And none of those coaches have the pressure that the very cream of the crop programs have. It takes the skills of those coaches and the ability to be diplomatic and work the media and boosters a la Coach BK and Mack Brown to succeed at the highest levels.
Truth be told, I'm not sure that I'd consider those four programs elite destinations, though they're certainly close.
It is not about whether your program is elite, or manufactures diamonds by shoving coal up overstressed coaches' asses; there is another factor that is instrumental and insurmountable. (The former, it must be affirmative for success; the latter, it being negative, will lead to failure every time no mater what other conditions are present.)
See the Terry Brennan story. He had everything it took to duplicate the success that Leahy had. AT 26 YEARS OF AGE! But he didn't have the commitment and support of the administration. Not really. His first season was good. Then his scholarships were repeatedly cut. At one point he was cut to between forty and fifty scholarship players, (from well over 120)! Guess what? It didn't work out.
Just like when Malloy took over, Holtz didn't work out!
The making of any coach with the prerequisite skills is in the hands of the entire administration and staff, and others. Especially those behind the scenes!
That's cool.
I just don't know if we know (or even if BK/ND know) how many boxes Sanford actually checks.
Great assistant? Duh, or else he wouldn't be where he is.
Great recruiter? That's up in the air. Depends not only on who he leads for, but also how those guys fit into the program. It will take a few years to make a call on that.
Great coordinator? Again, up in the air. People say that he calls the plays, but we don't know what that actually entails under BK.
Politician? Supervisor? Hiring Manager? Communications with Administration?
I think Sanford is awesome, but there are plenty of guys out there that are currently more proven commodities in terms of all of the above things.
Would I hate it if ND took a chance on a dude like Sanford when the time comes? Absolutely not. Would I understand if he had to go try his luck elsewhere in favor of a more proven guy being brought in? Absolutely.
With Sanford, little things like recruiting Ian Book will be telling. What will Ian do for the program? That is the kind of question to ask with Sanford. (PS. Winbush has constantly stated that Sanford stepped in and didn't miss a beat when Brandon and his mom were floored over LaFleur leaving.)
As far as Diaco versus Sanford : There is no comparison, Diaco was an inflexible, arrogant, pedantic tool by comparison. Sanford has some real people skills, good self discipline, genuine humility, and is able to interact in relationships with good personal boundaries. He appears to be scarily complete for a 32 year old!
Who is as good as Sanford that realistically would come to Notre Dame? We have talked about some assistants in the past "getting it, about ND." But look how fast they took off when advancement, or dollars, etc., sang their sirens song!
Maybe a good question at this point is : How long will Kelly remain at ND? Followed by : Was Sanford hired to groom for a head coaching position?
I think Kelly will be here three or four years, most probably. Without a long conversation, he will have everything he needs by then. His kids will be able to get into whatever college they want. He will be able to live wherever and do whatever he wants. I think that is his target.
Denbrock makes for interesting conversation as a head coach. But remember, he has had some serious health problems. And he has young kids. Now that ND takes care of its assistants, he may be best off sticking. He already has an associate head coach title. Having a guaranteed position until retirement without the awesome extra stress of making that last leap may appeal to him. He may stay right where he is at.
Which would be perfect for a young head coach.
BVG is also in a position where I think he stays at ND until he hangs up the whistle. He will start to produce insanely good defenses. It happens the end of his second season. Takes a while to get his players in place. (Think Tillery-
esque.)
Two vet coordinators, perfect situation for a young coach!
But don't label me as all in on Sanford yet. I think he has some proving to do before he gets moved up the chain of command!
