As Usual, Knox Moves Quickly

In his first official act as Ram head coach, Act II, Chuck Knox grabbed and rattled the franchise by firing the franchise’s once and future Fisher King, defensive coordinator-in-standing and head coach-in-waiting Jeff Fisher.

It can be construed as an act of vanity; there was no way Knox and his Irish pride would ever agree to play stopgap and transition team to the 33-year-old Fisher’s rising star.

It can be construed as an act of loyalty; there was no way Knox was going to neglect his old coaches in Seattle and he offered the job of Rams’ defensive coordinator to two of them--Tom Catlin, who declined, and George Dyer, who didn’t.

But in no way can you construe it as an act of surprise. By now in his 19-year head coaching and 59-year human being career, Knox is an open book.

When he takes over a team, Knox takes it over. Quickly, and often harshly, he establishes control, something he learned to value during his first stint with the Rams, when control was something he didn’t have.

When he arrives at a new stop and finds a team complacent in its losing, Knox immediately applies a few electrodes and flicks the switch. A shock to the system is the anticipated objective--and this time, Fisher was merely first on the schedule.

Also, whenever Knox checks into a new address, he never arrives unpacked. He brings his assistants with him. L.A.-to-Buffalo, Buffalo-to-Seattle, Seattle-to-Anaheim--Knox always asks his coaching staff, every member, along for the ride.

Invariably, some accept.

Invariably, someone else is soon out of a job.

Yet, the Fisher firing impacts like a slap in the face because Fisher (a) was hired a year ago as the presumed heir apparent to John Robinson; (b) was well-liked by owner Georgia Frontiere, who asked Knox to retain Fisher as a condition of his return to the Rams; and (c) Knox initially told Fisher the job would remain his, then changed his mind 24 hours later.

Knox’s ultimate decision reeks of symbolism.

Fisher was Robinson’s hire, Robinson’s guy. He was part of the course correction in the wake of 5-11 1990--Robinson continues to coach through 1993, or until Fisher’s ready, whichever comes first. When 3-13 came first and Robinson was swept out of the organization, the line of succession went along for the ride.

Thus, for Knox, Fisher became an example, an indication that the title “Club Vice President” means more than an extra line of type in the 1992 media guide. Maybe Frontiere did request a retainer for Fisher. She also granted Knox “complete control of the football operation.” Knox, who was teased in Seattle for his more-than-passing resemblance to Alexander Haig, responded in a positively Haigian mode:

I’m in charge.

This is the Knox method, tested and uncontested. Nothing new here, other than the names involved.

In 1973, when Knox inherited a 6-7-1 Ram team from Tommy Prothro, he promptly replaced eight of Prothro’s coaches, including the defensive coordinator, Prothro’s quarterback (1969 league MVP Roman Gabriel), Prothro’s halfback (1971 1,000-yard rusher Willie Ellison) and Prothro’s best defensive end (1972 Pro Bowl selection Coy Bacon).

Knox’s replacements:

At defensive coordinator, Ray Malavasi, who coached the Rams to nine shutouts in five seasons under Knox. By way of contrast, the George Allen Rams produced one shutout, the Robinson Rams four.

At quarterback, John Hadl, who passed for 22 touchdowns and was named NFC MVP in 1973.

At halfback, Lawrence McCutcheon, who rushed for 1,097 yards in 1973 and 6,186 in seven Ram seasons.

At defensive end, Jack Youngblood, who wound up out-Pro Bowling Bacon in their careers, seven appearances to one.

With a few flicks of the wrist--Hadl to Harold Jackson, Hadl to McCutcheon--the Rams went 12-2 that first season for Knox, won their first of five division championships for Knox . . . and received their annual postseason depressant under Knox, a 27-16 first-round defeat in Dallas.

Frontiere is banking on Round II becoming Turnaround II--at Wednesday’s Knox press conference, she spoke confidently about the playoffs in ‘92--but first, it pays to play fact-checker again.

In 1992, as in 1973, Knox inherits a defense in crisis condition, but in 1992, Knox won’t have Youngblood and Fred Dryer as his defensive ends, Merlin Olsen and Larry Brooks as his tackles, Jack Reynolds and Isiah Robertson at linebackers and Dave Elmendorf at safety. In 1973, Knox was fond of quoting Knute Rockne: When your football team is in trouble, you need players, not plays.

Same goes for 1992, which is one more reason why Fisher is gone. With the Eagles, at the pulpit of the Buddy Ryan First Church of the Safety Blitz, Fisher was a Philadelphia whiz kid, coordinating a defense that ranked first in the league against the rush and was second in sacks. One year later, Fisher’s defense was ranked 23rd in the league, yielding more than 20 points per game and finishing with a team total of 17 sacks--or one less than Pat Swilling.

The difference?

Reggie White, Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner, Wes Hopkins and Andre Waters.

Fisher asked, but none of them accompanied him to Anaheim.

One more time, Knox needs players, many of them, and needs to make moves, big ones. Trading up with Indianapolis to draft Washington’s defensive line-in-a-can Steve Emtman--that’s a Knox move. Trading Jim Everett for a bundle of draft choices and signing a Plan B veteran, say, Phil Simms, for the interim--those are Knox moves.

Will Knox move in that manner again?

It’s too soon for specifics. But as Jeff Fisher could tell you, a trend does appear to be developing.