FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[jknezek]

Frankly I just wish the process was faster. I'd like to know and get whoever it is settled and recontacting recruits and building bridges with the players and staff. We found out Abell was leaving right after New Years, so 10 days is no time at all. But to me it has seemed to be a while already. I highly doubt the process will drag out, but I assume it will take at least a few more weeks. Curiosity is hard.

[Scots13]

One would think all AD's would have a running list of potential candidates at all times to help mitigate some of the time issues many programs seem to face. Life happens--coaches leaving, coaches dismissals, family matters, etc.--why not have a back up plan? If I were an AD I'd have 2-3 names for each of the following: alums, opponent/conference coordinators, up and coming coaches in the same division (that might be at a lower tier school), excellent high school coaches (that have current salaries that don't take them out of the running). That's 10-15 qualified guys to call if something were to happen, not to mention the one guy on staff that should be able to take the reigns if need be.

[jknezek]

One would think all AD's would have a running list of potential candidates at all times to help mitigate some of the time issues many programs seem to face. Life happens--coaches leaving, coaches dismissals, family matters, etc.--why not have a back up plan? If I were an AD I'd have 2-3 names for each of the following: alums, opponent/conference coordinators, up and coming coaches in the same division (that might be at a lower tier school), excellent high school coaches (that have current salaries that don't take them out of the running). That's 10-15 qualified guys to call if something were to happen, not to mention the one guy on staff that should be able to take the reigns if need be.

I don't know. I know there was an online ad on the NCAA website. I think you wait to see who applies and maybe ask around a few names you know to see if they want to apply, but I'm guessing there is a real process that is followed as with almost every other job. If you look at some of the D1 hiring poop shows I'm thinking its not as easy as it seems to just keep a list of names in a drawer and pull it out and call. *Cough* Tennessee *Cough*

[Birddawg79]

Those are some good points Scots13 but fortunately W&L isn't in a panic situation. Should a coaching change be forced on a program in late Spring or Summer or even worse during the season those are all points that I'm sure any AD has filed away.
The perfect scenario is when a HC decides he's retiring and gives notice of his farewell tour. Right now is the correct timing for moving coaches around. Thank goodness we live in a region that is full of quality candidates. Hopefully the search committee will narrow down their short list by the end of Jan.. With a new HC in place shortly there after.

And if Coach Belicheck would like to leave the rat race and reduce the stress in his life, Lexington Va. is a great place to live. Just throwing that out there. 

[Scots13]

One would think all AD's would have a running list of potential candidates at all times to help mitigate some of the time issues many programs seem to face. Life happens--coaches leaving, coaches dismissals, family matters, etc.--why not have a back up plan? If I were an AD I'd have 2-3 names for each of the following: alums, opponent/conference coordinators, up and coming coaches in the same division (that might be at a lower tier school), excellent high school coaches (that have current salaries that don't take them out of the running). That's 10-15 qualified guys to call if something were to happen, not to mention the one guy on staff that should be able to take the reigns if need be.

I don't know. I know there was an online ad on the NCAA website. I think you wait to see who applies and maybe ask around a few names you know to see if they want to apply, but I'm guessing there is a real process that is followed as with almost every other job. If you look at some of the D1 hiring poop shows I'm thinking its not as easy as it seems to just keep a list of names in a drawer and pull it out and call. *Cough* Tennessee *Cough*

Duly noted. 

I do think hiring for FBS and D3 are apples and oranges.  Tennessee didn't vet their names very well before flashing the checkbook. They did end up with a good one, though. Much better than Greg Schiano, even without the Penn State/Sandusky label.

[Scots13]

And if Coach Belicheck Butch Jones would like to leave the rat race and reduce the stress in his life, Lexington Va. is a great place to live. Just throwing that out there. 

Fixed it for you. 

[jknezek]

One would think all AD's would have a running list of potential candidates at all times to help mitigate some of the time issues many programs seem to face. Life happens--coaches leaving, coaches dismissals, family matters, etc.--why not have a back up plan? If I were an AD I'd have 2-3 names for each of the following: alums, opponent/conference coordinators, up and coming coaches in the same division (that might be at a lower tier school), excellent high school coaches (that have current salaries that don't take them out of the running). That's 10-15 qualified guys to call if something were to happen, not to mention the one guy on staff that should be able to take the reigns if need be.

I don't know. I know there was an online ad on the NCAA website. I think you wait to see who applies and maybe ask around a few names you know to see if they want to apply, but I'm guessing there is a real process that is followed as with almost every other job. If you look at some of the D1 hiring poop shows I'm thinking its not as easy as it seems to just keep a list of names in a drawer and pull it out and call. *Cough* Tennessee *Cough*

Duly noted. 

I do think hiring for FBS and D3 are apples and oranges.  Tennessee didn't vet their names very well before flashing the checkbook. They did end up with a good one, though. Much better than Greg Schiano, even without the Penn State/Sandusky label.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. As someone who grew up in NJ, I can tell you what Schiano did with Rutgers was no joke. He took a joke of a program and made it very solid and relevant, and when he left, it returned to being a joke. That man is a heck of a coach at the college level to have done something like that. And a proven head coach commodity.

Pruitt is much more of an unknown, especially as a head coach. To me, he has Will Muschamp written all over him, not Kirby Smart. Tennessee is a program deep in the suck right now with big expectations and little ability to realize them. For a guy who has gone from winning program to winning program, always an assistant, never staying long enough to last a full cycle with his own recruits, Tennessee is a big ask.

If he learns his lessons, he might get a second chance as a head coach, but I think he crashes and burns at Tennessee.

[Scots13]

Butch Jones historically crashed and burned. Tennessee thought better to hire a Central Michigan/Cincinnati type guy again and went for a guy that's been an assistant on 5 national championship teams. Muschamp was on one I believe (LSU early '00's, maybe?). I dare say Pruitt is more Smart than Muschamp. Actually, since Pruitt has a good run at top level high school ball, I'd say he's a Gus Malzahn.

Do I think Tennessee is winning the SEC East in 2019? No. Do I think they are winning the SEC in 2020? No. Do I think they have a chance to win 11+ games in Pruitt's fifth year? Absolutely. Heck, Butch only won 4 in his fifth year.

[jknezek]

Butch Jones historically crashed and burned. Tennessee thought better to hire a Central Michigan/Cincinnati type guy again and went for a guy that's been an assistant on 5 national championship teams. Muschamp was on one I believe (LSU early '00's, maybe?). I dare say Pruitt is more Smart than Muschamp. Actually, since Pruitt has a good run at top level high school ball, I'd say he's a Gus Malzahn.

Do I think Tennessee is winning the SEC East in 2019? No. Do I think they are winning the SEC in 2020? No. Do I think they have a chance to win 11+ games in Pruitt's fifth year? Absolutely. Heck, Butch only won 4 in his fifth year.

Butch Jones didn't build CMU/Cincinnati. He took over from a successful previous coach. Schiano built Rutgers from nothing, to respectable, and without him it disintegrated back to nothing. Cincinnati has been ok without Jones.

Pruitt is a nobody with no head coaching experience at any level. Not h.s., not college. Nothing. The longest he's ever stayed in one place was one of his stints at AL, and most of that time he was quality control. Not even a coordinator or position coach. He's never had a coordinator stint longer than 1 year. He may be fine, but he's not Kirby Smart. Smart had years as a DC. Brought in his own players, coached them up, saw them leave, and started again. Pruitt has none of that experience. Nada. Zip. Malzahn was a head coach in h.s. and for a year at a G5 before coming to Auburn. Pruitt? Nope. Nothing. There isn't an argument to be made that they are equatable.

He may be fine. But there is nothing to go on. He walked into a fat load of players at FSU, a fat load of players at GA, and a fat load of players at AL. All he had to do was not screw it up. Now he's got to build it all, because TN doesn't have a fat load of squat right now. He was a desperation hire. A name people knew that wouldn't be objectionable which was all TN could hope for after the poop show they made out of the whole process. But everyone else knew Pruitt needed 2 or 3 more years at one place to show anything. That's why he wasn't a hot candidate this season and that's why he was available for TN.

[Birddawg79]

Pruitt will do what Fulmer wants him to do.

[Warrior71]

Any up dates or rumors on a new Head Coach for W&L?

[jknezek]

Any up dates or rumors on a new Head Coach for W&L?

I believe the ad for a new head coach is still up on NCAA.com, so they may still be collecting resumes. Then they need to be winnowed down, multiple round interviews scheduled... it's a process. We are only 2 weeks in from the announcement Coach Abell had resigned and 17 days (more or less) from when he informed the school. As impatient as I am to know something, I doubt anything will be finalized until near Feb or early Feb. If any rumors come out, it will probably be when some interviews happen on campus, but that's a pretty low probability.

I think we are just going to have to wait until the school announces a hiring.

[HSCTiger fan]

Any up dates or rumors on a new Head Coach for W&L?

I believe the ad for a new head coach is still up on NCAA.com, so they may still be collecting resumes. Then they need to be winnowed down, multiple round interviews scheduled... it's a process. We are only 2 weeks in from the announcement Coach Abell had resigned and 17 days (more or less) from when he informed the school. As impatient as I am to know something, I doubt anything will be finalized until near Feb or early Feb. If any rumors come out, it will probably be when some interviews happen on campus, but that's a pretty low probability.

I think we are just going to have to wait until the school announces a hiring.

Denison College recruited my son. 2 days after his recruiting visit the school fired their head coach. The assistants continued recruiting him but he never could take them seriously until he met or at least new who the head coach would be. They fired their coach mid-December and did not hire until March. I am confident WL will make a good hire  - not so confident in the ability to recruit qualified and quality athletes so late in the game. They really need to make a hire quickly.

[SaintsFAN]

Any up dates or rumors on a new Head Coach for W&L?

I believe the ad for a new head coach is still up on NCAA.com, so they may still be collecting resumes. Then they need to be winnowed down, multiple round interviews scheduled... it's a process. We are only 2 weeks in from the announcement Coach Abell had resigned and 17 days (more or less) from when he informed the school. As impatient as I am to know something, I doubt anything will be finalized until near Feb or early Feb. If any rumors come out, it will probably be when some interviews happen on campus, but that's a pretty low probability.

I think we are just going to have to wait until the school announces a hiring.

We went through something similar prior to my senior year.  Previous coach resigned in December.  Dean Paul wasn't hired until late February.  It kills recruiting for that year.  We were lucky to have a coach on staff who took the lead to make sure guys were in the gym and doing what they were supposed to in the classroom. 

I'm sure recruiting is a little different at W&L, but searches like this usually temper my expectations for recruiting.

[jknezek]

Any up dates or rumors on a new Head Coach for W&L?

I believe the ad for a new head coach is still up on NCAA.com, so they may still be collecting resumes. Then they need to be winnowed down, multiple round interviews scheduled... it's a process. We are only 2 weeks in from the announcement Coach Abell had resigned and 17 days (more or less) from when he informed the school. As impatient as I am to know something, I doubt anything will be finalized until near Feb or early Feb. If any rumors come out, it will probably be when some interviews happen on campus, but that's a pretty low probability.

I think we are just going to have to wait until the school announces a hiring.

We went through something similar prior to my senior year.  Previous coach resigned in December.  Dean Paul wasn't hired until late February.  It kills recruiting for that year.  We were lucky to have a coach on staff who took the lead to make sure guys were in the gym and doing what they were supposed to in the classroom. 

I'm sure recruiting is a little different at W&L, but searches like this usually temper my expectations for recruiting.

Yes. I'm concerned about recruiting, but again, it's been just a hair over 2 weeks. If W&L gets on the ball and gets this settled in the next 2 weeks or so some of the damage could be mitigated. But coming off last year's small class, there just isn't much room for error. This was not a good year for this to happen.

That being said, I still think the problem with W&L is getting the kids in, not getting 30 or so quality players interested. Right now, the remaining coaches simply have to be out there selling the school and the education. You know you aren't going to get traction on football without a head coach, but you can just keep telling the recruits that there aren't too many better educations available anywhere. Football is still going to be there regardless of the coach, but you are going to W&L for the degree.

I'm sure not everyone will stick it out, but it's a decent hook not to lose kids until the new coach can get in and at least talk to them. I'd be more concerned about losing the very cream of the kids that were already interested to Davidson.