Coaching Carousel

[GowerND11]

If it isn’t Rhule (which I feel is 90% done already), I would go Chesney from JMU. He’s local, relatively young, proven winner.

 

[SportsingHard]

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.

"Own" is perhaps an overstatement, I'm not sure Oregon qualifies as a Southern school, and I'd call Penn State a borderline Top 15 job, but I agree it's certainly a good job.

 

[Bane]

 

[NDWarrior]

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).

 

[stlnd01]

I'm sure Penn State would love to hire Freeman. Who wouldn't? But even if they could pay him the requisite $20 million/year, they're not going to be able to wait until Jan. 20.

 

[Irish#1]

Mark Cuban's pockets aren't empty.

From what I’ve heard on the radio, Cuban hasn’t given any NIL money. If you want to look at rich donors, Cook is the guy at IU. I think he passed, but the family is still involved.

 

[FU BK]

From what I’ve heard on the radio, Cuban hasn’t given any NIL money. If you want to look at rich donors, Cook is the guy at IU. I think he passed, but the family is still involved.

I know the son, Carl Cook is now the CEO and is the richest man in Indiana. The was an article I read a few days ago that Cuban donated an unspecified amount of money to athletics and that was one of the reasons they were able to grab Mendoza out of the portal outbidding several others.

 

[ab2cmiller]

I don’t know if Penn State would want Dabo, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if he left Clemson to take another job.

 

[DCK_1981]

My guess is Penn State has to hire their 3rd or 4th choice and the fan base is pissed.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

I would consider Chris “Gangster” Ash as a program defining hire.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Does anyone think that any potential coaches would be scared away from taking the job considering Franklin went from almost making it to the championship game to fired in half a year?

Will the firing force PSU to offer a longer term contract and/or overpay on annual salary?

 

[ColinKSU]

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 genuinely think Cignetti would be insane to leave IU. He already has everything he could want. He’ll probably be to consecutive CFPs and he *just* beat Oregon at Oregon.

What does Penn State have to offer him besides angry fans and more scrutiny?

 

[SportsingHard]

Does anyone think that any potential coaches would be scared away from taking the job considering Franklin went from almost making it to the championship game to fired in half a year?

Will the firing force PSU to offer a longer term contract and/or overpay on annual salary?

Yes, I think it's an issue, along with the fact that Franklin had a higher winning percentage than St. Paterno in Penn State's Big Ten era. They're demanding a level of performance they've never achieved outside of the 80s, and that was against lesser competition.

On the flip side, what Top 15-ish type program could you possibly go to these days that's going to give you reasonable expectations? These 100 million dollar contracts go a long way to getting these guys to accept a likely firing a few years down the road.

 

[notredomer23]

Penn State Coaching Search Hot Board 15.0

See why Lions247 is THE place to be for discussion during Penn State's search for James Franklin's replacement, as this article and the attached thread have now blown past 113,000 comments.

247sports.com

PSU hot board:

Terry Smith
Matt Rhule
Curt Cignetti
Eli Drinkowitz
Manny Diaz
Ryan Silverfield
Kenny Dillingham
Willie Stein
Joe Brady
Urban Meyer

Continues to hear most buzz about Rhule

 

[stlnd01]

Penn State Coaching Search Hot Board 15.0

See why Lions247 is THE place to be for discussion during Penn State's search for James Franklin's replacement, as this article and the attached thread have now blown past 113,000 comments.

247sports.com

PSU hot board:

Terry Smith
Matt Rhule
Curt Cignetti
Eli Drinkowitz
Manny Diaz
Ryan Silverfield
Kenny Dillingham
Willie Stein
Joe Brady
Urban Meyer

Continues to hear most buzz about Rhule

Drinkwitz would be an interesting move here. He's done well at Mizzou but there's a ceiling to that program and he's probably hitting it. Penn State's ceiling is higher. He has five years experience as a head coach in the SEC but is unlikely to excite Florida or whatever other SEC power jobs might come open. Maybe he's a good fit for Penn State?

 

[NDWarrior]

From what I’ve heard on the radio, Cuban hasn’t given any NIL money. If you want to look at rich donors, Cook is the guy at IU. I think he passed, but the family is still involved.

I actually posted this on Saturday in another thread. Cuban says in this article:

Mark Cuban told CBS Sports he gave “big number” donation to IU Athletics

"... after getting to talk to Cig (Cignetti) and seeing what was going on, they kinda talked me into it.”
"Cuban told CBS the amount he gave IU Athletics was a “big number” that wasn’t tethered to a specific cause. But obviously his connection with Cignetti was the inspiration. And IU was able to sign several high profile transfers, highlighted by quarterback Fernando Mendoza."

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

I still think Ruhle stays at Nebraska and Drinkwitz would do really well at PSU if he wanted it

 

[Irish#1]

I actually posted this on Saturday in another thread. Cuban says in this article:

Mark Cuban told CBS Sports he gave “big number” donation to IU Athletics

"... after getting to talk to Cig (Cignetti) and seeing what was going on, they kinda talked me into it.”
"Cuban told CBS the amount he gave IU Athletics was a “big number” that wasn’t tethered to a specific cause. But obviously his connection with Cignetti was the inspiration. And IU was able to sign several high profile transfers, highlighted by quarterback Fernando Mendoza."

Looks like I missed the part where they said "until recently." Always thought it was weird he hadn't done anything on the athletics side given his ownership of the Mavericks.

 

[IrishSpartan]

I think Silverfield is the perfect hire for Wisconsin

 

[Black Irish]

I don't get the logic of a school firing a coach halfway through the season. I'm not debating the merits of whether Franklin or any of these other coaches should have been fired. But what's the upshot of axing a guy after 6 games? It's not like PSU can go out and get a hot coach to hire (e.g. Rhule, Drinkiwitz, Lea) and start right now. They aren't getting that guy until the season is done. So in the meantime they fire the coach, appoint a coordinator or position coach to be the interim (which stretches that guy really thin having to do 2 jobs) and just write off the season and eat a fat buyout?

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see the strategic benefit of schools doing this. It seems like a reactive decision to please vocal fans & donors. The AD can still make the decision that he will move on from a coach and conduct a search with the guy still in the job. He can even tell the coach behind closed doors "Listen coach, thanks for what you've done but we need to part ways. I'll let play the rest of the season out and when it's over our can resign to save face. But if you don't, I will publicly can you."

The only thing I can think is that a school needs to telegraph early on to HC candidates that they are 100% ready to bring in someone new instead of trying to fill the job with a guy still in the role. Anyone have thoughts on this?

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I genuinely think Cignetti would be insane to leave IU. He already has everything he could want. He’ll probably be to consecutive CFPs and he *just* beat Oregon at Oregon.

What does Penn State have to offer him besides angry fans and more scrutiny?

I agree.

 

[Dale]

Indiana currently has the 27th ranked HS recruiting class. Last years was 49th.

It is entirely unsustainable to not recruit HS at even a Top 20 if the goal is being a CFP team.

Either A) Indiana cant do it because they blow their load on the portal or B) this staff can’t do it or C) HS kids don’t want to go to Indiana still

Look at Texas Tech. They are doing both. I think hopping to PSU would be an attractive off ramp for Cignetti given there is no way they can keep this current level without massive changes to the HS recruiting.

 

[Dale]

Related to HS recruiting, it would take massive balls but Klatt threw out Brian Hartline. What a risk/reward that could be.

 

[Dale]

It seems like a reactive decision to please vocal fans & donors.

You answered your own question. The situation in the stadium would be untenable down the stretch and if the donors want to make a move, well that’s what the money is for.

 

[Me2SouthBend]

Related to HS recruiting, it would take massive balls but Klatt threw out Brian Hartline. What a risk/reward that could be.

Klatt threw Hartline to where? PSU?

 

[Free Manera]

Related to HS recruiting, it would take massive balls but Klatt threw out Brian Hartline. What a risk/reward that could be.

I've always heard his next job would be NFL WR coach because he doesn't have the OC skillset let alone HC. But if they strike out on Cignetti, Rhule, Campbell (prob in that order) then maybe they play a wild card.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

None of these schools should be crying about not having money if they are buying out football coaches for tens of millions of dollars. Excuse me, but fuck you. Drown in your crocodile tears while people's grocery bills have skyrocketed in the last six months.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I've always heard his next job would be NFL WR coach because he doesn't have the OC skillset let alone HC. But if they strike out on Cignetti, Rhule, Campbell (prob in that order) then maybe they play a wild card.

I hope it ends up as a mushroom cloud of catastrophe. I'd love Hartline to Penn State. I think it would expose some things and finally clear up a lot of misconceptions and assumptions people have been making for a very long time.

Another recruiter anointed by the internet as some kind of football savant. I honestly do not get it with Hartline. His ceiling is PJ Fleck.

 

[Dale]

I've always heard his next job would be NFL WR coach because he doesn't have the OC skillset let alone HC. But if they strike out on Cignetti, Rhule, Campbell (prob in that order) then maybe they play a wild card.

Don’t need to call plays to be a HC though. Elite recruiter. Clearly well liked. Management ability would be entirely in question. Fran Brown most recent good example.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I still think Ruhle stays at Nebraska and Drinkwitz would do really well at PSU if he wanted it

Drink has the look of a PSU HC