After all the hirings of new head coaches made after the 2007 college football season, I didn't post any thoughts right away. I wanted to wait a few months to think and analyze the hirings. For some, my thoughts didn't change at all. It was either good or bad. For others, I'm glad I waited to post this blog. This is one of the first years that there was not a hire that I completely panned in the end, and like something about each one. When I do my rankings, I go by the fit between the coach and the school, and not by program prestige like many other columnists do. From best to worst, here's my list of the head coaching hirings heading into the 2008 college football season.
1. Houston Nutt- Ole Miss
As I've said since 2005, Ed Orgeron was not a good hire. That was proved after three years of poor performance. One thing Orgeron did bring to Oxford that was absent for many years was top recruiting classes that ranked among the best in the country. AD Pete Boone knew he had to make a splash after the Orgeron experiment, and he made a great one. Nutt comes in after 10 years at Arkansas. Nutt knows the SEC and even though he only had one really great year, he knows what it takes to win. With prized recruits and what seems to be a an answer at QB in Jevan Snead, Nutt is the perfect fit. The Rebels won't be winning big right away, but will soon be competative and SEC contenders again.
2. June Jones- SMU
What makes this hiring so great is SMU's desire to do anything to rebuild their football program, which has never really healed since the 1987 death penalty, and June Jones's desire to be a part of a football program who will spend any amount of money to win. Hawaii is the program it is because of Jones, and if Hawaii can break into the BCS, there's no reason SMU can't do the same. The Mustangs will be scoring points, which should translate into more wins.
3. Mike Sherman- Texas A&M
This hiring has Aggie fans much more excited now than when it was made. After Dennis Frachione resigned minutes after defeating Texas for the second straight year, Sherman was the only candidate for the job and was quickly hired. Many people were very suspect about it, but after spring practices, Sherman clearly has A&M pointed in the right direction. A brand new pro-style offense, Joe Kines coming in as Assistant Head Coach/ Defensive Coordinator (which probably deserves a space in this blog by itself), and a staff full of experience, A&M should be mentioned with Oklahoma and Texas in a few years.
4. Kevin Sumlin- Houston
I thought Sumlin should have been strongly considered for the A&M job. The Houston job almost went to former Houston Oilers coach Jack Pardee, but hiring Sumlin proves that Houston wanted someone long term who can carry the success Art Briles has established. Unfortunately for the Cougars, if Sumlin proves to be a winner, a BCS school will pick him up soon.
5.Paul Johnson- Georgia Tech
Finally, a BCS school is bringing in Johnson, the option king of college football. Johnson's name has been mentioned for virtually every BCS job that has opened up for the last couple of years. A guy that's pure football and not the charismatic type like a Pete Carroll or Rick Neuheisel, his counterpart, is exactly what Georgia Tech needs. It will take time to install an option offense, and then Johnson will have to win with it consistantly in a tough ACC. But if he can do it at Navy, why not Georgia Tech?
6.Rick Neuheisel- UCLA
I originally panned UCLA for bringing in Neuheisel, whose history includes a great deal of baggage. But after spring practices, Neheisel already has the program on the rise. If anyone can take on Pete Carroll and USC, it's Neuheisel, whose not at all intimidated by the fact that USC owns all of Los Angeles area except for the UCLA campus. Neuheisel has to prove that he has learned his lesson and can play by the rules.
7. David Cutcliffe- Duke
The Blue Devils have been the doormat of not just the ACC, but of college football for way to long. Cutcliffe is one of the top offensive minds in the game, and knows X's and O's better than anyone. This is one of the toughest jobs in the country, and Cutcliffe isn't known as a rebuilder. But performance on the field will greatly improve, which might be enough to make Duke a bowl contender.
8. Bo Pelini- Nebraska
I personally though new AD Tom Osborne should have hired Buffalo head coach and former Nebreska QB Turner Gill, but this is still a great hire. Nebraska is getting a quality coach who will greatly turn the defense around. Pelini must have QB Joe Ganz at the top of his game and keep the offense consistant for the Cornhuskers to have success.
9. Art Briles- Baylor
After rebuilding Houston and turning it into one of the more elite programs of all non-BCS schools, Briles moves a few hours north and takes over a struggling Baylor program. Like Duke, Baylor is a tough job, primarily due to it being right in the middle of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma recruiting. But Briles is a Texas guy, unlike his predecessor Guy Morris, and someone who knows the Texas recruiting landscape is a big plus for Baylor.
10. Bobby Petrino- Arkansas
My respect for Petrino went way down after he left the Falcons with still three games remaining in the NFL regular season. But there's no denying his record and his ability to create an offense better than any coach in college football. Petrino was always an SEC type of guy, and this is his chance to try a gain the respect he lost over the off-season. But it remains to be seen if he can bring championships, conference and national, to Fayetteville.
11. Larry Fedora- Southern Miss
Southern Miss shocked the college football world when it forced long time head coach Jeff Bower to resign. But the Golden Eagles were showing signs of slumping, so new blood was brought in when Larry Fedora, a well known offensive guru, was hired. This is a big job for Fedora, even though it's a non-BCS school. Fedora has to first get out of Bower's shadow, which may take one year (if he wins) or many years.
12. Ken Niumatalolo- Navy
There was no question who was going to get this job when Paul Johnson left. Niumatalolo will keep everything the same with the Midshipmen, even the option attack. But it remains to be seen if he can keep Navy winning, because one slump will be directly attributed toward him.
13. Steve Fairchild- Colorado State
The Sonny Lubick era has ended, and Fairchild, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator and a former assistant under Lubick, is brought in. Fairchild brings college and NFL experience to Fort Collins, and knows the program well. His first task is to try and topple Colorado, which would give the program a huge motivational boast.
14. Greg McMackin- Hawaii
A long time assistant in the college game, McMackin is finally getting his chance to run his own program. Hawaii tried to make this hiring as painless as possible after June Jones left. The only problem is that McMackin is not June Jones and will find it difficult to keep the Run and Shoot attack going strong. McMackin should keep things running smooth for at least one season, but will have to find his own way of continuing success once Jones' players are gone.
15. Jerry Kill- Northern Illinois
Kill comes from the FCS, and playing in the MAC should help his transition into FBS. Kill is a low profile guy who could make a big splash at Northern Illinois. Joe Novak proved that winning games is a possibility at NIU, and Jerry Kill has proved he's a winner. Plus, he stays in state. This should be a good marriage between the two.
16. Paul Wulff- Washington State
Bill Doba did some nice things with the Cougars, but it was time for a change. Wulff has not coached anywhere else but the state of Washington, and now he is taking one of the toughest jobs in the PAC-10. Washington State is in need of a makeover, and hiring a guy like Wulff is a gamble. But the young coach will definitely bring some emotion to the sidelines and get the players hopes up. But recruiting and consistancy will be tough, especially when the PAC-10 is a recruiting kingdom and Wazzu hasn't been on the best side of it.
17. Rich Rodriguez- Michigan
I did not like this hiring at first, and I still don't like it. Coach Rod brings a lot of baggage after a messy departure from West Virginia, his alma mater. He will have to completely change the offense to his spread option, and must win right away, no exceptions. After Lloyd Carr's retirement, the Wolverines should have opted for Brady Hoke, a former Michigan assistant who is doing a great job at Ball State, rather than a West Virginia alum who just blew a shot at playing in the national championship. Rodriguez has proved he can win and took West Virginia to great heights, but Michigan had better options. Had Rodriguez gotten the UCLA or Arkansas job, he would be in the top 3 on my list. But I don't see Rodriguez and Michigan being a good fit together.
18. Bill Stewart- West Virginia
Despite whatever AD Ed Pastilong says, this hiring was spur of the moment. Bill Stewart had an 8-25 record at VMI, which doesn't look good on any resume. Stewart is a lucky guy for getting this job, and has to prove he can carry the success of Rich Rodriguez and go further. Winning the Fiesta Bowl was a great start, but that was one game which all Stewart pretty much had to do was make sure the players show up and keep the Rich Rodriguez system going. Hhas 100% support from his players, but needs 100% from fans, which many are still very much on the limb with the hire.
Coach Stew is going to a GREAT Coach for WVU. He has put togather the best staff we have ever had. Pats going to get to throw the ball. He has done twice the job recruiting. Better offense, better defense, better atmosphere, better man makes a better team. Go Mountaineers
Sorry man, but you're way off. While the jury may still be out on Rich Rod, in due time I think he could be good at UM, but Brady Hoke? He's 22-37 at Ball State! That doesn't sound like that great of a job to me, even at Ball State. Some of your orders fo teh best hiring are way off as well. There's no way Houston Nutt is the best hire, probably not even in the top ten.
Sorry. The Rich Rodriguez-Michigan alum was a typo. Got my schools mixed up. Fixed it.
askai4747...
You need to look at the overall picture, besides just an overall record. Since 2004, Brady Hoke has increased the wins at Ball State by at least one. At a place which is virtually impossible to recruit, Hoke has recruiting up and took them to their winning record and bowl since 1996 this past season. Ok, so he's not busting through the BCS. But I'd rather hire a former respected Michigan assistant who is a head coach on the rise, than Rodriguez, who comes with sudden baggage and runs an offense that Michigan is no where near capable to run right now. And losing to Pitt at the end of the season is a big negative, especially with a national championship on the line. If he did that at Michigan, think of what kind of hell would be raised in Ann Arbor.
I truly wanted to put Bill Stewart at 17 and Rodriguez last, because I think Stewart will win more than others think he will. But Stewart is full of uncertainies, and Rodriguez has proved he can win. So I have to put Rodriguez ahead of Stewart.
If you look at past VMI coaches records, new WVU head coach Bill Stewart's record of 8-25 is one of the higher winning percentages in VMI football coaching history. Denigrating this hire for having a losing record at VMI is ludicrous. Everybody VMI has ever hired had a losing record at VMI.
I agree with your assessment of Rodriguez at Michigan. He does indeed have too much baggage and he is in no way a "michigan man". He doesn't have the class or the sophistication required to coach at this school. I see him as a short term coach there.
As for Stewart at WVU I tend to agree his hiring was one based on emotion at the Fiesta Bowl. His previous record may not have much bearing on what kind of coach he is now. He spent many years as an assistant since that time. Perhaps he has learned a few things since then. His stay at VMI really doesn't count for much since VMI has never been a football powerhouse and still is not today. I'll be rooting for Stewart and hope the Mountaineers continue to be successful. If he does not deliver he has brought in a group of assistants who could step into the head coaching job so WVU might be OK anyway.
You must not have ever watched much WV football if youi think all Stewart had to do was make sure the players showed up for the game.
That was THE best coached WV team in years and years and the play calling proved it. Go back to that Pitt loss and see what kind of plays Rodriquez was capable of calling. NONE. He was shut down by the Pitt defense and refused to throw the ball.
Now go forward to the Fiesta Bowl and see what a difference in style there is between RR and Stewart. Those guys at WV were ready for anyone.
UM will have a very very tough row to #### with RR.
Already he is loading up the team with QB's in a desperate search to find another Pat White. Truth is, UM has no starting QB or any QB with any experience. Same with their skill positions and their line. Bottom line is UM will be a fast team going nowhere fast with RR. Just look at his first 3 years at WV. He wasn't hired because of those years.
You can pretty much count the top 5 as extremely close. You could rearrange the top 5 and still have a great list.
Let me reiterate what I said at the beginning of this post. This year's coaching hires were all good in some way. There were none that I 100% hated, although Rich Rodriguez is pretty close. Did I like the Bill Stewart hire? Yes. I think Stewart is a nice fit because he's been a respected assistant and knows the program well. But does it deserve a spot at the bottom? Yes, because the uncertainties he comes with. At least Michigan knows there getting a guy that won games, which is why he's ahead of Stewart.
This may be a little early to say, but Bo is going to be another Tom Osborne, which should move him up, but he has to prove himself which he will. He was the right pick for Nebraska.
Your analysis of Michigan was weak at best..."Coach Rod brings a lot of baggage after a messy departure from West Virginia, his alma mater"
Most coaches leave a school with "baggage" of some sort. Plus, Michigan really don't care about Rich Rod and WV. Most of us look at the situation as WVU needing to move on. We're too focused on the exciting years to come.
A couple of things with your Brady Hoke assessment...First, (and I live in Indiana) despite what Hoke did at Ball State...he still needs to be proven more. This is what I didn't want Michigan to do: Go after any Michigan man, despite the fact that they haven't proven enough.
#### points to our AD...he said it from start: "We're looking for a proven coach" and I don't really don't care if RR doesn't meet your standard of good coaches. He's proven...PERIOD!!! Any objective WVU fan will tell you that. C'mon! He was one game from the N.C. game, which most schools would give a left one, right one, or even both to achieve.
Will he have success at Michigan? Of course! He's in a good situation. He has a national very well established recruiting base and plus he still possesses the conditioning and coaching that brought him success at WV. His recruiting class every year averaged in the 30's but yet he was the best at making 2 and 3 star athletes look like 5 star athletes. You can't deny his accomplishment...so stop trying.
Good subject, but rather shoddy analysis. I think Bo and Neweasel will have the most success. They both inherited good talent and put together an excellent staff of coaches. Bo brought back key members of the 2003 Husker staff, added good new guys and the two best from Callahan's staff. Resurrected the walk-on program, unified the fragmented Husker Nation, and has Tom Osborne running interference. Bo knows defense which was the weak link last year. With the leak in the dike fixed and a very favorable schedule. Look for a big turnaround.
Neweasel literally won the lottery (woops, Rick doesn't bet any more). Loaded with good talent, keeping an excellent DC and picking up Norm Chow to run the offense. Schedule is not easy, but on the field Rick knows how to coach and win.
Agree Michigan made a blunder. Harbaugh would have been my choice. If he could beat Cal and USC with Stanford's talent, just think what he could have done with that Michigan stockpile.
Nutt is probably the best Old Miss could have gotten, but I don't think he is that good of a coach, and off the field he has been something of a disaster.
I am a June Jones fan. Look for SMU to move up quickly in CUSA. Also I think that new guy at West Virginia will do a lot better than you think. Briles is a good coach, but Baylor has been a mess ever since they joined the Big 12. Just can't see them moving up in the South. Duke is in the same boat. They should have taken Craig Bohl. When he was the DC there in 1994, they actually went to a bowl game!
Last edited by Mountainman2 on June 27th at 11:21 PM.
How RR left WVU will have no affect on his short term success at UofM. Long term players may be reluctant to commit to a coach who is as fickle as RR but that won't be a factor if he wins. I just question whether RR is really as good as his overall record would indicate. He has had a stellar coaching career during the years that Pat White has been around to run his spread O. Without White his record is no better than mediocre. UofM dumped a future Hall of Fame coach for RR so he will be given very little time to bring the glory days back to UofM. Problem is that OSU isn't going to roll over for RR and during the Tressel era they have owned UofM. Tough situation.
My speciality is College Football and the NFL, but just ask me anything from any sport (except hockey, soccer, tennis, NASCAR, you get the picture), and I'll give you my opinion. Here at The One-Point Safety, my opinion is the law, but I have no problem for you to debate it. Debating in blogs is as great as a college football shootout game.
