Al Golden

Pennick44

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This is a stretch. Mickens had coached corners his entire career up until this season when he coached DBs after O'Leary left.

Elston has coached DL, ST, LB, has been recruiting coordinator at multiple stops and has held the assistant head coach title at two different programs. He's also been coaching twice as long as Mickens has. Maybe he's been passed over for DC jobs, but Mickens being more accomplished in terms of coaching career isn't remotely close to being true if 10 different professionals looked at their resumes side by side

The point remains: There are fans on this board that would rather promote assistant coaches and or give them raises rather than see them leave. If Freeman determines Mickens is going to replace Golden, fine, but up until now the majority of reasons I've seen to make Mickens the DC is because he recruits well and has done a good job developing corners. That's not good enough rationale. On this board and others. For years we've seen guys come and go and more often than not it was the end of the world. Elston was the latest example. Check the threads, check the posts. The receipts are there. Hell, people thought O'Leary couldn't recruit for shit and suddenly when he left there was handwringing.

Now if Freeman and Golden have been bringing him along these last three years to hand him the seat when the time comes and that time is now, so be it. Works with continuity and all that.

I'll admit 100% that I'm handwringing about Golden leaving and for that I want the best possible DC candidate to replace him. If that's Mickens, fine, but it better be because he's the best possible guy not because he recruits.
If Elston was so accomplished and you say, why has he never had a sniff of a DC position?
 

Plankton

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giphy.gif
 

IAIrish

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Got his son into ND and dipped less than a year later. Respect.
I'd reject his sons spring enrollment if he was getting free tuition, no italics. He can pay for it with all that Cinci $. You want the perks, do the job that comes with it.

That said, hell of a run for three years. It'll be difficult to replace him with someone who can keep the defense elite. Mickens might be the guy.
 

Ndaccountant

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Good for him. Don't anticipate a significant change and approach so long as we continue to have superior back end play, which i think we will have e so long as Mickens is around. May even add a recruiter.
 

stlnd01

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I'd reject his sons spring enrollment if he was getting free tuition, no italics. He can pay for it with all that Cinci $. You want the perks, do the job that comes with it.

That said, hell of a run for three years. It'll be difficult to replace him with someone who can keep the defense elite. Mickens might be the guy.
If I'm reading this correctly Golden hadn't been here long enough to qualify for free tuition for children of staff. And with what we were paying the guy, a need-based scholarship seems unlikely.

As for the move, I don't really get it either, but I see the world through green-and-gold glasses. It's too bad. But I don't really thinkg you can expect to keep a good coordinator longer than three seasons anyway, and he gave us three very very good ones. Now go hire the next great DC. As said earlier, we should have a lot of good options.
 

HouseofPain

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If I'm reading this correctly Golden hadn't been here long enough to qualify for free tuition for children of staff. And with what we were paying the guy, a need-based scholarship seems unlikely.

As for the move, I don't really get it either, but I see the world through green-and-gold glasses. It's too bad. But I don't you can expect to keep a good coordinator longer than three seasons anyway, and he gave us three very very good ones. Now go hire the next great DC. As said earlier, we should have a lot of good options.
I agree. The guy earned it. Brought ND a looooooong way.
 

SWirishfan

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I am looking forward to a last minute switch.
AG comes back and Les Miles cries about chests for some reason.
 

thekid33

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It probably will be Mickens. I am totally on board with that decision if that's how it plays out.

However, I would call two people:

1) Saban - Known Catholic. Doesn't need to deal with NIL and responsibility of being HC. Come coach ball and put us over the top.

Total pipe dream. But, make him say no. I think MF is confident enough and secure in his own skin enough that it could work

2) Knowles - Totally turned around OSU and saved Day's dumbass. Tell us what your price is.
 

NDQuebec

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It probably will be Mickens. I am totally on board with that decision if that's how it plays out.

However, I would call two people:

1) Saban - Known Catholic. Doesn't need to deal with NIL and responsibility of being HC. Come coach ball and put us over the top.

Total pipe dream. But, make him say no. I think MF is confident enough and secure in his own skin enough that it could work

2) Knowles - Totally turned around OSU and saved Day's dumbass. Tell us what your price is.
I'll smoke what you're smoking.
 

Sea Turtle

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Wow I just figured out the mystery candidate

Pat Narduzzi

No, because that doesn't happen for us. OSU comes up short and they get Chip Kelly. We come up short and lose Al Golden.

That's how things break for ND.
 
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