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Reilly
11-17-2014, 07:20 PM
Florida will be open, as we know.

If UVa loses to a demoralized Miami and for the 11th consecutive year to VT, then Mike London will be gone, per David Teel:

http://touch.dailypress.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82002462/

tommy
11-17-2014, 08:02 PM
Can't imagine Brady Hoke being back at Michigan. Alums want Jim Harbaugh but I do not see that happening. Seems like Les Miles might be ready this time around.

As as for the Gators, Dan Mullen seems attractive, but thought I read there's bad blood between him and the AD.

IsInTheDetails
11-17-2014, 08:27 PM
For those more attuned to FB recruiting than I am, does Duke stand to benefit at all from coaching changes elsewhere? We are clearly on a hot streak with recruits, especially Class of 2016 (see separate thread), and we definitely compete with UVA - and probably Florida - for talent.

Devil in the Blue Dress
11-17-2014, 10:14 PM
For those more attuned to FB recruiting than I am, does Duke stand to benefit at all from coaching changes elsewhere? We are clearly on a hot streak with recruits, especially Class of 2016 (see separate thread), and we definitely compete with UVA - and probably Florida - for talent.
Who's to say just yet? A change of coaches brought Sean Renfree and Jeremy Cash to Duke.

-bdbd
11-18-2014, 01:03 AM
I seem to recall reading that Duke is going after a couple of highly-rated kids who'd previously committed to other programs - fairly common in football - but whose Head Coaches had come to stand on fairly shaky fround.

sagegrouse
11-18-2014, 04:24 AM
Florida will be open, as we know.



Florida is looking for an offensive-minded coach. Kurt Roper was hired from Duke to give the Gators a high-tempo spread offense, but instead they were 89th in total offense in Div 1A. I wish him well, but it looks like he only gets one year to work a transformation. To cushion the likely firing, I understand he got guaranteed money for more than one year.

BD80
11-18-2014, 07:39 AM
Can't imagine Brady Hoke being back at Michigan. Alums want Jim Harbaugh but I do not see that happening. Seems like Les Miles might be ready this time around.

As as for the Gators, Dan Mullen seems attractive, but thought I read there's bad blood between him and the AD.

The ESPN "insider" on SportsCenter reported that while Florida is looking for someone with a track record and offensive minded, the search was wide open. In the next breath he said Mullen and Rich Rodriquez (2 hot names) would NOT be considered. When asked why, he reported that they didn't meet Florida's "standards." I would love to know the rest of that story.

Right now, with 6 games remaining, Harbaugh's 49rs are 3 games back in their division and 1 game out of a playoff spot. Nobody in the organization would be saddened by the departure of Harbaugh and his ego.

tommy
11-18-2014, 11:04 AM
Right now, with 6 games remaining, Harbaugh's 49rs are 3 games back in their division and 1 game out of a playoff spot. Nobody in the organization would be saddened by the departure of Harbaugh and his ego.

Maybe so. But still he wouldn't go to Michigan. NFL teams would be throwing garlands at his feet. Atlanta and Carolina, if they don't make the playoffs, plus both New York teams I'm sure would go after him strongly. That could be interesting . . .

Jim3k
11-30-2014, 12:33 AM
The SF Chron (http://www.sfgate.com/sports/college/article/Clemson-s-Morris-Spoken-to-SMU-about-coaching-job-5924737.php) is reporting that Clemson assistant Chad Morris has been in talks with SMU. No deal as yet and SMU's search seems to be continuing, though Morris has not been ruled out.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
11-30-2014, 07:51 AM
At the risk of rumor mongering, I have seen Coach Cut's name tossed about in conjunction with the pending opening in Ann Arbor. Does anyone have a sense as to Coach's interest in moving up the food chain?

My hope would be, that having worked with top tier programs in the past, he relishes the project at hand and has found the progress thus far to be rewarding. But I am certainly not "in the know."

OldPhiKap
11-30-2014, 08:04 AM
At the risk of rumor mongering, I have seen Coach Cut's name tossed about in conjunction with the pending opening in Ann Arbor. Does anyone have a sense as to Coach's interest in moving up the food chain?

My hope would be, that having worked with top tier programs in the past, he relishes the project at hand and has found the progress thus far to be rewarding. But I am certainly not "in the know."

I don't know Cut, but since we dodged the Vol bullet a few years ago I think he's a Duke man. And at 59 or 60 IIRC, most programs are probably looking for someone younger.

Plus, his main recruiting ties are in the Southeast -- He is a lifelong SEC (and now ACC) guy.

I would have been more worried about Florida, frankly, but I have not seen his name on any floated list there.

I think David has found a home in Durham, and Duke has found a perfect representative in David and his program. Some things are meant to be.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
11-30-2014, 08:10 AM
I don't know Cut, but since we dodged the Vol bullet a few years ago I think he's a Duke man. And at 59 or 60 IIRC, most programs are probably looking for someone younger.

Plus, his main recruiting ties are in the Southeast -- He is a lifelong SEC (and now ACC) guy.

I would have been more worried about Florida, frankly, but I have not seen his name on any floated list there.

I think David has found a home in Durham, and Duke has found a perfect representative in David and his program. Some things are meant to be.

I certainly hope you are right, and I agree with your instincts in regards to age. I just couldn't help wonder - especially after noticing the VERY sparse home crowd last night.

Really wish we would get out and support our boys, even if it is chilly. We have a small stadium, and that makes it look even worse when it is 2/3rds empty.

Here's to the seniors and to Coach Cut! Let's finish with 10 wins and a good bowl victory!

sagegrouse
11-30-2014, 09:57 AM
I don't know Cut, but since we dodged the Vol bullet a few years ago I think he's a Duke man. And at 59 or 60 IIRC, most programs are probably looking for someone younger.

Plus, his main recruiting ties are in the Southeast -- He is a lifelong SEC (and now ACC) guy.

I would have been more worried about Florida, frankly, but I have not seen his name on any floated list there.

I think David has found a home in Durham, and Duke has found a perfect representative in David and his program. Some things are meant to be.

Cut is 60 (DOB is Sept. 14, 1964). He also had a coronary bypass in 2005 and took a year off.

Devil in the Blue Dress
11-30-2014, 10:35 AM
I certainly hope you are right, and I agree with your instincts in regards to age. I just couldn't help wonder - especially after noticing the VERY sparse home crowd last night.

Really wish we would get out and support our boys, even if it is chilly. We have a small stadium, and that makes it look even worse when it is 2/3rds empty.

Here's to the seniors and to Coach Cut! Let's finish with 10 wins and a good bowl victory!
The cameras don't pan the stadium. They're aimed at areas which tend to be empty (east side in front of the President's Box, GA area for group sales and visitors' sections) when other areas are full. Perhaps the renovations would allow the cameras to be relocated with a more satisfying view.;)

Henderson
11-30-2014, 10:40 AM
The cameras don't pan the stadium. They're aimed at areas which tend to be empty (east side in front of the President's Box, GA area for group sales and visitors' sections) when other areas are full. Perhaps the renovations would allow the cameras to be relocated with a more satisfying view.;)

There are plenty of wide-angle shots of the stadium from the closed end. The empty seats are not a trompe l'oeil easily dismissed with references to camera angles.

crdaul
11-30-2014, 10:52 AM
I agree that attendance is a big problem but the stadium was actually 2/3 full last night....a good time was had by all who were there and the chance to interact with the team on the field afterwards was a special treat.

Reilly
11-30-2014, 12:20 PM
Cut is 60 (DOB is Sept. 14, 1964). He also had a coronary bypass in 2005 and took a year off.

And his youngest kid is either in late middle school or early high school -- not the time a young gal wants to uproot and start over.

richardjackson199
11-30-2014, 02:51 PM
I don't know Cut, but since we dodged the Vol bullet a few years ago I think he's a Duke man. And at 59 or 60 IIRC, most programs are probably looking for someone younger.

Plus, his main recruiting ties are in the Southeast -- He is a lifelong SEC (and now ACC) guy.

I would have been more worried about Florida, frankly, but I have not seen his name on any floated list there.

I think David has found a home in Durham, and Duke has found a perfect representative in David and his program. Some things are meant to be.

A couple days ago they had an "insider expert" on ESPN sports radio and asked him if Cutcliffe's name was being tossed around as a possibility for these major job openings. The insider emphatically said No, because he said Cut is not interested in leaving Duke. He said Cut is widely regarded as an outstanding coach, but that he is in a perfect situation "at the right place." He said that given his age, he is happy to finish his career at Duke. He said the insiders don't expect him to consider leaving. It sounded encouraging.

Bluedog
11-30-2014, 03:13 PM
Considering Bo Pelini just got fired after seven consecutive 9+ win seasons and a record of 67-27, there is also something to be said for coaching at a school with a bit lower expectations (and still 2M+ salary). I think Cutcliffe and Duke are a great match.

brevity
11-30-2014, 03:24 PM
Link to Bo Pelini firing: http://m.espn.go.com/ncf/story?storyId=11958376

I'm sure there's a Baton Rouge sandwich shop that would like to see Les Miles move on so that they can start selling the Po' Belini, which is like a Po' boy but wrapped in a thin pancake.

OldPhiKap
11-30-2014, 08:30 PM
A couple days ago they had an "insider expert" on ESPN sports radio and asked him if Cutcliffe's name was being tossed around as a possibility for these major job openings. The insider emphatically said No, because he said Cut is not interested in leaving Duke. He said Cut is widely regarded as an outstanding coach, but that he is in a perfect situation "at the right place." He said that given his age, he is happy to finish his career at Duke. He said the insiders don't expect him to consider leaving. It sounded encouraging.


Considering Bo Pelini just got fired after seven consecutive 9+ win seasons and a record of 67-27, there is also something to be said for coaching at a school with a bit lower expectations (and still 2M+ salary). I think Cutcliffe and Duke are a great match.

I remember an early Cut press conference, where he was asked whether he was excited about the buzz he was creating in the Duke community. His response was (paraphrasing) -- "you've got to remember, I was SEC Coach of the Year and then fired after the following season. I'm glad that folks are excited about me being here, but you have to keep that kind of thing in perspective."

He has a great opportunity at Duke and is a great fit. he has his best recruiting class yet coming in, and a brand new stadium. He can retire as the most successful football coach since the guy for whom the stadium is now named. And Durham is a nice place to live.

devil84
11-30-2014, 08:41 PM
Cut is 60 (DOB is Sept. 14, 1954). He also had a coronary bypass in 2005 and took a year off.
Fixed it for you.

For those of us who may or may not be born between '54 and '64, we may or may not have scratched our heads trying to figure out where we picked up a decade over the long holiday. The holiday weekend was long, but... ;)

OldPhiKap
11-30-2014, 09:00 PM
Fixed it for you.

For those of us who may or may not be born between '54 and '64, we may or may not have scratched our heads trying to figure out where we picked up a decade over the long holiday. The holiday weekend was long, but... ;)

For some of my s, my friends end, it's not the years but the miles. Mine we're mainly spent off-roading.

CameronBornAndBred
12-02-2014, 02:58 PM
It looks like Bill Clark and his staff at UAB will be looking for jobs, since the school won't have a team next year.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11967626/uab-blazers-shut-football-program

(This could have easily have been posted in the college football attendance thread.)

Duvall
12-02-2014, 03:09 PM
Brady Hoke out at Michigan. (https://mobile.twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/539873204354174976?p=v)

BD80
12-02-2014, 04:05 PM
Brady Hoke out at Michigan. (https://mobile.twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/539873204354174976?p=v)

To give y'all an idea of just how delusional they are up here in Michigan, there are those (even in the press) saying UM should go for Pete Carroll.

I say just reanimate Bo Schembechler circa 1969 and strap em on. Three yards and a cloud of dust. Recruit 14 of the nation's top quarterbacks and make them DBs.

Dev11
12-02-2014, 04:49 PM
So which program is going to make the best hire: Florida, Michigan, or Nebraska? Florida is apparently pursuing Jim McElwain at Colorado State (the FlightAware Twitter nerds have the UF AD en route to Fort Collins today). Michigan is fooling themselves about hiring away an NFL or SEC coach. Nebraska just fired a coach who won 9 games every season.

OldPhiKap
12-02-2014, 05:25 PM
So which program is going to make the best hire: Florida, Michigan, or Nebraska? Florida is apparently pursuing Jim McElwain at Colorado State (the FlightAware Twitter nerds have the UF AD en route to Fort Collins today). Michigan is fooling themselves about hiring away an NFL or SEC coach. Nebraska just fired a coach who won 9 games every season.

Auburn will make the best hire of the season, picking up Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator.

As for HC, Florida has to be the most attractive of the three jobs. Michigan is a major rebuild job, and Lincoln ain't the destination it once was (especially since they switched conferences and lost their footprint in talent-rich Texas).

A-Tex Devil
12-04-2014, 12:47 PM
McElwain to Florida and Mike Riley to Nebraska.

Add Oregon St. and Colorado St. to the list. Does Oregon St. go after Brian Harsin?

Dev11
12-04-2014, 01:05 PM
McElwain to Florida and Mike Riley to Nebraska.

Add Oregon St. and Colorado St. to the list. Does Oregon St. go after Brian Harsin?

Between Muschamp and McElwain, Florida will pay $15.5M in buyouts for coaches to not work they were worked this season. Part of McElwain's buyout comes with a guaranteed game for CSU at the Swamp.

CLT Devil
12-04-2014, 06:30 PM
I was with a HS Football Coach here in Charlotte who sends a lot of prospects to Duke - Two things to take away from our conversation about Duke Football

We offered a QB - Daniel Jones I believe - who this Coach says Cut would love to have and thinks he's a perfect fit for Cut's system, kid has a strong arm apparently. BUT, the kid was just offered by Stanford a day or so ago and that's a tough one to pass up. Stanford has offered 3 different QBs and whoever chooses to accept first will get the scholy and the other two won't have an offer anymore. Let's hope Duke gets him.

He also said there's no good reason that Kurt Roper wouldn't come back to Duke and take over OC duties. He speaks highly of Scottie and thinks he'd be okay with going back to WRs Coach where he was last year (pretty sure). So, Roper is out of a job, let us know if anyone hears any rumblings about him possibly heading back to Duke.

53n206
12-04-2014, 07:29 PM
Roper back? Co-cordinator?

OldPhiKap
12-04-2014, 08:05 PM
Roper back? Co-cordinator?

"There can only be one"

Unlike many, I thought Kurt did a good job. Scottie does, too. Whatever Cut wants, I am ok.

Tripping William
12-05-2014, 02:12 PM
McElwain to Florida and Mike Riley to Nebraska.



Strikes me that the blueprint for the McElwain hire was when UF lured Urban Meyer out of Salt Lake City. Of course, Urb had taken the Utes to a BCS Bowl (the Fiesta, behind Alex Smith), something the CSU Rams have never accomplished.

Olympic Fan
12-05-2014, 04:15 PM
I think Florida made a good hire, even id they are paying a ton of money to guys not to coach.

Obviously, still waiting to see what Michigan will do ...

But I have to admit I'm flabbergasted by the Nebraska switch.

You fire Pelini, coming off another nine win season (at least nine wins every year at Nebraska) and hire a 61 year old Mike Riley -- who has won nine of more games four times in his career (with seven losing seasons in 14 years)?

That one, I don't get.

BD80
12-05-2014, 04:18 PM
...

But I have to admit I'm flabbergasted by the Nebraska switch.

You fire Pelini, coming off another nine win season (at least nine wins every year at Nebraska) and hire a 61 year old Mike Riley -- who has won nine of more games four times in his career (with seven losing seasons in 14 years)?

That one, I don't get.

Imagine how Pelini feels ...

OldPhiKap
12-05-2014, 04:42 PM
I think Florida made a good hire, even id they are paying a ton of money to guys not to coach.

Obviously, still waiting to see what Michigan will do ...

But I have to admit I'm flabbergasted by the Nebraska switch.

You fire Pelini, coming off another nine win season (at least nine wins every year at Nebraska) and hire a 61 year old Mike Riley -- who has won nine of more games four times in his career (with seven losing seasons in 14 years)?

That one, I don't get.


Imagine how Pelini feels ...

I think they may have found out that Nebraska is not the destination it was in the past.

Didn't Pelini basically dare the administration to fire him last year? I think there was more to that situation than wins -- although I don't think he won the rivalry games he needed to win either which hurts.

sagegrouse
12-05-2014, 04:54 PM
I think they may have found out that Nebraska is not the destination it was in the past.

Didn't Pelini basically dare the administration to fire him last year? I think there was more to that situation than wins -- although I don't think he won the rivalry games he needed to win either which hurts.

Nobody at Nebraska liked Pelini, which is a problem for any coach.

Tripping William
12-05-2014, 04:56 PM
[A]lthough I don't think he won the rivalry games he needed to win either which hurts.

Does Nebraska have any real "rivals" at this point? I mean, besides Maryland?

sagegrouse
12-05-2014, 04:59 PM
Does Nebraska have any real "rivals" at this point? I mean, besides Maryland?

In Colorado, the big college game for decades was Colorado-Nebraska, although it was not clear Nebraska felt that way. Boy, has that gone with the wind!

OldPhiKap
12-05-2014, 05:04 PM
Does Nebraska have any real "rivals" at this point? I mean, besides Maryland?

Well, that is a good point too -- by switching from the B12 to B10, they lost a bunch of traditional rivalries. From a quickly-found article (sine I don't know a lot about Nebraska-qua-Nebraska):


To generations of Nebraska fans, going to the Big Ten at one time would have been unthinkable. The school's athletic tradition is built on more than a century of football games against the likes of Missouri and Kansas, dating to the days the team was known as the Bugeaters.

The Huskers, in fact, have been conference partners with Iowa State, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Kansas State since 1928; with Colorado since 1948; and with Oklahoma State since 1960.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5276551 (From when they switched conferences a few years ago).

Maryland, of course, has hated them for years. But they'll find that out soon enough.

devildeac
12-05-2014, 05:17 PM
In Colorado, the big college game for decades was Colorado-Nebraska, although it was not clear Nebraska felt that way. Boy, has that gone with the wind!

And frankly, my dear (sagegrouse), I don't give a damn.

Dev11
12-05-2014, 09:00 PM
In Colorado, the big college game for decades was Colorado-Nebraska, although it was not clear Nebraska felt that way. Boy, has that gone with the wind!

One of the Denver Post columnists suggested that CSU should hire Pelini. That would be fun.

OldPhiKap
12-10-2014, 07:51 PM
Gary Anderson is giving up being a Badger to become a Beaver. Is that really a step up?

A-Tex Devil
12-10-2014, 09:44 PM
Gary Anderson is giving up being a Badger to become a Beaver. Is that really a step up?

It is when your AD is micromanaging your program. Barry Alvarez should probably just take the job back if he's not going to let his head coach do his job.

Pelini to Youngstown St. Hometown team. The Pelinis and the Stoops are all from there. Talk about a lot of angry spittle and Bike coaches shorts from one town.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
12-11-2014, 01:05 AM
I don't know Cut, but since we dodged the Vol bullet a few years ago I think he's a Duke man. And at 59 or 60 IIRC, most programs are probably looking for someone younger.

Plus, his main recruiting ties are in the Southeast -- He is a lifelong SEC (and now ACC) guy.

I would have been more worried about Florida, frankly, but I have not seen his name on any floated list there.

I think David has found a home in Durham, and Duke has found a perfect representative in David and his program. Some things are meant to be.

Again hoping you are right, but three weeks later there is some national media reporting UM's interest in Coach Cut.

It's the only part of the coaching carousel I care about, and I find it scary.

NashvilleDevil
12-11-2014, 10:37 AM
I think Florida made a good hire, even id they are paying a ton of money to guys not to coach.

Obviously, still waiting to see what Michigan will do ...

But I have to admit I'm flabbergasted by the Nebraska switch.

You fire Pelini, coming off another nine win season (at least nine wins every year at Nebraska) and hire a 61 year old Mike Riley -- who has won nine of more games four times in his career (with seven losing seasons in 14 years)?

That one, I don't get.

As a Nebraska alum I was surprised when I saw the news of Pelini's firing. I am sure many Nebraska fans were. Bo has a tremendous following because he brought respectability back to the program after the Callahan debacle. He did win 9 games every year but it was how they lost the 3-4 games each year.

This year they go to East Lansing and were getting blown out by the Spartans before the Huskers played an inspired 10 minutes of football and almost pulled off a miraculous comeback. I think the Wisconsin game was the final nail. Nebraska was leading 17-3 after the first quarter and then Melvin Gordon does his thing and Wisconsin scores 49 straight points. It was another embarassing loss on the big stage that has plagued Pelini. Pelini came in with a defensive reputation following his year as Nebraska's DC in 2003 and in the same position at Oklahoma and LSU. Problem was the defense, other than Suh's senior year, was always suspect. That may be the talent of the players or the scheme was to complex.

When Eichorst made the move everyone was expecting a flashy hire, maybe Scott Frost, Jim Tressel but no one saw Mike Riley coming. When he was announced I was a little perplexed. I know he had won at Oregon St but he was not a guy in the top 20 of any list for a new coach. I think Eichorst wanted a guy who, personality wise, was the complete opposite of Bo. Many of the writers in Lincoln and Omaha were talking about the us v. them mentality that had been fostered by Bo. Nebraska football has always been, or at least prior to the hiring of Callahan, a shared experience for the players and fans. I think Riley will bring that back and he is a good coach who has sent several players to the NFL and can recruit in California and Texas, two areas that Nebraska always recruited well during Osborne's era.

I do not know if this hire gets Nebraska back to national prominence like they were from the 70s to the early 2000s. I think they wanted a different personality running the program and a guy who has been a coach before and knows how to put a staff together. That was another issue with Bo, he had never put together a staff and never really had an identity for the teams. My guess is Riley wins at the same level that Bo did and because the Big 10 West is terrible they will make it to a couple of title games and maybe win one or two. Riley probably retires after 5-6 years and then the golden boy, Scott Frost, will be hired after he gets some head coaching experience under his belt.

TexHawk
12-11-2014, 10:55 AM
Gary Anderson is giving up being a Badger to become a Beaver. Is that really a step up?

Do all job changes need to be steps up? Assuming the money is in the same ballpark, thousands of people make the same decision every day. Outside of the last two years, Gary Anderson has spent his entire life in Utah/Idaho. Oregon is closer to home. It's kinda refreshing to see a coach not continually chase the next big job like most of his peers do.

Also, it's not an *extreme* step down. Nebraska to Youngstown is a step down (mitigating factors, sure). But OSU is a Pac12 school that had some decent success under Riley.

A-Tex Devil
12-11-2014, 11:52 AM
Do all job changes need to be steps up? Assuming the money is in the same ballpark, thousands of people make the same decision every day. Outside of the last two years, Gary Anderson has spent his entire life in Utah/Idaho. Oregon is closer to home. It's kinda refreshing to see a coach not continually chase the next big job like most of his peers do.

Also, it's not an *extreme* step down. Nebraska to Youngstown is a step down (mitigating factors, sure). But OSU is a Pac12 school that had some decent success under Riley.

Gary Andersen is being paid more, and has a much larger budget for his staff, at Oregon St. than Wisconsin, not to mention the geographic advantage, for him, that TexHawk mentions. Andersen is a very, very good coach, and I imagine will have Oregon St. playing well quickly.

Bielema left his midwest comfort zone for an SEC program at the bottom, and Andersen left for Oregon St. after only 2 years. Wisconsin will get a good coach. But I'll be interested to see how long the next one stays as well.

Mal
12-11-2014, 12:07 PM
Also, it's not an *extreme* step down.

I agree with your general point and find it refreshing to see a coach at a big program move somewhere for reasons clearly not related to ladder-climbing ambition. But it's a pretty large step down. Wisconsin's been a fixture in the B1G championship hunt, the Rose Bowl and January football for 15 years now. Oregon State's finished ranked once in the last 6 seasons, and never higher than 20th in the last half century save that one random season with Dennis Erickson. This is a significant step down. Perhaps not exactly "extreme" on the order of Pelini's move, but not to be understated. It's still a Power 5 team, but one that's not particularly well-situated to rise anytime soon. Riley's recruited players there for a different system than Anderson's, the Arizona schools have been on the rise, UCLA has something going, etc., etc. I agree with A-Tex that this is likely due primarily to Barry Alvarez not being able to step back and let a coach run his program.

Re: a couple of the thoughts on Nebraska above, I think NashvilleDevil has a pretty good take. NE's delusional if they think they can replicate Osborne's success in the current environment, and a lot of people who follow other B1G programs were thinking they indeed harbored those delusions and just couldn't get happy with 9 wins a year and boo hoo. But hiring a stable guy with probably limited upside (and tenure - he's 61) like Riley probably proved that it was (a) the bad losses in big games, and (b) Pelini's difficult personality, that were driving his ouster, not some old notion of "We're Nebraska, people! We deserve to be in the national title picture every year."

As to the rivalry question, while certainly losing Oklahoma and Texas as rivals hurts, Nebraska's not like Maryland or Rutgers in that they have to create b.s., non-geography based rivalries in the B1G. The so-called "Quadrangle of Hate" between NE, WI, IA and MN, where they all get a round robin every season, is a pretty good start in their new conference. Finally, I'd take a little exception to Nashville's description of the B1G West, which was, outside of Ohio State, arguably the stronger of the two B1G divisions this year, at least top to bottom. And it's not like Nebraska's been ripping through Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota or anything - they're 3-5 against them over the last three seasons. It's certainly not the equivalent of the Pac 12 South or anything, but it's no ACC Coastal, either ;).

arnie
12-11-2014, 12:29 PM
Gary Andersen is being paid more, and has a much larger budget for his staff, at Oregon St. than Wisconsin, not to mention the geographic advantage, for him, that TexHawk mentions. Andersen is a very, very good coach, and I imagine will have Oregon St. playing well quickly.

Bielema left his midwest comfort zone for an SEC program at the bottom, and Andersen left for Oregon St. after only 2 years. Wisconsin will get a good coach. But I'll be interested to see how long the next one stays as well.

Consideration to climate also. Madison can be brutal in the winter and Corvallis more temperate. For those not accustomed to harsh weather, the Midwest winters drag on and on. Wife might have input on this too.

OldPhiKap
12-11-2014, 01:02 PM
Do all job changes need to be steps up? Assuming the money is in the same ballpark, thousands of people make the same decision every day. Outside of the last two years, Gary Anderson has spent his entire life in Utah/Idaho. Oregon is closer to home. It's kinda refreshing to see a coach not continually chase the next big job like most of his peers do.

Also, it's not an *extreme* step down. Nebraska to Youngstown is a step down (mitigating factors, sure). But OSU is a Pac12 school that had some decent success under Riley.


Gary Andersen is being paid more, and has a much larger budget for his staff, at Oregon St. than Wisconsin, not to mention the geographic advantage, for him, that TexHawk mentions. Andersen is a very, very good coach, and I imagine will have Oregon St. playing well quickly.

Bielema left his midwest comfort zone for an SEC program at the bottom, and Andersen left for Oregon St. after only 2 years. Wisconsin will get a good coach. But I'll be interested to see how long the next one stays as well.

Thanks. My question was not an attempt to be snarky, I don't know much about either program -- other than we played Wisconsin in the '94 HOF Bowl (my first bowl).

NashvilleDevil
12-11-2014, 01:08 PM
I agree with your general point and find it refreshing to see a coach at a big program move somewhere for reasons clearly not related to ladder-climbing ambition. But it's a pretty large step down. Wisconsin's been a fixture in the B1G championship hunt, the Rose Bowl and January football for 15 years now. Oregon State's finished ranked once in the last 6 seasons, and never higher than 20th in the last half century save that one random season with Dennis Erickson. This is a significant step down. Perhaps not exactly "extreme" on the order of Pelini's move, but not to be understated. It's still a Power 5 team, but one that's not particularly well-situated to rise anytime soon. Riley's recruited players there for a different system than Anderson's, the Arizona schools have been on the rise, UCLA has something going, etc., etc. I agree with A-Tex that this is likely due primarily to Barry Alvarez not being able to step back and let a coach run his program.

Re: a couple of the thoughts on Nebraska above, I think NashvilleDevil has a pretty good take. NE's delusional if they think they can replicate Osborne's success in the current environment, and a lot of people who follow other B1G programs were thinking they indeed harbored those delusions and just couldn't get happy with 9 wins a year and boo hoo. But hiring a stable guy with probably limited upside (and tenure - he's 61) like Riley probably proved that it was (a) the bad losses in big games, and (b) Pelini's difficult personality, that were driving his ouster, not some old notion of "We're Nebraska, people! We deserve to be in the national title picture every year."

As to the rivalry question, while certainly losing Oklahoma and Texas as rivals hurts, Nebraska's not like Maryland or Rutgers in that they have to create b.s., non-geography based rivalries in the B1G. The so-called "Quadrangle of Hate" between NE, WI, IA and MN, where they all get a round robin every season, is a pretty good start in their new conference. Finally, I'd take a little exception to Nashville's description of the B1G West, which was, outside of Ohio State, arguably the stronger of the two B1G divisions this year, at least top to bottom. And it's not like Nebraska's been ripping through Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota or anything - they're 3-5 against them over the last three seasons. It's certainly not the equivalent of the Pac 12 South or anything, but it's no ACC Coastal, either ;).

Mal, you are right about the BIG West being strong this year. What I was trying to say is that the West does not have a behemoth like Ohio St and with the talent and resources Nebraska has, with the right coaching, they should win the West most years. I do not think it is possible for Nebraska to enjoy the success of Osborne's last 5 years (60-3, three national titles) but I think Nebraska should be in the playoff hunt every few years. What I really want to stop more than anything is the blowout losses. For a defensive guru Bo's teams sure gave up a ton of points in the games that mattered the most. If Riley wins 9-10 a year, competes for BIG titles, avoids the embarassing blow out losses, and makes a playoff appearance or two I will be happy.

Again, I appreciate what Bo did to get the program back to respectability but for the last couple of years I felt he had plateaued. He was entering his eighth year and I can guarantee that year eight would look similar to the first seven. Riley has a decent record against top ten teams, the Beavers did beat Arizona St this year, and I do think he can coach up players and Nebraska has some next level talent on the roster right now. We will see what happens in Lincoln the few years. Like I said I think Riley is there long enough for Scott Frost to get some seasoning as a head coach before he comes back to Lincoln.

Duvall
12-11-2014, 02:45 PM
Finally, I'd take a little exception to Nashville's description of the B1G West, which was, outside of Ohio State, arguably the stronger of the two B1G divisions this year, at least top to bottom. And it's not like Nebraska's been ripping through Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota or anything - they're 3-5 against them over the last three seasons. It's certainly not the equivalent of the Pac 12 South or anything, but it's no ACC Coastal, either ;).

Given Ohio State's relative performance against teams from the top of the Big Ten West and the bottom of the ACC Coastal, I would have to agree...

budwom
12-11-2014, 02:48 PM
Thanks. My question was not an attempt to be snarky, I don't know much about either program -- other than we played Wisconsin in the '94 HOF Bowl (my first bowl).

I wondered about why Andersen would choose to move, and initially guessed it was due to exorbitant Badger expectations, or Alvarez meddling...but then I saw a very credible report
which stated Andersen wants to significantly lower admissions standards to get an influx of JUCO kids among others. IF that is true, I commend the Badgers, what kind of self
respecting Badger would opt for the Life Aquatic and become a Beaver anyway?

GGLC
12-11-2014, 03:33 PM
I wondered about why Andersen would choose to move, and initially guessed it was due to exorbitant Badger expectations, or Alvarez meddling...but then I saw a very credible report
which stated Andersen wants to significantly lower admissions standards to get an influx of JUCO kids among others. IF that is true, I commend the Badgers, what kind of self
respecting Badger would opt for the Life Aquatic and become a Beaver anyway?

This is extremely unfair to Oregon State, Buddy.

As both of my brothers are Oregon State alums, I feel compelled to respond to your suggestion that Andersen would be getting the benefit of "significantly lower admissions standards" at OSU by linking to a comparison of academic requirements between the two schools, which shows that Wisconsin and OSU are virtually identical in this regard: http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2014/12/10/7374471/gary-andersen-wisconsin-ohio-state

Now, obviously that doesn't speak to the issue of admission standards per se, but while OSU's standards for letting in athletes might be more relaxed than Wisconsin's (and I haven't seen any concrete indication that's the case), Oregon State is a pretty well-respected academic institution with a strong tech and agricultural focus. It's not some clown college. And based on everything I've heard from my brothers (who knew many athletes during their time there), it's not the kind of school lets its athletes run rampant without doing classwork.

...And I'm obviously not saying that Oregon State is as highly-ranked or highly-respected an academic institution as the University of Wisconsin. But neither is it a university worthy of derision.

(Entirely putting aside the fact that Oregon is easily one of the states with the highest overall quality of life in the country...anyone who decides to move there -- for whatever reason -- is extremely fortunate and smart, as far as I can see.)

jv001
12-11-2014, 03:46 PM
This is extremely unfair to Oregon State, Buddy.

As both of my brothers are Oregon State alums, I feel compelled to respond to your suggestion that Andersen would be getting the benefit of "significantly lower admissions standards" at OSU by linking to a comparison of academic requirements between the two schools, which shows that Wisconsin and OSU are virtually identical in this regard: http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2014/12/10/7374471/gary-andersen-wisconsin-ohio-state

Now, obviously that doesn't speak to the issue of admission standards per se, but while OSU's standards for letting in athletes might be more relaxed than Wisconsin's (and I haven't seen any concrete indication that's the case), Oregon State is a pretty well-respected academic institution with a strong tech and agricultural focus. It's not some clown college. And based on everything I've heard from my brothers (who knew many athletes during their time there), it's not the kind of school lets its athletes run rampant without doing classwork.
...And I'm obviously not saying that Oregon State is as highly-ranked or highly-respected an academic institution as the University of Wisconsin. But neither is it a university worthy of derision.

(Entirely putting aside the fact that Oregon is easily one of the states with the highest overall quality of life in the country...anyone who decides to move there -- for whatever reason -- is extremely fortunate and smart, as far as I can see.)

In other words it's not UNC Chapel Hill, :cool: GoDuke!

GGLC
12-11-2014, 03:52 PM
And as for getting "an influx of JUCO kids," the current Oregon State football roster is here (http://www.osubeavers.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPID=127145&SPSID=750126).

Of the 110 players, it looks like 18 attended college somewhere else before arriving at Oregon State. This includes four players from Division I schools (Alabama, Cal, Miami, Washington State), four players from smaller in-state four-year universities (Portland State, Southern Oregon -- which happens to be my alma mater -- and Western Oregon), and ten players from two-year schools (Antelope Valley CC, American River CC, Cabrillo College, Cerritos Junior College, College of the Sequoias, Golden West CC, and Snow College).

Of these, four of the players hail from Snow College, which is apparently consistently (http://snowcollegepresident.blogspot.com/2012/06/cnnmoney-ranks-snow-college-6th.html) one of the top-ranked two-year colleges in the country. I make no representations about the academic quality of those other two-year schools, but even assuming they're all terrible places of learning from which only the most iniquitous and ill-prepared of college athletes matriculate (which seems doubtful), that's just 6 players out of 110.

Now, maybe Andersen is going to come in and change that by making Oregon State a hotbed of JuCo recruiting, but to the extent your comment might lead people to believe that OSU is currently a place that is a huge JuCo pipeline, that's pretty far from reality.

devildeac
12-11-2014, 05:16 PM
This is extremely unfair to Oregon State, Buddy.

As both of my brothers are Oregon State alums, I feel compelled to respond to your suggestion that Andersen would be getting the benefit of "significantly lower admissions standards" at OSU by linking to a comparison of academic requirements between the two schools, which shows that Wisconsin and OSU are virtually identical in this regard: http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2014/12/10/7374471/gary-andersen-wisconsin-ohio-state

Now, obviously that doesn't speak to the issue of admission standards per se, but while OSU's standards for letting in athletes might be more relaxed than Wisconsin's (and I haven't seen any concrete indication that's the case), Oregon State is a pretty well-respected academic institution with a strong tech and agricultural focus. It's not some clown college. And based on everything I've heard from my brothers (who knew many athletes during their time there), it's not the kind of school lets its athletes run rampant without doing classwork.

...And I'm obviously not saying that Oregon State is as highly-ranked or highly-respected an academic institution as the University of Wisconsin. But neither is it a university worthy of derision.

(Entirely putting aside the fact that Oregon is easily one of the states with the highest overall quality of life in the country...anyone who decides to move there -- for whatever reason -- is extremely fortunate and smart, as far as I can see.)

Sometimes a Great Notion...

My brother (now deceased) and his wife lived there for decades (and she still does). My parents also lived there for 12 years and generally enjoyed it though my Mom would get depressed at days/weeks/months of rain/drizzle/clouds. We visited them many times and found the state to be gorgeous.

Henderson
12-11-2014, 06:26 PM
I wondered about why Andersen would choose to move, and initially guessed it was due to exorbitant Badger expectations, or Alvarez meddling...but then I saw a very credible report
which stated Andersen wants to significantly lower admissions standards to get an influx of JUCO kids among others. IF that is true, I commend the Badgers, what kind of self
respecting Badger would opt for the Life Aquatic and become a Beaver anyway?

Where is this "very credible report"? And is it linked to OSU somehow? That is, does it show OSU receptive to this alleged juco plot your jounalism has uncovered?

Without that, your post is just a gratuitous swipe at a school and state that compare quite favorably to Wisconsin. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and guess you were joking around, the way people might tease about Cleveland or Detroit.

Still, that "very credible report"? If you don't mind.

OldPhiKap
12-11-2014, 08:47 PM
It is when your AD is micromanaging your program. Barry Alvarez should probably just take the job back if he's not going to let his head coach do his job.

Barry Alvarez is reportedly going to coach Whisky in their bowl game versus Auburn. Step one?

Bob Green
12-12-2014, 10:38 AM
ESPN citing "a source" says Wisconsin will hire Paul Chryst as their next head coach so this move could set back the rebuilding efforts in Pittsburgh.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12018668/wisconsin-badgers-hire-pittsburgh-head-coach-paul-chryst


This would mark a return for Chryst, a Madison native, to Wisconsin, where he was quarterback for the Badgers from 1986 to '88, served as the Badgers' tight ends coach in 2002 and oversaw the offense from 2005 to 2011.

devildeac
12-12-2014, 10:44 AM
ESPN citing "a source" says Wisconsin will hire Paul Chryst as their next head coach so this move could set back the rebuilding efforts in Pittsburgh.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12018668/wisconsin-badgers-hire-pittsburgh-head-coach-paul-chryst

One of my good buddies has been a Pitt fan since he was a kid. He'll be thrilled if this is true and will claim a lot of Pitt fans will be happy to see him go also. They'll want Chryst to take his DC with him, too.

wilson
12-12-2014, 11:09 AM
...a lot of Pitt fans will be happy to see him go also. They'll want Chryst to take his DC with him, too.And also his kicker?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG_ez_oL81c#t=147

OldPhiKap
12-12-2014, 11:30 AM
And also his kicker?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG_ez_oL81c#t=147

The only game I ever really see him call was our game this year, and the coaching at the end for Pitt was horrible. In many ways, we got the game to overtime because of Chryst's poor management in the red zone at the end of regulation. His post-game explanation was even more baffling.

A-Tex Devil
12-12-2014, 12:19 PM
The only game I ever really see him call was our game this year, and the coaching at the end for Pitt was horrible. In many ways, we got the game to overtime because of Chryst's poor management in the red zone at the end of regulation. His post-game explanation was even more baffling.

Chryst was a hot commodity as an OC for his offensive line coaching and strategies. Been a tougher row to hoe as a head coach.

Mal
12-12-2014, 12:19 PM
Given Ohio State's relative performance against teams from the top of the Big Ten West and the bottom of the ACC Coastal, I would have to agree...

Snark detected, but just to be sure, since there was no winking emoticon here, obligatory pointing to small sample size, reliance on transitive property, the obvious difference between OSU in early September and now, and the fact that in actual head-to-head games this season, the B1G West was 2-0 against the ACC Coastal. Please resume. ;)

Mal
12-12-2014, 12:50 PM
Barry Alvarez is reportedly going to coach Whisky in their bowl game versus Auburn. Step one?

Nah, he did the same thing when Bielema left. It's more vainglory than anything.

Also, why go back to coaching when you can hire Chryst, who will be a willing puppet for him? He's not another Andersen, who more than likely bristled at the resistance to any change he might have been trying to implement. Chryst is a maintenance coach, who (more than likely) won't screw up the system that's working well enough to get 9-10 wins a year while churning out NFL linemen and RB's. He also more than likely won't take them to the next level. There seems to be a ceiling on the Wisconsin football system - it's enviably consistent, but there's also a lack of signature wins other than over Nebraska, in their current incarnation. My guess is that being "Running Back U" hurts them in QB recruiting/development, and while college football hasn't yet become the NFL, where it's almost impossible to win it all without an elite quarterback, it's certainly trending that direction. As soon as your front 7 isn't dominating someone, you're in for some trouble if you can't throw the ball reliably. It's possible that over time Andersen would have implemented a system that blended in more QB and aerial elements and they became a team that could make a real national title run, but I don't see Alvarez/Chryst going that direction. The only thing that would make them change the status quo would be Nebraska or Minnesota winning a couple of B1G West titles and a perception that they've been passed in their subconference. That could happen, but the gap between Wisconsin and Nebraska looks bigger than it ever has so Riley has his work cut out, and despite the gap with Minnesota narrowing, Wisconsin's not going to feel threatened until Jerry Kill gets and keeps a quarterback and actually beats the Badgers a couple times.

Duvall
12-12-2014, 12:57 PM
Snark detected, but just to be sure, since there was no winking emoticon here, obligatory pointing to small sample size, reliance on transitive property, the obvious difference between OSU in early September and now, and the fact that in actual head-to-head games this season, the B1G West was 2-0 against the ACC Coastal. Please resume. ;)

I mean, if we want to do this analytically, we could note that Sagarin rates the ACC Coastal slightly ahead of the Big Ten West. I know that F+ had the Coastal ahead as well at one point, but I don't see an updated version for the entire regular season.

Henderson
12-12-2014, 01:19 PM
Nah, he did the same thing when Bielema left. It's more vainglory than anything.

In fairness to Alvarez, wouldn't he know the offensive and defensive schemes better than a new coach, leaving the coordinators to continue doing their jobs? I'm not sure the OC knows the defense, or the DC the offense, at a deep enough level. And a successor HC wouldn't know either.

Mal
12-12-2014, 03:05 PM
In fairness to Alvarez, wouldn't he know the offensive and defensive schemes better than a new coach.

I guess that differentiates this from otherwise analogous situations, but that's the problem in a nutshell, too: the AD actually knows the schemes. If he's so familiar to the players that it's not a massive disruption to have him on the sidelines, that strikes me as problematic in and of itself.

Plenty of interim head coaches, elevated at the end of a season to guide a team for one bowl game in the wake of a departing head coach, have made it work for that one game. On the other hand, Alvarez is presumably not intimately familiar with the day-to-day practice routines Andersen had in place, the nuances of the training regimen, what repititions are run, and when, and how many, etc., etc. (and if he is, then no wonder Andersen's gone). All those things make the players feel comfortable and probably are best not shaken up in the runup to a bowl game, and coordinators are familiar with them. It's possible Alvarez leaves all that stuff to the existing coordinators and he just comes in to gameplan and walk the sidelines at a bowl game and call some timeouts, but I don't know what the point of that is other than to bask in the glory of a victory, should it come.

budwom
12-13-2014, 09:09 PM
This is extremely unfair to Oregon State, Buddy.

As both of my brothers are Oregon State alums, I feel compelled to respond to your suggestion that Andersen would be getting the benefit of "significantly lower admissions standards" at OSU by linking to a comparison of academic requirements between the two schools, which shows that Wisconsin and OSU are virtually identical in this regard: http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2014/12/10/7374471/gary-andersen-wisconsin-ohio-state

Now, obviously that doesn't speak to the issue of admission standards per se, but while OSU's standards for letting in athletes might be more relaxed than Wisconsin's (and I haven't seen any concrete indication that's the case), Oregon State is a pretty well-respected academic institution with a strong tech and agricultural focus. It's not some clown college. And based on everything I've heard from my brothers (who knew many athletes during their time there), it's not the kind of school lets its athletes run rampant without doing classwork.

...And I'm obviously not saying that Oregon State is as highly-ranked or highly-respected an academic institution as the University of Wisconsin. But neither is it a university worthy of derision.

(Entirely putting aside the fact that Oregon is easily one of the states with the highest overall quality of life in the country...anyone who decides to move there -- for whatever reason -- is extremely fortunate and smart, as far as I can see.)

And as I have mentioned elsewhere, I made ZERO negative comments about the Beavers. Kindly point out where I said he would get "significantly lower admissions standards at OSU."
ESPN had a report from a B1G reporter which I referenced. It claims Andersen asked Wisco for greatly relaxed standards. He did not get them. He left for OSU. Period.
Since I'm an east coast guy who knows precisely nothing about OSU, I'm in no position to claim he got relaxed standards at Oregon State.

p.s. the context for all of this comes from someone we both know who speculated that Andersen left to get away from Alvarez. In response to him, I simply referenced the ESPN report.
To paraphrase Muhammad Ali, I ain't got no quarrel with them Beavers.

budwom
12-13-2014, 09:15 PM
The only game I ever really see him call was our game this year, and the coaching at the end for Pitt was horrible. In many ways, we got the game to overtime because of Chryst's poor management in the red zone at the end of regulation. His post-game explanation was even more baffling.

Indeed. Connor trampled us all afternoon, yet in overtime he kept him on the bench. Thank you Coach Chryst. Connor was asked afterwards if he was hurt, said no, it was the coach's decision.
From what I have read, Pitt fans would be thrilled to see him go.

Bob Green
01-02-2015, 07:23 AM
UNC brings in Gene Chizik as defensive coordinator:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12109040/former-auburn-tigers-coach-gene-chizik-accepts-job-north-carolina-tar-heels-defensive-coordinator

OldPhiKap
01-02-2015, 07:28 AM
UNC brings in Gene Chizik as defensive coordinator:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/12109040/former-auburn-tigers-coach-gene-chizik-accepts-job-north-carolina-tar-heels-defensive-coordinator

Well, that should clean things up. The Carolina Way meets Auburn "Recruiting"

throatybeard
01-05-2015, 09:03 AM
Well, that should clean things up. The Carolina Way meets Auburn "Recruiting"

Note also that a few years ago, Auburn too experienced an academic scandal, involving classes that were somewhere between slim and notional.

Bob Green
01-05-2015, 04:58 PM
Kurt Roper is interviewing for the OC job at Georgia:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/24935733/report-ex-florida-oc-kurt-roper-interviewing-for-georgia-oc-job

Henderson
01-05-2015, 05:08 PM
Note also that a few years ago, Auburn too experienced an academic scandal, involving classes that were somewhere between slim and notional.

Not Auburn, the Harvard of east-central Alabama! http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/14/sports/ncaafootball/14auburn.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

DangerDevil
02-02-2015, 02:01 PM
I think I would rather still be the Duke OC.

Browns hire Kurt Roper as a Senior Offensive Assistant.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/01/cleveland_browns_hiring_kevin.html

FerryFor50
02-02-2015, 02:07 PM
I think I would rather still be the Duke OC.

Browns hire Kurt Roper as a Senior Offensive Assistant.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/01/cleveland_browns_hiring_kevin.html

Isn't that just a short way of saying "Johnny Manziel's baby sitter"?

CameronBornAndBred
02-02-2015, 02:08 PM
Isn't that just a short way of saying "Johnny Manziel's baby sitter"?
He just went off to rehab, so maybe he'll be a bit more mature when he comes back.