December 11, 2007
As the coaching search turns...
Here's the latest rumors/rumblings/grumblings on some of the head coaching searches....
ARKANSAS
The Razorbacks have all but conceded that the administration has bungled the coaching search. Arkansas has hired coaching search guru Chuck Neinas to assist from here on out.
The Hogs were in talks with Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino, but that did not pan out. Oakland Raiders OC Lane Kiffen was also linked to the position, but sources say that Kiffen has removed his name from the search, too. Auburn DC Will Muschamp is still in the mix. The Gold Mine says that a "head coach at a Texas school " is also on the list, presumably TCU's Gary Patterson. Arkansas is also said to be interested in Oklahoma DC Brent Venables and even interim coach Reggie Herring, although the Razorbacks would prefer to hire a proven head coach rather than an assistant.
The Arkansas list seems to be pretty crowded with defensive minds, so I don't know what to make of news that Auburn OC Al Borges has left the Tigers, with no word whatsoever on his coaching future.
MICHIGAN
Despite his very emphatic press conference, it appears that Michigan is still making eye at LSU HC Les Miles. For what it's worth, there are reports that Miles had a conference call with Michigan last week. LSU AD Skip Bertman is doing his best to dissuade the Wolverines, which leads me to suspect that there may still be some smoke left on that fire.
It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Les Miles leaves LSU for Michigan.
Rutgers HC Greg Schiano quickly denied rumors linking him to UM after he interviewed (or at least had casual talks - there is some dispute) with UM skipper Bill Martin.
Cal's Jeff Tedford is finally being looked at as a serious candidate. (It's about time.)
DUKE
Former UCLA HC Karl Dorrell has fact-checked the Blue Devils, checking into a local hotel under his own name and tooling around the Duke campus. Dorrell joins Vandy's Bobby Johnson, new Georgia Tech HC Paul Johnson, and Grambling coach Rod Broadway as the only coaches known to have had a formal interview. In a sign of the times, Duke has never had a black head coach in any sport, but has already interviewed two black candidates.
WASHINGTON STATE
The Cougars have wrapped their coaching search and will hire Eastern Washington's Paul Wulff. He will be introduced today at a press conference in Pullman. Wulff was Big Sky Conference coach of the year in 2001, 2004 and 2005 (and maybe even again this year after taking EWU to the FCS quarterfinals).
UCLA
Interviews are expected to begin this week for the Bruins top job. Despite his tomato-tossing comments, Boise State coach Chris Peterson is expected to be on the list. You might want to take that with a grain of salt, though, as Peterson is rumored to covet the Oregon job a few years from now. Texas Tech head pirate Mike Leach will not be interviewing with the Bruins this week, as was rumored. Legendary OC Norm Chow is also expected to get an interview today. Meanwhile, Hawaii's June Jones has been linked to UCLA, but he has publicly denied interest.
Comments:
OU-Ron
posted on December 11, 2007 11:29 AM — 216.201.209.146 — link — abuse?
said:
I may be completely off base, but I still think there will be an announcement about Miles and Michigan after the NCG has been played.
Been trying to catch up with some of the posts, we have been without power since Sunday at my home, still have power at work but don't know how long that will last..
posted on December 11, 2007 12:50 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse?War Eagle Atlanta
said:
Al Borges is out as Auburn OC. Haven't heard a whole lot of reports about why. Probably has to do with the fact that our offense SUCKS!
I hope that Will Muschamp finishes all this interviewing so he can attempt to mount a defense against Clemson.
Ron: Did you guys get caught up in those ice storms? 75 in Atlanta yesterday...
schmed said:
posted on December 11, 2007 1:17 PM — 63.241.223.4 — link — abuse?
No surprise that things are FUBARkansas.
But the whole Miles/MI speculation means there's some deep Double Delta denial in one fanbase or the other. Where does this drama come from? Are amateur screenwriter scabs breaking the strike?
You could make a fortune if you'd outline this stuff, gets some beer buddies to act it out, film it with your cellphone and post it on yewtoob in 9 minute installments like an old western serial.
Eye of the Tiger said:
posted on December 11, 2007 3:18 PM — 138.163.0.42 — link — abuse?
Post 1,
Here's another note to Michigan, Contact Carr and tell him how sorry you are for treating a winning coach like a piece of trash; get on your knees, kiss his feet, and beg for him to come back. I would say Ark should do the same for Nutt, but he's already found a place he can be happy.
I can't blame these coaches. Who would want to coach in a place where you can get fired for winning?TE
posted on December 11, 2007 3:42 PM — 70.180.43.182 — link — abuse? said:
Just thought you guys might like to hear it for what...The 30th time so far?
LSU SPORTS INFORMATION
For Immediate Release December
STATEMENT FROM LSU COACH LES MILES ON HIS CONVERSATION WITH MICHIGAN
BATON ROUGE – LSU football coach Les Miles issued the following statement on Tuesday regarding the conversation he had with Michigan last week:
“I had a conversation with Michigan last week that covered a wide range of topics. I was doing nothing more than helping them with their search for a football coach, just as any loyal alumnus might do. It was nothing more than that.
“I’m not a candidate for that job and I will not be a candidate for the job. I was only assisting them in their search for a coach. I have a great job at a wonderful place, a place that my family calls home. It’s time that Michigan goes on with their search for a football coach. I’ll say it again, I’m going to be the coach at LSU next season.”
--30—
Lsu.ftball12-11-07
Contact: Michael Bonnette(225) 578-8226
mbonnet@lsu.edu
posted on December 11, 2007 4:48 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse? said:
Sorry, TE. Knew the name of the AD, but not the SID. Why did he fire you??? Just kidding!
Do SIDs field questions from about any source? In other words, will they talk to bloggers? I imagine they would. Won't they answer a question for an average fan?
posted on December 11, 2007 7:05 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse? said:
Bobby Petrino just resigns from the Atlanta Falcons! Damn it! Looks like he may be close to signing a deal with Arkansas.
http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2007/12/espn_reports_petrino_leaving_f.html
Maybe we can give them Tuberville and take Petrino? Damn, I knew he was going to leave.
College Pigskin Fan said:
posted on December 11, 2007 7:16 PM — 4.245.77.76 — link — abuse?
Yeah it's offical, Petrino has left the Falcons, and will be the next head coach at Arkansas.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3150783
Miles: 'I'll say it again, I'm going to be the coach at LSU".
Big Tide said:
posted on December 12, 2007 1:08 PM — 69.34.227.69 — link — abuse?
You can say that again. One of my Auburn buddies from Mobile called and said that sports talk radio was full of Muschamp going to Arkansas and then BOOM we were having a 10pm press conference. Has there ever been a 10pm press conference to name a new coach before? Unbelievable!
TE
posted on December 12, 2007 3:19 PM — 204.68.245.11 — link — abuse? said:
Big Tide...In RE: to your Auburn buddy in Mobile...Are they hearing about any smoke from your program in that area?
I have been hearing that there's serious hanky-panky going on out there with Bama Boosters trying to win that area back for Bama, and stem the tide of players to LSU...
We've gotten Chevis Jackson, JaMarcus Russell, Sidell Corley, and Phelon Jones out of there the past six years...all of the 4* or better players...
Heard after we snagged both Phelon & Sidell last year the Bama boosters got mad and started acting a little carlessly...
You know anything about it?
Big Tide said:
posted on December 12, 2007 4:31 PM — 12.208.88.211 — link — abuse?
TE, I'll ask him later today but he hasn't mention anything irregular. Of course we seem to have the market on crazy boosters cornered. He tells me the Jones kid is a slam dunk but I won't believe it until signing day comes. Not only LSU is mining Mobile, but West Virginia got that White kid out there. Lot of talent in that area of the state.
An interesting recruiting story came to me back in the spring from a booster that was speaking to Coach Kines. Saban, in a conversation with Kines, wanted to know the current state of affairs regarding recruits, where they stood with each recruit, etc. It seems Saban goes about his recruiting duties like a general laying out a battle plan. What Kines presented him was basically a filing cabinet with some information inside. Folder for each recruit that type of thing. Anyway, Saban admonished him for about 15 minutes and immediately had a side office converted into a "war room" so to speak. A large dry eraser board was installed and every recruits name was written on it and coaches were assigned to each player. Date of last contact, general observations about the kids family, any links to the university and what other schools were recruiting the kid - all of this was written out on this board. Like everything with Saban it is very process driven and if a kid is assigned to a particular coach you better be up to speed if he asked you a question. Needless to say Kines was impressed. I think that type of 24/7, 365 days a year intensity is what Saban didn't like about the NFL. Once the season was over everyone just sort of drifts away for a few months and I don't Coach Saban is the kind of guy that ever decompresses.
TE
posted on December 12, 2007 5:55 PM — 204.68.245.11 — link — abuse? said:
You haven't seen him...He goes to Georgia with the family for more than a month each offseason...They have a family home out there.
He fell out there and went underwater unconcious one summer...One of our fat cats rescued him, LOL...
He does decompress, but he has amodern approach to recruiting...
BigTide, supposedly a Rolex that Julio Jones got his hands on suddenly "came up missing" when it got flashed around a tad too much...It "came up missing" from a 'Bama Booster...
I'm not so sure that one's going away...
OU-Ron
posted on December 12, 2007 6:45 PM — 72.198.24.234 — link — abuse? said:
War Eagle, yeah we have been without power since 6pm Sunday, I am posting from my son's home, the power company said it could be up to another week before we get power back on, up to 600,000 people without power in the state...
posted on December 12, 2007 7:24 PM — 205.188.116.136 — link — abuse? said:
Ron: Crazy, man. I feel for you. We've had mid 70s all week, but we could actually use the rain--in any form it's offered. There's been a drought of biblical proportions here this year.
At least you don't have to miss any good games in the meantime. Not much happening in college football either, except for the Petrino bomb.
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Geauxtigers0107 said:
posted on December 11, 2007 11:19 AM — 70.156.111.230 — link — abuse?Note to Mich AD Bill Martin:
Brian Kelly would make a GREAT coach for you at Michigan.....he's your man!!
Geaux SEC
Geaux Tigers