bhamHusker

You do realize that Stoops was Florida's defensive coordinator before he went to OU, don't you?

I like him because he was Nick Saban's DC at LSU and for Saban's first year with the Dolphins. He left the Dolphins to take his current position at AU. He's not necessarily my top choice, but he is an easy top-5 contender in my book. Also, I think you're overstating the impact that a coach's current region has on his ability to recruit. A good coach (with a good staff) can recruit anywhere. It's all about selling his vision for the program to the kids.

I'll cut & paste what I said in another thread on the subject: He's happy, loyal and on top of his world right now. I'd be beyond shocked if he left USF.

I like Jim Leavitt, but I don't see him leaving USF. He's had opportunities to leave for big money at big time programs, but has stayed with the Bulls because it's *his* program. He's the only coach that team has ever had. He started the program from nothing, and he has unflinching loyalty to the program. I appears that the money doesn't matter that much to him. He's making decent money at USF, and I don't think he'd trade a fatter paycheck for the intangible benefits that he has now. That's not to say that I wouldn't try to get him if I were in charge of the search, but I wouldn't hold my breath, either. I tend to be more interested in a current, successful coordinator at a big time program rather than I am in an established head coach. A key reason is that coordinators don't have formidable buyout clauses in their contracts, but also I think they're often hungrier and more anxious to prove themselves. My list would include, in no particular order, Bo Pelini (DC@LSU), Wil Muschamp (DC@AU), Jimbo Fisher (OC@FSU), Charlie Strong (DC@UFL), Brent Venables (DC@OU), Gary Crowton (OC@LSU). I also like Ed Orgeron, HC at Ole Miss. He hasn't had much success there, but I don't think that's a fair indication of his abilities - I don't think anyone would be successful there.

I want him to go to bed tonight as an unemployed coach.

I'd take it even further. Dismiss Pederson, Callahan and Cosgrove tonight. Ask TO to be the interim AD, bump Watson and Wyatt to interim HC and DC respectively.

For better or for worse, $1.75M is no longer an impressive salary for an upper tier program, and probably not enough to woo an established coach away from a comfortable situation. I don't think that $1.75M is enough to keep you in the top 25 for salaries, but I could be wrong. If it does now, it probably won't after the next round of new contracts and raises early next year.

While you're probably right about this, a contract extension is no guarantee. Alabama gave Shula an extension and a raise 6 months before they fired him.

I'm a big fan of Jim Leavitt, but he's not going anywhere. He has been pursued by other big programs for years due to his success at USF. I just don't see him ever leaving them, though. He's built that program from the ground up. He's the only HC the program has ever had at any level. That's his baby, and he's not going to walk away from it.

He got the "porn vs. corn" line during his radio show today just before Grant Wistrom's appearance. A caller from Omaha had a really good rip on SoCal fans. I forget exactly what he said, but one of his last lines was something to the effect of "how can fans from Bakersfield rip on Omaha when the biggest industry out there behind meth labs are the porn studios?" Rome loved that call and picked up on it. Whoever that caller from Omaha was, it was a great call.

It finally loaded for me a minute ago, but then timed out when I launched the media player.

Here in Birmingham, I only occasionally see another car with a NU sticker or tag on the road, or run into someone with a Husker hat or t-shirt on. It's rare enough that you definitely get that feeling of kinship. I know there are other Husker fans and displaced Nebraskans down here, but we're spread out enough that we don't run across each other often. I'd say I might average seeing 10 other fans a year since we moved down here 30 years ago.

No luck to me. I'm a Lincoln transplant living down here. The wife is a big 'Bama fan, though.

Possibly, but the tickets are only 8 bucks. I am sure the lure of seeing the new coach helped more.. 8 bucks is a weeks wages in Bama. Cost of living here is about 4.5% higher than Omaha The new coach along with all the associated changes are what drove the interest in the spring game. Virtually all of the people that I know who went to the game were going to attend whether the tickets were free or not.

Here's a link that explains it (swiped from this thread)

The 82 Auburn game was the first away game that I attended after my family moved from Lincoln to Birmingham in 1980. There was no doubt some ugly behavior by some - I saw it myself - but by and large the fans were well behaved and gracious. During our walk back to the car following the game we encountered many fans and a little good natured "AUttitude," but the fans really made a good impression on me. It's the main reason I've never chosen sides in the Auburn vs. Alabama rivalry down here, much to the chagrin of my many 'Bama & Auburn friends.