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For those of you asking, Who Dat serving as the replacement coach for the replacement coach for Sean Payton? The name is Aaron Kromer.
It’s far too early to conclude that Saints fans are destined to cover their heads inside brown paper bags again, but it serves nevertheless as a compelling reminder of the impact an elite head coach can have on an NFL franchise.
Kromer, off to an 0-2 start, will return to his offensive line duties when Joe Vitt returns from his six-game suspension for his role in Bountygate to finish the rest of the season.
“We all know Aaron Kromer,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “We all think Aaron is doing a great job.”
Under the treacherous circumstances, perhaps he is. But it is no wonder why Bill Parcells turned down the opportunity to boogie with owner Tom Benson once Payton, who makes $7 million a year, was exiled by commissioner Roger Goodell. Parcells knows. He watched the Giants crumble after Ray Handley succeeded him. He watched the Patriots decline after Pete Carroll succeeded him.
Exhibit A nowadays for the worth of a franchise head coach is Jim Harbaugh, who has resurrected quarterback Alex Smith and changed the culture with the 49ers, and he has done it without having to moon his players in the locker room.
Harbaugh’s face blares intensity, akin to a young Don Shula, and his competitiveness and teaching skills are off the charts. He is 15-3 since signing a five-year, $25 million contract and is underpaid. The 49ers are considered the most physical team in the league, and they are a legitimate Super Bowl threat again.
No one earns more than Bill Belichick — speculation has him at $7.5 million — and no one should. But I’m not here to kiss his rings.
If you think Jeff Fisher ($7 million) is overpaid, just watch him restore credibility and respectability to a Rams outfit that lost 38 of 48
games under Steve Spagnuolo. Lambs no more. Just ask Robert Griffin III, who this week accused the Rams of dirty play (imagine if defensive coordinator Gregg Williams hadn’t been suspended).
If Pete Carroll (15-19 in Seattle as head coach and team president) is worth $6.5-7 million, don’t you think Giants coach Tom Coughlin (two Super Bowl rings) is worth $6.67 million and Bears coach Lovie Smith $6 million and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin and Arizona’s Ken Whisenhunt $5.8 million and Philadelphia’s Andy Reid $5.5 million?
All Whisenhunt has done in the desert storm that has been the Arizona Cardinals is get to Super Bowl XLIII and beat Belichick and Tom Brady in Foxborough last week with Kevin Kolb at QB.
It clearly is time for Mike Shanahan to remember how to be a Super Bowl coach now that Rex Grossman and John Beck no longer hold the key to the Redskins’ kingdom. No one knows better than impulsive owner Daniel Snyder how invaluable the stability and continuity that a big-time head coach offers. Hell, he brought back Gibbs for a second act, which ended
badly. This came after the reigns of Richie Petitbon (4-12), Norv Turner (49-59-1), Marty Schottenheimer (8-8) and Steve Spurrier (12-20) and before Jim Zorn (12-20). Shanahan is getting $6 million to bring the Redskins back.
Some owners never seem to get it right. One of the worst blunders Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ever made was not finding a way to keep Jimmy Johnson happy. Johnson won back-to-back Super Bowls, and it was mostly his players and his quarterback, Troy Aikman, who took Barry Switzer to a third championship in 1995. Jones hasn’t won since — with Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Parcells on his last coaching legs, Wade Phillips and now Jason Garrett.
The late Al Davis dug a Silver & Black hole for coaches in his twilight years. Now, it is a rookie named Dennis Allen attempting to impose discipline and so far, but it doesn’t look any better than it did under Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and Hue Jackson.
Lions fans could have dialed
M for Murder under general manager Matt Millen and head coaches Marty Mornhinweg (5-27), Steve Mariucci (15-28) and Rod Marinelli (10-38). Fiery Jim Schwartz has brought a nasty defiance to Motown, but he won’t be a winner until he gets his players to grow up, on and off the field.
It isn’t just the quarterbacks who have followed Joe Namath that torment those long-suffering Jets fans. It is the head coaches who have followed Weeb Ewbank, beginning with son-in-law Charley Winner (9-14) and reaching rock bottom with fish-out-of-water Lou Holtz (3-13) and Rich Kotite (4-28). Leon Hess finally got it right with Parcells and Woody Johnson with Rex Ryan.
It doesn’t seem fair that the football gods are taking their wrath out again on the Saints. From Tom Fears (13-34-2) to J.D. Roberts (7-25-3) to John North (11-23) to Ernie Hefferle (1-7) to Hank Stram (7-21) to Dick Nolan (15-29) to Bum Phillips (27-42), the Saints were the Aints across the first two decades of their existence. For taking the city on a post-Katrina magic carpet ride and first championship, Payton earned himself a $7 million salary. He may be out of sight, but he certainly is not out of mind.
Oh, one last thing: Phil Bengston succeeded Vince Lombardi.
steve.serby@nypost.com