December 5, 2008

Two coaching vacancies filled

Utah State has hired Gary Anderson as their head coach. Gary Anderson is in state Utah's defensive coordinator.

Personally, Gary Anderson should have held out for something better than Utah State. This smells like a stepping stone for Anderson, who may have plans to move on. To do so he will need to turn around a program that is significantly strengthening its commitment to football, leaving them much better than what he is inheriting. This is a win-win.

As the highest paid assistant at Utah and a fan favorite, we might have an inside look at Whittingham's career intentions.

I suppose if Wyoming can hire Dave Christensen, Missouri's Offensive Coordinator, anything is possible. Wyoming has a little bit of defense and is known for being offensive, but not in a way that puts points on the board. With the ability to move the ball they could be tough, even when playing teams better than Tennessee.

What this means for Utah
A) Whittingham has no plans to leave Utah any time soon. Anderson would have stayed at Utah as he would be the heavy favorite for the position if Whittingham left if this where not so. Whittingham, like BYU's legendary Lavell Edwards, might interview for other jobs, but is not very likely to jump at an offer.

B) Utah has enough infrastructure to draw in good coaches and sustain turnovers. Remember 2004? Utah is back in the BCS after losing almost the entire coaching staff.

C) Our defense will be fine. Whittingham is a defensive mastermind and Gary Anderson learned what he knows from Whittingham. Our defense will be ready, with or without Anderson. Whittingham will find someone to implement his defensive philosophy.

D) Like Urban Meyer, Anderson will likely start recruiting and analyzing his new team immediately, but be present for the bowl game.

E) Other assistants may be lured away. Consider our offensive coordinator, Andy Ludwig. Any takers? Going once... twice... What? He's still here? This loss would be more of an issue in preparing for the upcoming bowl game, but not very disheartening to the Utah fans. We have our defense, and know what a good offense looks like. We don't have one.

Comments:

Two coaching vacancies filled
Utah State has hired Gary Anderson as their head coach. Gary Anderson is in state Utah's defensive coordinator. Personally, Gary Anderson should have held out for something better than Utah State. This smells like a stepping stone for Anderson, who may have plans to move on. To do so he will need to turn around a program that is significantly strengthening its commitment to football, leaving them much better than what he is inheriting. This is a win-win. As the highest paid assistant at Utah and a fan favorite, we might have an inside look at Whittingham's career intentions. I suppose if Wyoming can hire Dave Christensen, Missouri's Offensive Coordinator, anything is possible. Wyoming has a little bit of defense and is known for being offensive, but not in a way that puts points on the board. With the ability to move the ball they could be tough, even when playing teams better than Tennessee. What this means for Utah A) Whittingham has no plans to leave Utah any time soon. Anderson would have stayed at Utah as he would be the heavy favorite for the position if Whittingham left if this where not so. Whittingham, like BYU's legendary Lavell Edwards, might interview for other jobs, but is not very likely to jump at an offer. B) Utah has enough infrastructure to draw in good coaches and sustain turnovers. Remember 2004? Utah is back in the BCS after losing almost the entire coaching staff. C) Our defense will be fine. Whittingham is a defensive mastermind and Gary Anderson learned what he knows from Whittingham. Our defense will be ready, with or without Anderson. Whittingham will find someone to implement his defensive philosophy. D) Like Urban Meyer, Anderson will likely start recruiting and analyzing his new team immediately, but be present for the bowl game. E) Other assistants may be lured away. Consider our offensive coordinator, Andy Ludwig. Any takers? Going once... twice... What? He's still here? This loss would be more of an issue in preparing for the upcoming bowl game, but not very disheartening to the Utah fans. We have our defense, and know what a good offense looks like. We don't have one.