We'd probably just go out and hire Jimbo with all the money we have freed up from not having that contract on the books
Herman almost took LSU 4 years ago and he and Aranda both went to Cal Lutheran so doesn't seem that far fetched
Anyone have the rest of this? The latest chatter • Fresno State coach Kalen DeBoer is picking up steam in the Washington coaching search, according to sources. DeBoer has a win at UCLA this season and could guide Fresno State to a 9-3 record if the Bulldogs beat San Jose State this weekend. He also has an ally in former Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford, who had DeBoer as the team's offensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018. Tedford spent the 2016 season as a consultant at Washington under coach Chris Petersen, who has strong influence in the current UW search. DeBoer replaced Tedford at Fresno State because of health reasons. Tedford, 60, is ready to return to coaching after recovering from a heart procedure, according to sources. He guided Cal and Fresno State to 10 bowl games, winning seven.
I learned this season that those two school have an intense rivalry, might need to pay attention next year
Spoiler The latest chatter • Fresno State coach Kalen DeBoer is picking up steam in the Washington coaching search, according to sources. DeBoer has a win at UCLA this season and could guide Fresno State to a 9-3 record if the Bulldogs beat San Jose State this weekend. He also has an ally in former Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford, who had DeBoer as the team's offensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018. Tedford spent the 2016 season as a consultant at Washington under coach Chris Petersen, who has strong influence in the current UW search. DeBoer replaced Tedford at Fresno State because of health reasons. Tedford, 60, is ready to return to coaching after recovering from a heart procedure, according to sources. He guided Cal and Fresno State to 10 bowl games, winning seven. • The New Mexico State coaching job is expected to open following Saturday's game against UMass, as coach Doug Martin's contract expires in June and the team sits at 1-10. TCU interim head coach Jerry Kill likely will be the next in line for the Aggies, according to sources. Kill has been handling TCU's head-coaching duties since Gary Patterson's departure on Oct. 31. Kill, 60, has led five college programs, most recently Minnesota, before health reasons forced him to retire in 2015. A kidney cancer survivor who has epilepsy, Kill has a connection to New Mexico State athletic director Mario Moccia. Kill was Southern Illinois' head coach in 2006 when Moccia took over as AD there. Football Scoop first reported Kill as the leading candidate for New Mexico State. • Keep an eye on these Bills for the two vacant SEC jobs: Bill O'Brien and Billy Napier. LSU athletic director Scott Woodward still wants Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher for the Tigers job, and will continue to make runs at Fisher. "He's Scott's white whale," an LSU source said recently. But if Fisher remains firm in staying at Texas A&M, expect LSU to pivot toward O'Brien, the Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans and Penn State coach. O'Brien's next stop likely will be as a major college head coach. Florida, meanwhile, could soon target Napier, the Louisiana coach, for its vacancy. Napier's name has been mentioned for all the SEC openings in recent years, as well as Baylor two years ago and TCU and Virginia Tech this year. But his patience could pay off in landing a true Tier 1 job at Florida. Napier is 31-5 the past three seasons at Louisiana. -- Rittenberg • The Washington coaching search is getting really interesting. Former coach Chris Petersen is heavily involved and, according to some sources, is the most important influence in the search. Petersen really likes Baylor coach Dave Aranda and Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. Aranda is on the radar for both Washington and USC and could return closer to his roots in the Los Angeles area. But sources say he feels incredibly loyal to Baylor, which gave him his first head-coaching job, and would be torn about leaving after only two years. The wild card at Washington remains Auburn coach Bryan Harsin, who likely would have been the top choice when he was still at Boise State. Auburn athletic director Allen Greene could soon be on the move, and Harsin, who has lost two straight and faces Alabama this week, might want a job more suited to his background, such as Washington. A subplot is Harsin's vaccination situation, both at Auburn -- where employees must be vaccinated by Dec. 8 -- or at Washington, which has a mandate for state employees. Washington also has plenty of intriguing regional options: Cal's Justin Wilcox, Oregon State's Jonathan Smith, Fresno State's Kalen DeBoer and BYU's Kalani Sitake. -- Rittenberg • Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell is on the short list for every major opening right now, but he might be the least moveable of the top candidates for several reasons. The biggest is Cincinnati's historic bid to reach the College Football Playoff. If the Bearcats make it, Fickell is untouchable until early January, which is likely too long to wait for programs such as USC, Florida and LSU. "Fick's off the table for everybody," an industry source said. He also doesn't have the same urgency to move. He's in a great situation at Cincinnati, which will be joining the Big 12 soon (no later than 2024). Unlike most nomadic coaching families, the Fickells have never had to leave Ohio. The jobs Fickell is best suited for, Notre Dame and Ohio State, likely aren't opening this year unless NFL teams start courting Buckeyes coach Ryan Day. Things could change dramatically if Cincinnati falls to East Carolina this week, Houston next week or is left out of the top four. Fickell has a direct connection to USC through athletic director Mike Bohn, and he likely would be open to a job like Florida. But don't be surprised if he stays at Cincy. -- Rittenberg Top-tier jobs Florida Latest buzz: Florida needs an A-list recruiter who embraces every element of the process, especially in a talent-rich state, and arguably no realistic Florida candidate brings a better combination of insatiable recruiting and in-state ties than Oregon coach Mario Cristobal. Few head coaches not named Nick Saban or Kirby Smart push recruiting like Cristobal, who has built excellent rosters at Oregon. Cristobal, 51, grew up in Miami, played at the U, spent three years as a Hurricanes assistant and then held the reins as Florida International's head coach for six. Florida could soon target Louisiana's Napier, whose name has been mentioned for all the SEC openings in recent years, as well as Baylor two years ago and TCU and Virginia Tech this year. A jump to the SEC has long seemed to make the most sense for Napier, who is 31-5 the past three seasons at Louisiana. Florida is the type of job that should tempt Napier to leave a very comfortable spot. Napier understands the region from his time at Clemson and Alabama. It would take a special situation for Bob Stoops to return to the sideline, but Florida absolutely qualifies. Stoops, 61, built his reputation as Florida's defensive coordinator under Steve Spurrier from 1996 to 1998. Stoops, now working as a Fox analyst, also understands the importance of fun offense to Florida's fans and had dynamic offensive coordinators (Mike Leach, Kevin Sumlin, Josh Heupel, Lincoln Riley) throughout his career at Oklahoma. Florida would be foolish not to gauge his interest. Names that have been circulated for top-tier openings at USC and LSU also could be in the mix for Florida, including Fickell (whose stock couldn't be much higher), O'Brien and Michigan State's Mel Tucker, although The Detroit Free Press reported that MSU is set to offer Tucker a 10-year, $95 million contract, funded by two alumni. More on the Florida search LSU Out: Ed Orgeron (49-19 at LSU; announced he won't return in 2022 on Oct. 17) Latest buzz: LSU athletic director Scott Woodward still wants Fisher for the Tigers job and will continue to make runs at Fisher despite the coach's strong assertion of his intent to remain at Texas A&M. "He's Scott's white whale," an LSU source said recently. But if Fisher remains firm in staying put, expect LSU to pivot toward O'Brien, the Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans and Penn State coach. In his first year with the Crimson Tide. O'Brien, 52, is widely expected to return to a head-coaching role, potentially at a premier college program. "Once Scott finally gives up on Jimbo, he doesn't have many obvious choices," an industry source said. "Do you look at [Iowa State coach] Matt Campbell? Can you hire Lane [Kiffin]? Billy Napier is probably your basement." Indeed, Kiffin continues to impress at Ole Miss, which outclassed Fisher's Texas A&M team in Week 11. Kiffin has delivered the quarterback development, recruiting buzz and on-field development that Ole Miss wanted. The defense is making strides too. Michigan State coach Tucker is believed to be on LSU's list, but the Spartans are intent on keeping him in town, and Tucker told former MSU star basketball player Draymond Green that he always felt Michigan State is a "destination job" and that he never intended to "just pass through." More on the LSU search USC Out: Clay Helton (46-24 at USC; fired Sept. 13) Latest buzz: The names being mentioned most at USC continue to be Iowa State's Campbell, Baylor's Aranda and Cincinnati's Fickell. Fickell is in the strongest position to land the job, and not only because USC athletic director Mike Bohn hired him at Cincinnati. His stock couldn't be higher after getting Cincinnati in position to secure a playoff spot. While Fickell is rooted in his home state of Ohio and soon will lead a Big 12 program if he stays at Cincinnati, he might be more open to taking an elite-level job in a very winnable league such as the Pac-12. "He might have to take it," an industry source said of Fickell. Aranda is perhaps the only realistic USC candidate with Southern California roots, as he grew up in Redlands, California. James Franklin's name had been tied to USC the longest, and he seemed like a good fit for the program, the environment and Bohn, all of which helped him get a 10-year extension at Penn State. -- Rittenberg More on the USC search Other Power 5 jobs Virginia Tech Out: Justin Fuente (43-31 at Virginia Tech; fired Nov. 16) Latest buzz: After Fuente's somewhat frosty approach turned fans against him, Coastal Carolina's Jamey Chadwell would bring a combination of creative schemes and fun personality that the school could benefit from. Chadwell, 44, made Coastal Carolina into America's mullet-wearing darlings in 2020 and has continued to win there, and the Tennessee native knows the region well. Napier has typically been mentioned for SEC vacancies and has thus far shown little interest in leaving Lafayette. But several sources have said Virginia Tech is on the short list of jobs that would truly interest him. Dave Clawson, in the midst of a breakout season at Wake Forest, might be a Demon Deacons lifer, but he also could see value in moving to a program that can consistently compete for titles. Expect Virginia Tech to take a long look at him. Coordinators who might be fits to make a jump include Clemson DC Brent Venables, Texas A&M DC Mike Elko, Clemson OC Tony Elliott and Michigan OC Josh Gattis. South Carolina coach Shane Beamer, whose name is royalty in Blacksburg, has taken himself out of the mix. Hugh Freeze is too good a coach with too much of a proven track record not to get another shot. His exit at Ole Miss and the NCAA issues there will be a deal breaker for some schools, but that was six years ago. He beat Virginia Tech last season and is right there in the state at Liberty. Why not take a long look if you're the Hokies? O'Brien, in his first season as Alabama's offensive coordinator, may be somebody to watch at Virginia Tech too. He has NFL head-coaching experience and inherited an incredibly tough situation as Penn State's head coach. -- Low More on the Virginia Tech search Washington Out: Jimmy Lake (7-6 at Washington; fired Nov. 14) Latest buzz: The Washington coaching search is getting really interesting. Former coach Chris Petersen is heavily involved and, according to some sources, is the most important influence in the search. Petersen really likes Baylor's Aranda and Iowa State's Campbell. Aranda is on the radar for Washington and USC and could return closer to his roots in the Los Angeles area. But sources say he feels incredibly loyal to Baylor, which gave him his first head-coaching job, and would be torn about leaving after only two years. The wild card at Washington remains Auburn coach Bryan Harsin, who likely would have been the top choice when he was still at Boise State. Auburn athletic director Allen Greene could soon be on the move, and Harsin, who has lost two straight and faces Alabama this week, might want a job more suited to his background, such as Washington. From the moment Auburn hired Harsin, some questioned how the Boise, Idaho, native would fit in the Plains, and those questions remain. He would give Washington an established head coach with an offensive background after the Jimmy Lake mess. A subplot is Harsin's vaccination situation, both at Auburn -- where employees must be vaccinated by Dec. 8 -- or at Washington, which has a mandate for state employees that cost Washington State's Nick Rolovich his job. Washington also has plenty of intriguing regional options: Cal's Justin Wilcox, Oregon's Jonathan Smith, Fresno State's Kalen DeBoer and BYU's Kalani Sitake. Sitake has proved himself as a head coach the past two years, producing successful, tough and balanced teams at BYU, which is 19-3 since the start of the 2020 season. DeBoer, 47, is in only his second year as an FBS coach but will make the step up to a Power 5 school soon. Nevada's Jay Norvell would be an experienced option with roots on offense who is overdue for a Power 5 opportunity. More on the Washington search TCU Out: Gary Patterson (260-181 at TCU; left Oct. 31) Latest buzz: The TCU search is believed to be focused on SMU's Sonny Dykes until diverted elsewhere. Although SMU is set to give Dykes an enhanced contract to stay, the school can't offer the advantages of playing in a Power 5 conference that TCU can. SMU won't be playing in the AAC title game, which could free up Dykes to make a move after the Nov. 27 regular-season finale against Tulsa. More on the TCU search Washington State Out: Nick Rolovich (5-6 at Washington State; fired Oct. 18) Latest buzz: Washington State interim coach Jake Dickert is a strong candidate to land the permanent role. Dickert has impressed administrators and others in taking over following Rolovich's firing. The Cougars already are bowl eligible and a win over Washington -- WSU hasn't won the Apple Cup since 2012 -- would put Dickert, 38, in excellent position to get the job. WSU has hired a search firm but finds itself in a very competitive coaching market. Although other candidates such as Nevada coach Norvell, Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead and Fresno State coach DeBoer will be considered, Dickert would provide continuity and help keep the roster and recruiting class as unified as possible. -- Rittenberg More on the Washington State search On the hot seat Getting warmer in Miami? With Miami in search of an athletic director, and possibly a head coach, there are some serious questions the school's board of trustees are mulling over. To start, one source close to the situation said the school must decide what it wants in an AD: someone who can handle the business side of athletics with fundraising, licensing, branding, marketing and name, image and likeness taking center stage, or someone football-minded who can deal with NIL as it comes. The goal is to have an AD in place before making any decisions about coach Manny Diaz. The source also indicated the school is prepared to heavily increase its financial support to football. But throwing money at the situation is not going to solve the issues. The board is working on identifying where to invest -- including coaching salaries, support staff and recruiting. This source indicated the board has not yet made a decision about whether Diaz will return for another year. -- Andrea Adelson One possible coach for Miami? Kiffin. Kiffin did a terrific job at Florida Atlantic before landing back in the SEC at Ole Miss, where he has the Rebels in position to win 10 games in the regular season for the first time in school history. Kiffin has strong support from a group of former Miami players and has maintained his South Florida ties from when he was at FAU. It remains to be seen whether Miami could put together the kind of financial package that would pry Kiffin away from Ole Miss (and the SEC) after just two seasons. Those closest to Kiffin will tell you he is much more consumed with competing for championships than he is money, and the path to the College Football Playoff would seem to be much easier in the ACC Coastal than it is in the SEC West. Kiffin is making $4.5 million this year at Ole Miss, with a $500,000 retention bonus if he is still the coach on Dec. 31. He is slated to earn $5.25 million in 2022, $5.5 million in 2023 and $5.75 million in 2024, and that doesn't count what could be more than $500,000 in performance bonuses this season. Kiffin's buyout if he left this year would be in the $4 million range. UCLA coach Chip Kelly has a team bowl eligible for the first time in his Bruins tenure. Wins over USC and Cal should secure Kelly for 2022 with a new contract, but he's also working under an athletic director (Martin Jarmond) who did not hire him. The Arizona State job is being watched by coaches and agents, and there are even some whispers about Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and potential retirement. If Mario Cristobal were to leave Oregon, the league would have most or all of its top-end jobs open. One name to keep in mind is Auburn coach Bryan Harsin. While leaving Auburn after one year would be stunning, Harsin had waited at Boise State for top Pac-12 jobs. Now that they're opening, would he consider a chance to return to more familiar territory? -- Rittenberg Eye on North Texas fired Nov. 4) The skinny: There were glimmers of success under Terry Bowden (won MAC East in 2017), but none since Arth took over in 2019. Financial challenges persist. Florida International Out: Butch Davis (24-30 at FIU; said he won't be back in 2022 on Nov. 15) The skinny: After three successful seasons, the bottom dropped out on Davis (1-14 over the past two seasons). He accused the school of "sabotaging the program" in an interview with The Action Network after FIU listed a job posting for a head football coach in October. Texas A&M tight ends coach James Coley, a Miami native who spent a season as FIU's offensive coordinator (2007) and also has held coordinator stints at Miami and Florida State, should be a candidate. Jacksonville State Out: John Grass (71-26 at JSU; stepped down Nov. 7) The skinny: With the team moving up from FCS to FBS (joining Conference USA in 2023), this is a very important hire for the program -- and a potentially intriguing job for potential candidates. Troy fired Nov. 21) The skinny: Lindsey never had a winning season at Troy, which has had success in the past (five straight Sun Belt titles from 2006-10). Filled jobs Texas Tech In: Baylor associate coach Joey McGuire. A successful longtime Texas high school coach, McGuire was in his fifth year with the Bears. Out: Matt Wells (18-20 at Texas Tech) Georgia Southern In: Clay Helton. He was out of work for only about six weeks after being ousted from USC, where he went 46-24. Out: Chad Lunsford (28-21 at Georgia Southern) UConn In: Jim Mora. The former UCLA/NFL coach last held a coaching job in 2017, his final year with the Bruins. He went 46-30 at UCLA after 25 years in the NFL, including head coaching stops with Atlanta (2004-06) and Seattle (2009). Out: Randy Edsall (6-32 in second stint at UConn) UMass In: Arizona defensive coordinator Don Brown. This is Brown's second go-round as head coach of the Minutemen; he went 43-19 from 2004 to 2008 -- the winningest five-year period in team history -- while UMass competed in the FCS. From there, he served as DC at five FBS programs, including Michigan from 2016-2020. Out: Walt Bell (2-23 at UMass)
I kinda sorta want VT to go the coordinator route at this point unless they want to swing at Herman or BOB. VT's really not hard to win at, the Coastal is up for grabs literally every year, all you have to do is be able to recruit and you can hit 10-2 without breaking much of a sweat and that will keep you gainfully employed forever, basically. Fuente got six years of fuckery, coaches really should be attracted to the notion that they have a lot of rope to play with before it actually tightens up, especially compared to a lot of other jobs currently open.
FWIW a name that keeps popping up around VT that honestly I'm warming up to by the day is Charles Huff. Elite recruiter, from MD and went to Hampton for college so knows the area well, his off-field stuff just seems like it'd fit perfect at VT. The coaching stuff is a bit more unknown currently, of course. I don't think he's going to be on that first or even second tier of people VT talks to but as a fall back I think we could do a whole lot worse. I definitely think he'd put some good positive energy into the program, the ass-opposite of Fuente.
Depends on busy Zach Smith is. He has a podcast now. So might either distract him from his feud or give him more than just 280 characters to sling relentless shit/drama Herman’s (and his next employer’s) way.
Would love to see Campbell at Florida to see if he's cutthroat enough to bring new blood into his staff and get dirty recruiting against the southern powers
I’ll always love Huff because he told Zach Evan’s to fuck directly off when he was being a shit head.
the Dykes hire is pretty awful yeah he was good at SMU but his record against the Houston/Memphis/Cincinnati/UCF’s of the AAC was abysmal if he doesnt bring his recruiting studs with him to TCU than woof
Grown ass men with big hang downs is what he'd need got the 2 current best in the game sitting right above you aiming for your state's elite every season
What in the world is bama doing parting with a coach Pete Thamel has told me repeatedly is top 5 offensive coach in all of football?
Is Mel tucker like a top 3 highest paid coach? Holy shit and good for him. 2 of his 3 seasons as a head coach have losing records and he’s only about 50 points from being Ohio st
is the top 5 highest paid some weird combo of Saban, Dabo, Jimbo, Tucker, and Franklin? e: Shaw makes 8.92 million am I being trolled is this the Matrix? e2: Riley makes slightly more than Franklin and Jimbo, I think.
#Wake Forest Demon Deacons hearing you boys are working up an extension for Clawson? would appreciate that greatly as a VT fan.