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What makes a good coaching hire? Just ask me
Michigan got it right. Nebraska and Texas A&M didn't. Arkansas? Check back in two years. Want the definition of a good hire? Just ask me
Lloyd Carr used to have a dictionary on a stand outside his office, and before players came in to see him, they had to look up a word they didn't know and explain its meaning. Maybe Rich Rodriguez can get a book on The Game, plop it on a stand in his office and thumb through it every day.
So what if Rodriguez has plenty to learn about Michigan history? He knows how to coach, and yeah, he knows he has to beat Ohio State. Isn't that enough?
Sure it is -- and give Michigan credit for making the best hire of the offseason.
Grading the hires for the top six jobs:
1. Michigan: Rich Rodriguez, A. The spread option -- and variations of it -- has become the offense of choice in college football. No one knows it/teaches it like Rodriguez. And for the stodgy Blues with their undies bunched because Rod's not a Michigan Man, I give you these facts about West Virginia football in 2007:
It is fourth in the nation in rushing offense with 292.9 yards per game. It has run the ball on 589 of its 835 plays (70.5 percent).
It is fourth in the nation in total defense (291.9 yards allowed per game). That's a strong running game and a strong defense. That's Michigan football at its best, people. Maybe this won't be such a drastic change after all.
2. Nebraska: Bo Pelini, C-. The depth of failure in the Bill Callahan era: an abominable showing on the field, fear of change off it. You don't settle for Pelini because he spent one year in Lincoln and knows "the Nebraska way." When Jim Grobe says he wants to hire his own staff, you say "whatever you want" and close the deal.
3. UCLA: Rick Neuheisel, A. Forget about the past baggage at Washington and Colorado; it's overplayed. He's a charismatic coach who will be aggressive against Pac-10 king USC on the field and in recruiting. This was the hire USC didn't want to see.
4. Texas A&M: Mike Sherman, D. Deep-pocket boosters, a passionate fan base, terrific facilities and ... Mike Sherman? For the last time: Pete Carroll's NFL-to-college success is an anomaly specific to his personality.
5. Arkansas: Bobby Petrino, A/F. Two ways to look at it: 1.) The Hogs landed the best offensive mind/play-caller in the game. 2.) The Hogs will be looking for another coach in two years. Then again, it's worth the risk -- Petrino is a program-defining coach -- if Arkansas wins its first SEC title.
6. Georgia Tech: Paul Johnson, A. Really, how much different is Johnson's flexbone offense from the spread option? Both are based on zone-read plays and both require a dynamic quarterback. Johnson is popular with the state's high school coaches from his days at Georgia Southern, and he will significantly upgrade recruiting.
Six more hires, by grades:
Houston: Kevin Sumlin, A. A terrific recruiter, he made great strides as co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. He has the personality and temperament to be a successful head coach.
Baylor: Art Briles, B. A sharp X's-and-O's guy, Briles wanted a BCS job and landed the hardest of all. His Mike Leach-based offense will help only so much if he can't recruit mid- to upper-level talent to Waco.
Duke: David Cutcliffe, B. Organized and disciplined, he's just what Duke wanted. Now if the administration relaxes entrance requirements, he could take the Devils bowling.
Washington State: Paul Wulff, B. A Wazzu alum, he was a charismatic and successful coach at Eastern Washington.
Mississippi: Houston Nutt, B-. He did more with less at Arkansas for years, but one nagging fault stood out: He never developed an elite quarterback. Mediocre passing attacks kept his teams from winning the SEC. The Rebels are loaded with skill players, including former Elite 11 quarterback Jevan Snead.
Southern Miss: Larry Fedora, C+. This is a tough spot for one of the game's top young offensive minds: He follows a Southern Miss legend and must sort through internal politics that fractured the fan base.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=332276
Michigan got it right. Nebraska and Texas A&M didn't. Arkansas? Check back in two years. Want the definition of a good hire? Just ask me
Lloyd Carr used to have a dictionary on a stand outside his office, and before players came in to see him, they had to look up a word they didn't know and explain its meaning. Maybe Rich Rodriguez can get a book on The Game, plop it on a stand in his office and thumb through it every day.
So what if Rodriguez has plenty to learn about Michigan history? He knows how to coach, and yeah, he knows he has to beat Ohio State. Isn't that enough?
Sure it is -- and give Michigan credit for making the best hire of the offseason.
Grading the hires for the top six jobs:
1. Michigan: Rich Rodriguez, A. The spread option -- and variations of it -- has become the offense of choice in college football. No one knows it/teaches it like Rodriguez. And for the stodgy Blues with their undies bunched because Rod's not a Michigan Man, I give you these facts about West Virginia football in 2007:
It is fourth in the nation in rushing offense with 292.9 yards per game. It has run the ball on 589 of its 835 plays (70.5 percent).
It is fourth in the nation in total defense (291.9 yards allowed per game). That's a strong running game and a strong defense. That's Michigan football at its best, people. Maybe this won't be such a drastic change after all.
2. Nebraska: Bo Pelini, C-. The depth of failure in the Bill Callahan era: an abominable showing on the field, fear of change off it. You don't settle for Pelini because he spent one year in Lincoln and knows "the Nebraska way." When Jim Grobe says he wants to hire his own staff, you say "whatever you want" and close the deal.
3. UCLA: Rick Neuheisel, A. Forget about the past baggage at Washington and Colorado; it's overplayed. He's a charismatic coach who will be aggressive against Pac-10 king USC on the field and in recruiting. This was the hire USC didn't want to see.
4. Texas A&M: Mike Sherman, D. Deep-pocket boosters, a passionate fan base, terrific facilities and ... Mike Sherman? For the last time: Pete Carroll's NFL-to-college success is an anomaly specific to his personality.
5. Arkansas: Bobby Petrino, A/F. Two ways to look at it: 1.) The Hogs landed the best offensive mind/play-caller in the game. 2.) The Hogs will be looking for another coach in two years. Then again, it's worth the risk -- Petrino is a program-defining coach -- if Arkansas wins its first SEC title.
6. Georgia Tech: Paul Johnson, A. Really, how much different is Johnson's flexbone offense from the spread option? Both are based on zone-read plays and both require a dynamic quarterback. Johnson is popular with the state's high school coaches from his days at Georgia Southern, and he will significantly upgrade recruiting.
Six more hires, by grades:
Houston: Kevin Sumlin, A. A terrific recruiter, he made great strides as co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. He has the personality and temperament to be a successful head coach.
Baylor: Art Briles, B. A sharp X's-and-O's guy, Briles wanted a BCS job and landed the hardest of all. His Mike Leach-based offense will help only so much if he can't recruit mid- to upper-level talent to Waco.
Duke: David Cutcliffe, B. Organized and disciplined, he's just what Duke wanted. Now if the administration relaxes entrance requirements, he could take the Devils bowling.
Washington State: Paul Wulff, B. A Wazzu alum, he was a charismatic and successful coach at Eastern Washington.
Mississippi: Houston Nutt, B-. He did more with less at Arkansas for years, but one nagging fault stood out: He never developed an elite quarterback. Mediocre passing attacks kept his teams from winning the SEC. The Rebels are loaded with skill players, including former Elite 11 quarterback Jevan Snead.
Southern Miss: Larry Fedora, C+. This is a tough spot for one of the game's top young offensive minds: He follows a Southern Miss legend and must sort through internal politics that fractured the fan base.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=332276
