Seahawks fire OC Bates after one season
Posted January 18, 2011 8:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RENTON, Wash. — Jeremy Bates was fired on Tuesday as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive co-ordinator, ending a rocky one-year return to the NFL for Bates during which the Seahawks ranked among the worst offences in the NFL.
Bates was let go after Seattle’s offence finished the regular season ranked 28th in the league. The Seahawks finally displayed some offensive punch in their 41-36 playoff upset of New Orleans, but reverted to the same struggling unit last Sunday in their season-ending 35-24 loss at Chicago.
NFL Network first reported Bates’ dismissal and it was later confirmed by the team. Head coach Pete Carroll is scheduled to hold a season-ending news conference on Wednesday morning.
Bates was one of the coaches Carroll hand-picked to come along from Southern California and help in his return to the NFL. And Bates’ past seemed to indicate potential success with the Seahawks. In 2008, Bates served as quarterbacks coach in Denver when Jay Cutler was a Pro Bowl selection and threw for more than 4,500 yards.
When Josh McDaniels came in as Denver’s new head coach, Bates left to become Carroll’s offensive co-ordinator at USC, then followed Carroll to Seattle.
But Seattle’s offence was a season-long struggle. It started in training camp when offensive line coach Alex Gibbs abruptly retired just days before the season opener. A lack of continuity was a common theme for Seattle’s offensive line that went through 10 different incarnations during the season.
It all led to a general inability to run, which was the biggest flaw of Seattle’s offence. The Seahawks averaged just 89 yards per game rushing, 31st in the league, and barely avoided being the worst running team in franchise history. Bates was also criticized for some of his calls in the passing game, despite putting together an excellent game plan in the Seahawks’ upset of New Orleans where quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw for a playoff career-high four touchdowns.
If Hasselbeck returns to Seattle — he is an unrestricted free agent — he’ll be playing for his fourth offensive co-ordinator in four years.
Bates becomes the fourth vacancy on the Seahawks staff. Quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch left to become offensive co-ordinator at the University of Miami, defensive line coach Dan Quinn moved on to be defensive co-ordinator at Florida and Jerry Gray is going to Texas to be the Longhorns’ assistant head coach in charge of defensive backs.
