New York is currently in a period of relative stability for head coaches in the four major sports. By rights, the Jets should probably begin a search for a new coach, but Woody Johnson has already said that won't happen and will keep his promise after Bill Belichick (probably in his final act as Jets HC) I have to believe that. NEP) will take on the Jets in Foxboro on Sunday and strike back at old times one last time.
The Mets released Buck Showalter at the end of the season (still a questionable choice, as it's written here), but other than that, this is the guy who has the job of coaching the nine teams under our jurisdiction. seem to be reasonably well-placed (which, of course, is not a bad thing – two weeks of periodic slump can't be changed). So now seems like a good time to take a look at these nine and the level of confidence they bring.
(As always, dissenting opinions are not only welcomed, but encouraged!)
Tom Thibodeau, Knicks
9.3 out of 10: Yes, there are plenty of Knicks fans who, as soon as they lose back-to-back games, direct most of their frustration at Coach Thibodeau, who is stubborn and old-fashioned. But despite some hiccups two years ago, the Knicks have regularly outperformed their position and expectations. And now that he has a player who could have been created in OG Anunoby's Thibs Lab, it will be interesting to see how far this group can go.
Peter Laviolette, Rangers
9.1 out of 10: It's amazing how a man with 778 career wins (starting on Saturday), three Cup Final appearances (with three different teams) and one championship ring has led Rangers to play at such a high level so often. That's not the point. Things ended badly for him in Washington, but in a few months, Rangers fans may be forever happy and grateful.
Brian Daboll, Giants
8.2 out of 10: A year ago, he might have topped this list. And if it wasn't him, Showalter would have been on top. This shows how fickle these things are. But even if 2023 doesn't go according to the Giants' blueprint, the way the Giants remained competitive and ran through the tape highlights that they have the right talent under the headset.
aaron boone, yankees
8.0 (out of 10): No manager or coach soaks up the backlash from their own fans like Boone, but even after last year's 82-win blowout, Boone is reminded from time to time that he averaged more than 95 wins in each of his five 162-game seasons. Of course he is in control. If you think it's just a matter of rolling out a ball and a bat, ask the Mets how easy it is to win 95 games every year.
Lindy Ruff, Devils
7.8 out of 10: Like Laviolette, it's no wonder a coach with 855 wins on the record figures things out despite having a slow start to his tenure two years ago. This season, we've only seen flashes of last year's elite-level Devils, and while goaltending is a serious issue, it seems like Ruff will figure it out.
Lane Lambert, Islanders
7.4 out of 10: In November, the Isles were losing every night, and there finally came a time when the iron under his seat was about to get too hot. That says something about a coach like Lambert who can turn things around so dramatically. Now he has to keep it up for the rest of his time.
Jack Vaughn (Nets)
6.8 out of 10: The Nets' roster is incomplete, and Bourne doesn't always have the answers to fix it right away. I still can't forget the strong job he did a year ago and the fact that our players are still playing hard for him every night.
Robert Saleh (Jets)
5.0 (out of 10): As mentioned at the beginning, only the grace of Johnson (and Aaron Rodgers) keeps him on this list, so it'll be interesting to see how he approaches his win-loss mission next year. Will he accept the challenge or balk? That's very doubtful.
Carlos Mendoza (Mets)
No rank: Without a track record, it's difficult to make accurate guesses. We can hope for an early return, but it means nothing once the game actually starts.
Wack's Wack
Congratulations to Louie Carnesecca on his 99th birthday. Years ago, the day I met him, I told him that I had attended his camp when I was a kid, and that he “wasn't very good at it, though.” “I know you didn't,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “If you were, I would remember you.”
I'm officially counting the days until True Detective Season 4, as all of my old Jodie Foster stock has doubled in the wake of Jodie Foster's stellar performance in Nyad.
The definition of a fun read is “A Mic For All Seasons” by our friend the master Kenny Albert.
I have to admit that of all the strategies I imagined David Stearns would take with the Mets, the “collect as many abandoned Yankees as possible” strategy wasn't very high on the list.
hit back vac
Jack McNicholas: Regarding Taylor and Travis: I agree with you. Lovely couple, having fun. God bless them. It doesn't bother me at all even if I have a camera attached.
vacuum: Well, that's one way of looking at it…
Richard T. Monaghan: Your Swift Kelce thing is ridiculous. Both you buy into it and you write about it. If you want to comment on such nonsense, write a column on page 6. However, please include sports in the sports column.
vacuum: …and that's another thing.
@nmeolablade: The two best teams in New York right now are owned by James Dolan. Let's understand that.
@Mike Vac: He's not wrong.
Robert Forstein: As your local team's NFL season comes to an end, wouldn't it be nice to have something to fall back on while you wait for your pitchers and catchers to perform? How about a win over your two arch-rivals, the Eagles and Patriots? ? I've waited long enough. Talk about the ultimate consolation prize.
vacuum: At the time, Bob Barker called them “a nice parting gift.”
