Originally touted as an offensive genius at the beginning of this decade, Mike Mularkey has rightfully lost that moniker and is approaching "bust" status as a coach.
By examining his track record one thing becomes clear. If past events predict future results, the Atlanta Falcons are in trouble offensively.
Mike Mularkey first became offensive coordinator in 2001 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was promoted from tights ends coach and replaced Kevin Gilbride and had his best statistical year as a coach. The Pittsburgh Steelers were ranked 3rd offensively in his first year as offensive coordinator and made the playoffs.
They were ranked 18th the previous year.
The following year, 2002, the Steelers were still excellent offensively, but slipped a bit to 5th. In 2003, the Steelers entered a free fall offensively and dropped all the way to 22nd, missing the playoffs. Mularkey began to be characterized as a coach that used predictable formations and was way too quick to abandon the run. He became reliant on the gimmick or trick play as opposed to sound play calling.
Mularkey still had a great deal of buzz and was touted as one of the up and coming new coaches in spite of the Pittsburgh offensive rankings and not making the playoffs in 2003.
He used that buzz to land the head coaching job in Buffalo, with the Bills. He replaced the fired Gregg Williams, after Williams posted back-to-back 5-11 seasons. His first year as coach in 2004, the Bills after an 0-4 start, reeled off six straight wins and finished just out of the playoffs at 9-7 after getting beat by Mularkey’s former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers back ups in week 17.
The offense for the year ended up ranked 25th up from the previous years ranking of 30th. The offensive coordinator the year before Mularkey got there?
Kevin Gilbride.
So, in the two instances in his career where Mularkey raised an offense's ranking statistically, it was done in his first year as coach and he was replacing Gilbride both times.
In 2005, the Bills dropped offensively from 25th to 28th and his handling and development of JP Losman as the quarterback to replace Drew Bledsoe is laughable at best.
Ask any Bills fan about how they feel about the job Mularkey did with Losman, and you will get an answer that will most likely force you to ask small children to leave the room to spare them the obscenity laced tirade.
Mularkey waffled back and forth and sat Losman in favor of journeyman Kelly Holcomb. Citing differences with the direction of the Bills after team President and General Manager, Tom Donahoe was fired, Mularkey quit the Bills before the start of 2006 season.
In 2006, Mularkey landed in Miami as offensive coordinator and the Dolphins promptly dropped from 14th to 20th in offensive rankings. Mularkey did not have the luxury of replacing Kevin Gilbride to inflate his first year numbers. He was then demoted to tight ends coach in 2007 before being fired at the end of the season.
7 comments Last one added 2 months ago — Leave a Comment
Smith Vincent about 1 year ago
i highly doubt Mike Mularkey will be successful. also, you have a pic of Scott Linehan posted instead of Mularkey.
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Screw This Guy about 1 year ago
How can you write an article about a guy and then put up the wrong picture. Looks to me like you might be the one who really sucks at his job.
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john spencer about 1 year ago
i agree this article is pretty retarded
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Andrew Browne about 1 year ago
Sorry about the picture guys, first article, it was in a bank of Mularkey pictures, my bad.
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Ben Brown 8 months ago
Though you make some sound points and I can forgive the photo mistake, I think you are making comparisons to situations that differ greatly from what they have in Atlanta right now. First of all Atlanta has a solid number 1 QB, Matt Ryan, and no one, including Mularkey, will ever get that owner to allow him to be benched. I also think Atlanta is has pretty low expectations for the team at first and perhaps that will allow Mularkey to have some room to grow into the job a little, though they are winning now and that might move the time table up some and possibly create pressure. Most of all I think that this team is under such scrutiny both by the fans and the front office, the first sign that Mularkey isn't doing the job I think they will pull the plug. They simply do not have the luxury of allowing him to falter. If and when he does I think both Blank and the rest of that staff will act quickly to make a change. Things are going surprisingly well right now and I don't think they will let a bad OC or any coach mess that up. Besides, maybe he'll live up to the previously held opinion of him and finally get it right. I certainly don't think anyone can complain right now...
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john simmons 8 months ago
Looks like your retarted. number 2 rushing team in the NFl with a bunch of nobody linemen. Im pretty sure you have to watch sports to write articles about them dumb ass
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J Johnson 2 months ago
yea i guess this article was a miss, huh? this just goes to show that most people haven't a clue. there is just too much info to work through and guys like this live on generalizations.
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