One of the hottest trends in the NFL is the move toward younger and younger coaches. Be it Eric Mangini and Lane Kiffin running the entire show or Josh McDaniels calling the plays for the Patriots offense, the young coach with responsibility is the bleeding edge of NFL coaching. Mike Klis of the Denver Post isn't missing out on this trend.High above the Black Hole in a cramped coaches box, a kid named Jeremy Bates, young enough to be Mike Shanahan's son, will call down the Broncos' first offensive play of the 2008 season.Now Bates, 31, certainly fits the bill as a young gun. Klis, however, misses the mark. For one thing, Shanahan's son is younger than Bates. And, for another, much more crucial difference, Kyle Shanahan is actually an offensive coordinator. He'll run that unit for the Houston Texans this season.
Bates will indeed call the plays down to Mike Shanahan's headset but that may have more to do a lyrical tenor voice fit for La Scala than actually being the guy choosing them. Bates is actually the quarterbacks coach in Denver (and has been for more than a year, sssshhh). He will help create the Denver game plan, obviously, but Rick Dennison is actually the team's offensive coordinator. But, gosh, Bates sure is young!
Other than the central premise being wrong, it's a fine article about the young coach movement. Well, except for the way it ends.
Plus, in the ever-changing NFL world, a bridge between Bon Jovi and Bow Wow can't hurt.If you say so, buddy.
