2013 College Football Coaching Carousel

[Duvall]

Mack Brown stepping down at Texas. (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10138466/mack-brown-resigns-coach-texas-longhorns)

The highest-paid public employees in a few states are going to get even richer pretty soon.

[FerryFor50]

Will be interesting hearing how many big, splashy names get tossed around, but all declining to take the job. Saban already said no. Fisher likely won't bolt.

Do we all get to witness how the Texas football coaching job is one of the more overrated positions out there?

[Duvall]

Will be interesting hearing how many big, splashy names get tossed around, but all declining to take the job. Saban already said no. Fisher likely won't bolt.

Do we all get to witness how the Texas football coaching job is one of the more overrated positions out there?

Nah, I'm sure Texas Athletic Director Oliver Luck can get a big name.

[FerryFor50]

Nah, I'm sure Texas Athletic Director Oliver Luck can get a big name.

Perhaps, but it won't be one of their top few choices...

[OldPhiKap]

Will be interesting hearing how many big, splashy names get tossed around, but all declining to take the job. Saban already said no. Fisher likely won't bolt.

Do we all get to witness how the Texas football coaching job is one of the more overrated positions out there?

When God needs a loan, he goes to Texas boosters to ask for it.

This isn't like NCState looking for a new basketball coach a few years ago. They'll find a good name with a price I suspect.

[-jk]

Perhaps, but it won't be one of their top few choices...

So long as it's not Cut. We can't compete on money. I hope the intangibles are enough.

-jk

[devildeac]

So long as it's not Cut. We can't compete on money. I hope the intangibles are enough.

-jk

Maybe Larry can trade in his fedora for one of these:

3746

:rolleyes:;)

[FerryFor50]

Maybe Larry can trade in his fedora for one of these:

3746

:rolleyes:;)

No, I'd prefer he sticks around. A bad coach with a short fuse? Perfect for UNC!

[A-Tex Devil]

It was a crazy week in Austin. High drama and a lot of folks believe Mack purposely delayed the resignation to hinder UTs shot at Saban and embarrass those reporters that leaked the news. I think Occam's Razor would say that today was always the day, and Saban's only use for UT was to negotiate another raise.

There was another leak outside of the Texas network that Jim Harbaugh is interested in UT, and that he may have a bit of a Larry Brown penchant for moving on to the next thing every 3-5 years. I think that's a longer shot than Saban.

So, if you take away the guys that just signed renewals - Saban, Malzahn, Briles, Mora, Jr... I think that leaves guys like Charlie Strong, Gary Anderson, and even Mike Gundy. Perhaps Franklin at Vandy will get a look too. Also some NFL coordinators will probably be looked at. If the coach isn't hired in the next 7 days, an NFL guy is a real possibility.

A lot of folks are going to say "be careful what you wish for," with respect to Mack's ouster, pointing to Tennessee and Michigan, for instance. And I concede that UT's coach is going to have a hard time coming close to what Mack accomplished in his 16 years. That said, I have zero confidence that Mack will do any better in the next 4 than whoever it is Texas ultimately hires, and that there are many, many coaches that are better suited to run the UT program going forward. Mack was outstanding in the aughts. But whatever he had, he's lost it. He was given a chance to rebuild after recruiting complacency led to 2010 and pointed to this year as conference championship or bust. Well...

[A-Tex Devil]

Nah, I'm sure Texas Athletic Director Oliver Luck can get a big name.

If this is a shot at Texas not being able to land Luck, it's pretty well established that it was Luck's job to lose and Patterson stole it from him with a better interview and plan for the athletic dept. I'm from Missouri on whether it was ultimately the right call, but Luck interviewed for the job and was passed over for Patterson.

[A-Tex Devil]

So long as it's not Cut. We can't compete on money. I hope the intangibles are enough.

-jk

I'd be stunned if that was the way Texas ended up going. But where a month ago, I wouldn't think Texas would even give him a look, you kinda have to now, right? You aren't doing your job as an athletic director if you don't take a look at what Cut has accomplished at Duke and see if he'd be a fit.

[throatybeard]

Duvall, thanks for starting the thread. I've been meaning to, every time I see the big table of open jobs on ESPN, but life intercedes and I forget.

So Texas isn't happy with running four research universities out of their conference. That's not enough. Four whole research universities. No.

Now they've dispensed with their own championship-winning coach, who probably will be in the HOF (if you look at his career record--244 wins, a championship and a runner-up). It's breathtaking, it really is.

I'm really interested in what happens at Boise State. Remember last time around, Hawkins went to CU after a lot of success there, and people were like, oh, so much for Boise. And the Petersen did what he did. I don't know much about this Harsin dude. That is to say, I read his Wiki article, and he's a few weeks younger than I am, and he went 7-5 at Arkansas State, and he was an asst on successful Boise teams, but who knows?

Here's the carousel table, as of the Brown offer he couldn't refuse, I mean, resignation. Interim head coaches aren't doing very well when it comes HR time.

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/coaching_changes.html

[ricks68]

So long as it's not Cut. We can't compete on money. I hope the intangibles are enough.

-jk

I would say that the chances are absolutely zero that we lose cut to Texas. Remember, probably the number one reason for Cut considering coming to Duke was stress relief due to his health. He already turned down a lower stress job than coaching at Texas already, so it ain't the money, prestige, etc. We don't lose our great coach to no stinkin' Texas.:p

ricks

[A-Tex Devil]

Duvall, thanks for starting the thread. I've been meaning to, every time I see the big table of open jobs on ESPN, but life intercedes and I forget.

So Texas isn't happy with running four research universities out of their conference. That's not enough. Four whole research universities. No.

Now they've dispensed with their own championship-winning coach, who probably will be in the HOF (if you look at his career record--244 wins, a championship and a runner-up). It's breathtaking, it really is.

I'm really interested in what happens at Boise State. Remember last time around, Hawkins went to CU after a lot of success there, and people were like, oh, so much for Boise. And the Petersen did what he did. I don't know much about this Harsin dude. That is to say, I read his Wiki article, and he's a few weeks younger than I am, and he went 7-5 at Arkansas State, and he was an asst on successful Boise teams, but who knows?

Here's the carousel table, as of the Brown offer he couldn't refuse, I mean, resignation. Interim head coaches aren't doing very well when it comes HR time.

http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/coaching_changes.html

3747

.... Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[luburch]

Does Jim Tressel have a NCAA ban? And if not, would Texas consider him?

[throatybeard]

3747

.... Sorry. Couldn't resist.

What does this even mean?

[A-Tex Devil]

Does Jim Tressel have a NCAA ban? And if not, would Texas consider him?

Tressel's show cause goes though the end of 2016. And say what you want about Mack, but he ran a clean program from an NCAA perspective. And Texas as an Ath Dept and university are wary of folks with less than stellar compliance backgrounds. You can probably count Petrino out for similar reasons.

I am reading that the UT search is going to take a while. I imagine perfunctory calls will be placed to a number of candidates that folks here would see as unrealistic, but you aren't doing your job if you don't kick the tires on everyone.

More generally, I think Petrino may get a gig somewhere bigger gig this year when everything shakes out. The dude can coach.

[Duvall]

If this is a shot at Texas not being able to land Luck, it's pretty well established that it was Luck's job to lose and Patterson stole it from him with a better interview and plan for the athletic dept. I'm from Missouri on whether it was ultimately the right call, but Luck interviewed for the job and was passed over for Patterson.

Nah, just a reminder of the unreliable nature of Internet chatter. Names get thrown around that have nothing to do with the final result.

[bob blue devil]

3747

.... Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Sorry, friend, but Texas is officially Aggie country.

[A-Tex Devil]

Sorry, friend, but Texas is officially Aggie country.

East Texas and the Golden Triangle maybe. ;).

I can't wait for the Peach Bowl. Duke is getting no love in the confidence polls I've seen, and we will have a hell of a time making defensive stops. But go back through the history of bowl games, and favored teams with disappointing seasons tend to get shocked by talented well coach underdogs.

Either way, it's no lose for Duke. I hope Cut brings out all the stops, because the Aggie D is bad.

Back to the carousel - add Jimbo Fisher to the list of guys that got extensions. With Harsin taking Boise, there don't appear to be a ton of openings like there were last year. Although the Texas position could create a small ripple effect. The pros could too.

[TexHawk]

Do we all get to witness how the Texas football coaching job is one of the more overrated positions out there?

I was randomly listening to some ESPN News roundtable a couple weeks ago in my car. It was one of those roundtables that brought in guys from a bunch of networks/news outlets. ESPN, SI, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. The consensus was that Texas is the best coaching job in all of football... and that includes the NFL. With the facilities, money, and recruiting advantage, it's the only job I could see an NFL guy leaving for.

Sure, they have a mess right now with Gov Perry and his cronies, but that will work itself out eventually. It takes a certain type of personality (which is why Saban would have fit beautifully), so it wouldn't shock me at all if someone like Harbaugh was interested.

1-- Why is Texas an overrated job, exactly?
2-- Why wouldn't Fisher take it if offered? I think he's a little overrated anyway, but I think any coach is the southeast would love to not have to battle Florida, Miami, and the big SEC schools for every good player in Florida. Just roll out of bed and try not to trip on the 5 stars begging to play for you in Austin.

Fwiw, the early prevailing wisdom I have heard in Big12 land is that today it's Malzahn/Fisher as 1a and 1b. I think someone like Franklin could be a monster there, but that hire doesn't win a news cycle and boosters may not be overly impressed.

[A-Tex Devil]

Fwiw, the early prevailing wisdom I have heard in Big12 land is that today it's Malzahn/Fisher as 1a and 1b. I think someone like Franklin could be a monster there, but that hire doesn't win a news cycle and boosters may not be overly impressed.

This will be the unfortunate thing, I think. Franklin would be a great hire, but it isn't big enough for the mouth breathers - some of which have a ton of money and give a lot of it to Texas. I'd like to see the process work itself out and get the right guy, regardless if it doesn't jump out as a huge coup or appropriately "whelm" the masses.

I'd be happy with about 20-30 names and let them see what they could do, if the process is right. This is not a time to necessarily live up to "We're Texas" on the surface of the hire if the results bear out. A guy like Fisher, Malzahn or Harbaugh may be the best guy. But it would be nice to have the cajones to turn over some rocks and see if there is a diamond in the rough.

[FerryFor50]

I was randomly listening to some ESPN News roundtable a couple weeks ago in my car. It was one of those roundtables that brought in guys from a bunch of networks/news outlets. ESPN, SI, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. The consensus was that Texas is the best coaching job in all of football... and that includes the NFL. With the facilities, money, and recruiting advantage, it's the only job I could see an NFL guy leaving for.

Sure, they have a mess right now with Gov Perry and his cronies, but that will work itself out eventually. It takes a certain type of personality (which is why Saban would have fit beautifully), so it wouldn't shock me at all if someone like Harbaugh was interested.

1-- Why is Texas an overrated job, exactly?
2-- Why wouldn't Fisher take it if offered? I think he's a little overrated anyway, but I think any coach is the southeast would love to not have to battle Florida, Miami, and the big SEC schools for every good player in Florida. Just roll out of bed and try not to trip on the 5 stars begging to play for you in Austin.

Fwiw, the early prevailing wisdom I have heard in Big12 land is that today it's Malzahn/Fisher as 1a and 1b. I think someone like Franklin could be a monster there, but that hire doesn't win a news cycle and boosters may not be overly impressed.

I think Texas is overrated as a coaching job exactly because of statements like "best coaching job in all of football, including the NFL."

Texas is a desirable position, for the very reasons you mentioned. But there are plenty of big time college programs that count as top college jobs. The idea that any coach in the nation would drop everything he's been doing for a chance to take the Texas job is silly. I can't see a guy like Harbaugh (either of them) leaving their jobs in the NFL just because Texas calls. They have no ties to Texas and the NFL is the ultimate goal for most coaches. Same for Mike Tomlin and most of the other coaches in the NFL. I could see an ASSISTANT coach or even a head coach on a really bad team leaving for Texas, especially if they have ties to Texas, but that's about it.

Same goes for college coaches at big time programs like FSU, Alabama, etc. They are highly unlikely to leave for Texas because they already have established programs and a fanbase that already adores them.

These are the scenarios I could see a coach leaving for Texas:

- Played at or coached at Texas at some point
- Grew up a Longhorns fan
- Calls Texas home
- Coaches at an up and coming program or at a program on decline
- Coaches a bad NFL team or is an assistant with designs on head coaching

I could totally see Kevin Sumlin going to Texas, even with the signed extension. But not a Jumbo Fisher.

[loran16]

I think Texas is overrated as a coaching job exactly because of statements like "best coaching job in all of football, including the NFL."

Texas is a desirable position, for the very reasons you mentioned. But there are plenty of big time college programs that count as top college jobs. The idea that any coach in the nation would drop everything he's been doing for a chance to take the Texas job is silly. I can't see a guy like Harbaugh (either of them) leaving their jobs in the NFL just because Texas calls. They have no ties to Texas and the NFL is the ultimate goal for most coaches. Same for Mike Tomlin and most of the other coaches in the NFL. I could see an ASSISTANT coach or even a head coach on a really bad team leaving for Texas, especially if they have ties to Texas, but that's about it.

Same goes for college coaches at big time programs like FSU, Alabama, etc. They are highly unlikely to leave for Texas because they already have established programs and a fanbase that already adores them.

These are the scenarios I could see a coach leaving for Texas:

- Played at or coached at Texas at some point
- Grew up a Longhorns fan
- Calls Texas home
- Coaches at an up and coming program or at a program on decline
- Coaches a bad NFL team or is an assistant with designs on head coaching

I could totally see Kevin Sumlin going to Texas, even with the signed extension. But not a Jumbo Fisher.

I don't think A-C are as essential as you'd think. Two reasons why:
1. Texas might pay more than even other big schools can (because they can).
2. Longevity as a coach at Texas may be longer than at other places - Brown was there for 18 years, and had survived years of mediocrity since the graduation of Vince Young. This is especially true of coaches in the NFL (Mike Tomlin is the guy thought about here).

Again, both of those lead to Texas being a big job, and unlike other schools that pout about how much money they offer, Texas DOES have a great recruiting territory, facilities and spread.

[FerryFor50]

I don't think A-C are as essential as you'd think. Two reasons why:
1. Texas might pay more than even other big schools can (because they can).
2. Longevity as a coach at Texas may be longer than at other places - Brown was there for 18 years, and had survived years of mediocrity since the graduation of Vince Young. This is especially true of coaches in the NFL (Mike Tomlin is the guy thought about here).

Again, both of those lead to Texas being a big job, and unlike other schools that pout about how much money they offer, Texas DOES have a great recruiting territory, facilities and spread.

I agree it's a desirable job, but I don't think it's the feather in every coach's cap. That's why I think it's an overrated job. I don't think the longevity thing applies to all future Texas coaches. I think the next few might be short lived if they struggle like Brown did. Brown earned his 18 years with plenty of success.

[OldPhiKap]

The absolute worst thing that will happen to Texas's next coach:

1. He will be among the highest-paid coaches over the next four to five years
2. He will have a hefty buy-out
3. If he gets fired, he will still land a job somewhere and be able to count his money.

I'm not saying it's a great job. I'm saying it's a job that a lot of folks would love to have.

[uh_no]

The absolute worst thing that will happen to Texas's next coach:

1. He will be among the highest-paid coaches over the next four to five years
2. He will have a hefty buy-out
3. If he gets fired, he will still land a job somewhere and be able to count his money.

I'm not saying it's a great job. I'm saying it's a job that a lot of folks would love to have.

This makes a lot of sense. I think there are scant few coaches that wouldn't bolt for that job....if Florida couldn't keep urban meyer from retiring, but OSU could, what makes us think that other SEC schools or top non-SEC schools (FSU, for instance) coaches couldn't be lured to texas?

If you're not making a lot of money, texas can offer you a lot more.
If you are making money, texas can offer you facilities
If you have facilities, texas can offer you a huge fanbase/support network.

So as was pointed out, is it everyone's dream job? no
are there coaches who are happy where they are? yes
will texas have any trouble finding the coach they want, and in all likelihood hiring them? probably not.

I personally do not think it outside the realm of possibility for jimbo to leave for texas....natty or no, he's playing in the least desirable of the top 5 conferences, and texas can probably offer more than FSU can....plus with only 3+ years as head at fsu, it's not like he's ancient there....

[BigWayne]

Army job opened up today. Need to beat Navy once in a while.

[throatybeard]

Army job opened up today. Need to beat Navy once in a while.

That series blows my mind. When I was young, the narrative was how awful Navy was and whether they would ever beat Army again. Navy has now won twelve in a row and taken the overall series lead.

http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/independents/navy/opponents_records.php?teamid=188

[burnspbesq]

Wonder where Stanford will turn when Shaw goes to Texas.

[Indoor66]

This makes a lot of sense. I think there are scant few coaches that wouldn't bolt for that job....if Florida couldn't keep urban meyer from retiring, but OSU could, what makes us think that other SEC schools or top non-SEC schools (FSU, for instance) coaches couldn't be lured to texas?

If you're not making a lot of money, texas can offer you a lot more.
If you are making money, texas can offer you facilities
If you have facilities, texas can offer you a huge fanbase/support network.

So as was pointed out, is it everyone's dream job? no
are there coaches who are happy where they are? yes
will texas have any trouble finding the coach they want, and in all likelihood hiring them? probably not.

I personally do not think it outside the realm of possibility for jimbo to leave for texas....natty or no, he's playing in the least desirable of the top 5 conferences, and texas can probably offer more than FSU can....plus with only 3+ years as head at fsu, it's not like he's ancient there....

And Texas can offer you no State income tax.

[TexHawk]

The absolute worst thing that will happen to Texas's next coach:

1. He will be among the highest-paid coaches over the next four to five years
2. He will have a hefty buy-out
3. If he gets fired, he will still land a job somewhere and be able to count his money.

I'm not saying it's a great job. I'm saying it's a job that a lot of folks would love to have.

I wouldn't be surprised if the buy-out for the next Texas coach is tiny. Brown's was less than $3 million (less than half of his annual salary).

As far as another school luring him away, I bet that buy-out is $0. Kinda like the SEC not having a penalty if a school leaves in conference realignment, because nobody would ever want to.

[Duvall]

Wonder where Stanford will turn when Shaw goes to Texas.

That's a move that would make sense, assuming Stanford still underpays its coaches.

[sagegrouse]

Wonder where Stanford will turn when Shaw goes to Texas.

I don't see Texas hiring Shaw.

David Shaw played at Stanford (his Dad, a long-time NFL asst., was hired on the football staff). He coached for two years at Western Washington before going to the NFL as an assistant for nine years. He joined Jim harbaugh at the U. of San Diego and the next year moved to Stanford with Harbaugh, serving as the offensive coordinator. He's been head coach only three years.

Lessee.. that's Stanford (twice), W. Washington, San Diego and the NFL as an assistant. How could he possibly be prepared to handle the state university in a football-mad state of 26 million people, half of whom love the Longhorns and the half hate them? Or the meddlesome alumni, many of whom are huge donors? In my day, the head of the Board of Regents at Texas drove a white Caddy with a longhorn hood ornament -- really concerned about academics, he was.

I expect the Texas AD will go for a coach from a state school in the south or midwest (or a football mad private school such as Baylor, SC or ND), not that I have any idea who's available.

My second guess at a source would be the NFL, in that the coaches there have to handle the fans and the press to the same degree as the big-time college programs. Nothing against Stanford, but that's a different world, and David Shaw is pretty new to being a head coach.

sagegrouse
'Cut would do a great job at Texas, but the new AD surely wants someone who can stay 15-20 years'

"Wow! Jim Harbaugh has gotten a lot accomplished in just three years with the Niners"

[Spoke]

Speaking of Texas, Mark Bradley has a good column today (http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/mark-bradley/2013/dec/16/tennessee-texas-mightnt-get-what-it-wants/) on the perils of firing a winning coach.

The column also has food for thought for Duke fans:


Texas doesn’t really need to recruit outside its state borders, but here again we see the folly of relying overmuch on recruiting rankings. From 2010 through 2012, the years now seen in Austin as the post-Colt McCoy decline, Rivals rated the Longhorns’ signing classes as No. 3, No. 3 and No. 2 in the land.

I'd rather have a coach who knows how to take players and "coach 'em up" than one who is focused on recruiting rankings. I see in the recruiting thread that a lot of posters are urging Coach Cut to take more of a national approach to recruiting. Personally, I trust Cut's eye for talent and am fine with his philosophy of having a local recruiting focus first while picking up national prospects here and there. I really don't care how Duke looks in the recruiting rankings.

/hijack

As for Texas, they might do well to see what assistant coach departures preceded their recent decline and look to those guys. (See Coach Cut's departure from Tennessee in 1998 and its subsequent descent into mediocrity.)

[FerryFor50]

Update on some of the Texas coaching targets....

Art Briles: Says he wants to stay at Baylor (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/24396523/art-briles-on-twitter-i-am-a-baylor-bear)

Jim Mora Jr: Signs extension with UCLA (http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/03/sports/la-sp-ucla-jim-mora-20131204), not interested in leaving (http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/college-football/story/_/id/10237588/jim-mora-ucla-bruins-committed-texas-longhorns-interest)

Jimbo Fisher: Signs extension with FSU (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24394822/new-contract-could-end-jimbo-fishertotexas-talk-but-will-it)

David Shaw: No interest in NFL jobs (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000297943/article/report-stanford-coach-david-shaw-has-no-interest-in-nfl-jobs), but no reports of him shooting down the Texas job... yet

The next likely coach looks to be Charlie Strong (http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20140103/SPORTS02/301030065/Two-Texas-coaching-candidates-withdraw-Louisville-s-Charlie-Strong-still-quiet).

As I mentioned, I didn't see Texas getting whomever they pleased. I doubt Strong was their first choice, but it's a good move for him. He gets to leave L'ville just as Teddy Bridgewater leaves. Doesn't have to worry about winning without an all-world QB at L'ville and gets to recruit at one of the easiest schools to recruit for.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Update on some of the Texas coaching targets....

Art Briles: Says he wants to stay at Baylor (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/24396523/art-briles-on-twitter-i-am-a-baylor-bear)

Jim Mora Jr: Signs extension with UCLA (http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/03/sports/la-sp-ucla-jim-mora-20131204), not interested in leaving (http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/college-football/story/_/id/10237588/jim-mora-ucla-bruins-committed-texas-longhorns-interest)

Jimbo Fisher: Signs extension with FSU (http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24394822/new-contract-could-end-jimbo-fishertotexas-talk-but-will-it)

David Shaw: No interest in NFL jobs (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000297943/article/report-stanford-coach-david-shaw-has-no-interest-in-nfl-jobs), but no reports of him shooting down the Texas job... yet

The next likely coach looks to be Charlie Strong (http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20140103/SPORTS02/301030065/Two-Texas-coaching-candidates-withdraw-Louisville-s-Charlie-Strong-still-quiet).

As I mentioned, I didn't see Texas getting whomever they pleased. I doubt Strong was their first choice, but it's a good move for him. He gets to leave L'ville just as Teddy Bridgewater leaves. Doesn't have to worry about winning without an all-world QB at L'ville and gets to recruit at one of the easiest schools to recruit for.

So in summary, the Texas coaching job rumor mill has gotten a lot of coaches major raises at their current schools. Should I tell my boss that I am a candidate for the Texas job in hopes of getting a raise?

[FerryFor50]

So in summary, the Texas coaching job rumor mill has gotten a lot of coaches major raises at their current schools. Should I tell my boss that I am a candidate for the Texas job in hopes of getting a raise?

Hey, it couldn't hurt!

[roywhite]

Al Golden from Miami appears to be the leading choice for the Penn State job. Lots of buzz, but nothing official yet.

Golden played and coached at Penn State, in addition to working at UVa and Temple prior to Miami.

[luburch]

According to SportsCenter both Franklin and Strong have interviewed for the Texas position, but there is still some hope to land Fisher.

[Bob Green]

From the Twitterverse:

Justin Rowland ‏@RowlandRIVALS 21m

Former UK asst Randy Sanders will be Duke's OC.

Bio (http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/randy_sanders_836522.html)

[roywhite]

From the Twitterverse:

Justin Rowland ‏@RowlandRIVALS 21m

Former UK asst Randy Sanders will be Duke's OC.

Bio (http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/randy_sanders_836522.html)

Pretty impressive background, including this past season working with Heisman winner Jameis Winston at FSU. Nice to see that Duke is able to attract such coaching talent, and that Coach Cut's reputation within the college football world is apparently excellent.

[BigWayne]

Sanders worked under and succeeded Cutcliffe as OC at Tennessee when he left for Ole Miss. They should work well together.

[richardjackson199]

From the Twitterverse:

Justin Rowland ‏@RowlandRIVALS 21m

Former UK asst Randy Sanders will be Duke's OC.

Bio (http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/randy_sanders_836522.html)

Wow - this guy sounds like an amazing hire.

[Bob Green]

Wow - this guy sounds like an amazing hire.

For now, it is just a tweet. If it actually happens, I agree he is a good addition to the staff.

[A-Tex Devil]

According to SportsCenter both Franklin and Strong have interviewed for the Texas position, but there is still some hope to land Fisher.

I am hearing the same. I'd be ecstatic for Texas to get Strong or Fisher. I was in Franklin's corner before, but the more diligence I do, I'm less impressed. He's a great recruiter that thinks he's tactically better than he really is (i.e. he needs to hire an OC). What Cut has accomplished is miles beyond what Franklin has done imo.

On the "rejections" today, I imagine Texas reached out to Mora and Briles and had some interest in including each of them in the process to see if they were the best candidate, but I highly doubt either was offered. And making the announcements they did today certainly saves face for each of them, and gets their alumni/athletic department/players/recruits off their back. But this isn't an NC State b-ball search where people are being offered left and right then turning the Pack down.

My understanding with Mora is that he and his family are happy in LA, and while there may have been curiosity in what Texas could offer, UCLA, on the whole, was a better place to be for him. With respect to Briles, the scuttlebutt is he was definitely interested, but wanted a rubber stamp hire rather than going through a vetting process and competing with other candidates. That also makes a lot of sense, and I don't blame him. With Waco less than 2 hours away, it would look bad for him to go through the process and ultimately not be the one hired.

While I'll grant that there is a contingent of Texas fans (unfortunately, some of them billionaires) that think Texas can get whomever they want, and are wrong, I also tend to think that today's denials from Mora and Briles didn't come with offers from UT, nor do I think UT was even ready to hire either of these guys. The new AD is going through a real process here and is willing to deal with the short term bad press of not being able to name a guy and hire him when the national media (and Finebaum) demands that he do it. That's a good thing.

[luburch]

Word on twitter right now is that it's going to be Strong.

[MattC09]

Adam Rowe just tweeted that Louisville has contacted Cutcliffe to replace Charlie Strong.

I was hoping we wouldn't get drawn into this, even though all signs would point to him remaining at Duke.

[Newton_14]

From the Twitterverse:

Justin Rowland ‏@RowlandRIVALS 21m

Current Florida State QB Coach Randy Sanders is leaving FSU to move up the ranks and become the new Offensive Coordinator at Duke.

Bio (http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/randy_sanders_836522.html)

There, fixed if for you Bob!

Take that Jimbo! Cutcliffe just stole one of your best assistants!

[Dev11]

Adam Rowe just tweeted that Louisville has contacted Cutcliffe to replace Charlie Strong.

I was hoping we wouldn't get drawn into this, even though all signs would point to him remaining at Duke.

Up your annual Iron Dukes donations this year. They'll need it to pay for Cut and Co's raises.

I hope Louisville finds somebody good. They've got that program rolling.

[Newton_14]

Up your annual Iron Dukes donations this year. They'll need it to pay for Cut and Co's raises.

I hope Louisville finds somebody good. They've got that program rolling.

They have to make the call or they would be doing themselves a disservice, but can't see Cut even sniffing at this offer. He may would have given Texas or Bama (had Saban taken Texas job) a look due to the life changing money of Texas and the best program in the SEC with Bama (money there would be life changing as well, just not as much as Texas), but I don't envision Cutcliffe leaving for any program that isn't perennial Top 5 with a chance of winning a National Title every season.

Could be wrong of course, but Cutcliffe has shown himself to be a man of great character and loyalty. He stated at the very beginning he came to Duke to compete for and win championships. He has taken the program from being embedded in the bottom of the College Football barrel to Coastal Division Champs, and toe to toe with a solid SEC team in the 6th best Bowl out there, in a game Duke should have won. That's a great accomplishment in and of itself, but I personally believe he has higher goals envisioned for Duke, and is intent on seeing it through.

Until shown otherwise, I fully believe Cut remains at Duke until he hangs it up and retires. That said, Duke does need to pay the man and his staff what they are worth. That has been earned and hopefully being drawn up as we speak.

[FerryFor50]

Would be a big setback for Duke football if Cut left for a program like Louisville...

[Chicago 1995]

Would be a big setback for Duke football if Cut left for a program like Louisville...

Huh? Louisville's a pretty solid program. They've won two BCS games in the last 8 years. Quite a few bowl appearances. It's a pretty big step up from us, even with the massive growth the last couple of years. They've also got much better facilities and more consistently devoted resources to FB.

I don't think Cut is leaving, but generally, Duke to Louisville is a big step up.

Losing Cut would be a set back, for sure. But if he were to go to the Ville, it wouldn't somehow make it worse.

[A-Tex Devil]

Huh? Louisville's a pretty solid program. They've won two BCS games in the last 8 years. Quite a few bowl appearances. It's a pretty big step up from us, even with the massive growth the last couple of years. They've also got much better facilities and more consistently devoted resources to FB.

I don't think Cut is leaving, but generally, Duke to Louisville is a big step up.

Losing Cut would be a set back, for sure. But if he were to go to the Ville, it wouldn't somehow make it worse.

For a recruit maybe. For a 59 year old coach making an intra-conference move, I'm not sure. This isn't the job we lose Cut over. I'd be shocked.

[FerryFor50]

Huh? Louisville's a pretty solid program. They've won two BCS games in the last 8 years. Quite a few bowl appearances. It's a pretty big step up from us, even with the massive growth the last couple of years. They've also got much better facilities and more consistently devoted resources to FB.

I don't think Cut is leaving, but generally, Duke to Louisville is a big step up.

Losing Cut would be a set back, for sure. But if he were to go to the Ville, it wouldn't somehow make it worse.

They're not that great a step up. Definitely not a Florida (like when Spurrier left).

I think leaving for a program like L'ville is a step back because Duke is on the rise, while L'ville might be on trouble without Bridgewater and entering a tougher conference.

[Chicago 1995]

For a recruit maybe. For a 59 year old coach making an intra-conference move, I'm not sure. This isn't the job we lose Cut over. I'd be shocked.

But because I think Cut is really happy/comfortable at Duke, not because Louisville isn't a better job.

If Cut wants to try to win a national championship -- there's no comparison between the two jobs. Maybe Cut's taking the longer view for that aspiration. Maybe building Duke into a stable FB program that consistently competes for bowl games and divisional titles is what Cut wants to do.

[Dev11]

They have to make the call or they would be doing themselves a disservice, but can't see Cut even sniffing at this offer. He may would have given Texas or Bama (had Saban taken Texas job) a look due to the life changing money of Texas and the best program in the SEC with Bama (money there would be life changing as well, just not as much as Texas), but I don't envision Cutcliffe leaving for any program that isn't perennial Top 5 with a chance of winning a National Title every season.

Could be wrong of course, but Cutcliffe has shown himself to be a man of great character and loyalty. He stated at the very beginning he came to Duke to compete for and win championships. He has taken the program from being embedded in the bottom of the College Football barrel to Coastal Division Champs, and toe to toe with a solid SEC team in the 6th best Bowl out there, in a game Duke should have won. That's a great accomplishment in and of itself, but I personally believe he has higher goals envisioned for Duke, and is intent on seeing it through.

Until shown otherwise, I fully believe Cut remains at Duke until he hangs it up and retires. That said, Duke does need to pay the man and his staff what they are worth. That has been earned and hopefully being drawn up as we speak.

Oh I don't think Cut is leaving at all, I'm just seeing the cash being doled out to all of the good coaches who are getting looks from Texas, and I think Cut will probably be in line for a raise, particularly considering his performance this year.

[A-Tex Devil]

Mora and Briles coming out and affirming their positions with their current schools within hours of each other today makes more sense now.

Assuming Strong accepts (and I don't know that he has yet) all eyes point to State College, unless Golden already accepted, then they point to Coral Gables

[blazindw]

Mora and Briles coming out and affirming their positions with their current schools within hours of each other today makes more sense now.

Assuming Strong accepts (and I don't know that he has yet) all eyes point to State College, unless Golden already accepted, then they point to Coral Gables

In Miami circles, we have confirmed that Golden has been offered the position, but we haven't learned if he's accepted. The growing sense is that he's State College-bound.

[OldPhiKap]

From the Twitterverse:

Justin Rowland ‏@RowlandRIVALS 21m

Former UK asst Randy Sanders will be Duke's OC.

Bio (http://www.seminoles.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/randy_sanders_836522.html)

This would be a nice score if it comes to pass.

[FerryFor50]

Perhaps on his way to Happy Valley?

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ap-source-titans-fire-mike-200638428--nfl.html

[roywhite]

Perhaps on his way to Happy Valley?

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ap-source-titans-fire-mike-200638428--nfl.html

Yeah, apparently Al Golden prefers to stay at Miami.

Other speculation for the Penn State job:

Centre Daily -- local State College, PA paper (http://www.centredaily.com/2014/01/05/3971479/penn-state-football-golden-says.html)


Penn State also has Vanderbilt’s James Franklin and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak on its list of potential candidates. Franklin and Munchak were both reported to have interviewed by ESPN.

According to Penn State sources, Duke’s David Cutcliffe has also emerged as a potential candidate. Cutcliffe, 59, is 75-72 overall in stints at Mississippi and Duke. He recently guided the Blue Devils to a 10-3 record a year after they finished 6-7.

[FerryFor50]

Yeah, apparently Al Golden prefers to stay at Miami.

Other speculation for the Penn State job:

Centre Daily -- local State College, PA paper (http://www.centredaily.com/2014/01/05/3971479/penn-state-football-golden-says.html)

Good thing Cut has no ties to Penn State. That would be a good gig.

[throatybeard]

What does "has emerged as a potential candidate" even mean?

[FerryFor50]

What does "has emerged as a potential candidate" even mean?

It means that whomever wrote the article thought it would be a good idea.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

What does "has emerged as a potential candidate" even mean?

It means his agent planted a rumor with a reporter to enhance his leverage as he negotiates for a bigger contract at his current school. Also, as noted above, any AD that is not at least considering Cut for an open head coaching job is not doing his job.

[PDDuke85]

It means his agent planted a rumor with a reporter to enhance his leverage as he negotiates for a bigger contract at his current school. Also, as noted above, any AD that is not at least considering Cut for an open head coaching job is not doing his job.

That most wonderful time of the year when the rumor mill is active, our anxiety level increases, Cut is busy doing his job while some check this site every few minutes looking for the official proclamation from our coach that he's going nowhere.

[roywhite]

That most wonderful time of the year when the rumor mill is active, our anxiety level increases, Cut is busy doing his job while some check this site every few minutes looking for the official proclamation from our coach that he's going nowhere.

Following the Penn State coaching search fairly closely -- I see no indication that Penn State has contacted Coach Cut--- just a couple stray columns or message board comments that he'd be a good choice. Doesn't seem to be much brewing.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Just a post offering my opinion on Cut going anywhere. I don't see him leaving for money, he is very well paid at Duke, so the only reason I could see him going would be to head a storied program with a rich history, and one that would most likely be in his home turf of the SEC. Since those jobs aren't available, and he proved himself as a man of his word by turning down a program that fit that exact scenario (Tennessee), then I don't see him going anywhere, ever. I sure don't see him jumping to Louisville, which at this point would be an intraconference jump.
Looking forward to enjoying Coach Cut at Duke for years until he retires. His assistants will be fun to watch as his tree grows.

[Dev11]

Just a post offering my opinion on Cut going anywhere. I don't see him leaving for money, he is very well paid at Duke, so the only reason I could see him going would be to head a storied program with a rich history, and one that would most likely be in his home turf of the SEC. Since those jobs aren't available, and he proved himself as a man of his word by turning down a program that fit that exact scenario (Tennessee), then I don't see him going anywhere, ever. I sure don't see him jumping to Louisville, which at this point would be an intraconference jump.
Looking forward to enjoying Coach Cut at Duke for years until he retires. His assistants will be fun to watch as his tree grows.

How much is Cut currently being paid? I am confident that Penn State could probably double it, but Louisville probably could not.

[FerryFor50]

How much is Cut currently being paid? I am confident that Penn State could probably double it, but Louisville probably could not.

I think if Cut didn't leave for Tennessee, he probably will be at Duke the rest of his career.

However, if he's simply here to save the program, he may decide later on, once Duke football has won the national championship, to move on to other charitable football cases. Such as UNC. :p

[Dev11]

However, if he's simply here to save the program, he may decide later on, once Duke football has won the national championship, to move on to other charitable football cases. Such as UNC. :p

I think Cut has made it clear that he likes that the players bring their homework with them on road trips.

[FerryFor50]

I think Cut has made it clear that he likes that the players bring their homework with them on road trips.

It's way easier to bring your homework if it doesn't actually exist.

[chaosmage]

As far as O'Brien leaving, my opinion from what I read (through friends and others) is that he left because, even now, he's still getting "Paterno this and Paterno that." I could understand that after one year, but after two years, one of them being rather successful, I'd probably leave as well.

My UNX buddies would love nothing more than to see Cut leave, but I think for the reasons I mentioned above, that he would not WANT to go up there. It's going to take a long time to get shed of the shadow of JoePa.

.02

[roywhite]

As far as O'Brien leaving, my opinion from what I read (through friends and others) is that he left because, even now, he's still getting "Paterno this and Paterno that." I could understand that after one year, but after two years, one of them being rather successful, I'd probably leave as well.

My UNX buddies would love nothing more than to see Cut leave, but I think for the reasons I mentioned above, that he would not WANT to go up there. It's going to take a long time to get shed of the shadow of JoePa.

.02

Have to disagree. O'Brien left because he really, really wanted to coach in the NFL, and got a great opportunity with the Houston Texans.

The shadow of JoePa is not a problem at Penn State, but the scholarship reductions that came with sanctions are. This past year, there were only 61 healthy players on scholarship at one point. The sanctions have been lessened, but it will still take until 2016 to have 85 scholarships available. Even in a crippled state, Penn State was able to beat traditional powers Michigan and Wisconsin this past year, and they have a terrific young quarterback in Christian Hackenberg.

IMO, Penn State will be a national power again, and represents a great opportunity for the right coach. Coach Cutcliffe would do a good job there, as he would in many, many situations; I don't see that he is in the mix currently.

[TexHawk]

Have to disagree. O'Brien left because he really, really wanted to coach in the NFL, and got a great opportunity with the Houston Texans.

The shadow of JoePa is not a problem at Penn State, but the scholarship reductions that came with sanctions are. This past year, there were only 61 healthy players on scholarship at one point. The sanctions have been lessened, but it will still take until 2016 to have 85 scholarships available. Even in a crippled state, Penn State was able to beat traditional powers Michigan and Wisconsin this past year, and they have a terrific young quarterback in Christian Hackenberg.

IMO, Penn State will be a national power again, and represents a great opportunity for the right coach. Coach Cutcliffe would do a good job there, as he would in many, many situations; I don't see that he is in the mix currently.

Not saying you are wrong, but how do you see O'Brien's own words on the topic to a journalist from early December (http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/bill_obrien_the_outsider_arriv.html)?


"You can print this: You can print that I don’t really give a ---- what the ‘Paterno people’ think about what I do with this program. I’ve done everything I can to show respect to Coach Paterno. Everything in my power. So I could really care less about what the Paterno faction of people, or whatever you call them, think about what I do with the program. I’m tired of it.

“For any ‘Paterno person’ to have any objection to what I’m doing, it makes me wanna put my fist through this windshield right now.”

“I’m trying to field the most competitive football team I can with near-death penalty ----ing sanctions. Every time I say something like that and somebody prints it, it’s skewed as an excuse. And I’m not an excuse-maker. I’m trying to do the best I can for the kids in that program. That’s all I care about is the kids in that program. As long as I’m the head football coach here.”

“That’s why, in probably about a month, they’re gonna be ----ing looking for a new coach.”

Again, you could be right, but I think you are kidding yourself if the shadow of Paterno had nothing to do with him leaving. It could be a very very small part of it, but it's not zero.

[CameronBornAndBred]

How much is Cut currently being paid? I am confident that Penn State could probably double it, but Louisville probably could not.
From an article posted at the end of last year, when he signed a contract extension through 2019...

According to a coaching salary database complied by USA Today (http://usat.ly/10cI45m), Cutcliffe’s base salary this season is $1.79 million. That ranks eighth out of the 11 known base salaries for ACC coaches (there is no data for Miami’s Al Golden).
The average salary for an FBS head coach is $1.64 million.
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/dukenow/duke-head-coach-david-cutcliffe-signs-contract-extension-through-2019

I bet he got paid nicely with some bonuses for the amazing season he had this year. Is it a ginormous amount in the world of football coaches? No, but I think he is very happy at Duke, and my guess is Duke will once again work to make sure he stays happy.




Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/dukenow/duke-head-coach-david-cutcliffe-signs-contract-extension-through-2019#storylink=cpy

[nmduke2001]

According to this, they are...
http://www.centredaily.com/2014/01/05/3971479/penn-state-football-golden-says.html

[roywhite]

According to this, they are...
http://www.centredaily.com/2014/01/05/3971479/penn-state-football-golden-says.html

That link is posted and discussed in the Coaching Carousel thread.

[nmduke2001]

That link is posted and discussed in the Coaching Carousel thread.

My bad. Mods, please delete this thread.

[Duvall]

How much is Cut currently being paid? I am confident that Penn State could probably double it, but Louisville probably could not.

Louisville *could* pay Cutcliffe that much - they were already paying Strong a base salary of $3.7 million, plus incentives. Question is whether they would want to.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Louisville *could* pay Cutcliffe that much - they were already paying Strong a base salary of $3.7 million, plus incentives. Question is whether they would want to.

0 change Cut goes to Louisville, right? Do coaches actually leave one program for another within the same conference?

[DueBlevil]

0 change Cut goes to Louisville, right? Do coaches actually leave one program for another within the same conference?

Off the top of my head, Tom O'Brien did it not too long ago (BC to NC State)

[JasonEvans]

Evidence seems to have cropped up that Penn St is going to get Vandy James Franklin as their next coach. Several of Franklin's top assistants have suddenly started following (http://coachingsearch.com/article?a=Vanderbilt-coordinators-begin-following-Penn-State-recruits-on-twitter) some high school players on twitter. The players are all kids who have committed already to Penn State. Now, maybe they think the kids could be open to transferring if they don't like whoever PSU hires as the new coach, but a far more likely scenario is that these Vandy coaches expect to be coaching these guys at Penn State next season.

-Jason "Franklin would be a great fit at academically-minded Penn State" Evans

[roywhite]

On the Penn State job, the buzz du jour is that James Franklin, currently the Vandy coach, is the front-runner and about to receive an offer.

Franklin didn't have any PSU ties per se, but grew up in the Philadelphia area, and played in college at East Stroudsburg (PA) State.

**Dang, I've been on this story and Jason Evans still scoops me. ;)

[Dev11]

Franklin recruiting at Penn State would probably be awful news for Maryland, so let's hope he takes that job. He has been a dream come true for Vanderbilt in an even more immediate way than Cutcliffe has been for us.

[MCFinARL]

On the Penn State job, the buzz du jour is that James Franklin, currently the Vandy coach, is the front-runner and about to receive an offer.

Franklin didn't have any PSU ties per se, but grew up in the Philadelphia area, and played in college at East Stroudsburg (PA) State.

**Dang, I've been on this story and Jason Evans still scoops me. ;)

Well, this certainly would be a much better choice for Franklin than the Redskins, who have him on their list according to today's Washington Post.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Franklin recruiting at Penn State would probably be awful news for Maryland, so let's hope he takes that job. He has been a dream come true for Vanderbilt in an even more immediate way than Cutcliffe has been for us.

I'll be heartbroken if he leaves for PSU. I never thought I'd be in a position to believe that Vandy can and should compete with the big boys of the SEC, but we beat FL, GA, and UT in the same year, something that's never been done.

There is some thought that he is using this exposure to gain improvements to the program, like a major upgrade in Vanderbilt Stadium. I truly hope this is the case and that the administration concedes in a smart manner. When he was hired, he was offered anything he needed to get the job done, even a rocket ship. I hope that the Chancellor's offer still stands.

[Atlanta Duke]

A consideration when moving into any of these big time programs is dealing with the major donor/alum base who may already have the knives sharpened if you are not their candidate and/or not from that school

A previous post in this thread provided the quotes attributed to Bill O'Brien regarding his frustration with the "Paterno people" at Penn State

And now we have these statements from Texas mega-booster Red McCombs regarding the Charlie Strong hire

"I think he would make a great position coach, maybe a coordinator.

"But I don't believe [he belongs at] what should be one of the three most powerful university programs in the world right now at UT-Austin. I don't think it adds up."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10257706/booster-red-mccombs-bashes-texas-longhorns-charlie-strong-hire&ex_cid=sportscenter

Of course Charlie Strong already has been a D-coordinator at Florida from 2002-2009, when the Gators won two national championships, and was 37-15 as the head coach at Louisville with a 3-1 record in bowls that included a Sugar Bowl stomping of a Gators team coached by former UT "head coach in waiting" Will Muschamp

I do not know what it is about Charlie Strong that makes Mr. McCombs think he is not a good fit at Texas, but I have a guess:confused:

[Duvall]

A consideration when moving into any of these big time programs is dealing with the major donor/alum base who may already have the knives sharpened if you are not their candidate and/or not from that school

A previous post in this thread provided the quotes attributed to Bill O'Brien regarding his frustration with the "Paterno people" at Penn State

And now we have these statements from Texas mega-booster Red McCombs regarding the Charlie Strong hire

"I think he would make a great position coach, maybe a coordinator.

"But I don't believe [he belongs at] what should be one of the three most powerful university programs in the world right now at UT-Austin. I don't think it adds up."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10257706/booster-red-mccombs-bashes-texas-longhorns-charlie-strong-hire&ex_cid=sportscenter

Of course Charlie Strong already has been a D-coordinator at Florida from 2002-2009, when the Gators won two national championships, and was 37-15 as the head coach at Louisville with a 3-1 record in bowls

I do not know what it is about Charlie Strong that makes Mr. McCombs think he is not a good fit at Texas, but I have a guess:confused:

It's the "maybe a coordinator" part that gets me.

Boosters are the worst.

[FerryFor50]

A consideration when moving into any of these big time programs is dealing with the major donor/alum base who may already have the knives sharpened if you are not their candidate and/or not from that school

A previous post in this thread provided the quotes attributed to Bill O'Brien regarding his frustration with the "Paterno people" at Penn State

And now we have these statements from Texas mega-booster Red McCombs regarding the Charlie Strong hire

"I think he would make a great position coach, maybe a coordinator.

"But I don't believe [he belongs at] what should be one of the three most powerful university programs in the world right now at UT-Austin. I don't think it adds up."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10257706/booster-red-mccombs-bashes-texas-longhorns-charlie-strong-hire&ex_cid=sportscenter

Of course Charlie Strong already has been a D-coordinator at Florida from 2002-2009, when the Gators won two national championships, and was 37-15 as the head coach at Louisville with a 3-1 record in bowls

I do not know what it is about Charlie Strong that makes Mr. McCombs think he is not a good fit at Texas, but I have a guess:confused:

Has to do with Texas thinking they're kings of all things college football. Strong was likely not their first choice.

[burnspbesq]

Has to do with Texas thinking they're kings of all things college football. Strong was likely not their first choice.

Unfortunately, I don't think that has anything to do with it.

[A-Tex Devil]

And now we have these statements from Texas mega-booster Red McCombs regarding the Charlie Strong hire

"I think he would make a great position coach, maybe a coordinator.

"But I don't believe [he belongs at] what should be one of the three most powerful university programs in the world right now at UT-Austin. I don't think it adds up."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10257706/booster-red-mccombs-bashes-texas-longhorns-charlie-strong-hire&ex_cid=sportscenter

Of course Charlie Strong already has been a D-coordinator at Florida from 2002-2009, when the Gators won two national championships, and was 37-15 as the head coach at Louisville with a 3-1 record in bowls that included a Sugar Bowl stomping of a Gators team coached by former UT "head coach in waiting" Will Muschamp

I do not know what it is about Charlie Strong that makes Mr. McCombs think he is not a good fit at Texas, but I have a guess:confused:


It's the "maybe a coordinator" part that gets me.

Boosters are the worst.


Has to do with Texas thinking they're kings of all things college football. Strong was likely not their first choice.


Unfortunately, I don't think that has anything to do with it.

Texas can't win, I guess. The Charlie Strong hire was a not so subtle shot across the bow by new AD Steve Patterson and President Bill Powers that the boosters don't run the show anymore. Then McCombs makes these petulant comments because he, rightly, was left out of the hiring process. I can tell you that most people that have more than inch deep knowledge of the realities of the hiring process are thrilled with Charlie Strong. And frankly, to quote Coach Strong, it doesn't matter if he was the first or fifteenth choice, he's the coach now.

McCombs should publicly apologize for his statements, and he's been castigated across the state. He also called Case McCoy a "half-gimp QB" after the Baylor loss, so maybe in the words of Ron Burgundy, he should stop talking for a while. Mack Brown, frankly, encouraged this behavior by giving these guys unfettered access and making them believe they are bigger than the program or school -- something that Mack Brown could be accused of as well. I'm hoping Strong and Patterson can do what Saban does at Alabama or Meyer at Florida/Ohio State, and just win. That way the boosters can give their money to the university, brag about their winning team, and sit in their suites and shut up.

[Dev11]

Texas can't win, I guess. The Charlie Strong hire was a not so subtle shot across the bow by new AD Steve Patterson and President Bill Powers that the boosters don't run the show anymore. Then McCombs makes these petulant comments because he, rightly, was left out of the hiring process. I can tell you that most people that have more than inch deep knowledge of the realities of the hiring process are thrilled with Charlie Strong. And frankly, to quote Coach Strong, it doesn't matter if he was the first or fifteenth choice, he's the coach now.

McCombs should publicly apologize for his statements, and he's been castigated across the state. He also called Case McCoy a "half-gimp QB" after the Baylor loss, so maybe in the words of Ron Burgundy, he should stop talking for a while. Mack Brown, frankly, encouraged this behavior by giving these guys unfettered access and making them believe they are bigger than the program or school -- something that Mack Brown could be accused of as well. I'm hoping Strong and Patterson can do what Saban does at Alabama or Meyer at Florida/Ohio State, and just win. That way the boosters can give their money to the university, brag about their winning team, and sit in their suites and shut up.

Who did that booster think they should hire? I'd say that Strong is on the very short list of the best coaches that wasn't already at a high-profile job.

[FerryFor50]

Who did that booster think they should hire? I'd say that Strong is on the very short list of the best coaches that wasn't already at a high-profile job.

I'd bet McCombs wanted a splashier hire, like Harbaugh or Jimbo Fisher. Not some coach at a mid-major. (Mid major behind burnt orange glasses at least)

[burnspbesq]

ESPN is reporting that Bobby Petrino has interviewed for the Louisville job.

/facepalm

[A-Tex Devil]

Who did that booster think they should hire? I'd say that Strong is on the very short list of the best coaches that wasn't already at a high-profile job.


I'd bet McCombs wanted a splashier hire, like Harbaugh or Jimbo Fisher. Not some coach at a mid-major. (Mid major behind burnt orange glasses at least)

Ummmmm.... worse. John Gruden. Direct McCombs quotes which should tell us all he should be ignored:


I had been talking to Jon Gruden at length any number of times and we had planned on having our next long conversation today.... If we got Gruden in there for 15-years, that we'd get at least 5-titles and we would set records like we've never set before.


“I’m just saying that five out of 15 shots — I think Jon Gruden would’ve gotten it done.”

“I gathered that he was very interested,” McCombs said in regards to reaching out to Gruden on his own. “But he was very concerned about whom he’d be working for, whom he’d report to…and I was trying to find some way to get an audience to where he could get that information, and that just never took place.”

“I was not on the search committee. I had no official role whatsoever. However, the people that were in charge were aware that I was talking to Jon and I was trying to develop some interest with Jon.”

[throatybeard]

Has to do with Texas thinking they're kings of all things college football. Strong was likely not their first choice.

You mean, you don't believe any of their disingenuous spin-doctoring about how he was their first choice all along?

Yeah, me neither.

[Duvall]

I thought Tom Jurich was smarter than this. (http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--bobby-petrino-returning-for-second-stint-as-louisville-s-head-coach-174716054.html) Check that - I *know* Tom Jurich is smarter than this. Very strange.


Louisville's hiring of Bobby Petrino for his second stint as its football coach is imminent, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.

Athletic director Tom Jurich is expected to meet with Petrino's agent, David Dunn, Wednesday night to finalize contract details. The school plans to introduce Petrino Thursday. The Louisville Athletic Association's personnel committee has called a 10 a.m. ET meeting Thursday to discuss a personnel matter. The committee is expected to approve a contract for Petrino, and he will be formally introduced thereafter.

[JasonEvans]

Jurich is merely doing this so he can laugh while watching football and basketball games when the announcers constantly trip over saying Petrino instead of Pitino and vise-verse.

-Jason "on the plus side, if you are a well-known and unabashed adulterer, you know the school for you!" Evans

[FerryFor50]

Jurich is merely doing this so he can laugh while watching football and basketball games when the announcers constantly trip over saying Petrino instead of Pitino and vise-verse.

-Jason "on the plus side, if you are a well-known and unabashed adulterer, you know the school for you!" Evans

Beyond the adultery... why re-hire the guy who ditched you for the NFL in the first place? And it seems that his appetite for women rivals only his appetite for coaching jobs.

[A-Tex Devil]

Beyond the adultery... why re-hire the guy who ditched you for the NFL in the first place? And it seems that his appetite for women rivals only his appetite for coaching jobs.

Someone was going to hire Petrino eventually. Loyalty be damned, he's a proven successful college football coach. That being said, I am just as surprised that it's Louisville. Perhaps he didn't burn bridges there the same way he did in Atlanta and Fayetteville, but damned if they aren't playing with poison. Too bad. I think there were several better candidates available to them.

[jv001]

Beyond the adultery... why re-hire the guy who ditched you for the NFL in the first place? And it seems that his appetite for women rivals only his appetite for coaching jobs.

Maybe Bobby will take some of the headlines from the unc mess. GoDuke!

[throatybeard]

It sounds like James Franklin is leaving Vanderbilt for Penn State.

[YmoBeThere]

It sounds like James Franklin is leaving Vanderbilt for Penn State.

Indeed he is. I fret what this means for my 'dores. Did Franklin do enough to make the job interesting to a strong mid-major up and comer? FWIW, he had the 5th highest salary among SEC coaches, so it isn't like he was poorly compensated. There are some interesting clauses in his contract regarding upgrades that he requested, we'll see how those work out.