phgreek
New member
- Messages
- 6,956
- Reaction score
- 433
Thanks for sharing...I've always respected Murtaugh.
I agree with him on Petersen being the closest to perfect candidate and it's worth a try, but I seriously doubt he could be pried away from the Pacific NW.
Now, with the realistic choices that Eric listed (with gun to his head), I agree with all of them but would feel compelled to add Mullen. Anyone else is likely a coordinator currently like Schiano whom I'd also love to see given an interview.
Of the realistic options, MacIntyre seems like the best choice based on resume. With his second rebuild, the only question is "can it be sustained?". I doubt we will find out because I suspect he'll be poached by a bigger program soon.
Rhule or Fleck would be tied for #2 on my list. I think Fleck will be hired soon after the MAC Championship game and if they get upset by Ohio, that tells me he & his team have lost focus by being distracted by his job offers. What I would hope from ND is they wouldn't rake a guy over the coals for infidelity. I'm not excusing what happened, but he's not the only divorced HC. My understanding is that his first marriage started to crumble upon the tragic death of his baby son. That circumstance doesn't make it any more acceptable, but makes it understandable compared to the norm. He strikes me as a better leader of young men than Kelly is at ND. If the collars are going to judge Fleck on his infidelity, it begs the question how Kelly has survived the scandals under his watch (& mediocre record).
Looking at ND coaching history, the ones that had a bad year like Kelly usually play out as follows: impressive bounce back year after a losing season before regressing back to another losing season. That happened to Brennan, Kuharich and Davie. In other words, it's going to be really difficult for Kelly to rid himself of the stench of 4-8 in 2016. 9-3 or better at ND next year likely takes MacIntyre off the table as he'll be poached by a big program. Fleck will likely be in year one at his next destination. Rhule's destination may hinge on how Temple fares next year. If they regress, the power 5 teams likely back off. If he has a 2015-like run, he can write his own ticket.
This time next year will tell us a lot.
The only one on that list I'd believe as a rebuild and sustain guy is Petersen. He belongs in South Bend at some point in his journey...'18 would work for me.