Time to crank this up since Tommy Bowden has already gotten the boot, and more are on the way.

I'll start off by asking for opinions from the board about various head coaching candidates for positions around the country:

Gary Patterson
Brian Kelly
Todd Graham
Brady Hoke
Will Muschamp
Dave Christensen
DeWayne Walker
Lane Kiffin
Pat Hill

How good are these guys, what are their flaws, what would it take for them to leave their current jobs, where do you see them going, etc.

My input is on the firing side - Ty Willingham is a dead-coach-walking. The UW is apparently waiting to pull the trigger on him until the season is concluded, but make no mistake - barring a miraculous turnaround to the season, Ty is a goner. It would've happened last year, but UW President Mark Emmert in the end decided that the political fallout from firing Ty after 3 seasons was too much of a risk to his efforts to lobby the Washington legislature for a significant budget plan for the University. UW AD Todd Turner was fired instead for his behind the scenes undermining of Emmert's intention to fire Ty.

The UW apparently feels that it would be best to let Ty play out the season, which would both:

A) Prove beyond a shadow of a doubt he's a failure at the UW, and;
B) Show prospective new coaches that the UW will display reasonable patience

That said, I'd be surprised if Ty isn't fired (or offers his resignation) after the Apple Cup and before the December 6 game with Cal. I don't think the UW can afford to be behind other schools in their coaching search.

From a personal perspective, I'd like to see Emmert force Jim Mora to say "no" to the job. Yeah, he's the coach-in-waiting for the Seahawks, but I think Emmert still needs to try and see if he can wrest Mora away. Given the current state of the Seahawks and their future prospects and Mora's ties to the UW as an alumnus and former player, I think Mora could be persuaded. I'm not so sure though that Emmert is as convinced that Mora should be a candidate.

I doubt we'll get Gary Pinkel - it just seems like too much of a stretch for Pinkel, at his age, to walk away from Mizzou after building that program up and now enjoying the rewards of great new and remodeled facilities and a top-level program.

I doubt we'll get Gary Pinkel - it just seems like too much of a stretch for Pinkel, at his age, to walk away from Mizzou after building that program up and now enjoying the rewards of great new and remodeled facilities and a top-level program.

**DUCK***

I've always liked Pat Hill, and would like to see what would happen if he got a shot in a BCS conference.

Brian Kelly hasn't done enough with Cincinnati yet for him to be considered a candidate for another step up, in my opinion. He's had some bad luck with QB injuries, but he needs a couple more years at UC to see what he can do with a team that is almost all his.

Brian Kelly hasn't done enough with Cincinnati yet for him to be considered a candidate for another step up, in my opinion. He's had some bad luck with QB injuries, but he needs a couple more years at UC to see what he can do with a team that is almost all his.
I'm fairly certain he'll be a candidate for multiple jobs this year. Whether or not those job offers will be enticing enough for him to leave Cincinnati after just 2 seasons, I don't know. But if he had any west coast coaching and recruiting ties, he'd likely be at or near the top of the Huskies' wish list. I think he'd be a great hire for the UW, but they apparently want to focus on guys with west coast ties.

I've always liked Pat Hill, and would like to see what would happen if he got a shot in a BCS conference.
I'm guessing there's a good chance Pat Hill ends up at the UW. The Huskies likely won't get Mora, Tedford or Pinkel. They'll probably make an effort to go after Chris Peterson, but may get rebuffed. Pat Hill wants the job, and will probably be the backup plan for the UW if they can't get one of their dream candidates.

I'm guessing there's a good chance Pat Hill ends up at the UW. The Huskies likely won't get Mora, Tedford or Pinkel. They'll probably make an effort to go after Chris Peterson, but may get rebuffed. Pat Hill wants the job, and will probably be the backup plan for the UW if they can't get one of their dream candidates.

You think Chris Peterson would turn UW down? Why do you think so? I could see him going for it..he stays in the northwest (if that means anything to him), I imagine he'd be getting a raise, and he's now in the BCS.

I mean, whoever inherits the team is probably already getting a team on the rise in a conference that has a yearly crap shoot for 2nd place. It's an intriguing job.

Where's Ty Willingham going after he gets fired? I'd love to see him Wyoming. Mostly just to break barriers and maybe because he'd be able to bring coaches who are a huge upgrade over the D 1-AA staff of Joe Glenn. Joe Glenn at Wyoming will almost undoubtedly be fired this year.

Patterson's name is getting tossed around about the Clemson job, which I think it would be cool to see but bad for TCU.

I would like to see Walker get a chance, be it at a BCS school or Non BCS, I think he will be successful wherever he goes.

Brian Kelly hasn't done enough with Cincinnati yet for him to be considered a candidate for another step up, in my opinion. He's had some bad luck with QB injuries, but he needs a couple more years at UC to see what he can do with a team that is almost all his.

That's a fair point to some degree, but he's won everywhere he has been. Depending on how this year goes, he'd have a fairly similar resume to Urban Meyer before he got the Florida job. Of course, Meyer was coming off a 12-0 year with a BCS win at Utah, but it was only his second year there and his 4th year as a head coach. Kelly can counter that with multiple national championships (plus 13 years of experience) at GVSU.

If Cincy goes to a decent bowl game with their 3rd or 4th string QB playing this year after a 10 win season last year, I think he'll get some big offers.

Todd Graham was an assistant at WVU for 1 or 2 years. I actually find it somewhat interesting that he gets such acclaim since he runs the defense, and it's Tulsa's (Malzahn's) offense that does so well. Graham is a good recruiter, though.

IU needs to sack Bill Lynch. He is a great guy, but not a Big Ten level coach. IU also needs to pony up more money instead of trying to go the cheapo route on coaches.

You think Chris Peterson would turn UW down? Why do you think so? I could see him going for it..he stays in the northwest (if that means anything to him), I imagine he'd be getting a raise, and he's now in the BCS.

I mean, whoever inherits the team is probably already getting a team on the rise in a conference that has a yearly crap shoot for 2nd place. It's an intriguing job.
Peterson reportedly is very happy in Boise as well as having a family situation that makes him very reluctant to move. There is also speculation his primary choice if he moved on to a BCS school would be Oregon, where he was an assistant coach under Mike Bellotti.

I'd guess Peterson will be a top target for the UW. On the plus side:

- The UW is a BCS school
- The UW has enough built-in advantages that a good coach should be able to annually compete for the conference title
- The UW can pay in the upper tier of college coach salaries

On the down side:

- Recruiting under Ty has been spotty, and the job is a definitely a full rebuild, both to upgrade the talent level and reverse the recent trend of losing mentality
- The Pac-10 has gotten a lot stronger in the last several years, making it harder to maintain success in the upper half of the conference
- The UW faces a major facilities upgrade with Husky Stadium that currently lacks adequate funding

I think the UW is still an upper-echelon job if one looks in the longer-term, but short-term, it's a real challenge.

Where's Ty Willingham going after he gets fired? I'd love to see him Wyoming. Mostly just to break barriers and maybe because he'd be able to bring coaches who are a huge upgrade over the D 1-AA staff of Joe Glenn. Joe Glenn at Wyoming will almost undoubtedly be fired this year.
I've seen it proposed that Ty would be best-suited to either a military academy or an elite academic school (like a Vanderbilt or Rice). Given his personality and how he approaches coaching football, I tend to agree with that view.

Will Muschamp will get a Head Coaching job this year. He seems to be the hot name right now.

Will was about 2 hours away from being the Arkansas coach last year.

I've seen it proposed that Ty would be best-suited to either a military academy or an elite academic school (like a Vanderbilt or Rice). Given his personality and how he approaches coaching football, I tend to agree with that view.

Well, Wyoming is the sort of low-expectations place where if he just managed to win at all and make a bowl of any sort that fans would be thrilled.

Well, Wyoming is the sort of low-expectations place where if he just managed to win at all and make a bowl of any sort that fans would be thrilled.

What about Walker leaving UCLA and heading to Wyoming?

Lane Kiffin seems suited for college ball. Reminds me of a young Jon Gruden. Not sure he will be the best coach ever, but I suspect he will recruit with the best of them. Plus with Kiffin, maybe someone gets Ed Orgeron as a DC. Oregeron is a recruiting guru, so that helps no doubt.

What about Walker leaving UCLA and heading to Wyoming?

My gut says Walker will only leave for a BCS school, or a top, top non-BCS school (Boise State/BYU/Utah/etc.). Or for an NFL coordinator's job.

Kirk Ferentz would look great at Washington or Wyoming. Clemson would work also.

But if he had any west coast coaching and recruiting ties

Furthest west he's been is Michigan, so he would have to know people who now are west coast people for him to establish a base there. I still think he's a couple years away though. If, for whatever reason, RR can't turn around Michigan in a couple more years then I think there's going to be a mass movement for Michigan to see if he would go there because he's the absolute biggest no brainer to go there, but he was only at UC for one year when Carr stepped down. *sigh* All he had to do was wait one more year at CMU and he would be at Michigan instead of UC.

Muschamp was definitely hired in Austin with the full knowledge he is a one-year rent a coach. Mack Brown seems to do that with his D-coordinators, and it's worked out well for both us Longhorns and the coaches. I'd say he's a lock to get an HC job after this season is done.

Kirk Ferentz would look great at Washington or Wyoming. Clemson would work also.

no way.
wont happen
no chance in hell

no way.
wont happen
no chance in hell


Stop mincing words and tell us how you really feel.

What about Walker leaving UCLA and heading to Wyoming?

The reason they went with a 1-AA guy for all of these years (and to be fair, he did win a bowl game, though mostly with another guy's players...) is because I think they knew he'd never leave. He won a title in D2, a 1-AA title and so they gave him the move up job of his life.

But his offense (Joe Glenn) is rudimentary and he hires his buddies that he's "familiar with" to run the offense. Defense is always their strong suit and even when they are awful, the defense usually knows how to get the job done (though not this year...from what I understand.)

In any case...I just think that, the AD isn't smart enough and there isn't enough money for them to go out and bring in a "real big name" unfortunately and just given the nature of the location and the conference, the only thing they can hope for is just an ambitious young guy to take the job and make it his own.

They've got outstanding facilities, just built a new practice facility and so, it's not bear bones and of course, in terms of support, they've got an entire state behind them as the only D-1A school in the entire state, so...you'd do worse for support at some directional state university elsewhere.

But I just think the sort of leadership it'd take to find the "right guy" at the "right time" is a little above their pay grade, if you will.

But I can always hold out for a surprise. I mean, Wyoming was on the Dennis Erickson coaching carnival back in the day.

Three weeks ago I thought Al Groh was out the door, but it looks like he'll stick around after the past three games.

Mike Stoops saved his job at Arizona. Jeff Tedford is again exposed as a fraud of a coach but this wont be the season he loses his job

What about Walker leaving UCLA and heading to Wyoming?

Doubt it will happen. I think he'll be at UCLA next season because his defense hasn't been that great this season

I think the UW is still an upper-echelon job if one looks in the longer-term, but short-term, it's a real challenge.

As a alum and lifetime fan I think so also, but I am not at all certain that is the reality for the rest of the nation.

Pat Hill would be my choice, mainly because I'm not convinced there are that many people who would want the job, plus I've been impressed with what he's been able to accomplish at Fresno.

Hill is an interesting candidate but for all he's done, he's never won his conference

Mike Stoops saved his job at Arizona. Jeff Tedford is again exposed as a fraud of a coach but this wont be the season he loses his job
Really? A fraud?

Cal pre-Tedford:
- Went 16-39 under Tom Holmoe;
- Had not had a winning record in 9 years;
- Had not had back-to-back winning records in 11 years;
- Had not had 6 consecutive winning records in 50 years, since the last time Cal was consistently good under Pappy Waldorf;
- Was coming off a 1-10 season

Cal under Tedford:
- Has had a winning record and a bowl berth all 6 of his seasons, and will likely extend that streak to 7 this year;
- Turned around the program immediately, going from the 1-10 of his predecessor to 7-5 in his first season;
- Has a .659 winning percentage at Cal, far superior to any Cal coach since Pappy Waldorf retired in 1952

This makes him a fraud how?

Really? A fraud?

Cal pre-Tedford:
- Went 16-39 under Tom Holmoe;
- Had not had a winning record in 9 years;
- Had not had back-to-back winning records in 11 years;
- Had not had 6 consecutive winning records in 50 years, since the last time Cal was consistently good under Pappy Waldorf;
- Was coming off a 1-10 season

Cal under Tedford:
- Has had a winning record and a bowl berth all 6 of his seasons, and will likely extend that streak to 7 this year;
- Turned around the program immediately, going from the 1-10 of his predecessor to 7-5 in his first season;
- Has a .659 winning percentage at Cal, far superior to any Cal coach since Pappy Waldorf retired in 1952

This makes him a fraud how?

I tend to agree with you, dawg, but what I think Bug is getting at is that Teford's profile has been raised higher or glorified far beyond how good he actually is, and the underachieving squads (by national estimations) that he has been fielding the past three years or so are more of an indication of his true level as a coach. In that way, that he may not be another Urban Meyer or Gary Pinkel or Pete Carroll, he is a "fraud".

It's a bit silly, of course. Tedford is still a terrific coach, and what he has done at Cal is very impressive, given the history of that school. But I can sorta see what Bug is driving at.

I tend to agree with you, dawg, but what I think Bug is getting at is that Teford's profile has been raised higher or glorified far beyond how good he actually is, and the underachieving squads (by national estimations) that he has been fielding the past three years or so are more of an indication of his true level as a coach. In that way, that he may not be another Urban Meyer or Gary Pinkel or Pete Carroll, he is a "fraud".

It's a bit silly, of course. Tedford is still a terrific coach, and what he has done at Cal is very impressive, given the history of that school. But I can sorta see what Bug is driving at.
Tedford's star rose extremely fast due to the immediate turnaround he engineered, and the continued upward progress Cal made in his first 3 seasons. People naturally expected that upward trend to continue, and for Cal to be a team to battle with USC for conference supremacy. By that measure, yes - Tedford has disappointed. But only because he raised the bar at Cal so dramatically and so quickly.

Tedford isn't the best coach in college football. He's probably not the best coach in the Pac-10 (which has an awful lot of very good coaches right now). But he's still a damn fine coach; Cal is lucky to have him, and I'd do backflips if somehow the UW were able to lure him away (something I think is highly unlikely).

If Bug said "over-rated" instead of "fraud", he'd have a legitimate point.

Doubt it will happen. I think he'll be at UCLA next season because his defense hasn't been that great this season
That may be. I'll use this post as a jumping-off point on something that I find interesting - that is, how so many people judge the head-coaching prospects of a coordinator based on how their groups perform.

Obviously it's hard to take a coordinator too seriously as a head coaching candidate if his squads don't perform well. That said, it's also a very limited measure of how good a coach you are. Consider:

- As a coordinator, you still have to defer to the head coach; certainly in some situations coordinators are given autonomy by the head coach to run their group, but this is the exception to the rule. UCLA fans are likely aware that, under Neuheisel, Walker runs his defenses a bit differently then he did under Dorrell, based off of the directives Neuheisel has given Walker. As such, it's hard to always know how much credit (or blame) to assign a coordinator if their head coach is influencing their decision-making.

- As a coordinator, you work with what you have. In other words, a very talented coach may not get great results if the players he has to work with simply aren't very good, or if his squad suffers a number of crippling injuries.

- As a coordinator, you don't necessarily get a say on the assistants working under you. Let's say as a defensive coordinator, you have a guy coaching the d-line who just isn't cutting it anymore, and as a result, you consistently have poor d-line play. Kind of makes it hard to field a strong defense when that's the case.

Let's also consider that the qualities that make up a good head coach are not necessarily the same qualities that make up a good coordinator. The head coach is really an executive position, and is as much about having good decision-making in who you hire to work for you as it is having a keen understanding of X's and O's. It's also about managing an entire staff and being the leader of the entire team, not just one half of it.

So to come back around to the original jumping off point, is DeWayne Walker really any less of a coach now than he was at this point last year? Yes, his defense has struggled more this year than his first 2 years at UCLA, but how much of that is his ability, how much is due to the influence of Neuheisel, and how much of it is due to declines in the talent he has to work with?

If I'm a program in the market for a new head coach for '09, I'd have Walker on my list of guys to investigate and possibly interview.

Chief said it rather well. But Tedford has lived way to long after one solid win over USC when Hershal Dennis lost the ball at the one yard line. Tedford had a remarkable turnaround for Cal, no doubt and they are fortunate in a way to have him. But for all he's done, he's teams never live up to their hype (as Chief said). It's been what, 4 years since they were able to beat USC and what have they accomplished? They have replaced UCLA as the PAC-10's worst second half team.

That may be. I'll use this post as a jumping-off point on something that I find interesting - that is, how so many people judge the head-coaching prospects of a coordinator based on how their groups perform.

Obviously it's hard to take a coordinator too seriously as a head coaching candidate if his squads don't perform well. That said, it's also a very limited measure of how good a coach you are. Consider:

- As a coordinator, you still have to defer to the head coach; certainly in some situations coordinators are given autonomy by the head coach to run their group, but this is the exception to the rule. UCLA fans are likely aware that, under Neuheisel, Walker runs his defenses a bit differently then he did under Dorrell, based off of the directives Neuheisel has given Walker. As such, it's hard to always know how much credit (or blame) to assign a coordinator if their head coach is influencing their decision-making.

- As a coordinator, you work with what you have. In other words, a very talented coach may not get great results if the players he has to work with simply aren't very good, or if his squad suffers a number of crippling injuries.

- As a coordinator, you don't necessarily get a say on the assistants working under you. Let's say as a defensive coordinator, you have a guy coaching the d-line who just isn't cutting it anymore, and as a result, you consistently have poor d-line play. Kind of makes it hard to field a strong defense when that's the case.

Let's also consider that the qualities that make up a good head coach are not necessarily the same qualities that make up a good coordinator. The head coach is really an executive position, and is as much about having good decision-making in who you hire to work for you as it is having a keen understanding of X's and O's. It's also about managing an entire staff and being the leader of the entire team, not just one half of it.

So to come back around to the original jumping off point, is DeWayne Walker really any less of a coach now than he was at this point last year? Yes, his defense has struggled more this year than his first 2 years at UCLA, but how much of that is his ability, how much is due to the influence of Neuheisel, and how much of it is due to declines in the talent he has to work with?

If I'm a program in the market for a new head coach for '09, I'd have Walker on my list of guys to investigate and possibly interview.

You make some good points here about Walker. Part of the reason he came to UCLA and stayed at UCLA is that he more or less has total control over the defense. Sure Dorrell and Neu call the shots ultimately, but I think they defer to what Walker says. The team is thin on talent at a lot of skin positions because of the shoddy job Dorrell did early on in his recruiting. Walker's first year was limited because UCLA had 11/12 scholarships total to offer so they were picky and had to pass on a lot of solid guys that would have been useful. This freshmen class is great, but again, just freshmen. Solid LB'ers, a DE/DT, and a great secondary class. I think that if Walker gets the UW job, he leaves. I could also see him taking a few small conference positions if the feel is right (FSU is Hill leaves, for example; but not SDSU when that position opens up). I know he'd love to go back to Minnesota, but I think that job would be three years before it opens up if that's the case. Or he could leave for the NFL

Anybody think Mike Leach may be moving on after this year? I guess at 8-0 his stock might be at its highest point right now. I'm not even sure where he'd fit in, but the guy is an offensive genius and has done very well at Tech.

I don't know what to think about Leach. He's obviously got a fantastic offensive mind and he's doing very well at Tech. But it seems like everyone always throws in the caveat that Leach has an "odd" personality and may not "fit in" at other places.

I'm not doubting it, I'm more curious exactly what his personality is like that makes him potentially off-putting to other schools?

Also, I want to discuss Kiffin some more since his name is getting thrown around a lot with regards to the UW job.

Personally, I'm not overly impressed with Kiffin. I've read reports that he's an incredibly arrogant, self-centered SOB that doesn't get on well with his fellow coaches. I've also heard that Sarkisian was the guy that really ran the USC offense when Chow left. And it's been speculated that part of Kiffin's rise in the coaching ranks was due to favors being called in by his dad. And while everyone knows the Raiders are a mess and Al Davis is a loon, how did Kiffin distinguish himself from the last year of Callahan, the Norv Turner years and Art Shell's return?

On the other hand, he's described as extremely smart in X's and O's, and as a pretty good recruiter (even considering he was recruiting for USC at their peak, he pulled in a number of national recruits).

Anyone else want to chime in on Kiffin?

I think the Kiffin era shows strong improvement in Oakland.
He has been in Clemson supposedly and interviewed, I dont see him fitting in here. And AD Phillips all but confirmed it with a comment he made the other day about it being hard for an LA guy to recruit in living rooms in th Deep South.

Kiffin was in a no win situation in Oakland. I wasn't impressed with him at USC but that coud've been Sarskian. When he got to Oakland he made that offense go with not that much talent and a young QB.

He seems to have a Gruden like personality. I suspect he could be a great recruiter and from his time in the NFL, he seems better at Xs and Os then Mora, imo.

Plus, I am an Oregeron guy and I am not sure their history, but you could maybe see Oregeron on as a DC and he can flat out recruit.

Plus, I am an Oregeron guy...

Hey! Just like Joey Harrington!

Hey! Just like Joey Harrington!

You son of a bitch.

I doubt Mike Leach interviews well, but at some point, a school is going to say "Hey, not only is he putting up wins and stats, but he's recruiting athletes to Lubbock, Texas." I think it would be a great hire, but it would require the right fit. He's not going to fit well in a big media market, but I think a school such as Clemson might work. I think Leach would leave after this year. He tried to get the Miami job a couple of years ago, but, as I recall, the internet didn't go so well.

But, at the same time, Leach won't go anywhere if he isn't given freedom to do whatever the hell he wants as far as football goes. He's pretty quirky and wouldn't put up with people not wanting to do things his way.

Take Phil Fulmer, please.

If you all are taking requests, cam we get someone to take the wheel up in Syracuse, please?

Take Phil Fulmer, please.

Heck, he's already used to orange, it's perfect.

If you all are taking requests, cam we get someone to take the wheel up in Syracuse, please?

Dear G-Rob,

Please don't leave me!

Signed,
Dave W

Syracuse is showing an amazing amount of patience with Robinson. I feel for 'Cuse fans - you guys deserve better.

He's not going to fit well in a big media market, but I think a school such as Clemson might work.


But, at the same time, Leach won't go anywhere if he isn't given freedom to do whatever the hell he wants as far as football goes. He's pretty quirky and wouldn't put up with people not wanting to do things his way.

Unfortunately these 2 are mutually exclusive.
In Rich Rod's last season as OC Clemson won 9 games, was ranked as high as #4 in the nation and fans were griping because they threw the ball too much.

Also despite its apparent size, I'd say the media scrutiny is much higher in Clemson than one would think.

Jim Mora has declared himself as not a candidate for the UW job.

Of course, given the examples set by Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino and others, that doesn't necessarily mean he won't take the job...

Fulmer out at the end of the year.

ESPN - Sources: Tennessee Volunteers coach Phillip Fulmer agrees to step down (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3679810)

Anyone want to take bets on where Muschamp ends up? There's obviously a lot of speculation he'd prefer an SEC job given his background, and he'll have Tennessee and probably Auburn to choose from along with Clemson.

There are a few up in these parts that think due to the relationship school president Mark Emmert had with him when both were at LSU that he could be a candidate for Washington, but I have a hard time believing he'd choose the Huskies over Tennessee or Auburn (or even Clemson) given his roots in the South.

I would say Tennessee.

At this point, I would be surprised if Clemson does not retain Swinney. I know, not the big name that you would expect Clemson to go after... and you have to be wary of mid-season wonders fizzling out the next year.

But Clemson had about 4 days of prep with Swinney and almost took down a team that is likely the class of the conference this year (Ga. Tech), and won a road game against a team they had yet to beat in ACC play in 4 seasons (Boston College), even while committing 4 turnovers in the process.

I think Clemson will finish really strong, and Swinney will get the reins for a couple of years.

I was talking this over with a friend of mine last week and we both came to pretty much the same conclusion. UW needs another stepping stone coach and Pat Hill would be perfect for it if he takes it.

Ty was brought in to do one thing and he did it very well. He cleaned up the image of UW. Right or wrong, following Neuheisel the NCAA had camped out in Seattle and was watching the program very closely. Ty did not win games, and absolutely deserved to be fired, but the NCAA has left town. Now they need to move on to the second step.

I see Pat Hill as a guy that could bring the UW back to relevance in the Pac-10 but not as a coach that could bring them to national relevance. I think he could get them to bowl games, and run what amounts to a .500 program there. After 4 years of him, I think the fans will want a coach who can get them into Rose bowls. I agree that it could be an upper echelon job, but at present, it's got poor facilities and a worse stadium. That combined with the only winless team in the NCAA makes it real hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They can't get a big time coach, there's too many things missing.

Pinkel isn't going to leave the soft Big 12 north for UW. We found out that Mora Jr. isn't a complete moron, he just doesn't know to watch his mouth on the radio. Tedford didn't want the job 4 years ago and UW has done nothing to improve itself in his eyes.

Here are the pros and cons of the UW job as I see it:

Cons:
- The program is in the dumps, working on 5 straight losing seasons and 6 seasons without a bowl game. National perception of the program is at an all-time low, which means less TV, less positive exposure to recruits, and overcoming a losing culture around the program.
- The fan base has predictably become fractured and apathetic. Where the Huskies used to regularly lead the Pac-10 in attendance by usually selling out the 72,000 seat stadium, now they struggle to bring in 50,000, and season ticket sales continue to plummet (a far cry from the days of season ticket waiting lists). The fans that remain are bitter about the free fall of the program and argue with each other about who's to blame, how to fix things and how long it should take to fix it.
- Husky Stadium is not aging gracefully - the lower bowl, first built in 1920, is in serious need of remodeling/rebuilding, and the track around the field needs to go and the field lowered to bring the stands closer to the field, as well as to create more high-priced seating to help the UW football program stay in the upper echelon of programs in terms of revenue. The weight-room facilities are also well behind the curve.
- The Pac-10 has gotten tougher in the last decade, with Cal and Oregon State joining Oregon as consistent winners, as well as USC emerging as one of the top programs in the country. Stanford is on the rise under Harbaugh, and Arizona may be finally turning the corner with Stoops. ASU is still a sleeping giant, and with Erickson there should be a consistent winner. UCLA will always be a threat given their ability to recruit LA. Only WSU is a question mark right now besides Washington.
- The team itself is imbalanced in terms of position groups and classes. The upper-classes are short on developed talent, and the new coach will have his hands full just trying to salvage this year's recruiting class. It will probably require at least 4 seasons to really address the quality of depth on this roster and start to assemble greater balance.

Pros:
- Seattle is one of the more attractive places to recruit to on the West Coast, and even in down cycles the UW usually has a big edge in recruiting in-state. With greater success and better recruiting, the UW should be able to re-establish successful recruiting pipelines in Hawai'i and compete again with Cal, Oregon and ASU for the California kids that USC and UCLA don't take.
- With the lack of depth in the program, a coach can sell early playing time to recruits pretty effectively.
- The program has a history of success, and as recently as the 2000 season won the Rose Bowl and finished #3 in the country. They are #19 overall in wins and #20 in win percentage in Division 1-A, and have played in Rose Bowls in each decade since the 1920's. They are the 2nd most successful Pac-10 program behind USC. That history is something that can be sold to recruits, and it can help them in national perception when it comes to TV exposure, rankings and bowls.
- Related to above, it's a BCS school with all the advantages that confers.
- The team has a lot of talent in the lower classes, especially the freshman class. With better schemes, better development and more time in the program, there's enough raw talent that a good coach could get to 6 wins and a bowl in his 2nd year.
- The in-state recruiting crop for the 2010 class is outstanding, and could help provide a very strong base to build off of, similar to the outstanding 2008 class

Good points, but i think you over estimate the UW job a bit in the scheme of the PAC-10. UW doesn't have any staying power in California anymore since UW hasn't been good since before most of these kids were in Junior High

Good points, but i think you over estimate the UW job a bit in the scheme of the PAC-10. UW doesn't have any staying power in California anymore since UW hasn't been good since before most of these kids were in Junior High
Nope, not at the moment. But if the new coach can get things going in a positive direction again, they can again start competing with Oregon, Cal & ASU for the guys USC and UCLA pass on.

I think Cutcliffe is going to go to the Vols, but I could be wrong. I love that guy. I hear MSU's Mark Dantonio's name come up with Auburn but it's doubtful he'll leave MSU. Seems to love it there.

As far as UW, that job is such a wildcard. After Mora, no names stick out to me as perfect fits.

What about a guy like Harbaugh to Washington?

Do you think Peterson (Boise) will move at all?

What about a guy like Harbaugh to Washington?

I doubt it. Harbaugh has a top 15 recruiting class right now and Stanford is the more desirable of the two jobs in my opinion. I think he will stick it out there for a while to see what he's building through.

Do you think Peterson (Boise) will move at all?

If not this year, then next. I think an SEC school will take a chance on him, with good reason. He can flat out coach.

I was thinking ... a guy I think UW should go after is Brian Kelly from Cinncy. I wanted him at Michigan. Great offensive mind. Wins wherever he goes. A great, great coach and he wants to coach at a big university.

Just curious, how is Michigan recruiting this year?

Just curious, how is Michigan recruiting this year?

Very good. It'll end up being a top 10 class. 2010 though is looking like it could be the best class in Michigan history (ranking wise). Two commits already, and another coming from some elite talent.

So at least recruiting wise things aren't awful.

There are a lot of reasons why Cutcliffe to the Vols would make sense, but I think the timing is bad - he's made a real point here about wanting to be at Duke for some time, and if it was even a season later, I think it'd be viable. Not that Tennessee wouldn't throw a ton of money at him, but I think it's more likely that Cutcliffe will end up following whoever follows Fulmer.

There are a lot of reasons why Cutcliffe to the Vols would make sense, but I think the timing is bad - he's made a real point here about wanting to be at Duke for some time, and if it was even a season later, I think it'd be viable. Not that Tennessee wouldn't throw a ton of money at him, but I think it's more likely that Cutcliffe will end up following whoever follows Fulmer.

I do agree here and I think you're probably dead on. I could see Muschamp at Tennessee as well. Not sure though how that'll play out.

Nope, not at the moment. But if the new coach can get things going in a positive direction again, they can again start competing with Oregon, Cal & ASU for the guys USC and UCLA pass on.

UCLA isnt passing on many guys these days. They had a hell of a class last year, the best overall class in the PAC-10, but they have been struggling this year

UCLA isnt passing on many guys these days. They had a hell of a class last year, the best overall class in the PAC-10, but they have been struggling this year
It's rare when the top guys in SoCal get away from either USC or UCLA. There were rare cases when the Huskies were really rolling under Don James where the UW plucked some 5-star guys out of California, but usually the Huskies were going after the lesser rated guys there and trying to find under the radar gems.

And the UW usually did better in the Bay Area than SoCal - Seattle is a closer match to that environment than SoCal, so it's easier to sell those guys on coming up to Seattle. Most of the LA kids aren't as in to Seattle, unless they really want to leave home for whatever reason.

USC and UCLA are always going to have a big advantage on the vast majority of SoCal recruits, so the UW can only realistically hope to get back to trying to beat out Oregon, Cal and ASU for the best of the leftovers.

I would say Tennessee.

At this point, I would be surprised if Clemson does not retain Swinney. I know, not the big name that you would expect Clemson to go after... and you have to be wary of mid-season wonders fizzling out the next year.

But Clemson had about 4 days of prep with Swinney and almost took down a team that is likely the class of the conference this year (Ga. Tech), and won a road game against a team they had yet to beat in ACC play in 4 seasons (Boston College), even while committing 4 turnovers in the process.

I think Clemson will finish really strong, and Swinney will get the reins for a couple of years.


We will see.
I am told that President Barker is going to demand a big name with prior head coaching experience and he LOVES Bobby Johnson [*shudder*] who looks an awful lot like Tommy West at this point (now in all fairness I love coach west he gave me my scholarship) but thats not the right direction for this program.

If not this year, then next. I think an SEC school will take a chance on him, with good reason. He can flat out coach.

I was thinking ... a guy I think UW should go after is Brian Kelly from Cinncy. I wanted him at Michigan. Great offensive mind. Wins wherever he goes. A great, great coach and he wants to coach at a big university.
I've been pimping Brian Kelly for the UW job for a while.

One thing he may have working against him is a preference by the UW to get someone that has some recruiting ties on the West Coast. Personally, I think that's a bit over rated - if you get the right assistants on your staff you can get some ins, and then it's up to the staff to work the recruiting trail hard and build those relationships. Don James adapted pretty quickly at the UW coming over from Kent State, and he had no prior personal recruiting connections on the West Coast (but he did hire assistants who did).

Kelly and Gary Patterson are guys I really like if the UW can't get Mora or Tedford. Tedford is a major longshot, though reportedly he's expressed interest in the job through back channels. I'm having a hard time seeing it, but maybe he thinks the UW ultimately gives him a better shot of competing with USC. If he has expressed some interest in the UW job, I'd bet it's more likely just a way for him to put more pressure on the Cal administration to get the facilities projects rolling and to bump his pay.

Mora has said "I'm not a candidate", but that statement leaves wiggle room and there's reports that he's not off the table yet - that if the UW steps up with a better offer, he could be had. I think he'd actually have better job security with the UW than with the Seahawks which would theoretically overcome a lower salary, and he's far more in demand by Husky fans (who mostly love him) than Seahawks fans (who are far less enthusiastic about him). But maybe Mora really doesn't want to pass up another shot as a head coach in the NFL. Or maybe there are other factors with the UW that give him pause (booster interference?)

I doubt it. Harbaugh has a top 15 recruiting class right now and Stanford is the more desirable of the two jobs in my opinion. I think he will stick it out there for a while to see what he's building through.
Stanford is a very different job from most other schools. Given the academic requirements to get in and the academic reputation of Stanford, recruiting there is in some ways harder and some ways easier than at most other schools, and is very different.

Because of the academic requirements to get in, Stanford has a much smaller pool of potential recruits. But within that pool, Stanford has a high success rate - kids that can get into Stanford are more often than not ones that really value a Stanford education. They can recruit nationally because of their reputation.

I have no idea if this difference in recruiting and the kinds of kids Stanford attracts is something Harbaugh likes or not. Ultimately, I don't think Stanford has as much chance of success in football as Washington does, but obviously right now Stanford is a better program and any coach taking over the Huskies is facing a serious rebuilding project - it will probably take several years for the UW to get back to where it was under Neuheisel and Lambright.

It really just depends on what Harbaugh's goals are.

Do you think Peterson (Boise) will move at all?
From what I've read, he's a bit of a different personality, not necessarily looking to jump into a bigger pond with greater scrutiny. He and his family really like Boise, and he can't help but have noticed that his predecessors (Koetter, Hawkins) haven't exactly set the world on fire at their new jobs.

There's also some speculation that if he were going to jump, Oregon holds some appeal for him due to his stint there as an assistant under Bellotti.

My only question with Peterson is that he's kept a strong program rolling - can he build up a struggling program?

Nightmare scenario for Michigan fans: a big name school picks off Mark Dantonio and Sparty goes back to the Cincy well for Brian Kelly. I could be wrong, but I really think Kelly could turn MSU into a power.

Syracuse finally pulls the plug on Greg Robinson:

ESPN - Syracuse Orange fire Greg Robinson with 2 games to go (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3706539)

Robinson was 9-35, 3-23 in the big east. Bringing him back this year was a huge waste of time.

If Randy Edsall is interested (and reports say that he is), I can't imagine they go anywhere else.

And the rest of the Big East is now sad.

Who gets to fire AD Gross?

Syracuse finally pulls the plug on Greg Robinson:

ESPN - Syracuse Orange fire Greg Robinson with 2 games to go (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3706539)

Robinson was 9-35, 3-23 in the big east. Bringing him back this year was a huge waste of time.

If Randy Edsall is interested (and reports say that he is), I can't imagine they go anywhere else.

Agreed on every count. It cannot possibly get worse than this crap.

http://www.syracuse.com/flags/240/sfb_robinson5.jpg (http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/su_fires_head_football_coach_g.html)

There's that frown again (as in every time they catch someone doing something bad or having something bad happen to them, they always show the "remorseful frown face").

Thank god they finally pulled the plug. I thought they should have went with Chow (whether he would have done better with P-brain's recruits is unknown but I doubt he could have recruited worse than Robinson).

They need someone who can recruit the NE then expand outwards when they get to the point that they are actually keeping the homegrown talent from leaving. Sound fundamental football is all we ask (hoping someone takes advantage of the Dome is too much at this point).

I guess Dave Wann-stash has saved his job at Pitt for another season.

Syracuse finally pulls the plug on Greg Robinson:

If Randy Edsall is interested (and reports say that he is), I can't imagine they go anywhere else.If he isn't, Chip Kelly is an interesting name. UNH background, OC at Oregon right now.

Most people think Kelly is waiting for the Oregon job...well by most people I mean Oregon fans...

Rocky Long resigns from the New Mexico?

Stanford is a very different job from most other schools. Given the academic requirements to get in and the academic reputation of Stanford, recruiting there is in some ways harder and some ways easier than at most other schools, and is very different.

Because of the academic requirements to get in, Stanford has a much smaller pool of potential recruits. But within that pool, Stanford has a high success rate - kids that can get into Stanford are more often than not ones that really value a Stanford education. They can recruit nationally because of their reputation.

I have no idea if this difference in recruiting and the kinds of kids Stanford attracts is something Harbaugh likes or not. Ultimately, I don't think Stanford has as much chance of success in football as Washington does, but obviously right now Stanford is a better program and any coach taking over the Huskies is facing a serious rebuilding project - it will probably take several years for the UW to get back to where it was under Neuheisel and Lambright.

It really just depends on what Harbaugh's goals are.

Pretty spot on explanation. Unless Harbaugh has some secret formula for consistently finding admissible talent (we'll see starting with 2010 recruiting), Washington will have a higher ceiling than Stanford. The odds of Stanford winning 9 games in a season before Washington are high, but the odds to winning a national title at some point in time are higher in Seattle.

I'm hearing a rumor that Hal Mumme has/is about to get canned at NMSU as well, but I can't find anything to confirm this...

Dola- I guess the rumor is stemming from this article plus the fact that he said he would quit if they lost to Fresno (and they did). And apparently one of the El Paso TV stations is reporting it as going down...

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/12/mumme-didnt-sign-contract-extension-last-year/

That, and Hal Mumme is kerrrrraaaaaaaazy.

Well, duh.

Muschamp is removed from everyone's list

Mack Brown is 57 years old, has he said that he might be retiring in a few years? He has a contract that nets him $3m+ per year through 2016, the team obviously has performed well in recent years, I mean he seems to have a pretty good thing going...

Mack Brown is 57 years old, has he said that he might be retiring in a few years? He has a contract that nets him $3m+ per year through 2016, the team obviously has performed well in recent years, I mean he seems to have a pretty good thing going...

I think he'll coach another 8 years, until he's 65, the end of the current contract. But that's just my guess. He might end up coaching as long as Paterno or Bowden.

I think Bobby Johnson and Brian Kelly switch teams this off season.

Despite Jim Mora's statement a couple weeks ago that he was "...not a candidate" for the UW job, there has remained a lot of buzz around him and now growing talk behind the scenes that he is the UW's top target and that the interest is mutual.

If it's not Mora, I suspect the next guy in line would by Kyle Whittingham. Jeff Tedford and Chris Peterson may get contacted at some point, but from what I've heard, it hasn't happened yet. Of course, it's highly doubtful Tedford would want to leave (though there does seem to be some growing discontentment with him by Bears fans). And there's a lot of buzz that Peterson, if he were to leave Boise, would prefer to go to Oregon. Bellotti may be getting closer to considering hanging them up, and if it's true that Peterson is in play for the Oregon job, perhaps Phil Knight will ratchet up the pressure on Bellotti and push him out the door to ensure that Peterson becomes the next Duck coach.

There's growing expectation that an announcement will come soon on the UW job, maybe in the next week. My money is on Mora.

There's growing expectation that an announcement will come soon on the UW job, maybe in the next week. My money is on Mora.

How much of your money?

I'll up the ante here. I'm going to Casa D's in Bellevue for lunch. There's gotta be a way we can bet a super on this.

I'm basing this speculation on Mora on info from people I trust that are close to the UW program. There's obviously no guarantee Mora will take the job, but I have no doubts that the UW has him on the top of their wish list.

We don't know if or how much of a buyout clause exists in his Seahawks contract, and we don't know how pissed Paul Allen would be at the UW if Mora were to bolt (and after Allen has paid him handsomely this year as a head coach-in waiting). Allen has been a big-time contributor financially to the UW, so his feelings have to be considered, and it's assumed he'd have to be OK with Mora leaving the Seahawks before it could happen.

Further info from those close to Mora are that he's very definitely interested - it seems to be a case of whether the details can be worked out. Will the UW pay enough? Will they give Mora enough of a budget to hire the quality of assistants he'd want? Will they need to provide some assurances to Mora about Husky Stadium renovations and other facilities upgrades? Will Paul Allen give Mora's defection his blessing?

If it's not Mora, I'd suspect Kyle Whittingham is next on the list. UW AD Scott Woodward has talked about how Husky fans prefer great defense to great offense, and it seems likely that he's taking that into account in prioritizing his coaching targets.

IWe don't know if or how much of a buyout clause exists in his Seahawks contract

Pro coaches don't generally have buyouts for them wanting to leave.

Their contracts only bind them to their NFL team - they cannot leave for another NFL job. They would not have to pay to leave and coach elsewhere.

Thus no need for buyouts written that way, only how much an NFL coach will get paid when they inevitably get fired.

Heavy rumors in the east that Edsall to SU is a done deal.

That's a shame. The new crew at Casa D's is definitely better than the last.

I just can't see any way that a head coach quits an NFL gig to take a college one. I mean, sure, you've got your douchebags like Petrino, but they are few and far between.

The most likely scenerio that I see is UW hires someone like Pat Hill or Kyle Whittingham. That coach brings back the toughness that has been sorely missing. The program becomes relevant in the Pac 10 again, but in a short while the fans will want more.

About that time, Mora will be fired from the Seahawks after leading them to 9-12 wins in 3 years. UW will be in a much better place and ready for Mora to come back.

I think the love affair between Mora and the school is too big to ignore. Before it's all said and done, he will coach UW. It just won't be this year.

Rocky Long resigns from the New Mexico?

This is very surprising to me. I don't really have any inside info, but I wouldn't be surprised if he stuck around as defensive coordinator. Its a program with some potential - they're in a big city with not much competition for entertainment, and play in a decent conference - but Long was the lowest paid coach in the Mountain West, so its hard to imagine they'd be able to afford anybody real good.

I'm hearing a rumor that Hal Mumme has/is about to get canned at NMSU as well, but I can't find anything to confirm this...

He should be fired, he's been a disaster.

That's a shame. The new crew at Casa D's is definitely better than the last.

I just can't see any way that a head coach quits an NFL gig to take a college one. I mean, sure, you've got your douchebags like Petrino, but they are few and far between.
I miss Casa D's - I used to work in Bellevue a long time ago and went there at least once a week. There used to be one in Seattle in Belltown, but that went away several years ago unfortunately.

Saban and Petrino both walked away from NFL gigs. They may have been douchebags for the manner in which they left, but I don't think the motivation for them leaving was bad, nor would it be for Mora.

In Mora's case, he has an opportunity to return to his alma mater at a time when they desperately need a great coach to pull them out of their worst point in program history.

His choices:

- Stick with the upcoming Seahawks job, knowing that A) Seahawks fans aren't nearly as excited about him as Huskies fans are, and will get a shorter leash in terms of public opinion about his job performance, and B) seeing first-hand that the Seahawks franchise is starting to stumble after nearly a decade of upper-tier performance

- Take the Huskies job where, while he'd be taking over a program at its lowest ebb in history, still has the built-in advantages that should allow a good coach to take them back to the upper tier of the Pac-10, and if he can do so he'd become a legend in Husky history, and with much greater fan support than he'd have with the Seahawks

He'll likely have a better salary with the Seahawks, but the difference probably wouldn't be huge, and you could argue he has better long-term job security with the UW which could even out the pay difference in the longer-run view.

The most likely scenerio that I see is UW hires someone like Pat Hill or Kyle Whittingham. That coach brings back the toughness that has been sorely missing. The program becomes relevant in the Pac 10 again, but in a short while the fans will want more.
I highly doubt Pat Hill will be the guy unless the UW whiffs on a lot of preferred targets. I think they'd take Whittingham well before they'd take Hill - in fact I'd bet Whittingham is not far behind Mora on their wish list. I think Whittingham is much more likely to succeed than Hill. But if it does end up being Hill, I think your scenario might very well play out.

That said, if Mora has aspirations of ever being the head coach at the UW, he should jump at it now, since he can't know how the future will play out and if the timing will be any better down the road.

Heavy rumors in the east that Edsall to SU is a done deal.

I know he's an alum but I'm still surprised by this. He's much closer to a BE championship at UConn, better facilities, much more talent on the roster (and that's saying a lot considering he's had trouble recruiting at UConn -- not necessarily a shot at him but more of a testament to his coaching ability), and he's being paid well where he is. Sure you can say that he'll have the tradition of Syracuse to help recruit, but he's at a minimum 3 years away from competing there. I would think he's better off sticking it out and grabbing a Big 10 offer or even an NFL job which I think he'd be pretty good at.

Part of me doesn't like schools taking coaches from others within the conference, but I guess it's better than seeing the coaching talent leave.

Looks like Ferentz saved his job with a win over Penn State followed by a win over Purdue. Iowa is on track for 8 wins and a New Years Day bowl in Florida. The Outback really wants them bad.

Maybe if UNM didn't overpay for mediocre former BCS conference basketball coaches they could have afforded to give Long a raise.

Maybe if UNM didn't overpay for mediocre former BCS conference basketball coaches they could have afforded to give Long a raise.

I don't think he's quitting because he's not paid well enough. Its not like some other school is going to pay him MORE money to be a defensive coordinator.

Ok this doesn't not even make sense to me but I am going to post it anyhow.

A good friend very inside the Clemson athletic department, claims that Bob Stoops may be the next Clemson HC.

Apparently his agent contacted our AD Terry Don Phillips to inquire if there was interest on Clemson's part, well duh!

I am not even sure how where why this makes sense.

As much of an orange blood as I am, at the very best Clemson is a lateral move if not a slight to medium step down (that is painful to say, but sadly probably true) granted less competition, but man I cant even fathom...

Anyhow according to him when TDP was in Oklahoma last week reportedly meeting with Venerables, he was actually meeting with Stoops' agent and possibly Stoops' as well. Interestingly enough, Venerables initially claimed to have been else where and told local media to "check on it" only later to have it announced to the team (reportedly by Stoops) that he (Venerables) had interviewed for the Clemson opening. In this weird scenario, Venerables is playing along, supposedly, because he would succeed Stoops at OU....

I am almost embarrassed to type this as it just seems crazy fan board ish...but this is the guy who told me 2 days early that Bowden was gone. And 3-4 months early that Oliver Purnell would be the basketball coach....he is connected and I have known him 15+ years so I dunno

lol

Ok this doesn't not even make sense to me but I am going to post it anyhow.

A good friend very inside the Clemson athletic department, claims that Bob Stoops may be the next Clemson HC.

Apparently his agent contacted our AD Terry Don Phillips to inquire if there was interest on Clemson's part, well duh!

I am not even sure how where why this makes sense.

As much of an orange blood as I am, at the very best Clemson is a lateral move if not a slight to medium step down (that is painful to say, but sadly probably true) granted less competition, but man I cant even fathom...

Anyhow according to him when TDP was in Oklahoma last week reportedly meeting with Venerables, he was actually meeting with Stoops' agent and possibly Stoops' as well. Interestingly enough, Venerables initially claimed to have been else where and told local media to "check on it" only later to have it announced to the team (reportedly by Stoops) that he (Venerables) had interviewed for the Clemson opening. In this weird scenario, Venerables is playing along, supposedly, because he would succeed Stoops at OU....

I am almost embarrassed to type this as it just seems crazy fan board ish...but this is the guy who told me 2 days early that Bowden was gone. And 3-4 months early that Oliver Purnell would be the basketball coach....he is connected and I have known him 15+ years so I dunno

Two words: pipe dream.

He's had chances to go to Ohio State, the NFL, and Florida. I doubt he goes to Clemson on a whim. I don't know how well Terry Don knows Bob from his days at Oklahoma State, but I seriously doubt this guy is on top of things here.

I heard the same rumors when the plane was in the air to Oklahoma City, but the alibi all along for Venables was that he was at home with his new daughter...easy enough to believe to get reporters off of his back. Stoops was availible after practice that day, Venables wasn't. Considering that Bud Foster is also getting interviewed, I doubt they either interviewed Stoops or that there is a serious chance of him going there.

Two words: pipe dream.

He's had chances to go to Ohio State, the NFL, and Florida. I doubt he goes to Clemson on a whim. I don't know how well Terry Don knows Bob from his days at Oklahoma State, but I seriously doubt this guy is on top of things here.

I heard the same rumors when the plane was in the air to Oklahoma City, but the alibi all along for Venables was that he was at home with his new daughter...easy enough to believe to get reporters off of his back. Stoops was availible after practice that day, Venables wasn't. Considering that Bud Foster is also getting interviewed, I doubt they either interviewed Stoops or that there is a serious chance of him going there.

I dont even know that its a pipe dream.

I mean its interesting and would LOVE to have Stoops, but I cnat see it as reasonable.

Stoops will never go NFL he knows that would lead to failure.
I also cant see him in the Snow ala OSU, and Florida would never happen because of his relationship with Spurrier...I have read that in his book he states the best advice he ever received was from Spurrier that nothing lasts forever and ride away on top, and he hoped he ha dthe ability. Spurier walked after 10, this is year.....

I dont know, I dont think it is even conceivable but stranger things have happened. And we are reportedly ready to pay 5-6MM annually....

I don't know about Florida...he was on his way out the door and Foley was here with a plane to pick him up and go back to Florida. Nobody knew what was going on...Mike Stoops was on the radio on ESPN radio and made it sound like nobody knew what would happen, but he would be honored if they picked him as the head coach. Push comes to shove, the plane left without him and Stoops had an impromptu press conference saying he was staying.

Spurrier walked away to a new challenge that was loftier than where he was...the NFL. I don't see going to Clemson being that challenge for Stoops. I guess he could go away for the sake of doing something different...perhaps it's getting stale here with fans and media. That being said, I just don't see it.

I'm curious what the perspective is from Texas fans about Muschamp being anointed Head Coach-in waiting? Any sense of when Mack Brown would step down? Any trepidation over locking in Muschamp?

After hearing about Muschamp, I got to thinking that it was surprising that VT had not come up with a similar agreement with Bud Foster. Today, I saw on ESPN.com that they were exploring it. I don't think Beamer is past his prime or anything, but he seems a little warn down the past few years.

I'm curious what the perspective is from Texas fans about Muschamp being anointed Head Coach-in waiting? Any sense of when Mack Brown would step down? Any trepidation over locking in Muschamp?


not a Texas fan, but Ive followed him due to the rumors of Clemson pursuing earlier, and have been unimpressed. Sure he is a fiery guy, but as a DC shouldnt you have a good D?

And every good team has racked up major yards against him....

not a Texas fan, but Ive followed him due to the rumors of Clemson pursuing earlier, and have been unimpressed. Sure he is a fiery guy, but as a DC shouldnt you have a good D?

And every good team has racked up major yards against him....
Well, to be fair, he's had very good defenses in the past. And beyond that, the skillsets between being a coordinator and a head coach aren't exactly the same. Just because you are a good coordinator doesn't mean you'll make a good coach, and vice versa.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Will Brown step down anytime soon, and if not, will Muschamp stick around?

Well, to be fair, he's had very good defenses in the past. And beyond that, the skillsets between being a coordinator and a head coach aren't exactly the same. Just because you are a good coordinator doesn't mean you'll make a good coach, and vice versa.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Will Brown step down anytime soon, and if not, will Muschamp stick around?

I imagine he'll stay for awhile unless a very select few programs had an opening and wanted him.

Muschamp has exceeded expectations with the defense this year. True, the Passing Defense numbers aren't anything special, but all of the other phases of defense have been playing at a very high level. They are in the Top 20 in points allowed, which at the end of the day is the most important stat. Plus, they've given up the fewest points in the offensive-minded Big 12 this season. And finally, for each team they've played this season, it was the lowest offensive output for that team so far this year.

I know he's an alum but I'm still surprised by this. He's much closer to a BE championship at UConn, better facilities, much more talent on the roster (and that's saying a lot considering he's had trouble recruiting at UConn -- not necessarily a shot at him but more of a testament to his coaching ability), and he's being paid well where he is. Sure you can say that he'll have the tradition of Syracuse to help recruit, but he's at a minimum 3 years away from competing there. I would think he's better off sticking it out and grabbing a Big 10 offer or even an NFL job which I think he'd be pretty good at.

Part of me doesn't like schools taking coaches from others within the conference, but I guess it's better than seeing the coaching talent leave.

I'm not scared of anyone named Randy Edsall.

At 69 years old, Bill Snyder is back at Kansas State.

Bill Snyder to coach Kansas State football again | News Updates | Kansas.com (http://www.kansas.com/news/updates/story/608043.html)

That's tremendous news. Good for the Wildcats.

Chuck Long is out at San Diego State. So that's three teams in the Mountain West looking for coaches.

It's ESPN, so take it for it is worth, but during my lunch time drive, they reported that Charlie Weis is done at ND on Monday regardless of how the team performs this weekend. The buyout is supposed to be huge too (estimates of about 10 million.)

Chuck Long is out at San Diego State. So that's three teams in the Mountain West looking for coaches.

Interesting chatter about the San Diego State job here in KC. There is a lot of speculation about Herm Edwards being offered that job. When he was asked about it in a press conference, he gave a non-denial denial answer. Herm Edwards is a SD State alum. He is under contract through next season, but may be removed at the end of this year depending on how the Chiefs finish this year.

It's ESPN, so take it for it is worth, but during my lunch time drive, they reported that Charlie Weis is done at ND on Monday regardless of how the team performs this weekend. The buyout is supposed to be huge too (estimates of about 10 million.)
I've heard word the buyout isn't as big as it's been speculated, but either way - where would Notre Dame be now if they'd just offered Urban Meyer the contract they gave fat boy Weiss when they (stupidly) extended him after his first season?

I read an interesting column recently explaining why it's not that far-fetched to think that Notre Dame could still end up landing Meyer...

It's ESPN, so take it for it is worth, but during my lunch time drive, they reported that Charlie Weis is done at ND on Monday regardless of how the team performs this weekend. The buyout is supposed to be huge too (estimates of about 10 million.)


No surprise. He went from hero to goat pretty fast.

ND can have Bill Lynch. We'll even pay them to take him!

I've heard word the buyout isn't as big as it's been speculated, but either way - where would Notre Dame be now if they'd just offered Urban Meyer the contract they gave fat boy Weiss when they (stupidly) extended him after his first season?

I read an interesting column recently explaining why it's not that far-fetched to think that Notre Dame could still end up landing Meyer...

Joe Shad was on ESPN this morning saying that his contacts at ND said that Weis' buyout is essentially the entire contract and that those saying its not all that big don't have knowledge of the wording in the contract. "Stupefying" was the word they used to describe the amount of his buyout.

ESPN earlier today reporting that Lane Kiffin wants to bring Ed Orgeron with him if he gets the job in Knoxville.

Meanwhile this afternoon AD Mike Hamilton tells reporters (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/nov/26/hamilton-kiffin-not-formally-offered-job/) that Kiffin has not been offered the job, effectively denying a report that broke on local sports radio in Knoxville this morning.

Joe Shad was on ESPN this morning saying that his contacts at ND said that Weis' buyout is essentially the entire contract and that those saying its not all that big don't have knowledge of the wording in the contract. "Stupefying" was the word they used to describe the amount of his buyout.
If this is true, how incredibly stupid of Notre Dame.

If this is true, how incredibly stupid of Notre Dame.

Why? The boosters will pay it, not the university (if it follows the pattern of most the recent buy-out firings).

Notre Dame can definitely afford the buyout for Weis, even if it is stupidly high.

ESPN earlier today reporting that Lane Kiffin wants to bring Ed Orgeron with him if he gets the job in Knoxville.

Meanwhile this afternoon AD Mike Hamilton tells reporters (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/nov/26/hamilton-kiffin-not-formally-offered-job/) that Kiffin has not been offered the job, effectively denying a report that broke on local sports radio in Knoxville this morning.
and reportedly Monte as well.

Prediction: If Hamilton hires Kiffin (even if he brings his whole family, three friends, and two members of his calling circle), they'll all be unemployed less than three years from the hiring date. And by "they" I mean all the coaches plus Hamilton.

I'm not at all willing to say that the other names commonly thought to be in the mix - Leach & Kelly - are sure bets to experience any different fate but of the three Kiffin seems like one of the most obvious guaranteed fails I can recall in a coaching search.

Prediction: If Hamilton hires Kiffin (even if he brings his whole family, three friends, and two members of his calling circle), they'll all be unemployed less than three years from the hiring date. And by "they" I mean all the coaches plus Hamilton.

I'm not at all willing to say that the other names commonly thought to be in the mix - Leach & Kelly - are sure bets to experience any different fate but of the three Kiffin seems like one of the most obvious guaranteed fails I can recall in a coaching search.


Sounds like he'd be a great hire for Tenessee. And if got Monte off the Bucs, it would be win-win. :)

I'm not thrilled with becoming USC Lite, that's for sure.

So... any chance that the Rodriguez to Clemson rumors have any legs?

I'm guessing it is just internet banter, but makes some sense with his previous stint and his agent being a Clemson alum (and a snake).

Eh, the assistants could make it a good hire regardless of how Lane turns out to be. I like the assistants being talked about for Tennessee, for sure. Lane is definitely a question mark, but it could work out very well.

re: Monte Kiffin -- I wonder who the oldest coordinators in D1 are today? Off the top of my head I have no idea.

Why? The boosters will pay it, not the university (if it follows the pattern of most the recent buy-out firings).
Makes them look awfully impulsive. They don't give Ty more than 3 years, then after 1 year under Charlie (which look a lot like Ty's first year) they lavish a mammoth 10-year extension on him with a huge buyout?

Maybe it doesn't affect the athletic department's bottom line, just boosters, but it still looks pretty stupid IMO.

Prediction: If Hamilton hires Kiffin (even if he brings his whole family, three friends, and two members of his calling circle), they'll all be unemployed less than three years from the hiring date. And by "they" I mean all the coaches plus Hamilton.

I'm not at all willing to say that the other names commonly thought to be in the mix - Leach & Kelly - are sure bets to experience any different fate but of the three Kiffin seems like one of the most obvious guaranteed fails I can recall in a coaching search.
Kiffin has been mentioned for the Washington job too, and I'm no more excited about that than you are for him being mentioned for the Tennessee job.

Kiffin has been mentioned for the Washington job too, and I'm no more excited about that than you are for him being mentioned for the Tennessee job.

I think I've figured out a solution that works for everybody.

Poli (per his dynasty thread) is considering moving to a coordinators job with another team. That move would create a vacancy that Kiffin seems reasonably qualified for.

I'm not sure I'd want to leave my 9 year olds in his charge.

haha

Per ESPN.com:

Kiffin is the former USC offensive coordinator and Raiders coach. Hamilton has not "offered" the job the Kiffin but contractual parameters have been discussed, a to a person briefed on the situation told ESPN's Joe Schad.


Two sources told ESPN.com that they expect the search to be wrapped up next week and that Kiffin is at the forefront of that search. Speculation on Tennessee's final candidates centers on Kiffin, Brian Kelly of Cincinnati, Gary Patterson of TCU and Tim Brewster of Minnesota.

I've heard word the buyout isn't as big as it's been speculated, but either way - where would Notre Dame be now if they'd just offered Urban Meyer the contract they gave fat boy Weiss when they (stupidly) extended him after his first season?

I read an interesting column recently explaining why it's not that far-fetched to think that Notre Dame could still end up landing Meyer...Meyer's decision to turn down ND wasn't based on money - it was because he wanted even lower academic standards than they were willing to give Weis, permission to bring in JuCo guys, etc.

Retrospect it clearly looks like Florida got the better coach, but I'm not sure at the time there was a clear difference. It also would have been pretty painful to watch Brady Quinn try to run the spread option in 2005 if not 2006 as well.

The rest of this is still pretty much entirely ESPN/Chicago Tribune stirring up shit.

Two sources told ESPN.com that they expect the search to be wrapped up next week and that Kiffin is at the forefront of that search.

Then I can only be left to wonder who will head up the search for a new coach in 2-3 years. And the (apparent) fact that he's even a serious candidate answers the questions about Hamilton as far I'm concerned, not that I really needed much persuading. His last renewal of Phulmer's contract pretty much sealed his status as a moron, with the only thing saving him being the Pearl hiring. Seems pretty certain now that the Pearl decision was nothing more than a blind pig finding an acorn.

The worst part a Kiffin hiring to me will probably be how the Foolmerites will point to the debacle that will follow as some sort of proof of the need to "be careful what you wish for". Kiffin continuing to dig the program into a hole wouldn't be anything different that the result under Phil, and it proves nothing more than the need for a new AD in Knoxville.

If Kiffin is hired, I can only cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Gary Patterson has reportedly told Washington "Thanks but no thanks".

Some "insiders" think Mora is still in play, others think that ship has sailed (should've fired Ty last December :mad: ).

The Seattle Times beat writer thinks that Jeff Tedford may become the top target, and you'd have to figure Kyle Whittingham would also be high on their list. While there are reasons why each might say "yes", Tedford has to be considered a serious longshot, and perhaps Whittingham too.

Ugh to Pat Hill, who would jump at the UW job in a heartbeat.

So I totally get UT fans not being thrilled about Kiffin, but I'm wondering who the fanbase was hoping for? Tuberville? Urban Meyer? Lou Holtz? John L. Smith?

I'd think they wouldn't mind stealing David Cutcliffe back from Duke.

So I totally get UT fans not being thrilled about Kiffin, but I'm wondering who the fanbase was hoping for? Tuberville? Urban Meyer? Lou Holtz? John L. Smith?

I think Kelly would have been acceptable, so would Leach. Or even someone whose name might not have been mentioned in the speculation (i.e.a candidate that emerged during the process that we might not have thought of initially).

This isn't on the scale of OMG awful (like, for example, Chan Gailey) but I'm convinced that the outcome will be the same: another coaching search in less than three years.

Sly Croom resigns at Mississippi State.

Sly Croom resigns at Mississippi State.

Interesting. I wonder what's going to happen at now. Didn't he put together a Top 25 recruiting class so far?

Interesting. I wonder what's going to happen at now. Didn't he put together a Top 25 recruiting class so far?

Yeah, I don't know who the hell they think they're gonna get down there to do better than he has. I mean, that program was scorched earth. But I guess this is the year of firing coaches too early in the hopes of shuffling the deck, even if the cards remain the same.

Sly Croom resigns at Mississippi State.

Great, another coaching upgrade in the SEC coming.
:(

After seeing their numbers though and playing in the SEC, I'd have let him go too. But I just wonder who these schools think they're going to get. Especially at lower levels of major conferences. But...guess you gotta do something.

After seeing their numbers though and playing in the SEC, I'd have let him go too. But I just wonder who these schools think they're going to get. Especially at lower levels of major conferences. But...guess you gotta do something.


Well, you hope to find lightening in the bottle, like Vandy did with Johnson. There aren't very many coaches that can do that, though.

There are a lot of coaches in the country. You have to at least take a chance on someone that is unproven but shows promise rather than just keep banging your head against the wall with someone that isn't going to get it done.

Well I said the same stuff about Wyoming. The coach there had to go too and he's a guy that's pretty much revered around the state. Good guy, but after seeing that play out -- and no one here has any illusions that the program will ever be more than a just over .500 team -- this made more sense. But I think it's reading fans of the team with illusions that the team will be anything other than a second-tier bowl squad.

Playing in that division in the SEC, I can't Mississippi State being anything but that.

Playing in that division in the SEC, I can't Mississippi State being anything but that.

But you have to hope that you can at least catch lightning in a bottle once a decade or so. Actually, you hope you catch it 2-3 times a decade but at least once would be the reasonable hope, I think you're just trying to make sure that you at least have someone on the sideline who is capable of making that happen.

Fans that don't think their team can be better than they are don't deserve a team that is better than they are.

So I totally get UT fans not being thrilled about Kiffin, but I'm wondering who the fanbase was hoping for? Tuberville? Urban Meyer? Lou Holtz? John L. Smith?
Me. You're fired, by the way.

I would have liked to have seen Leach in particular, but I would have been fine with giving one of the many hot shot coordinators out there in college football a shot.

Instead, we're giving Lane a shot. The only problem I have with that is I have more wins as a head coach than he does. ;) Seriously though, I'd like to think we can do better than a coach that is 5-15 in his career, NFL or not.

I'm not a big fan of the concept that he's 'going' to bring in Coaches X, Y, and Z, so that makes it a great hire. If that's the reasoning, why not give the job to Coach X, Y, or Z?

In the end, I'll cross my fingers, toes, and pray that Lane's a great coach for Tennessee. I won't be surprised, however, if it explodes on us.

But you have to hope that you can at least catch lightning in a bottle once a decade or so. Actually, you hope you catch it 2-3 times a decade but at least once would be the reasonable hope, I think you're just trying to make sure that you at least have someone on the sideline who is capable of making that happen.

I buy that argument.

from the espn.com article about Croom
Among the coaches Mississippi State might target to replace Croom are Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz and TCU coach Gary Patterson.

I won't claim any sort of expertise on the guy but just for thinking out loud I kind of like the fit of Patterson there, seems like a reasonable possibility.

fI won't claim any sort of expertise on the guy but just for thinking out loud I kind of like the fit of Patterson there, seems like a reasonable possibility.
Patterson already turned down interviewing with Washington. I'm not sure if he'd view Mississippi State more favorably for some reason, but from my view, his chances of success would be greater at the UW than Mississippi State. But maybe there's a geographical component at play as well...

I get the sense that Patterson is pretty happy to stay at TCU, and it may take a really good situation elsewhere for him to leave. UW is not currently a good situation, and I don't see Mississippi State as being one either.

A thought about the Wyoming job - in the course of checking out Brian Kelly's background, some Washington fans have noticed the phenomenal success that Chuck Martin has had following Kelly's departure. Martin has no playing or coaching experience at the FBS level, so it may be too much of a jump for Washington to take a look at Martin, but a school like Wyoming might be more willing to take that risk...

I'm not sure if I'm Patterson that I'd take either (Miss St or UW) job when I have a nice comfy TCU job.

Who knows how legit it is but a lot of smoke coming out of South Bend that Fat Cholly will be out and Brian Kelly will be in.

I'm not sure if I'm Patterson that I'd take either (Miss St or UW) job when I have a nice comfy TCU job.
Yep. Patterson can afford to wait for a better job opening.

A thought about the Wyoming job - in the course of checking out Brian Kelly's background, some Washington fans have noticed the phenomenal success that Chuck Martin has had following Kelly's departure. Martin has no playing or coaching experience at the FBS level, so it may be too much of a jump for Washington to take a look at Martin, but a school like Wyoming might be more willing to take that risk...

Well we just fired a guy who won national titles at D-II and D-1AA and so, I don't believe they'll dip in that well again. Seems that the targets are coordinators at programs in the BCS like Missouri.

Wyoming won't pay much (last coach was making 300k) and while he's the highest paid guy in the state gov't, it'll limit the search to them looking at guys that no one else is...because I'm almost certain they'll get beat out for those types of folks and are simply being used by guys who want to be put on the head coaching radar a chance to be known.

Joe Glenn, had a hell of a relationship with the fans here. Folks genuinely loved the guy and were torn on letting him go. The problem is, Wyoming folks who are realists who know that the team won't be able to bring a hot shot here who'll stay, because it's just a stepping stone job.

Best case scenario is a young guy comes here and builds something like Hawkins and Co. did in Boise, then it won't matter who the coach is, so long as they believe in what they're selling.

But that's just not what things are like here...at least in football right now.

Well we just fired a guy who won national titles at D-II and D-1AA and so, I don't believe they'll dip in that well again. Seems that the targets are coordinators at programs in the BCS like Missouri.

Wyoming won't pay much (last coach was making 300k) and while he's the highest paid guy in the state gov't, it'll limit the search to them looking at guys that no one else is...because I'm almost certain they'll get beat out for those types of folks and are simply being used by guys who want to be put on the head coaching radar a chance to be known.
Well, Martin is more successful than Glenn was, but I hear what you're saying.

If Wyoming is only paying $300K, their pool will be severely limited. I'd bet that Dave Christensen (OC at Mizzou) is already making that (or more). I know the OC and DC at Washington are making $350K. Even if Wyoming ups that to $500K or so, that's still a small bump up for most BCS coordinators.

Wyoming is in a tough spot - they probably don't have a lot of funds to throw at a football coach, and yet the more money they throw at a guy, the more likely they can land a better coach.

Given the financial constraints and the inherent difficulties in winning at Wyoming, I wonder if guys like Chuck Martin aren't their best bets.

I'm interested to see who takes over at EMU.

Lloyd Carr is helping with the search, and all signs point to one of his old assistants taking over.

Ron English or Scott Loefler would be good choices. Loefler is particularly intriguing because he is a young guy who has been QB coach for Tom Brady and Chad Henne, amongst others, but has no coordinator experience, let alone head coaching experience. He is a young guy to watch in the future though.

Pat Hill flew to Seattle today (http://www.fresnobeehive.com/sportsbuzz/bulldogs_football/). Just what the UW needs - another coach that his current team's fans are sick and tired of.

Shoot me now.

Rumor is Monte Kiffin will be going to Knoxville with Lane. I can see why Jon and Ardent are meh about the hire, but there is a huge boom factor here.

While Lane hasn't recruited the South, he is bringing on Ed O, who is a beastly recruiter, who at Ole Miss set up a bunch of inroads in Memphis, where a bunch of talent can be unearthed. He is tireless, and the guy can coach. He basically is a DC in waiting for UT, so Monte can be there to get things started, and Ed can make it a seamless tranistion.

As long as the staff comes out as solid as it potentially could be, they will recruit as well as anyone in the SEC any given year. Now the question is can Lane make them players?

In Oakland, he did a lot with very little. He had a QB he didn't want, a swiss cheese OL and two injury prone RB's, along with no WR's, and still they looked like a somewhat competent offense, so the potential is there.

Who knows what happens, but I think this at worst, a safe pick that gets UT to where it was under Fulmer the last few years, with the potential to make them a power.

Well, Martin is more successful than Glenn was, but I hear what you're saying.

If Wyoming is only paying $300K, their pool will be severely limited. I'd bet that Dave Christensen (OC at Mizzou) is already making that (or more). I know the OC and DC at Washington are making $350K. Even if Wyoming ups that to $500K or so, that's still a small bump up for most BCS coordinators.

Wyoming is in a tough spot - they probably don't have a lot of funds to throw at a football coach, and yet the more money they throw at a guy, the more likely they can land a better coach.

Given the financial constraints and the inherent difficulties in winning at Wyoming, I wonder if guys like Chuck Martin aren't their best bets.

With incentives, apparently, Joe Glenn's salary could've been up to 450k. But yeah, UW just doesn't pay that much for a coach...and I doubt they're going to pony up big time this time, either.

Like I said, I doubt any BCS coordinator will come here as it's just not a good place to win. I think they're going to have to scrap the barrel or do something like you're suggesting -- a guy who clearly will take this as his dream job and only shot at 1-A football -- but I don't believe the pool is deep.

Candidates they've interviewed already include Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen and Nebraska wide receivers coach Ted Gilmore. Gilmore played here and coached here early in his career, so...that's his tie. Christensen is unlike to be someone they can afford. Mike Van Diest is a former Wyoming coach and has won NAIA titles at Carroll College in Montana and would probably be a good fit, so long as they gave him as long as they gave Glenn to make it work. Gregg Brandon from Bowling Green has ties to the region and was just dismissed at Bowling Green, but left there with a winning record.

John L. Smith and Gary Barnett are apparently on the list, too. But people would outraged if Barnett got the job after letting Joe Glenn go.

What about Bobby Hauck? Any mention of him as a candidate?

What about Bobby Hauck? Any mention of him as a candidate?

No. We just fired one Montana coach, I doubt they'd dip in the well to get another. I'm almost certain they want an assistant at a BCS program that's been successful and/or someone with ties to the state of Wyoming. Joe Glenn was a real ambassador for the program and the state and so, the fans are going to expect that or the next guy just isn't going to get the love that Glenn got. It's gonna be a hard guy to replace, despite his record...because he was just likable and this is a state where that'll get you far.

I've heard from a fairly good source that Weis will be out at ND, Meyer has already told them not to come calling, and Brian Kelly is the only other name on the list. Wouldn't surprise me one bit after what he's done with UC the last couple of years.

A question for those ND fans in the know. I keep reading reports that the main problem is not necessarily the W/L record, but his attitude. Evidently he has not played nice with most alumni and basically has walked around with flashing his Super Bowl rings as proof of his genius. Are ND fans hearing the same thing from more Irish-friendly sources?

A question for those ND fans in the know. I keep reading reports that the main problem is not necessarily the W/L record, but his attitude. Evidently he has not played nice with most alumni and basically has walked around with flashing his Super Bowl rings as proof of his genius. Are ND fans hearing the same thing from more Irish-friendly sources?


I had heard that before (like last year) and that he is a pretty lazy recruiter.

Not that he'll get fired this year or next, but I think this season is the beginning of the end for Mark Richt at Georgia.

Preseason Number 1, he's gotten pummeled in the only three games that had any meaning. Forget the close final scores, there were long stretches of all three games when Georgia wasn't even competitive. For a pre #1, that is not acceptable.

Not that he'll get fired this year or next, but I think this season is the beginning of the end for Mark Richt at Georgia.

Preseason Number 1, he's gotten pummeled in the only three games that had any meaning. Forget the close final scores, there were long stretches of all three games when Georgia wasn't even competitive. For a pre #1, that is not acceptable.


Could be, but I think it is probably more the begining of the end for some of the coaching staff. There will be a reshuffle at the end of the season. But he has to have a couple pretty bad years, not just one under-achieving year, to be under real pressure.

And, just for the record, I don't even think this was an underachieving year in my book. We had some flashy players that got a lot of attention, but we were really weak on both sides of the line, and that is just not a team that will win awards. People closer to the program picked the Dawgs as third in the SEC in the preseason. Most of the hype was coming from the national media who only look at the stars and not the substance.

I can see why there are so many changes. OU had a much better week than Texas and lost votes.

I skimmed this thread and didnt see mention of it but Brian Kelly supposedly talked with some UW AD folks about the position. I would imagine it's al ongshot but that would be a homerun hire for UW

Sounds like Mizzou OC Dave Christensen will be Wyomings next HC. Great hire if true.

Sounds like Mizzou OC Dave Christensen will be Wyomings next HC. Great hire if true.

Laramie Boomerang - Laramie, Wyoming > Sports (http://www.laramieboomerang.com/articles/2008/11/29/sports/doc4932278e18c4c104488621.txt)

Hmm...apparently, that might be true. But the Boomerang's nickname is the Boomerwrong, so...I dunno how true it might be. But it wouldn't be a surprise. Defense is always strong here, but offense is terrible annually, so this is probably a good way to fix that. And he was one of the first guy's mentioned and this AD is the sort of guy who usually knows who he wants and moves fast.

Given Christensen has been at Mizzou forever, seems that he sees this as his one chance to go somewhere and hang out as head coach if he does well.

Seems like a good choice, given how good Mizzou has been over the past few years.

Edit: Maybe not forever, but 8 years on a staff is a good thing. Better an older, experienced guy than a hot shot coordinator who leaves after 3 years.

St. Louis Post Dispatch is reporting it as well. Great hire, in my opinion. I wouldn't have been upset if he had landed at Tennessee.

Meanwhile, I have to think that yesterday's win over SC significantly lessens the chance that Fulmer will wind up at Clemson.

I skimmed this thread and didnt see mention of it but Brian Kelly supposedly talked with some UW AD folks about the position. I would imagine it's al ongshot but that would be a homerun hire for UW

Would be a great hire. Kelly is a guy I wanted at UM but the skeletons in his closet didn't even allow him a look. Lots of shady dealings at Central Michigan during that murder case involving two of his players. Not a Dave Bliss level of things, but still pretty bad stuff.

The word is Notre Dame wants him .. I dunno if that is a good fit because I am not sure how he'll do in the spotlight like that, but regardless, he can coach.

The only concern for UW is that would be another stepping stone job. Kelly wants to be at a school like Michigan or Notre Dame or some of the SEC schools.

He'd build his resume further then leave. It'd help UW in the process, but he isn't the kind of guy to wait around there for 5-6 years to compete for a NC.

St. Louis Post Dispatch is reporting it as well. Great hire, in my opinion. I wouldn't have been upset if he had landed at Tennessee.

They're reporting it based on a report from the Boomerang. ;)

Dola .. there is another potential opening though it's slim it happens, but South Carolina could see Spurrier retire. He seems beaten there, and the offense isn't ever going to click. Giving up play calling seems like a strong sign.

A name to watch if so is MSU HC Mark Dantonio, who played DB for the Cocks.

Dola - Sounds like Dabo Swinney will take over at Clemson .. Not sure if that is a good idea or not. Seems like Bill Stewart at WVU to me, though Dabo has had more time to prove himself then Stewart did.

If I am Clemson I'd go through an interview process with several candidates and not go off the emotion of a win vs a down uSC.

Meanwhile, I have to think that yesterday's win over SC significantly lessens the chance that Fulmer will wind up at Clemson.

I think they stayed at pretty much 0%.


Its widely reported/speculated locally that Swinney will be named Monday or Tuesday.

There is a presser scheduled to "discuss the coaching search" tomorrow at 10AM. And two prominent athletic department employees have booked flight tomorrow afternoon to Illinois rather than fly with the team this evening for Tuesday's basketball game.

I know Troy Calhoun is high on TDP list, as is Brett Venerables (though I am not sure I agree with this assessment). But whether I like it or not (and Im undecided), I think Dabo is going to get a shot.

Would be a great hire. Kelly is a guy I wanted at UM but the skeletons in his closet didn't even allow him a look. Lots of shady dealings at Central Michigan during that murder case involving two of his players. Not a Dave Bliss level of things, but still pretty bad stuff.

The word is Notre Dame wants him .. I dunno if that is a good fit because I am not sure how he'll do in the spotlight like that, but regardless, he can coach.

The only concern for UW is that would be another stepping stone job. Kelly wants to be at a school like Michigan or Notre Dame or some of the SEC schools.

He'd build his resume further then leave. It'd help UW in the process, but he isn't the kind of guy to wait around there for 5-6 years to compete for a NC.
He'd be a fantastic hire for the Huskies. Even if he uses it as a stepping-stone, he'll probably need at least 3 seasons to show that he's got the UW going in the right direction, and while it would suck to have to do another coaching search so fast, he'd leave the program in much better shape for the next search.

The latest I've been hearing about the UW job is this:
- Pat Hill's interview yesterday went well, but he wasn't offered the job;
- The UW has talked with Kelly at least twice already; not sure if these were official interviews or just inquiring about his level of interest;
- The UW has also contacted Mike Leach, who told them he wanted to wait until after his regular season before discussing any possible interest in the job;
- Rumors persist that Mora is still in play; some say he's already agreed and the announcement is on hold until the UW finishes their season; some say he's considering an offer and has to the end of this weekend to decide before the UW moves on in another direction (Kelly, Leach, etc)

The obvious wild card for Brian Kelly is whether Notre Dame fires Weis. Hard to imagine Kelly turns down the Notre Dame job if it's offered. If Weis is kept - and there are reasons to do so - then it probably comes down to Washington, Syracuse and staying at Cincinnati another year.

He'd be a fantastic hire for the Huskies. Even if he uses it as a stepping-stone, he'll probably need at least 3 seasons to show that he's got the UW going in the right direction, and while it would suck to have to do another coaching search so fast, he'd leave the program in much better shape for the next search.

The latest I've been hearing about the UW job is this:
- Pat Hill's interview yesterday went well, but he wasn't offered the job;
- The UW has talked with Kelly at least twice already; not sure if these were official interviews or just inquiring about his level of interest;
- The UW has also contacted Mike Leach, who told them he wanted to wait until after his regular season before discussing any possible interest in the job;
- Rumors persist that Mora is still in play; some say he's already agreed and the announcement is on hold until the UW finishes their season; some say he's considering an offer and has to the end of this weekend to decide before the UW moves on in another direction (Kelly, Leach, etc)

The obvious wild card for Brian Kelly is whether Notre Dame fires Weis. Hard to imagine Kelly turns down the Notre Dame job if it's offered. If Weis is kept - and there are reasons to do so - then it probably comes down to Washington, Syracuse and staying at Cincinnati another year.

UW seems perfect for Kelly. They want to win, and they can attract elite talent, but they're out of the spotlight enough for Kelly to do his thing. He'd stay there 3-5 years, unless they all of a sudden become a legit #2 in the Pac 10 which could happen. Then from there who knows.

I'd love it though.

I don't see Kelly leaving for UW.

I think UW would be a step up for him, but I think he has Cincy moving in the right direction and, more importantly, he has no recruiting ties in traditional Pac-10 territories. If UW is a stepping stone job, it would be a fairly risky one for him when you factor in the momentum he currently has and how long it might take for him to adjust to a completely new (non Midwest) environment.

I think he'd be a great fit for Notre Dame and would win immediately with Weis's talent. He is a great gameday coach and ND has good players. I think Michigan State or Iowa would be nice fits, too.

Cincy is losing 10 starters on defense after this year, so I'd be surprised if Kelly stuck around. It'll be interesting to see what he does if ND doesn't open up, though.

Depending upon how you read it, where the inflection is, etc., I couldn't help but chuckle at this quote from Fulmer.


"[Tennessee] is a very special place and it would take a special place for me to go to, but being unemployed right now, I'm interested in those kinds of jobs because that's a special place," Fulmer said of Clemson.

I'm pretty sure what he was trying to say but the first time I read it, I'd have sworn he was saying that pretty much anywhere with a vacancy was a special place under his circumstances.

Joe DeForest, assistant head coach at Oklahoma State, is linked to the New Mexico gig.

OK, someone has got to explain this train wreck of a sentence:
ESPN - Sources: Monte Kiffin to follow son Lane Kiffin to Tennessee Volunteers (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3735102)
Monte Kiffin once introduced a more aggressive national recruiting plan to USC and he recruited ex-Vols great Peyton Manning, who was consulted by his alma mater and signed off on Tennessee's hiring of Kiffin, sources told ESPN. This seems to state that Monte Kiffin introduced an "aggressive national recruiting plan to USC," but I find no evidence that Monte Kiffin ever had anything to do with USC. Lane Kiffin was offensive coordinator at USC and recruiting coordinator, but this was like four years ago and I don't think you could say that was when USC began recruiting nationwide.

Then we get to part where Monte Kiffin recruited Peyton Manning. To where? Monte Kiffen was working in the NFL at the time of Manning's recruitment, so it doesn't make any sense that he successful recruited Manning to play at Tennessee, a school which Monte Kiffen has no ties to, nor unsuccessfully recruited him to another school for some reason. It couldn't be Lane Kiffen recruiting Peyton Manning -- Lane is like a year older than Peyton and I don't think Fresno State has freshmen quarterbacks recruit for them or anyone else.

Technically, the punctuation of the sentence suggests that "sources" told ESPN Monte Kiffen was the mastermind behind bringing national recruiting to USC and recruiting Peyton Manning. So maybe their sources did tell them that and their sources are idiots. But still ...

Depending upon how you read it, where the inflection is, etc., I couldn't help but chuckle at this quote from Fulmer.




I'm pretty sure what he was trying to say but the first time I read it, I'd have sworn he was saying that pretty much anywhere with a vacancy was a special place under his circumstances.


Haha

So, Fat man what makes it a special place?
Well its a place, and it has an opening. And not places do so thats special, so yeah its a special place....

With Christensen headed to Wyoming, Missouri's defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is interviewing at Toledo. Word in Missouri is that former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney and yet another Stoop, Mark Stoops, are the other top candidates. Eberflus is a Toledo grad and worked on the staff there under Gary Pinkel before moving to Missouri.

Interesting note: Christensen is the first Missouri coach to leave since Pinkel got the job -- eight years ago. That's right, Mizzou has had zero coaching turnover. Four years ago the AD told Pinkel he had to fire Christensen and Pinkel said no. Have to like seeing that kind of loyalty pay off.

Lane it is.

I'm sure most, if not all, Mizzou fans will be happy to see Matt Eberflus leave. He was getting slammed on the local radio today.

With Christensen headed to Wyoming, Missouri's defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is interviewing at Toledo.

Hmm, that would be disappointing for Toledo. They usually make some very good hires(Saban, Pinkel, think Im forgetting another one...). I had expected them to aim a bit higher.

Anyway, maybe Bowling Green is going to take over for them. They seem to going after some much better canidates.

Saw this on another board:

"Petros Papadakis just said on AM 570 that Weis will be fired next monday and Jimmy Clausen will use his redshirt next season to transfer to Tennessee to be with Kiffin."

Whoa. That'd be crazy.

Ehh, there are tons of crazy rumors about Kiffin right now. Another is Barkley decommitting from USC to head to Tennessee to play for Kiffin.

Id be very skeptical about these until they actually happen.

What the fuck kind of world do I live in where people are sweating Lane Kiffin?

What the fuck kind of world do I live in where people are sweating Lane Kiffin?

Bizarro World.

Saw this on another board:

"Petros Papadakis just said on AM 570 that Weis will be fired next monday and Jimmy Clausen will use his redshirt next season to transfer to Tennessee to be with Kiffin."

There are some circles with pretty heavy rumors about Houston Nutt going to Notre Dame.



hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa

Saw this on another board:

"Petros Papadakis just said on AM 570 that Weis will be fired next monday and Jimmy Clausen will use his redshirt next season to transfer to Tennessee to be with Kiffin."
Two Clausens are enough, k, thx.

There are some circles with pretty heavy rumors about Houston Nutt going to Notre Dame.



hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa


Don't let Petrino hear about that opening.

Don't let Petrino hear about that opening.

He's not going anywhere.

:lol:

A question for those ND fans in the know. I keep reading reports that the main problem is not necessarily the W/L record, but his attitude. Evidently he has not played nice with most alumni and basically has walked around with flashing his Super Bowl rings as proof of his genius. Are ND fans hearing the same thing from more Irish-friendly sources?Yes, the arrogance that ND fans/alums loved his first two years has now caused many to turn on him, but it's still a split opinion.I had heard that before (like last year) and that he is a pretty lazy recruiter.This I don't buy - he big-timed Terrelle Pryor and his coaches, and it backfired, but he's pulled in 3 straight consensus top-10 recruiting classes, 2 while finishing .500 or below.

I will predict nothing (except that 90%+ of the rumors, even from inside sources, will be false - there is so much disparity among alums I'm friends with, combined with a first-year AD, no one knows with any certainty at this point) with certainly, but my gut (and inclination) would say Weis is back at ND next season with basically a New Year's Day bowl or bust sign.

You fire Weis, you either have to accept Brian Kelly's off-field warts (and hope he doesn't pull a Meyer and go for UW or a different job last minute), hope for a miracle Meyer/Saban/Stoops-esque hire (which unfortunately a significant portion of ND alums who want to fire Weis have deluded themselves into) or try to catch lightning in a bottle. Which, if you're going for the latter, Weis' resume is 2 BCS games in 4 seasons and a proven recruiter at ND - the odds of topping that are astronomical even with a Gary Patterson or whatever other flavors of the day are listed.

Which, if you're going for the latter, Weis' resume is 2 BCS games in 4 seasons and a proven recruiter at ND - the odds of topping that are astronomical even with a Gary Patterson or whatever other flavors of the day are listed.

If this isn't a good enough resume for the first 4 years, why in the world does Notre Dame sign guys for 10 year contracts? What's the expectation on the field? If they get rid of him, the next guy will likewise be guaranteed to be gone in 4 years if the expectations are BCS Bowls every year. If they don't stick with a guy who's a proven recruiter after a bad season, they deserve what they get (a solid first two years with Weis' recruits, then the inevitable drop-off, then everybody freaks out and the new guy's fired. Next guy wins for 2 years with the old guy's recruits, inevitable drop-off, etc, etc, etc, etc.)

Notre Dame is like a less successful version of Indiana basketball. They're living on unrealistic expectations, think they're a bigger deal than they are, and are doomed to constant disappointment. 1 national championship in the last 31 years.

If this isn't a good enough resume for the first 4 years, why in the world does Notre Dame sign guys for 10 year contracts? What's the expectation on the field? If they get rid of him, the next guy will likewise be guaranteed to be gone in 4 years if the expectations are BCS Bowls every year. If they don't stick with a guy who's a proven recruiter after a bad season, they deserve what they get (a solid first two years with Weis' recruits, then the inevitable drop-off, then everybody freaks out and the new guy's fired. Next guy wins for 2 years with the old guy's recruits, inevitable drop-off, etc, etc, etc, etc.)I couldn't really agree more (and I think a majority of ND fans/alums realize this). But a lot of people see Urban Meyer and Nick Saban competing for national titles within 2 seasons and USC competing for the national title every year and expect that. (At least to be fair - Notre Dame isn't exactly the only program with deluded fans - we've even got a Georgia fan who can't wait to fire Mark Richt in this thread.)

Rumors with LSU staff, Chavis for DC. (Hmm someone on this board predicted this possibility weeks ago. ;) ) And Orgeron for DL coach/recruiting coordinator, if Miles wants him.

Apparently coach O would prefer to stay home, but Miles didn't offer him the same position last year because of some bad recruiting blood. Coach O had pulled some shady, but not illegal, shenanigans with Joe Mcknight and Keiland Williams recruitments. Will he get the offer this year? I hope so. I agree with a lot of LSU fans that his high energy and recruiting ability would be the perfect compliment with Chavis's ability to teach and gameplan.

"Insiders" say that if Miles doesn't start serious negotiations soon that O is headed to Tenn as was first reported.

Hooray for Clemson hiring Dabo Swinney!

Brian Kelly has announced that he's staying at Cincinnati with the promise of stadium and other facilities upgrades.

Mike Leach was reportedly spotted on a flight to Seattle yesterday, though his agent denies it.

Ty Willingham proved yet again what a disaster he is. When asked about the Huskies big win last year over Cal (the UW's last win in fact) and how they pulled it off, Willingham referenced the good play of QB Jake Locker. (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2008457491_uwfb02.html)

Um, coach? Locker sat out that game with an injury - it was Carl Bonnell at QB that day.

Fucking fucktard - I can't wait until Saturday night when he's officially no longer the UW coach.

Ehh, there are tons of crazy rumors about Kiffin right now. Another is Barkley decommitting from USC to head to Tennessee to play for Kiffin.

Id be very skeptical about these until they actually happen.


That is beyond insane. Will never happen, particularly since he has reportedly been told that he has a good chance to start earlier than any USC QB since Carson Palmer.

I felt a little better about the hire after hearing Kiffin's introduction speech. I hope he's able to keep the kids that are already committed and is able to bring in a few others.

Will his "It worked for us at USC, it could work for you at Tennessee" theory work out? I can only hope so.

I don't mind being USC Lite if it gets Tennessee back to at least a respectable offense every year again.

Chris Low's espn.com article today was interesting, talking about how Kiffin will only be about the 8th highest paid head coach in the SEC but that he's been given enough leeway on assistant's salaries that the staff could end up being equal to the highest total in the conference.

I just hope they all turn out to be worth what they end up getting paid.

One bewildering thing in that article though, mentioning four current assistants that he's retained at least until he can interview them, and one of them is the OL coach. I can't think of anyone who is more deserving of the unemployment line in all of Knoxville.

Agreed. I found that rather odd. My take on it is that he's got some of the committed kids in tow and Kiffin doesn't want to lose them right away. My guess is Kiffin will show him the door once he gets to meet with the players.

Weis had a couple of good years, but has really seemed to regress as a coach the last two seasons, starting with the decision to throw away his starting quarterback halfway through the first game of the 2007-2008 season. I would not have any confidence in him if I were a ND fan.

If I am Clemson I'd go through an interview process with several candidates and not go off the emotion of a win vs a down uSC.

They have interviewed no less than 10 candidates, and according to Terry Don Phillips (the AD) at least 3 current D-1 college head coaches...I was shocked he threw that out there, the decision was made prior to the SC game.

Its hard to fully understand what Dabo has done unless you are close to the program, it was a fractured divided fan base and team. I am not ure how good of an X & O guy Dabo is or how much success he will be able to have recruiting proven coords (who most likely will be older and more experienced than he is) but he has done a fabulous job motivating and focusing a team and a community.

Word out of Oregon is that Mike Bellotti is stepping down as the Duck's coach.

For anyone with a few free minutes, this is an article worth reading on Clemson's new coach


TigerIllustrated.com - Against all odds (http://clemson.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=882281)

Word out of Oregon is that Mike Bellotti is stepping down as the Duck's coach.

Washington?

Nevermind... Bellotti is moving to AD.

Chip Kelly, their offensive coordinator and a pretty attractive HC candidate, will take over.

Nevermind... Bellotti is moving to AD.

Chip Kelly, their offensive coordinator and a pretty attractive HC candidate, will take over.
This may have some corollary impact on the Washington coaching search. It has been widely speculated that Chris Peterson of Boise State was interested in taking over at Oregon at some point; with Chip Kelly getting promoted, perhaps that makes Peterson more willing to consider the Washington job if he has any desire to move to a BCS conference school.

This may have some corollary impact on the Washington coaching search. It has been widely speculated that Chris Peterson of Boise State was interested in taking over at Oregon at some point; with Chip Kelly getting promoted, perhaps that makes Peterson more willing to consider the Washington job if he has any desire to move to a BCS conference school.

I know that those (Kelly and Peterson) two names were of interest to WVU fans last season after Rodriguez left and, I believe Kelly was contacted. I'd guess they would have more trouble recruiting on the East Coast (at a school like WVU) than in their more familiar territories, so Kelly at Oregon and Peterson at Washington would probably be very good fits.

You have got to wonder when Peterson pulls the trigger and leaves. He's pretty well built Boise State into the most efficient program that it can possibly be and has hit a ceiling. Unless they join the Pac 10 or their conference gets a permanent BCS spot, he clearly cannot win a championship there, so eventually one of these openings has got to look attractive to him.

I know that those (Kelly and Peterson) two names were of interest to WVU fans last season after Rodriguez left and, I believe Kelly was contacted. I'd guess they would have more trouble recruiting on the East Coast (at a school like WVU) than in their more familiar territories, so Kelly at Oregon and Peterson at Washington would probably be very good fits.

You have got to wonder when Peterson pulls the trigger and leaves. He's pretty well built Boise State into the most efficient program that it can possibly be and has hit a ceiling. Unless they join the Pac 10 or their conference gets a permanent BCS spot, he clearly cannot win a championship there, so eventually one of these openings has got to look attractive to him.

I don't know that Peterson is itching to leave Boise. I'm sure he sees the struggles that Hawkins is going through at Colorado, and wonders if it is worth it.

Brian Kelly has announced that he's staying at Cincinnati with the promise of stadium and other facilities upgrades.

It would be interesting to see if Cincy continues to do things like upgrade the program to the point where he actually decides to stay. Cincy isn't a big name program, but it's already in one of the main conferences. If he can win the conference, it means a BCS bowl by default and that's about all you can really ask for. Their stadium is of a pitiful size, 35K with no luxury boxes. Keep boosting it to where it's a halfway credible one, and I just don't see a coach walking away from that.

It would be interesting to see if Cincy continues to do things like upgrade the program to the point where he actually decides to stay. Cincy isn't a big name program, but it's already in one of the main conferences. If he can win the conference, it means a BCS bowl by default and that's about all you can really ask for. Their stadium is of a pitiful size, 35K with no luxury boxes. Keep boosting it to where it's a halfway credible one, and I just don't see a coach walking away from that.

Isn't Cinncy a commuter school though?

You'll be hard pressed to get people to choose going to Cinncy games over watching OSU play, and since there isn't a big smattering of students on campus, it makes it so much tougher.

I am not sure how many more you can put inside there who'd come out.

Isn't Cinncy a commuter school though?

You'll be hard pressed to get people to choose going to Cinncy games over watching OSU play, and since there isn't a big smattering of students on campus, it makes it so much tougher.

I am not sure how many more you can put inside there who'd come out.

Well, he had GVSU play in The Big House when he coached at GVSU. He then had CMU play Michigan while he was at CMU. I wouldn't be surprised if he at some point contacted OSU about maybe a possible game. If he stayed, a Cincy/OSU series would be awesome. All it would take would be one win over OSU and suddenly they aren't the big boys of the state anymore. Probably why OSU would avoid it. They know a loss would be coming at some point. :lol: Honestly, if OSU was willing to do a series against somebody like Texas, then why not Cincy? Two teams that can win their respective conferences and play within the same state just seems like a no brainer.

Isn't Cinncy a commuter school though?

You'll be hard pressed to get people to choose going to Cinncy games over watching OSU play, and since there isn't a big smattering of students on campus, it makes it so much tougher.

I am not sure how many more you can put inside there who'd come out.

Having grown up in southern Ohio I can tell you that as you get to the Cincy area the number of OSU fans declines. There's a real rivalry between Cincy and Columbus that a good coach with admin support could tap into. They'll still face a serius uphill climb in recruiting, but there's no reason that Ohio couldn't support two big BCS programs.

Well, he had GVSU play in The Big House when he coached at GVSU. He then had CMU play Michigan while he was at CMU. I wouldn't be surprised if he at some point contacted OSU about maybe a possible game. If he stayed, a Cincy/OSU series would be awesome. All it would take would be one win over OSU and suddenly they aren't the big boys of the state anymore. Probably why OSU would avoid it. They know a loss would be coming at some point. :lol: Honestly, if OSU was willing to do a series against somebody like Texas, then why not Cincy? Two teams that can win their respective conferences and play within the same state just seems like a no brainer.

Just a few years ago OSU/Cincy had a home/home. If Dantonio had stayed it might have become a semi-regular feature.

It would be interesting to see if Cincy continues to do things like upgrade the program to the point where he actually decides to stay. Cincy isn't a big name program, but it's already in one of the main conferences. If he can win the conference, it means a BCS bowl by default and that's about all you can really ask for. Their stadium is of a pitiful size, 35K with no luxury boxes. Keep boosting it to where it's a halfway credible one, and I just don't see a coach walking away from that.
I think the wild card here is Notre Dame - if Weis doesn't do enough next year to keep his job, I have a hard time seeing Kelly saying no to a Notre Dame offer (that's assuming Notre Dame can get Urban Meyer). If/when the Notre Dame job opens up and Kelly is offered, I'd be surprised if he didn't take it, as he's called it a "dream job".

In the meantime though, as long as Cincinnati follows through on their promises to expand the stadium and the rest of the athletic facilities, I see no reason for Kelly to feel compelled to leave. As a member of the Big East, Cincinnati has a shot at a National Championship if things break right, and certainly major BCS bowls.

I would've loved to see Kelly at the UW, but the reality is it's not an attractive enough job right now and not really the right fit as far as Kelly is concerned.

I don't know that Peterson is itching to leave Boise. I'm sure he sees the struggles that Hawkins is going through at Colorado, and wonders if it is worth it.
I don't think so either. He sounds quite content to stay at Boise State, and it may be that the Oregon job was the only one that would've tempted him to leave.

Seeing the fate of Dirk Koetter and how Dan Hawkins is doing, I'm sure Peterson is thinking that the grass isn't always greener on the other side...

Confirmation that Leach was in Seattle and interviewed for the UW job. A source tells the Lubbock paper that despite Washington's record, there could be significant interest on the part of Leach in coaching the Huskies. (http://www.redraiders.com/?p=4119)

Leach may feel that he's done about all he can reasonably expect to do at Tech, and he may feel the ceiling at UW is higher. If he does take the UW job, I'd be shocked if he doesn't land 2010 QB prospect Jake Heaps, who may end up the #1 QB prospect in the country, along with his WR teammate Kasen Williams, a UW legacy who himself might be the #1 WR prospect in the 2011 class.

If he does take the UW job, I'd be shocked if he doesn't land 2010 QB prospect Jake Heaps

No, stay away from Heaps. Minnesota wants him. :p

Oh, btw, Mumme is officially gone from NMSU. Where the hell does this loser show up next?

ESPN - New Mexico State Aggies coach Hal Mumme fired after 3-9 year (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3737741)

Just keep away from Devin Gardner.

So UT fans is it true Bill Callahan will be the new OC?

I think it's a solid hire. He can recruit, and he is a decent offensive mind. He won't call plays I am sure, so that isn't a problem here. Could do a lot worse.

Nevermind... Bellotti is moving to AD.

Chip Kelly, their offensive coordinator and a pretty attractive HC candidate, will take over.

It's still being reported (everywhere I've looked) as a "succession plan", presumably to keep Kelly around. Bellotti hasn't stepped down yet.

No, stay away from Heaps. Minnesota wants him. :p
Get in line ;)

From what I've read, it's pretty much between Washington and BYU, with Washington holding the edge.

I've heard rumor that Callahan may be the OC at Tennessee. Karma's coming in to kick my butt if that happens.

I don't consider it a solid hire. I kind of consider him to be a bit of a cancer. I didn't like the things I heard out of him at Oakland. I didn't like the things he did at Nebraska.

Poli knows better than I do, but this Kiffen hire looks like the beginning of a disaster for Tennessee.