Post by retiredaztec on May 14, 2018 6:39:39 GMT -8
A shout to a coach who "came out of no where" to become one of the most successful coaches in the NFL with three different franchises, Chuck Knox. Fans of the "Rocky Long school of offense" can appreciate his "run first" philosophy. Following a 6-7-1 season under Coach Tommy Prothro, Coach Knox went 12-2 his first season with the LA Rams with an offensive backfield of Jim Bertelsen and Lawrence McCutcheon. A very pleasant surprise for Ram fans.
The remarkable part of this story is, the departure of Quarterback Roman Gabriel resulted in the arrival of "pass happy" QB John Hadl from the San Diego Chargers. With his passing yardage cut dramatically, as his focus was to be the running game, some thought he wouldn't be up to the challenge of such an adjustment. They were proven wrong. Ultimately, his biggest contribution to the Rams though was his trade to Green Bay which netted the LA team a butt load of draft picks, while his departure from the Chargers ultimately paved the way for Dan Fouts and lots of good Charger memories.
Coach Knox went on to coach the Bills and the Seahawks, both with the same degree of success. He never coached a Super Bowl team but he was a winner in the NFL. "nuff said.
R.I.P.