2010 Football Coaching Candidates

[Turbine]

I'm ready to try something else this time.

We hired Augie Tammariello (OC at Colorado when they had a #2 ranking the year before).

We hired Nelson Stokley (OC at Clemson when they won the national championship five years before).

We hired Rickey Bustle (OC at Virginia Tech when they played in the national championship game a couple of years before).

These guys were outstanding candidates.

I think it would be a good idea to go with a head coach this time that resurrected a program in spite of a tight budget. Remember also that we have academic requirements that make recruiting harder here than for some other schools.

For what we can pay, even if it is more than we have ever paid before, I think an FCS coach should definitely be considered.

Brilliant
igeaux.mobi

[Just1More]

_ This notion that "we have already tried assistants from big programs" and that didn't work out is a ridiculous argument. It's about like saying we tried Offensive football coaches, and that didn't work out, so let's get some other kind. All head coaches were assistants at one time. It's finding the right assistant that is important. I'm not saying that's the way to go, I'm saying we must keep our options open and find the best Coach we can. There are some programs that have assistants that have really made an impact. The OK State Off coord. and the TCU def. coord are examples of coaches that are way above normal in the success they are having. If we go with the experienced head coach, then he should be an energetic, sweet talkin, hi football IQ, go getter kind of coach, that's not ready to set up shop and retire. I think we need someone who is involved in recruiting, and does it very well. I'm not sold on any FCS coach at the moment, because none show a real dominance. Yeah, the SFA guy has some success, but moving up to FBS is a whole different environment in recruiting and competing. The Coach Marlin example doesn't really coorelate because he showed success in going to the NCAA tournament and winning against D1 teams, which is the same level that we are.

And please not Coach Orgeron. He was not successful at Ole Miss, and as Def Line coach for the Saints recently, they showed no improvement under him. Not to mention, listening to him on the radio, I was not impressed at all. _

It isn't that you dismiss "coordinators" in our next search. The issue is believing that a person that has been successful as a coordinator... in a larger program... with unlimited money and talent at their disposal... is going to be a successful coach at UL. Every person considered has to be evaluated individually. The whole original discussion regarding heralded coordinators as prospects was that we need to be guarded about what has made them "successful".

I still firmly believe that a large program coordinator whose successful track record is pretty much confined to large programs, has no particular resume benefits to UL. If from his other assignments we have clear knowledge that he's head coaching material "for UL"... recognizes how to utilize odd talent profiles... knows what he's up against in our recruiting world... and can implement a staff and system that directly overcomes certain deficiencies... that is our guy.

Consider this: A guy can be a fantastic coordinator with his play schemes and available talent. And he can turn around and lay egg after egg in a program like UL. How are we to gauge his ability to transition? I firmly believe that 3 of the 4 most outstanding BCS coordinators will fail at UL. The 4th may be our answer. How do we know which one? "That" is the reason for caution. We need to know the individual that comes to UL can take our limited grocery list and still win the cook-off. Most of these guys wouldn't know what to do with a limited grocery list.

[CajunsWin]

_ This notion that "we have already tried assistants from big programs" and that didn't work out is a ridiculous argument. It's about like saying we tried Offensive football coaches, and that didn't work out, so let's get some other kind. All head coaches were assistants at one time. It's finding the right assistant that is important. I'm not saying that's the way to go, I'm saying we must keep our options open and find the best Coach we can. There are some programs that have assistants that have really made an impact. The OK State Off coord. and the TCU def. coord are examples of coaches that are way above normal in the success they are having. If we go with the experienced head coach, then he should be an energetic, sweet talkin, hi football IQ, go getter kind of coach, that's not ready to set up shop and retire. I think we need someone who is involved in recruiting, and does it very well. I'm not sold on any FCS coach at the moment, because none show a real dominance. Yeah, the SFA guy has some success, but moving up to FBS is a whole different environment in recruiting and competing. The Coach Marlin example doesn't really coorelate because he showed success in going to the NCAA tournament and winning against D1 teams, which is the same level that we are.

And please not Coach Orgeron. He was not successful at Ole Miss, and as Def Line coach for the Saints recently, they showed no improvement under him. Not to mention, listening to him on the radio, I was not impressed at all.

May be just smoke and mirrors, but I keep hearing Coach Orgeron's name tossed around as a possible coaching canidate. At first I thought it was just a rumor, but his name keeps showing up. Personnally, I am not sure if he would be a good or bad choice. I know that he is known for his recruiting ability, but as for as X's and O's...not sure.

[RedTails]

_ May be just smoke and mirrors, but I keep hearing Coach Orgeron's name tossed around as a possible coaching canidate. At first I thought it was just a rumor, but his name keeps showing up. Personnally, I am not sure if he would be a good or bad choice. I know that he is known for his recruiting ability, but as for as X's and O's...not sure. _

I'm not for or against Bebe, but he has been under the wing of Monty Kiffin for the past three years. Not a bad mentor to be under.

[SlappyCajun]

_ I'm not for or against Bebe, but he has been under the wing of Monty Kiffin for the past three years. Not a bad mentor to be under. _

Not for against him either, but he was also under Lane Kiffin, probably the biggest P.o.S. in the coaching world.

[ULGrad@HOU]

_ It isn't that you dismiss "coordinators" in our next search. The issue is believing that a person that has been successful as a coordinator... in a larger program... with unlimited money and talent at their disposal... is going to be a successful coach at UL. Every person considered has to be evaluated individually. The whole original discussion regarding heralded coordinators as prospects was that we need to be guarded about what has made them "successful".

I still firmly believe that a large program coordinator whose successful track record is pretty much confined to large programs, has no particular resume benefits to UL. If from his other assignments we have clear knowledge that he's head coaching material "for UL"... recognizes how to utilize odd talent profiles... knows what he's up against in our recruiting world... and can implement a staff and system that directly overcomes certain deficiencies... that is our guy.

Consider this: A guy can be a fantastic coordinator with his play schemes and available talent. And he can turn around and lay egg after egg in a program like UL. How are we to gauge his ability to transition? I firmly believe that 3 of the 4 most outstanding BCS coordinators will fail at UL. The 4th may be our answer. How do we know which one? "That" is the reason for caution. We need to know the individual that comes to UL can take our limited grocery list and still win the cook-off. Most of these guys wouldn't know what to do with a limited grocery list. _

Any coach we pick is going to be a cr*p shot. He can be fantastic at one job and fail as our UL coach. It's going to be a gamble. The reason you include coordinators, is because there are some that actually have a proven track record and take their success wherever they are coaching. Different League, but Sean Payton was a coordinator before getting the job as head coach of the Saints. Pelini was a def coord before his success at Nebraska. They all are coordinators at one time or another. This is just to prove that we must keep our options open and look for those innovative kind of guys. I would exclude the Special Team coaches, QB coaches, Asst head coaches or passing coord. coaches too. Really, just the guys in charge of the offense or defense that have obvious above average performance from their unit.

[HoustonCajun]

_ It isn't that you dismiss "coordinators" in our next search. The issue is believing that a person that has been successful as a coordinator... in a larger program... with unlimited money and talent at their disposal... is going to be a successful coach at UL. Every person considered has to be evaluated individually. The whole original discussion regarding heralded coordinators as prospects was that we need to be guarded about what has made them "successful".

I still firmly believe that a large program coordinator whose successful track record is pretty much confined to large programs, has no particular resume benefits to UL. If from his other assignments we have clear knowledge that he's head coaching material "for UL"... recognizes how to utilize odd talent profiles... knows what he's up against in our recruiting world... and can implement a staff and system that directly overcomes certain deficiencies... that is our guy.

Consider this: A guy can be a fantastic coordinator with his play schemes and available talent. And he can turn around and lay egg after egg in a program like UL. How are we to gauge his ability to transition? I firmly believe that 3 of the 4 most outstanding BCS coordinators will fail at UL. The 4th may be our answer. How do we know which one? "That" is the reason for caution. We need to know the individual that comes to UL can take our limited grocery list and still win the cook-off. Most of these guys wouldn't know what to do with a limited grocery list. _

We've always hired Offensive Coordinators and we lose because we have no defense. Just maybe we should hire a Defensive Coordinator like Nebraska did. If the adage "you win with defense" holds true and we have never had a good defense, hence we continue to lose, and we keep making the same mistaken offensive hires each time, perhaps we go the defensive route and see if that improves things. There certainly are no guarantees in who ever we hire.

[ULGrad@HOU]

_ I'm ready to try something else this time.

We hired Augie Tammariello (OC at Colorado when they had a #2 ranking the year before).

We hired Nelson Stokley (OC at Clemson when they won the national championship five years before).

We hired Rickey Bustle (OC at Virginia Tech when they played in the national championship game a couple of years before).

These guys were outstanding candidates.

I think it would be a good idea to go with a head coach this time that resurrected a program in spite of a tight budget. Remember also that we have academic requirements that make recruiting harder here than for some other schools.

For what we can pay, even if it is more than we have ever paid before, I think an FCS coach should definitely be considered. _

Yes, these guys were great candidates, but our problem is holding on to them too long. Give them 3 years to show an improvement, and obtain a winning record. If it's not obvious that the team is much improved, then move on. It's not rocket science, but it is amazing, when a good coach takes over a program, the team plays and competes at a higher level then before. It will be obvious when you win games you shouldn't and don't lose to teams like WK.

[ULGrad@HOU]

The TCU Def coord may not fit the age profile for our Head Coach, but he certainly has an excellent track record. TCU has led the nation in defense the past two years. They compete on a very high level, and they don't have SEC type talent. I like the Boise Off Coord, or the OK State off coord, just to name a few. I would check and see if they have any interest, maybe they do, and maybe not. I would not shy away from including them just because they are Coordinators.

Another point, there aren't any programs below us in FBS. So, we can't hire the guy that took a bad FBS team and showed how he made them great. There aren't any programs that are in a similar situation that we have. We are the bottom. We can only go after FCS head coaches, previous FBS head coaches that were canned for some reason, or Div II head coaches. None of these have our set-up, so it's impossible eliminate the risk.

[rhineaux]

_ The TCU Def coord may not fit the age profile for our Head Coach, but he certainly has an excellent track record. TCU has led the nation in defense the past two years. They compete on a very high level, and they don't have SEC type talent. I like the Boise Off Coord, or the OK State off coord, just to name a few. I would check and see if they have any interest, maybe they do, and maybe not. I would not shy away from including them just because they are Coordinators.

Another point, there aren't any programs below us in FBS. So, we can't hire the guy that took a bad FBS team and showed how he made them great. There aren't any programs that are in a similar situation that we have. We are the bottom. We can only go after FCS head coaches, previous FBS head coaches that were canned for some reason, or Div II head coaches. None of these have our set-up, so it's impossible eliminate the risk. _

Not too big on the Boise guy. First, he's not from the South and is largely unfamiliar with this area, which could hinder recruiting, and maybe even putting together a solid staff. Secondly, his resume isn't large enough. If UL were to go with a Coordinator, I'd rather see that person have multiple stops under various coaching staffs so that he see's multiple approaches to accomplishing things, dealing with issues, etc. While he could probably come to UL and get this offense moving, there would still be a lot more risk with hiring this guy than with other names I've seen.

As for Holgorson, judging from the speed at which he's moving up the ladder, I would imagine that he thinks that a bigger paycheck and a better job is awaiting him in the next couple years.