It was announced yesterday that Louis Riddick will be interviewed for the Steelers soon to be vacant general manager’s job. This brings the list of outside candidates interviewed to five, along with the two internal interviews. The possible Louis Riddick Steelers marriage has been the biggest hit on social media by a wide margin however. This is likely due to his having attended Pitt, and being the most widely recognizable as a television personality. There are several things to be concerned about with this possible hire however. Let’s go over the pros and cons of the Louis Riddick resume:
The Pros:
There’s no questioning that Louis Riddick is an intelligent, and articulate candidate. He also boasts an extensive background in NFL front offices. He started out as a pro scout for the Washington Redskins where he quickly moved up to Director of Pro Personnel by 2005. From there he would eventually hold the same title in Philadelphia from 2010-2013. The Eagles were exactly 32-32 during this span, but did have two playoff appearances in the four seasons.
Since then Riddick has been one of the main NFL contributors for ESPN. He has served several roles there including draft analysis, and spots on various NFL shows for the network. His most recent work has been as a commentator for Monday Night Football.
Louis Riddick is well respected in NFL circles. He combines an eight year career as a player, with ten years in NFL front offices. This is a man who seemed well on his way to a general manager’s position until he switched gears to work in television.
The Cons:
The arguments against Louis Riddick are pretty self evident. He has been out of the loop for nearly a decade now, despite working as an analyst for the league. Giving opinions on tv is far different than making decisions that shape a franchise. The NFL has changed dramatically since the last time Riddick held a job in the league. Coaches often comment on how hard it is to jump back in after being away for just a few seasons.
Then there’s the fact that Louis Riddick has no prior experience being an NFL general manager. It is quite a large leap from Director of Pro Scouting to all the things that go into being a general manager. The two factors against Riddick alone are not deal breakers, but when combined together make this a really tough hire.
The Verdict:
We are not really sure where the interest the Steelers have in Louis Riddick comes from. The team has long been rumored to be keeping this hire in house. https://steelersnow.com/rooney-gm-candidate-brandon-hunt-knows-the-steelers-way/
It’s clear the Steelers are doing their due diligence in the hire of the next general manager. With so many outstanding candidates currently holding jobs in the league, it’s hard to see this team coming to the conclusion that Louis Riddick is the best choice for the job. We have seen these type of candidates fail all too often. The Matt Millens and Mike Mayocks of the world should serve as warnings about hiring people who have spent long periods of time out of the league. Louis Riddick has enough of a resume for an interview, but that’s where it should end.
Agree with the assessment. Forgot about Millens, who was a disaster, but Mayock definitely came to mind the minute I saw Riddick was being considered. As you touched on, assessing players from a TV studio, and being part of the player personnel team, are far different than managing contracts, working the salary cap, being a liaison between the HC and owner(s), swinging trades, and playing in the free agency market. A number 2 guy (or gal if there is one currently working in that capacity) would be a far better target.