Coaching: What I know (Major Tidbits)

RoboBido · Oct 21, 2017

Okay. Now that Butch is done (this game was his last chance...and no, I don't know if he'll be fired midseason), here is where we are.

Unlike our recent previous searches, all, and I do mean, ALL, bases will be covered. I feel very confident based on the information I received (begrudgingly from my source) that Currie is going about this as brilliantly as one could hope. I have a confidence with Currie that I never had with Hart, and that is for certain.

As explained to me, the AD is breaking down candidates into categories and there are a lot of names. The categories are: Blue Sky Category, Plan 1A Category, Hot Prospect Category and Tertiary Category.

Here are the names and info:

BLUE SKY

Gruden: Despite what is being said about Gruden being a "no-go"...don't believe it just yet. Last Monday this was heating up considerably. Gruden was starting to get comfortable with the idea of the SEC and the considerable resources he'd have at his disposal. Here is the rub: he's not confident that at UT you can still recruit Florida and the rest of the south like you once could. To make matters more complex, UCLA is a job he is thinking about too. He loves California from his time with the Raiders, and feels that the recruiting territory is far more favorable. However, he also recognizes that he would be limited with resources and the admissions standards. Of course, if the NFL could be a consideration but it appears if he does come back to coaching it looks as though it will be college. But this is trending away from UT vs. where it was earlier in the week.
John Harbaugh: This is the name I personally want. He has a ring, like Gruden, and hasn't take a decade off. He also knows the college game very, very well. Earlier in the year there were rumors that he had his eye on the Notre Dame job if Brian Kelly faltered out of the game. That is now off the table. There has been back channel conversations that were initiated by Harbaugh's agent. It is unclear if there are any other college jobs he might want, but the Vols job has his attention.
Chip Kelly: This one is just not getting off the ground like we might all want. There is a lot of skepticism in the AD about Kelly regarding how he got Oregon in so much trouble. Further, there is some belief that he's looking for a Hugh Freeze/Ole Miss environment.
Mike Bobo: And here we are with easily the most controversial name in any category. He wouldn't be on my list but he's in the AD's Blue Sky category from what I was told. Apparently there was discussion prior to the season to gauge his interest. No need to say more and just hope that Currie hasn't gotten illogically enamored of him.

PLAN 1A

Scott Frost: Look, we need to be realistic on this name. Nebraska is going to be in the same spot and he's there guy, and there his team. But here is where we have the advantage and Frost and his agent know it: money. If Gruden is worried about UT's recruiting playground, Frost is ten times more worried about Nebraska's recruiting footprint. This is the opening. Let's just hope Frost is using UT like Herman used LSU last year.
Justin Fuente: You can pretty much move on this one. There was some interest from his side in the job but there is bad blood that would have to be resolved in a major way. It's not totally over because you never know, but he might already be a non starter.
Greg Schiano: Some will grimace at seeing his name but he's a great coach, with a great college track record, doing great things at Ohio State. He won about as big as you can at Rutgers and has now learned form Urban. He's rising up the list from what I've been told and he'd jump at the opportunity.
Brent Venables: This is a name that hasn't really engaged in much conversation. The AD likes him a lot, but he's a very serious and honorable coach and won't talk until his season is over, which could be a big problem and probably explains why he is still a coordinator. Too honorable for his own good. However, if this search stumbles over itself then he could still be around.
Bobby Petrino: A lot would have to happen for Petrino to be named a head coach at another major program after what happened at Arkansas. But he was described to me as a "break glass in case of an emergency" guy. Not a bad one to have.

HOT PROSPECTS

Joe Moorhead: It's October 21, 2017. Mark it down. Currie loves this guy. LOVES. If the above names balk at the opportunity, Moorhead will be the guy and the AD will be thrilled. But before any of you start freaking out, re-read how many names are above Moorhead and the likelihood that they'll be the guy. However, if we don't get John Harbaugh, I think it's Moorhead.
Jeff Brohm: It's interesting. This name was much more attractive a couple weeks ago. My gut is that he's no longer an option.
PJ Fleck: He's got that same vibe going at Minnesota that he had at Western Michigan. Currie was apparently a huge fan of Jim Tressel and PJ Fleck is a Tressel assistant and embodies a lot of what Tressel had. He's interested. Big time. For now, let's just leave it at that.

TERTIARY

Kevin Wilson: He's a guy that the AD is more curious about than anything. He's a great offensive mind who wants to be a head coach and not Urban's lawn guy. He made Indiana pretty potent but never has had the talent like he'd have at UT. He'd crawl here.
Dino Babers: I asked why he wasn't in the Hot Prospects category and was given a pretty a tepid answer I didn't understand. But he's a name they would go to if they had to and feel okay about it.
Jedd Fisch: I didn't even know who this guy was until I was given the rundown. He's the OC at UCLA and was previously at Michigan and the Jaguars OC. I guess he's highly regarded but has never been the guy. Weird.

That's where we are. Breathe easy. Currie has got this.

rmdowell · Oct 21, 2017