Who Lurks?

Round 3 of the college football coaching WhoLurks vacancy filler game. Yea, I couldn’t come up with a more creative name for this exercise that I enjoy oh so much.

Today we’ll tackle…Ole Miss, Illinois and the latest entry…Texas A&M.

So far we’re 1 for 1 as Washington State hired Mike Leach. Stunningly, they stepped up, big time too with a legit salary.


Leading off, Ole Miss.
This is a program that nobody can be envious of their situation. Playing in the SEC, much less the SEC west isn’t that much fun. The person that takes this job is competing with Auburn, Alabama and LSU. You very well could be looking at the last 3 NATIONAL champions, much less SEC champions. So yea, good luck with that. Oh, nevermind that Arkansas was just 3rd in the BCS and has a legit coach in Bobby Petrino and Miss State seems to have gotten their shit together with Dan Mullen. Once again, Good. Luck. With. That.

So yea, where do you go with this if you’re the Ole Miss athletic director? I think you have to find a guy to excite your fanbase… a guy with SEC experience AND success. I don’t think Ole Miss will break the bank but I do think there is an expectation that to hire a quality candidate…but also a guy you believe in. Auburn will be the first program to tell you that you need to stick by your hire, but Ole Miss needs to get this right, at least start to make progress. And this hurts but I would make a very serious run at Vanderbilt’s James Franklin. What he did at Vandy is amazing this year… anybody that can win there can win at a program like Ole Miss.

So yea, James Franklin. It’ll cost you 2.5 mil a year. But totally worth it. He can recruit and if anyone can keep up with the Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Arkansas’s of the SEC West… it’s him.

Illinois:
Frankly, I’m stunned the Ron Zook era lasted as long as it did. Zook’s record at Illinois? 34 and 50. In 7 years he had exactly 2 winning seasons. One of those seasons ended rather umm, bad by getting blown out/embarrassed in the 2008 Rose Bowl. So the expectation level isn’t exactly high. The immediate name that comes to mind is Butch Jones from Cincy. The Illinois AD hired him before, and I would say Illinois is a better job than Cincy. Right? Not THAT much better, but a solid job in the Big 10 is better than a good job in the Big East (or what is left of it). I’m not 100 percent sure that he would leave Cincy. It would need to be an incredible payday as Cincy is an easier path to a potential BCS berth/National title, etc. You’ll hear people talk about the top coordinators, guys like Paul Chryst from Wisconsin, Brent Venables from Oklahoma, and Todd Monken from Oklahoma State. All would be solid hires, but I feel like Illinois needs to get someone a little more stable, someone who’s been a head guy. This is different than the Penn State job. I really don’t think an established coach takes the Penn State job.

Who do I hire? Dave Christensen from Wyoming is my hire. Lots of experience in area from his time at Missouri. He’s winning at WYOMING. He’s a head coach who clearly can handle his business. He’s an offensive background guy (something I think is important for Illinois, as that would help sell tickets and energize a fanbase). Dave Christensen will get a better job sooner than later, I don’t think you want to be the program that passes on him.

The Texas A&M job is facsinating. They’re joining the SEC. They can NOT screw this up. At all. I think there is someone PERFECT for the job. Someone with SEC ties. Someone that is young, successful, strong enough to deal with competing against Texas AND the SEC west for recruits. I think Texas A&M doesn’t even give him a real chance, because they’re so high and mighty on themselves and wanting a “big name” or a “brand name” head coach. Well…how did that work out with Mike Sherman? A highly ranked team this year and it falls apart as the season progresses. Typical Mike Sherman.

You know who they need to hire? Charlie Strong. I’ve been really high on Charlie Strong for years… I think he’s a great coach, a winner… a guy that you can go to war with. Texas A&M is in for a challenge….Charlie Strong is the man for this job. Louisville is playing their best football towards the end of the season. Yes, the Big East isn’t the Big 12… but Texas A&M is dropping HOME games. Congrats you beat Baylor… but umm, Missouri at home? Texas A&M has one of the biggest home field advantages in college football. It is inexcusable to lose in College Station. I don’t think that happens under Charlie Strong’s potential watch.