SI on hottest names on coaching carousel

[WoadBlue]

I know Taggert is the hot name for FSU, but what about Charlie Strong?

Strong certainly can recruit FL, but is that enough?

Here is what I would worry about with Strong as AD of any big football power: He thrived in small market Louisville, at a program new to the Big Time. But at Texas he seemed in over his head the entire time, failing to win up to the talent level even 1 season. He goes to non-P5 USF and again is comfortable and wins up to talent level.

Some coaches work best as under dogs. They need to feel as if they are the small guy, the David. They overachieve at places lacking major football history and a huge fan base, and then they fail to achieve fully at schools with all that history and the huge stadiums.

The FSU coach is always going to be the biggest Over Dog in the ACC because of the school's size, location,.football history, and admission standards.

 

[MWHeels]

Frost officially to Nebraska. Not a surprise.

 

[MWHeels]

Malzahn signs new contract to stay at Auburn. Would this move make Norvell the new front runner at Arkansas?

 

[TarHeelMark]

Malzahn signs new contract to stay at Auburn. Would this move make Norvell the new front runner at Arkansas?

I understand the ties to arky but seems like it would've been a downward move to leave auburn.

 

[MWHeels]

Herm Edwards to Arizona State is pretty much done. I don't see this working out well.

 

[TarHeelMark]

Herm Edwards to Arizona State is pretty much done. I don't see this working out well.

What could possibly go wrong here?
He's 63, hasn't coached in nearly ten years, and his only college experience was 2 years as a DB coach back in the late 80's.

 

[MWHeels]

What could possibly go wrong here?
He's 63, hasn't coached in nearly ten years, and his only college experience was 2 years as a DB coach back in the late 80's.

He will be gone in 2 years, 3 max

 

[WoadBlue]

He will be gone in 2 years, 3 max

That easily could be the case, and it would be a bad way for Edwards to bow out.

 

[MWHeels]

That easily could be the case, and it would be a bad way for Edwards to bow out.

I don't blame him for taking the job. It's probably a nice payday and an opportunity to get back into coaching. I just find it hard to believe that the AD and other decision makers at ASU didn't think there were more qualified candidates for the position. It's definitely an odd fit considering his lack of experience at the college level.

 

[UNC1971Stick]

I don't blame him for taking the job. It's probably a nice payday and an opportunity to get back into coaching. I just find it hard to believe that the AD and other decision makers at ASU didn't think there were more qualified candidates for the position. It's definitely an odd fit considering his lack of experience at the college level.

Hope he does well. I like him.

 

[WoadBlue]

Hope he does well. I like him.

Liking him is a reason to wish he weren't taking that job. SC is SC, and Helton seems like he will navigate a normal SC ship. Chip Kelly is now heading to UCLA.

 

[MWHeels]

Liking him is a reason to wish he weren't taking that job. SC is SC, and Helton seems like he will navigate a normal SC ship. Chip Kelly is now heading to UCLA.

Kelly should do well at UCLA if he stays clean. Big IF given his past history.

 

[MWHeels]

Conflicting reports starting to come out about Taggert and FSU. Some say it's a done deal. There is a meeting scheduled according to ESPN.

 

[MWHeels]

UCF hires former Oklahoma QB Josh Huepel as head coach. Randy Shannon will be the DC.

 

[MWHeels]

Taggert accepts the FSU job.

 

[MWHeels]

Now Oregon becomes the top job available.

 

[WoadBlue]

Taggert accepts the FSU job.

It is bad enough to leave a job after only 1 year. But when that job is bankrolled by Nike, then you should worry about repercussions if you get back on the job market.

Taggert is a FL native with FL coaching experience. FSU is the easiest job to win big in the ACC, because of its size and location and its admissions and retention standards. The reasons I said Jimbo would be nuts to leave are the ones that mean Taggert must do very well or be accounted a failure.

9-3 over and over is not doing very well, especially at FSU.

 

[WoadBlue]

Now Oregon becomes the top job available.

Nike money buys a great deal.

 

[WoadBlue]

UCF hires former Oklahoma QB Josh Huepel as head coach. Randy Shannon will be the DC.

A lot of OU fans came to see Heupel as a failure as OC - and he was fired. But what he did at Mizzou was amazing. He could be like Brent Venables in that he needed to get out of Norman in order to show just how good he could be.

Shannon knows FL HS football thoroughly, so he can be a big help to a coach who has no FL experience. It is a great position for Shannon because if Heupel is successful, he will get a P5 job, and then Shannon can make a case to be the next UCF HC.

We face UCF next year.

 

[WoadBlue]

Mike Norvell has announced that he will return to Memphis next year. That means Arkansas is not pursuing him. And it also means that he is available.

 

[MWHeels]

The Taggert hire is another example of how important it is for UNC to rebound next season. The conference seems to be getting a lot tougher each year. Clemson isn't slowing down anytime soon, Richt has Miami headed in the right direction despite their losses late this season, and Taggert has the potential to bring FSU back to being a competitive program. The Heels will fall way behind if they don't turn things around quickly.

 

[WoadBlue]

The Taggert hire is another example of how important it is for UNC to rebound next season. The conference seems to be getting a lot tougher each year. Clemson isn't slowing down anytime soon, Richt has Miami headed in the right direction despite their losses late this season, and Taggert has the potential to bring FSU back to being a competitive program. The Heels will fall way behind if they don't turn things around quickly.

Taggert doesn't have to rebuild FSU. Even without Francois, this year's team should have been much better than 6-6. Jimbo did a lousy job this year. I think the reason is that he tanked when he lost his QB to injury, knowing he had no shot to win the league and that he wanted to leave anyway.

But your point is valid. FSU, unlike Tennessee, did not totally ruin its coach search. That means none of us can hope for FSU to spend 2 years catching up. if we do not see major improvement next year, we may be stuck in the bottom half of the league for some time. This is not the ACC that Bunting faced. This ACC top to bottom is as good as any league, even the SEC.

 

[MWHeels]

I forgot to mention Va. Tech and Virginia who are also improving due to solid coaching hires.

 

[MWHeels]

Mike Norvell has announced that he will return to Memphis next year. That means Arkansas is not pursuing him. And it also means that he is available.

Arkansas may target Chad Morris from SMU now that Norvell is out.

 

[blazers]

Chad Morris wants Clemson's Venables to come with him to Arky

 

[WoadBlue]

Chad Morris wants Clemson's Venables to come with him to Arky

Unless Venables just wants to be DC for Morris, that would not be a good move. He has emerged as the most consistent top DC in the country. Give that up for the risk of building a D against the rest of the SEC West?

 

[WoadBlue]

I forgot to mention Va. Tech and Virginia who are also improving due to solid coaching hires.

Correct. The Coastal that Fedora walked into in 2012 had much weaker HCs than the Coastal now. Quite literally, Frank Beamer's dotage showed first in 2012. 2012 was the first of Mike London's four consecutive losing seasons. 2012 was Paul Chryst's 1st season at Pitt, his 1st year as HC anywhere. He was learning on the job, with a program in total disarray from back to back HC changes and one botched hire.

 

[MWHeels]

Kiffin and Leach are two big names mentioned for the Oregon job.

 

[MWHeels]

Tennessee now targeting Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt. I guess the 8th choice is better than nothing.

 

[tarheel0910]

Tennessee now targeting Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt. I guess the 8th choice is better than nothing.

How exactly do you sell that to someone? Hey, we really don't want you as our coach. In fact we are only interviewing you because a lot of people turned us down, but we'll settle for you if you will settle for us.

 

[MWHeels]

How exactly do you sell that to someone? Hey, we really don't want you as our coach. In fact we are only interviewing you because a lot of people turned us down, but we'll settle for you if you will settle for us.

And even if we do like you, we may fire you if the fans don't approve.

 

[MWHeels]

Morris to Arkansas is done.

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...acks-finalize-deal-make-smu-chad-morris-coach

 

[MWHeels]

DC Jim Leavitt is joining Taggert's staff at FSU.

 

[WoadBlue]

Morris to Arkansas is done.

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...acks-finalize-deal-make-smu-chad-morris-coach

He could be a very good hire. But it did take him 3 years to produce a winning season at SMU, and the SEC West is brutal.

What Arkansas surely likes is that he rebuilt a program from a loser back to a bowl team.

 

[WoadBlue]

Apparently, Tennessee is set on hiring Bama DC (and former FSU DC) Jeremy Pruitt. And that means the highly coveted Bama DC job will be open.

 

[MWHeels]

Apparently, Tennessee is set on hiring Bama DC (and former FSU DC) Jeremy Pruitt. And that means the highly coveted Bama DC job will be open.

No Jon Gruden? Will the fans, boosters and local politicians approve this hire?

 

[WoadBlue]

No Jon Gruden? Will the fans, boosters and local politicians approve this hire?

Perhaps, for this reason: taking Pruitt might hurt Saban a wee bit, because this time he might nor find a top notch replacement.

 

[MWHeels]

Perhaps, for this reason: taking Pruitt might hurt Saban a wee bit, because this time he might nor find a top notch replacement.

Do you think he would go after Venables? I know you said he likely wouldn't risk going the SEC West with Arkansas, but Alabama is a totally different story.

 

[WoadBlue]

Do you think he would go after Venables? I know you said he likely wouldn't risk going the SEC West with Arkansas, but Alabama is a totally different story.

Here in TN, yesterday morning, I heard that Venables was on Fulmer's list, along with Kevin Steele (Auburn DC and a UT grad) and Pruitt. Apparently, Fulmer, who was an OC, thinks Tennessee needs a DC who knows southern football as new HC.

If Venables were to get the job, he might be able to lure Kevin Wilson to be his OC. They coached together at OU. I've never heard anything about any conflict between them.

 

[WoadBlue]

As Morris is now a Hawg, my vote for his replacement at SMU is Sonny Cumbie. He might now want the job, waiting for a bigger one. But if I were SMU AD, I would sell the job to him. It is for him the perfect place to hone his skills as HC for 2-4 years, and then be an experienced HC when he gets a P5 job.