The Myth that ND Isn't a Desirable Destination

[koonja]

Sanford would already have time at the school. And you don't think he could be as good as Jimbo?

 

[greyhammer90]

Those are the four exceptions from a list of failures. I love Sanford, he's great... but I can't believe people are anointing him the next HC after four games as QB coach (not to mention having lived through Davie and Weis).

This. You guys have been reading Sanford's press clippings a little too much. We've had 4 games with the guy as a glorified QB coach. We should take it easy anointing him the next HC at Notre Dame.

 

[tussin]

Sanford would already have time at the school. And you don't think he could be as good as Jimbo?

I have no idea and neither do you. There is little evidence to suggest that he is the coach or recruiter that Jimbo is.

 

[greyhammer90]

Sanford would already have time at the school. And you don't think he could be as good as Jimbo?

ND requires way more than being a good X's and O's guy. You basically need to be an excellent politician/CEO/recruiter/X's and O's guy all at the same time. It's a hugely demanding job that is frankly way more difficult from a stress/standards/hurdles/expectations standpoint than FSU.

As an example: ND would have tossed Bowden out on his ass way earlier than FSU ever did, if not for an academic scandal, then just because he wasn't winning anymore.

 

[Cackalacky]

Those are the four exceptions from a list of failures. I love Sanford, he's great... but I can't believe people are anointing him the next HC after four games as QB coach (not to mention having lived through Davie and Weis).

Right... does anyone remember Lafleur? I still don't know what he did or why he was here.

 

[koonja]

Im not saying it's Sanford's to lose, but if he does great and fit's the ND culture, its short sided to automatically let him walk if the job opens up in a couple of years, just because he's never been a HC. He'd be very familiar with how things are ran here, and if we know he's going to be a Rockstar of a coach, I say consider it.

 

[Butchie]

Don't overlook Chuck Martin........call me crazy, but I wouldn't overlook him for our next HC job

Hey Crazy,
Are you speaking of the same Chuck Martin that ran Gunner out of town. The same Chuck Martin that said Kizer didn't have what it takes to be at ND and didn't want to to make him an offer. The same Chuck Martin that when averaging 5.3 yards a carry against scUM insisted on dropping Turnover Tommy back 50 times (exaggeration) at the Big House and ultimately handing Hoke the game. Yeah, that's crazy talk. This coaching thing sometimes works by trial and error, dumb luck, whatever. We are better without Diaco and especially Martin. BTW Denbrock is the assistant/associate HC for a reason. JS

 

[Butchie]

ND requires way more than being a good X's and O's guy. You basically need to be an excellent politician/CEO/recruiter/X's and O's guy all at the same time. It's a hugely demanding job that is frankly way more difficult from a stress/standards/hurdles/expectations standpoint than FSU.

As an example: ND would have tossed Bowden out on his ass way earlier than FSU ever did, if not for an academic scandal, then just because he wasn't winning anymore.

This is the truth here. Remember Lou's exit. It wasn't all that cordial. A guy who regularly competed for a NC

 

[ulukinatme]

Don't overlook Chuck Martin........call me crazy, but I wouldn't overlook him for our next HC job

Hey Crazy,
Are you speaking of the same Chuck Martin that ran Gunner out of town. The same Chuck Martin that said Kizer didn't have what it takes to be at ND and didn't want to to make him an offer. The same Chuck Martin that when averaging 5.3 yards a carry against scUM insisted on dropping Turnover Tommy back 50 times (exaggeration) at the Big House and ultimately handing Hoke the game. Yeah, that's crazy talk. This coaching thing sometimes works by trial and error, dumb luck, whatever. We are better without Diaco and especially Martin. BTW Denbrock is the assistant/associate HC for a reason. JS

This. Do not want. We should have been completely focused on the run game and use play action/screens when Tommy was our QB. He should have been asked to throw 20-25 times a game, not 40+. Dumb move, play calling was absolutely awful putting so much on Tommy's shoulders, it's amazing he had as much success as he did. Maybe some of that play calling is on BK, but then it's still Martin's fault for not calling him out and correcting it. Probably an alright guy, but the logic baffles me. He hasn't exactly turned Miami around either. 2-10 last season with very close wins against UMass and Northern Illinois, 1-3 this season with a win over Presbyterian.

 

[NDRock]

Hey Crazy,
Are you speaking of the same Chuck Martin that ran Gunner out of town. The same Chuck Martin that said Kizer didn't have what it takes to be at ND and didn't want to to make him an offer. The same Chuck Martin that when averaging 5.3 yards a carry against scUM insisted on dropping Turnover Tommy back 50 times (exaggeration) at the Big House and ultimately handing Hoke the game. Yeah, that's crazy talk. This coaching thing sometimes works by trial and error, dumb luck, whatever. We are better without Diaco and especially Martin. BTW Denbrock is the assistant/associate HC for a reason. JS

That maybe true but before Sanford many were calling for either Martin or Diaco as future ND HC. When we went undefeated with Martin calling the plays and Diaco's defense playing better than anything BVG has done, both were considered geniuses. Can't blame Martin for Gunner, kid is a little nutty. Not upset at all he isn't here anymore.

 

[dublinirish]

never a fan of the "head coach in waiting" approach. I'd rather Sanford goes out and coaches a G5 school and has some success before he comes back to ND

 

[ThePiombino]

I'd be OK with Sanford being a 1st-time HC at ND, just so long as he hired a proven, accomplished DC to run the other side of the ball.

 

[Irish#1]

If he's as bright as they say and the next star, and has a track record of success within his role at ND, and it's 2 years down the road, I'm not letting him walk without at least considering it.

He needs more than a couple of years experience. There's something to be said for learning the experience.

I've been running IT departments for a long time now. About 6-7 years ago, I had a guy who was strictly a techy. He came into my office one day and said he could do my job. He wanted to be able to just sit at a desk and say "yes or no". lol

His comment made me a little pissed, but I didn't show it. I suggested that if he felt he was qualified he should look for a position that would allow him to run an IT department. Fast forward......Last year I needed a skill set he had, and called to see if he was interested. He jumped at the chance. All I heard from him was, the owner didn't want to spend money, the owner was stupid, the users were stupid, and he couldn't get any projects completed. He's working for me, but to this day he still doesn't see that he didn't have the skill set to do the job.

Not saying Sanford isn't capable, but to be a HC at a place like ND, you better have a lot of experience and understand every facet of running a program, not just the X's and O's. You also need to be quite the salesman.

LAX,
I agree. I've always thought ND was one of the top coaching jobs even while we were rolling in mediocrity. I've always maintained that it was a string of bad coaching hires that led to the seasons we had after Lou. BK is proving you can recruit kids to play sports at a school in the snow belt.

 

[IrishLion]

I'd be OK with Sanford being a 1st-time HC at ND, just so long as he hired a proven, accomplished DC to run the other side of the ball.

I would say that the administration could commit to shelling out huge money for a big-time d-coordinator, the way Auburn did with Muschamp.... but that hasn't been great for them lol.

 

[Blaise]

If this is really a top 2 destination, then letting Sanford go somewhere as a head coach, learn and come back shouldn't scare you....

I just remember Bob Davie and how he just didn't know how to run the program. I remember Weis being overwhelmed by the pressures of a HC.... I want a guy with head coaching experience...

 

[BeauBenken]

I remember people saying the same things about Diaco.

Haha. This. There was so much of this.

 

[phgreek]

If this is really a top 2 destination, then letting Sanford go somewhere as a head coach, learn and come back shouldn't scare you....

I just remember Bob Davie and how he just didn't know how to run the program. I remember Weis being overwhelmed by the pressures of a HC.... I want a guy with head coaching experience...

I agree...you gotta be able to show you can recruit, coach, build a staff, and meet the political requirements of being a head coach, and are ready for all of it X10. That has proven too much for a coordinator...

BK is a pretty nice Template. Can you get exactly that, probably not, but can you get something similar... sure. Jack has impressed me with all he does...but I think he gets what you gotta have as a football coach...hoping the next hire is still on his watch.

 

[woolybug25]

If this is really a top 2 destination, then letting Sanford go somewhere as a head coach, learn and come back shouldn't scare you....

I just remember Bob Davie and how he just didn't know how to run the program. I remember Weis being overwhelmed by the pressures of a HC.... I want a guy with head coaching experience...

Good thing we didn't prep any of Davie's staff as a possible replacement.

We would have never recovered from an Urban Meyer hire.

 

[IrishLax]

Most big time coaches up jumped from "Group of 5" to "Power 5." Nick Sabans and Les Miles are very rare... guys who go from "lesser" Power 5 schools up the ladder.

Art Briles up jumped from Houston, Gary Patterson stayed at TCU but they jumped up a level. Urban Meyer went from Utah to Florida. Brian Kelly from Cinci to ND, Mark Dantonio went from Cinci to MSU. Jim Harbaugh went FCS to Power 5, which is a remarkable jump.

The coordinator-to-coach thing works if it's the right guy. Mark Richt, Bob Stoops, Chip Kelly, Jimbo Fisher, David Shaw (though I still think he sucks, he does have a good track record). You'll notice they're all offensive side of the ball guys.

 

[tussin]

The coordinator-to-coach thing works if it's the right guy. Mark Richt, Bob Stoops, Chip Kelly, Jimbo Fisher, David Shaw (though I still think he sucks, he does have a good track record). You'll notice they're all offensive side of the ball guys.

Agree with your point but Stoops was a defensive coach.

 

[Blaise]

Good thing we didn't prep any of Davie's staff as a possible replacement.

We would have never recovered from an Urban Meyer hire.

For every Urban Meyer, we have Chuck Martin, Bob Diaco, among others who left and struggled at the HC position