Timeline for New Hire and Who's your candidate?

[Just1More]

_ FYI....The salaries for assistant coaches at UL are the highest in the Sun Belt Conference. And I'm willing to bet that they are higher than many in CUSA, the WAC and the MAC as well. And if a coaching change happens, that will probably go up even more. _

Geaux Cajuns... Beat Ohio!!!

Now... I was unaware that we paid assistants as well (comparatively) as we do. Although it may not have gotten us over the hill we're currently climbing, it is a nice selling point in our foreseeable coaching search and interviews. I felt like we had as much of a differential to make up there as we do with the HC salary.

When most in this thread propose specific coaches by name... in reality we can't design a coach out of thin air and have to work with the available pool... but I think about qualities the coach needs to possess specifically for working in OUR program. A lot of people look at the success some of these candidates have had elsewhere... but at UL... you are not going to be provided all of the assets required to plug and play with your "coaching skills" alone.

Anyone that doesn't realize the importance of the marketing aspect of recruiting is not aware of much. I like, at this point, for a young energetic innovative coach to take over the program. We are now securely at a deficit to our scheduled opponents on balance, but are also not capable of overtaking the top 2 to 3 programs in the SBC to get an SBC championship. We need to face that fact for what it is and stop playing "head-to-head" football.

We need a head coach that plays and acts like we are wounded warriors that have to take risks in order to win. It has to be an inherent part of the offensive and defensive style of play. "Trick plays" are only trick plays when they are not part of the normal offense or defense. UL needs to play with the realization that they must go "dangerous" on the majority of plays. It will put the Rage back in the Cajuns.

I want us to be known in the foreseeable future... until we break into the top 25... as the "Dangerous Ragin Cajuns". "Look dat... dem Cajuns are crazy!" Moms will love us... dads will put up with us... and great young athletes will line up to play for the "Dangerous Ragin Cajuns"! Find that coach and make it a circus atmosphere until we overcome the current fan petrification. I say that without giving ground to student-athlete first, sportsmanship and a disciplined approach to "dangerous".

I can see you being interviewed on Sports Center now. "Jay, what in the world is going on down there in CajunLand!? People can't get enough of this exciting style of football. Sorry, I know you lost your voice from all of that yelling and screaming... but can you whisper to us how it feels for you and the Cajun fans to be ranked 16th in the country and playing Texas Tech in your 3rd straight bowl?"

Jay: "Well... when this new young coach came in here and said he was going to make Boise State look like football from the 1920s and make Oregon look slow... he looked deep into the hearts of these young men... and wasn't afraid to take risks... they proved to him that it wasn't as big a risk as he thought."

[Crackleton]

_ if you would have been following this thread you would have known i've made several suggestions. i was just trying to make a joke, which you obviously can't handle. if you want i can gladly take my tuition, fan support, etc. and follow someone else a little less critical of me when i'm just trying to be funny.

for rhineaux's sake i'll repeat myself as to whom i think should be our next hire.

Terry Bowden. has had success in Div II, Div I-AA, and has coached at the FBS level with some great success. currently is at North Alabama after a hiatus from coaching to be an ESPN analyst.

I listed several others i think would make potentially good hires but i think Terry Bowden would be our best option. _

You missed the joke, man.

[CajunFan89]

_ You missed the joke, man. _

i guess so...

[Rebel02]

_ if you would have been following this thread you would have known i've made several suggestions. i was just trying to make a joke, which you obviously can't handle. if you want i can gladly take my tuition, fan support, etc. and follow someone else a little less critical of me when i'm just trying to be funny.

for rhineaux's sake i'll repeat myself as to whom i think should be our next hire.

Terry Bowden. has had success in Div II, Div I-AA, and has coached at the FBS level with some great success. currently is at North Alabama after a hiatus from coaching to be an ESPN analyst.

I listed several others i think would make potentially good hires but i think Terry Bowden would be our best option. _

forget Terry Bowden....go get Bobby Bowden!

[HoustonCajun]

_ forget Terry Bowden....go get Bobby Bowden! _

We think we can't get a major coach because we don't pay what the BCS schools pay. I think back on Frank Solich who was fired at Nebraska 2-3 years ago. You know he was making $1M+ there. Yet, he took a job at Ohio for I'm sure less than $500K and remains there today with no apparent offers to return to a BCS school. And, I might add, he has done a pretty good job there. So, if UL pays up to $500K for an ex-BCS coach, perhaps with other incentives added for wins, bowl games, attendance, conference championships, etc., and with the stadium improvements coming up in the next couple of years, no telling just who might have interest in this job. As I posted on another thread, I would like to see someone who has previously coached at a school higher up the food chain than UL and not one below it. If we are going to move our program up a notch, we need someone who has been there and knows what is needed to get to that level. Not a coach from a 1AA school under similar budgetary constraints. We need to break out of this level of mediocrity and poverty our program is currently at and move up to a more prosperous level of athletics and a level that more people will want to associate with and be a part of.

[Cajun90]

We think we can't get a major coach because we don't pay what the BCS schools pay. I think back on Frank Solich who was fired at Nebraska 2-3 years ago. You know he was making $1M+ there. Yet, he took a job at Ohio for I'm sure less than $500K and remains there today with no apparent offers to return to a BCS school. And, I might add, he has done a pretty good job there. So, if UL pays up to $500K for an ex-BCS coach, perhaps with other incentives added for wins, bowl games, attendance, conference championships, etc., and with the stadium improvements coming up in the next couple of years, no telling just who might have interest in this job. As I posted on another thread, I would like to see someone who has previously coached at a school higher up the food chain than UL and not one below it. If we are going to move our program up a notch, we need someone who has been there and knows what is needed to get to that level. Not a coach from a 1AA school under similar budgetary constraints. We need to break out of this level of mediocrity and poverty our program is currently at and move up to a more prosperous level of athletics and a level that more people will want to associate with and be a part of.

I'm a litle lost with this. How is hiring a former BCS coach going to help us with the budgetary constraints and poverty? We don't need a coach to tell us how to get to the next level. Everyone knows what needs to be done and it is a very long list. Most of these coaches are also far removed from our reality of funding. And no coach no matter the name recognition isn't going to automatically fix our funding woes simple by showing up on the sidelines.

I"m of the exact opposite believe. NO spoiled brat former washed up BCS coach who doesn't know how to operate with less than a ten million dollar football budget. We need someone with head coaching experience who is an over the top recruiter and understands the reality of our budget because its a case of been there done that.

We need an energetic leader who can organize, motivate, and recruit like no other. Then hire some good X's & O's asst's and stay out of their way.

[cajun4life]

I want Mark Hudspeth from MSU!

An ultra-successful head coach at the Division II level and a native of Louisville, Miss., Mark Hudspeth returns to his home state to coach wide receivers and coordinate the passing game at Mississippi State.

Hudspeth comes to Mississippi State from North Alabama, where he spent the past seven seasons as the head football coach. Hudspeth led the Lions to a 66-21 record, with a pair of Gulf South Conference championships and five NCAA playoff appearances.

In 2008, Hudspeth led UNA to its fourth-consecutive 10-win season, posting a 12-2 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II semifinals. The Lions led the Gulf South Conference and ranked sixth nationally, scoring 41.3 points per game. In 2007, Hudspeth led the Lions to a 10-2 record and reached the national quarterfinals.

In 2006 the Lions had an 11-1 record, won a GSC title and a spot in the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs. Hudspeth was selected Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year for the second time by his peers and was also selected Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.

In 2005, Hudspeth led a UNA squad that went 11-3 and reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs for the second time in three years.

The Lions went 4-7 in Hudspeth's first season, then posted a 13-1 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals in 2003. For his efforts, Hudspeth was named GSC Coach of the Year in just his second season as a collegiate head coach. He was also selected NCAA Division II Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.

Prior to his stint at North Alabama, Hudspeth served as the offensive coordinator at the United States Naval Academy in 2001. Hudspeth was the offensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach at Delta State University from 1999-2000. He helped lead the Statesmen to a NCAA Division II National Championship in 2000, and his offense broke 21 school records, 12 Gulf South Conference records, and six NCAA Division II records that year.

Hudspeth served as the head coach at Winston Academy in Louisville, Miss., in 1996 and 1997. He led Winston Academy to a 25-1 record over two seasons including an undefeated record in the regular season.

In 1994-95 Hudspeth served as the wide receivers/tight ends coach and then the running backs coach at Nicholls State University.

He is married to the former Tyla McConnell, and has one son, Gunner, and one daughter, Carley.

Coaching Career
2002-08: North Alabama (Head Coach)
2001: Naval Academy (Offensive Coordinator)
1999-2000: Delta State (Offensive Coordinator)
1998: Central Arkansas (Defensive Backs)
1996-97: Louisville (Miss.) Winston Academy High School (Head Coach)
1994-95: Nicholls State (Wide Receivers / TEs)
1992-93: Central Arkansas (Graduate Assistant)

Personal
Birthdate: November 10, 1968
Hometown: Louisville, Miss.
Education: 1992 - Bachelor's in Education from Delta State
1993 - Master's in Education from Central Arkansas
Family: Married to the former Tyla McConnell
Children: Gunner and Carley

[Just1More]

_ I want Mark Hudspeth from MSU!

Personal
Birthdate: November 10, 1968
Hometown: Louisville, Miss.
Education: 1992 - Bachelor's in Education from Delta State
1993 - Master's in Education from Central Arkansas
Family: Married to the former Tyla McConnell
Children: Gunner and Carley _

Any football coach that names his son "Gunner" is a winner in my book.

[cajun4life]

Or this guy

Brian Harsen is entering his 10th season as a member of the Bronco football staff and his fifth as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The 32-year-old is one of the top young assistant coaches in the country and one of the youngest offensive coordinators in Division I football.

After serving as tight ends coach from 2002-05, Harsin was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2006 when Chris Petersen was named head coach. He was a graduate assistant with the Broncos in 2001.

In four seasons leading the Bronco offense, Harsin has continued to build upon the high octane attack that Boise State fans have become accustomed to. Harsin helped put together the most potent scoring offense in the country in 2009, as the Broncos averaged an NCAA best 42.21 points per game. As a unit, the Bronco offense finished the season ranked 10th in total offense (450.21 ypg), 26th in rushing offense (186.07 ypg) and 29th in passing offense (264.14 ypg). Perhaps most impressively, however, was Boise State's Division I leading five sacks allowed through 14 games.

A large part of Boise State's offensive success came on the arm of sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore, who finished the season with a school record 39 touchdown throws and just three interceptions. Moore ended the year ranked second in the country in pass efficiency (161.65 percent) en route to setting the NCAA record for interception-to-attempt ratio at .69 percent (3-of-431). For his achievements on the field Moore was named Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-American by ESPN.com and SI.com, third-team Associated Press All-American, while also finishing seventh in the 2009 Heisman voting.

Harsin helped coach five Broncos to All-WAC honors in 2009, including four to first-team nominations: Moore, wide receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young and offensive lineman Nate Potter. Running back Jeremy Avery was named second-team All-WAC.

Boise State's success in 2009 was a byproduct of the job Harsin did while facing one of the biggest hurdles of his young career in 2008. In his third season as offensive coordinator Harsin's offense was taken over by Moore, a redshirt freshman. After becoming the first freshman quarterback in Boise State history to start a season opener, Moore would compile one of the most outstanding seasons by any Bronco quarterback ever. With Harsin's tutelage, he finished the year with a 69.4 completion percentage (281-405), 25 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions. Moore finished 2008 ranked No. 12 nationally in pass efficiency (157.12). His play earned him second-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors. He was also named WAC Freshman of the Year.

In 2008 Harsin also helped one of Boise State's biggest offensive weapons make history, as Ian Johnson broke the WAC and school record for career touchdowns (58). In three seasons as Harsin's starting tailback, Johnson recorded the second most career rushing yards (4,183) in school history.

In 2007, Boise State finished fourth in the nation in scoring and sixth nationally in passing efficiency. The Broncos were also second in the WAC in scoring and passing efficiency and third in rushing, total offense and passing. Following the 2007 season, offensive tackle Ryan Clady became the first player in Boise State history to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft when he was selected No. 12 overall by the Denver Broncos. Clady, who decided to skip his final season at Boise State to become eligible for the draft, was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and Sporting News and to four second-team All-America squads.

In Harsin's first season as offensive coordinator, the 2006 Broncos went undefeated and were second in the country in scoring offense, sixth in rushing offense and passing efficiency, and 10th in total offense. Boise State also finished first in the WAC in rushing, second in scoring offense and passing efficiency, third in total offense, and fourth in passing offense. Also in 2006, running back Ian Johnson led the country in rushing touchdowns and scoring while finishing second in rushing and ninth in total offense. Johnson also set a Boise State single-season rushing record with 1,713 yards on a school-record 277 carries. He was named to four separate All-America teams and finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Johnson, a senior last fall, was also a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award and one of 10 "Players to Watch" for the 2006 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

Tight ends played a vital role in a Bronco offense that led the nation in scoring twice and finished in the top 10 in scoring in each of the four years Harsin was tight ends coach. In 2005 four Bronco tight ends combined to catch 27 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns. In 2004 Harsin helped Bronco tight ends contribute to the top-scoring offense in school history. In 2003 five tight ends combined to catch 41 passes and five touchdowns.

Harsin was a member of the Bronco football team from 1995-1999, earning three varsity letters. He served as Boise State's backup quarterback in 1999 when the team went 10-3 and won the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl.

After graduating from Boise State in 2000 with a degree in business management, Harsin entered the coaching profession at Eastern Oregon, coaching running backs and receivers during the 2000 season.

Harsin and his wife, Kes, have two daughters, Devyn Lynn (9) and Dayn Mykena (7), and a son, Davis (3). Harsin is a graduate of Capital High School in Boise.

[Just1More]

_ We think we can't get a major coach because we don't pay what the BCS schools pay. I think back on Frank Solich who was fired at Nebraska 2-3 years ago. You know he was making $1M+ there. Yet, he took a job at Ohio for I'm sure less than $500K and remains there today with no apparent offers to return to a BCS school. And, I might add, he has done a pretty good job there. So, if UL pays up to $500K for an ex-BCS coach, perhaps with other incentives added for wins, bowl games, attendance, conference championships, etc., and with the stadium improvements coming up in the next couple of years, no telling just who might have interest in this job. As I posted on another thread, I would like to see someone who has previously coached at a school higher up the food chain than UL and not one below it. If we are going to move our program up a notch, we need someone who has been there and knows what is needed to get to that level. Not a coach from a 1AA school under similar budgetary constraints. We need to break out of this level of mediocrity and poverty our program is currently at and move up to a more prosperous level of athletics and a level that more people will want to associate with and be a part of. _

Geaux Cajuns! Beat Ohio!

The break out of mediocrity and poverty is another "result" tied to an exciting, winning program. I have never had faith that any coach whose career culminated at a school where you have buttloads of recruiting dollars, a school reputation - by itself - that attracts 4 and 5 star athletes, and facilities and a full roaring stadium at your disposal to recruit with... TRULY have the coaching assets to succeed at "a UL". I think it's a fallacy... a myth... one that won't happen anyway. Your Ohio Nebraska reject is an exception... not a rule.

You say you don't want a guy "lower in the food chain". Just because a young guy is coaching at a lower tier division does not mean he is a coach "lower in the food chain". When you have athletes that are lower in the food chain than BCS talent, it is the single greatest obstacle to figuring out how to overcome. That is our first mission.

That was Bustle's problem IMO. Bustle can probably out-coach Les Miles at the BCS level. Our problem is finding a person that knows how to take average talent (below the average of the majority of teams on the schedule... and behind the first 2 or 3 in the SBC) and defeat them anyway.

If we were "reloading" at the coaching position because we were a "made team" and we just unfortunately lost our great coach... that would be different. Our next coach has to figure out how to be a giant killer. 80% of BCS head coaches would not know how to coach without exceptional athletes. 50% of these guys got placed on the BCS superhighway without proving themselves (Derek Dooley, for instance - who someday will be one of your BCS rejects).

A very big key to the next coach's success... regardless of his credentials... is getting a staff member that is a seriously good local recruiter. I call it the "Butch Pierre Secret Weapon".