Fisher Falls Short in USFL Debut

The former Tennessee Titans coach directed a second-half comeback by the Michigan Panthers that fell short against the Houston Gamblers.

Marvin Gentry/USA Today Sports

Jeff Fisher did not have to get back into coaching. It was his choice.

How successful he will be in this latest step in his career is not as easy to determine.

Fisher’s Michigan Panthers lost 17-12 to the Houston Gamblers in a game delayed by weather issues Sunday, the second day of play in the reimagined United States Football League. Michigan cut a 17-point halftime deficit to five early in the fourth quarter, but a potential game-winning drive ended with a failed fourth-down pass to the end zone with nine seconds remaining.

The Panthers had a 363-174 edge in total offense and held the ball for nearly 37 minutes. However, they were minus-2 in turnover ratio (3-1), and the game’s first touchdown was a 95-yard fumble return by Houston.

"I have a place in my heart for this game, but more importantly, it's an opportunity for me to help young players realize their dream, and then in addition to that, help young coaches further their careers," Fisher told The Detroit News last week ahead of the game. "And then in doing so, I get to get back on the sidelines doing what I absolutely love doing. It's not like I need to do this, I chose to do this.”

The start is nothing new. Fisher lost his first game as Houston Oilers interim head coach in 1994 but eventually set franchise records for longevity and wins, and he took the team to its only Super Bowl appearance. He also lost his first game in charge of the Rams in 2012 but won three of his next four.

At 64 years old, Fisher is in charge of a football team for the first time since he was fired as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams with three games to play in the 2016 NFL season. He spent last season as an advisor to Eddie George at Tennessee State University and in between was an executive with the short-lived Alliance of American Football.

With the USFL, he is in charge of a club that has a limited roster (38 players plus a seven-man practice squad) and coaching staff (seven assistants). For this season, all teams are based in and all games on the 10-week schedule will be played at Birmingham, Ala. Plus, there are some experimental rules in place.

None of the players in the USFL are under contract with NFL franchises.

"It didn't come out of the blue," Fisher said of his return to coaching. "I've entertained a lot of different options over the last four, five years, and this one, from a timing standpoint, ended up being just perfect.

"This isn't about me. It's about the league and it's about our team."

A team that will have to wait at least until its second game to get its first win.