Coaching Carousel

Katzenboyer

Well-known member
Messages
1,922
Reaction score
3,183
Some IU people are telling me Cignetti likes IU, hates moving, and feels appreciated at IU. They will pony up to keep him, and theres really no reason for him to leave.

Take that for whatever it’s worth.

I’ve heard the same.

The two jobs that MIGHT pull Cignetti from IU are Michigan and Bama. Doesnt view PSU as a step up.
 

TracyGraham

Well-known member
Messages
510
Reaction score
552
It’s Rhule. You’ll hear a bunch of other names mentioned but Rhule will be the next coach at PSU and everything else is just noise.
But like others said, that seems like a downgrade. Id love for psu to downgrade, but if you were a fan(or a donor shelling out 50 million) would you accept Rhule??
 

Irish4life

Well-known member
Messages
2,887
Reaction score
3,674
I can't see his offenses work at PSU, but you never know. Just seems like it'd be an odd fit. Chip Kelly ran the fastest offenses I've seen at Oregon. Blitzkrieg. Deboer has a better chance to win a title at Bama than PSU. No way I'm leaving. Key is interesting and may be attainable. Could see it going down if they target him. Firing Franklin now proves they are serious about trying to win a title.
In fairness the best offenses PSU had under Franklin were up tempo spread RPO with Trace McSorley and Barkley
 

NDWarrior

Well-known member
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
2,421
I say PSU should go with up and coming and proven so far coach from a top 25 team - Proven experience building roster, incl. effectively managing portal while managing team culture including getting the right HS recruits for the program, and now building a general manager and head of recruiting stuff; and then, putting it all together with hiring up and coming hungry position coaches, maybe balanced with veteran OC and DC picks as ND has done. Screw the really big names and really big $ (see Bill Belichick).

So... How about

- TTU's Joey McGuire
- VA's Tony Elliott
- Vanderbilt's Clark Lea
- USF's Alex Golesh
- Memphis' Ryan Silverfield
- Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield
- Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz
- Louisville's Jeff Brohm
- SMU's Rhett Lashlee

Many of these coaches are likely at their dream job and/or are pretty happy where they are but...
If getting to the CFP each year is the goal, building a strong PSU team with ripe recruiting potential and a strong CFB history, could be their better chance to make said CFP each year. All of these team above are either in weak conferences and would have to be a Group of conference champion and highest rated team or they have much tougher uphill battles in their FBS conferences.

(Maybe Joey McGuire, the one exception where they can be the top dog in the Big 12 and he is a born and bred TX guy.)

Maybe PSU is not a top 5-6 job, but is likely a top 10-12 job.
 
Last edited:

SportsingHard

Well-known member
Messages
1,262
Reaction score
1,113
I say PSU should go with up and coming and proven so far coach from a top 25 team - Proven experience building roster, incl. effectively managing portal while managing team culture including getting the right HS recruits for the program, and now building a general manager and head of recruiting stuff; and then, putting it all together with hiring up and coming hungry position coaches, maybe balanced with veteran OC and DC picks as ND has done. Screw the really big names and really big $ (see Bill Belichick).

So... How about

- TTU's Joey McGuire
- VA's Tony Elliott
- Vanderbilt's Clark Lea
- USF's Alex Golesh
- Memphis' Ryan Silverfield
- Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield
- Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz
- Louisville's Jeff Brohm
- SMU's Rhett Lashlee

Many of these coaches are likely at their dream job and/or are pretty happy where they are but...
If getting to the CFP each year is the goal, building a strong PSU team with ripe recruiting potential and a strong CFB history, could be their better chance to make said CFP each year. All of these team above are either in weak conferences and would have to be a Group of conference champion and highest rated team or they have much tougher uphill battles in their FBS conferences.

(Maybe Joey McGuire, the one exception where they can be the top dog in the Big 12 and he is a born and bred TX guy.)

Maybe PSU is not a top 5-6 job, but is likely a top 10-12 job.
You just described Vanderbilt's James Franklin. Not ribbing you. I find this post sensible. I just think Penn State may have Nebraska'd themselves. At worst, Franklin was Penn State's second best coach in 138 years. At best, he had a higher winning percentage than Paterno since Penn State decided to play with the big boys in 1993.
 

greyhammer90

the drunk piano player
Messages
16,819
Reaction score
16,078
I would have to look that up. I am not really sure about that.

There were. It was everywhere for awhile. Surprised so many people have forgotten it.

 

stlnd01

Was away. Now returned.
Messages
13,386
Reaction score
10,247
So... How about

- TTU's Joey McGuire
- VA's Tony Elliott
- Vanderbilt's Clark Lea
- USF's Alex Golesh
- Memphis' Ryan Silverfield
- Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield
- Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz
- Louisville's Jeff Brohm
- SMU's Rhett Lashlee

Most of these people would make more money and have better resources/playoff prospects at Penn State than at their current job, and most would be good hires for Penn State. It will not be any of them.
 

NDFAN2008

Well-known member
Messages
7,330
Reaction score
5,655
Penn State fans are delusional they think Penn State is a top 10 job, I can name at least 15 schools that are better opportunities.
 

stlnd01

Was away. Now returned.
Messages
13,386
Reaction score
10,247
I just don’t think Penn State is a good job. 🤷‍♂️
Why not?

Big resources. Huge fan base. Recruiting-wise you own a large state with good high school football (and have a geographic advantage on the rest of the northeast from the DMV to New England). Sure the culture is a little toxic but that’s hardly unusual.

It’s a little behind Ohio State, Michigan and us, but otherwise it’s the best job in the north. Certainly a Top 15 job overall and maybe 10 if the boosters are feeling spendy.
 

FDNYIrish1

ARE YOU SUPPORTIVE OF THESE ONESIES???
Messages
3,014
Reaction score
5,228
Rhule is a program builder who’s been upwardly mobile. I think the guys a heck of a college coach. I do wonder how he’d do at a blue blood destination.
 

Kingbish01

Well-known member
Messages
3,414
Reaction score
2,375
Why not?

Big resources. Huge fan base. Recruiting-wise you own a large state with good high school football (and have a geographic advantage on the rest of the northeast from the DMV to New England). Sure the culture is a little toxic but that’s hardly unusual.

It’s a little behind Ohio State, Michigan and us, but otherwise it’s the best job in the north. Certainly a Top 15 job overall and maybe 10 if the boosters are feeling spendy.
You nailed it, and definitely a top 15 destination and it's not up for debate. That being said anyone (Cig included) that doesn't view PSU as a better job than IU aren't worth going back and forth with.
 

ShamrockOnHelmet

Refreshman
Messages
2,745
Reaction score
1,750
Why not?

Big resources. Huge fan base. Recruiting-wise you own a large state with good high school football (and have a geographic advantage on the rest of the northeast from the DMV to New England). Sure the culture is a little toxic but that’s hardly unusual.

It’s a little behind Ohio State, Michigan and us, but otherwise it’s the best job in the north. Certainly a Top 15 job overall and maybe 10 if the boosters are feeling spendy.
Ok. I don’t know what to tell you, really. Those things may be true. I just don’t view it as a good job. 🤷‍♂️

Carry on.
 

NDVirginia19

Rally
Messages
4,420
Reaction score
5,129
Cig is a god at IU already and can name his price and doesn’t have any sort of boosters with significant clout like Bama and Michigan that will be breathing down your neck second guessing your every game. Cig is pretty much unfireable at IU and anything above 7 win seasons is Money. Why the hell would he move to Michigan or Alabama where a 8/9 win season gets you fired
 

Katzenboyer

Well-known member
Messages
1,922
Reaction score
3,183
I’m not sure he’d leave Vandy but I think Clark Lea would absolutely kill it at PSU. That’s the slam dunk hire, IMO.
 

NDRock

Well-known member
Messages
7,489
Reaction score
5,448
Alabama, Oregon, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, A&M, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Miami, LSU. I'd even consider Clemson, Florida, and Florida State as even schools to Penn State
4the best job in the north.
 

dankgesang

Troll Tide
Messages
448
Reaction score
681
I’m not sure he’d leave Vandy but I think Clark Lea would absolutely kill it at PSU. That’s the slam dunk hire, IMO.
My impression is that you've got to be a first-class booster wrangler to succeed in Happy Valley, not sure that's part of Clark's (otherwise super impressive) whole thing.
 

stlnd01

Was away. Now returned.
Messages
13,386
Reaction score
10,247
Alabama, Oregon, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, A&M, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Miami, LSU. I'd even consider Clemson, Florida, and Florida State as even schools to Penn State
Personally I'd put Oklahoma and Miami more in the bucket with Clemson and the Florida schools, and Penn State. So, yeah, a top 10-15 job.
 

NDWarrior

Well-known member
Messages
3,002
Reaction score
2,421
I will say Franklin with the right position coaches had some great recruiting years, so for sure the right coach building the right culture will get top players to come to PSU and, as you stated, PSU has big resources and a big, strong HS Football state to potentially own.
 
Last edited:

Irish#1

Livin' Your Dream!
Staff member
Messages
44,573
Reaction score
20,020
Cig is a god at IU already and can name his price and doesn’t have any sort of boosters with significant clout like Bama and Michigan that will be breathing down your neck second guessing your every game. Cig is pretty much unfireable at IU and anything above 7 win seasons is Money. Why the hell would he move to Michigan or Alabama where a 8/9 win season gets you fired
People quick to say Cignetti to PSU don't dig into the details. Along with what you mentioned, IU will always be a basketball school, so the pressure from boosters, donors, fans and the administration will never rival PSU or Bama and he's getting the money to compete. Bama offered Mendoza NIL money and IU outbid them.
 

FU BK

Well-known member
Messages
1,684
Reaction score
2,656
People quick to say Cignetti to PSU don't dig into the details. Along with what you mentioned, IU will always be a basketball school, so the pressure from boosters, donors, fans and the administration will never rival PSU or Bama and he's getting the money to compete. Bama offered Mendoza NIL money and IU outbid them.
Mark Cuban's pockets aren't empty.
 

Katzenboyer

Well-known member
Messages
1,922
Reaction score
3,183
My impression is that you've got to be a first-class booster wrangler to succeed in Happy Valley, not sure that's part of Clark's (otherwise super impressive) whole thing.

The same thing was said about Bama before Saban got there.

Not saying Lea is Saban. But schools get away with it until someone comes in, pisses on each corner of the weight room, and says "this is my program now and you're going to do what I say." I think Lea has that personality.

(And yes, there's a story/urban legend out there that one of the first things Saban did when he got to LSU is piss in all four corners of the team weight room prior to the team's first workout and said something along those lines).
 

slick7410

Well-known member
Messages
566
Reaction score
806
Any chance Penn State goes copycat and tries to get their own Marcus Freeman / Dan Lanning ending up with D’anton Lynn?
 

stlnd01

Was away. Now returned.
Messages
13,386
Reaction score
10,247
Any chance Penn State goes copycat and tries to get their own Marcus Freeman / Dan Lanning ending up with D’anton Lynn?
Didn't realize Lynn played at Penn State.
I think there is a strong argument for the young up-and-comer who can bring energy and connect with players, especially if you're willing to invest in good coordinators and a GM. But you have to get the right one. Maybe he's it? I'm not sure.
 
Top