When a Coach Goes From First Name to Last Name

It’s very interesting to observe how, over the course of time, football coaches are addressed in the media, as well as in water cooler talks among fans, and on sports talk radio. There’s a potential evolution that could take place depending on the success factor.

Case in point is in Tampa Bay where a 32-year old rookie head coach is just a couple of pre-season games away from coaching his first NFL game that really counts. Raheem Morris had coaching responsibility for the Buccaneers defensive backs solely by himself for just two years. He was a defensive quality control coach and an assistant to the secondary coach for a few of years prior to that. In between he did run the defense at Kansas State University for just one year. Following the departure of the Bucs long-time defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, immediately following the 2008 season, Morris was named to succeed him as the lead defensive coach for the 2009 season.

Then in a very surprising move, Tampa Bay ownership canned Jon Gruden as head coach in February and all of the sudden Morris went from not having coached a down as the defensive coordinator in the NFL to being the new head coach.

As an assistant coach, those around the Bucs practice fields knew him as Raheem or Rah. Media types also knew him by Raheem or Rah. He looks as young, or younger, and is as young or younger, than those with whom he is charged to lead as their head coach.

A question in my mind is when does Raheem become Coach Morris, and when does he become just Morris?

Right now it’s honeymoon time. The Bucs have not yet lost a game that counts on their 2009 record. He can be personable, quotable, and project an attitude of having fun while also being demanding. The players swear by him, love playing for him.

That’s all well and good. Right now there’s a buzz in Buccaneer Land that people like to hear. That’s because Morris is the “anti-Gruden.” Gruden, who has been scooped up by ESPN to serve as their Monday Night Football analyst and has looked good doing so, was often a little surly and curt with the media. He didn’t have the same music on his IPod as the players, like Morris, nor did he chest bump and celebrate big plays like Morris did with his defensive backs.

Despite winning a Super Bowl with the Bucs in 2002-03, his first year as their 39-year old head coach, Gruden never fulfilled the fans’ and ownership’s dreams of regularly making future play-off or Super Bowl runs. In the next six years they made the play-offs twice, losing in the first round each time. Therefore, he was let go for that reason and also so the Bucs could make a 180-degree turn in leadership.

If you were tuned into media talk and street banter the last couple of years, it was always “Gruden this” and “Gruden that.” This is my take on how coaches are addressed publicly. For such a long time it was common to refer to the head coach with some degree of respect by either “Coach Last Name”, or simply by using his first and last name. When things start to go sour, then it turns to last name only—kind of the way an old gym teacher talks down to a goofy kid reminding him to tie his sneakers.

Well, Morris actually is a step ahead of everyone. He has three possible levels to work through. He is already talked about like everyone’s buddy—Rah or Raheem. When it begins to slide a bit and people need to start being critical of him, they will get a little more serious and evolve to Coach Morris. Then, when they are really upset and frustrated he will just be referred to as Morris.

This is not a slam on Morris; it’s a slam on all those who create images for the average fan by the way they portray people in the media. Sadly, most average fans don’t have enough information to make their own judgment or create their own educated view, so they latch on to one they may have read on the internet or heard over the AM sports talk shows, which was created by some other person with hardly anymore insight than Joe Fan.

Buc fans and followers, let’s not speculate, get too high or too low as to how great or not so great the new 32-year old coach is. In just a few weeks you will begin to see for yourself. Make believe you live in Missouri, “the Show Me state”, and let things play out. Then you can form your own opinion.