Coaching Carousel

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Is this the year Pat Fitzgerald is let go? 4-20 the last two seasons, with a career win percentage barely over .500

Feels like NU has stayed with him long enough

It would be a surprise if they did.

More people are asking about him when I think it's Iowa that should get rid of Ferentz, personally.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

If I am UC, I go Candle first. Born in Ohio, played and coached at Mt. Union before going to Toledo. He's spent his entire football life in the state. He's been coaching for almost 20 years to Hartline's five.

You have to look at Herman too with the move to the Big 12. He can navigate both Ohio and Texas.

I don't follow Toledo but they seem to have stagnated under his watch.

His first two seasons were a combined 20-7 and the last five are 31-25 without getting over 7 wins.

But as I said, I don't really have context. I was just curious.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I mean a program built to its absolute ceiling and then some and defying odds to make a CFP and entering a new conference now. They have years of brilliant success by Fickell to lose.

Right. Their facilities and resources have improved significantly. They're about to become a P5 program. Hiring a guy who has been a WR coach for five years when they have better candidates who would probably run for the job and take it just seems like something a good A.D. wouldn't do.

 

[CANONIZEFATHERSORIN]

Right. Their facilities and resources have improved significantly. They're about to become a P5 program. Hiring a guy who has been a WR coach for five years when they have better candidates who would probably run for the job and take it just seems like something a good A.D. wouldn't do.

P5 about to mean a lot less with gutted Pac 12 and Big 12 conferences.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

Is this the year Pat Fitzgerald is let go? 4-20 the last two seasons, with a career win percentage barely over .500

Feels like NU has stayed with him long enough

Why, really? Northwestern is never winning anything. What more could they ask for than an alum who wants to be there and is a low risk to bolt, produces occasional winning seasons, is generally competitive even if they lose. Unless he’s lost the players, what more can you ask for at a place like that?

 

[Dale]

P5 about to mean a lot less with gutted Pac 12 and Big 12 conferences.

$50 million a year and access to the playoffs? Not bad if you ask me.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I don't follow Toledo but they seem to have stagnated under his watch.

His first two seasons were a combined 20-7 and the last five are 31-25 without getting over 7 wins.

But as I said, I don't really have context. I was just curious.

The MAC is the definition of stagnant, at least recently. The resources aren't there money wise compared to the other G5 conferences.

He's never had a losing season and has 7 years of HC experience. He's been one of the best MAC recruiters since he was an assistant, and if you can recruit at schools like Toledo, imagine getting a bit more horsepower and brand recognition. Imagine giving him more to work with than what he has.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

P5 about to mean a lot less with gutted Pac 12 and Big 12 conferences.

To you or the new schools who are cashing the checks and getting the exposure?

We're getting off topic now, but if the Big 12 adds Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado for example it only strengthens UC's move. Big 12 isn't the PAC 12 right now.

 

[Dale]

Cincinnati went to the CFP last year, TCU is likely going this year and their tv deal post OU and Texas is better than ours currently until we get a new one. They also just beat us in the Fiesta Bowl with Ok St.


These programs will love playing the little ol Big 12 card.

 

[IrishLion]

are UC gonna be as butt hurt now as when BK left them?

I think most UC fans view it as "Fickell paid his dues." He didn't hit the road for the first big offer, and seemed legitimately passionate about building the program.

I think last year's carousel taught him a thing or two about timing and value, though, and that showed up with him jumping on an offer to get into one of the "big two" conferences.

I've heard this might finally be Hartline's shot at HC.

Recruiting hadn't been an issue for UC under Fickell... the culture is what got UC into the playoff in '21. They need a proven head coach or coordinator, imo. Taking a chance on Hartline for his recruiting chops is a big risk when you're starting Big XII play next year. Not only is he learning how to be a head coach, but he's doing it with a step up in weekly competition. You probably want someone that has navigated the top level as a coordinator, or been a head coach somewhere previously.

Hartline would be an awful move, what experience does he have to run a team? He works under 3 guys. Day, Wilson and Alford probably controls a lot of the locker room.

Exactly. Too many new things going on at UC, and too much culture to try and keep together, for a first-time HC.

If Cincy goes with a first time HC, Mike Denbrock makes a lot more sense IMO.

Yes, but only because he coordinated at UC and is familiar with the program. But......

everyone in their fanbase hates him tho?

His offense had all of the same issues we got accustomed to seeing at ND when he was involved. Unprepared to start drives or coming out of timeouts, late getting playcalls in, no rhythm to the playcalling, often too predictable, etc.

However, a year of seeing Gino Guidugli's playcalling is enough to make even me miss Denbrock's offense, despite the fact that BOTH of the teams I root for have struggled through his OC leadership.

UC fans thought Denbrock was holding them back and liked the guy who is now OC. Pretty sure their offense wasn’t pretty this year. With the early returns on Lea and Elko, I would think BK assistants have decent cache to land a head job.

People tend to have a inflated disdain for the OC

UC fans, like most fans, are fucking idiots. Gino is a beloved Cincinnati/NKY name and a local high school legend (which means more than his record-breaking UC days, or his brief stint in the NFL). People are blinded by their love for his playing history and the fact that he's a "local" guy. He's not a very good coordinator. He's got two NFL talents at tight end, one guy back for a 5th year and the other a 6th year, and didn't feature either of them at any point this season. Unforgivable, especially when you've got a QB that could use a couple of safety blankets baked into the weekly script, ESPECIALLY when you just lost the most prolific QB in program history.


I have no idea who I want UC to go after. There's no obvious answer. But Fickell wasn't on my radar back in '16/'17 (I wanted them to hire Charlie Strong ), so maybe there's another program builder familiar with the Greater Cincy area out there that can continue the work that he did.

 

[NDohio]

The level of love for Hartline is almost as unreasonable as the level of hate for Rees.

Hartline has done absolute wonders on the recruiting trail and his WRs develop well. That puts him in line to be a head coach at the P5 level? Who do you guys think he is - Dabo?

 

[NDMatt91]

The level of love for Hartline is almost as unreasonable as the level of hate for Rees.

Hartline has done absolute wonders on the recruiting trail and his WRs develop well. That puts him in line to be a head coach at the P5 level? Who do you guys think he is - Dabo?

Hartline can at least consistently develop and recruit players at the position he coaches. But if he is promoted it should be as a OC, not as a HC.

 

[tko]

I want Pat Fitzgerald to stay at Northwestern forever.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Cincinnati went to the CFP last year, TCU is likely going this year and their tv deal post OU and Texas is better than ours currently until we get a new one. They also just beat us in the Fiesta Bowl with Ok St.


These programs will love playing the little ol Big 12 card.

This. Bigger picture, right?

2025: Baylor, BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, and West Virginia.

The Big 12 goes from five states of 40.2 million people to eight states with over 76.5 million. They have the opportunity to potentially poach from what is left of the PAC 12 and add more as well.

Cincinnati has come a long way from the program Brian Kelly left when he came to ND and it is going to go further in a revamped Power Five program. Fickell leaves it better than he found it.

They could really do well by going with a guy like Candle or Tom Herman, both of whom have HC experience and have never presided over a losing season as HC. Candle is another Ohio guy like Fickell. Herman did well at UH like most recent HC and struggled at Texas like most recent HC there. He can probably run a P5 program like Cincinnati and has had a couple of years of down time to have self audited. Jeff Monken was a finalist for the Illinois job that Bielema got. Monken can run a program that isn't a service academy, full stop, and has done a great job at Army.

UC is in a great spot. Regardless of Brian Hartline's future ambitions, I think Cincinnati can do much better and should be looking at guys who have HC background.

 

[ColinKSU]

I mean a program built to its absolute ceiling and then some and defying odds to make a CFP and entering a new conference now. They have years of brilliant success by Fickell to lose.

I mean, yes, but I don’t know that Cincinnati is - even now - a job that can look beyond the “up and coming coach” tier of coaches.

Playing it safe doesn’t make sense to me from their standpoint. If anything, I think it’s more likely that whoever they hire to keep the trains arriving on-time falls on his face than takes Cincy even higher.

 

[CANONIZEFATHERSORIN]

$50 million a year and access to the playoffs? Not bad if you ask me.

Yeah those things might get cut off if the Big 12 truly goes down the toilet but fair point

 

[thekid33]

Is this the year Pat Fitzgerald is let go? 4-20 the last two seasons, with a career win percentage barely over .500

Feels like NU has stayed with him long enough

They will give him at least 1 more year.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I mean, yes, but I don’t know that Cincinnati is - even now - a job that can look beyond the “up and coming coach” tier of coaches.

Playing it safe doesn’t make sense to me from their standpoint. If anything, I think it’s more likely that whoever they hire to keep the trains arriving on-time falls on his face than takes Cincy even higher.

If I'm Cincinnati, I let Western Michigan or some G5 take a shot at Hartline or someone like him. They have done far better when it comes to the type of candidate they have been able to attract, and going pretty far back too.

Rick Minter won 117 games there, and was hired as HC coming off of being DC at ND under Holtz.

Who followed him:

Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly, Butch Jones, Tommy Tuberville and Luke Fickell.

Tuberville is the only one who got fired after Minter, and it was his fourth and final HC stop. All those other guys used the job to get somewhere else but prior to getting it three had HC experience and the two that did not were DC at Ohio State. All of them, Minter to Fickell, had winning records at Cincinnati.

They need someone in there who has either been an HC or OC/DC prior, which is what they've done going back to Rick Minter. It's become a good enough job and they have solid current infrastructure with a P5 future that they should value and protect. Not like it's WMU hiring Fleck on a whim with nothing to lose or KU hiring Leopold after a series of bad hires.

 

[ColinKSU]

If I'm Cincinnati, I let Western Michigan or some G5 take a shot at Hartline or someone like him. They have done far better when it comes to the type of candidate they have been able to attract, and going pretty far back too.

Rick Minter won 117 games there, and was hired as HC coming off of being DC at ND under Holtz.

Who followed him:

Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly, Butch Jones, Tommy Tuberville and Luke Fickell.

Tuberville is the only one who got fired after Minter, and it was his fourth and final HC stop. All those other guys used the job to get somewhere else but prior to getting it three had HC experience and the two that did not were DC at Ohio State. All of them, Minter to Fickell, had winning records at Cincinnati.

They need someone in there who has either been an HC or OC/DC prior, which is what they've done going back to Rick Minter. It's become a good enough job and they have solid current infrastructure with a P5 future that they should value and protect. Not like it's WMU hiring Fleck on a whim with nothing to lose or KU hiring Leopold after a series of bad hires.

Well speaking of Rick Minter, would you call Jesse Minter?

 

[ulukinatme]

Is this the year Pat Fitzgerald is let go? 4-20 the last two seasons, with a career win percentage barely over .500

Feels like NU has stayed with him long enough

I expect they'll let him save face and step down like Shaw did. They don't want the optics of having to fire a strong Northwestern guy.

 

[ulukinatme]

P5 about to mean a lot less with gutted Pac 12 and Big 12 conferences.

Going forward it should probably be the "P2" and then the "M3" for Mid Three, and then "B5" Bottom Five for everyone else.

 

[dublinirish]

 

[dublinirish]

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Well speaking of Rick Minter, would you call Jesse Minter?

I would not.

Jason Candle, Toledo
Tyson Helton, WKU
Jeff Monken, Army
Tom Herman, CBS Sports

I'm vetting the ever living hell out of Tom Herman if I'm any A.D. with an inkling of professionalism. I'd probably formally interview him at least twice to be absolutely safe.

 

[dublinirish]

I would not.

Jason Candle, Toledo
Tyson Helton, WKU
Jeff Monken, Army
Tom Herman, CBS Sports

I'm vetting the ever living hell out of Tom Herman if I'm any A.D. with an inkling of professionalism. I'd probably formally interview him at least twice to be absolutely safe.

what are the scrip clubs like in Cincy? Might be a clincher for Herman lol

 

[Irish#1]

Well speaking of Rick Minter, would you call Jesse Minter?

I would. I use to work with his wife. She's cute.

 

[Huntr]

Half assed excuse for a human being

 

[ColinKSU]

Half assed excuse for a human being

Auburn making sure they don’t issue him a cell phone.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Half assed excuse for a human being

 

[ulukinatme]

I would. I use to work with his wife. She's cute.

You know the rules! You can't just drop something like this without proof.