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Jeff Fisher will coach the St. Louis Rams next season, a league source tells ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Fisher does not have a contract with the Rams and now must work one out. As of Friday afternoon, sources insisted both sides had not discussed any contract figures, but had reached a verbal agreement.
Fisher also was a strong candidate to fill the Miami Dolphins' opening. At one point Wednesday night, one source said it was "80-20" that Fisher would choose Miami over St. Louis as his next job.
However, the Dolphins and Fisher could not agree on the structure of the organization, league sources said. Fisher was willing to make some compromises, but the Dolphins wanted general manager Jeff Ireland to remain as the No. 1 man in the organization, and ultimately, it helped unseal any potential deal with the Dolphins, according to the sources.
Fisher sat out the entire 2011 season after being fired by the Tennessee Titans in January. He had served as coach of the franchise for 16 full seasons, including before the Titans moved from Houston to Tennessee. He led the Titans within a yard of winning the 2000 Super Bowl.
St. Louis is replacing coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney after a 2-14 season.
St. Louis' offer may have trumped Miami's for several reasons. The Rams have former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford at quarterback, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft and a favorable salary-cap situation. In addition, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff is the son of Fisher's agent, Marvin Demoff.
Fisher had only six winning seasons with the Titans franchise, and a succession of 8-8 finishes prompted detractors to deride him as "Coach .500" or "Coacho Ocho." His most recent playoff victory came in January 2004, and his most recent winning record was in 2008 when the Titans squandered the No. 1 seed in the AFC by losing in the divisional round.
But Fisher led his team to at least 12 wins four times, and his career record is 142-120 (.542). He coached more games for one franchise than all but six coaches, all Hall of Famers.
The Dolphins now will turn to other candidates. They've interviewed Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub, and Todd Bowles, Miami's interim coach for the final three games after Tony Sparano was fired.
Source: AP
Fisher does not have a contract with the Rams and now must work one out. As of Friday afternoon, sources insisted both sides had not discussed any contract figures, but had reached a verbal agreement.
Fisher also was a strong candidate to fill the Miami Dolphins' opening. At one point Wednesday night, one source said it was "80-20" that Fisher would choose Miami over St. Louis as his next job.
However, the Dolphins and Fisher could not agree on the structure of the organization, league sources said. Fisher was willing to make some compromises, but the Dolphins wanted general manager Jeff Ireland to remain as the No. 1 man in the organization, and ultimately, it helped unseal any potential deal with the Dolphins, according to the sources.
Fisher sat out the entire 2011 season after being fired by the Tennessee Titans in January. He had served as coach of the franchise for 16 full seasons, including before the Titans moved from Houston to Tennessee. He led the Titans within a yard of winning the 2000 Super Bowl.
St. Louis is replacing coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney after a 2-14 season.
St. Louis' offer may have trumped Miami's for several reasons. The Rams have former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford at quarterback, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft and a favorable salary-cap situation. In addition, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff is the son of Fisher's agent, Marvin Demoff.
Fisher had only six winning seasons with the Titans franchise, and a succession of 8-8 finishes prompted detractors to deride him as "Coach .500" or "Coacho Ocho." His most recent playoff victory came in January 2004, and his most recent winning record was in 2008 when the Titans squandered the No. 1 seed in the AFC by losing in the divisional round.
But Fisher led his team to at least 12 wins four times, and his career record is 142-120 (.542). He coached more games for one franchise than all but six coaches, all Hall of Famers.
The Dolphins now will turn to other candidates. They've interviewed Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub, and Todd Bowles, Miami's interim coach for the final three games after Tony Sparano was fired.
Source: AP