Coaching Hot Seat and Searches

[AporkalypseNow]

Fitzgerald is only 50, though.

He was hired at Northwestern as a head coach at... 31.

Crazy

[passed]

My point was if Pat Fitzgerald is on the list then just give it to Bobby.  BP is just as good if Pat is anywhere on your list of acceptable hires. 

This right here.  If it isn't a Cignetti type, I say give it to Bobby, give him the incentives and NIL money and see what he can do for maybe 3 years.  Pull us out of the ditch, if he wins, great.  If he loses, it ends the whole 2011 hangover we've had, and maybe there are some better candidates we can get. 

I see no reason to gamble on the coaches I've seen listed, and against the current competition, which results in worse options or contracts for us.  The risk pool is pretty damned high right now.  Unless there are some serious money backers putting up the cash for a coach and NIL, in which case we have to go with that.

[Ray Zorback]

Biddy says they are going to make Franklin say no.

I hope he does.

[passed]

Biddy says they are going to make Franklin say no.

I hope he does.

Me too.  He does not excite at all. 

[bigpig]

Biddy says they are going to make Franklin say no.

I hope he does.

He sounds like the kind of candidate they hope to be a Cal 2.0.

Except Cal was a proven national championship winner and regular contender. On the other hand, I don't think there's a single person with any power or sway on the hill that is looking to win a national title in football (like they think we can in basketball and baseball). I think they just want us competitive and not embarrassing. As long as we're good enough to sell season tickets that's all anyone cares about.

[buff2.0]

The only way Biddy knows anything at all is if Hunter isn't running the search.

[bogeyfree]

I don't see how hiring Franklin could be anything other than the best we can do.  He's a very good football coach. Will he win a natty here?  Prob not.  But no one will. 

Having said all that, I think it's highly improbable that we pull that off

[DirkPiggler]

I don't see how hiring Franklin could be anything other than the best we can do.  He's a very good football coach. Will he win a natty here?  Prob not.  But no one will. 

Having said all that, I think it's highly improbable that we pull that off

The On3 board (formerly Rivals) has basically the same intel...Franklin or bust with a big salary and NIL war chest.  I'll believe it when I see it.

Franklin is a damned good coach.  Normally I'm quick to rule out anyone who got fired from another job, but Penn State's trigger was awfully quick for a guy who had won eleven or more games in over half his seasons there, including thirteen and a semifinal appearance last season. 

He's a good recruiter, familiar with the SEC from his time at Vanderbilt, and could likely bring some dudes from Penn State via the portal.  His floor is probably similar to Bobby's with a higher ceiling.  But the biggest asset would be the message hiring JF would send to the sport...that we're not going to settle for being subordinate to schools like Ole Miss and Missouri which have always been beneath us until the last few years.  We can spend as much as anyone (more than those two) if we choose to do so and a couple of billionaires are motivated, which Franklin's hire would indicate to be the case. 

[FNG]

We all know appearances can be deceiving (particularly in a midseason coaching search), but it would appear that the $MONEY$ is pushing in all its chips on Franklin. He's a good-but not elite-coach, he has the name and pedigree, he has a history of bringing some respect to a perennial bottom-dwelling SEC program in the past and he's black, which doesn't hurt.

Is it realistic to think Franklin will come to Arkansas? Not likely; he has too many more attractive options. But, if he does, he's probably the best name in the hat for the Hogs.

Having said that, I agree with Passed and others that if (and it's a big if) the $MONEY$ will get behind BP, we would be foolish to gamble at this point on another potential "up and comer".

[aaron]

I have it on good authority that Troy Aikman will be in town next week. Someone go tell tardville and see what they do with it.

[buff2.0]

We're going to try to spend Ryan Day-level money on Franklin, and it's going to bite us in the ass if he says yes.

Still... massive improvement of the literally massive disappointment that Sam was.

[bigpig]

We're going to try to spend Ryan Day-level money on Franklin, and it's going to bite us in the ass if he says yes.

Still... massive improvement of the literally massive disappointment that Sam was.

I am so ready for us to announce a 5 year 55 million dollar contract with a ludicrous buyout attached to it.

Only for us to go 6-6 in year one,

then 9-3 in year two (at which point he gets a three year extension, a 3 million/year raise, and an even MORE ludicrous buyout),

then 6-6 in year three,

and 5-7 in year four, etc.

[BASS]

The On3 board (formerly Rivals) has basically the same intel...Franklin or bust with a big salary and NIL war chest.  I'll believe it when I see it.

Franklin is a damned good coach.  Normally I'm quick to rule out anyone who got fired from another job, but Penn State's trigger was awfully quick for a guy who had won eleven or more games in over half his seasons there, including thirteen and a semifinal appearance last season. 

He's a good recruiter, familiar with the SEC from his time at Vanderbilt, and could likely bring some dudes from Penn State via the portal.  His floor is probably similar to Bobby's with a higher ceiling.  But the biggest asset would be the message hiring JF would send to the sport...that we're not going to settle for being subordinate to schools like Ole Miss and Missouri which have always been beneath us until the last few years.  We can spend as much as anyone (more than those two) if we choose to do so and a couple of billionaires are motivated, which Franklin's hire would indicate to be the case. 

he was 3 points away from the championship game last year. 

the nil and portal have changed a fundamental part of sports - chemistry.  i think its possible for a good coach and a good staff to get good players that just don't play well together. 

muss has that problem every year, so it can certainly be a feature and not just a bug.  maybe franklin just got snake bit.  maybe he created it...he doesn't have a great record in big games.

[Cornhogio]

The only way Biddy knows anything at all is if Hunter isn't running the search.

If we can't trust the AD to make the Head Coaching hire, why is he the AD?  That's the most important job he should have.  If he can't hire him, can he fire him?

[passed]

he was 3 points away from the championship game last year. 

the nil and portal have changed a fundamental part of sports - chemistry.  i think its possible for a good coach and a good staff to get good players that just don't play well together. 

muss has that problem every year, so it can certainly be a feature and not just a bug.  maybe franklin just got snake bit.  maybe he created it...he doesn't have a great record in big games.

I seem to remember him having a poor record against ranked opponents.  Well, here that's all he's going to be playing except a couple of games a year.

I am so ready for us to announce a 5 year 55 million dollar contract with a ludicrous buyout attached to it.

Only for us to go 6-6 in year one,

then 9-3 in year two (at which point he gets a three year extension, a 3 million/year raise, and an even MORE ludicrous buyout),

then 6-6 in year three,

and 5-7 in year four, etc.

This is what we'll do.  Thus my thinking Bobby is the best bet for now.  Unless there's big NIL money behind some other coach.

[BleedinRed]

Can we merge the two threads?

[DrMongoose]

If we can't trust the AD to make the Head Coaching hire, why is he the AD?  That's the most important job he should have.  If he can't hire him, can he fire him?

1) do you trust him to make this hire given the football program's record over his tenure?
2) he is also a member of the CFP committee which is going to have an increased workload over the next 4-5 weeks - is that good or bad?
3) what is the plan to improve the program? if it's the rumored $40 million over 4 years which would include salary, does $10 million a year really move the needle if $5m or so is going to coaching salaries for a program that is dead last in the $EC?

[bigpig]

Can we merge the two threads?

It's inevitable that some Arkansas coach talk will end up here, but the point of this thread is to talk about all the other jobs that are open and, hopefully, laugh at the other fanbases as they search for a new coach.

[PorkyPig]

The On3 board (formerly Rivals) has basically the same intel...Franklin or bust with a big salary and NIL war chest.  I'll believe it when I see it.

Franklin is a damned good coach.  Normally I'm quick to rule out anyone who got fired from another job, but Penn State's trigger was awfully quick for a guy who had won eleven or more games in over half his seasons there, including thirteen and a semifinal appearance last season. 

He's a good recruiter, familiar with the SEC from his time at Vanderbilt, and could likely bring some dudes from Penn State via the portal.  His floor is probably similar to Bobby's with a higher ceiling.  But the biggest asset would be the message hiring JF would send to the sport...that we're not going to settle for being subordinate to schools like Ole Miss and Missouri which have always been beneath us until the last few years.  We can spend as much as anyone (more than those two) if we choose to do so and a couple of billionaires are motivated, which Franklin's hire would indicate to be the case. 

Completely agree.  It sends a message that we're not fucking around.  I want change what we're doing and try something different.

[Cornhogio]

1) do you trust him to make this hire given the football program's record over his tenure?
2) he is also a member of the CFP committee which is going to have an increased workload over the next 4-5 weeks - is that good or bad?
3) what is the plan to improve the program? if it's the rumored $40 million over 4 years which would include salary, does $10 million a year really move the needle if $5m or so is going to coaching salaries for a program that is dead last in the $EC?

If the answer to #1 is no, then he shouldn't be the AD.  On #2 if the program isn't doing well, him accepting that role only elevates him, so he's only looking out for himself, so fuck him.  On #3, there should be a plan and mission statement on the Athletic Department's website.  If there isn't, then he should go.