Mike Elko - Defensive Coordinator

[Fbolt]

What's the answer? Promote from within? My initial thought is to keep the same scheme with Elston as the DC and Lea as the co-DC...?

Not too ticked at JS and ND as it seemed like Elko was pitting the two schools against one another. Either you play the chump and elevate salaries (I say chump because someone who pits one against the other is in it for themselves only-and they'll leave for greener pastures whenever the opportunity arises) or eventually decide not to play the game. If true, the effort (1.5m) to keep him was legit and true.

I somewhat understand Elko-he's being recognized and is a desired commodity. Dump the chick with acne and get on that cheerleader. Strike while the iron is hot. He succeeds at aTm, he's in line for a P5 job and not just a MAC school.

I suppose I don't blame anyone. It just is what it is. Suck it up and drive on. Make another great hire and keep on moving the program forward.

What this does do is give fans a reason to blame someone (Elko, JS, BK)-but hey, when things hit the fan they'd blame someone regardless.

 

[phgreek]

Would anyone here entertain the idea of Diaco coming back?

I'm extremely mixed on this.

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I'm a no. Bob's time has passed. There is no room at ND to have coordinators who delegate recruiting. You need to do it, measure your results, be critiqued on your approach, tune your approach....just like the xs and os. Bob ain't that guy.

 

[fightingirish26]

tamu is the worst thing to happen to college football. period.

it's a school with ZERO actual history, and thinks they are a blue blood only because they have a cult of a fanbase and stupid money.

sheesh. since when do you need history to spend money and try to build a top program? time to move on.

 

[phgreek]

What's the answer? Promote from within? My initial thought is to keep the same scheme with Elston as the DC and Lea as the co-DC?

I'd be shocked if Lea hung around w/o a coordinator gig. But ND isn't the place to be a first time DC. Or maybe it is now...shrug. I think there is a DC out there that runs similar enough stuff, to where the experience is there, and the scheme is enough the same. I'd be ok with cracking the piggy bank for a Bo Pelini or a Bud Foster type guy.

 

[goldandblue]

I'd be shocked if Lea hung around w/o a coordinator gig. But ND isn't the place to be a first time DC. Or maybe it is now...shrug. I think there is a DC out there that runs similar enough stuff, to where the experience is there, and the scheme is enough the same. I'd be ok with cracking the piggy bank for a Bo Pelini or a Bud Foster type guy.

Break the bank for pelini? According to google, he is making about 250k at youngstown... shouldn't take much bankroll to interest him.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

Does Patterson at TCU have a coaching tree? I'm pretty sure he was one of the first guys to run the 4-2-5.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I'd be ok with cracking the piggy bank for a Bo Pelini or a Bud Foster type guy.

Since our unwillingness to "crack... the piggy bank" is what put us in this situation to begin with, I doubt that option is on table.

Promoting Lea and hoping he's up to the task may be our best chance of avoiding a few years of painful rebuilding.

 

[BGIF]

I'd be shocked if Lea hung around w/o a coordinator gig. But ND isn't the place to be a first time DC. Or maybe it is now...shrug. I think there is a DC out there that runs similar enough stuff, to where the experience is there, and the scheme is enough the same. I'd be ok with cracking the piggy bank for a Bo Pelini or a Bud Foster type guy.

Break the bank for pelini? According to google, he is making about 250k at youngstown... shouldn't take much bankroll to interest him.

Pelini make $1,750,002 per year termination compenstaion through February 2019 LESS whatever income he makes elsewhere. So deduct his Youngstown salary is a number of consequence for him. Should he take $1.5 million DC's job his Nebraska termination check is reduced to 250,002 for the same total compensation of $1,750,002.

So until Feb 2019 Pelini can stay at HC at a small school with little to no ethical bars working under the Goldpants for Tatoos President, or be a DC at a large school in a fishbowl subject to academic and behavioral rules and regulations for the exact same total compensation. In 2 years the DC gig at $1-1.5 million is attractive and still there. Meanwhile, IF Pelini wants to get back on the big stage as a HC, he'll stay with the FBS school and win a title there restoring his reputation and multi-million dollar opportunities.

Nebraska will pay Pelini $1,536,108, while Youngstown State pays Pelini $213,894 (a total annual salary $1,750,002).

...

Due to previously negotiated terms, Pelini was due $150,000 per month after termination through the length of his contract (February 2019), with Nebraska paying the difference between that figure and any future income. What if Bo took a well-paying defensive coordinator job?

Nebraska is paying Bo Pelini an hourly wage of how much to not be the Husker head coach? | Big Red Today blog | omaha.com

 

[GATTACA!]

LOL, I was just checking in to suggest this exact same thing. Now if ND had good alternatives perhaps this is still a bad decision. But in the absence of a good alternative perhaps ND benefited from having Elko for only one year vs not at all?

Some really good points from everyone. Should be interesting to see what the emerging details over the next few days/weeks show.

Ding ding ding. I think this is exactly it. Also doesn't really seem like a desperate ND would be worried about someone poaching a first year coordinator that you're already paying top 10 money in the country to.

I can't blame Swarbrick or the BoT on this one. They offered him a contract that would have made him the 3rd highest paid coordinator in the country and he turned around and used it as leverage.

I got a weird vibe from Kelly's statement and this explains it. Kelly fought to keep him and Elko turned around and threw it back in his face. I wouldn't be shocked to hear that Swarbrick was willing to keep going and it was BK that said fuck it.

Lots of interesting lower level DC names being thrown around in here. If they really want to make a splash how about someone like Jack Del Rio? I don't think he's ever coached in college but he would certainly turn some heads. (and just bc fuck USC)

 

[GATTACA!]

Pelini make $1,750,002 per year termination compenstaion through February 2019 LESS whatever income he makes elsewhere. So deduct his Youngstown salary is a number of consequence for him. Should he take $1.5 million DC's job his Nebraska termination check is reduced to 250,002 for the same total compensation of $1,750,002.

So until Feb 2019 Pelini can stay at HC at a small school with little to no ethical bars working under the Goldpants for Tatoos President, or be a DC at a large school in a fishbowl subject to academic and behavioral rules and regulations for the exact same total compensation. In 2 years the DC gig at $1-1.5 million is attractive and still there. Meanwhile, IF Pelini wants to get back on the big stage as a HC, he'll stay with the FBS school and win a title there restoring his reputation and multi-million dollar opportunities.


Nebraska is paying Bo Pelini an hourly wage of how much to not be the Husker head coach? | Big Red Today blog | omaha.com

What's the over/under on how long it would take before BK and Pelini had a full on brawl on the sidelines? I can't imagine those two playing nice together.

 

[ACamp1900]

Since our unwillingness to "crack... the piggy bank" is what put us in this situation to begin with, I doubt that option is on table.

Promoting Lea and hoping he's up to the task may be our best chance of avoiding a few years of painful rebuilding.

Maybe Swarbrick and Co didn't think Elko was worth it and that they could upgrade... curious to see where this goes.

 

[GATTACA!]

Maybe Swarbrick and Co didn't think Elko was worth it and that they could upgrade... curious to see where this goes.

What were they supposed to do? Keep going back and forth with a&m until he's the highest paid coordinator after one good season?

Then people would be bitching he was another Charlie Weis if the defense didn't live up to expectations next year.

 

[phgreek]

Since our unwillingness to "crack... the piggy bank" is what put us in this situation to begin with, I doubt that option is on table.

Promoting Lea and hoping he's up to the task may be our best chance of avoiding a few years of painful rebuilding.

I think the willingness to crack the piggy bank should be proportional to how proven a coach and recruiter a candidate is, and I was hoping thats the rationale for why they did not crack it for Elko. Guy looks good, but he hasn't been putting top 30 defenses on the field for 15 years either.

 

[BGIF]

What's the over/under on how long it would take before BK and Pelini had a full on brawl on the sidelines? I can't imagine those two playing nice together.

N.A. Not going to happen. He can stay at YSU and get a FBS HC gig in Feb 2019.

I doubt anyone else sees Pelini playing nice anywhere.

 

[BGIF]

Since our unwillingness to "crack... the piggy bank" is what put us in this situation to begin with, I doubt that option is on table.

Promoting Lea and hoping he's up to the task may be our best chance of avoiding a few years of painful rebuilding.

Seriously? From prior posts ND cracked the bank, not the piggy bank, but the big one last year to bring Elko on board. Then cracked it again this year after Elko got a A&M job offer. ND offered AND ELKO ACCEPTED a sizable raise after one year of work. Then Elko played the ND raise into a higher A&M offer and went back to the ND well again and ND passed.

I don't know about you but at no place where I worked during my career did anyone play that game successfully. When you accept the counter offer the process is done IF you want to stay there. When you accept an offer and then try to squeeze it up again, you set off a potential bidding war with the entire staff. I can't see anyone if ND's administrative hierarchy, be it AD, CFO, or President signing off on the third bite at the apple.


BTW, what has Lea done to warrant a promotion?

I keep reading posts here about Kelly not playing Morgan yet it's the Position Coach who says which of his players are ready to play, and it's the DC who picks the personnel grouping appropriate to his calls. The HC can override a decision but did he? Or was Morgan's lack of PT/success this year a problem which Lea did could not or did not correct. I don't know. But it doesn't seem apparent anyone else here knows.

Isn't Lea likely to jump with Elko anyway? He jumped with him last year. A&M has big oil and oil is UP right now.

 

[BGIF]

I'd be shocked if Lea hung around w/o a coordinator gig. But ND isn't the place to be a first time DC. Or maybe it is now...shrug. I think there is a DC out there that runs similar enough stuff, to where the experience is there, and the scheme is enough the same. I'd be ok with cracking the piggy bank for a Bo Pelini or a Bud Foster type guy.

A Bud Foster TYPE GUY would be great. Bud Foster doesn't appear available. He just finished his 30th year at Va Tech that's a lot of roots. At age 58 and Assistant HC as well as DC he could move on or keep VT as his last stop. IF he moved on I'd suspect it would be for HC job not a lateral move.


According to USA Today Foster made $961,000.

Football | Assistant | Salaries | USA TODAY Sports


A SBNation article in Dec 2014 had Foster at almost $1.4 million and called him "the highest paid assistant coach in the country." A different 2014 article noted Foster had a base of $950,000 but was given an $800,000 annuity in 2014 which might explain the different annual compensation.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/12/10/7373165/assistant-college-coach-salary-bud-foster-dollar-signs

 

[phgreek]

A Bud Foster TYPE GUY would be great. Bud Foster doesn't appear available. He just finished his 30th year at Va Tech that's a lot of roots. At age 58 and Assistant HC as well as DC he could move on or keep VT as his last stop. IF he moved on I'd suspect it would be for HC job not a lateral move.


According to USA Today Foster made $961,000.

Football | Assistant | Salaries | USA TODAY Sports


A SBNation article in Dec 2014 had Foster at almost $1.4 million and called him "the highest paid assistant coach in the country." A different 2014 article noted Foster had a base of $950,000 but was given an $800,000 annuity in 2014 which might explain the different annual compensation.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/12/10/7373165/assistant-college-coach-salary-bud-foster-dollar-signs

understood...again great data. Was using Foster as an example of a guy where ND would be more likley to go all in and make him the highest paid assistant coach because he is proven over a pretty long period of time. Same with bo pelini...he had nice defenses at multiple stops and varying talent levels. If there were a grey beard out there closer to these guys than Elko in terms of a proven commodity...pay the man. I get why ND would have a hard time going all in on Elko...not sure Elko is a good test of what the school's limits are or are not. We know what their limit is for a guy who is paper thin compared to the guys his salary now rivals.

 

[IrishFanJMercy]

ND did offer elko 1.5 million a year and he accepted so you can't blame the admins for at least trying. I think this is a bad judge of character on Elko's part, rumor is he is getting 2 million per year. IDK about you but I wouldn't leave ND for a shitty situation like Texas A&M just for 500,000 more. If you look at their recruiting class last year and this year so far there ain't much there for defensive players. This just sucks for the guys coming in and guys still here and for us fans, not to mention it will most likely affect recruiting next year in 2019 where we have a ton of DE/ DT type guys who are high on us.

 

[arahop]

I'm getting a kick out of some of the " oh well" and ridiculous reasoning of why ND didn't pony up and pay Elko. It Is an absolute joke that we didn't pay Elko just on the basis of what was the most improved unit. He is a hell of a recruiter and huge reason we turned around to 10-3 from 4-8.
This sets the team back without question..
This provesr anyone's question on the administration's willingness to be elite. They don't have the desire and the way in which they operate has been the death of ND football being a elite for 25 years or so.
This one toe in the water approach is a fucking joke. Become fucking Harvard or become Bama. I don't want to hear about being Stanford.

 

[Fbolt]

I'm getting a kick out of some of the " oh well" and ridiculous reasoning of why ND didn't pony up and pay Elko. It Is an absolute joke that we didn't pay Elko just on the basis of what was the most improved unit. He is a hell of a recruiter and huge reason we turned around to 10-3 from 4-8.
This sets the team back without question..
This provesr anyone's question on the administration's willingness to be elite. They don't have the desire and the way in which they operate has been the death of ND football being a elite for 25 years or so.
This one too in the water approach is a fucking joke. Become fucking Harvard or become Bama. I don't want to hear about being Stanford.

Is it truly a joke? Recall when Charlie had a good initial year and the admin ponied up. How did that scenario work out? How many one year wonders within the coaching ranks have their been? BVG anyone? How huge was his hype at the beginning? The only sustained coach on the roster you could consider is HH and even HH has had some issues.

Bottom line, this does not prove anything other than Elko left. The reasons are his alone but they obv revolve somewhat around money.

 

[NDdomer2]

Good news, the sky still hasn't fallen!

 

[Blaise]

Is it truly a joke? Recall when Charlie had a good initial year and the admin ponied up. How did that scenario work out? How many one year wonders within the coaching ranks have their been? BVG anyone? How huge was his hype at the beginning? The only sustained coach on the roster you could consider is HH and even HH has had some issues.

Bottom line, this does not prove anything other than Elko left. The reasons are his alone but they obv revolve somewhat around money.

Also, I love Elko, but its not like in one year he turned this into a top 3 defense in the country...

37 points to Wake, 41 to Miami, 38 to Stanford...

He did an amazing job but hes not one of the top 3 coordinators in the country... Find the next guy,

 

[indianamouse]

Just putting this out there. Elko was set to make an annual salary that would have put him in the top 10 paid assistant coaches. I don't understand where this excuse that Notre Dame wouldn't pay him enough is coming from.

 

[Wingman Ray]

Hey the guy is mercenary living off one year at a DC position working with 4 star ND athletes. He wont get anywhere near that with Texas back on the rise now at A&M.

Im not saying he didnt do a good job but I think mostly our prior two DCs just were THAT BAD.

ND gets a lot of talent guys. More than most the country. There is never an excuse to give up a ton of points vs teams like MSU, Northwestern, etc.

Any DC should jump at the chance to coach at ND. It is a big time stage where you can market success into a nice pay raise (see Elko). I dont think we will have any problems finding a new DC.

Problem will be if BK hasnt learned from his past and hires someone from within

 

[NDRock]

Hey the guy is mercenary living off one year at a DC position working with 4 star ND athletes. He wont get anywhere near that with Texas back on the rise now at A&M.

Im not saying he didnt do a good job but I think mostly our prior two DCs just were THAT BAD.

ND gets a lot of talent guys. More than most the country. There is never an excuse to give up a ton of points vs teams like MSU, Northwestern, etc.

Any DC should jump at the chance to coach at ND. It is a big time stage where you can market success into a nice pay raise (see Elko). I dont think we will have any problems finding a new DC.

Problem will be if BK hasnt learned from his past and hires someone from within

Did you actually watch the defense when Diaco was here? Calling him “THAT BAD” is ridiculous.

 

[arahop]

Is it truly a joke? Recall when Charlie had a good initial year and the admin ponied up. How did that scenario work out? How many one year wonders within the coaching ranks have their been? BVG anyone? How huge was his hype at the beginning? The only sustained coach on the roster you could consider is HH and even HH has had some issues.

Bottom line, this does not prove anything other than Elko left. The reasons are his alone but they obv revolve somewhat around money.

300 grand difference isn't going to burn he university!!! So because they were burned in the past with a different AD mind you, does that means we have to be ultra conservative??? That conservative approach doesn't work in today's college football. This isn't a head coaching search.

 

[IrishFanJMercy]

I'm hoping they decide to go after the guys they want and act quick i'd like to see an announcement in a week or 2 this will give our new guy time to reach out to guys still left on our board.

 

[ozzman]

300 grand difference isn't going to burn he university!!! So because they were burned in the past with a different AD mind you, does that means we have to be ultra conservative??? That conservative approach doesn't work in today's college football. This isn't a head coaching search.

ND counter offered after the initial flirtation with aTm, and he verbally accepted a pay raise. Do you even know that he let ND counter after agreeing to the aTm offer? ND did step up to the plate and wasn't conservative. Remember, this is a guy that made huge strides for the defense, but is he proven enough to be the second highest paid DC in the country? I'm not so sure about that.

 

[stlnd01]

I liked Elko but I must admit I'm kind of looking forward to things blowing up hard in A&M in a couple of years when the boosters realize that no matter how much money they throw at coaches, they'll never be UT (or topple Bama).

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

This will be much easier to understand for many of you guys if you come to grips with the fact that Elko left for more money AND more access to better talent.