Right now, it appears like there's a lot of behind the scenes talks going on. Nobody wants to say anything publicly on both sides until they've sent out some feelers for a job.
These things usually have plenty of dead-ends and red herrings before a viable candidate really emerges. Already, Mike Leach, Houston Nutt and now Jimbo Fisher have worn the crown as frontrunner, and I don't know how serious that is.
Leach and Nutt already got better contract offers from their own schools. Fisher, like Nutt, is a Jimmy Sexton client. Who knows what he's up to?
Anyway, my editor asked me to put together a list of names for tomorrow's paper with some positives and negatives for each coach. Here's tomorrow's news today, to steal a phrase from the O-A News' blog-tastic beat writer Andrew Gribble.
I'll be at the SEC Championship game in Atlanta today, so I don't know how much I'll be able to update throughout the day. But if anything major happens, it'll be up here.
Jimbo Fisher,
- Age: 43
- Background: Former
- Why it makes sense: He knows the SEC and, more importantly, has plenty of relationships at
- Why it doesn’t: He’s got a good gig at school that could be a football powerhouse already lined up. Plus, it would cost $2.5 million to buy him out of his current deal.
- Age: 51
- Background: Former head coach at
- Why it makes sense: Johnson’s triple option flexbone offense would be a good fit at
- Why it doesn’t: He’s only one year into his contract at Georgia Tech. It might be too soon to make another move.
- Age: 48
- Background:
- Why it makes sense: With a 72-27 record in nine years, he’s one of the most successful coaches not currently at a BCS conference.
- Why it doesn’t: If he didn’t leave for his alma mater
- Age: 40
- Background: Nick Saban assistant at LSU and for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins
- Why it makes sense: He’s got good lineage as the son of legendary
- Why it doesn’t: He’s 12-12 in his only two years as a head coach, meaning he could use a little more seasoning. Moving to
- Age: 44
- Background: After one year at Rice, the former
- Why it makes sense: Graham’s been successful at every stop, turning around Rice in a year and winning two C-
- Why it doesn’t: With only three years as a head coach under his belt, moving to the SEC would be a major jump.
- Age: 46
- Background: Tom Osborne disciple coached quarterbacks for over a decade at
- Why it makes sense:
- Why it doesn’t: He has limited head coaching experience (three years) and no ties to the SEC, a major demerit for a school that doesn’t usually leave the South for its hires.
- Age: 44
- Background: Former offensive coordinator continued what Dan Hawkins started at
- Why it makes sense: He’s gone 35-3 in three years as a head coach, leading as innovative and effective of an offense as there is in the country.
- Why it doesn’t: Almost every job he’s ever had has been on the West Coast, and he doesn’t seem to be all too eager to leave
- Age: 47
- Background:
- Why it makes sense: He’s a proven winner with experience, accumulating a 157-56-2 record in 19 years, leading the Bearcats to the Big East title in just his third year.
- Why it doesn’t: He’s stated his desire to stay at
- Age: 56
- Background: Former Marshall and Air Force assistant’s first head coaching job was at
- Why it makes sense: He has resurrected lifeless programs at
- Why it doesn’t: His name pops up every year for coaching vacancies, yet he seems quite content overachieving at
- Age: 49
- Background: Served as a defensive assistant for Lloyd Carr at
- Why it makes sense: He’s a hot prospect after taking
- Why it doesn’t: Hoke certainly wouldn’t be a splashy hire for a school that’s trying to keep pace in a conference full of big-name coaches.
- Age: 48
- Background: Defensive assistant for
- Why it makes sense: Strong knows the South, having spent 16 of the last 20 years in SEC country, and, despite being overshadowed, his defenses are usually among the conference’s best.
- Why it doesn’t: He’s never been a full-time head coach, serving on an interim basis for only one game at
- Age: 48
- Background: Worked for Mack Brown at
- Why it makes sense: Brewster can recruit with anyone, having secured Vince Young at
- Why it doesn’t: His teams’ on-field performance hasn’t matched his recruiting prowess. His Golden Gophers are 8-16 in two years, going in the tank after a 7-1 start this season.
- Age: 37
- Background: Former LSU and
- Why it makes sense: Along with having ties to
- Why it doesn’t: For all those reasons, the Longhorns locked him up as Mack Brown’s successor. Leaving an elite football school like
- Age: 47
- Background: Hal Mumme protégé rewrote record books as offensive coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan,
- Why it makes sense: If you’re going to modernize your offense, Leach and his Air Raid offense would certainly bring a radical approach to things.
- Why it doesn’t: He doesn’t seem like he would be a good fit in the SEC, where his quirks wouldn’t fly as much as they do on the wind-swept plains of
- Age: 47
- Background: Former Auburn offensive coordinator held head jobs with
- Why it makes sense: If it weren’t for Jetgate, he might already be the Tigers’ long-tenured coach. This could be his chance to claim the job he once wanted.
- Why it doesn’t: There is the little matter of the SEC West non-compete clause in his contract, which, while probably not ironclad, would cost him a fortune to break.
- Age: 57
- Background: Former head coach of
- Why it makes sense:
- Why it doesn’t: After two years, he’s finally to the point where his teams can compete in the ACC. Why would he bail after going through all that hard work?
- Age: 63
- Background: Former head coach of Duke,
- Why it makes sense: He’s often lamented
- Why it doesn’t: At 63, he’s not a spring chicken. One has to wonder if the old ball coach has the drive to take another SEC team to the top.
5 comments:
What About Gene Chizik?
I don't see anyone I'd rather have more than Tuberville or Steve Spurrier.
He's no spring chicken, as you said, but Spurrier can win in the SEC. I've watched him on the sidelines and he appears to still have a passion for winning.
I hear he doesn't like to hit the road recruiting, which is a big negative, but I think a lot of players will choose to play for The Ole Ball Coach.
What about Rodney Garner...in the AJC he has stated his interest. He is an Auburn man and is a great recruiter.
Peterson and Kelly would be great hires.
I don't think Peterson will leave Boise State. He is the Man there, and he would have to answer to the AU powers-that-be here.
Kelly is a proven winner. But I don't think he would want to come to AU either.
Fisher is set to take over when Bobby Bowden kicks the bucket. He's not coming here.
IMO, cross Turner Gill and any other coach of color off the list. The good ole Auburn boys won't hire them. If they wanted to, they would have hired the dude from UAB instead of Lebo when Cliff was fired.
Well, as long as Bobby Lowder is on the Auburn Board of Trustees, I can't imagine any top caliber coach that would risk leaving a good job for Auburn.
Bobby Lowder was the one that convinced Pat Dye to resign in '92, he chased Terry Bowdon out of town in the middle of the '98 season, he was at the heart of jetgate in '03, and I think there is no doubt he is why Tuberville "resigned" last week. Tuberville did say he didn't believe he had the full support of the BOT... I think that was an understatement
Seriously, if Auburn really wants to get another quality coach and keep him, Lowder has to go. It's amazing that this one weasle of a man has so much control over the rest of the board, the AD, and the president.
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