubt Clausen would be starting, and I doubt that he would have gone along with all the changes.

I suspect that he is just going through the motions at this point and knows that he is a lame duck coach. So it is hard to say what it would take for the Panthers to keep him since I doubt we would be 0-5 at this point.

[CRA]

I'm NOT interested in what you would do, but instead in what you think the Panthers would do. We all know that Fox wasn't necessarily consulted on all of the cuts, and that he's been given a team with little experience and no veteran QB.

So here's the question. If Fox had three years left on his contract, do you think he would be fired at the end of the season? If so, how many wins would he need to eke out between now and then to save his job?

Remember, it's not what you would do, it's what you think the Panthers management would.

well, obeying your ground rules.....

I think Fox stays w/ 3 years left on his deal. I think if Fox goes into the season as not a lame duck...yet JR still went young and cheap to prep for a lockout that he would want Fox to win 6-8 games. I think JR would realize he tied Fox's hands too much though and lower that to 4-6 games. Regardless, Fox would have to post some wins to stay.

[Squirrel]

I think they would keep him. Because they know they put him in a rough spot.