In his heart of hearts, Nolan probably knows he shouldn't have turned down that coaching offer from former Tampa GM Phil Esposito shortly after Buffalo said goodbye. Since then, he keeps striking out. They asked if Nolan should get another chance. I said yes. But some general manager has to have faith in him.
Coaches have to fit the organization.
I've heard people say he's been blackballed. Nolan has a lot of good coaching qualities, Muckler says, the least of which is his ability to get the most out of his players. He can motivate. When he came to us, I told him we were going to be in a transition. That meant a long-range plan.