Coaching Vacancies: If KidB Were an Athletic Director

I think Athletic Directors focus on the wrong things in the hiring process. There seems to be a reluctance to hire a coach from a lower level program (i.e. MAC, CUSA, Sun Belt), and an emphasis on getting a coach from a program that's either on the same level of the hiring program, or as close as possible thereto. Case in point: when UT was looking for a HC, two of the top candidates were Charlie Strong and Butch Jones because those guys were having some level of success at schools that were at least in the ballpark of Power 5 schools.

But that's stupid.

Charlie Strong coached Louisville for (I think) four years, and the team was never as good as it was under Petrino.
Butch Jones coached Cincy for (I think) three years, it was never even remotely as good as it was under Brian Kelly.

So what value did either Strong or Jones add to the program? And in my estimation, this is they key question to ask. The goal as an AD should be to find a coach that has taken over a team and made immediate and significant improvements to the quality of that team. It doesn't matter what level that team was playing at. A guy that takes over an 0-11 team in the MAC and turns it around to 9-3 in one year is a helluva coach. The fact that the MAC sucks is immaterial because the MAC is a competitive conference comprised of programs with similar resources. And every conference is a competitive conference comprised of programs with similar resources. If a coach can take over a terrible team in the MAC and immediately improve that team in a significant manner, why wouldn't he be able to do the same at a terrible SEC school?

If I were the AD of Nebraska, Florida, or Michigan, here are the guys I'd be looking at:

Justin Fuente
Bill Clark
PJ Fleck

Discuss

 

Scott Frost makes the most sense for Nebraska.

 

Why do you think so?

 

Nebraska alum, he's from Lincoln and Nebraska has no luster outside of the state so a big name coach is a pipe dream.

Might as well reinvent the program with the spread, yeah I know Callahan, but having one of their own sell it should do the trick.

 

Fair enough. I can buy the 'Nebraska Man" argument.*


*As long as it isn't this guy. I can't stand this guy:
[video=youtube;bzoE5dlxH2s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzoE5dlxH2s[/video]

 

Michigan is the real wild card, where do you even start?

The high profile alums and coaching tree guys are not gonna be interested.

Who do you take a chance on?

 

PJ Fleck.

Next question.

 

I'd call Dan Mullen

 

No way Michigan would hire someone that young.

I can see Todd Graham being settled on.

I would love to see Tressel go to Michigan, what a shit fest that would be.

 

And get turned down

 

he's really not even remotely qualified. he was their WR coach up until a couple of years ago.

 

Michigan isn't hiring a 34 year old from Western Michigan with one good season.

 

It's Nebraska

 

Motion to change kid's handle to BraskyPants

 

it's kliff kingsbery without the resume. Nebraska can afford much better I'm sure.

 

Would have to be a boxing name

KidClubber

 

Who wants to go to Lincoln?

A retread like Nutt who wants a job?

 

It can't be worse than Mississippi State and Florida doesn't appear to be an option. I'd think Pat Narduzzi would be a solid choice too but I doubt their ego would allow them to hire an assistant off the in-state rival school.

 

This might be a good spot for Pat Narduzzi.

 

Michigan is a high maintenance chick