Another coaching carousel update

[03Mustang]

"BREAKING NEWS: Sources not associated with the UCF program have told InsideKnights.com / Scout.com that UCF head football coach George O’Leary will be dismissed by as early as Friday, and the Knights are in discussions with University of Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong about their soon to be head coaching vacancy.

Strong has been with the Gators since the 2003 season, and was one of the only coaches retained when the school decided to part ways with Ron Zook in the 2004 season. Strong was technically the second African-American head coach in SEC history as he served as the Gators interim coach in the 2004 Peach Bowl, which resulted in a 27-10 loss to the Miami Hurricanes.

Strong attended the University of Central Arkansas from 1980-1983, then served as a graduate assistant at Florida in 1983. He later served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 1985. His first full-time coaching job was at Southern Illinois in 1986, where he coached wide receivers. He later assumed defensive coaching duties at Florida and Notre Dame. Strong’s first big break came as defensive coordinator at the University of South Carolina, making him the first African-American coordinator in SEC history.

If Strong and the Knights eventually come to an agreement, UCF will have a dynamic recruiter and one of the best defensive minds in the country, as Strong’s Gators currently have the ninth-ranked defense in the nation and the fifth-best scoring defense in the country despite playing in the ultra-competitive SEC.

Strong is widely regarded as a recruiting expert, plucking no fewer than 15 current Gators out of the Central Florida area. With his contacts all over the southeast and some of the finest facilities in the nation, Strong could take the Knights football program to previously unseen heights. At the very least, Strong will add credibility to a program who is trying to recover from scandal stemming from the Ereck Plancher tragedy and the latest incident involving freshman running back Brandon Davis."

Wow

[White Helmet]

We should bring in O'Leary as DC

[Stallion]

better than as Practice Coordinator

[George S. Patton]

"BREAKING NEWS: Sources not associated with the UCF program have told InsideKnights.com / Scout.com that UCF head football coach George O’Leary will be dismissed by as early as Friday, and the Knights are in discussions with University of Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong about their soon to be head coaching vacancy.

Strong has been with the Gators since the 2003 season, and was one of the only coaches retained when the school decided to part ways with Ron Zook in the 2004 season. Strong was technically the second African-American head coach in SEC history as he served as the Gators interim coach in the 2004 Peach Bowl, which resulted in a 27-10 loss to the Miami Hurricanes.

Strong attended the University of Central Arkansas from 1980-1983, then served as a graduate assistant at Florida in 1983. He later served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 1985. His first full-time coaching job was at Southern Illinois in 1986, where he coached wide receivers. He later assumed defensive coaching duties at Florida and Notre Dame. Strong’s first big break came as defensive coordinator at the University of South Carolina, making him the first African-American coordinator in SEC history.

If Strong and the Knights eventually come to an agreement, UCF will have a dynamic recruiter and one of the best defensive minds in the country, as Strong’s Gators currently have the ninth-ranked defense in the nation and the fifth-best scoring defense in the country despite playing in the ultra-competitive SEC.

Strong is widely regarded as a recruiting expert, plucking no fewer than 15 current Gators out of the Central Florida area. With his contacts all over the southeast and some of the finest facilities in the nation, Strong could take the Knights football program to previously unseen heights. At the very least, Strong will add credibility to a program who is trying to recover from scandal stemming from the Ereck Plancher tragedy and the latest incident involving freshman running back Brandon Davis."

Wow

Odd that they would fire him. He's led them to 2 CUSA titles, including last year. They had a bad year this year because their offense was the worst in college football. Defense was excellent. But if this is move to shoe-horn Charlie Strong in there just to give Strong, who has become a professional HC candidate, a job then that's wrong.

Or they could be feeling pressure from the BCA. This is nothing against Strong because he was one of two finalists for the Minnesota job before it went to Brewster. I thought Strong was going to get it but Brewster's knack for recruiting won out.

Strange. They've just killed themselves for the 2009 recruiting class.

[RGV Pony]

I wonder if there are some skeletons related to the upcoming litigation regarding the player that died, to go with another player collapsing. I can't think of any other reason UCF would get rid of him. Didn't they play for the conference title a year ago?

[George S. Patton]

I wonder if there are some skeletons related to the upcoming litigation regarding the player that died, to go with another player collapsing. I can't think of any other reason UCF would get rid of him. Didn't they play for the conference title a year ago?

Had not considered that. But it definitely plausable.

[huskerpony]

4-8 is enough to get most coaches considered for a firing--fair or not--regardless of playing for the championship the year before. (Bill Callahan, Larry Coker, Gary Barnett, etc.) Especially with ongoing investigations.

Even if it all turns out to be nothing, it has to hurt recruiting. Would you allow your kid to play for a coach who has had a player die and another collapse that could be in any way tied to the training program at the school? Just the possibility of that would make most parents tell their kid to go elsewhere. Might be best to cut ties and start over.

[huskerpony]

Also interesting:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/others/0-2-3 ... acuse.html

Skip Holtz turned down $12 mil from Syracuse? What is going on up there that no one wants that job? (Not that it's a great job, but I'd do it for $12 mil!)

[CalallenStang]

Also interesting:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/others/0-2-3 ... acuse.html

Skip Holtz turned down $12 mil from Syracuse? What is going on up there that no one wants that job? (Not that it's a great job, but I'd do it for $12 mil!)

Skip may be thinking that the Notre Dame job will open next year, and he wouldn't want to bolt a school after one year.

[RGV Pony]

still think Turner Gil would be a good fit at Syracuse

[huskerpony]

Skip may be thinking that the Notre Dame job will open next year, and he wouldn't want to bolt a school after one year.

Good point. Syracuse probably wanted a big buyout clause in the contract for him to leave for ND too.

[smupony94]

I wonder if there are some skeletons related to the upcoming litigation regarding the player that died, to go with another player collapsing. I can't think of any other reason UCF would get rid of him. Didn't they play for the conference title a year ago?

Had not considered that. But it definitely plausable.

Stories now out saying he is staying but they are hiring a third party to review recruiting and practice issues

[CA Mustang]

I wonder if there are some skeletons related to the upcoming litigation regarding the player that died, to go with another player collapsing. I can't think of any other reason UCF would get rid of him. Didn't they play for the conference title a year ago?

Had not considered that. But it definitely plausable.

Stories now out saying he is staying but they are hiring a third party to review recruiting and practice issues

http://www.collegefootballtalk.com/2008 ... k-in-2009/

[CA Mustang]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/f ... index.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/f ... index.html

[Stallion]

New Mexico has hired Illinois Coordinator Mike Locksley as its head Coach bringing the number of African American Head Coaches back up to 4.

http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/003454.html