Saints' Haslett Named Coach of Year
N E W Y O R K, Jan. 6 -- In the Year of the Coach, the job Jim Haslettdid in New Orleans was the most outstanding.
Haslett, in his first season coaching the Saints, beat a strongfield to win The Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award,announced today.
Building a Contending Team From a Mess
Haslett, who took over a perennially underachieving team thathad reached rock bottom and turned it into the NFC West champion,easily beat Philadelphia’s Andy Reid in balloting by a nationwidepanel of 50 sports writers and broadcaster who cover pro football.
“Guys that had been here a long time, that had never won, neverhad a winning season, that takes a toll on you,” said Haslett, whostepped into the mess Mike Ditka created. “The franchise wasn’t in great shape, after four bad years.
“I think the No. 1 thing we had to do was get them on boardwith what we were trying to do, and that was to build a team and anorganization that people could be proud of … to try to changepeople’s thinking inside by learning how to win, learning how todeal with adversity, learning how to deal with success. It wasn’teasy.
“I don’t think we’re where we want to be yet, but I think we have a good start, a good foundation,” added Haslett, whose Saints went 10-6 to supplant the defending NFL champion St. Louis Rams inthe NFC West.
New Orleans then beat St. Louis last week for its firstpostseason victory, earning a spot against Minnesota in Saturday’splayoffs.
“We’ve set a standard already, and now everyone has to live upto it,” Haslett said.
Free Agency Helped Saints
There wasn’t much to live up to in New Orleans. For threedecades, the Saints generally have been tailenders. Ditka tradedhis entire 1999 draft and some of the team’s 2000 selections to getrunning back Ricky Williams.
Haslett, a former NFL linebacker, was the defensive coordinatorin Pittsburgh before being hired by new Saints general managerRandy Mueller to replace Ditka. Together, they spent wisely in freeagency and brought in 32 players.
