Coaching Carousel

[GYBE]

Tis the season to fire your coach. TONS of movement so far. These are just off the top of my head, I'm sure I'm forgetting some:

Texas A&M: Fran out, Mike Sherman in
Michigan: Carr out, Ferentz rumoured replacement
Southern Miss: Longtime coach Jeff Bower out
Georgia Tech: Gailey out
Arkansas: Nutt out
Duke: The Roof! The Roof! The Roof is...fired
Ole Miss: Coach Orgeron out
Northern Illinois: Joe Novak out
Syracuse: Robinson out?
Colorado State: Lubick out
Baylor: Forget the coaches name, but he's gone
Nebraska: Callahan out

I'm going to list some names that might come up in rumours/conversations, or are going to be interesting to follow:

Brian Kelly
Paul Johnson
Bob Davie
Tommy Tuberville
Jon Tenuta
Wil Muschamp
Butch Davis
Bo Pelini
JD Brookhart
Bobby Petrino
Mike Markuson (Please, come to ND!)

Some of these are longshots, just something to keep in mind.

For the record, I think some of these decisions have been poor. Some schools seem to think they're much better than they really are. Decent coaches are being shown the door and I doubt they can do better. Specifically Arkansas. And the Sherman hire at A&M was uninspiring to say the least. If they hired an exciting young up-and-comer who could recruit Dallas/East Texas, they might be able to get back to being the power in Texas. Instead Sherman seems like a conservative pick, don't see him ever bringing Big 12 titles to College Station. I'll give more thoughts as the dominoes fall, I love college football politics.

[PhilipNelsonFan]

I feel bad for Duke football. I don't think it's too hard for them to find their own version of Jim Harbaugh to light a fire under the program. They're stubborn about academics with regards to the football team but it's not as though they can't get a name guy who can bring some energy in and recruit better athletes.

Mike Sherman is a curious hire for TAMU; can he recruit sufficiently for them? I don't know much about his collegiate background.

[A.J.]

i was just about to make a thread like this.

i hope mike sherman does a good job at a&m

[A.J.]

I feel bad for Duke football. I don't think it's too hard for them to find their own version of Jim Harbaugh to light a fire under the program. They're stubborn about academics with regards to the football team but it's not as though they can't get a name guy who can bring some energy in and recruit better athletes.

Mike Sherman is a curious hire for TAMU; can he recruit sufficiently for them? I don't know much about his collegiate background.

the only thing that probably helps him in recruiting is his ties in texas

[PhilipNelsonFan]

The blogosphere is murdering Southern Miss for letting Jeff Bower go after 17 years.

[Da Schwab]

Mike Sherman is a curious hire for TAMU; can he recruit sufficiently for them? I don't know much about his collegiate background.

He was O-line coach for A&M on two separate occasions, once in the late '80's and again in the mid '90's.


I too am surprised SoMiss let Bower go almost immediately after they accepted their bowl bid. That's one thing that bothers me about college football, ADs don't wait until after the season (and bowl game) is over to dump their coaches.

[GYBE]

Bill Doba out at Washington State.
Phil Bennett out at SMU.
Baylor's coach was Guy Morriss.

One interesting thing is there are a lot of high profile assistants suddenly in limbo. For my Irish, we badly need an OL coach. Mike Markuson (Arkansas) and Dennis Wagner (Nebraska) are my two favourites right now. But this is the time for your program to snatch up some quality assistants.

[HMFFL]

Sucks for UGA fans that Gailey is out!

[A.J.]

Sucks for UGA fans that Gailey is out!

sucks for arkansas that h. nutt is out

[KingInExile]

Bill Doba out at Washington State.
Phil Bennett out at SMU.
Baylor's coach was Guy Morriss.

One interesting thing is there are a lot of high profile assistants suddenly in limbo. For my Irish, we badly need an OL coach. Mike Markuson (Arkansas) and Dennis Wagner (Nebraska) are my two favourites right now. But this is the time for your program to snatch up some quality assistants.

Hadn't heard this yet. Not all that surprising given the way the Cougs have played the last couple of years. They need to get a younger and more creative coach in there.

[GYBE]

Morning update.

Houston Nutt to Ole Miss.
Butch Davis to Arkansas?

[KingInExile]

The rumors are that WSU will go after former coach Mike Price to replace Doba.

[PhilipNelsonFan]

Really. Good for them. Mike Price is deserving of a bigger job.

[Icness]

There's more to the story at USM letting Bower go. I don't know that story yet, but I've heard Bower might have not fought real hard to try and keep his job.

Another name to add to the new hire mix:
Chuck Martin, coach at Grand Valley State, which is about to win its 3rd straight D-II title and 5th this decade. He took over for Brian Kelly when he left for CMU. I know Colorado State has called already and I expect NIU will have interest too.

The Michigan job is Les Miles' to choose. Most people I talk to at UM think he's going to take it. Kirk Ferentz is a pretty nice fall-back plan IMO.

Turner Gill is pretty much a lock to get the Nebraska job from what I've heard. They interviewed Pellini but he's waiting to see if Miles leaves LSU, and Tom Osborne wants to act quickly to help recruiting.

Another guy who is going to draw interest: Wake Forest (and former Ohio U.!) coach Jim Grobe, who has built winners at two moribund programs with limited resources. I wouldn't be surprised to see him wind up at Ole Miss.

[GYBE]

The Michigan job is Les Miles' to choose. Most people I talk to at UM think he's going to take it. Kirk Ferentz is a pretty nice fall-back plan IMO.

Turner Gill is pretty much a lock to get the Nebraska job from what I've heard. They interviewed Pellini but he's waiting to see if Miles leaves LSU, and Tom Osborne wants to act quickly to help recruiting.

Another guy who is going to draw interest: Wake Forest (and former Ohio U.!) coach Jim Grobe, who has built winners at two moribund programs with limited resources. I wouldn't be surprised to see him wind up at Ole Miss.

Ferentz isn't the hot name he once was. He had his best recruiting in 03-04 (right before Weis and Zook started dominating Illinois). Those kids are upperclasssmen now, and there's legitimate questions about why Iowa is just a mediocre, middle-of-the-pack Big 10 team. And how does he keep losing to an inferior Iowa State? As a ND fan, I'd like Ferentz in Ann Arbour.

Gill would be a shocking hire at NU. Not that he's a bad coach, he's awesome. Completely ressurected a dead program. But it's such a huge step up. Going from no attention on him to being the coach of one of the more visible programs is a massive change. He's also not proven as a recruiter. If I was a Husker fan, I'd be all over Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech too).

Forgot to mention Grobe, I meant to. But Nutt is already confirmed at Ole Miss by ESPN.

And Brian Kelly is the next coach at ND, whenever we need one. That is all.

[Icness]

Hadn't seen the Nutt hiring yet, good move for the Rebels.

[meatball sub]

I'm tired of hearing Ferentz name, I'm gonna throw up if he becomes the coach. Why can't Bill Martin just grow a sack and go after a GOOD coach!

I like Les Miles but i don't think he's going to get the job. Carr's news conference sent the message loud and clear about winning with integrity and maintaining academic excellence, two things from programs Miles has coached for that have been criticized.

This has been my list since day one:

1. Chris Petersen
2. Mark Richt
3. Brian Kelly
4. Les Miles

If this job is as coveted as everyone makes it out to be it shouldn't be a problem getting any of the guys above. I would absolutely LOVE to see Petersen get a chance to coach for a major program.

[GYBE]

No chance Richt leaves Georgia. It's easier to recruit, nicer location and he's pretty much a God down there. He would only leave for FSU, if that.

Nothing scares me more than Brian Kelly being the next Michigan coach. I just read he's in Ann Arbour today and I'm petrified.

[Icness]

Michigan interviewed their two coordinators, but I don't think either guy has a real shot.

I heard Kelly was in Ann Arbor to try and lure Carl English (the aforementioned DC) to Cincy, and not regarding the UM coaching vacancy. I'll know more about that after tomorrow night and will post anything of interest.

[A.J.]

i hope art briles dont go to baylor.