St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke knows his organization needs to be fixed. In the 16 months since he assumed majority control of the franchise, he seems to have developed a very specific plan.
The first broad brushstroke of Kroenke's plan came this past Monday, when general manager Billy Devaney and coach Steve Spagnuolo were both fired on the heels of a 2-14 season that tied for the NFL's worst.
The "simple answer," Kroenke said in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, is that the Rams need to start winning again after falling flat against big expectations last season.
"If anyone thinks I enjoy this when we don't win, they would be wrong," Kroenke told the paper. "It's been painful. You can quote George Patton, (who) said, 'Gloom does not win wars.'"
Kroenke has an ideal candidate in mind to lead the Rams. His plan includes a figurehead for the organization who has final authority.
"We will have someone who is in charge of personnel, and they will be clearly in charge of personnel and they will be responsible," Kroenke said. "And hopefully they will be very bright. And they may be young or they may be seasoned, and we already have several people in mind.
"The (head) coach? We'd like the coach to coach."
Kroenke, who has studied the business model of the New England Patriots, doesn't appear opposed to giving his coach that final authority -- think Bill Belichick. That strategy ties into the recent report from NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora that Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher has been atop of the Rams' wish list. The Rams would like to pair Fisher with a young up-and-coming GM, according to La Canfora.
