OLD IS IN . . . NEW IS TOO . . . : At 60, Vermeil Returns to the Ranks of an Ever-Changing Coaching Fraternity

By T.J. SIMERS

Aug. 29, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

ST. LOUIS —

It is not so much a news conference as an evangelistic experience, a mesmerizing mixture of intensity, simple truths and unfettered enthusiasm.

Afterward, there is an urge to yell: “I believe! I believe!” despite the knowledge that the Rams stink, always stink and will forever stink.

And Dick Vermeil smiles, at just the right time, a knowing and understanding smile that says, “My child, my child, I am a runaway train, so get out of my way.”

Sixty years old, the hair gray, the glasses now essential to conducting business, and still Vermeil is as young as ever. Energized by a telephone call from John Shaw, team president, inviting him to take complete control of the Rams, Vermeil has emerged from a 14-year self-imposed retirement to coach again.

Burned out once, he is one of 10 new head coaches in the NFL this year. And although he says he has changed, he recognizes that the pressure to succeed has been torqued up higher than ever, prompting the turnover that has allowed him to coach again.

“A lot of new people in the league don’t know what it takes to win.” Vermeil says. “They know what it takes to be successful in business, and to be successful in business you have to make money. When you’re losing, you don’t sell tickets and sky boxes. Someone is going to take the blame, and the No. 1 guy is the head coach and the No. 2 guy is the quarterback. That’s why it’s tough to develop good, young head coaches and a good young quarterback.”

Having given Rich Brooks his first assignment as a head coach in the NFL, the Rams abandoned him after two years and decided to pursue a proven winner. In Vermeil, they knew they had a coach who had taken UCLA to an upset Rose Bowl victory over top-ranked Ohio State in only his second year on the job, a guy who had driven undermanned Philadelphia all the way to the Super Bowl.

“He told me he would provide us with three things: motivation, preparation and leadership,” said Shaw, an immediate Vermeil convert. “He said someone else could worry about the Xs and O’s, but he would inspire.”

And so here he is, armed with some of the best young talent in the business, but working for an organization that hasn’t had a winning season this decade.

“I was introduced to the NFL by the Los Angeles Rams,” says Vermeil, hired by them in 1969 and then again from 1971 to 1973 as special teams and quarterback coach. “I told the Rams I didn’t want to come back. But then, how can you turn down an opportunity when you’ve been given the authority to do whatever you want?

“I’m not nearly as intense as I used to be, so I think I’m ready to handle this again. My own intensity wore me out before, but I am in better control of my personality.”

Instead of staying up until 4 a.m., Vermeil was wrapping up work this first week of the season at 12:30 a.m.

“People think I burned out because of my efforts for seven years at the Eagles,” Vermeil says. “I’ve always had the same personality, from my first assistant coaching job at Del Mar High School [in San Jose] in 1959. I always had those personality traits--they just weren’t exposed to everybody and I wasn’t in a situation where I was tested every day.”

Since his departure from football, Vermeil says, the best thing he did was spend time for a couple of years with a psychologist.

“I learned a lot about myself,” he says. “You know, when I was at the Eagles, I never perceived myself as an NFL head coach. I can remember being so in awe and so nervous in pregame warmups, shaking hands with Tom Landry and Don Shula. I never felt comfortable with those guys. I don’t know if I ever gave myself credit for belonging.”

If he still is bothered by insecurities, he is returning to the game at a time when he will catch no breaks. His predecessor lasted two years. George Seifert, acknowledged as one of the best coaches in the game, was forced out because he could not win the Super Bowl every year.

“We’re gonna get after it, we’re gonna attack and get it done,” Vermeil says.

And if not, someone will take his place in two or three years.

“All I know is, if it doesn’t work here, it will be only one guy’s fault: Dick Vermeil. I have everything I need to be successful--it’s all on me.”

Do you believe in miracles? After all, these are the Rams.

“I remember a time when the Rams were very good,” he says, and this train’s not stopping for anyone.

The NFL’s head coaches from worst to first:

30. Steve Mariucci, San Francisco 49ers: Check his ID. Is he old enough to be with the adults? The 49ers, long considered a model of success, have flipped out. The team forced the game’s winningest coach, George Seifert, to go fishing, ignored Bill Walsh when it came time to draft a quarterback and then put a guy in charge of Steve Young and Jerry Rice who couldn’t even beat Navy.

NFL record: 0-0.

29. Mike Ditka, New Orleans Saints: Da bum ain’t nuttin’ without Buddy Ryan. True, he has the best winning percentage among active coaches, but he had one of the best teams ever assembled in the mid-’80s and won only one Super Bowl.

NFL record: 112-68.

28. Kevin Gilbride, San Diego Chargers: Beware of one-dimensional coaches. Gilbride knows offense and has patterned his approach as a head coach after Tom Coughlin. This week he shut down practices, so reporters climbed a nearby hill and now report the team’s secret plays to the world.

NFL record: 0-0.

27. Dennis Erickson, Seattle Seahawks: He looked so smart coaching all those guys at the University of Miami, so how come he looks so inept now? He has a new owner in Paul Allen, who might want a new coach for his new stadium if team results don’t drastically improve.

NFL record: 15-17.

26. Dave Wannstedt, Chicago Bears: He’s a wannabe Jimmy Johnson looking more and more like Wayne Fontes, which should leave him down the road working again as Johnson’s defensive coordinator. Don’t let this man determine what personnel to sign or draft. Owner Michael McCaskey extended Wannstedt’s contract through 2000, presumably because no one else would work for McCaskey.

NFL record: 33-33.

25. Pete Carroll, New England Patriots: He bombed with the Jets, and when the 49ers were looking for a head coach, they advised Carroll, who was working as defensive coordinator, to start interviewing--elsewhere. He likes to be buddy-buddy with the players, which makes him the anti-Parcells, and probably a loser.

NFL record: 6-10.

24. Barry Switzer, Dallas Cowboys: You were probably wondering what took so long to get to Switzer, but the guy was smart enough to let everyone else do the coaching and win a Super Bowl. As for the gun incident, if you had to hang around with Michael Irvin & Friends, wouldn’t you want to carry a gun too?

NFL record: 39-16.

23. Joe Bugel, Oakland Raiders: Two-four-six-eight, who does Joe appreciate? Anyone Al Davis says. Not to suggest Davis is the devil, but Bugel, former offensive line coach and Arizona head coach, sold his soul and any original thought he might have had to get this job and keep Davis happy.

NFL record: 20-44.

22. Jim Fassel, New York Giants: Too early to get a good read on Arizona’s former offensive whiz, but if he really meant what he said when pumping up Giant quarterback Dave Brown, then turn out the lights, the season’s over.

NFL record: 0-0

21. Ted Marchibroda, Baltimore Ravens: The quarterback wizard made a Pro Bowl player out of Vinny Testaverde, but his team won only four games, which suggests he has a lousy team. There’s no hope in sight, but a new stadium is on the horizon, so Art Modell probably will fire him and find someone who can fill the new building.

NFL record: 77-83.

20. Vince Tobin, Arizona Cardinals: Someone nudge him, please, and see if he’s awake. You get the feeling owner Billy Bidwill would give more dynamic pregame speeches than this guy. His expertise is on defense, but is that any reason to surrender on offense and play Kent Graham?

NFL record: 7-9.

19. Lindy Infante, Indianapolis Colts: An offensive guy, he flopped in a previous stint with Green Bay, and failed to match the magic of Marchibroda last year. But do you think the NFL really wants Indianapolis to ever make it to the Super Bowl?

NFL record: 33-48.

18. Norv Turner, Washington Redskins: Owner Jack Kent Cooke gave Turner a three-year extension, and then died. There was no indication that the events were related, although the Redskins were 7-1 before folding and finishing the season 9-7. Turner’s specialty is offense, so the Redskins finished 28th defensively.

NFL record: 18-30.

17. Jeff Fisher, Tennessee Oilers: There may be no way of getting a fair read on Fisher while Bud Adams continues trolling for more money in Tennessee. Fisher had the Oilers going 6-2 on the road last year, but then couldn’t beat the distractions at home and missed the playoffs.

NFL record: 16-22.

16. Bruce Coslet, Cincinnati Bengals: Stumbled in a previous stint with the Jets, but who doesn’t? Replaced David Shula in fine fashion, and who wouldn’t? He has the offensive pizazz, and a new bag of defensive tricks to shock some people this year.

NFL record: 33-41.

15. Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos: He had no chance with the Raiders in his first head-coaching assignment, but after going 13-3 and getting the home-field advantage for the inside track to the Super Bowl last year, he mishandled the Broncos’ stretch drive. He gets a second chance before Davis can say, “I told you so.”

NFL record: 29-24.

14. Tony Dungy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mr. Defense has done something very few people in Tampa have ever done--win more games than he loses. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers play 16 games and Dungy’s 5-2 mark down the stretch last season gets lost in an overall 6-10 performance.

NFL record: 6-10.

13. Dennis Green, Minnesota Vikings: He can’t win playoff games, has had his share of off-the-field scandals and will probably be looking for a job if the Vikings miss the playoffs. Never mind, there will be people waiting in line to hire him.

NFL record: 47-37.

12. Dom Capers, Carolina Panthers: Looks the part, excels at preparation and just might be the best coach in the game down the road. But he loses points because he’s working for Bill Polian, the executive of the year, and so how much of the success belongs to Capers, and how much to Polian?

NFL record: 20-14.

11. Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville Jaguars: Unlike Capers, Coughlin had to put together an expansion franchise all by himself. Most NFL observers believe that Jacksonville is poised to be a dominant team for years to come. Let’s see how he works without Mark Brunell first.

NFL record: 15-20.

10. Dick Vermeil, St. Louis Rams: Explain the salary cap in 25 words or less. . . . The game has changed, and Vermeil claims so has he. So why is he still in his office at 12:30 a.m.? And the season hasn’t even started.

NFL record: 57-51.

9. Dan Reeves, Atlanta Falcons: Still one of the best coaches in the business in preparing his team for a game and winning with less, but if this guy handicaps horses like he does players, he’s still looking to cash his first winning ticket.

NFL record: 149-113-1.

8. Ray Rhodes, Philadelphia Eagles: The No. 1 candidate to burn out. He has that tough-guy attitude that made his San Francisco defenses so good, but he runs himself ragged and demands the same of his players. And today’s players don’t like that.

NFL record: 21-14.

7. Bobby Ross, Detroit Lions: He’s the game’s best coach in the short term, before players begin to tire of his discipline and college-like enthusiasm. He takes losing too hard, so his life could be miserable in Detroit.

NFL record: 50-36.

6. Marty Schottenheimer, Kansas City Chiefs: He has never had a losing season, and he has never made it to the Super Bowl. To his credit, he has recognized that his conservative approach no longer works, and has agreed to open the offense this year. Hey, anything to get to the Super Bowl.

NFL record: 130-83-1.

5. Marv Levy, Buffalo Bills: Maybe a sentimental pick here, but how do you knock a guy who got his team to four Super Bowls? He lost quarterback Jim Kelly to retirement, and probably should have retired as well if he wants to keep his winning percentage up there.

NFL record: 148-110.

4. Bill Parcells, New York Jets: The best sideshow in football this year will be all those New England Patriots trying to show Parcells they can win without him. Parcells could get the last laugh, and win more games than the Patriots. And then how insufferable would he be?

NFL record: 119-86-1.

3. Jimmy Johnson, Miami Dolphins: Hands down, the best coach to judge personnel, a budding general manager who is probably one year away from trying to put together the kind of run he enjoyed in Dallas. Wouldn’t a Dallas-Miami Super Bowl be just a hoot?

NFL record: 59-45.

2. Mike Holmgren, Green Bay Packers: The guy is so impressive, and probably has done his best work since the conclusion of the Super Bowl. He threw away $400,000 by refusing to do his TV show, hoping to set an example for his players in avoiding distractions.

NFL record: 58-32.

1. Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers: They keep taking away his players, and all he does is coach what they give him and keep them in contention every year. He embodies the city he represents, and stalks the sidelines like a man who is going to squeeze every ounce of energy out of every one of his players. And he still looks as if he’s having fun.

NFL record: 57-32.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Teams With New Coaches

* Falcons: Dan Reeves

* Lions: Bobby Ross

* Raiders: Joe Bugel

* Patriots: Pete Carroll

* Saints: Mike Ditka

* Giants: Jim Fassel

* Jets: Bill Parcells

* Rams: Dick Vermeil

* Chargers: Kevin Gilbride