NFL Coaches File Brief That Backs Players, Requests Court to End Lockout

by Jeff Howe on Wed, May 25, 2011 at 5:26PM

The NFL's coaches have come to the defense of their players on the 75th day of the lockout.

The Coaches Association filed a brief to the Eighth Circuit of Appeals on Wednesday that backed the NFLPA in its request for the courts to end the lockout. The Eighth Circuit will hold its appeal hearing June 3 to decide whether or not to keep the lockout in place.

The coaches cited irreparable harm in the brief, noting that an unusual amount of head coaches were hired this offseason, and they desperately need this offseason to help prepare their teams. Without voluntary workouts, rookie camps and organized team activities, teams have already lost 10 weeks of offseason training programs at their facilities. If the lockout stretches into mid-June, which is expected, teams will lose their regularly scheduled minicamps, too.

Eight of the NFL's 32 teams hired new head coaches this offseason. Seven of them will be NFL head coaches for the first time, including Jason Garrett (Dallas) and Leslie Frazier (Minnesota), who were interim head coaches for part of the 2010 season.

The coaches had been largely quiet throughout the work stoppage until Wednesday. With the fear of slow starts from a lack of offseason team building and the owners' quick trigger to fire coaches with losing records, the NFLCA has a legitimate gripe with the lockout.