Former Cowboys DC Mike Nolan Named NFL’s Worst Coordinator for 2020
Mike Nolan is liable to have a tough time finding a gig in the future. I have a feeling the 2020 season is going to haunt him for a long, long time.
When he wasn’t getting hot sauce in his eye during a press conference, he was running one of the very worst Cowboys defenses I can remember.
ESPN’s Todd Archer pointed to the struggles of the Cowboys defense when reporting on his firing back in January:
Last season, the Cowboys (6-10) allowed the most points in franchise history (473) and finished 31st in the league in run defense. In the season-ending loss to the New York Giants, they allowed 23 points, including 20 in the first half, to an offense that had not scored more than 19 in five weeks.
Not that he’s fully to blame, mind you. He was trying to run a 3-4 defense with a team that was built to run a 4-3, which requires different personnel.
Now that that looooong nightmare of a season is over, Nolan just picked up another ding from it. Football Outsiders recently announced their 2020 awards and he was high on the list for one you don’t want to get - the 2020 Keep Choppin' Game Film Award, which goes to the most ineffective head coach or coordinator.
He came in third behind former New York Jets Head Coach Adam Gase and former Detroit Lions Head Coach Matt Patricia respectively, making him the coordinator to get the most votes.
While I hate to see anyone lose their job, you knew someone was going to be the scapegoat for the Cowboys’ terrible season and Mike Nolan was the one.
Hopefully Dan Quinn will turn things around with a scheme more familiar to the players the team currently has in place.