Grantland: Ranking College Football’s New Head Coaching Hires
- Thread starter Saunders
- Start date
Blackdeuce
Four-Star Recruit
So, if you suck and you hire a guy that will make your team less sucky, you get ranked high? Those rankings are pretty worthless, IMO.
knapplc
International Man of Mystery
Nick Saban did nothing more noteworthy prior to going to LSU than Riley did at Corvallis. Saban went on to win the National Championship in his fourth year at LSU.
So ranking Riley's hire 10th and claiming it's a low-ceiling hire based on what Riley did at Corvallis, while bragging up Narduzzi at Pitt (never been a head coach, read: Bo Pelini) and Chad Morris at SMU (also never a head coach) is a little laughable.
Nobody has a clue how any of the hires they ranked are going to do. Harbaugh at Michigan is the flavor of the month, but until he accomplishes something he's no better of a hire than Tony Sanchez.
So ranking Riley's hire 10th and claiming it's a low-ceiling hire based on what Riley did at Corvallis, while bragging up Narduzzi at Pitt (never been a head coach, read: Bo Pelini) and Chad Morris at SMU (also never a head coach) is a little laughable.
Nobody has a clue how any of the hires they ranked are going to do. Harbaugh at Michigan is the flavor of the month, but until he accomplishes something he's no better of a hire than Tony Sanchez.
junior4949
All-American
I'm a little surprised to see Florida ranked so low. At the time, the media was crowning this the best thing since sliced bread. If this hiring process would have taken place back in 09' or somewhere around there, we'd have been in the top 3 easily. Riley was always in a no win situation at Oregon State because the school simply wouldn't give him the resources he needed. I'm still surprised he's here given the opportunities he could have taken in years past.
BaytownHusker
Starter
Comish
All-Conference
Wow, what a risk taking formula by the writer......
Ranking Harbaugh as number 1 really shows an in-depth willingness to unearth other's limited research...
These rankings (read OPINIONS) are worthless until a few years of reality on the field yields some honest data, but it would be refreshing if someone actually thought outside the collective haze of worship enveloping all-things Michigan.
Ranking Harbaugh as number 1 really shows an in-depth willingness to unearth other's limited research...
These rankings (read OPINIONS) are worthless until a few years of reality on the field yields some honest data, but it would be refreshing if someone actually thought outside the collective haze of worship enveloping all-things Michigan.
Saban had Michigan State headed decidedly upwards - first 10 win season in 30 years - while Oregon State has been trending downwards for the last nine years.
Also, Saban was 10 years younger then than Riley is now which was part of their ranking.
TGHusker
Heisman Trophy Winner
Per this article, Nebraska's hiring of Riley ranks as 10th best in this season's coaching carousal. Mich gets # 1 spot wt the Harbaugh hiring, followed by SMU, Pitt, Houston, Ore State, Wisc, Tulsa (living here - Tulsa got a great hire in the Baylor OC), Floridia, CSU
I, personally think the review below is too negative in the final sentence. We will reap the benefits of the much greater coaching experience. With all of our resources and under developed talent, we didn't need the next up in coming guy with little experience but someone who could could get us over the hump that we've been hung up on for sometime. Player development will be our key to success and I think the new staff will be a huge upgrade over the previous staff in that regards.
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/college-football-coaching-carousel-new-hire-rankings/
10. Nebraska
Other than Harbaugh, Mike Riley is the most accomplished head coach on this list, having forged a perennial overachiever from a historical backwater in Oregon State. (Riley also has nine years under his belt as a head coach in the pro ranks, a stint notable mainly for two Grey Cup championships with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, in 1988 and 1990, and later for drafting LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees in the 2001 draft as head coach of the Chargers.) At 61, he’s also a bizarre choice for Nebraska, a sleeping giant that grew increasingly impatient with diminishing returns under Bo Pelini.
By all accounts, Riley is more approachable than his volatile, tantrum-prone predecessor, which ought to be worth a little goodwill in the honeymoon phase, at least. In 14 years in Corvallis, though, Riley’s teams never produced a conference championship, top-10 finish, major bowl bid, or any other result that might pass for success in Lincoln; nor is he regarded as an innovator or an especially energetic recruiter. Pelini failed on all of those counts, too, and was shown the door despite winning at least nine games in every year of his tenure. For a hometown underdog just looking to remain competitive, Riley was a solid long-term steward. For an established program looking to raise the bar, he may be the lowest-ceiling hire the Cornhuskers could have reasonably made.
I, personally think the review below is too negative in the final sentence. We will reap the benefits of the much greater coaching experience. With all of our resources and under developed talent, we didn't need the next up in coming guy with little experience but someone who could could get us over the hump that we've been hung up on for sometime. Player development will be our key to success and I think the new staff will be a huge upgrade over the previous staff in that regards.
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/college-football-coaching-carousel-new-hire-rankings/
10. Nebraska
Other than Harbaugh, Mike Riley is the most accomplished head coach on this list, having forged a perennial overachiever from a historical backwater in Oregon State. (Riley also has nine years under his belt as a head coach in the pro ranks, a stint notable mainly for two Grey Cup championships with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, in 1988 and 1990, and later for drafting LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees in the 2001 draft as head coach of the Chargers.) At 61, he’s also a bizarre choice for Nebraska, a sleeping giant that grew increasingly impatient with diminishing returns under Bo Pelini.
By all accounts, Riley is more approachable than his volatile, tantrum-prone predecessor, which ought to be worth a little goodwill in the honeymoon phase, at least. In 14 years in Corvallis, though, Riley’s teams never produced a conference championship, top-10 finish, major bowl bid, or any other result that might pass for success in Lincoln; nor is he regarded as an innovator or an especially energetic recruiter. Pelini failed on all of those counts, too, and was shown the door despite winning at least nine games in every year of his tenure. For a hometown underdog just looking to remain competitive, Riley was a solid long-term steward. For an established program looking to raise the bar, he may be the lowest-ceiling hire the Cornhuskers could have reasonably made.
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teachercd
Head Coach
Plus, don't forget that LSU was kind of average-bad before Saban got there...They were not doing so hot at all...I can't remember when Saban got there but in 95 they were 7-4-1 then
96: 9-2
97: 9-3
98: 4-7
99: 3-8
00: 8-4
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TGHusker
Heisman Trophy Winner
I'd like to see where all of these coaches will be in 4 years. Mich very well may be looking for a new one and J H heads back to the NFL. Most of the other coaches will use their current situations as stepping stones to larger Power 5 schools. I suspect Riley to be still here at NU and successful.
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