What Mike Scioscia Stepping Down Would Mean For Bill Belichick
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have not enjoyed tremendous success over the past decade. They have not won a postseason game since 2009, and when they miss the postseason this year it will mark eight out of the last nine years that the Angels have missed out on a postseason berth. Going back a bit further, the Angels have won only two postseason series ever since they won a World Series back in 2002.
Through it all, the one constant has always been manager Mike Scioscia. That, however, may change soon.
A report from Ken Rosenthal surfaced over the weekend, stating that Scioscia planned to step down as manager of the Angels at the conclusion of this season. Considering he's in the final year of his 10-year contract, and considering the Angels are 11 games under .500 since 2015, this wouldn't qualify as shocking, if not for Scioscia's long tenure on the job.
Scioscia, though, has pushed back on the report, calling it "poppycock." Bob Nightengale has since reported that Scioscia had hoped to keep his intentions a secret until the end of the year. So the veracity of that report won't be known for some time -- likely at season's end.
But if it does turn out to be true, it would move Patriots head coach Bill Belichick up a peg on the list of longest-tenured coaches who are active across the four major professional sports.
Currently Belichick, who was hired in January of 2000, ranks third on that list. Mike Scioscia was hired by the Angels in November of 1999, giving him a couple of months over Belichick at the moment.
Far ahead of both men is Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who as general manager named himself head coach of the Spurs in December of 1996. He's held on to the job since then, and he's fared quite well.
After Popovich, the longest-tenured NBA coach is Erik Spoelstra, who was hired by the Heat in 2008. In the NFL behind Belichick, it's Marvin Lewis, who was hired by the Bengals in 2003. In MLB, once Scioscia steps away, it'll be Bruce Bochy, who was hired by the Giants in October of 2006. And in the NHL, the longest-tenured coach is Chicago's Joel Quenneville, who's been on the job since 2008.
But when (if?) Scioscia steps away this fall, the 66-year-old Belichick will trail only the 69-year-old Popovich as the longest-tenured professional coach in North American sports.
