2009-10 College Football Coaching Hiring/Firing Thread

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by cartman

You seemed to infer that Oklahoma was ahead of Texas with this statement:

Actually no implications intended. I simply refuted, using one piece of evidence, his comment that Texas had somehow surpassed Oklahoma in the conference. I think the two teams will be neck and neck for years to come, with inevitable ups and downs for each.

Edit: Of course, anyone wearing burnt orange is far behind in respectability and intelligence, but that's another issue entirely.

[DeToxRox]

Sounds like Charlie Strong to Louisville. If true that's a home run hire for them. He's a great defensive mind and amazing recruiter.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Yeah, I don't see BC getting a bowl down in Florida. Some projections have them going to the Meineke in Charlotte (vs Pitt or WVU) others figure Emerald vs Stanford.

edit to add: Last year's trip to the Music City Bowl seems to limit them to those two options realistically. And since UNC went to the Meineke last year (and is projected to Nashville this year), I first thought it would be the more likely option for BC although you were just there in '06.

But upon further review, I assume FSU will be considered the first choice for the bowls with the 5/6/7 ties & since it appears that the Emerald bowl tie ends after this season (they go to a WAC 1/2/3 or Army or Navy tie starting next year) I'd think they'll get the last choice meaning something like
UNC - Music City ... FSU - Meineke ... BC - Emerald
might be the end result

Originally Posted by Atocep

This is the Gator's last year with BE/ACC matchup. I don't think they really care if they piss anyone off and Bowden coming out and saying he wants a Florida bowl game plus the FSU president leaking an agreement being reached puts the ACC in a really tough spot.

I won't shed any tears for Miami, though. The move the ACC has been a disaster for them to this point.

Originally Posted by Atocep

My understanding of the ACC rules is that at 6-6 FSU can't bypass any team with more than 1 win in conference play without permission. The ACC title game winner obviously goes to the BCS, the 2nd pick will likely be Va Tech, with FSU at 4-4 in conference play that only leaves the loser of Clemson and Georgia Tech as the team they need permission to jump. Miami gets screwed, but it's a situation where they really aren't going to have say in the matter.

Here's a blog post on ESPN where they quote a conference spokesman.

FSU to Gator Bowl? - ACC Blog - ESPN

Actually none of this maters.
Swofford was on a local radio show today, and referenced something I had to look up, sure enough NCAA rules prohibit any bowl from taking a 6-6 team if a 7-5 team is available.


See link
page 5
http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handbooks/football/2008/psfootball_handbook.pdf

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Actually none of this maters.
Swofford was on a local radio show today, and referenced something I had to look up, sure enough NCAA rules prohibit any bowl from taking a 6-6 team if a 7-5 team is available.


See link
page 5
http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/champ_handbooks/football/2008/psfootball_handbook.pdf

The way I read that a 6-6 team can't go to a bowl while a 7-5 team sits at home. It doesn't seem to have any impact on the FSU situation.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Atocep

The way I read that a 6-6 team can't go to a bowl while a 7-5 team sits at home. It doesn't seem to have any impact on the FSU situation.

Except that the way invitations are handed out.
For ACC team the winner of the ACCCG goes Orange
Then peach bowl invites (presumably VT from every rumor)
Next its the Gator's turn, at this time there is no guarantee that CU/GT gets an invite so they cant dip into the 6-6 pool. They can go to the 7-5 pool though with their 1 time every 4 year exception.
By contract Champs, Music City, Car Bowl etc. can not extend invitations until the Gator Bowl is filled.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Except that the way invitations are handed out.
For ACC team the winner of the ACCCG goes Orange
Then peach bowl invites (presumably VT from every rumor)
Next its the Gator's turn, at this time there is no guarantee that CU/GT gets an invite so they cant dip into the 6-6 pool. They can go to the 7-5 pool though with their 1 time every 4 year exception.
By contract Champs, Music City, Car Bowl etc. can not extend invitations until the Gator Bowl is filled.

I would think the ACC understands it's bowl rules better than a local radio show and the ACC has stated it is possible for FSU to go to the gator.

In order for it to actually happen, though, the Gator Bowl would also have to skirt the ACC's one-loss rule for the bowl selection process, which is possible if all parties involved agree to it, according to a conference spokesman.

The ACC has 7 Bowl Eligible teams and 7 bowl tie-ins. That means that regardless of who the Gator takes, no team with a 7-5 record or better will be staying at home. That is specifically what the rule states can't happen. It doesn't address bowl selection order at all.

[JonInMiddleGA]

DC Willie Martinez and two other defensive assistants fired at UGA
Martinez, two others out at UGA *| ajc.com
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/...31266428.shtml

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I thought, the conference ultimately has to sign off on who goes where (although that may only be true 5-7 and not 2-4) so even if the Gator doesn't care about making someone mad, the ACC would/should/might. But they may not be contractually able to stop it either.

This may be the case. They're saying now that the ACC may block FSU to the gator in order to give that bowl the middle finger on the way out. Can't say I blame them. They want to put FSU in the Champ Sports bowl since all he asked for was a bowl in Florida.

EDIT: Here's a link. There's actually lawsuits being considered over this.

http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/...0/daily22.html

[Blade6119]

A Mizzou writer talked about this, since it looks like Mizzou is going to get passed by a lower ranked team due to their proximity to the bowl. The rule is, you can pick a lower ranked team ONLY if there are enough slots for all other eligible teams to get bowl games. But if there are 7 bowl and 8 teams eligible, you must picked the team slotted into your bowl. But if its 7 and 7, you can contractually pick whoever you want.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I would think the ACC understands it's bowl rules better than a local radio show and the ACC has stated it is possible for FSU to go to the gator.

Just for Clarity, Swofford said it, not a local radio host.

thats not to say he is not a bumbling idiot I have maintained for years that he is in fact in competent, but it was not big Daddy Local Sports fan....

[digamma]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

DC Willie Martinez and two other defensive assistants fired at UGA
Martinez, two others out at UGA *| ajc.com
Georgia fires defensive coordinator, two others || OnlineAthens.com

Also, a fourth coach, Rodney Garner, will supposedly not have his contract renewed, though this is still rumor mill material at this point. That is really significant from a recruiting perspective--particularly with regard to the big fish that is TJ Stripling.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

Just for Clarity, Swofford said it, not a local radio host.

thats not to say he is not a bumbling idiot I have maintained for years that he is in fact in competent, but it was not big Daddy Local Sports fan....

In the article above the Gator says Swofford was telling the Gator they couldn't because of the wording in their contract, but he was using an old contract. But that still doesn't explain him quoting that rule when it doesn't seem like it applies to this situation. The ACC could just be grasping at straws trying to keep this from happening.

It seems like this could get ugly. I really don't care who WVU plays in the Gator, but I'm interested to see how this plays out now.

[dawgfan]

So has this thread officially transformed into the "2008 college football bowl speculation" thread?

[Blade6119]

No, the bowls are relevant because were talking about Bowden and his retirement

[Abe Sargent]

Dude if they can manage a WVu FSU bowl game as Bowden;s last game, then no one can ever attack the bowl system again, because that would be awesome on a whole new level.

[yacovfb]

Originally Posted by Abe Sargent

Dude if they can manage a WVu FSU bowl game as Bowden;s last game, then no one can ever attack the bowl system again, because that would be awesome on a whole new level.

How would a 6-6 ACC team playing against the 2nd or 3rd BE team (possibly over an 11-1 Cincy) be awesome? If Bowden wanted to go out in such a sentimental way, go out on top or go out when you are actually deserving of the bowl invite.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by yacovfb

How would a 6-6 ACC team playing against the 2nd or 3rd BE team (possibly over an 11-1 Cincy) be awesome? If Bowden wanted to go out in such a sentimental way, go out on top or go out when you are actually deserving of the bowl invite.

Because it would be Bowden at his new school against his old school. He left WVU in the 70s for FSU. His two sons were players at WVU, and assistant coaches at WVU and coaches in small schools in WV. It would be awesome, I 'd take it in a heartflash.

[ISiddiqui]

I don't think you really understood his question . Perhaps for FSU, WVU, or Bowden fans it'd be awesome. But for the rest of us.... I think we'd be perfect fine attacking the bowl system for foisting this travesty on us (especially if it's an 11-1 Cincy getting passed over).

[yacovfb]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I don't think you really understood his question . Perhaps for FSU, WVU, or Bowden fans it'd be awesome. But for the rest of us.... I think we'd be perfect fine attacking the bowl system for foisting this travesty on us (especially if it's an 11-1 Cincy getting passed over).

This...I know all about the Bowden connections, just don't see it as awesome.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

So has this thread officially transformed into the "2008 college football bowl speculation" thread?

Deal. How much you wanna be that I can be 100% accurate with my 2008 bowl picks (matchups and results!)?

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Logan

Deal. How much you wanna be that I can be 100% accurate with my 2008 bowl picks (matchups and results!)?

Man, every year I get older it gets harder to remember what year it is...

[Galaril]

So ole Charlie Wies walked away from ND witha 18 million contract payout and any money he makes doing some other job down the road he keeps no offset like happens when going from pro job to pro job. Chuck apparently was not a s dumb as we thought the ND administration on the other hand wow.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Galaril

So ole Charlie Wies walked away from ND witha 18 million contract payout and any money he makes doing some other job down the road he keeps no offset like happens when going from pro job to pro job. Chuck apparently was not a s dumb as we thought the ND administration on the other hand wow.

Do you know what a buyout is?

Because ND is a private university, no one in the media knows the details of his contract, but I guarantee it was nowhere near 18 million. Based off similar deals at public universities, it's usually the base salary times the years remaining, which would equate to ~3.6m, but even that is a guess that could be 2m off in either direction.

[the_meanstrosity]

It's official. Mark Mangino resigns from his position as head coach at the University of Kansas.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4711389

[tarcone]

1st Weis and now Mangino. This is weightism at its worst.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by tarcone

1st Weis and now Mangino. This is weightism at its worst.

Friedgen picked the right year to diet.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Do you know what a buyout is?

Because ND is a private university, no one in the media knows the details of his contract, but I guarantee it was nowhere near 18 million. Based off similar deals at public universities, it's usually the base salary times the years remaining, which would equate to ~3.6m, but even that is a guess that could be 2m off in either direction.

Well, he signed a 10-year extension that ran through 2015 and was rumored to be worth $3-4 million per season. Considering he had six years left on the contract, that would make the $18 million sound reasonable. It also seems like it's in the ballpark because that's not what the media knows about the details of the contract but what the people who do know say. Notre Dame donors have even indicated they were told they needed to raise $18 million to pay off the contract.

The difference between a public university and private university is that private schools aren't bound to limited salaries -- therefore, it's more likely Weis had a $3 million salary from Notre Dame whereas a coach like Bob Stoops probably gets $250,000 from OU, gets paid $250,000 for doing a TV show, $500,000 for hosting a football camp, $500,000 for a shoe contract, etc.

What's notable about Weis' deal is that reportedly there was NOT a buyout clause which allows the university to buyout the contract at a lower amount. The Kansas situation is a good example. KU's AD Lew Perkins gave Mangino a higher salary in exchange for a lower buyout which makes what he did today much cheaper to do.

[kcchief19]

Funny, here's the poll from the Kansas City Star on who will be KU's next coach:

Jim Harbaugh, Stanford head coach
Nolan Cromwell, Texas A&M offensive coordinator
Phil Fulmer, former Tennessee head coach
Turner Gill, Buffalo head coach
Kevin Sumlin, Houston head coach
Larry Fedora, Southern Mississippi head coach
Skip Holtz, East Carolina head coach

Cromwell is probably the most likely because he's an alum but ... Harbaugh? I'll eat my words if it ends up being somebody like him or Fulmer.

Reminds me of when Mangino was hired and everyone insisted it was going to be Hal Mumme from Kentucky right up until about five minutes after Mangino was announced.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Nolan Cromwell, Texas A&M offensive coordinator

{scratches head}

Is that the former Rams DB?

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

{scratches head}

Is that the former Rams DB?

Ding! Yep, he apparently kicked around the NFL for a long time as an assistant and finally became a coordinator at A&M last year.

He's had some success in jumpstarting the A&M offense but it seems like a real reach, and Lew Perkins doesn't strike me as a reach kind of guy.

I don't know who he'll get -- maybe it will be Fullmer. I just miss Mangino already. Better the devil you know and I kind of like the devil we had.

[molson]

Originally Posted by tarcone

1st Weis and now Mangino. This is weightism at its worst.

Weis is fat guy, but Mangino is beyond that, he's just fascinating to look at. Like an A&E special.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Ding! Yep, he apparently kicked around the NFL for a long time as an assistant and finally became a coordinator at A&M last year.

He's had some success in jumpstarting the A&M offense but it seems like a real reach, and Lew Perkins doesn't strike me as a reach kind of guy.

I don't know who he'll get -- maybe it will be Fullmer. I just miss Mangino already. Better the devil you know and I kind of like the devil we had.

I was chatting with a couple of friends who went to KU last night who didn't follow sports as closely and I think this summed up my feeling as best I could:

Depends on what you want from the KU football program as it seems quite simple to me. He was quite crooked but he also made KU football close to as good as it could be. If you wanted him fired for his violations (which I'm ok with- and I'm not even talking about the recent stuff, I was referring to the cheating a couple of years ago) then be aware that our football program will likely not be close to that good for a while. It just depends on your priorities.

Personally, I'm ok with it because I don't like the cloud that's been over the football program for a couple of years. And I'm also worried it was in danger of really bringing some additional heat to the basketball program, which is run fairly clean for a major program. I liked having a good football program and have said it for years- I wish KU had always had a good football team but I'm not sure if the cost is worth it.

SI

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Ding! Yep, he apparently kicked around the NFL for a long time as an assistant and finally became a coordinator at A&M last year.

He's had some success in jumpstarting the A&M offense but it seems like a real reach, and Lew Perkins doesn't strike me as a reach kind of guy.

I don't know who he'll get -- maybe it will be Fullmer. I just miss Mangino already. Better the devil you know and I kind of like the devil we had.

Lew is a good AD. I'd trust him to make a good decision.

[sterlingice]

Hm... Lew. He's a good AD if you like a corporate CEO running your athletic department. I, personally, don't like it but realize it comes with a some goods to balance out some of the bads. The way in which this went down was not pretty and doesn't exactly help in the next job search: "Hey, we're not going to fire you. We're going to make you resign and dredge up anyone who has anything bad to say about you and trot it out on national tv"

Back to how Mangino lost his job (and I think I've been pretty clear above what I've thought about him):

What really came out about Mangino was really that damning with regards to this "player abuse" investigation? He poked a few guys in the chest and lord knows he can yell and verbally berate players and there's some story about an injury caused by a practice where he made them work out a lot. Maybe I'm just insulated or naive or something, but isn't this pretty much what I would expect to hear about most college football coaches? Or at least the ones who are the disciplinarian types as opposed to "players coaches"?

Near as I can tell, his biggest sin was dropping 7 straight and having this investigation come up in the national media, giving unwanted attention that no one wanted on too large of a stage. But what did I miss in the stories that came out that he did that was awful? Do I just not understand what coaching college football is about or something?

SI

[Logan]

I was confused about it too.

[lynchjm24]

The AD is a CEO. Lew's schools win and he gets the infrastructure built to keep winning.

It wasn't an accident he was the first winner of the National Athletic Director of the Year award.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

But what did I miss in the stories that came out that he did that was awful?

Best I've been able to tell from a distance, the issue isn't so much with him yelling as it is with what he supposedly said while doing so. Here's a column that mentions a couple of the specific complaints as far as what Magino is alleged to have said to players.
Kansas Jayhawks coach Mark Magino's actions: Abuse or motivation? - ESPN

Ah to heck with looking it up, here's the excerpt I'm talking about & while I'm under the impression (right or wrong) that these aren't the only specifics that have drawn fire they're at least representative of the sort of thing that helped elevate it.
And the question at the root of the argument is this: Are you expected to take a certain amount of abuse in return for a scholarship?

And where is the line drawn? It's alleged that at Kansas, a player confided in his teammates that his father was an alcoholic and he wanted to be a lawyer. (Again, the brotherhood of gridiron combat lends itself to the broad dissemination of personal information.) And so, how do we react when that player now claims Mangino called him out by saying, "Do you want to be a lawyer or an alcoholic like your father?"

Is it abuse or motivation?

A former Mangino player, wide receiver Raymond Brown, told ESPN's Joe Schad that he dropped a pass in a game, sparking the coach's ire. As Mangino was yelling at him, the player said, "Yes, sir. ... Yes, sir." According to the player, Mangino said, "If you don't shut up, I'm going to send you back home to St. Louis so you can get shot with your homies." Brown's brother had been shot in St. Louis, a fact Mangino knew.

My own personal belief is that if he's on a 7 game winning streak instead of a 7 game losing streak that this wouldn't have been a job ending deal. But under the circumstances it turns into something between intolerable & a convenient excuse.

[JPhillips]

I was ambivalent on the Mangino stuff until the die standing up stuff. Once he started talking in those terms at pressers he had to go.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

My own personal belief is that if he's on a 7 game winning streak instead of a 7 game losing streak that this wouldn't have been a job ending deal. But under the circumstances it turns into something between intolerable & a convenient excuse.

Well, exactly. If KU beats, say, Colorado and wins either at Mizzou or K-State, so he goes 7-5 and back to another bowl game, we aren't having this conversation at all. He starts next year on the hot seat and has lost his best offensive skill players (Reesing, Briscoe, Meier, and Sharp) so it's likely he has a bad season going, say, 4-8 and then loses his job for performance reasons.

Instead, he goes 5-7 and people would probably still have given him one more chance since, hell, none of us ever expected to be in a BCS bowl in our Kansas fan lifetime. So they dredge up this investigation, publicly slime him more than he had already done to himself, and parade out kids and parents who griped about stuff which, I think, goes on at every program in the country.

Does every coach make light of someone who's brother was shot? No. But I'd bet my ass that Saban, Meyer, Bowden, Carroll, et al, have said things on the same level- a personal insult to players to try to motivate them or just out of frustration- and no one is calling them out right now.

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

No. But I'd bet my ass that Saban, Meyer, Bowden, Carroll, et al, have said things on the same level- a personal insult to players to try to motivate them or just out of frustration- and no one is calling them out right now.

Just philosophically, I think there's a legitimate question about "the same level". Personal insult is one thing & like you I seriously doubt there are 10 coaches in the business who haven't gone to that well at some point.

But whether something like "didn't your mother have any boy children?" or some other challenge to someone's manhood is on the same level as playing the alcoholic or dead brother cards is almost certainly in the eye of the beholder at best. Frankly if the accusations are accurate then I'm genuinely surprised that both players managed to avoid physically attacking him on the spot. Maybe one but both, well that defies the odds on emotional control as far as I'm concerned. I'd say he's lucky he didn't end up KTFO.

I'm still of the opinion that he's ultimately getting fired for a bad record but at the same time I'd say the university is wise to part company with him as soon as possible for potential legal reasons.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Well, he signed a 10-year extension that ran through 2015 and was rumored to be worth $3-4 million per season. Considering he had six years left on the contract, that would make the $18 million sound reasonable.
...
What's notable about Weis' deal is that reportedly there was NOT a buyout clause which allows the university to buyout the contract at a lower amount.

The $18 million (6y x 3m) left on the contract makes sense, it's the lack of a buyout clause. I know sections of the media are reporting it and treating it as fact but I've never seen any reason why or any reason to believe them. Especially considering he had the endorsement deals, speaking fees, TV show, and was given this year (and a 1-year extension iirc) after last season with the assumption among the ND alums I know his buyout was reduced.

[DataKing]

Personally, I'm content to thank Mangino for returning the KU football program to relevance and then move on. Hopefully the black mark that has been left isn't so much of a detractor that Lew isn't able to bring in a talented coach to keep things going in a positive direction performance-wise.

As for that poll from the KC star, here are my thoughts on each:

Jim Harbaugh: Seems to me that Jim has a good thing going at Stanford...I don't necessarily think KU is a step up.
Nolan Cromwell: A definite possibility, considering his ties to the university. Also, you know Lew wants to bring in someone with recruiting ties in the state of Texas.
Phil Fulmer: Can't say I'd be disappointed with this. The question is whether or not Fulmer would be interested in a step down from the prestige level he got used to at UT.
Turner Gill: I don't know enough about him to form an opinion.
Kevin Sumlin: Another intriguing possibility. It would definitely be a step up from Houston for him, and he'd bring with him the same sort of Texas recruiting ties that Cromwell brings to the table.
Larry Fedora: No opinion...but the man has a cool name.
Skip Holtz: At first blush I like the idea, and it would be a step up, but I'm not so sure this would be a good fit. On top of that, I don't think I could stand listening to Lou suddenly becoming a drooling, gibbering fanboy of my Jayhawks.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

The $18 million (6y x 3m) left on the contract makes sense, it's the lack of a buyout clause. I know sections of the media are reporting it and treating it as fact but I've never seen any reason why or any reason to believe them. Especially considering he had the endorsement deals, speaking fees, TV show, and was given this year (and a 1-year extension iirc) after last season with the assumption among the ND alums I know his buyout was reduced.

Vindicated

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by DataKing

Phil Fulmer: Can't say I'd be disappointed with this. The question is whether or not Fulmer would be interested in a step down from the prestige level he got used to at UT.

FWIW I'd say that his vocal interest in returning to coaching almost has to indicate he's willing to accept a drop in prestige. Who on earth at the level the Vols were at before the decline that he presided over in the end would consider hiring him?

The bigger issue with him & the Kansas job I think is his relative lack of recruiting connections in the area.

[DataKing]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The bigger issue with him & the Kansas job I think is his relative lack of recruiting connections in the area.

True that, but a national championship ring would probably hold some sway for a lot of kids.

[the_meanstrosity]

SI,

It was more than just a few players coming to Lew Perkins. Every year Mangino has had about one coach leave the staff for various reasons. There's a reason former KU defensive coordinator Bill Young left the KU job after the successful Orange Bowl season for Miami only to return to the Big 12 as Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator. One former assistant called Mangino the worst head coach he's ever worked for because of the way he treated his assistants.

As far as the stories let me just say that you haven't heard the worst stories about Mangino. If Lew Perkins really wanted to sling mud from the investigation he had a lot worse ammunition per the former players I've spoken with. Mangino was not well liked. If he was well liked then he would have survived a 1-7 season, but he wasn't and now he's gone.

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Hm... Lew. He's a good AD if you like a corporate CEO running your athletic department. I, personally, don't like it but realize it comes with a some goods to balance out some of the bads. The way in which this went down was not pretty and doesn't exactly help in the next job search: "Hey, we're not going to fire you. We're going to make you resign and dredge up anyone who has anything bad to say about you and trot it out on national tv"

Back to how Mangino lost his job (and I think I've been pretty clear above what I've thought about him):

What really came out about Mangino was really that damning with regards to this "player abuse" investigation? He poked a few guys in the chest and lord knows he can yell and verbally berate players and there's some story about an injury caused by a practice where he made them work out a lot. Maybe I'm just insulated or naive or something, but isn't this pretty much what I would expect to hear about most college football coaches? Or at least the ones who are the disciplinarian types as opposed to "players coaches"?

Near as I can tell, his biggest sin was dropping 7 straight and having this investigation come up in the national media, giving unwanted attention that no one wanted on too large of a stage. But what did I miss in the stories that came out that he did that was awful? Do I just not understand what coaching college football is about or something?

SI

[the_meanstrosity]

Jim Harbaugh's wife is from the area so his name is going to pop up for that reason alone.

Nolan Cromwell has zero head coaching experience in college. I can't imagine Lew Perkins taking a chance on an inexperienced coach at this point in time.

Larry Fedora has the potential to be a great hire due to his ties to the Big 12 recruiting region. He's reportedly interested in the job and could be one of the leaders, but he's only had a few years as head coach in the college ranks as well.

Phil Fulmer would be a great name hire, but I think he's a coach who is only as good as his assistants.

Turner Gill would be an interesting hire. He's basically the anti-Mangino as far as personality goes.

Kevin Sumlin is a mystery. He inherited a pretty good Houston program and did an incredible job with them this year.

On this list Harbaugh and Fedora would be my favorites. Gill and Sumlin would be in the next tier.

Originally Posted by DataKing

Personally, I'm content to thank Mangino for returning the KU football program to relevance and then move on. Hopefully the black mark that has been left isn't so much of a detractor that Lew isn't able to bring in a talented coach to keep things going in a positive direction performance-wise.

As for that poll from the KC star, here are my thoughts on each:

Jim Harbaugh: Seems to me that Jim has a good thing going at Stanford...I don't necessarily think KU is a step up.
Nolan Cromwell: A definite possibility, considering his ties to the university. Also, you know Lew wants to bring in someone with recruiting ties in the state of Texas.
Phil Fulmer: Can't say I'd be disappointed with this. The question is whether or not Fulmer would be interested in a step down from the prestige level he got used to at UT.
Turner Gill: I don't know enough about him to form an opinion.
Kevin Sumlin: Another intriguing possibility. It would definitely be a step up from Houston for him, and he'd bring with him the same sort of Texas recruiting ties that Cromwell brings to the table.
Larry Fedora: No opinion...but the man has a cool name.
Skip Holtz: At first blush I like the idea, and it would be a step up, but I'm not so sure this would be a good fit. On top of that, I don't think I could stand listening to Lou suddenly becoming a drooling, gibbering fanboy of my Jayhawks.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

Jim Harbaugh's wife is from the area so his name is going to pop up for that reason alone.

If Harbaugh is going to leave Stanford, he's very likely going to have more appealing options than Kansas.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by the_meanstrosity

SI,

It was more than just a few players coming to Lew Perkins. Every year Mangino has had about one coach leave the staff for various reasons. There's a reason former KU defensive coordinator Bill Young left the KU job after the successful Orange Bowl season for Miami only to return to the Big 12 as Oklahoma State's defensive coordinator. One former assistant called Mangino the worst head coach he's ever worked for because of the way he treated his assistants.

As far as the stories let me just say that you haven't heard the worst stories about Mangino. If Lew Perkins really wanted to sling mud from the investigation he had a lot worse ammunition per the former players I've spoken with. Mangino was not well liked. If he was well liked then he would have survived a 1-7 season, but he wasn't and now he's gone.

And that's what I was wondering- what stories are out there that I don't know about. The national picture doesn't make sense and that's all I can get (save for a few message board rumors and local drivel like the ljworld).

Defense has never been the same since Bill Young left

SI

[the_meanstrosity]

Probably, but as you and I have talked about before Harbaugh will at least look into it. The facilities at Kansas are some of the nicest in the country and he and his staff will be well compensated. So it's not as if the Kansas job doesn't have anything to offer him as a football coach. Plus as mentioned above it doesn't hurt that his wife is from the area and likely the biggest reason his name is getting mentioned. I don't think Harbaugh is headed to Kansas, but it's nice to at least have guys interested in the job.

Originally Posted by dawgfan

If Harbaugh is going to leave Stanford, he's very likely going to have more appealing options than Kansas.