The Elephant in the Room Part II

[DRYANKNPULL]

Dan Mullen is a decent, serviceable coach. He's probably looking for the right opportunity to showcase his check cashing skills.

[Third_down_draw]

Its time

[AporkalypseNow]

I don't know who we have a legitimate shot at and who we don't, but Yurachek's hires have been out of this world in virtually every sport.

Given the train wreck of a program we had after Morris, Pittman likely was the best option he had and he left it much better than he found it, there's talent on campus for the right winner of a coach.

I just don't see why you would keep Pittman another year.  Ideally a graceful "retirement" would be the best approach.

[mde114]

Call me crazy but Odom and his innovative OC don't look half bad right now. Fayvillains had a good paragraph on them several weeks back.

A previously dogshit UNLV has no business being 6-1.

I'd bet he's high up on HY's list.

Odum would get us to the Weedeater Bowl most years, Liberty Bowl would be his ceiling.

[buff2.0]

That would be peak-Arkansas.  "You were previously fired from your last SEC head coaching job?  The guy they replaced you with is only marginally better?  How does $7 million/year sound?"

[Feral]

I'm out on Odom.

Fired at Mizzou and wasn't great here.

Plus, we're currently in the process of firing a head coach who was himself an assistant on the staff of a previous failed head coach here.

Burn the Bielema/Pittman tree and salt the earth where it was.

[DirkPiggler]

I'm out on Odom.

Fired at Mizzou and wasn't great here.

Plus, we're currently in the process of firing a head coach who was himself an assistant on the staff of a previous failed head coach here.

Burn the Bielema/Pittman tree and salt the earth where it was.

Odom seems to have figured out that he needs a bad ass OC to run things. His Missouri teams were good when they had Heupel, and ass when he replaced him with Derek fucking Dooley. 

Brennan Marion has kicked ass there, but we also need to remember that Odom originally hired BMFP for that spot before the sheep fuckers poached him away.

Barry would be a decent, high floor/low ceiling hire if we strike out on a lot of others, but that's about it.

[The Whyte Boar]

I want Sam fired, but if they let him come back, it needs to be on the condition that the entire offensive staff is fired.  Hire a new OC and let him bring his people.  And don't give the guy a stupid buyout, but if it takes $2 million a year to get someone decent to come, pay them and consider it money well spent.  And don't leave it strictly up to Sam.  Sam needs help to do well, that's clear by now.

One could wonder why you keep a coach if you have to hold his hand, and that is valid.  I agree.  But if they are going to keep him, they need to get the stink of this offense out of the program and the next OC is more important than just Sam Pittman's tenure.

[Cornhogio]

I want Sam fired, but if they let him come back, it needs to be on the condition that the entire offensive staff is fired.  Hire a new OC and let him bring his people.  And don't give the guy a stupid buyout, but if it takes $2 million a year to get someone decent to come, pay them and consider it money well spent.  And don't leave it strictly up to Sam.  Sam needs help to do well, that's clear by now.

One could wonder why you keep a coach if you have to hold his hand, and that is valid.  I agree.  But if they are going to keep him, they need to get the stink of this offense out of the program and the next OC is more important than just Sam Pittman's tenure.

If we could find a potential "HC in waiting" type candidate, I'd say yeah, bring him in, and give him the freedom to run the offense. 

[DirkPiggler]

If we could find a potential "HC in waiting" type candidate, I'd say yeah, bring him in, and give him the freedom to run the offense. 

Has the "head coach in waiting" ever worked out for a school? 

[Cornhogio]

We special.  We'll make it work. 

 

[Texzilla]

Odom seems to have figured out that he needs a bad ass OC to run things. His Missouri teams were good when they had Heupel, and ass when he replaced him with Derek fucking Dooley. 

Brennan Marion has kicked ass there, but we also need to remember that Odom originally hired BMFP for that spot before the sheep fuckers poached him away.

Barry would be a decent, high floor/low ceiling hire if we strike out on a lot of others, but that's about it.

Sheep fuckers?  Aggies are goat fuckers.  You're disrespecting sheep. 

[piglosopher]

I'd want to keep Jimmy Smith and Morgan

Guiton maybe

Offensive issues aren't their fault.

[piglosopher]

Odom seems to have figured out that he needs a bad ass OC to run things. His Missouri teams were good when they had Heupel, and ass when he replaced him with Derek fucking Dooley. 

Brennan Marion has kicked ass there, but we also need to remember that Odom originally hired BMFP for that spot before the sheep fuckers poached him away.

Barry would be a decent, high floor/low ceiling hire if we strike out on a lot of others, but that's about it.

This.

It's not a home run but it is solid.

[Gambler]

We special.  We'll make it work. 

 

Without a doubt. Just look at our sparkling hiring history.

[flash23]

Who wants to come on basically a one year contract? If the guy is good enough for the HC gig/HC in waiting, what incentive does he have to work wonders with the offense if it prolongs his ability to become head coach? I get that firing Enos likely buys Pittman another year unless we show absolutely no improvement our final four games. I just don't know if we'll actually be in a better place. The most likely scenario I see is giving Guiton the permanent job if he can somehow manage 2 wins to end the year.

[The Whyte Boar]

The best scenario for a fan is for us to lose out badly and to be left with no choice but to fire Sam.  Anything else will see the program set further back. 

I remember when Sam was hired the consensus was, even from people in the know, that he was a five year hire even if he was successful.  So now in year four people want to give him more time?  What, for just another year or two even if he turns it around a little?  What is the upside verses the downside?

If we are serious about making a change, offer him his lower below .500 buyout and a nice press conference and sendoff with him announcing his retirement.  If he doesn't want that, tell him at the end of the year that he is (likely to be the case) at .500 exactly and that he will be fired ignominiously in the middle of the season the instant his overall record drops below .500.

[Feral]

The best scenario for a fan is for us to lose out badly and to be left with no choice but to fire Sam.  Anything else will see the program set further back. 

Agreed.

He's likely a lame duck coach next year regardless, so why do we want to delay the inevitable?

The math doesn't add up on keeping him. If you bring him back you still have to pay him another $6M in salary, plus the (inevitable) buyout once next season goes to shit, plus you have to factor in the lost revenue from tickets, concessions, and donations now that apathy has set in hard.

I'm neither a donor nor a mathematician, but it seems to me that the math itself would ultimately favor firing him.

[The Whyte Boar]

Agreed.

He's likely a lame duck coach next year regardless, so why do we want to delay the inevitable?

The math doesn't add up on keeping him. If you bring him back you still have to pay him another $6M in salary, plus the (inevitable) buyout once next season goes to shit, plus you have to factor in the lost revenue from tickets, concessions, and donations now that apathy has set in hard.

I'm neither a donor nor a mathematician, but it seems to me that the math itself would ultimately favor firing him.

Cheap bad coaches cost more than expensive good ones.  Just once I would like to see Arkansas spend whatever it takes to get the best coach we can and see what happens then. 

[Piggielicious]

Look at what it cost the university by not giving Briles another minor raise:
- Millions to pay Enos
- Millions to hire a new OC on a guaranteed contract (if Sam is retained)
- Millions in lost ticket sales and merchandise from a bad season (that otherwise would have been pretty good)
- Further damage to the reputation of the football program

That's a bad ROI. They have no choice but to move on. Go find someone young, hungry (for wins), and innovative.