I've always wondered about Pepper's lack of advancement under Bill. I think he has a ceiling and position coach is it. Being a coordinator is a whole other kettle of fish, much like some great coordinators simply aren't equipped or built to be head coaches. If he wants it Bill won't stand in his way because he doesn't want frustrated coaches who feel they have maxed out on his staff because he fears those guys tend to become stale, but it might not be a great long term career move. Coughlin is on pretty thin ice in NY again, as he was up until the tail end of 2007... Because they extended him in the aftermath of that 12-4 2008 season and there is a lockout looming he won't be gone this season, but he could be after 2010 unless that team really gets it's act together. I think some of the veteran players on defense, and specifically Strahan, and a supurb young DC who hung around for a year until he saw Coughlin wasn't leaving, had a lot more to do with that team coming together than Coughlin did.
Maybe he felt he could have gone with Pioli or Josh had they not chosen to not raid the mother ship... Even to Atlanta. Everyone who leaves here is trying to replicate the system and run a 3-4 as well. But then again, Pioli still has a need and unless RAC is a given that would be a better landing place for Pepper unless Pioli had the same ceiling assessment. The Rat could have made a move on him but he never did either as far as I recall.
