Turner GILL?????

by **Hoop Fan** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:44 pm

agree. i can't believe we should give up on Gill no matter what his first answer was. Husker might have some inside info, but as much as I agree that SMU is a risky job for ones career, its not as risky as Buffalo.

by **HFvictory** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:51 pm

SMU Football Blog wrote:Buffalo finished 5-7 and didn't beat a team with a winning record, didn't they?

So that would be an upgrade, right?

by **stobor** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:55 pm

From what I have heard, Gill is not interested in leaving Buffalo for SMU.

I think that goes away if we offer him 800k plus. He is not going to turn down that kind of offer (unless he is crazy).

He has done a great job at Buffalo. While we haven't won in 20 years, Buffalo has NEVER won.

We would be extremely fortunate to get Turner Gill. We've seen some reporters and people on this board familiar with the recruiting process comment on his superior ability to recruit.

by **PonyPatrol** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:57 pm

Bennett had two seasons at SMU that were better than this guy's BEST season so far at Buffalo....Maybe he will turn out to be the next Bear Bryant, but at this point he has proven nothing at all that would constitute his hiring here.

by **chillinfool** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:49 pm

I still don't see how people can argue with this resume compared to what is left out there. The guy is Afircan American from the area, has coached at SMU, Heisman finalist and coached a Heisman winner, etc....Gee, ya think Willis would improve under his tutelage???

From Wikpedia:

Turner Gill (born August 13, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas) is the head coach of the Buffalo Bulls college football team and is one of six African-American head coaches in NCAA Division I-A.

In 1989, Gill began his coaching career at The University of Nebraska, his alma mater, serving one year as a graduate assistant coach. After spending a season each at North Texas University and Southern Methodist University, Gill returned once again to Nebraska, where he coached quarterbacks from 1992-2003 and wide receivers in 2004. Gill served as position coach for two first team All-Americans, Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch, with Crouch also earning the Heisman Trophy under Gill's tutelage. The Cornhuskers earned three national championships in Gill's time as an assistant there. In 2005, Gill was hired by the Green Bay Packers as Director of Player Development to help players become acclimated to playing professional football in Green Bay and to direct players to resources concerning community involvement, continuing education, financial management, and retirement planning. He also served as an assistant wide receivers coach and an offensive assistant coach through December 2005.

Gill, who was part of three national championships as a coach at the University of Nebraska and a Heisman Trophy finalist as a player, agreed to a five-year contract to become the 23rd head football coach at the University at Buffalo on December 16, 2005.

Turner Gill won two games in his first season with Buffalo compiling a 2-10 record, but did play the likes of Auburn, Wisconsin, and Boston College in 2006.

Although Gill went 2-10 in his first season, Buffalo achieved great success within recent Bulls history. Gill helped set the mark for most points in a season since moving to Division I, scoring 220. UB also scored the most points (201) of any team in the Mid-American Conference East Division and defeated the first team (Kent State University) with a winning record since joining Mid-American Conference in 1999.

Gill's Buffalo team finished 5-7 overall with a 5-3 record in the Mid-American Conference, the first winning conference record the squad had posted since joining the MAC in 1999. This was also the Bulls' first winning record at home since moving to Division I. The team finished third out of six schools in the Mid-American Conference East Division, and Gill was named MAC Coach of the Year for 2007.[1]

Because of the great turnaround that Gill orchestrated in only his second season at Buffalo, he was one of two leading candidates to replace Bill Callahan as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. However, Bo Pelini was hired as the new Nebraska head coach.

by **PhirePhilBennett** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 5:55 pm

ponyinNC wrote:if he was (almost) good enough for Nebraska, i think he's fine here...

was he? or was he just blk?

by **PonyPatrol** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:51 pm

Wow...read it and still not impressed. The guy had a great playing career, but still hasn't shown me enough as a coach.

The difference with a guy like Todd Dodge is the fact that you know he is a winner and he has run an innovative offense that he is in the process of implementing at UNT. So while he still hasn't achieved big time success at the D1 level, he has shown a track record of winning while running a football team. (for the record, Dodge is still not my first choice)

Gill has only shown thus far that he took a bad team to being very mediocre. Would you be happy with SMU being 5-7 in two years? That is the equivalent of what he's accomplished thus far. Don't tell me about how much worse the situation is up in Buffalo - we were the 1-11 team, but nobody is expecting such average results.

by **Stallion** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:06 pm

well I hope we have an AD that is smarter than to look past a Coach's performance in his second year at a bottom of the barrell school like Buffalo. Some of you are incredible in your complete lack of understanding in what it takes to turn around a program like Buffalo. This ain't the NFL where every team gets the same amount of draft choices as your opponent. Buffalo is about a 7-10 year building project literrally. Turner Gill is an outstanding candidate and I feel comfortable in saying that those that think SMU is too good for Gill have an understanding of college football that is about a millimeter thick.

by **SMU Football Blog** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:19 pm

I am saying, "I don't know." I have never heard the guy speak; met him; watched a game he coached. Hard for me to judge a coach on anything other than his resume, ans specifically, his record.

by **PonyPatrol** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 7:24 pm

And if Gill were to regress at Buffalo next year and go 2-9, would you still be so high on him?

Understanding college football is not throwing all your eggs in the basket of someone who has STILL proven very little.

What he's done thus far is admirable, and I'm not denying potential, but dont feed this bullsh#t about taking Buffalo to 5-7.

Why aren't we in the market for Doug Martin, Kent State's coach??? He summoned Knute Rockne to lead the Flashes to a miracle 6-6 record last year! Kent State has looong been at the bottom of D1 in terms of winning % and recruiting. He went 3-9 this year, but who cares! He was able to bring a poor team to mediocrity last season, in his second year. This appearantly equates to coaching royalty on this board.

by **Hoop Fan** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:01 pm

PonyPatrol wrote:And if Gill were to regress at Buffalo next year and go 2-9, would you still be so high on him?

Understanding college football is not throwing all your eggs in the basket of someone who has STILL proven very little.

What he's done thus far is admirable, and I'm not denying potential, but dont feed this bullsh#t about taking Buffalo to 5-7.

Why aren't we in the market for Doug Martin, Kent State's coach??? He summoned Knute Rockne to lead the Flashes to a miracle 6-6 record last year! Kent State has looong been at the bottom of D1 in terms of winning % and recruiting. He went 3-9 this year, but who cares! He was able to bring a poor team to mediocrity last season, in his second year. This appearantly equates to coaching royalty on this board.

royalty? no. good candidate for SMU? yes. Tell me this, why was the guy named Coach of the Year in the MAC? Don't be afraid of what you don't know firsthand. He fits SMU in so many ways:

- local background from Metroplex
- known as a great recruiter
- as a qb himself, could mentor Willis
- impeccable integrity and crystal clean background
- knows SMU, has coached here before
- happens to be black, which would differentiate us from recruiting competition in Texas and CUSA.
-young with the energy its gonna take
- he will always have a name in Big 8/12 country

by **jimhagle** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:16 pm

You know it isn't always about wins and losses. He appears to be an up and comer to say the least. Dodge fits into that category too. These guys have as good a chance to succeed here probably as any.

by **PonyPatrol** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:49 pm

From the metroplex, good recruiter, impeccable integrity, used to coach here, happens to be black...

Introducing your 2008 football coach: jimmy tubbs!

by **Hoop Fan** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:10 pm

PonyPatrol wrote:From the metroplex, good recruiter, impeccable integrity, used to coach here, happens to be black...

Introducing your 2008 football coach: jimmy tubbs!

another disingenous argument. Gill is a head coach right now and Coach of the Year in a respectable conference at or above CUSAs level. You'd be lucky to get him.

by **bigdaddy08091** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:49 pm

jimhagle wrote:You know it isn't always about wins and losses. He appears to be an up and comer to say the least. Dodge fits into that category too. These guys have as good a chance to succeed here probably as any.

Why does everybody keep mentioning Dodge. He is less proven than any coach we have mentioned on this board. UNT is the only college HC position Dodge has had and didn't win [deleted]. Why is so much better than Gill?

Turner GILL?????

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