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Fisher's road to St. Louis
Jeff Fisher was hired Friday as the new head coach of the St.Louis Rams. It was Fisher's hope all along that he would return to the sidelines after his 16-year tenure with the Tennessee Titans came to an end following the 2010 season. Here's a look at what he's accomplished, which, if the Rams are lucky, might shed some light as to what they can expect in the years to come.
Drafted out of USC by the Bears in the seventh round of the 1981 NFL Draft, Fisher's playing career lasted just four seasons because of a career-ending ankle injury. The Bears placed Fisher on injured reserve in 1985, during which he assisted defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. When Ryan left to become the Eagles' head coach the next year, Fisher followed and served as Ryan's defensive backs coach, setting his coaching career in motion.
Fisher spent eight years as either a defensive backs coach or defensive coordinator for several teams. Then, in 1994, the Houston Oilers hired him as their defensive coordinator. And when the Oilers fired head coach Jack Pardee in the middle of the season, they promoted Fisher for the final six games. Houston retained Fisher as its head coach the following season and for 16 years held that post.
Fisher and the Oilers laid the foundation for the franchise in the first round of his first two drafts. First, in 1995, Houston selected quarterback Steve McNair out of Alcorn State with the No. 3 overall pick. Then, in 1996, the team drafted Heisman Trophy-winning running back Eddie George out of Ohio State 14th overall. Together, McNair and George were the nucleus of the team's offense for years to come.
In 1999, the team's third year in Tennessee, Fisher led the renamed Titans to a 13-3 record and second-place finish in the AFC Central. Fisher's first playoff appearance got off to a crazy start in the wild-card round with the "Music City Miracle" and culminated with a trip to Super Bowl XXXIV, the first in franchise history.
The Titans and Rams produced one of the most exciting Super Bowls in NFL history, and it came down to the game's final play. Unfortunately for Fisher and Co., Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Titans receiver Kevin Dyson 1 yard short of the end zone as time expired to give St. Louis a 23-16 win.
Fisher led the Titans to three playoff appearances, including two division titles, before going 4-12 with a youthful squad in 2005. Given the dismal season and McNair's age, Tennessee selected its quarterback of the future when it drafted Vince Young out of Texas third overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. McNair was traded later in the offseason, paving the way for Young's takeover. He started 13 games as a rookie, and the team finished a promising 8-8. The following year, Young led the Titans to the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
Young hurt his knee in the 2008 season opener, forcing Fisher to start veteran Kerry Collins. And when Collins continued winning (the team ultimately got off to a 10-0 start), Fisher stayed with the hot hand, a move that paid off immediately but triggered a tarnished long-term relationship with Young that never sat well with team owner Bud Adams.
After a 13-3 season in 2008 resulted in the AFC's No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, the Titans were ousted in the divisional round, losing 13-10 to the Ravens. This proved to be Fisher's final playoff game and his final winning season in Tennessee.
After the 2011 season, in which the Titans went 6-10 and finished last in the AFC South, Fisher and the team agreed to part ways after 16 years. In all, Fisher went 142-120 with six playoff appearances and three division championships. He made it clear his hope was to take a one-year break from coaching before making a return to the sidelines.
