Control Freak

Football Digest, Oct, 2001 by Larry Woody

The secret to Jeff Fisher's success as a coach? He doesn't let his emotions get the better of him

TENNESSEE TITANS DEFENSIVE back Blaine Bishop calls Jeff Fisher "the coach of the new millennium." Youthful by coaching standards (43) and California-cool, Fisher takes a laid-back approach to his pressure-cooker of a profession. He is almost always under control, carrying a Tom Landry-like serenity into the eye of the NFL hurricane.

"I may not always be as calm as I appear," jokes Fisher, who is entering his seventh full season as an NFL head coach, all spent with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. "I get excited during a game, but I wait until the TV timeout to show it."

More seriously: "I think I learned a lot playing for and coaching under John Robinson [as a defensive back at USC and as Robinson's defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams]. John was a great communicator, maybe the best I've ever seen. He didn't do a lot of shouting. He had the ability to make spontaneous comments that got his point across."

Still, that calm-by-association theory doesn't quite explain Fisher's pleasant demeanor. Consider that he also coached with such notable firebrands as Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka and didn't absorb their over-the-top tendencies.

"I suppose it's a matter of personality," Fisher says. "I try to remain in control of my emotions because if a head coach shows panic, it could affect his players. I think it's important that the coach reflect calmness, confidence, and control. I'm one of those people that if I get too emotional, I lose track of what I'm doing."

"Jeff is not a yeller," Bishop attests. "When he has a point to make, he makes it very calmly. He'll say, `OK, Blaine, this is what you need to be doing.' I think that approach works best with today's players. But even though he's soft-spoken, Jeff gets everybody's respect. You know when he's not happy about something."

Besides, Fisher doesn't need to shout and stomp to get his point across. An incredulous look works just as well for him. "He doesn't say much, but when you see that smoldering stare you know that Jeff's not pleased," says John Dwyer, a veteran Nashville TV sports anchorman and the host of Fisher's weekly show.

Dwyer probably has spent more time with Fisher than anyone outside of the coach's family and the Titans organization, and he continues to be amazed by his placid demeanor. "Even after the toughest loss--or the biggest win--Jeff remains calm," Dwyer says. "In the five years I've worked with him, Jeff has taught me about self-control and how to handle adversity. He's a master. You know the deodorant commercial that says, `Never let them see you sweat?' Well, Jeff should have starred in it.

"Jeff is manipulative and calculating, and I mean that as a compliment. He's always thinking eight moves ahead. I'd never play chess with the guy. He reads every word written about his team--not because he's insecure, but because he wants to stay informed about what people are thinking. He wants the information, the knowledge.

"As much as I like Jeff as a coach, I admire him more as a person. He has tremendous balance in his life. He isn't one of those guys who sleeps on a cot in his office so that he can work 24 hours a day. His family is very important to him, and he makes sure he finds time for them."

The media sometimes find Fisher predictable--the coach is so even-keeled that he doesn't always make great copy. But, Dwyer says, "I'll take that over some guy who throws chairs. I'd rather work with Jeff than with some coach using a 49-card deck."

So is there anything that rattles the seemingly unflappable Fisher? Yes. The coach can't stand stupidity. "People making obvious mistakes, bad decisions, or losing their composure on the football field," Fisher says of the things that tick him off. "If we've worked and worked on something and then somebody goes out and messes it up, that kind of bothers me."

What about Nashville's notorious rush-hour traffic, through which Fisher must commute from his home in the outlying suburbs? "Traffic? You kidding? I'm from Southern California," Fisher says with a laugh.

Fisher enjoys a special rapport with his players. Three years ago, on the heels of a third consecutive 8-8 record, Titans owner Bud Adams issued what sounded like an ultimatum: Shake out of the doldrums and make the playoffs--or else.

"That helped motivate us," says All-Pro running back Eddie George. "We all like Jeff. We didn't want to see him lose his job."

"When the owner says something like that, you know you'd better get your tail in gear," adds quarterback Steve McNair. "We knew he was serious, and we didn't want to see anything happen to Jeff--or anybody else on this team."

The Titans responded to Adams' warning by marching all the way to the Super Bowl in 1999. In an all-time classic game, they lost to St. Louis when a late, desperate drive died on the Rams' one-yard line. Last season, Tennessee won the AFC Central and had the NFL's best record (13-3), but after earning a first-round bye in the playoffs, it lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.