Dallas Cowboys: Is a Super Group coaching staff good or bad?

First year Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy has assembled quite the Super Group of coaches to lead this team in 2020 but that may not be a good thing…

Tis the season for optimism, I know. You take a talented roster, add a new but proven coaching staff, and what do you get? Unbridled optimism and punch-drunk fantasies of a Super Bowl. While Mike McCarthy may not provide it on his own, his newly assembled coaching staff of “legends” seems to be inspiring the masses.

The staff boasts four proven head coaches (McCarthy, Mike Nolan, Joe Philbin, and Jim Tomsula) all harmoniously sliding into their new roles under the leadership of McCarthy. No, I’m not speaking of the makings for a mutiny. I’m talking about too many cooks being in the kitchen leading into too much hedging and too many compromises. The kind of compromises that stifle good original ideas and seemingly always land on the low-risk/low-reward tried and true.

This is the kind of environment that stops bad ideas but also creates an inhospitable environment for cutting edge innovation.

What kind of Supergroup?

Looking back to the history of supergroups, we see far more failures than successes. To some, a supergroup probably makes you think of the NBA’s Super Teams. For as much as old schoolers disparage the idea of “joining forces”, no one can argue it yields excellent results.

When a lowly assistant coach comes up with a great idea, will be listened to or simply dismissed because others know better?

But before there were Super Teams, we had Super Groups – as in music groups. Rock Stars from different bands combined to make one unstoppable All-Star band. And no, this is nothing like a cruddy pop singer from one genre guest singing on a pop singer from another genre’s album.

I’m talking about three of four talented musicians getting together and writing their own music without the hindrance of their average original bandmates. For anyone that knows music history, Supergroups usually don’t end well. Despite the ridiculously high combined musical IQ, the product is inevitably disappointing.

For every Cream, Traveling Wilburys, and Temple of the Dog, you had 10 Chickenfoots (Van Halen meets Chili Peppers in Mexico. seriously, they were sooo bad). It proves, just because you have a great collection of minds doesn’t mean it’s going to result in success.

New ideas win in the NFL. Copycats rarely succeed. It’s all about staying ahead of the curve and creative and open minds are needed to achieve that.

Specifically, when you have a collection of people who have experienced success on their own already, success is often elusive. Maybe it’s because the people (other coaches) they saw as “role players” before, actually played a bigger role than they credited them for. Or maybe it’s the closedmindedness that often comes after success. Why would a proven winner ever change his ways, right?

Whatever the reason for Supergroup failure, it’s a real thing the Dallas Cowboys must avoid. When a lowly assistant coach comes up with a great idea, will be listened to or simply dismissed because others know better?

I’m not going to pretend to know the answer here. I’m just pointing out that this veteran staff comes with some hidden barriers to success. New ideas win in the NFL. Copycats rarely succeed. It’s all about staying ahead of the curve and creative and open minds are needed to achieve that.

Can Mike McCarthy’s staff be both creative and open to new ideas? Or will they rest on their accomplishments and lean on the tried and true? We’ll see. They’re saying the right things and embracing areas previously neglected, but words are cheap, right?

The Dallas Cowboys new coaching staff looks like a Supergroup of former NFL head coaches. That could be good or it could be bad. As a fan, I’m operating with cautious optimism heading into the 2020 season. What about ya’ll? Better yet, who’s the best/worst Supergroup you’ve heard?

• Published on 01/16/2020 at 12:01 PM
• Last updated at 01/16/2020 at 08:54 AM