Buffalo Bills: Marv Levy as Head Coach is not the Solution
By Paul Taylor
There is no denying what Marv Levy accomplished during his time with the Buffalo Bills, but making him the new head coach is not the right move.
For anyone whose watched the Lethal Weapon movies, you probably remember Danny Glover continually says: “I’m getting too old for this s**t”. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case for Marv Levy.
Despite now being 91-year’s old, Levy admitted on Thursday he would be prepared to consider returning as head coach for the Buffalo Bills. He made his comments on the Levack and Goz show, on Albany’s 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.
Levy said: “If they offered I might do it. It was one of those things where after 47 years of coaching I really needed to get that deep breath to step aside, but after a couple of years passed I very much would have liked to have gone back.”
To many, just the thought of the Chicago native manning the Bills’ sidelines again seems crazy, especially considering his age. When he retired in 1997 he was 72, making him the oldest man to ever coach an NFL game, along with the great George Halas.
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However, Levy believes age doesn’t matter, as long as a person has the readiness and ability to perform the job. He believes this may well be the case for Tom Coughlin, who has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Rex Ryan.
Levy said: “You evaluate will the man still have the energy he needs? I certainly felt I did – maybe Tom does too.”
Certainly, no one would ever deny the two-time UPI NFL Coach of the Year’s achievements during his tenure in Buffalo. His Bills’ resume includes a 112-70 record, 19 playoff games and four Super Bowl appearances.
Regardless, Levy is not the solution for the Bills, and yes, it does partly come down to his age. With the organization still looking for long-term stability, bringing him back almost guarantees they will have to find a replacement sooner than later.
Additionally, the franchise is already considered a laughing stock around the NFL, after 17 years without playoff football. Does it really help their current reputation to have a 91-year old man coaching them, no matter how energetic and competent he would potentially be?
Of course, there is no indication Levy will even be offered the chance to return for the Bills. General manger Doug Whaley is leading the search, and given his need to retain control of assembling the roster, it wouldn’t make sense to bring back the greatest head coach in team history.
With all that said, the Hall of Famer was asked what the Bills should be looking for in their next head coach: “The ability to teach to get across within the frame work of his own personality.
“Secondly, a man who is going to work well with others in the organization, because a total organization wins… and third be a straight shooter. That’s very important.”
However, Levy wasn’t done there, with his final point theoretically alluding to some of the talented players the Bills currently have on their roster: ” Only bring in players of solid character – ability without character will lose.”
Next: How much leeway does Doug Whaley have?
What’s your take, after Levy’s comments about considering the head coaching role? Would you be on board with him returning to the position or do you believe it is a bad idea, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section.