The NFL Head Coach Hot Seat Meter (Hour 3)

Surgeons keep our hearts beating. They do the amazing. Help save lives.

And so can you. Your CSL plasma donation can help create 24 critical life-saving medicines that can give Grandpa the chance for his heart to swell when he meets his new grandson. Or give a bride the chance for her heart to skip a beat on her wedding day. Every plasma donation helps more than you know.

Do the amazing. Help save lives. Donate today at your local CSL plasma center and be rewarded for your generosity. Alrighty, hour number three of our radio program. That's right, Zach Gelb's show Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio. I'm broadcasting to you today live in Centennial, Colorado. I was supposed to be in attendance for game five of the Western Conference Finals between Denver and Los Angeles.

But Joker and Jamal Murray elected to sweep the Los Angeles Lakers out of the playoffs. So still made the trip to visit some family in Colorado. I was going to be off tonight. And then I said, you know what? I'm not just going to take the free off day.

There's no game to go to. I will bank that off day for another day because, of course, I'll definitely use it and I will do the show. The show must go on.

So I brought the equipment out here and going to be doing the show today and tomorrow from Colorado. Our poll question today, which you could always find at Zach Gelb on Twitter, Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B. We'll give you some results on this in just a second. How does the Celtics Heat series end? I do think it's going to be Heat in six. I give credit to Boston last night. It's weird to say you give credit because they finally showed up in a series where they've just been so bad. But I really did think that they were going to lie down and we're just going to get steamrolled by the Miami Heat last night.

That did not happen. And in the third quarter, they finally showed some heart. They had a little pulse.

You got a heartbeat. And now we'll see if they get out of hospice and find their way back home and continue this series. So you have the Boston Celtics going to be hosting game five tomorrow. They've already lost the first two games of the series on their home court. I actually do believe that Boston's going to win tomorrow and then Miami will wrap this thing up in six games. And Hickey's going with the Boston Celtics season RIP.

It's over coming up tomorrow night. So here are the results right now. Heat in five, Heat in six, Heat in seven, Celtics in seven. The early returns say Heat in seven last place two percent. Celtics in seven in third place at nineteen point nine percent. Heat in six at thirty four point four percent. And then running away with it right now at forty three point seven percent are the Miami Heat in five games. And they get the job done coming up tomorrow night.

We'll take your calls on that eight five five two one two four CBS eight five five two one two forty two twenty seven. But first, let me get some NFL music. OTAs are back monotonous part of the NFL calendar as you have a bunch of grown men maybe showing up because they are voluntary and they're not even in pads. They're just showing up in shorts and a T-shirt basically doing a bunch of stretching and then some light work on the field where you're throwing the football and all that jazz. I've covered OTAs before. Boring.

Do not miss it. All right, Hickey, it makes me start thinking coaches on the hot seat entering this season. Hickey has put together a list of eight coaches. I will tell you if the coach's seat is cold, is it mild or is it on fire?

So what do we got? Let's start with Robert Sala who just because it's May does not mean it's too early to talk about Super Bowl contenders who last yesterday called the Jets. One of the six or eight Super Bowl contenders in the NFL. How hot is his seat now with Aaron Rodgers in town?

Cold. Right now, Robert Sala could do no wrong because they have not played a game yet. You got Aaron Rodgers this offseason.

You were looking like a GQ model coming out of those hotels when you were having those meeting with Aaron Rodgers and the paparazzi was all over you. The Jets should make the playoffs this year. If they make the playoffs, there's no way he's going to get fired. I don't see how the Jets are going to go to a Super Bowl this year. I don't even think they're going to be in the AFC title game. But if they make the playoffs, he will be fine.

And even if they don't, Hickey, that is a disaster. It depends how Aaron Rodgers views Robert Sala. And I can't predict Aaron Rodgers because he's such a mercurial guy. But who are you bringing in to be the next head coach?

If you're leaving that up to Aaron Rodgers to choose, who's his recommendation going to be? Nathaniel Hackett? Oh, geez. I'm saying that name in Colorado. I got to be careful. The next thing you know, I'm going to start having people boo me from their homes as I'm overlooking like eight homes right now. In this little like court area of Centennial, Colorado.

Nice little neighborhood here. And if I say to Nathaniel Hackett, I could hear the fans booing already and kind of counting down the play clock because his time management was absolutely horrific. But right now, I don't think that Robert Sala is on the hot seat. I think his seat is very cold.

Let's go to the AFC North. Then the Cleveland Browns obviously have their quarterback in Deshaun Watson locked up for a long time. What about Kevin Stefanski? What's the pressure on him heading into 2023? I think he's on fire right now because I don't know how much Deshaun Watson likes him. And even though Deshaun Watson really shouldn't have any say, and he's lucky he's still playing football. And it's crazy how some team guaranteed him a fully guaranteed deal with all that money.

200 and what was it? $50 million? $230 million? Excuse me. I look at that team. It's a very talented team. But they're looking for a scapegoat, I think, because I don't believe there'll be a top seven team in the AFC. We know the Bengals will win that division.

It's going to be tough to even finish second in that division. And you know that if they don't make the playoffs this year, someone's going to have to pay. It's not going to be Deshaun Watson because they gave him the fully guaranteed deal. And I still can't believe the Haslam family did that, but that's what a desperate football team does.

And you know he's not going anywhere. So Watson will probably blame the coach. The organization will blame the coach. And then most likely at the end of this year, Kevin Stefanski will be out of a job. Like if he doesn't make the playoffs this year, Hickey, I don't see how he's back as the head football coach to the Cleveland Browns next season.

I would agree with that. This is definitely bare minimum playoff or bust for Kevin Stefanski for sure. Is the same for Ron Rivera in the NFC East? What's the pressure on his seat going into this year?

I'll say it's mild. I just don't know what Josh Harris is going to do. Josh Harris isn't afraid to make a change, but when does he get approved? Like when does he take over as the as the full time owner?

So that's a question. And also if the commanders are scrappy this year and you have year one of an owner, like are you really going to get rid of Ron Rivera? And for a while, Ron Rivera basically became the spokesperson for the Washington commanders because Daniel Snyder, nine point nine nine nine nine nine times out of 10 was a coward and just would never even address the media. And if it was, it was through some bold crap statement or be wishing people like Happy Thanksgiving, whatever it was, but it wasn't even close to Thanksgiving. I think that's what actually happened with Dan Snyder.

Forget which holiday it was. But I look at Rivera as he's a likable guy. So maybe that buys him another year. He's a solid football coach. That team doesn't have a quarterback. But the reason why I say it's mild is I just don't know what Josh Harris will be as an NFL owner, because maybe he wants to go on in and just observe.

Or maybe he wants to go on in and start swinging and get a big name there to the Washington commanders to try to save football there. So I don't want to say it's cold. I don't want to say it's on fire. It's kind of in the middle.

So that's why I'll go. It's a mild seat. What about Brandon Staley and the Chargers? What's his hot seat level at?

That's a tough one because the Spanos family is tough to predict. And let's just call it how it is. They're cheap. Sean paid him one of the job. How do you let Sean walk in division to the Denver Broncos? And you're a more talented football team than the Denver Broncos. From a roster standpoint, top to bottom, you may have the most talented roster in that division. You do have the most talented roster in that division. Now, pump the brakes.

That's not me saying they're going to win the division because I will go Kansas City to win that division 10 times out of 10 until I'm proven otherwise. But it should be on like his seat, Hickey. It should be on fire. But if they make the playoffs this year and then lose again in the first round, do I have a lot of confidence in the Spanos family to actually get rid of him?

Because they like him and they have him under contract. So the seat should be on fire. But I think in the Spanos family mind, it's probably a mild hot seat because they looked at last year as a success because the goal was to make the playoffs. They did that even though they choked up that lead up against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And that was an absolute disgrace. Oh, that it was. Let me ask you this.

Sure. Do you think his hot seat is not where it should be? Because I think we both agree, right? He should. It should be on fire that seat.

You got to go win a playoff game or two this year. I think the hot seat right now in the Spanos family mind isn't what the fan base isn't what the media thinks it is. The talk show host like us think it is. I think it's just kind of like very in the middle where they're fine with the job that he's doing. And I think they hear the outside noise, but they think they have something special and they're going to prove everyone wrong in their mind. Talking about what it realistically is, if we had a scale one to five, one being cool, five being hot, I would say two. Yeah, it should not be a tune that mild category. Right.

It's where it's a little bit more pressure. But barring maybe a four and 13 season, it seems highly unlikely he'll be he'll be fired. I can guarantee you this. As long as Justin Herbert is breathing and on a football field, they will not only win four games this year. Which is good news then for the job status of Brandon Staley. And you look and you look at that team. Austin Eckler now back.

I don't I don't know if he's happy about it because he only got a two million dollar raise. But that's a heck of a player. Your wide receiving room. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and now Quinn and Johnston from TCU. That's with Herbert as your quarterback offensively. Holy smokes.

That should be a force to be reckoned with. And we'll see if their defense could stay healthy with guys like Bosa and Derwin James. That should be a bare minimum top five offense this year without a doubt. What about your guy, Bill Belichick? What's the meter hot C meter on him handling this year? I think it's mild. I do.

I've said this before. Now, post Brady, they have missed the playoffs, made the playoffs, then missed the playoffs. I think Belichick is going to have to miss the playoffs three years in a row.

Including last year for him to be out for and the Schuler record plays a factor into it as well. I don't know if Robert Kraft has the heart to get rid of Belichick that close to the Schuler record, which won't happen this year. So I do kind of think that bare minimum, not that I think they're making the playoffs this year, but even if they're bad, they'll be eight or nine wins because that's what Belichick does.

He still finds a way to put lipstick on a pig where they'll be an OK team. They just won't be great. And their ceiling this year is probably nine or 10 wins. And I don't think it's going to be 10.

But I think from Robert Kraft's mind with what Belichick has done for that organization and the way that he saved that organization and brought them to a level that was just unprecedented, I would think even if Belichick goes eight and nine this year and misses the playoffs, that they keep him around for another year. So that's why I'll say it's mild. But if it gets really ugly, like it's four wins or five wins, maybe that's a different conversation. I do think there's some there's some noise there. I do think there is some heat in the kitchen, but I don't think it's picked up in intensity yet. So I'll go mild. What about his longtime assistant, Josh McDaniels in the desert?

What is his hot seat meter at? I think it's very similar to the way that we talk about Brandon Staley. Now, let me make a correction there. Brandon Staley has accomplished more as a head coach with his time with the Chargers compared to Josh McDaniels one year with the Las Vegas Raiders. But what I will say on that is I think Mark Davis believes he has something special and Mark Davis is going to have patience. And now with Brady in the fold, a part of that ownership group, I kind of feel as if that gives McDaniels an additional year because of how close Brady and Josh McDaniels is, even though we don't really know what Brady's role is going to be in the organization. His seat should be on fire. But Hickey, I think you'll probably agree with this and you can't stand the man.

My answer is going to be mild if I'm going through. What are the Raiders line of thinking here? I mean, I put Staley out of two. I might realistically put McDaniels out of one, but I just don't think Mark Davis would fire him. Last year was the chance to. Well, after one year, I don't think you should have been fired after one year.

I know last year was really bad, but to be one and done personally, I don't like doing that. Now, what I will say is I wonder what happens with Devante Adams because it was to the ringer, I believe, that Devante Adams had those comments to. He's not happy with the front office.

I don't care what selfie you take the day later to try to spin zone it. He's not happy with that organization now, and it seems inevitable that he's going to ask out. Now, right now, you would say Devante Adams is the most recognizable player on that roster.

He's the star of that roster. I wonder how Mark Davis maybe gets humbled or gets a reality check if Devante Adams is saying, Yeah, I can't stand Josh McDaniels and Ziegler and maybe that changes the equation. But with Brady now in the year of Mark Davis, I don't think the seed is all that warm. How about I'm going to use these next year as a combo here, because they're in very similar situations. OK, Dennis Allen and Todd Bowles both basically promoted right as former defensive coordinators after Sean Payton and Bruce Arians.

I'm sorry, Bruce. Both retired. So they're on the job for one year and things did not go great. Now you're going into your number two new quarterbacks as well. Either of them on the hot seat. Dennis Allen or Todd Bowles.

I have to separate them. I think Todd Bowles is seat is on fire because you look at Tampa Bay. There's no expectations this year. It's now he's had the whole offseason to make those staffing changes. I just don't think there's a way that a good ownership group like the Buccaneers have with the Glazer family are going to kind of rationalize keeping Todd Bowles after this year. And it really is the perfect time to do a full reset after this year will be another year that made the playoffs. You still have Brady there. But now one year removed for Brady.

If you're going to tear down the house, the guy that you maybe build it back up with isn't the guy that breaks down the house. That's what Todd Bowles is in the role of. He shouldn't be a head coach right now in this league, but he's tearing down the house right now. And then I think after this year that someone else builds it back up now, Dennis Allen, you could say it's similar.

And I do agree. If they if they win the division, I think he'll be fine. And remember, he's been in that organization for a long time as a defensive coordinator. If they don't win the division, he'll be fired. But you probably give them the benefit of the doubt of winning that division. And he has a better team than what Tampa Bay has. So I'll go mild there for for Dennis Allen.

But I do think there's a difference, even though I understand what you're saying in terms of presenting them together. I think it's more likely that you see Todd Bowles fired at the end of this year because we know the Bucks are going to be bad. I just really don't know what the Saints are. So right now, I'll say the Saints are going to be mild.

All right. And finally, this team or organization does have a history of going one and done with head coaches. Is there any sort of heat on Jonathan Gannon's seat going into 2023? Oh, no, Jonathan Gannon. But the Cardinals. Yes.

No, cold, cold, freezing cold. Now, I don't think he's going to be all that good as a head coach. But after one year when we don't even know when Kyler Murray's going to play. How do you even justify firing the guy?

Well, I did a Steve Wilkes, what, four or five years ago? And they just fired Cliff Kingsbury after giving him an extension a year later. So like they do make rash decisions quite frequently. Now. Now, correct me if I'm wrong here. That was Cliff Kingsbury when he was brought in, they immediately drafted Kyler Murray after that, or was there a year in between?

No, immediate, immediate. That's why they brought in Cliff Kingsbury, because Cliff and Kyler, Cliff was a Kyler guy. So I think they made a move for a quarterback. So you're going to say, oh, maybe they'll bring in someone that will will fit with with Caleb Williams. They're drafted a quarterback a year from now. Is that what you're saying? Well, that I mean, the card is going to be on paper, the worst team in the NFL. Again, you have an ownership group and Michael Bidwell that is not exactly stable.

Well, also times rational. Sure. And also, you just brought that up. Remember, they're paying coaches right now not to coach. So now you're going to pay another coach not to coach. I think you got to let that cycle kind of go through where you just extended both Steve Keim and Cliff Kingsbury.

And now they're both out a year after that extension. And you may have to move on from Kyler Murray a year from now if you get the number one overall pick. And you just brought in a new GM and Monty Osenfort and his hire was Jonathan Gannon. I don't think there's any way and I think the Cardinals are going to be pathetic this year, but I don't see how there's any way that they fire Jonathan Gannon after year. And I don't think Jonathan Gannon is going to be a good head coach. I don't think he should be a head coach in this league.

But that seat out of all the names you've asked me, it's probably the most freezing cold out of the what, the eight or nine names that you just asked me. I don't feel like a one point five, but I just with this organization, I just can't put on a scale of five. Yeah. How can you even put that at a one point five? They're paying Keim and Kingsbury not to coach the team with several years left in that contract. You're then going to get rid of a guy that you just gave what, a four or five year deal to after one year again? Michael Biddle is not pinching pennies here.

So if he has to do it, he has to do it. But it's again, Hickey. Come on.

What do you mean come on? They just they've done it twice out of the last two head coaches. They've veered in the in the in a different direction after giving a vote of confidence. Why can't I just I can't blindly say that they're just going to give Jonathan Gannon. But there's no expectations for this team.

A year no matter what. And Kyle Murray, he may not even play this year. I'm sorry. Was there any expectations with Josh Rosen and Steve Wilkes? I would argue no.

And does it? They didn't care. Fired him right away. But they knew they were moving on from Josh Rosen after one year. That's my point.

They don't commit to anybody. They just gave Steve Keim and Cliff Kingsbury mega contract extensions. And then the next year fired them both, basically. Then if I'm Monti Austin for a night to fire my coach after one year, I would resign on the spot. There's no way. And I think Jonathan Gannon is going to be a bad head coach. There's no way they're firing after one year. It is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio.

Now back to the Zach Gelb show. So we were just talking about potential coaches that are on the hot seat. Hickey, let me run two more names by you and just tell me where you're at on these two coaches. And I think one's always in the conversation. Another. No one is talking about right now because everyone's talking about that team in a positive manner.

But I'll throw it out there to you as well. So let me start with the obvious one. One that's been brought up ever since he's been hired. How out of the seat do you think Mike McCarthy has with the Dallas Cowboys? I would say probably a two out of five.

Very low where I think anything. I think if he misses the playoffs, I think that's when it really comes into question. But if the Cowboys are back in the playoffs and another eleven and six, twelve and five year, I think he's more than OK no matter how the postseason does go.

Yeah, I think it's it is mild in intensity. Like if you ask me out of five, I would say it's like a three where I'm not saying the seats on fire and it's burning hot. He's done a good job with the Cowboys in the regular season. The first two years, he's done a better job delegating where he's even admitted that if Dan Quinn was on his staff years and years ago in his coaching career, he'd probably be looking for him to go somewhere else because he would feel a little insecure with all those rumors. And and all the speculation that maybe Jerry Jones one day is going to have Dan Quinn of all people replace Mike McCarthy with the drama Dallas Choking Cowboys. But I just wonder, especially when Kellen Moore is no longer there and and I think Kellen Moore and he lands in a perfect situation with Los Angeles. But I think that guy gets so much credit and I believe he's an overrated offensive coordinator in this league. I would not want to be in the head coach of my football team and he lands an offensive coordinator in a situation offensively. It's almost impossible to mess up with the Los Angeles Chargers. Just tell Brandon Staley to stop with all that nonsense.

You have so much talent there. It will make you look good and maybe it does part light into head coaching job. But I would not have confidence in Kellen Moore being the head coach of my football team. But McCarthy is really taking the reins on the offensive side of the ball. And if you see Dak have a similar season like last year and I don't think just making the playoffs is good enough. Now, I know they could spin it as in year one, they made the playoffs. They lose to the forty niners in the first round and then year two with McCarthy. They make the playoffs and then they win a playoff game even is up against a bad eight and nine Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. And only reason why anyone cared about that being a victory was because it was up against Tom Brady. That was the first time Brady ever lost the game in his illustrious Hall of Fame, all time great career to the Dallas Cowboys.

But if they go out there and win eleven, twelve games again this year and then they're going home quickly in the in the first round of the playoffs. I don't get how Jerry Jones keeps McCarthy. And considering the situation, Hickey, I don't think McCarthy's done a bad job where he's put out to be like this pinata for the last two years. In the way that people have talked about him. So it's the fact that Jerry's not he has his persona that he's kind of guns blazing.

You're fired, you're fired sort of thing. Anytime something goes wrong, he's very patient, especially with head coaches. Now, Jason Garrett, he right. He is given, you know, the leash to some head coaches way longer than it should have been. And so if we're talking about another playoff team or yes, even though they should be with what you're paying, Dak and kind of their goals where they should be right now, they should be a Super Bowl contender.

Anything short of that should be a failure. I think Jerry views it as, hey, we're in the mix. And he kind of said so at the Senior Bowl, too, where it's like he was some of the Eagles and all they went for it all last year. And is that really sustainable in terms of kind of going all in on one year? You want to have sustained greatness and greatness and air quotes, but he wants to kind of be competitive every year more than going all in for one season. So if we're talking about another playoff team in Dallas, I don't.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it has to be a 40 nothing loss at home to to make it happen. But if they're in the playoffs, I don't see Mike McCarthy out after this year. How enjoyable would that be? You tune into a playoff game. You have Chris Christie, that fat slob and that orange sweater jumping up and down, sucking off the teeth of Jerry Jones.

You got Steven Jones in the luxury box as well. And you see them. They get a touchdown like right out of the gate.

They go up seven nothing. And then you see that the team score like thirty five on answer and they lose thirty five to seven in a playoff game. That would be a fun press conference afterwards for Jerry Jones. Oh, and even the camera pans to to his box. Let's see his face as they're just the opponent score another and another and another.

You know what, though? They don't really show him that much when when they're losing. I feel like they only really show him when he's winning and then it's just like one shot when they lose. When they lose, I want to see nine, 10, 15, 20 shots of Jerry Jones.

I want to show the same intensity and the same frequency as you do when he's winning and he's jumping up and down like a fat kid in a candy store. I would agree with that. I love the more miserable Jerry, the better. And then here's the name that I think will surprise you. What about Dan Campbell? I don't think so.

You think so? The only reason I say it, everyone's slobbering over the Lions right now. And even when you look at Dan Campbell, everyone loves the Dan Campbell shtick, right, where he drinks 9000 cups of coffee.

He will bite the kneecap off of you. He is a real football guy, likable guy, gets the job. Oh, they probably thought they were hiring Matt Campbell, has a good personality. They've improved that team a lot. They went from three and 13 and one.

I think they had a tie that year and then to nine and eight. If they missed the playoffs this year and let's say they go backwards where it's not like, OK, they're nine and eight again or they're ten and seven and they just miss out in the postseason, which would be tough to do, though, in a weak NFC. Like if they go eight and nine, if they go seven and ten and let's just say that this team flops and it had some suspensions with the gambling stuff and all that, they had to make some changes in the organization. I just wonder three years in and Campbell has done a good job so far when a lot of people are picking them to win the division this year, if they missed the playoffs outright and only have seven or eight wins.

I wonder if that's going to be enough to send him packing. I think similar to Dallas, I think Detroit is very patient and I think it would take more than just one down backwards year in just three years in order to kind of have him fired and move on. Would that be the biggest surprise firing right now?

Like when you go out of these jobs, I'm trying to think. I don't believe McDermott is on the hot seat, but if Brandon Bean feels like McDermott took us to this incredible level, which the organization hasn't seen for 20 something years, is it maybe time to change up a voice? I don't think we're there yet, but it depends how they lose in the postseason. I'm talking about surprising firings right now. Campbell's got to be pretty close to the top of the list because everyone is loving the Detroit Lions and I just wonder what's the punishment and who gets held accountable if the Lions don't end up making the playoffs this year? Could be Jared Goff. You're not wrong on that and they just drafted Hendon Hooker too. And it seems like two Brad Holmes and Campbell have a good relationship because even though I love Dan Campbell and he's grown on me, I thought he was more fit to be a Big Ten coach. Him and Brad Holmes, when you look at those draft and those war room videos, they're crazy. They made picks this year that a lot of people thought were head scratchers and they're jumping around as if they just won the lottery or they just found the secret to something that no one else knows.

Those videos, I don't know if you saw a lot of them, Hickey, but they were crazy. Oh yeah, I'm surprised. Honestly, no one's gotten hurt yet. Like how a table has not snapped in half or how someone hasn't run over the other. And Brad Holmes is not a little dude, but next to Dan Campbell, he looks like when you stand next to me in a photo.

That is the size difference there. And it comes off to me like Dan Campbell would be a guy, Hickey, that would not know his own strength. Like I get told that before. You don't know your own strength and the power of your own strength.

You know, if I slap someone on the back, you know, give someone a light tap on the shoulder, something like that. People go, oh, you don't know how, how strong you could actually be. Dan Campbell comes off to me as that type of guy. Well, I give Brad Holmes credit. He pushes back and he's just as energized. He definitely matches the intensity level for sure. And listen, some of those table smacks you see Brad Holmes make, man, he's, he is another guy that kind of packs a little bit of a punch as well. Well, it's an adrenaline rush. That's what it is. It's like when a player gets injured in a game and it's the adrenaline of the moment.

That's how he's able to muscle on through and power on through. And this is that Gelb Show on CBS Sports Arena. You can think of O'Reilly Auto Parts for all your car care needs. Get guaranteed low prices and excellent customer service from the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts.

O, O, O, O, O'Reilly Auto Parts. We'll take a time out when we come on back. The Phoenix Suns have narrowed their head coaching search down to four names. One man that cannot be the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns.

I'll tell you who that is and why when we return. Surgeons keep our hearts beating. They do the amazing. Help save lives.

And so can you. Your CSL plasma donation can help create 24 critical life saving medicines that can give grandpa the chance for his heart to swell when he meets his new grandson. Or give a bride the chance for her heart to skip a beat on her wedding day. Every plasma donation helps more than you know. Do the amazing. Help save lives.

Donate today at your local CSL Plasma Center and be rewarded for your generosity. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Alrighty, this is Zach Gelb Show Coast to Coast on CBS Sports Radio. Hickey, I saw from Adrian Wojnowski that Nick Nurse, Doc Rivers, Kevin Young, who is a Phoenix Suns assistant currently, and Sacramento Kings assistant Jordy Fernandez are the four finalists.

And the search has been narrowed down to four names for the Phoenix Suns. I can't really give you a thought on Kevin Young or Jordy Fernandez. That would just be me pretending to be an expert. And I don't believe in the bullcrap that people spew and talk show hosts that try to pretend to be an expert at everything and they're just afraid to say I don't know on those two names. But when you look at two names that I do know, Nick Nurse and Doc Rivers, I would be more than fine. I look at that list and just by gut instinct, not really knowing a lot about Young and not really knowing a lot about Fernandez. I would say that Nick Nurse should be the top choice.

The question is, does he want the job? But you look at Doc Rivers, I think that would be a massive mistake by the Phoenix Suns because you look at failing to show up. Philadelphia forgot to show up in Game 7. Now you could put that blame on other people, but Doc was the one that was held accountable for it.

Fair or not, you could debate that. But the last two years, Phoenix has just had egregious no-shows in the postseason at home up against the Mavericks this past year. We know the no-show that they had and it was just embarrassing when you look back and you see the way that that team just had zero heart.

It was really laughable in that series up against Denver, even though Denver is this tremendous team. So you go through it and it's like, how do you hire a coach that has had his own playoff problems? I know he won a championship, but that's going back years and well over a decade now. And ever since, we've seen Doc Rivers to kind of be this fraudulent coach where he's not a bad coach, but he's not a great coach. And he shows you he's overrated. He's lost 10 Game 7s.

He's blown countless. 3-1, 3-2 series leads when you look back at his coaching career. And here's the biggest indictment why you can't hire Doc Rivers.

Look at the last two jobs that he's done. You look at Los Angeles with the Clippers, and this could be a superstar problem in the NBA more so than a coaching problem. But you heard Kawhi and Paul George throw their coach under the bus after he got fired. And then in Philadelphia, it does appear like Joel Embiid really liked him because Joel Embiid was upset and he wanted Doc Rivers to say per the reporting, but James Harden had a big problem. And if you look at those four guys I just mentioned, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and then also Joel Embiid, the outlier is Joel Embiid because Joel Embiid doesn't operate at the beat of his own drum.

Those other three guys do. And I think Doc's maybe intense style or him trying to get on those players was probably the right thing. But in this era of the players run the NBA and you're going to a team with two enormous stars in Kevin Durant. It's his way or the highway and then also Devin Booker as well, who is a big star in this league. If he had problems with Kawhi and Paul George and James Harden, it's tough for me to think that he's going to be able to get on the same page just for starters with Kevin Durant.

Yes, I 100% would agree with that. The track record is very long for Doc Rivers and like you said, you saw a Sixers team that could never get over the hump and get to the Easter conference finals. Basically the same problem was in LA where you can never get over the hump in the playoffs and make a deep run or as deep of a run as the talent you had on the roster dictated you should. So I don't see how if you're Phoenix where you have the star talent you need to win a championship. Now, you're going to hire head coach that has now routinely and consistently since his Celtics run come offshore in the postseason.

I don't see how those two things jive and make sense whatsoever. The only way that they hire Doc Rivers is this is Matt Ishbia thinking I just need to bring in a big name and say what you want. About Doc Rivers as a coach, and in my opinion him being overrated I compare him kind of like to John Gruden, where Gruden won a championship everyone thought he was great and take the emails out of it clearly. But everyone thought Gruden was great and ever since winning that championship he was like, and he was very disappointing and doc.

I don't want to take it away from doc, and it sounds like I'm going to hear. I think I could have coach that Celtics team to a championship. When you put together that big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce who was already there, and Ray Allen.

Now I can't go out there and throw bouquets at Doc Rivers where I don't hold it against them. But when you see what the track record is since then, and he hasn't been coaching like a Joe Schmoe like he hasn't been coaching a bunch of no names he's had some pretty big names in his coaching career, and he's failed to get the job done, over and over again, but his name still carries a lot of weight around the league his name is still a big name in this league. That just seems like Matt Ishbia would be hiring a big name, but not the right name, and if you hire Doc Rivers, even in a Western conference that has been open. The last few years, I don't see how this is going to end well, and how Phoenix gets over the hump. I mean that's I mean, not you're not saying that that's you know his thinking but that is his logic I mean you tell her just flawed logic of let me just hire the name people will know wouldn't that fit in line with everything you hear about Ishbia, Jesus, what are we doing, but but wouldn't that wouldn't that fall in line where this guy's looking to spend money. He's a young owner.

I was a walk on at Michigan State high energy guy. It would fit into where you hear that Phoenix is looking for a big name there was, you know where I'm surprised we haven't heard more of Tyler, I know he's under contract. Maybe he wants to stay with Los Angeles, but Tyler throughout the postseason hickey. He looked really worn down, where he knew how good of a team his team could be if healthy. And they still played fine up against the sun's and that opening round series where you only had Kawhi for two games and Paul George didn't play at all. I'm really surprised with the jobs that are out there and forget Philly. I don't think Philly is a good situation but you look at Phoenix with the rant and Booker, and you look at Milwaukee with the honest on to the Kumpo and also tie Lou played towards the end of his career in Milwaukee, I'm surprised, knowing the lack of health and the lack of reliability and availability that your star players have in Los Angeles and a don't get me wrong maybe it's a personal lifestyle you're getting paid in a tremendous amount of money. You already won a championship as a coach. When you won that title with the calves coming back from three one so maybe just enjoy being out in LA and and enjoying all the nightlife in LA as well and the quality of life, maybe you don't want to go to Milwaukee, even though I love Milwaukee, maybe you don't want to go to Phoenix, even though we had a great time in Phoenix so maybe it's more of a personal side of it but from a professional standpoint, and the desire to win. I'm surprised that tie Lou did not end up getting in the mix with the bucks, or the sons and go into Steve bomber and saying I want out of my contract let's find a way to get a trade done.

Listen, if he's happy you know you can't you can't mess up happiness like said more. We've seen plenty of coaches that are I don't say delusional but you think oh next year, that will be the year everyone's healthy and you know you've seen the success success especially quiet Leonard has had in the playoffs and you keep thinking yourself okay next year is going to be the year is going to be healthy. If you're Tyler there's a reason to believe I don't think it's real, you know, I wouldn't bank on that but it's like you're sitting there coaching a team that has 20 wins written all over next year. Would you take the son's job if they offered it to you, because you got to think he's going to be offered the job. Yes, I would. Over Milwaukee.

Yes. Why is that. I just think right now the, I like the Durant Booker combo over Giannis, and a question mark. And I just think for if you're a Phoenix you just got to fill out the rest of the roster, and he, I know he didn't exactly put the roster together and he's in Toronto, but he did help put a really solid team around Kawhi Leonard, which is part of reason why they want a championship. That's really what the sun's need they don't need a head coach it's a big name. They just need some depth that's not drag it down the team like it did in the playoffs. I just wonder how Nick nurse looks at this, because he won a championship but not the best roster in the world. And you didn't have multiple stars on that team, and he seems like he is cut from a different cloth. I wonder if he wants the multiple big name stars that really have control over the team, and you're say isn't as powerful, or does he go to a place in Milwaukee where you know that Giannis on to the Kumpo is going to be easier to work with, then Kevin Durant and you will feel like more of a coach or there'll be more respect by Giannis on to the Kumpo, then Kevin Durant will show you because we all know when Durant wanted Steve Nash is the coach Durant showed him no respect with the way that him and Kyrie Irving talked about how other guys like they'll coach a team one night, and there'll be other guys as well so I just wonder if that plays a factor where you get the best of both worlds where you get the big star. And then also, you get to actually do more coaching because it seems like Nick nurse really gets off to kind of winning with less. And that's why maybe Milwaukee could be a better fit than Phoenix but since you've already done that I want a championship, and I can't really fault someone for thinking the strategy of maybe I want to go out there and take the easier path, even though I have zero confidence in this, I have zero confidence that that Kevin Durant's gonna win another championship in this league, when he's going to be the number one guy.

I just the way that this has been handled the last few years. It makes me want to root against Kevin Durant, and I just wonder if he could get his act together and Phoenix and if he doesn't. That's all one of the greatest basketball players ever see. There will always be that but though all time great Hall of Famer yada yada yada, but when he was on his own constructing his team. It did not result in a championship. And I just wonder if, if, if, if, if Durant will ever get that ring again. And I'm not all that optimistic that he will, if I'm a betting man I would bet that Durant doesn't win another championship in the NBA It's that Gelb show CBS Sports Radio and also you look at Suns team, it's Booker, it's Durant, and they got a whole lot of work to do, because there should be some major changes on that roster.