Jeff Fisher’s coaching journey continues six years after his last NFL stint.
The 63-year-old mentor will return to the sidelines as head coach and general manager of the United States Football League’s Michigan Panthers.
The Michigan Panthers of the USFL announced that they have hired Jeff Fisher as their new HC. The return.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 27, 2022
Fisher will be one of only eight head coaches when the league begins on April 16.
Other USFL coaches include Kevin Sumlin, Larry Fedora, and Todd Haley.
Coaching Experience Personified
Fisher ranks 11th in the NFL’s all-time regular-season victories among head coaches with 173.
He took over the Houston Oilers in 1995 and was the team’s winningest coach when he left in 2010.
The team moved from Texas to Tennessee during his tenure and eventually became the Titans.
He led the team to six seasons of at least ten wins, which coincided with the team’s playoff appearances under his guidance.
Out of those postseason runs, the Titans reached the AFC Championship Game three times and the Super Bowl once.
Ready for the hunt 🐾 We got our man. pic.twitter.com/lNGlAV3Xna
— Michigan Panthers (@USFLPanthers) January 27, 2022
Unfortunately, Kevin Dyson fell one yard short of the goal line, giving the then-St. Louis Rams the Super Bowl XXXIV victory.
Two years after his stint with Houston/Tennessee, he coached the Rams and lasted for five seasons.
His best record during those years was a 7-8-1 finish in 2012.
Fisher was also the head coach when the Rams moved back to Los Angeles after 21 seasons in St. Louis.
Several players became NFL Pro Bowlers under his tutelage.
Good morning, we're finally at Week 18.
Each team will be able to avoid Jeff Fisher's worst nightmare.pic.twitter.com/eeuRwg1UiF
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 4, 2022
Some of them are Bruce Matthews, Eddie George, Jevon Kearse, Samari Rolle, Frank Wycheck, Brad Hopkins, Derrick Mason, Steve McNair, Vince Young, Robert Quinn, and Todd Gurley.
Michael Roos, Kevin Mawae, Albert Haynesworth, Cortland Finnegan, David Stewart, Chris Johnson, and Aaron Donald became All-Pros while playing for him.
Fisher lasted 22 seasons as NFL head coach, tying him with Chuck Knox at the 11th spot in years coached.
Defense Is The Name Of The Game
While it’s still uncertain how the Panthers will fare, Fisher will bring his defensive mentality to his new team.
He played defensive back alongside Ronnie Lott and Joey Browner at the University of Southern California, wherein he won the national championship in 1978.
The Chicago Bears selected him in the seventh round of the 1981 draft, and he ended up playing professional football for five seasons.
He won a Super Bowl ring with the 1985 Bears despite being on injured reserve due to an ankle injury.
During that year, he started his coaching journey as the Bears’ defensive assistant.
We hope Jeff Fisher can find his challenge flag in the USFL pic.twitter.com/JviaZ8JRXB
— The G Quad Podcast (@thegquad) January 27, 2022
A year later, Fisher was the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive backs coach and handled the role for three seasons.
He became defensive coordinator for the 1989 and 1990 seasons under head coach Buddy Ryan.
Fisher coached for the Rams and the San Francisco 49ers before joining the Oilers in 1994 as defensive coordinator.
However, he became interim head coach for the last six games of that season after the team fired Jack Pardee.
Will The Panthers Go .500 Under Fisher?
It has been a running joke that Fisher always hovered around the .500 mark for most of his seasons.
He had five 8-8 seasons, four finished 7-9, and one at 7-8-1.
Football fans will revive his Mr. .500 moniker if the Panthers somehow linger around that winning percentage.
However, Fisher would like to bring the championship to his new team.
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