Coaching Carousel

[jprue24]

LET'S FUCKING GO!!

 

[KPENN]

Best win he’s ever had this late in the year

 

[ColoradoIrish]

BK 1 LSU 0

3*-0 you forgot about the bowl games

 

[OrlaNDomer]

Gators plane just landed in Starkville.

 

[CanadalovesND]

Gators plane just landed in Starkville.

They want Jeff Lebby?

Or is Ole Miss already in town?

 

[OrlaNDomer]

Have to assume it would be to pick up Lane. But just was sent this by a confident Florida fan.

 

[Pete]

Have to assume it would be to pick up Lane. But just was sent this by a confident Florida fan.

That would be epically hilarious, if after the Egg Bowl he walks off the field, ignores media, and gets on a PJ headed to Gainesville 😂

 

[Bane]

Some of both, I imagine, but more of the latter. I think he annoyed some of the powers that be, but has since done some damage control and been more conciliatory. I'd be glad to have him.

Marrying into a family of Florida fans, I have been following the Gators as well for about 20 years, so I understand why they want Lane. I can understand why LSU would want Lane. I guess I don't see it with Alabama. I know he was the OC there and did well, but DeBoer has won bigger games at his prior stops to Bama than Lane has ever won. I would argue DeBoer's two wins over Oregon in 2023 (regular season and Pac12 title game) and his CFP semifinal win over Texas are bigger than any wins Lane has ever had in his career so far.

I'm not saying DeBoer is the right guy or even that Lane couldn't do better than him, but I don't know, it just feels like Alabama could dream a little bigger than Lane Kiffin.

 

[stlnd01]

Marrying into a family of Florida fans, I have been following the Gators as well for about 20 years, so I understand why they want Lane. I can understand why LSU would want Lane. I guess I don't see it with Alabama. I know he was the OC there and did well, but DeBoer has won bigger games at his prior stops to Bama than Lane has ever won. I would argue DeBoer's two wins over Oregon in 2023 (regular season and Pac12 title game) and his CFP semifinal win over Texas are bigger than any wins Lane has ever had in his career so far.

I'm not saying DeBoer is the right guy or even that Lane couldn't do better than him, but I don't know, it just feels like Alabama could dream a little bigger than Lane Kiffin.

Yep. Kiffin's a good coach. He can win you a lot of games, get a program like Ole Miss into the playoffs. But he's not a truly great coach. There's always been something lightweight about him. And, while he has matured since USC days, he's been around long enough now that if that gravitas was going to emerge, it would have by now.

So yeah if Bama opened I could see them kicking the tires on Lane, but being a serious program with the highest of expectations, they'd probably land elsewhere. And no reason at all to run off DeBoer for Kiffin.

 

[Irish#1]

An interesting and plausible, though very unlikely scenario I saw a few days ago. If Kiffin could have any job in CFB, it's probably Bama. Bama fans aren't totally sold on DeBoer yet. He loses games he shouldn't lose and isn't consistent. We're not convinced he'll ever win a NC at Bama. We haven't soured on him yet, but we're not convinced we aren't going to want to see other people either. PSU has made no secret of their wanting him. If he loses to Auburn this week and especially if we go to the SEC CG (likely) and lose there too, DeBoer to PSU might be a mutually agreed upon breakup and Kiffin may get a call. Not likely, but not implausible either.

Unrealistic for Bama fans to think whom ever they hired would be able to maintain the same level as Saban.

 

[IrishEyesAreSmiling]

 

[Ndaccountant]

I still give it better than 5% chance Lane stays. This would be the biggest coaching troll job ever. And if there is one person who would do it, Lane is the one.

 

[IrishEyesAreSmiling]

I just have a weird feeling its Florida, even though LSU and Ole Miss or more likely

 

[Rasputin]

The current coaching carousel is like an odd game of musical chairs where there are more chairs (program openings) than contestants (quality coaches). The contestants can't lose, but some chairs sure will.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Unrealistic for Bama fans to think whom ever they hired would be able to maintain the same level as Saban.

True. It’s extended to the modern college fanbase. A large portion are still in the BCS mindset. They don’t understand that a playoff is just that..a playoff. And since the latter part of the BCS era was dominated by the SEC, they think that’s the way it’s always been and there’s no reason it should change. Now there’s parity w/ NIL. Soon there will be one or two mega conferences. The G5 won’t be part of the CFP. And FCS opponents will no longer be allowed.

As imperfect as it is, compare today’s format vs what we grew up with. You had an AP & Coach’s (UPI) poll voting on who the NC would be. We all know there’s no way these AP voters could truly evaluate all the viable teams in a fair & unbiased fashion. They were mostly regional reporters. Even worse, it was anonymous w/ rare exception. These fat desk jockeys who probably didn’t even play didn’t have the balls to make their vote public.

 

[Dale]

Fascinating to see programs like Missouri and Nebraska so scared to a hire a new coach that they overpay by millions to retain. That’s 1 - 2 starter’s NIL worth of overpay annually.

 

[stlnd01]

Fascinating to see programs like Missouri and Nebraska so scared to a hire a new coach that they overpay by millions to retain. That’s 1 - 2 starter’s NIL worth of overpay annually.

Also fascinating to see coaches turn down programs that are capable of winning a national championship to stay with a program that isn't.

 

[Bishop2b5]

Unrealistic for Bama fans to think whom ever they hired would be able to maintain the same level as Saban.

We're not that crazy. Nobody really expected anyone to come in and keep the program at Saban level. We're just frustrated at the stupid losses. You're prepared, you play hard, you get beaten by another good team, fine. It happens. Just showing up looking absolutely lost & unprepared, and laying an egg like we have in losses to OU, Vandy, FSU, etc. is what's driving us nuts. We look like the best team in the country one week, and hot garbage the next. It's better this year than last, and I hope he continues to improve, but I'm afraid he's going to be a perpetual 10-2 kind of coach.

 

[CoachB]

Is the rumor true of him and his family being unhappy in Alabama?

 

[Wild Bill]

We're not that crazy. Nobody really expected anyone to come in and keep the program at Saban level. We're just frustrated at the stupid losses. You're prepared, you play hard, you get beaten by another good team, fine. It happens. Just showing up looking absolutely lost & unprepared, and laying an egg like we have in losses to OU, Vandy, FSU, etc. is what's driving us nuts. We look like the best team in the country one week, and hot garbage the next. It's better this year than last, and I hope he continues to improve, but I'm afraid he's going to be a perpetual 10-2 kind of coach.

A nightmare I can't imagine living through.

 

[irishff1014]

No way has he earned a pay day like that.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Fascinating to see programs like Missouri and Nebraska so scared to a hire a new coach that they overpay by millions to retain. That’s 1 - 2 starter’s NIL worth of overpay annually.

But no surprise to see coaches remain at lower tier power conference schools. Most elite players want to know how much you can pay them so if you’re at a mid-to-lower tier program but there’s a commitment to NIL, why sign up for the added stress, sleepless nights & death threats to coach a blue blood or a nouveau riche program that expects you to win early & often? Ryan Day had to hire private security after OSU lost to scUM. Fuck that.

 

[Bane]

Fascinating to see programs like Missouri and Nebraska so scared to a hire a new coach that they overpay by millions to retain. That’s 1 - 2 starter’s NIL worth of overpay annually.

And the thing is, no one outside of maybe PSU had any interest in Matt Rhule, he was totally safe. And Drink? The fans of any program even somewhat attached to his name for their vacancy were having existential crises. The smoke from UF insiders is that Drink was not a candidate because they knew it wouldn't go over well with the fanbase. That dude was probably not going anywhere either. And now their programs have overpaid by huge amounts and saddled themselves with mediocre coaches similar to FSU dropping a massive bag to retain Norvell a few years ago.

The college coaching market reminds me a bit of the NFL QB market. Teams are overpaying for average QBs (Dak, Trevor Lawrence, etc.) because they're deathly afraid of going back into the market because nothing much excites them.

 

[stlnd01]

But no surprise to see coaches remain at lower tier power conference schools. Most elite players want to know how much you can pay them so if you’re at a mid-to-lower tier program but there’s a commitment to NIL, why sign up for the added stress, sleepless nights & death threats to coach a blue blood or a nouveau riche program that expects you to win early & often? Ryan Day had to hire private security after OSU lost to scUM. Fuck that.

Sure, but also these are deeply competitive people. That's how they came in position to be paid $10 million to coach 20-year-olds to play an ultimately meaningless sport. Winning a national title is the pinnacle. You want the ones who want to reach the pinnacle, who are willing to do what it takes to get there.

 

[Bluto]

When the megaconference happens, all the P4s that remain somewhat serious about academics (aside from us) are going to be on the outside looking in. They should band together, call themselves the Big Ivy.

Stanford
Northwestern
Vandy
BC
Wake
Duke
Ga. Tech

Maybe sprinkle in a couple of service academies and Tulane or TCU or SMU (is SMU a good school?) to get up to 10 or 12 teams. You could do worse. Stanford would still have a bitch of a travel situation though.

Not necessarily.

Now that players can get paid playing anywhere I would think it would make getting an actual education from an elite academic institution more attractive in that it’s additional icing on the cake and sets you up for life after football.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Sure, but also these are deeply competitive people. That's how they came in position to be paid $10 million. Winning a national title is the pinnacle. You want the ones who want to reach the pinnacle, who are willing to do what it takes to get there.

That’s my point. It teams like Ole Miss or Texas Tech or SMU can prove the commitment to paying players, what else does a coach need? They don’t have to be HC of Bama or OSU and still compete for NC.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Not necessarily.

Now that players can get paid playing anywhere I would think it would make getting an actual education from an elite academic institution more attractive in that it’s additional icing on the cake and sets you up for life after football.

True but that’s the key…how many of those academic schools are going to commit enough money to get enough elite talent to compete in a power conference. Vandy seems to so far. Duke paid the most this past portal period for their QB ($4M?). Maybe GT will up the ante now that Key has them competitive again. I doubt GT has an issue w/ getting kids admitted anyways but the elite education is there for the taking.

 

[Bane]

That’s my point. It teams like Ole Miss or Texas Tech or SMU can prove the commitment to paying players, what else does a coach need? They don’t have to be HC of Bama or OSU and still compete for NC.

The same reason guys want to be the coach of the Irish: there's a certain prestige attached to jobs. Winning a title at SMU gets you highly paid, winning a title at ND or Bama makes you a legend of the sport forever.

 

[TorontoGold]

Not necessarily.

Now that players can get paid playing anywhere I would think it would make getting an actual education from an elite academic institution more attractive in that it’s additional icing on the cake and sets you up for life after football.

I would say there's certainly a breakeven point between the excess value an ND degree provides vs. BumU.

An actuary can whip something up but the life times earnings gain from an ND degree probably isn't more than like ~500k over that of a lesser generic school? Maybe?

So if you can get that surplus value in NIL, doesn't really make financial sense to actually play school.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

The same reason guys want to be the coach of the Irish: there's a certain prestige attached to jobs. Winning a title at SMU gets you highly paid, winning a title at ND or Bama makes you a legend of the sport forever.

I think that will change with time. Les Miles, Larry Coker, Ed Orgeron, Jimbo Fisher aren’t legends in my eyes. I get what you’re saying but we come from a generation where ND, Bama, OSU, USC, scUM, UT, OU, Nebraska were legend making programs. Today’s fanbase couldn’t care less IMO

Now when you put a young, successful HC like MF w/ a historic school like ND that hasn’t won since before kids today were born? No doubt that would be legendary. But legends like Urban Meyer & Bob Stoops have passed up challenges like ND in favor of the Al Davis mantra of “Just Win Baby”.