2015 College Football Coach Hiring Thread
 

Last year, we consolidated all the discussion into one thread and figured with Conference Championship week about to start, better to migrate the talk here.

To recap, there are currently 13 FBS openings:

P5:
Georgia
Miami
South Carolina
Missouri
Virginia
Maryland
Rutgers
Syracuse

G5:
Memphis
Toledo
Tulane
North Texas
Louisiana Monroe

Major spots that have been filled:

USC: Helton
Virginia Tech: Fuente
UCF: Frost
Iowa State: Campbell
Illinois: Cubit

Let me know if I left anything out.

There's buzz around Maryland that they want to make a splash hire (well, who doesn't, I know). MD has a big $ benefactor in Kevin Plank of Under Armour (who has an obvious Nike envy issue) so there's some intriguing potential there, perhaps more so than the run-of-the-mill big conference doormat program.

Syracuse was wooing Frost, but dallied it appears, or else just got outbid by a warmer climate. I don't see any real sign of life there to speak of, unless they just get lucky and the pan loads up with gold somehow.

Had read that too, but then DJ Durkin seemed to emerge as the top candidate at least until they got connected to Richt in the last day or so. Not saying at all that Durkin can't be a good one, but it seemed very different than that initial report that Bill O'Brien was interested.

I think I like Mike Sanford as the most intriguing coordinator candidate at this point.

Rumor around Athens last night was Richt would meet with Maryland on Thursday.

One of the Atlanta TV stations just posted a suggestion that UGA hire ... Mike Bobo.

I'm STILL laughing my ass off at that notion. What a glorious trainwreck that'd be to observe.

For those unfamiliar, the only assistant I can think of who was ever more reviled by a fan base would have been Willie Martinez (who, honestly, I'm surprised someone didn't take a shot at).

Him back in Athens would be a delicious disaster to watch play out, so I can't imagine I'd ever get that lucky.

edit to add: The suggestion, btw, was tied to this report that he interviewed at Mizzou
http://georgia.247sports.com/Bolt/Re...cancy-41609932

Anyone interested in Mazzone?

Davis, Schiano, Mullen, and Richt are interviewing for the Miami job.

It sounds like Syracuse will hire Ash, the co-DC from OSU. This is about the most unexciting hire ever and I think the fan base (what is left) is going to revolt.

It's assumed here that Durkin will get a major offer somewhere during this cycle given what he accomplished before running out of healthy defensive linemen.

Miami seems to be leaning Richt now. I'd be delighted with that hire.

Fuente is a great signing by Virginia Tech.

Don't know how anyone wouldn't be. Seems the question with him now is if he actually wants to take one of these positions he's been looking into.

Smart to UGA reported by AJC.com

Heard that as well.....

Supposedly Muschamp is joining the staff as DC. Tyson Helton as OC.

And now the SC board saying Muschamp is going to be the hire there.

I will be surprised if Tyson doesn't end up at USC.

Helton has long been the rumor, but I'll say again it would make no sense to hire Muschamp. Smart is going to run the defense, and Muschamp is going to want autonomy. They are friends, but I don't think that would be a fit.

It might work for a season or two while Smart is getting his feet wet.

Anyone else get the feeling that with Smart moving on from Alabama, that Saban has decided to stay there a while longer?

I'm hearing Billy Napier to UGA as OC.
Would be a GREAT hire if so. Billy'sdad is a25+ year Georgia hs head football coach, and Billy is a great recruiter. Only concern is he favors a priest/power I offense to what UGA should run in the spread.

Napier is the name I heard very early. He actually looks like a great fit.

I wish Furman would hire Napier as head coach. If they're going to insist on having alums as coach, at least get someone who has shown he can recruit kids who can actually play.

If message board rumors are to be believed, there is going to be an all out war between the states (of Georgia and Alabama) for the services of current Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scotty Cochran. (Look him up.)

IIRC his name was mentioned in the same first breath with Napier as being the guys Strong wanted to bring with him.

Multiple people reporting DJ Durkin to Maryland.

Now I'm hearing this was a bit of a smokescreen and Dino Babers is the guy, but he has a game Friday night. Possibly Ash to Rutgers.

Ash has apparently now pulled himself out of the running, and the current leading candidate is reported to be Dino Babers from Bowling Green. That appears to be the guy the fanbase was hoping for. Which I guess tells you state of Syracuse football these days.

Syracuse Football: Chris Ash Out of Running, Dino Babers New Favorite for Orange Coach - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

It'd be the first time Syracuse hired a head football coach with previous head coaching experience at Division 1 or higher since Dick McPherson in 1980. There's only been 4 head coaches since then, but that's kind of a weird stat.

You don't have to look Scott Cochran up...
Just like Tommy Moffitt another of the Gayle Hatch disciples. Brought Olympic lifting into mainstream football strength training.

I know Urban tried to get him to Ohio state. ...I've heard he will never leave Satan we will see.

He's a 2.5 million a year guy though....

Yeah, Cochran has always been rumored to go with Kirby, even before this when he was mentioned for other jobs. They are close, and have a long agreement. Interestingly, the current strength and condition coach is Cochran's former assistant. It'd be funny if UGA traded Smart and Cochran for two of their former assistants.

Schlabach is saying Richt is "100%" going to Miami. Will be announced tomorrow or Friday.

If Ash ends up at Rutgers, I won't really be able to opine on it until I figure out what his offensive philosophy would be and who he would look to bring in to run the offense. I like a young guy under Meyer who is an Xs and Os guy with a ring on his finger, but I would have preferred someone with experience running a program.

Would I have preferred someone with experience? Sure, but Rutgers isn't going to pay for the guys with good experience, so you are left with a retread. Al Golden's name got thrown out a lot, and sure he turned Temple around, but he did it in the MAC, and he couldn't even win his division there. Cristobal is another guy who I have issue with.

I would have preferred an OC hire, but it doesn't seem there were many good fits in that direction who have east coast ties.

Looks like Muschamp is pretty far down the path with SC.

Thinking something could be announced by weekend.

Love the Richt to Miami U hire.

LOL at anyone thinking Dino Babers is the answer to anything.

First Smart, now Muschamp.

If that deal falls through do they go after Willie Martinez for the HC job since they seem to be on a mission to get a DC with connections to UGA ;)

The best part, (this has been reported by Clemson media and I can 100% confirm this), Muschamp reached out to Clemson Co-OC and WR coach Jeff Scott to guage his interest in joining staff as OC.

For those not following following along at home not only is Jeff a Clemson grad, and was given his first shot by Dabo, not only is he extremely loyal, he is the son of Brad Scott who was fired by SC and then not paid his due money until Brad won a court case and forced SC to pay him.

"Yeah, uhhh sorry, Will. I am going to have to say no to that one."

I will reserve judgement until I see what kind of staff he puts together.

Care to expand on that for us dummies? I've heard he doesn't recruit a ton and is a bad interview but would love to hear more.

Care to elaborate? He seems like a perfect fit for Syracuse. He has 3 years at another P5 private university and his (Baylor's) offense in a dome seems like a perfect match. Everyone else in the Northeast has a DC as their HC, so he would be something different up here, an attractive spot for offensive recruits.

Just gossipy really but fwiw ... says Pruitt is thinking Michigan not Miami if he's ousted in Athens.

https://www.seccountry.com/georgia/r...richt-to-miami

Dino was a massive failure at A&M when given the keys to an offense that was primed to make some waves in the early 2000s. He was completely lost and in over his head and was relieved of his OC duties about halfway through the season and fired shortly after. He isnt exactly a fan favorite, although he is held in higher regard than Dennis Franchione.

Having typed that, I do realize that the statute of limitations probably expired on pinning those failures to any future ones. Maybe he is a changed dude, ready to lead a Power 5 team. He did do well at BG

I think that might be why his not getting sniff of a P5 job until his mid-50s, but since that stint, he has completely adopted Briles' Baylor offense and has a good track record with it at E Ill and BG.

Thanks for the response though, I see where you are coming from.

When Dino was at ucla he didn't have a great rep as a coach

Looks like Odom got the bump at Mizzou.

It was a given... Larry (Smith) to Gary (Pinkel) to Barry (Odom). Young guy and the players love him. (Though he looks like he is sixty with his Costanza haircut) See if this is great for recruits or backfires. Our basketball hire was a major dud bringing back a true son.

The difference being that the basketball program was a complete rebuild.

Coach Pinkel has already told Odom that he will help out wherever he needs it. That's a huge difference from the basketball program where the previous coach left to avoid being fired.

Toledo hires from within with OC Jason Candle

Wow - Bronco Mendenhall to Virginia. Did not see that coming...

Yeah, just posted pretty much the same surprise myself.

I am sick...

If I could pick a coach to replace him that fits the BYU mold...Kalani Sitake. But I don't think that happens.