In a league where ridiculous reigns, this is even beyond the most ridiculous thing we’ve seen around the NFL world in some time. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has done a tremendous job since taking over this unit midway through last season.
How good has Cooter been? He’s turned the previously struggling Matthew Stafford into a legitimate MVP candidate. And with Detroit on the verge of potentially clinching a playoff spot, its offensive coordinator has become a hot head coaching candidate.
Unfortunately for Cooter, it appears that his name could potentially hold him back from reaching that ultimate goal.
No, really.
“Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter could be held back by his name, believe it or not, in this crazy corporate league as I talk to more execs about him,” CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported on Wednesday.”
That’s about as absurd as it gets.
How would a team be able to justify passing up on such a hot candidate simply because his name makes it sound like he came from the back roads of Arkansas? That’s about the dumbest thing we’ve heard around the NFL in some time now.
Realistically, there are other aspects of his candidacy that could hold Cooter back. First off, he’s just 32 years old. That would make him the youngest head coach in the NFL. Secondly, Cooter first taste as even a coordinator in either the college or professional level came with Detroit last season.
Those are concrete reasons for teams to potentially avoid him. His name surely isn’t.