I agree with kp, "the audacity of a coach" with a superior coaching tenure having a bad game or two.. I realize the current sums of money they are paid is beyond measure but it's still coaching and the ball does bounce funny at times. I'm not sure the coaches we call legends would fare any better in this era...Ahem, outside of Saban Corey I would be interested how Richt compared in that SEC crowd of consecutive 8 win seasons...I still feel Georgia made a mistake letting him go as LSU will learn with Miles..
At this point, anyone that interviews for an SEC HC job should be asking the AD "what would constitute success for your next head coach?". Mark Richt was a class guy that had a lot of consistent success for Georgia. He didn't reach the perceived potential of the program. Les Miles was less of a class guy in some respects that recently has had less success than he started with. He didn't maintain the perceived potential of the program. Who, of the coaches that are available, are likely to consistently reach the perceived potential of these programs as long as Saban coaches. I've heard conjecture that Saban will hang it up in the next two years depending on his championship situation after this year or next, so the whole thing could change based on that alone. But to get rid of guys that are viewed as top-20 coaches in hopes of finding the next top-5 coach seems like a short-sighted decision.
I would agree, the next guy might be worse. But at certain programs where the expectation is to annually be in the mix for a top 10 type of team and at least in the conversation for the playoffs, it seems like you have to take that risk. I think that is where ND is right now, Kelly is the best coach we've had since Lou left, and the program is in better shape right now, but can Kelly take it to the next level to be a consistent 10 win team, to be in the top 10 most years, to win a major bowl, etc. I think a large portion of the ND fan base no longer thinks he can do that, he's in his 7th year. If we were OK going along with mostly decent years of wining 7 or 8 games and making a bowl and a couple of times reach the top 10. then he's the guy. But there is no doubt that if Kelly leaves after this season that the next guy will do as well, unless one of those top 5 guys decides he wants the ND Job. Like most programs we'll have to take a shot at a rising star. That's what Texas did with Strong, A&M did with Sumlin, jury is still out on Strong and Sumlin has had some success and maybe this is the year he breaks through and starts on a run of seasons that makes Aggies glad he's there...but it sure didn't look that way after all his QB's bailed on him last year. I think Kelly will be here another 2 years, no matter what. I think we'll probably lose to Stanford and Miami, so 7-5 is the best I think we can do right now, but it could get worse that's for sure. Nobody knows the tenor of the team right now, is he about to lose them, has he lost them? I doubt if Swarbrick after giving him an extension and backing him at least publically will fire him even if we finish under .500 But next year will be a different story, his seat will be red hot. Guys who are not coming to ND to take his job. 1. Saban 2. Meyer 3. Harbaugh 4. Shaw 5. Sweeney 6. Dantonio 7. Richt 8. Petersen 9. Stoops After that you think maybe, but you don't know. Herman is hot and getting hotter, he's as hot as Urban was during his 2nd season at Utah. I'm sure LSU has already contacted his agent. If I remember correctly, the UF AD already had Meyer sealed up no very long after he dumped Ron Zook, couldn't get a contract signed which left the door open to ND to make a pitch of course, but he'd already made the decision to leave Utah for UF. I won't be surprised if Herman does that with LSU, which is a plum job given the instate talent and most of it committed to LSU from birth. Other guys out there, Justin Fuente is hot, but it's his 1st year at Va.Tech and would he do a Lane Kiffin on them? Paul Chryst at Wisconsin, but that's his alma mater, Pat Narduzzi at Pitt...there are good coaches out there but just no slam dunks, you are taking a risk no matter what.
I just made a bank run for my job and on the radio the topic was Miles and how Saban has upped the stakes to incredible heights. When Saban was hired in, there were 5 coaches with an NC in the SEC, there is now 1. Since Saban was hired, there have been 33 coaches fired. Everyone wants to be Bama, but I don't think they realize what it really takes to be Alabama. For starters, losers talk about winners and winners worry about themselves. Bama went through a lot of pretenders after Stallings and only in Saban did they truly find someone who just doesn't give one **** about anything other than 'his process.' He has whipped the school, the team, the media and the state in line with his process. It takes a very special type of leader to be able to do that, and I'm not sure anyone else out there is 'that guy.' That isn't to say Urban or some of these guys can't win an NC. I'm just saying that they aren't Nick Saban.
I read somewhere this morning that Mark Dantonio might be interested in the LSU post, in that he might have better success there ,without competing against Meyer and Harbaugh? I thought it was an interesting opinion. It would appear to me that he might be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire in the SEC?
Dantonio to LSU, that would be interesting...of course he'd have to compete with Saban. So unless Saban retires after this season....
ND <t>O.K. Even the most optimistic fan like myself at this point has to say. No Mas. It's over for me with Kelly. You cannot honestly tell me that despite all the adversities we have had at this point, that their aren't several NCAA coaching staffs out there that couldn't take the talent on hand and would have us at 6-0 against the teams we've played thus far. Enough is enough. It's year 7 for this staff and HC. It's over.</t>