[SmootSmack]

As Steve Spurrier mulls a return to Gator Nation, we're starting to hear that he has not ruled out a return to the NFL, as surprising as that may sound to the skeptics who watched his 5-11 and 7-9 seasons as coach of the Washington Redskins.

So, has the NFL ruled out Spurrier? Maybe not.

"I do think Steve could be successful in the NFL," said Rich McKay, general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. "I would expect I'm not alone in thinking that way."

He's not alone, if you count Ron Wolf, the former Green Bay Packers general manager who most recently has had some flirtations with the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins as a "consultant."

"Would I hire him? Yes, I think I would," said Wolf. "Now I'd have to do my due diligence and, No.1, find out what happened in Washington, as to why it didn't work there."

McKay and Wolf both tried to hire Spurrier. McKay actually got Spurrier to say "yes" to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996 before the Florida coach changed his mind in a 4 a.m. telephone call to the Bucs' GM. Wolf couldn't quite convince Spurrier to consider the Green Bay Packers after he fired Ray Rhodes and hired Mike Sherman.

Both men had similar analyses of why Spurrier failed with the Redskins – they think his support staff, mostly on the coaching side, was short of the mark.

"I know this – I saw what he put together in Washington (with a coaching staff) and I knew it wouldn't work," said Wolf. "He needs somebody to help him with that. If he got that right, there's no question he would succeed. He's too smart not to succeed."

McKay agreed, saying, "I think Steve would be quick to learn from (his Redskins' failures) and figure out what he needs in a surrounding cast to be successful in the NFL. I'm not saying that to take a shot at (Redskins owner) Daniel Snyder. I know Steve. When he first took the Florida job, it took him a little while to figure out who he wanted as assistants. Once he got that, it was over."

Another team executive who wanted to be anonymous thinks Spurrier "had no shot in Washington. He needs the right owner and the right front office so he can focus on what he does best – coach. I know Snyder gave him a lot of money and he supported him, but it wasn't a good fit."

Even though Spurrier has been basically invisible since he resigned as the Redskins' coach last December, one friend said it would not be farfetched to say Spurrier has been "encouraged" by the struggles of Joe Gibbs' second run in Washington.

"He's not rooting for Joe to fall on his face," said the friend. "But you can bet he feels like it wasn't just him who was the problem."

There's a fairly strong consensus that Spurrier was not overmatched on the sidelines, as some of the skeptics maintained.

"Are you kidding?" asked Wolf. "You don't overmatch this guy."

After all, Spurrier was the last coach to beat Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

McKay basically thinks if Spurrier had been at one of the three Florida NFL franchises – Jacksonville, Miami or Tampa Bay – he would have given the pro game more time and eventually nailed it. He didn't exactly call Spurrier a fish out of water, but everyone knows it is less stressful to be, say, a U.S. Senator in Washington than the head coach of the Redskins.

"It's one of the most popular and recognizable franchises in all of sports, and it's just a tough place to coach," said McKay.

Well, if Spurrier is so smart, why didn't he know that going in?

For one, Snyder's timing was right. Spurrier had begun to feel unappreciated at Florida. He always had wondered whether "his way" would work in the NFL, and when he saw Mike Martz's aerial circus give everyone fits with the St. Louis Rams, it stirred his competitive juices for the pro game. Snyder's unprecedented $5 million a year offer was too much to turn down in 2002.

Ironically, Spurrier probably would have jumped at a chance to coach Jacksonville if Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, who had just fired Tom Coughlin, had made a competitive offer during the same time Spurrier was negotiating with Snyder. But Weaver wanted to honor the league process of searching for a coach, and he ultimately settled on Jack Del Rio.

Del Rio over Spurrier? Many Jaguars fans were appalled. Not now. But that doesn't mean Spurrier would have failed in Jacksonville as he failed in Washington.

McKay also believes Spurrier had a similar transition to that of McKay's father, John McKay, who went from college football power Southern Cal to become the Buccaneers' first head coach. Managing pro players is different than managing college guys.

"I know in Dad's case, it took a couple of years to figure out what a pro player is versus a college player," said McKay. "I was not surprised there was a learning curve for Steve. I think he has gained more knowledge about the pro guys. I wouldn't underestimate Steve. That would be a mistake."

We may never know Spurrier's full potential as an NFL coach. Florida may prove to be too tempting. Then again, if he decides against a Gator sequel, don't necessarily dismiss a rematch with the pro game, especially if the Dolphins come calling, which is a longshot.

"Would it surprise me if he passed on Florida to take another a shot (at the NFL)? No," replied Wolf. "The other thing about (Spurrier) is he is as competitive as anybody you'll ever meet. He doesn't like failure. He may want to finish what he started if the right job came along."