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Who are the Hot New CFB Coaching Candidates


LTtxfan

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Matt Campbell??    Iowa State

Lane Kiffin??         FAU

Bryan Harsin ??     Boise State

Dave Aranda??        LSU

Brent Venables??     Clemson

Jeff Tedford??       Fresno State

Tony Elliott/Jeff Scott??     Clemson

Scott Satterfield??   App State

Ryan Day??        ohio state

Mike Norvell?     Memphis

Neal Brown??     Troy

Seth Littrell??     North Texas

Matt Wells??     Utah State

 

Saw this in a recent article.....

There isn’t a scorching-hot coaching prospect in the mid-major conferences

The last several years have had at least one each:

  • At the end of 2015: Memphis’ Justin Fuente, who landed at Virginia Tech
  • At the end of 2016: Houston’s Tom Herman, who went to Texas, and WMU’s P.J. Fleck, who went to Minnesota. Herman also fit the bill in 2015, a year before he left UH.
  • At the end of 2017: UCF’s Scott Frost, who returned to his alma mater Nebraska. This year also featured an out-of-coaching Chip Kelly getting back into the business at UCLA.

There are quality candidates out there in 2018. Troy’s Neal Brown has taken the Trojans to unprecedented success and wins over LSU and Nebraska. North Texas’ Seth Littrell has been one of the country’s most successful and creative coaches. Memphis’ Mike Norvell’s won a lot. Strong’s done well in his latest act at USF. Lane Kiffin had a great 2017 at FAU and appeared to be a sure Power 5 coach for 2019, but has struggled in 2018. Utah State’s Matt Wells has made the Aggies a Mountain West force.

Appalachian State’s Scott Satterfield has built an excellent team, though he’s an App State lifer so far. A similar dynamic might exist with Boise State’s Bryan Harsin, who has deep roots.

There are qualified coordinators out there, too. Ohio State OC Ryan Day did well leading the Buckeyes while Urban Meyer was suspended. Clemson DC Brent Venables’ name has come up all over for years, though he’s shown little interest in going anywhere. And so on.

Ultimately, there’s no obvious superstar candidate who might compel a blue-blood to fire its head coach just for a shot.

Edited by LTtxfan
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1 minute ago, LTtxfan said:

Mike Leach always gets discussed....

Mark Helfrich....... Chicago Bears OC

 

I read this discussion throughthe lens of who would USC look at this year? Mike Leach is winning at a Power 5 school and has the support of the administration to be his weird ass self. He doesn't need to take another job. Mike Leach couldn't be Mike Leach at USC. 

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2 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

I read this discussion throughthe lens of who would USC look at this year? Mike Leach is winning at a Power 5 school and has the support of the administration to be his weird ass self. He doesn't need to take another job. Mike Leach couldn't be Mike Leach at USC. 

This is the ticket for Mike Leach. He needs to be at a place where they will let him be himself. He presently has that at WSU. I can't see USC or FSU letting him hang that portrait in his office or anywhere on either of their campuses. For now, he is probably exactly where he needs to be.

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1 minute ago, irishtexan said:

I read this discussion throughthe lens of who would USC look at this year? Mike Leach is winning at a Power 5 school and has the support of the administration to be his weird ass self. He doesn't need to take another job. Mike Leach couldn't be Mike Leach at USC. 

He also knows first hand the dangers of programs where big money /high influence donors get involved.

Somehow I don't think he has that at wsu and I'm not sure he'd ever want to go back to that. 

He has wsu in the top 10, the pac overall looks pretty weak and his for the taking for a few years at least, and seems to have administration and fan support of his program and quirkiness.

Outside of deciding he just wants to live in Florida and taking one of the 500 coaching jobs in that state, I don't know why he'd leave. 

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4 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

I read this discussion throughthe lens of who would USC look at this year? Mike Leach is winning at a Power 5 school and has the support of the administration to be his weird ass self. He doesn't need to take another job. Mike Leach couldn't be Mike Leach at USC. 

Yeah.... that administration at USC is messed up.  The Pirate fits great in Washington State.....

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6 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Yeah.... that administration at USC is messed up.  The Pirate fits great in Washington State.....

They still need to hire a new University President.   And the new President may want to clean house in the AD.  So it is not an ideal time to jump in.  And may be the one reason Helton survives.

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18 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

I read this discussion throughthe lens of who would USC look at this year? Mike Leach is winning at a Power 5 school and has the support of the administration to be his weird ass self. He doesn't need to take another job. Mike Leach couldn't be Mike Leach at USC. 

Yep, both our Pres and AD encourage mike to be mike. Just look at Twitter, the AD is the one who tracked down, negotiated for, and posted the portrait photo from mikes office. I posted elsewhere that looking last year was different as we didn’t have an AD at the time. Should probably mention he’s also one of the top 5 coaching salaries in the Pac12 (4 I think).  

Edited by SDG
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Came across this interesting article that includes BC.....

https://247sports.com/Article/Best-young-college-football-coaches-and-staffers-under-the-age-of-30-121094808/

Bryan Carrington, Texas, Director of Recruiting (28): Tom Herman put Carrington on the road over the winter as the school’s temporary 10th coach, and it paid off, especially in helping land four-star cornerback, current freshman Anthony Cook. Texas inked the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation in 2018. 

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2017 Article

Pete Kwiatkowski........ Washington Defensive Coordinator

Here is where Kwiatkowski's defenses have ranked nationally in yards per play allowed since becoming Boise State's coordinator in 2010 and Washington's in 2014: first, 40th, 10th, 35th, 51st, 23rd and fourth. The worst season came in a transition year for Washington, but he has built the Huskies defense into the Pac-12's best the past couple seasons, with a disruptive front and a lockdown secondary. The loss of stars Budda Baker, Sidney Jones and Kevin King from the defensive backfield will provide a major challenge as the Huskies try to defend their title, but increased attention for Kwiatkowski and other Petersen assistants is inevitable if Washington continues to succeed.

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46 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

I read this discussion throughthe lens of who would USC look at this year? Mike Leach is winning at a Power 5 school and has the support of the administration to be his weird ass self. He doesn't need to take another job. Mike Leach couldn't be Mike Leach at USC. 

If he won, he could be whoever the F he wanted to be.  Hell, Sark had to get blasted drunker’n hell to get fired.

It’s amazing to me how allegedly tolerant some folks are, and they all of the sudden couldn’t deal with someone as ‘normal’ as Mike F’ing Leach?

Edited by slorch
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I think a big factor now is a lot of "lesser" programs pay enough now that it isn't life changing money to make the jump. 

Schools that were only paying head coaches 2 or 300k 10 years ago are now easily paying 7 figures. And that says nothing for a guy like Leach that makes North of 4 per. Why in the world would he ever leave?

Think of all the guys that have made the jump in the past 10 years. Almost all of them failed to meet expectations. I think that combined with better money down the line has guys rethinking the need to chase the dragon. 

 

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6 minutes ago, pops said:

I think a big factor now is a lot of "lesser" programs pay enough now that it isn't life changing money to make the jump. 

Schools that were only paying head coaches 2 or 300k 10 years ago are now easily paying 7 figures. And that says nothing for a guy like Leach that makes North of 4 per. Why in the world would he ever leave?

Think of all the guys that have made the jump in the past 10 years. Almost all of them failed to meet expectations. I think that combined with better money down the line has guys rethinking the need to chase the dragon. 

 

 

Great point on similar money.....

"Leach’s new contract calls for him to make $3.5 million this coming season with quarter-million dollar increases through 2020 when he hits $4 million. He will also get a one-time retention bonus of $750,000 following the 2020 season."

 

"The Vols coach is earning $3,846,000, making him the eighth-highest-paid coach in the SEC. Pruitt was hired in December."

Edited by LTtxfan
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3 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

Wittingham is a damn good coach but looks like Utah for life this point. He's been there forever and has turned down his alma mater BYU to stay put. I think he's staying put.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

BYU is not an upgrade from Utah. 

I'd hold the 'lifer' talk until he turns down a job that's better than his current positon.

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2 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Matt Rhule....... Baylor

Mike Gundy....... Okie Lite

Kyle Whittingham........ Utah

Jason Candle........... Toledo

Justin Wilcox.......... Cal

 

 

Wilcox has been phenomenal at Cal. What he's done to that defense is astonishing. He should be waaaay up on every list.

https://deadspin.com/cals-defensive-turnaround-is-a-marvel-1830390105

Shows how much being on the late shift for every game, with the one true blueblood in the conference being ass, means 2/3 of the country's football writers don't bother to stay up and watch your games.

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2 hours ago, pops said:

I think a big factor now is a lot of "lesser" programs pay enough now that it isn't life changing money to make the jump. 

Schools that were only paying head coaches 2 or 300k 10 years ago are now easily paying 7 figures. And that says nothing for a guy like Leach that makes North of 4 per. Why in the world would he ever leave?

Think of all the guys that have made the jump in the past 10 years. Almost all of them failed to meet expectations. I think that combined with better money down the line has guys rethinking the need to chase the dragon. 

 

It is going to take more teams aggying up above $7M per year to get guys to actively move between P5s. There are a lot of schools that would be embarrassed to pay that amount now, but someone else without those scruples is going to follow in aggy's footsteps and then we will see the blue bloods creep their salaries up to that level. If the rest of the P5 don't follow suit then we will again see guys 'chasing the dragon'.

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9 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Wilcox has been phenomenal at Cal. What he's done to that defense is astonishing. He should be waaaay up on every list.

https://deadspin.com/cals-defensive-turnaround-is-a-marvel-1830390105

Shows how much being on the late shift for every game, with the one true blueblood in the conference being ass, means 2/3 of the country's football writers don't bother to stay up and watch your games.

Thanks..... Justin Wilcox at Cal does seem like an overlooked gem.

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20 minutes ago, flatdawgs said:

You shut your whore mouth.

(Kwiatkowski is awesome too but has shown no inclination to become a head coach. He seems quite happy where he is. UW knows Lake is headed out sooner rather than later.)

Colorado fans are very high on offering JL.

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1 hour ago, LTbear said:

Colorado fans are very high on offering JL.

High AF?

I don't know if Jon Heacock (our DC) qualifies in this conversation but he straight up turned shit to gold with our defense last year and is still overachieving considering our talent level.  I'm praying that we can hang on to him.

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42 minutes ago, Extra Anejo said:

Where is Leavitt nowadays and the Mangino man? Could Art Briles show up somewhere as an OC?

Last info:

Whatever slim chances of a KU-Mangino reunion that took up shop in anyone’s minds went away Tuesday night with one tweet from the winningest coach in program history.

“Thanks for your support. I won’t be returning to Kansas in any capacity,” the retired coach wrote on Twitter, after various fans mentioned him as a longshot hire in KU’s ongoing search for its next football coach, or perhaps even returning as an offensive coordinator.

“I enjoyed my time there and loved my hardworking players,” Mangino added. “I’ve moved on long ago and so should the wonderful fans that supported me.”

Briles:  Former Baylor football coach Art Briles has been hired to coach a professional football team in Italy, with the deal being finalized on Thursday (Aug 2018). Briles told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that after three weeks of negotiations, he accepted a position to coach the Guelfi Firenze American Football team, whose season begins in March. The team is based in Florence, Italy.

Jim Leavitt joined the Oregon Ducks as defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach on Dec. 16, 2016.

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7 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Separate subject..... Wonder who might hire these guys...

Darrin Chiaverini - OC - Colorado

Tee Martin - OC - USC

Sonny Cumbie - OC - Kansas

Sterlin Gilbert - OC - South Florida

Couple more OCs

Jake Spavital..... OC - West Virginia

Phil Longo.......... OC - Ole Miss

 

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1 hour ago, LTtxfan said:

Wonder if Todd Graham or Rich Rod get recycled???

Forgot Butch Jones too......

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/tennessee-football/report-butch-jones-among-coaches-being-considered-by-purdue-as-potential-jeff-brohm-replacement/

"Alas, should Brohm decide Louisville is where he ultimately wants to make his mark, Purdue will be prepared to execute a search in short order. Sources tell FootballScoop that Purdue officials have their list and will move immediately into interviews should Brohm decide to leave.

For as big of a joke as Jones became in 2017, he is a talented recruiter and had some solid teams at Tennessee.

The pressure in West Lafayette isn’t the same as in Knoxville, either, so it’d be interesting to see how Jones fared at a school with a profile closer to Central Michigan and Cincinnati teams that he had success with.

Among the coaches we hear have been discussed at the highest levels in West Lafayette are: Neal Brown, Butch Jones, Skip Holtz, Tony Elliott, Matt Canada and Mike Norvell. "

Edited by LTtxfan
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Ignoring the names everyone knows who are already at P5 programs (Campbell, Brohm, Doeren, etc.), here are some names that I think will be the "hot" names over the next few years:

Current Head Coaches:
Obvious Picks:

  • Seth Littrell, UNT
  • Neal Brown, Troy
  • Matt Wells, Utah state
  • Bryan Harsin, Boise State

Less obvious picks:

  • Luke Fickell, Cincinnatti.  Don't think folks expected him to succeed at Cincy, given his stint as interim HC at tOSU, but he's been very successful so far.
  • Bill Clark, UAB (turned around a program that had basically been cancelled).
  • Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State.  Satterfield actually played QB at ASU, which is probably why he's been there so long.  But you've got to think he'll bail when the right programs come calling.
  • Josh Heupel, UCF.  He's riding in Frost's wake.  But if he can do it for a couple more years, he's going to get the same kind of offers.  The question will be where this program goes when Milton leaves.

 

Coordinators:
Obvious Picks:

  • Phil Longo, Ole Miss
  • Jeff Scott, Clemson
  • Dave Aranda, LSU
  • Jake Spavital, WVU
  • Matt Canada, Maryland
  • Ryan Day, tOSU

Less Obvious Picks:

  • Mike Locksley, Alabama OC.  This one is going to happen eventually.  The Maryland job would be his for the taking if Matt Canada hadn't had the year he's had as an interim.
  • Jay Bateman, Army DC.  This guy is going to blow up in the next couple of years.  He's already being whispered about as a DC of "the future" in the defensive rebellion against the Air Raid/RPO offenses that have taken over football at all levels.
  • Kendal Briles, UH OC.  I don't know when it will happen.  But it will happen somewhere, eventually.
  • Shawn Watson, Pittsburgh OC.  Hahaha. Just kidding.  Fuck you, Shawn Watson.

 

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26 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Forgot Butch Jones too......

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/tennessee-football/report-butch-jones-among-coaches-being-considered-by-purdue-as-potential-jeff-brohm-replacement/

"Alas, should Brohm decide Louisville is where he ultimately wants to make his mark, Purdue will be prepared to execute a search in short order. Sources tell FootballScoop that Purdue officials have their list and will move immediately into interviews should Brohm decide to leave.

For as big of a joke as Jones became in 2017, he is a talented recruiter and had some solid teams at Tennessee.

The pressure in West Lafayette isn’t the same as in Knoxville, either, so it’d be interesting to see how Jones fared at a school with a profile closer to Central Michigan and Cincinnati teams that he had success with.

Among the coaches we hear have been discussed at the highest levels in West Lafayette are: Neal Brown, Butch Jones, Skip Holtz, Tony Elliott, Matt Canada and Mike Norvell. "

Wow.  Butch Jones?  I forgot that he's got strong Midwest ties.  That being said, it must be nice to fail out of a situation, spend a year at a pseudo-NFL program, then get to jump back in to a head coaching gig at a major university.

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Names in Texas State discussion.....

So what names could get in the mix?

Let’s start with some current head coaches. Incarnate Word head coach Eric Morris led the Cardinals to a share of the Southland Conference championship and an FCS playoff berth in his first season, just down the road in San Antonio. He’s a former Texas Tech receiver and assistant and would bring an Air Raid attack. Texas A&M-Commerce head coach Colby Carthel is 57-17 in six years and won the Division II national championship a year ago. Current Sam Houston State head coach K.C. Keeler had four consecutive seasons of at least 11 wins before going 6-5 this year.

Among current assistants, West Virginia offensive coordinator Jake Spavital has ties to the area and is a former Texas A&M assistant. Ole Miss offensive coordinator Phil Longo has produced an explosive offense there and previously directed the top offense in the FCS at Sam Houston State. Texas special teams coordinator Craig Naivar was a Texas State assistant from 2004-06 and 2011-13, and Texas cornerbacks coach Jason Washington was a Texas State assistant from 2004-06 and 2011-14. North Texas offensive coordinator Graham Harrell is rising in the coaching ranks, but he might stay in Denton if Seth Littrell leaves for another job.

Some recently fired coaches’ names have also come up.Former Kansas coach David Beaty and former Bowling Green coach Mike Jinks are both former Texas high school coaches with deep ties in the state, but they might be atough sell coming off poor head coaching experiences.

There will be plenty of options for this job. We’ll see wherethe Bobcats go.

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18 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Forgot Butch Jones too......

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/tennessee-football/report-butch-jones-among-coaches-being-considered-by-purdue-as-potential-jeff-brohm-replacement/

"Alas, should Brohm decide Louisville is where he ultimately wants to make his mark, Purdue will be prepared to execute a search in short order. Sources tell FootballScoop that Purdue officials have their list and will move immediately into interviews should Brohm decide to leave.

For as big of a joke as Jones became in 2017, he is a talented recruiter and had some solid teams at Tennessee.

The pressure in West Lafayette isn’t the same as in Knoxville, either, so it’d be interesting to see how Jones fared at a school with a profile closer to Central Michigan and Cincinnati teams that he had success with.

Among the coaches we hear have been discussed at the highest levels in West Lafayette are: Neal Brown, Butch Jones, Skip Holtz, Tony Elliott, Matt Canada and Mike Norvell. "

SBNATION.....

Why Butch Jones might have deja vu

Before Jones started his “brick by brick” campaign at Tennessee in 2013, he flirted heavily with Colorado and Purdue. The former is looking for a new head coach, and the latter is very likely to be doing the same.

The former Volunteers coach has options. He’s been an analyst at Alabama in 2018 and could stay on for a larger role with Nick Saban if a few changes (Mike Locksley to Maryland, for instance) occur. With a healthy buyout of over $8 million from Big Orange, Jones doesn’t have to chase bad head coaching jobs.

If he does want to jump back in, either school he spurned five years ago could fit well with Jones’ offensive system. While he lacked a conclusive season in Knoxville, Jones’ reputation as a football coach is great among other coaches and ADs — it’s his public image and marketing that need work. He’s dogged more by his pablum on the mic in Knoxville than his career record, which includes seven eight-win seasons in 11 years.

Then again, he could just stay put in Tuscaloosa, where he’s said to be very happy, and smoke cigars while Knoxville pays him $200,000 a month.

 
Edited by LTtxfan
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Neal Brown candidate at Louisville...... SBNATION

Why there’s a great backup plan if Jeff Brohm doesn’t end up in Louisville

It would be a massive upset if the Cardinals don’t hire their native son and former quarterback. The Purdue coach is the overwhelming favorite.

But it’s worth noting he has a substantial buyout. If the Cards wait until after Dec. 5, it’s still $3.3 million. What if that price is too high for a U of L athletic department reeling from a run of scandals and firings?

The good news is that there’s another Kentuckian known for offense on the market. Neal Brown, a Danville native and former walk-on wide receiver at rival Kentucky, would fit almost everything U of L wants in Brohm, aside from the hometown ties.

Brown has great connections in the state and could immediately backstop the ground lost to Big Blue in recruiting. And if there’s one coach who could create excitement for fans missing out on Brohm, it’s the guy who led Troy to wins over LSU and Nebraska.

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