Hugh Campbell's time with Houston Oilers

[74_75_78_79_]

What was the reasoning behind he being dismissed after just two seasons? He being brought onboard I'm sure enough had to do with Warren Moon's singing being he was his HC up north, winning 5-straight Grey Cups with Edmonton (and here his son, a Grey Cup winner himself two years ago, was coaching the RedBlacks yet again in a GC tonight - up in...Edmonton).

After that 0-10 start in '84 in his first season onboard, Campbell did lead Houston to 3 wins in their last 6 games, then was 5-9 into '85 before being let go with two games remaining. Usually that would be enough to warrant yet a third season. This is especially when you consider that he took over the absolute worst team in the league '82/'83. I'm guessing he and Bud had a disagreement.

[BD Sullivan]

The Oilers had lost four of the previous five games, but the big reason for the firing was that he and GM Ladd Herzeg didn't get along. Herzeg had been ripping the offense for almost a year about being "unimaginative" and "erratic."

[Bryan]

I'd guess that Jerry Glanville did some behind-the-scenes work/backstabbing to get Campbell out of the picture. How often does a DC who fields the 26th and 23rd ranked defense wind up with the Head Coaching job in his third year?

[74_75_78_79_]

Thanks, BD. Campbell is simply one of those "we'll never know" coaches. Dismissed, or left, before that third (do-or-die) year onboard. He, Bud Wilkinson, Dick McPherson, Al Groh, Nick Saban, Rob Chudzinski, etc...maybe some of them wouldn't have had success anyway, but again we'll never know.

Glanville "behind the scenes", Bryan? Wouldn't be too much a shocker.

[7DnBrnc53]

I'd guess that Jerry Glanville did some behind-the-scenes work/backstabbing to get Campbell out of the picture. How often does a DC who fields the 26th and 23rd ranked defense wind up with the Head Coaching job in his third year?

Wouldn't be surprised. Maybe Glanville was telling Bud that Campbell wasn't working hard enough or something (I heard that about Campbell).

[Todd Pence]

I would have kept Campbell and gotten rid of Glanville.

[BD Sullivan]

Of course, Herzeg showed himself to be a first-class lowlife as a deadbeat dad. Here's a 1994 Chicago Tribune article on his alleged whereabouts at the time:

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct- ... story.html

Glanville knew how to BS, while Campbell quietly did his job.

[Bryan]

The Oilers had lost four of the previous five games, but the big reason for the firing was that he and GM Ladd Herzeg didn't get along. Herzeg had been ripping the offense for almost a year about being "unimaginative" and "erratic."

Yeah, the 'unimaginative offense' criticism from Herzeg was constant, but was probably unjust. Herzeg didn't do much in the way of supplying Campbell with any skill position players. The only reason that Warren Moon signed with Houston was because his CFL coach was Hugh Campbell (the Seahawks were supposedly the front-runner to sign Moon), and in some sense the only reason the Oilers made Hugh Campbell their HC was to get Warren Moon. Kind of strange for Herzeg/the Oilers to invest so heavily in Moon and give him a pretty terrible set of WRs/TEs.

It seemed like the Oilers thought Earl Campbell had more seasons left in him after 1983. I've read that before they acquired Pete Johnson to replace Chuck Muncie, the Chargers offered James Brooks and their 1st round pick (which turned out to be #6 overall) to the Oilers in exchange for Earl Campbell, but the Oilers declined. The Oilers probably should have made that trade, but regardless its weird that Herzeg wanted Earl Campbell to be the offensive centerpiece yet at the same time want an 'imaginative' offense.

Lastly, Glanville made a comment that Hugh Campbell was a good coach "if the football field was the size of Texas", but Glanville himself was 0-2 in his interim games with one of the losses being a blowout to the 4-11 Colts. I guess the Oilers were all set to hire Dick Coury from the Breakers, but at the last minute the Oilers had a change of heart and gave the job to Glanville. That may have been the best option in retrospect; its not like Campbell or Coury went on to have future success in the NFL, and Glanville kind of let Warren Moon run the offensive show in Houston.

[JohnH19]

Ironic that Glanville is now the DC of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Now he has to teach guys how to play defense on our Texas-size football fields here in the Great White North.