Kirby Smart Fans

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

I know this would be hard to do, but I would like our next hc to have experience as a hc in the SEC. Maybe Freeze, Mullins or maybe some other good coach with head coaching experience in the SEC. Folks, I like the guy at Houston and the coach at Memphis but that is not coaching in the SEC. Everyone else is going to be a gamble and gambles have not worked out for us in the past. We have promoted assistant coaches, remember Richard Bell, we hired outstanding coordinators at good schools, remember brad snot, we have hired up and coming hc coaches at smaller schools, remember Sparky Woods? How have those worked out? The best hire we have ever had in the history of USC was Steve Spurrier and he had tons of success at UF. Just saying, all the other scenarios are going to be a huge gamble at best. And gambles have never worked out for us in the past.

 

[Bigger_Stronger_Faster]

I know this would be hard to do, but I would like our next hc to have experience as a hc in the SEC. Maybe Freeze, Mullins or maybe some other good coach with head coaching experience in the SEC. Folks, I like the guy at Houston and the coach at Memphis but that is not coaching in the SEC. Everyone else is going to be a gamble and gambles have not worked out for us in the past. We have promoted assistant coaches, remember Richard Bell, we hired outstanding coordinators at good schools, remember brad snot, we have hired up and coming hc coaches at smaller schools, remember Sparky Woods? How have those worked out? The best hire we have ever had in the history of USC was Steve Spurrier and he had tons of success at UF. Just saying, all the other scenarios are going to be a huge gamble at best. And gambles have never worked out for us in the past.

You're right Freddie. And what's funny is that some people around here that have raised their expectations to the point they wanted Spurrier fired seem to be ready to settle on a coach from a small conference, a coach with no hc experience or a someone with a marginal hc experience.

 

[SportsSuites1]

Which SEC head coach do you have in mind? Saban's not coming, Miles isn't coming and Richt isn't coming. Who's left that you want? MAYBE Mullen at MS State would 'consider it' but Freeze is fixed at 'ole Miss and Sumlin makes 15X's what the President of the US does at aTm ... he's not coming.
Exactly WHO do you have in mind (that hasn't either bombed or been fired) at his previous SEC HC job?

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Which SEC head coach do you have in mind? Saban's not coming, Miles isn't coming and Richt isn't coming. Who's left that you want? MAYBE Mullen at MS State would 'consider it' but Freeze is fixed at 'ole Miss and Sumlin makes 15X's what the President of the US does at aTm ... he's not coming.
Exactly WHO do you have in mind (that hasn't either bombed or been fired) at his previous SEC HC job?

Well, I can tell you none of them are coming unless you ask them and lay some big bucks down. It's going to take some serious money to get one of those coaches. Otherwise, we go back to being the Carolina of ole.

 

[anon_n4c0cp5zhdxn7]

I'm not saying Smart is the best hire but to deny his reputation as one of the best DCs and ask "why is he different" than Muschamp or Steele is crazy. what makes him "the same" as Muschamp and Steele? Did they also coach under Mark Richt and Bobby Bowden? Did they also win the Broyles Award for the nation's best assistant coach?
I completely agree, what a DC or OC accomplishes does not necessarily relate to how they will do as a HC. Same could be said for a HC from a lower conference. That shouldn't automatically disqualify them though. FYI, Jim Tressel went from Youngstown St to winning the national championship at Ohio State.

 

[SportsSuites1]

I'm not saying Smart is the best hire but to deny his reputation as one of the best DCs and ask "why is he different" than Muschamp or Steele is crazy. what makes him "the same" as Muschamp and Steele? Did they also coach under Mark Richt and Bobby Bowden? Did they also win the Broyles Award for the nation's best assistant coach?
I completely agree, what a DC or OC accomplishes does not necessarily relate to how they will do as a HC. Same could be said for a HC from a lower conference. That shouldn't automatically disqualify them though. FYI, Jim Tressel went from Youngstown St to winning the national championship at Ohio State.

The key to consistent competitiveness is entirely based on the ability to recruit. Coaches do not punt, pass, kick, defend or tackle. They, for the most part teach very little in the way of 'technique' - the greatest running backs, quarterbacks and receivers in college football SHOW UP with their 'skills' and contribute almost from the beginning.

Defensive alignments are key, as are offensive 'designs' - while 'creativity' and managing risk-taking are key components of any coaches success - but in the final analysis it's skill matched with stamina channeled by desire that wins games. Probably the HARDEST position to 'teach' is offensive-line ... there are many, many nuances to the position but all things equal pancaking potential tacklers is still the most successful method of blocking - strength and speed are the two greatest attributes of an offensive lineman.

Trick plays will score points and creative thinking ... WHEN to 'bounce-pass' a lateral then throw the bomb, when to fake the FG, when to on-side kick, when to fake-dive and throw the jump-pass, when to draw, when to screen and when to throw the bomb (period) are coaching 'decisions' ... SOS was 'brilliant' at designing offensive plays ... and when we HAD the 'personnel' we were pretty good at making those plays work, which comes back to PLAYERS which goes back to 'recruiting'. SURE, we got a LOT out of a LOT of 2* and 3* guys ... BUT, they were ALWAYS 'mixed-in' with 4* and the occasional 5* players ... RECRUITING will be the 'key' to WINNING.

A FRESH face, a HISTORY of 'winning' coupled with our facilities and what we offer 'student' athletes makes SC a great place to play. UGA, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Tennessee have 'football histories' BUT in the 'formative years' of recruits graduating '16-'18 SOUTH CAROLINA was a NATIONAL 'powerhouse' program - consistently Top 25 and during those players Jr. High/early HS years a Top 10 program. WE'RE KNOWN ... we're not backwater U.

ANYBODY BUT a 'retread'. A 'fresh' face ... a young guy, be he Herman, Fuente, Smart or Elliott. They ALL bring something attractive to the table in their own way. They ALL recruit hard. And it's going to be 'recruiting' that wins or loses it for whoever gets the job.

 

[Gamecawks]

I know this would be hard to do, but I would like our next hc to have experience as a hc in the SEC. Maybe Freeze, Mullins or maybe some other good coach with head coaching experience in the SEC. Folks, I like the guy at Houston and the coach at Memphis but that is not coaching in the SEC. Everyone else is going to be a gamble and gambles have not worked out for us in the past. We have promoted assistant coaches, remember Richard Bell, we hired outstanding coordinators at good schools, remember brad snot, we have hired up and coming hc coaches at smaller schools, remember Sparky Woods? How have those worked out? The best hire we have ever had in the history of USC was Steve Spurrier and he had tons of success at UF. Just saying, all the other scenarios are going to be a huge gamble at best. And gambles have never worked out for us in the past.

This is just an incredibly short-sighted an uninformed post. Did Urban Meyer have SEC HC experience before going to Florida? How about Saban and LSU? Miles and LSU? Don't be ridiculous. We need a HC who knows how to recruit, how to utilize resources, and how to build a staff that compensates for the aspects of the game that are not his strong points.

Getting a coach from another SEC school would be idiotic because the good ones aren't leaving, and the mediocre ones aren't going to do much for us that they haven't done at their schools.

 

[SportsSuites1]

If you went back and looked it up, when GA Tech was still in the SEC (and a 'powerhouse' playing under Bobby Dodd) his 'underground railroad' ran from Wright Bazemore's Valdosta HS in south Georgia. Valdosta was (and still IS) so HS-football crazy that for YEARS local 'boosters' would scavenge the backwoods of lower Alabama, northern Florida and middle-Georgia/south looking for GREAT HS 'players', which they OFTEN 'recruited' by offering 'Dad' a 'new job' somewhere in Valdosta ... it really happened and it happened SEVERAL times from the late 50's into the mid-70's before finally being called on it (when a disgruntled, displaced 'Dad' complained after he was 'fired').

High schools don't 'usually' have the luxury of 'recruiting' (though some 'private' schools - like the one LeBron James attended) CAN, in their own way 'legitimately' recruit ... and IT'S A WAY OF LIFE in college sports.

SOS pushed and pushed (and the University, the legislature, the fans, in general and the 'Angels', in particular) responded with 'facilities' - we put a great team on the field and we got a LOT of press-coverage, locally, regionally AND nationally. WE NEED A RECRUITER!! That is job #1. The groundwork has been laid.

 

[JGH 35]

These posts are all conjecture and somewhat a waste of time. Nobody on this forum has any idea what kind of Head Coach Smart would make. None of you simply have the appropriate information to make that kind of definitive evaluation (nor do I). While he is a good defensive coach and a probably a good recruiter, so are the other candidates. But those are not the factors that determine the success of a head coach. What would determine whether he is another Saban or another Muschamp will be his analytical skills, his decision making abilities, and his organizational skills. Those are traits displayed by Saban, but not so much by Muschamp. No one on this board knows anything about that. It will be up to Ray Tanner to determine that and to make the right hire. Tanner knows what it takes to be successful and I feel he will make the best choice, whoever that may be.

 

[Quisp]

Herman is pretty much a mirror image of Freeze before he arrived at Ole Miss. If anything Freeze had less experience. I agree with Gamecawks it's way shortsighted to exclude someone like Herman just because he hasn't coached in the SEC.

Anyway, it isn't often that a coach goes from one SEC school to another. Usually it is an obvious upgrade (Tuberville to Auburn, Dinardo to LSU) or a unique circumstance (Nutt to Ole Miss).

There is no obvious upgrade candidate (unless one considers Stoops or Mason). Anyone else isn't coming for more or less a lateral move. That would leave former SEC coaches. I'm open to suggestions but all there are just happen to be washouts and failures.

 

[rogue cock]

Mr. Sims wrote: "There is no 'perfect hire' for USC ... "

Yes, there is. Tom Herman.

Agree. Think he is the best candidate out of all reasonably available. The only hire that I would put as a "guaranteed success" is Urban Meyer and we aren't getting him.

 

[GWMorris]

This is just an incredibly short-sighted an uninformed post. Did Urban Meyer have SEC HC experience before going to Florida? How about Saban and LSU? Miles and LSU? Don't be ridiculous. We need a HC who knows how to recruit, how to utilize resources, and how to build a staff that compensates for the aspects of the game that are not his strong points.

Getting a coach from another SEC school would be idiotic because the good ones aren't leaving, and the mediocre ones aren't going to do much for us that they haven't done at their schools.

You are absolutely right. Actually, the only SEC coaches this year who previously were SEC head coaches are Spurrier and Saban. One is leaving, and the other ain't coming.

I understand the previous poster's desire for a sure thing. The problem is, they are rare in real life. Alabama hiring Saban and our hiring Spurrier were no-brainers. Every other SEC school -- and the vast majority of other schools, except Ohio State hiring Urban Meyer -- had to take a chance. We're going to have to take a chance on somebody. It's just the way it is.

 

[SportsSuites1]

These posts are all conjecture and somewhat a waste of time. Nobody on this forum has any idea what kind of Head Coach Smart would make. None of you simply have the appropriate information to make that kind of definitive evaluation (nor do I). While he is a good defensive coach and a probably a good recruiter, so are the other candidates. But those are not the factors that determine the success of a head coach. What would determine whether he is another Saban or another Muschamp will be his analytical skills, his decision making abilities, and his organizational skills. Those are traits displayed by Saban, but not so much by Muschamp. No one on this board knows anything about that. It will be up to Ray Tanner to determine that and to make the right hire. Tanner knows what it takes to be successful and I feel he will make the best choice, whoever that may be.

Your's was!

Like all of us I suffered a few 'I'm dumb, thus you are, too" instructors in my life. Save us the 'necessary skills' speech. We're just BS'ing ... no need to 'set us straight'. Nobody's paying attention to the lecture, go find a teenager and bore him Mr. "nor do I".

We all 'know' what we don't know so we already know all we need to know and don't need you to miraculously appear just to tell us what you think we need to hear. Weeze' just foolin' around, no need to expound on your inept attempt at logic. Weeze' just playing, boss ... so get down off that high-hoss. Be gone wid' you and I mean NOW!!! If you need instructions I'll show YOU how! It's too early in the day and I'm too old to suffer somebody's 'idea' of what to 'think'. I'll do my 'thinking' independently, thank you. Bye Bye!

 

[JGH 35]

Your's was!

Like all of us I suffered a few 'I'm dumb, thus you are, too" instructors in my life. Save us the 'necessary skills' speech. We're just BS'ing ... no need to 'set us straight'. Nobody's paying attention to the lecture, go find a teenager and bore him Mr. "nor do I".

We all 'know' what we don't know so we already know all we need to know and don't need you to miraculously appear just to tell us what you think we need to hear. Weeze' just foolin' around, no need to expound on your inept attempt at logic. Weeze' just playing, boss ... so get down off that high-hoss. Be gone wid' you and I mean NOW!!! If you need instructions I'll show YOU how! It's too early in the day and I'm too old to suffer somebody's 'idea' of what to 'think'. I'll do my 'thinking' independently, thank you. Bye Bye!

Well, your instructors were probably at least half right anyway.

BTW, I will post any damn thing I please, just like you and everyone else does on here. I don't give a damn what you are doing - playing, BSing, or just pickin your nose, I will post what MY opinion of things is and don't need your dumbass approval to do so.

 

[pisgah]

All of the coaches at Alabama are good recruiters, Alabama sells itself.

 

[GWMorris]

All of the coaches at Alabama are good recruiters, Alabama sells itself.

Ask Mike Shula about Alabama selling itself.

 

[bosoxcock]

You're right Freddie. And what's funny is that some people around here that have raised their expectations to the point they wanted Spurrier fired seem to be ready to settle on a coach from a small conference, a coach with no hc experience or a someone with a marginal hc experience.

"Hello my name is Jim McElwain, and I came from a "small conference" how's that working out for the Florida Gators"

 

[joedcock]

Mr. Sims wrote: "There is no 'perfect hire' for USC ... "

Yes, there is. Tom Herman.

Herman has Texas and Ohio
Roots.... Bad hire for us

 

[bosoxcock]

Roots....You people are silly , Tanner makes one statement about "roots", you take it out of context.

Maybe we should require as a prerequisite that our next coach have flown the confederate flag before

Before LSU and Alabama, Sabin coached at Mich. St.

 

[Bigger_Stronger_Faster]

Roots....You people are silly , Tanner makes one statement about "roots", you take it out of context.

Maybe we should require as a prerequisite that our next coach have flown the confederate flag before

Before LSU and Alabama, Sabin coached at Mich. St.

Read what you just posted again and think about it. First, yeah he coached at Toledo and MichSt, but in his 3rd year at MSU he beat OSU, Mich, ND and PSU. Pretty damn impressive and I'd be on board in a heartbeat for a young coach that has accomplished something like that at any P5 conference team...well, except one. LSU is LSU and was back then too. And Saban was a fairly hot commodity. Still unknown to many, and still some what of a risk but all the man had to do was win a few big games his first season and recruits started lining up.

I would say Saban at that time was far less of a risk and had accomplished way more than any candidate I've heard mentioned to run our program. Roots don't always matter, but they do if you're USC.

 

[rogue cock]

Read what you just posted again and think about it. First, yeah he coached at Toledo and MichSt, but in his 3rd year at MSU he beat OSU, Mich, ND and PSU. Pretty damn impressive and I'd be on board in a heartbeat for a young coach that has accomplished something like that at any P5 conference team...well, except one. LSU is LSU and was back then too. And Saban was a fairly hot commodity. Still unknown to many, and still some what of a risk but all the man had to do was win a few big games his first season and recruits started lining up.

I would say Saban at that time was far less of a risk and had accomplished way more than any candidate I've heard mentioned to run our program. Roots don't always matter, but they do if you're USC.

What about Urban Meyer? Coached in MWC prior to taking the job at Florida.

 

[DarkCock]

Roots....You people are silly , Tanner makes one statement about "roots", you take it out of context.

Maybe we should require as a prerequisite that our next coach have flown the confederate flag before

Before LSU and Alabama, Sabin coached at Mich. St.

Why are you directing these comments to us? You should direct them to Ray Tanner.

http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303281504579220393805048908

Still, for a college coach who has won four national championships, Nick Saban has proved to be unusually restless. Rather than staying at one school, he has changed jobs three times: Bolting his first high-profile job at Michigan State in 1999 for Louisiana State, then leaving LSU for the Miami Dolphins in 2005, then decamping to Alabama in 2007.

In each case, they have made improvements without sinking deep roots. They have pledged their allegiance to the community but fought hard for resources. And if they don't feel appreciated, they make their dissatisfaction known.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

This is just an incredibly short-sighted an uninformed post. Did Urban Meyer have SEC HC experience before going to Florida? How about Saban and LSU? Miles and LSU? Don't be ridiculous. We need a HC who knows how to recruit, how to utilize resources, and how to build a staff that compensates for the aspects of the game that are not his strong points.

Getting a coach from another SEC school would be idiotic because the good ones aren't leaving, and the mediocre ones aren't going to do much for us that they haven't done at their schools.

We're talking about USC here, not UF, not Bama, not LSU. Those schools are located in a hot bed of talent, plus, Bama and LSU have a tremendous amount of tradition behind them and so does UF now. All I'm saying is USC doesn't recruit by it's very name. And we are either going to have to get lucky with one of the coaches everyone is talking about or lure an existing SEC coach (which admittedly will be very difficult).

 

[Gamecawks]

I hear you. Having a prestigious program is certainly a huge benefit and draw to recruits.

But look at Clemson. Their history is certainly better than ours, but they are MUCH closer to USC than they are to LSU, Alabama, etc. And they're bringing in top 10 recruiting classes year in and out.

Our stadium is one of the best in the country, our fanbase is rabid, our facilities are competitive with literally anyone in the country, and we can recruit the south east with the best of them IF we invest the resources necessary to do so.

There's NO REASON why a coach couldn't be hugely successful at USC. We've got the money and passion to make anything attainable.

 

[Bigger_Stronger_Faster]

What about Urban Meyer? Coached in MWC prior to taking the job at Florida.

So we can easily recruit at the same level as UF?

BTW, Meyer had his version of the spread that many questioned how it would work in the SEC too. But it just so happened that UF had a 6'5" QB that fit his spread to perfection. You might remember the guy.

You people that want to compare coaches that landed at Bama, LSU, UF, etc are killing me...and you're killing your own argument. We HAVE to have a proven coach or someone that will bring excitement in the eyes of players here to get them. We can't just go out and find an up and coming coach and expect him to pull in the kind of recruits those teams do. It's been tried over and over and has never worked...because we are not in an area that produces the type talent those teams have and because of all the space in our trophy case.

None of these guys being discussed have enough coaching or recruiting experience to compete with our conference rivals in recruiting. I'm sure Smart is a knowledgeable coach and might turn out to be a great hc some day. But his only coordinator's job has been under a defensive coach at a school that cherry-picks the talent they need from anywhere they want to get them. I'd venture to say that if Saban wanted to help Kiffin pad his resume he could name him DC and in the next 3 years everyone would claim that Kiffin is better than his dad at running a defense. Saban has used the DC position like Spurrier used the OC position. Spurrier hired Mangus as a QB coach and Saban used his DC position to hire someone to do the day-to-day work with HIS defense that he doesn't have time to do.In the end they were both running their unit, but used the extra coach to help them out...and to get another recruiter.

In the end I would much rather find someone from a P5 conference that has experience as a hc and knows the task at hand, and that he will be facing an uphill battle in recruiting. Not another wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn from a smaller conference or another coordinator from a team that is a recruiting powerhouse making a go of it for the first time.

And if you want names, a few I would start with are Charlie Strong, Bob Stoops, James Franklin, and even...after much thought and contemplating...Rich Rod. Yes...I said it. I'm could even get on the Rich Rod bandwagon compared to the other names being tossed around here.

 

[bosoxcock]

Roots...that is crazy... Before LSU and Alabama, Sabin coached at Mich. St.

Read what you just posted again and think about it. First, yeah he coached at Toledo and MichSt, but in his 3rd year at MSU he beat OSU, Mich, ND and PSU. Pretty damn impressive and I'd be on board in a heartbeat for a young coach that has accomplished something like that at any P5 conference team...well, except one. LSU is LSU and was back then too. And Saban was a fairly hot commodity. Still unknown to many, and still some what of a risk but all the man had to do was win a few big games his first season and recruits started lining up.

I would say Saban at that time was far less of a risk and had accomplished way more than any candidate I've heard mentioned to run our program. Roots don't always matter, but they do if you're USC.

Ok I read my post again and see nothing different..Tanner wants somebody to stay "put down roots at SC, ... has nothing to do about accomplishments, never said that...

But i'm out, ...this is a silly ( roots ) topic, and quiet frankly I;m tired of talking about the subject or "roots"

 

[Bigger_Stronger_Faster]

I hear you. Having a prestigious program is certainly a huge benefit and draw to recruits.

But look at Clemson. Their history is certainly better than ours, but they are MUCH closer to USC than they are to LSU, Alabama, etc. And they're bringing in top 10 recruiting classes year in and out.

Our stadium is one of the best in the country, our fanbase is rabid, our facilities are competitive with literally anyone in the country, and we can recruit the south east with the best of them IF we invest the resources necessary to do so.

There's NO REASON why a coach couldn't be hugely successful at USC. We've got the money and passion to make anything attainable.

You're exactly right in everything you said. And there is no reason a coach can't be successful here. but it has to be the right coach.

Who ever we hire needs to be someone that can turn recruiting around THIS cycle. Look at our returning players next year. I appreciate and support every one of them and in no way do I intend this to be a knock on them, but look at how they've performed this season so far. If we don't get a coach that brings excitement and enthusiasm, and one that can turn recruiting around THIS class then we fans are in for a long rebuilding process. And of we bring in a guy with no hc experience, or a coach from a smaller team wanting to prove himself and he goes 5-6 in his first 2 seasons you can write him off, because our conference foes will eat him alive on the recruiting trail. And he'll more than likely go down in flames, and we'll be right back to where we've been so many times before.

I just hope Tanner realizes this and is really exploring the landscape across the entire sport looking for a homerun hire, because it sure seems our fans are ready to roll the dice on repeating history.

 

[DarkCock]

So we can easily recruit at the same level as UF?

BTW, Meyer had his version of the spread that many questioned how it would work in the SEC too. But it just so happened that UF had a 6'5" QB that fit his spread to perfection. You might remember the guy.

You people that want to compare coaches that landed at Bama, LSU, UF, etc are killing me...and you're killing your own argument. We HAVE to have a proven coach or someone that will bring excitement in the eyes of players here to get them. We can't just go out and find an up and coming coach and expect him to pull in the kind of recruits those teams do. It's been tried over and over and has never worked...because we are not in an area that produces the type talent those teams have and because of all the space in our trophy case.

None of these guys being discussed have enough coaching or recruiting experience to compete with our conference rivals in recruiting. I'm sure Smart is a knowledgeable coach and might turn out to be a great hc some day. But his only coordinator's job has been under a defensive coach at a school that cherry-picks the talent they need from anywhere they want to get them. I'd venture to say that if Saban wanted to help Kiffin pad his resume he could name him DC and in the next 3 years everyone would claim that Kiffin is better than his dad at running a defense. Saban has used the DC position like Spurrier used the OC position. Spurrier hired Mangus as a QB coach and Saban used his DC position to hire someone to do the day-to-day work with HIS defense that he doesn't have time to do.In the end they were both running their unit, but used the extra coach to help them out...and to get another recruiter.

In the end I would much rather find someone from a P5 conference that has experience as a hc and knows the task at hand, and that he will be facing an uphill battle in recruiting. Not another wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn from a smaller conference or another coordinator from a team that is a recruiting powerhouse making a go of it for the first time.

And if you want names, a few I would start with are Charlie Strong, Bob Stoops, James Franklin, and even...after much thought and contemplating...Rich Rod. Yes...I said it. I'm could even get on the Rich Rod bandwagon compared to the other names being tossed around here.

Helluva post. If someone's logic is "Smart is unproven, we need a coach with head coaching experience, let's hire Herman", then why wouldn't hiring Rich Rod make more sense? Tom Herman has 6 games as a head coach, Rich Rod has 253! RR is no dinosaur either; he's only 12 years older than Herman.

Does head coaching experience matter or does it not?

 

[Bigger_Stronger_Faster]

Roots...that is crazy... Before LSU and Alabama, Sabin coached at Mich. St.


Ok I read my post again and see nothing different..Tanner wants somebody to stay "put down roots at SC, ... has nothing to do about accomplishments, never said that...

But i'm out, ...this is a silly ( roots ) topic, and quiet frankly I;m tired of talking about the subject or "roots"

Come on dude, it not roots. It's recruiting ties.
Tanner said he wants someone that will "put down roots". I can't speak for the guuy you responded to but we need someone that has recruiting ties to the areas we have always recruited. We're not going to all of a sudden start pulling kids from Texas, the west coast or northern states.

This entire ordeal is frustrating for all of us, and I'm tired of hearing a lot of the speculation. And even more tired of hearing names tossed around that I'm sure will just be a repeat of history. And it's perplexing to me because a lot of it is coming from fans that were calling for Spurrier's head.

We need a homerun in this hire and there's no reason we should get one. We know the past and how many times, and the reasons (money usually) we made hires that didn't pan out. But this time there's no excuse other than poor judgement. I have faith in Tanner, but this hire could change that in a short couple of years.

 

[Bigger_Stronger_Faster]

Helluva post. If someone's logic is "Smart is unproven, we need a coach with head coaching experience, let's hire Herman", then why wouldn't hiring Rich Rod make more sense? Tom Herman has 6 games as a head coach, Rich Rod has 253! RR is no dinosaur either; he's only 12 years older than Herman.

Does head coaching experience matter or does it not?

IMO it matters a lot. And not only that, we need someone that's going to turn recruiting around THIS cycle.

RR isn't my #1 choice but I'd rather have him than the FGF favorites "up & comers". He has recruiting ties and if he hires the right co's and asst's he could turn this around.

But I really think we can do better.

 

[SportsSuites1]

So we can easily recruit at the same level as UF?

BTW, Meyer had his version of the spread that many questioned how it would work in the SEC too. But it just so happened that UF had a 6'5" QB that fit his spread to perfection. You might remember the guy.

You people that want to compare coaches that landed at Bama, LSU, UF, etc are killing me...and you're killing your own argument. We HAVE to have a proven coach or someone that will bring excitement in the eyes of players here to get them. We can't just go out and find an up and coming coach and expect him to pull in the kind of recruits those teams do. It's been tried over and over and has never worked...because we are not in an area that produces the type talent those teams have and because of all the space in our trophy case.

None of these guys being discussed have enough coaching or recruiting experience to compete with our conference rivals in recruiting. I'm sure Smart is a knowledgeable coach and might turn out to be a great hc some day. But his only coordinator's job has been under a defensive coach at a school that cherry-picks the talent they need from anywhere they want to get them. I'd venture to say that if Saban wanted to help Kiffin pad his resume he could name him DC and in the next 3 years everyone would claim that Kiffin is better than his dad at running a defense. Saban has used the DC position like Spurrier used the OC position. Spurrier hired Mangus as a QB coach and Saban used his DC position to hire someone to do the day-to-day work with HIS defense that he doesn't have time to do.In the end they were both running their unit, but used the extra coach to help them out...and to get another recruiter.

In the end I would much rather find someone from a P5 conference that has experience as a hc and knows the task at hand, and that he will be facing an uphill battle in recruiting. Not another wet-behind-the-ears greenhorn from a smaller conference or another coordinator from a team that is a recruiting powerhouse making a go of it for the first time.

And if you want names, a few I would start with are Charlie Strong, Bob Stoops, James Franklin, and even...after much thought and contemplating...Rich Rod. Yes...I said it. I'm could even get on the Rich Rod bandwagon compared to the other names being tossed around here.

Tebow was 6'2 3/4" -230 @ UF ... not exactly a midget but he wasn't 6'5";
As for Herman having Ohio roots "Mr. Ohio" in football, who Ohio State said wasn't "big enough or good enough" to play there played for us and did OK in a couple of Outback Bowls the best I can remember.
I'd love to have guys on-staff w/ SEC-area coaching experience and be able to also recruit Ohio. PA. Michigan. Indiana, WVA and NY.

 

[GCMD2]

People are forgetting that Smart recruiting and coaching at Bama works in our favor if we hire him.

He can use his Saban pedigree and Alabama National Championship Experience in recruiting just as much as any coach on Bama's current staff. He's not only a Bama coach, he's a guy that Saban supports and trusts. He's a guy that didn't take the first job offered. He's a guy that has had a LOT of offers to coach every year.

If he CHOOSES SC, it's because he "believes" that he can win a National Championship here. He wouldn't just be using SC...why? He's got a job and resume that needs NOTHING we have to offer! He can just stay at the well-oiled machine that is Bama and wait for a "destination" gig to open up.

By coming to Carolina, Smart would signal to recruits that Carolina will be a contender. He will immediately put our name up their with the big boys because why else would he leave?


That, along with the staff he hires, would get our foot in the door with a LOT of really good players this year...

Imagine that you're a player and the guy behind Saban and Bama's Defense came calling for you to START at SC IMMEDIATELY instead riding the bench at Bama or LSU? Yeah, that's a conversation starter...

 

[GCMD2]

And Suites is exactly right. Recruiting is the most important aspect of our new HC.

He's got to have a good plan.
He's got to hire a staff that complements him and executes his plan.
He's got to have a great eye for talent that fits his plan on O and D.
He's got to be able to delegate responsibility because, frankly, he can't do it all.

Coaching helps take a good team and makes them great but no amount of coaching can take mediocre talent and make them contenders.

Football is a bunch of individual matchups where you depend on your teammate winning his so it all works. All it takes for a play or the defense to breakdown is one player NOT WINNING HIS MATCHUP...

That's not on the coach because like Suites said, the coach can't block for them, pass for them, jam for them, catch for them, play for them...coaches teach and prepare players to win their individual matchups...but it's on the player and the players individual TALENT to actually win, one-on-one.

That's where we've fallen short. We just don't have the right combination of talent and coaching on the field/sideline at the same time. If we want to get to that "ELITE" level, we have to get guys in here who can win:

WIN their assignment when blocking
WIN when the ball is up for grabs downfield
WIN when they hit the edge and it's one man to beat
WIN when you have to hit the hole and a LB is bearing down on you
WIN when you're 1-on-1 with the best WR

A coach can put players in the right position but he can't make plays for them...

That's why recruiting is MOST IMPORTANT in this coaching hire and why Smart is a smart choice despite lacking HC experience. Does that mean we will offer him the job or that he will accept it? No...but it does mean he has something that would add more to this program than the other 2. We've had a great coaching mind here before...with decent talent...didn't get us to a Natty...

Maybe we should take a chance on an unknown (as far as HC Experience) who can get the talent level up to the elite level...just my humble opinion.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

All about risk. So what if we pass on Smart and UGA hires him in two years and becomes the new Bama? Fuente has built the Memphis program in a bad conference and knows the HUNH offense from his TCU days. Do we know for sure the HUNH can be effective in the SEC over the course of a season? What if he makes a bad hire on defense? I prefer a defensive minded coach. I'm sorry but Smart should not be compared to Brad Scott or even Muschamp. As stated, Muschamps failures are not connected to Smart and should not disqualify him for the job.

Smart's value to Saban has always been his ability to recruit, Saban still does the gameplans, Kirby makes most of the calls during the games but hours have been spent going over situations and what to call in those. I don't have have much inside info on any program, I just happen to know one of Bama's coaches. But Saban has built a staff of elite recruiters now and losing Smart wouldn't be as big a deal as it was 3-4 years ago. It isn't Smart I know by the way.

Now the question is will Kirby be a successful head coach, no one can answer that question, it would cut down on his biggest strength which is recruiting because he can't have as much face time with kids. But he has had to learn some things from all the time with Saban. But for whatever reason Kirby isn't the hot commodity he was 3-4 years ago when head coaching jobs came up.

Now this question may make you mad but it is a valid question. Kirby's career goal was to become head coach at UGA, when AU hired Gus, rumor was Kirby was their man, but the one sticking point was Kirby wanted a no buy out clause if the UGA head job came open, Auburn wouldn't go alone with it and hired Gus. . If that was a stipulation for USC hiring would they go alone with it or move on. Maybe Kirby knew AU wouldn't go alone with it and didn't really want to leave Saban at the time and just put that as a stipulation for the job. He was fine for a buyout anywhere else, even Bama. Maybe that goal has changed to becomeing a successful head coach

Saban's career is likely winding down, to keep him on at Bama maybe he has been given a backroom promise of being Bama's next coach. I don't think that is the case, but if he is successful at USC you can bet Bama will come calling when Saban leaves.

As a UGA fan, I only hope it isn't Fuente, he has proven he can win and put a high scoring offense on the field and doesn't have to have the best athletes in America. Kirby, and Saban for that matter, have proven they can win when they have an overwhelming talent advantage.

 

[pisgah]

Ask Mike Shula about Alabama selling itself.

Completely different era, I don't know Mike Shula, do you?

 

[anon_n4c0cp5zhdxn7]

Yea, let's hire RichRod. He turned Michigan around in one recruiting cycle. He ran a clean program and the fans/boosters loved him.

 

[DarkCock]

Completely different era, I don't know Mike Shula, do you?

"Different era"? What? We're talking about 2006.

 

[GWMorris]

Completely different era, I don't know Mike Shula, do you?

Well, considering his days at Alabama overlapped Spurrier's at South Carolina by two years, and that he's the coach who immediately preceded Nick Saban there, "completely different era" is a pretty ridiculous analysis. If a guy who was coaching in 2006 is a "completely different era," why are people still bringing up Brad Scott in these discussions? That must be ancient history.

And, while I don't have a personal relationship with Shula, I covered an Alabama-LSU game and went to his post-game press conference, so in that extremely limited sense, yeah, I know him.

 

[SportsSuites1]

Well, your instructors were probably at least half right anyway.

BTW, I will post any damn thing I please, just like you and everyone else does on here. I don't give a damn what you are doing - playing, BSing, or just pickin your nose, I will post what MY opinion of things is and don't need your dumbass approval to do so.

It's not a record but it's a pattern and that pattern says JGH 35 is on the way! Four (4) "I's" a "ME" Two (2) "Damn's" and a "Dumbass" in but three sentences gives you away. It's not conjecture to conclude that rhetoric makes you an I. ME, MY prima facie putz. The sort who makes a mirrored-compact prophylactic carrying case for narcissistic men a commercial success. Give 'em a lear, JGH ... wanna' look yo' best!!! Be careful peering into that wading pool! Ta Ta!!! Ya' sissy. There's a bright line 'tween prognostication and preaching ... 'reverend', and you ain't been ordained. 'Gwine now and get along wid' yo' bad ol' self ... it'll be back to the cubicle come Monday! Ciao, aloha and adieu. Please give us some more ... and talk about YOU!

 

[JGH 35]

It's not a record but it's a pattern and that pattern says JGH 35 is on the way! Four (4) "I's" a "ME" Two (2) "Damn's" and a "Dumbass" in but three sentences gives you away. It's not conjecture to conclude that rhetoric makes you an I. ME, MY prima facie putz. The sort who makes a mirrored-compact prophylactic carrying case for narcissistic men a commercial success. Give 'em a lear, JGH ... wanna' look yo' best!!! Be careful peering into that wading pool! Ta Ta!!! Ya' sissy. There's a bright line 'tween prognostication and preaching ... 'reverend', and you ain't been ordained. 'Gwine now and get along wid' yo' bad ol' self ... it'll be back to the cubicle come Monday! Ciao, aloha and adieu. Please give us some more ... and talk about YOU!

Write much? Or should I say, do you ever make sense when you write? Not that I've seen. Perhaps a remedial course in writing skills would help you, but maybe not. You're really quite pathetic.