Jim Bates (American football coach)

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Jim Bates

Date of Birth	May 31, 1946
Birthplace	Pontiac, Michigan
Current position	None
Current Team	None
Previous Team	Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl wins as a coach	0
Years as NFL Player	0
Years as a Coach	37
Years as an NFL coach	14
Years with Current Team	None
Win-Loss Ratio	3-4

Jim Bates (born May 31, 1946 in Pontiac, Michigan) is an American football coach. He has coached at the college, USFL, and NFL ranks for close to 40 years. His first head coaching job in the NFL came in 2004 when he was named interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins following the resignation of Dave Wannstedt. He went 3-4 (including a victory over the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots) with the underachieving Dolphins. When new head coach Nick Saban took over the team, it soon became clear that Bates was not part of his plans, and he took over the defensive coordinator job with the Green Bay Packers. When Mike Sherman was fired by Packers General Manager Ted Thompson on January 2, 2006, Bates was offered the opportunity to interview for the head coaching position in Green Bay. His interview was on January 10, but he was informed the next day that the organization would be hiring Mike McCarthy instead. Bates took the news very hard. McCarthy met with Bates on January 15 in hopes of convincing him to stay with the organization. However, after two meetings between McCarthy and Bates, the team announced on January 16 that they would be parting ways. He is currently pursuing a number of coaching positions within the NFL.

Bates' defensive scheme uses the defensive tackles to plug the middle, with the defensive ends pressuring the quarterback. Special emphasis is on the linebackers, as short, speedy LB's are especially fitted for this format. Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor are among the players Bates developed in Miami. He is well-liked among players for being a demanding, yet fair and hands-on coach.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, he now lives in Oneida, Wisconsin. His son, Jeremy, is the quarterbacks coach for the New York Jets.

Source: [1]

Preceded by Dave Wannstedt

Miami Dolphins Head Coach 2004 (interim)

Succeeded by Nick Saban

Miami Dolphins Head Coaches
Wilson • Shula • Johnson • Wannstedt • Bates • Saban