PonyFans.com

http://www.coacheshotseat.com

The First 5 Coaches we would call if we were the AD at...

It is really hard to believe that the Texas A&M, Michigan, and the Nebraska jobs are open at the same time, but there they are without head football coaches. Just amazing! We were throwing around some names last night in Coaches Hot Seat Central while watching the Patriots and Eagles play, and here are our lists of the First 5 Coaches we would call if we were the ADs at these schools. The schools are listed by the date the job opened and the coaches are listed alphabetically by first name:



SMU

Dave Christensen, Missouri OC

Glen Mason, former Minnesota coach

Kevin Sumlin, Oklahoma OC

Terry Bowden, former Auburn coach

Tim Murphy, Harvard head coach



Baylor

Art Briles, Houston head coach

Dave Christensen, Missouri OC

Kevin Wilson, Oklahoma OC

Larry Fedora, Oklahoma OC

Robert Anae, BYU OC



Michigan

Brian Kelly, Cincinnati head coach

Gary Pinkel, Missouri head coach

Greg Schiano, Rutgers head coach

Les Miles, LSU head coach

Paul Johnson, Navy head coach



Texas A&M*

Art Briles, Houston head coach

Brian Kelly, Cincinnati head coach

Paul Johnson, Navy head coach

Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia head coach

Tommy Tuberville, Auburn head coach



*A&M is reported to be hiring Mike Sherman, but Sherman would not be in the first 25 guys we would call if we were the AD at A&M. No, make that in the first 100 guys we would call.



Nebraska

Bo Pelini, LSU DC

Bronco Mendenhall, BYU head coach

Paul Johnson, Navy head coach

Jim Grobe, Wake Forest head coach

Turner Gill, Buffalo head coach



Ole Miss

Charlie Strong, Florida DC

Dave Christensen, Missouri OC

Glen Mason, former Minnesota coach

Mike Leach, Texas Tech head coach

Terry Bowden, former Auburn coach



Well, there you have the First 5 Coaches we would call if we were the AD at the above schools. As you can see there is no lack of talent in the coaching ranks these days, and the assistant coaching ranks are particularly filled with several dozen men that are ready and willing to be head football coaches. All they need is a shot. Who knows, one of these guys might be the next Bob Stoops or Mark Richt.

Just a thought. With Nutt knocking off the #1 team on the road, does he not become a hot candidate for a step up? Say, Nebraska or Michigan?

Buffalo's AD has officially granted Nebraska permission to interview Turner Gill.

ponyte wrote:Just a thought. With Nutt knocking off the #1 team on the road, does he not become a hot candidate for a step up? Say, Nebraska or Michigan?

Seems as though they don't want him in AR so he might be getting canned.

Nutt really messed up a lot of scenarios with that win. How can Arkansas possibly fire him now?

Nacho wrote:Nutt really messed up a lot of scenarios with that win. How can Arkansas possibly fire him now?

Because some of their biggest donors ready to pull the plug if he comes back.

SMUMan02 wrote:

ponyte wrote:Just a thought. With Nutt knocking off the #1 team on the road, does he not become a hot candidate for a step up? Say, Nebraska or Michigan?

Seems as though they don't want him in AR so he might be getting canned.

Granted, Arkansas usually finds a way to fire a successful coach and then hire a pitiful one. Even with big donor money at issue, it will take big donor money to pay out Nutt if they fire him. Several million. With a change over in AD starting in Jan, there is a vacuum of leadership that makes decisive action less likely at the moment. Now Nutt may get fired and if he does, is he now a hot item with the win over LSU or is he hoping for an Ole Miss Type job?

Stallion wrote:Buffalo's AD has officially granted Nebraska permission to interview Turner Gill.

I saw that, but nothing from the Osborne camp says they asked for permission. I would go out on a limb to say that the Buffalo AD is just coming out and saying that to get them in the news and to promote their program as turning around.

Gill is a great guy, but has only 1 year exp. he's not the right guy for a big time program like nebraska.

Osborne like family, but needs to understand that guys like Grobe can connect with that family AND run the program rather than bring in a "second cousin" like turner gill just b/c he's a family memeber.

ponyte wrote:

SMUMan02 wrote:

ponyte wrote:Just a thought. With Nutt knocking off the #1 team on the road, does he not become a hot candidate for a step up? Say, Nebraska or Michigan?

Seems as though they don't want him in AR so he might be getting canned.

Granted, Arkansas usually finds a way to fire a successful coach and then hire a pitiful one. Even with big donor money at issue, it will take big donor money to pay out Nutt if they fire him. Several million. With a change over in AD starting in Jan, there is a vacuum of leadership that makes decisive action less likely at the moment. Now Nutt may get fired and if he does, is he now a hot item with the win over LSU or is he hoping for an Ole Miss Type job?

Funny, I spoke to a few Arkansas fans tailgating before the LSU/Arkansas game, and I asked them whether they like Nutt or wanted him gone. They all said "Get rid of him!" I told them that I went to SMU, and they said sort of condescendingly that they could see him wind up there. When I asked them why they did not like Nutt, they bitched about only going 8-4 every year and never winning more than the SEC West under him. They spouted off about how a place like Arkansas "with donors like Walmart and Tyson, etc." should be winning National Championships. "We should be able to attract the best coach around." They also stated (sincerely) in the same breath, however, that Nutt would be a great hire for SMU.

I thought that was an interesting commentary. Everyone feels THEIR team is entitled to national championships, even Arkansas.

I think Nutt would be good at SMU, but I don't think it would happen. I also don't think those fans are going to get their wish after Arkansas beat LSU. Nutt did a great job establishing a game plan that worked against LSU. And McFadden and Jones have to be the two best backs in the country, which shows he can recruit.

BRStang wrote:

ponyte wrote:

SMUMan02 wrote:

ponyte wrote:Just a thought. With Nutt knocking off the #1 team on the road, does he not become a hot candidate for a step up? Say, Nebraska or Michigan?

Seems as though they don't want him in AR so he might be getting canned.

Granted, Arkansas usually finds a way to fire a successful coach and then hire a pitiful one. Even with big donor money at issue, it will take big donor money to pay out Nutt if they fire him. Several million. With a change over in AD starting in Jan, there is a vacuum of leadership that makes decisive action less likely at the moment. Now Nutt may get fired and if he does, is he now a hot item with the win over LSU or is he hoping for an Ole Miss Type job?

Funny, I spoke to a few Arkansas fans tailgating before the LSU/Arkansas game, and I asked them whether they like Nutt or wanted him gone. They all said "Get rid of him!" I told them that I went to SMU, and they said sort of condescendingly that they could see him wind up there. When I asked them why they did not like Nutt, they bitched about only going 8-4 every year and never winning more than the SEC West under him. They spouted off about how a place like Arkansas "with donors like Walmart and Tyson, etc." should be winning National Championships. "We should be able to attract the best coach around." They also stated (sincerely) in the same breath, however, that Nutt would be a great hire for SMU.

I thought that was an interesting commentary. Everyone feels THEIR team is entitled to national championships, even Arkansas.

I think Nutt would be good at SMU, but I don't think it would happen. I also don't think those fans are going to get their wish after Arkansas beat LSU. Nutt did a great job establishing a game plan that worked against LSU. And McFadden and Jones have to be the two best backs in the country, which shows he can recruit.

Please bear in mind that the beloved Razorbacks have never lost a football game. Every single loss has been the result of poor officiating. If it hadn't been for the officials that are constantly out to get the beloved razorbacks, Arkansas would be heading for their 87th consecutive national championship.
This state has a massive inferiority complex when it comes to football. Most believe that every team they play considers it the highlight of the season to beat Arkansas (this was a particulate revelation to this old footballer that never considered Arkansas a rivalry type game).

I think Nutt is safe for the time being (purely one person's opinion). Rumor here has Arkansas going to the Cotton Bowl. For all the Arkansas fans Tarzan like chest pounding, the Arkansas fans are very happy to go to the Cotton Bowl year in and year out.