Holy beatdowns

by coopnjaxdad on Nov 24, 2008 10:05 AM EST

So, two of the "leading candidates" for the UT coaching job got throttled this weekend in big games. The UNC-NCST came wasn't huge nationally but I assure you my friends who are NCST alums want to win one game more than any other each year and that is the one.

How does this affect our search? Does Leach lose some ground? Have people come to realize that UNC isn't that good and Butchy isn't all that? Even though this year has been horrid on the field, I like the comfort I have known with UT each year. What I mean is, I always knew what I was going to get with Phil.

And for the record, I am doing voodoo chants and learning black magic do to all I can to make Del Rio not be the UT coach. I seen enough bad Jags games this year to know better.

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This hits on the biggest question during coaching searches.

It’s not wise to let single games influence your wish-list. With Leach, prudence suggested that we temper our reaction from the Texas win, just as it suggests we do with the Oklahoma loss. The same should apply to Davis and the NCST game. There are simply too many factors involved for single games to give a reliable picture of a coach (which is why the Tennessee win didn’t save Joe Glenn’s job).

With all of the coaching prospects, we’d be wise to step back and look at their body of work as a whole. What have they done with the programs they’ve inherited? Is their influence positive or negative? How do they respond when the team has an off day? How do they handle discipline? The list of questions goes on.

I write about Leach a lot because he’s the most intriguing character. There are a lot of coaches I’d be happy to see at UT, though. If Leach isn’t named, you won’t see me disappointed. (I don’t keep a #1, #2, #3 type of system in my head; instead, I have about 5-6 names I’d be comfortable with and leave it at that.)

That said, I am with you about Del Rio. Don’t need him. I also don’t like the direction the Jaguars are going, attitude-wise. They’re getting progressively more belligerent and prone to taunting, and that raises a serious red flag to me.

by David Hooper on Nov 24, 2008 10:31 AM EST reply actions

Mirror image

It has been said that professional sports team come to mirror the personality of the town they’re in. Just sayin’. Plus, I don’t wan’t our next coach to possibly bring an ax into the locker room as a motivational tool.

by Colonel Corn on Nov 24, 2008 8:23 PM EST up reply actions

Hopefully so

I agree with you and hope that the brains at UT feel the same way. I hope they are more worried about making the best choice for the program rather than what will make the biggest splash.

by coopnjaxdad on Nov 24, 2008 4:44 PM EST reply actions

The only

coach/ team that has been consistent this year counting this past weekend has been Brian Kelly and Cincinatti. Although his defense did let the other team( i cant remember who they played) come back at the end, i believe he would be a good coach if Chavis stayed . right now, he looks like the best coach that is in the “list” at this point in time.

Dustin

by volfan5216 on Nov 24, 2008 7:55 PM EST reply actions

He may very well be.

He also didn’t play Oklahoma in Norman this last weekend. I don’t mean that to dissuade opinion from Kelly at all. (I like the guy, actually.) But it does make a difference.

by David Hooper on Nov 24, 2008 8:04 PM EST up reply actions

True

He didnt play Oklahoma, i agree with you about that, but look what happened to the one that did lol. I dont really know much about kelly to tell you the truth, i just seen some of the cincy game and made my opinion about him out of just what happened last weekend. i know he has a chance for a bcs bowl if im correct, but i dont know who he has played to get into that position. what im tryin to say is i just jumped on the kelly bandwagon after butch davis’ burnt to the ground last weekend lol. can anybody tell me if Kelly has been impressive other than his past 2-3 games?

Dustin

by volfan5216 on Nov 25, 2008 5:32 PM EST up reply actions

Kelly is in my list of acceptable choices.

He has always inherited programs at low point and turned them around in short order. Grand Valley State, Central Michigan and Cincy all experienced dramatic improvement under his watch, and there’s nothing to suggest he can’t do that at UT.

That would fit the bill very nicely after this season, so there’s that.

by David Hooper on Nov 25, 2008 6:47 PM EST up reply actions

I hate saying this well after the fact, but....

He did play Oklahoma – and Cincy lost pretty handily, 52-26 (getting outplayed in the 3rd quarter 21-7 seemed to key most of that; they hung with OU for 45 minutes, at least).

See the post I did on Kelly for more reasons as to why you made the right choice. :)

by Chris Pendley on Nov 28, 2008 11:18 AM EST up reply actions

Kelly scares me

This makes two weeks in a row (and I have no idea regarding previous weeks) that games that should have been over ended up being close. I know we can all think of a certain coaching staff which seems to be plagued with this, also…

If we’re going to make a change, let’s make a change.

by rblakeh on Nov 24, 2008 10:33 PM EST up reply actions

I think something may be up with Davis.

There was something extremely fishy about that N.C. State-UNC game to me. Davis had the look of a man who was on his way out, and the team had the look of a team who knew their coach was on his way out. The loss to Maryland was one thing, but in this game, his entire team just looked disinterested. In a rivalry game. While still playing for their division title. Just call it a hunch on my part, but it had the look of Franchione’s final days at Alabama or Rodriguez in the Pittsburgh game last year. Because of that game, I now think there’s a much better chance of Davis being the guy than I did last week.

by nirwin on Nov 24, 2008 8:47 PM EST reply actions