Coaching Carousel

[Katzenboyer]

Duke doesn't have to play Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State every year. You can feast in the ACC, and if not... you're Duke.

Again, Michigan State has appeared in the CFP. Duke hasn't come close, and probably never will.

Not only that, but the B10 is getting rid of divisions and will simply have the top two teams go to Indianapolis. MSU won't play all three of the teams you listed again until 2027.

 

[Katzenboyer]

I suppose it depends on if it’s seemed as a lateral move or slightly upgraded from Duke. Is it a move you make now, hope you improve MSU in short enough order while waiting for a big job to open? Or hang tight, slowly improve Duke, and still wait?

It's a fair point. I have no idea what Elko is thinking, but if I'm his agent, I'm telling him to strike while the iron is hot.

What happens if Riley Leonard declares for the draft or enters the transfer portal, and Elko goes 4-8 next year? Is he still getting offers from the likes of MSU, A&M, etc.?

I'd worry he gets trapped at Duke if he doesn't jump up a level, and the MSU job absolutely qualifies. Not to beat a dead horse, but MSU has been to the CFP, and finished Top 10 and won a NY6 game in 2021. A good coach can succeed there.

 

[Grahambo]

It's a fair point. I have no idea what Elko is thinking, but if I'm his agent, I'm telling him to strike while the iron is hot.

What happens if Riley Leonard declares for the draft or enters the transfer portal, and Elko goes 4-8 next year? Is he still getting offers from the likes of MSU, A&M, etc.?

I'd worry he gets trapped at Duke if he doesn't jump up a level, and the MSU job absolutely qualifies. Not to beat a dead horse, but MSU has been to the CFP, and finished Top 10 and won a NY6 game in 2021. A good coach can succeed there.

Yeah, I see your side too. I legitimately don’t know what I’d do in his situation. I guess it depends on his support behind the scenes. If he feels he’s backed, maybe he stays, makes some adjustments and keeps going.

But I could also see him bolt for a job like MSU.

 

[KPENN]

I wonder how much longer Mack Brown is coach for. I think UNC would be a really attractive job if it came open.

 

[Irish#1]

I suppose it depends on if it’s seemed as a lateral move or slightly upgraded from Duke. Is it a move you make now, hope you improve MSU in short enough order while waiting for a big job to open? Or hang tight, slowly improve Duke, and still wait?

The path to a conference championship would be easier at Duke, but MSU is an upgrade from Duke IMO.

 

[Luckylucci]

Whatever has gone wrong at MSU has jaded folks opinion of them.

Michigan State, as a football program, is undoubtedly a step up from Duke. They bring in something like 75% more in revenue and spend even a little more than that versus Duke.

As an entire athletic department, I believe MSU ranked 12th nationally in 2022 for total revenue.

With Michigan likely to get fucking hammered. The MSU job for a good and committed coach presents quite the opportunity, IMO.

 

[Luckylucci]

Also, keep in mind that he’d be walking in the door to a program that has recruited the 22nd ranked 2023 class. And, 26th ranked 2022 class. They have some legitimate prospects in those two classes.

For comparison Duke is 68th and 61st. Duke has 1 4 star prospect between those two classes. MSU has 13.

More talent and more resources. Maybe in a lot of cases, more resources means more talent.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Imagine MF firing Gerry P only to bring in Matt Canada who is quite possibly the 2nd worst OC in NCAA or NFL and the absolute worst in the NFL.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Dino for OC seems like a fair trade if they end up taking Golden

Nobody has really won at Syracuse since Pasqualoni. It's a Power Five ACC job where it is tough to win and basketball rules more of the roost.

Fun fact about Dino Babers: He hasn't been an OC in 20 years. After being OC at TAMU he coached RB and WR up until he became the HC at Eastern Illinois. He was part of the Briles Baylor offensive staff and that's his offense. Would it be enough running and tight ends for Marcus Freeman's desire would be my question. I think not.

I'm curious to see what the market for Babers will be and where he lands next. The head coaching experience is a major plus for him.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Whatever has gone wrong at MSU has jaded folks opinion of them.

Michigan State, as a football program, is undoubtedly a step up from Duke. They bring in something like 75% more in revenue and spend even a little more than that versus Duke.

As an entire athletic department, I believe MSU ranked 12th nationally in 2022 for total revenue.

With Michigan likely to get fucking hammered. The MSU job for a good and committed coach presents quite the opportunity, IMO.

I believe Elko could get Michigan State to the point where they are able to beat Penn State more often than not. I'll take Elko for four hours on a Saturday over James Franklin any day.

Mike Elko is a good football coach and he's proven it over the course of time. Michigan State would be a great fit for him.

 

[thekid33]

Syracuse is a tough job. Other than $, I'm not sure why anyone would want it. They've never found their way in the ACC. And, they are, at best, the third most popular school team to play in the Dome.

 

[Free Manera]

Elko and MSU seems like a match made in heaven. He could do some damage there. On the MSU vs. Duke thing - MSU is a football school that has good basketball teams. Duke is the opposite.

 

[dublinirish]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Syracuse is a tough job. Other than $, I'm not sure why anyone would want it. They've never found their way in the ACC. And, they are, at best, the third most popular school team to play in the Dome.

John Brice reported that he spoke w/ some ND assistants who are no longer on staff but went on recruiting visits to the northeast last year w/ Golden. They told him that he was very well respected up there & received w/ open arms. Not saying that’s a reason to go & I agree it’s a tough job but he could give it his best shot there for 4-5 years and if it didn’t work out, he walks away w/ a fat buyout.

On the other hand, why would he have spent those years in the NFL if that wasn’t his ultimate destination? He could’ve gotten a G5 HC job or worked his way up from DC at P5 like he is now. I’m convinced he only wants to leave ND for the right job and that likely lies in the NFL.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

 

[OhioIrish]

For both Elko’s and Golden’s sake, I hope the each pass on MSU and Syracuse, respectively. Elko has earned the opportunity to coach at a high caliber program with real potential, MSU is a dead-end and has been for 40-years. Syracuse is essentially the Siberia of P5 opportunities and should be reserved for only the misfits and outcasts of the coaching community, or a very entrepreneurial young coach — Golden deserves better.

 

[thekid33]

Selfishly, I want Elko to stay at Duke for a few more years in case we need to jettison Freeman. Not that he wouldn't leave MSU for ND, but it's way easier to leave Duke.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Wonder how significant SC's offer was.

 

[dublinirish]

View attachment 3054883
Wonder how significant SC's offer was.

Yeah hes not leaving Utah either way apparently

 

[Free Manera]

 

[NewBrunswickIrish]

Imagine MF firing Gerry P only to bring in Matt Canada who is quite possibly the 2nd worst OC in NCAA or NFL and the absolute worst in the NFL.

I wouldn’t wish Matt Canada on my worst enemy. Thankfully the steeelers finally fired him this morning! I’d have to give up watching ND if they hired him as OC.

I actually wouldn’t be that upset if the Steelers hired Tommy Rees. He can’t be worse than Fichtner or Canada.

 

[NDWarrior]

Strange, but just because there's a new AD (about to be announced) at Tulane, and bec. Fritz wanted the Assistant AD promoted to that role, the beat thinks he moves on from Tulane (whereas last year, he was quoted saying he wanted to finish his career there). Tulane to Fritz: Shut up and coach and 5 Potential Power 5 Landing Spots for Tulane Football Head Coach Willie Fritz If he takes a new HC job, I wonder if Pratt goes with him?

 

[Katzenboyer]

For both Elko’s and Golden’s sake, I hope the each pass on MSU and Syracuse, respectively. Elko has earned the opportunity to coach at a high caliber program with real potential, MSU is a dead-end and has been for 40-years. Syracuse is essentially the Siberia of P5 opportunities and should be reserved for only the misfits and outcasts of the coaching community, or a very entrepreneurial young coach — Golden deserves better.

Again, I hate to keep coming to the defense of MSU (I don't even like them!) but the Spartans have been to a CFP, went 11-2 two years ago, and have a billionaire who is pouring money into the program in order to take it to the next level. It's not a dead-end job; Saban turned it into LSU, D'Antonio had some really strong success there, and they have all the resources to be a Top 15 program.

If Elko does well there, any one of the Top 10 jobs that might come open in the next few years - Florida, Michigan, Bama (👀), etc. - would all be wide open to him.

Again, a lot of you are underestimating what a 9-4 season at Duke means, how rare it is, and how tough it is to repeat (Elko is 6-5 right now). If he has another season like this year in 2024, all of a sudden the job offers are gone and holding out looks like a terrible decision.

If MSU offers, and he isn't a candidate at other bigtime open jobs (looking at you, A&M), he would be foolish not to take it.

 

[Reaper97]

Again, I hate to keep coming to the defense of MSU (I don't even like them!) but the Spartans have been to a CFP, went 11-2 two years ago, and have a billionaire who is pouring money into the program in order to take it to the next level. It's not a dead-end job; Saban turned it into LSU, D'Antonio had some really strong success there, and they have all the resources to be a Top 15 program.

If Elko does well there, any one of the Top 10 jobs that might come open in the next few years - Florida, Michigan, Bama (👀), etc. - would all be wide open to him.

Again, a lot of you are underestimating what a 9-4 season at Duke means, how rare it is, and how tough it is to repeat (Elko is 6-5 right now). If he has another season like this year in 2024, all of a sudden the job offers are gone and holding out looks like a terrible decision.

If MSU offers, and he isn't a candidate at other bigtime open jobs (looking at you, A&M), he would be foolish not to take it.

The last 3 Presidents’s, the last 2 AD’s & the last 2 Head Coaches have resigned/been fired because of misconduct.
That’s not good.
This is not the program it was.
It’s a trainwreck now.

 

[OhioIrish]

Again, I hate to keep coming to the defense of MSU (I don't even like them!) but the Spartans have been to a CFP, went 11-2 two years ago, and have a billionaire who is pouring money into the program in order to take it to the next level. It's not a dead-end job; Saban turned it into LSU, D'Antonio had some really strong success there, and they have all the resources to be a Top 15 program.

If Elko does well there, any one of the Top 10 jobs that might come open in the next few years - Florida, Michigan, Bama (👀), etc. - would all be wide open to him.

Again, a lot of you are underestimating what a 9-4 season at Duke means, how rare it is, and how tough it is to repeat (Elko is 6-5 right now). If he has another season like this year in 2024, all of a sudden the job offers are gone and holding out looks like a terrible decision.

If MSU offers, and he isn't a candidate at other bigtime open jobs (looking at you, A&M), he would be foolish not to take it.

Historically, it’s a dead-end, imo. Saban is legitimately the greatest coach of all time and couldn’t win 60% of his games there. Sure, they’ve had a few nice seasons, but so have Illinois, Northwestern, and Minnesota. The point is, outside of Saban, coaches who go to Michigan St. never take the program to the next level, and never get to the next level themselves. It’s a program with a nice past, but no future.

 

[KPENN]

The SU job is terrible. People up here don’t care about SU football, the campus is nothing special, the city is boring and the Carrier Dome is a shithole.

 

[stlnd01]

I'm with Katz.
Michigan State is upper middle class in the Big Ten. Not royalty, but a stronger/better resourced program than at least half the other programs. Comparable to Wisconsin. Maybe Washington, Oregon and USC coming in knock it down a peg. But historically MSU has benefitted when Michigan is weak and Michigan is looking like they're about to be crippled, which combined with a new coach should make it easier for Sparty to recruit.
It's a far far better job than Duke. Maybe Elko could parlay Duke into a modestly better job than Sparty but Duke will have to do better than it did this year for that.

 

[DillonHall]

Historically, it’s a dead-end, imo. Saban is legitimately the greatest coach of all time and couldn’t win 60% of his games there. Sure, they’ve had a few nice seasons, but so have Illinois, Northwestern, and Minnesota. The point is, outside of Saban, coaches who go to Michigan St. never take the program to the next level, and never get to the next level themselves. It’s a program with a nice past, but no future.

Dantonio got MSU about as far as Kelly did ND

 

[Irish du Nord]

Dantonio got MSU about as far as Kelly did ND

No he didn’t. Kelly had three undefeated regular seasons. Dantonio had zero

 

[Reaper97]

Dantonio got MSU about as far as Kelly did ND

In 13 seasons Dantonio went to one CFP and zero BCS title ganes.
In 12 seasons BK went to two CFP’s & a BCS title game.