Ravens need to be right, not quick

The last papal conclave lasted just two days.

The Supreme Court needed less time than that to settle Bush vs. Gore.

And a well-placed source indicates the Earth might have been created in as few as six days.

So why is it that nearly a week has passed and the Ravens still don't have a new head coach?!

Chillax, Ravens fan. This isn't the pope or the leader of the Free World or the only planet in the universe known to sustain life. We're talking about an NFL coach here; you don't rush into these things!

As the process slowly plays out, fans, NFL observers, team officials and potential candidates should all remember that patience is the wisest of virtues in a coaching search. Put simply, a bad hire can set back a franchise several years, and since the Ravens last combed the NFL's landscape in search of a new head coach, the bad hires have outnumbered the good.

Consider this: 29 teams have had to hire a new coach since the Ravens were last involved in a head coaching search. In all, there have been 63 head coaches hired since then. Thirty-six of those coaches have already come and gone, and only 31 managed to lead their new team into the postseason.

The total number who've hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy? Just three.

Mix in the fact that this will be owner Steve Bisciotti's first head coaching hire, and no one should expect the Ravens to rush through the process. Bisciotti knows replacing a coach is hardly a cure-all for an aimless franchise. Since taking over majority ownership in 2004, he has watched fellow owners grasp at straws, hire big names, court eager assistants and chase after accomplished college coaches.

But there's no sure-fire formula. A team needs the perfect fit, and finding that typically takes time.

Even what might seem like easy decisions were hardly finger-snap deals. The New England Patriots interviewed Gary Crowton, Marvin Lewis, Steve Sidwell and Willie Shaw before talking with Bill Belichick. And before the Indianapolis Colts hired Tony Dungy, they first interviewed Ted Cottrell and considered Greg Blache.

Just think back about five dozen NFL head coaches ago, when Brian Billick brought his headset from Minnesota to Baltimore. That process dragged out for 22 days.