Coaching Carousel 2012

But if Swarbrick acts now, he can fire Kelly and pick up one of these available coaches like Ron Zook or Houston Nutt, coaches who have been at BIG TIME PROGRAMS. THAT will finally show us that the administration is ready to get SERIOUS rather than messing around with small timey Kelly. Or BETTER YET!!! We hire Stoops, since he’s available! We could finally get Stoops as our coach! Oh, I think I’m having an event in my nether regions!

/note: NOT SERIOUS AT ALL
//another note: I wanted to joke about being able to hire Joe Paterno, but couldn’t do it.
///also also wick: yes, I know it’s not THAT Stoops.

They finished the year well.

Although some obviously won’t be fired so soon.

Kevin Wilson-Indiana

1-10 in his 1st year in Bloomington. This guy has one of the best resumes in college—-just goes to show how hard it can be to win sometimes. Will he eventually turn it around?

Danny Hope-Purdue

11-16 through 3 seasons with a rather significant drop off from the previous regime. Does beating Ohio State and going to a bowl allow him to keep his job?

Derek Dooley-Tennessee

11-14 through two seasons in Knoxville, but 4-12 in SEC play—-including a pathetic 1-7 this year. Since he followed Kiffin and had his QB injured he’s probably good for another year or two though.

DeWayne Walker-New Mexico State

9-27 in wherever New Mexico State is—-and only 4-17 in WAC play.

Robb Akey-Idaho

He’s had one 8-win season in five years but is just 19-42 overall. Take out that successful 2009 season and he’s won just 5 conference games in 4 years (9-29 overall).

I almost never agree with the majority of posts over at NDN—-but there is one thing that is consistently complained about that I tend to agree with.

And that is, Brian Kelly needs to do something about the playcalling duties.

It’s obvious that there is (in however small of a fashion) some sort of disconnect between Kelly and Molnar up in the booth. We’ve seen far too many miscommunications and the plays are taking far too long to get into the QB on the field.

What is it exactly that Molnar does? And how is this co-offensive coordinator relationship going?

What many have thought is that Kelly truly misses Jeff Quinn—-who was his OC and assistant coach from Grand Valley to Central Michigan and Cincinnati.

Quinn is finishing up his 2nd season at Buffalo and is 5-18 and just 3-13 in MAC play. Living in WNY I can tell you he probably isn’t crazy about staying here and won’t be coaching here much longer.

Should Kelly bring him back as his OC at Notre Dame? Kelly’s offense hasn’t seemed to be the same since they parted ways—-although there are many other factors to consider as well.

Some courses of action to possibly consider:

1. Bring back Quinn (if he’s fired at UB) and let Quinn be the full-time OC.

2. Remove Molnar’s OC tag and let Kelly be full-time OC.

3. Remove Molnar’s OC tag and let Warriner (a successful OC in the past and someone who may be poached from this staff—-might want to throw him a bone here) become the full-time OC.

How involved in the offense was Kelly at Cincy and before at his other stops? Were he and Quinn always co-OC’s? Can Kelly be a OC at Notre Dame and still be a successful gameday coach?

Does anyone think Kelly NEEDS to cede OC control and get his head out from his playsheet on gameday?

I can’t back that up with any reasoning.

Ohio State’s hiring of Meyer, UCLA’s firing of Neuheisal, and Arizona State’s firing of Dennis Erickson.

Frank Beamer’s record early in his career at Virginia Tech – 5-17 in his first two seasons, 17-16-1 in his next three seasons.

Washington State’s firing of Paul Wulff and Massachusetts’s firing of Kevin Morris.

Who would your favorite HC candidates be, if you were an AD?

1. Rob Ianello
2. Mike Haywood
3. Brian Polian
4. Charlie Weis, Jr.

All winners. All loved.

The Pac12 needs to direct UCLA to take Kevin Sumlin, in effect banning defense forever.

reflect Leach to WSU and inclusion of top candidates for openings.

My top HC targets for a BCS team:
1. Chris Peterson
2. Kirby Smart
3. Kevin Sumlin
4. Dan Quinn
5. Dan Mullen

Next year’s hot coaches for vacanies?

1. Charlie Strong
2. Mike London
3. Pat Fitzgerald
4. James Franklin
5. Josh Heupel and Brent Venables
6. Anyone on lists who does not choose HC this year – Smart, Mullen, etc.

Veterans who seem to be overlooked? Will they ever take a HC job?
Bud Foster
Tom Bradley
Nick Aliotti
John Chavis
Paul Chryst
Jim McElwain
Jim Heacock

Any other names?

updated for non-BCS teams.

are reporting that Mack Brown will be forced out at Texas.

More to come

would you coach at A&M or UT?

Firings of Pat Hill and Steve Fairchild (CSU), hirings of Hugh Freeze and Garrick McGee and revisions of BCS teams candidates.

They’re going to end up with someone really bad, like Tom Cable or DeWayne Walker. There’s no reason UCLA shouldn’t win 9-10 games a year with the advantages they have, and there are plenty of good candidates out there. I really wish they were good so that someone in the PAC-12 South can challenge USC.

Turner Gill – $6 million over three years
Houston Nutt – $6 million over five years
Mike Sherman – $5.8 million – all private money
Ron Zook – $5.8 million – all private money
Larry Porter – $2.26 million (minus any future salaries) over three years
Mike Stoops – $1.4 million
Rob Ianello – $900k
Dennis Erickson – $750k
Mike Locksley – $750k – all private money
Paul Wulff – $600k
Steve Fairchild – $350k – all private money
Rick Neuheisel – $250k

Good article on athletic costs/deficits prior to the new media deals

A sluggish economy has left athletic departments across the Pac-12 scrambling to cover costs, and some barely afloat, according to records acquired by The Times.

Cash-strapped programs at California, Arizona State and Oregon State needed “allocated revenues” to balance their budgets last year. That meant taking $10 million or more from university coffers, student fees and state funds.

The Pac-12 reflects a national trend, with only 22 of the 120 largest NCAA athletic departments showing a profit in the 2010 fiscal year. These numbers explode the myth that big-time college sports generate big profits.

Article on impact of $3 billion deals, providing $20 million per school, including $16 million in TV only. It focuses on Washington State, who fired Paul Wulff, who made $600K a year, and hired Mike Leach, who will make $2.5 million a year.

And the new revenue-sharing model puts Washington State, which is in remote eastern Washington, on a more even playing field with Pac-12 programs like Stanford, Southern California and Oregon.

Washington’s State’s television revenue in 2012 will go from about $4 million to more than $16 million thanks to the $3 billion deal signed by Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott.

So, cash-strapped programs at Washington State can afford Mike Leach, Arizona can afford Rich Rodriguez, and Arizona State and UCLA can court big name, big contract coaches and the staffs that come with them.

hiring of Fedora at North Carolina, new opening at S. Miss, revisions of candidates for some BCS schools.

This leaves the ND staff with the need for a QB coach. I think it is likely that BK would promote Warriner to OC, a position he held at Kansas.

Rob Ianello – fired at Akron
Bob Davie – hired at New Mexico
Charlie Molnar – hired at UMass
Charlie Weis – candidate at Kansas
Tony Alford – candidate at Colorado State
Tom Clements – candidate at Penn State
OFD candidates at Hawaii and Southern Miss

hires of Carl Pelini and Charlie Molnar, Fresno State’s firing of Pat Hill, and updated lists of candidates for BCS programs

I hate to go to the second page

Weis to KU and Justin Fuente hired by Memphis and revision of candidates for non-BCS schools.

Tim Beckman to Illinois and links to biography links to most hired coaches

And Jim Mora, Jr. to UCLA.

Jim McElwain to Colorado State, revisions of candidates for BCS and non-BCS schools.

A good choice imo. Beckman was a defensive guy, so the offense was probably mostly Campbell’s. Hopefully the Rockets won’t miss a beat and can maybe shore up the defense a bit. And hopefully recruiting won’t suffer – Toledo has been out-recruitng the rest of the MAC since Beckman took over.

That’s quite a hire for the Red Wolves – Malzahn is an Arkansas guy so it’s not a huge surprise, but he’s also one of the most highly sought-after assistants in the country.

Who are yours?

Kirby Smart
Paul Chryst
Pat Narduzzi
Manny Diaz
?Brian Harsin
Mark Stoops
Justin Wilcox
Ellis Johnson

Did NOT see that coming.

Malzahn to Arkansas State (Pittsburgh on the other line) and Todd Graham to ASU with Pitt opening up.

Tim DeRuyter to Fresno State and all candidates for BCS and non-BCS positions.

Hawaii has 42 applicants.

Luke Fickell – Ohio State DC
Everette Winthers – Ohio State Defensive coach
Mike Locksley – Maryland OC
Rob Ianello – Kansas Univ. Offensive coach
Turner Gill – Liberty University HC

Interviews
Mike Sherman – Jacksonville Jags
Mike Stoops – Nebraska

John Latina – former ND OL coach and OC at Akron will be the next OL coach at Duke
Al Groh – is being strongly considered by Charlie Weis for his DC
Kirk Ferentz – may be the leading candidate for the KC Chiefs HC position

A good fit. He’s a Mike Leach protege.

some candidates dropping out and for Interviews for Penn State, Pitt, Hawaii and S. Miss. Any other interviews?

If I remember right, he was OC under Wannstedt. Pitt was only spread for one year, so the transition back to pro-style wouldn’t be too rough.

Art Briles, Houston – doubled his salary to $2.5 million (Ariz State, KU jobs)
James Franklin, Vanderbilt – received “substantial compensation” increase plus commitment to upgrade stadium and practice facilities (Penn St, Pitt)
Al Golden, Miami – extended for four years (UCLA, Penn St)
Dan Mullen, Miss St – signed extension. Didn’t he get an extension last year? (Penn St)
Paul Rhodes, Iowa State – signed 10 yr extension
Kyle Whittingham, Utah – signs extension raising his salary to $2 million (Ariz St, Penn St)
Butch Jones, Cincy – got a six year extension (Ill, NC, UCLA)
Dave Christensen, Wyoming – one year extension (Ill, Ks, UCLA)
Terry Bowden, N. Ala – one year extension (Memphis)

Extensions in process
Mark Richt, Georgia (Penn St)
Mike London, Virginia (Penn St, UCLA)

All express they are never happier than where they are.

Note that almost 71% of FBS schools have changed HCs (85 of 120) in the last four years.

I know nothing about him, other than that Spencer Hall is pretty high on him. South Craolina’s defense was pretty good this year so I’m guessing he knows what he’s doing.

Winthers introduced as Ohio State co-DC. Fickell fades in Pitt candidacy. Paul Chryst is now the favorite. Regardless, the Pitt coaching search is coming to an end.

Penn State may well hire an HC at another school, creating another opening.

Edited for Chow to Hawaii, Tony Levine to Houston and for candidates for final three positions.

…Terry Bowden??

No Dan Marino this time…