2025/2026 Coaching Carousel

#426
#426
Sitake potentially going to Penn State is really interesting to me. On the one hand, he's a BYU alumnus with a strong LDS background that has the Cougars competing for a spot in the playoffs this season.

On the other hand, he's had two other above average seasons at BYU and nothing to really show for it. If Texas Tech wins the Big XII title game and BYU again finds itself in the Alamo Bowl, what's the point? You either win a competitive Big XII outright or you miss the playoff versus being able to sneak into the playoffs as the fourth best Big Ten team (and even lower down the hierarchy if/when the playoff expands).

Seems like a great opportunity for Sitake, less so for the Nittany Lions.
 
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#427
#427
TrumpedUpVol said:
Sitake potentially going to Penn State is really interesting to me. On the one hand, he's a BYU alumnus with a strong LDS background that has the Cougars competing for a spot in the playoffs this season.

On the other hand, he's had two other above average seasons at BYU and nothing to really show for it. If Texas Tech wins the Big XII title game and BYU again finds itself in the Alamo Bowl, what's the point? You either win a competitive Big XII outright or you miss the playoff versus being able to sneak into the playoffs as the fourth best Big Ten team (and even lower down the hierarchy if/when the playoff expands).

Seems like a great opportunity for Sitake, less so for the Nittany Lions.
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Replace BYU with Tennessee in the above. (leaving out coaches names)

Depressing.
 
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#428
#428
TrumpedUpVol said:
Sitake potentially going to Penn State is really interesting to me. On the one hand, he's a BYU alumnus with a strong LDS background that has the Cougars competing for a spot in the playoffs this season.

On the other hand, he's had two other above average seasons at BYU and nothing to really show for it. If Texas Tech wins the Big XII title game and BYU again finds itself in the Alamo Bowl, what's the point? You either win a competitive Big XII outright or you miss the playoff versus being able to sneak into the playoffs as the fourth best Big Ten team (and even lower down the hierarchy if/when the playoff expands).

Seems like a great opportunity for Sitake, less so for the Nittany Lions.
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Penn State is still the big wildcard.

With Franklin reducing his buyout to peanuts they can pretty much pay whatever their target wants.

I do give them kudos-as much as that pains me-in that they are moving silently for the most part and not causing huge disruptions to this point.
 
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#429
#429
SpaceCoastVol said:
Replace BYU with Tennessee in the above. (leaving out coaches names)

Depressing.
Click to expand...

It's for sure the biggest concern about where Tennessee is right now. It's not realistic to expect the playoffs every season, but playing the exact same teams as last year's schedule with sites flipped and finding yourself unranked heading into boring bowl season as opposed to hosting a home playoff game is a red flag.
 
#430
#430
TrumpedUpVol said:
Sitake potentially going to Penn State is really interesting to me. On the one hand, he's a BYU alumnus with a strong LDS background that has the Cougars competing for a spot in the playoffs this season.

On the other hand, he's had two other above average seasons at BYU and nothing to really show for it. If Texas Tech wins the Big XII title game and BYU again finds itself in the Alamo Bowl, what's the point? You either win a competitive Big XII outright or you miss the playoff versus being able to sneak into the playoffs as the fourth best Big Ten team (and even lower down the hierarchy if/when the playoff expands).

Seems like a great opportunity for Sitake, less so for the Nittany Lions.
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I would say it depends on how much of a headache you want from PSU and how content/patient he is at BYU. If they miss the CFP and go to the Alamo Bowl, yeah that sucks, but he has no blowback on him. Being at team that flirts with making the playoffs most years is probably good enough at BYU.

Trade that for PSU who just let the guy go who last year was a drive away from making the NC game. He'll get paid for sure but the expectations will be much different.
 
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#431
#431
stolitonic said:
Penn State is still the big wildcard.

With Franklin reducing his buyout to peanuts they can pretty much pay whatever their target wants.

I do give them kudos-as much as that pains me-in that they are moving silently for the most part and not causing huge disruptions to this point.
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The players allegedly want the interim head coach to get the full time job. it might be silent just to avoid mass transfers.
 
#432
#432
TrumpedUpVol said:
It's for sure the biggest concern about where Tennessee is right now. It's not realistic to expect the playoffs every season, but playing the exact same teams as last year's schedule with sites flipped and finding yourself unranked heading into boring bowl season as opposed to hosting a home playoff game is a red flag.
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Meh, in the transfer portal environment things are not going to be static, but rather dynamic. Even playing the same teams from year-to-year, the only thing that remains the same is the name on the front of the jersey. As college football fans we’re going to have to adjust the way we view the entirety of a season. Adopting the mindset of an NFL-style fan base is going to take some adjustment, but that’s where we need to get to. Nobody is going undefeated in the SEC anymore (maybe on the rarest of occasions), especially with a 9 game conf schedule.
 
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#433
#433
Just watching Sumrall’s presser at Florida. Seems likable. He talks like Saban. Just said “Aight” twice. Of course so did Pruitt. Never mind.

Only downside is that he said he and Kiffin are close friends. Not sure I would have brought that up today. Hoping none of that sleaze has rubbed off on him.
 
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#434
#434
OHvol40 said:
Meh, in the transfer portal environment things are not going to be static, but rather dynamic. Even playing the same teams from year-to-year, the only thing that remains the same is the name on the front of the jersey. As college football fans we’re going to have to adjust the way we view the entirety of a season. Adopting the mindset of an NFL-style fan base is going to take some adjustment, but that’s where we need to get to. Nobody is going undefeated in the SEC anymore (maybe on the rarest of occasions), especially with a 9 game conf schedule.
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That's part of the problem, in a way. Gone are (or, rather, should be) the days of rebuilding years given that you can now shore up roster deficiencies with seasoned veterans from the portal. There's no parity push like you see in the NFL with scheduling and a draft, Tennessee lost a step compared to last season while teams like Vanderbilt and Oklahoma surpassed them. Was it from freshman recruiting? Not likely, especially in Vandy's case. Is it via the portal? Perhaps. Building up the talent presently on the roster? Well that's damning if so.

Maybe it shuffles again next year, but Heupel and his associates need to work for that. There are paths to outworking your competitors, and these guys are paid handsomely to figure out that secret formula.
 
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#435
#435
I guess everybody has noticed this, but none of these guys on this year's carousel has a 10 year contract. It seems like universities have adapted at least a little. They're still pretty stupid, but maybe not helmet-wearing stupid.

We'll have to see a mass move toward not extending them to be sure they don't still need a helmet. I'd be scared to bet money on that.

I credit LSU and ATM specifically for teaching us not to do that.
 
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#436
#436
TrumpedUpVol said:
That's part of the problem, in a way. Gone are (or, rather, should be) the days of rebuilding years given that you can now shore up roster deficiencies with seasoned veterans from the portal. There's no parity push like you see in the NFL with scheduling and a draft, Tennessee lost a step compared to last season while teams like Vanderbilt and Oklahoma surpassed them. Was it from freshman recruiting? Not likely, especially in Vandy's case. Is it via the portal? Perhaps. Building up the talent presently on the roster? Well that's damning if so.

Maybe it shuffles again next year, but Heupel and his associates need to work for that. There are paths to outworking your competitors, and these guys are paid handsomely to figure out that secret formula.
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No question that Vandy’s advance was through the transfer portal. Lea did an excellent job in that area.
 
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#437
#437
LouderVol said:
The players allegedly want the interim head coach to get the full time job. it might be silent just to avoid mass transfers.
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If the players are lobbying for the interim, why worry about mass transfers?
 
#439
#439
Delmar said:
Just watching Sumrall’s presser at Florida. Seems likable. He talks like Saban. Just said “Aight” twice. Of course so did Pruitt. Never mind.

Only downside is that he said he and Kiffin are close friends. Not sure I would have brought that up today. Hoping none of that sleaze has rubbed off on him.
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He does seem likeable but can we can him "Sunbelt Sumrall" anyway? Because Florida.
 
#444
#444
Bill Clark has expressed that he's healed from back surgery and interested now in returning to coaching in the right situation. He was a tremendous coach at UAB and won there. No one else has ever been able to. I'm really surprised his name hasn't popped up in any conversations, serious one's anyway.

Not as surprised Mullen has not profited from so many openings, but at same time expected to hear he got a call from someone since so many were in need. Seems to be enjoying the relaxation of UNLV anyways so maybe he had no interest in moving back up.
 
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#445
#445
GVF said:
Bill Clark has expressed that he's healed from back surgery and interested now in returning to coaching in the right situation. He was a tremendous coach at UAB and won there. No one else has ever been able to. I'm really surprised his name hasn't popped up in any conversations, serious one's anyway.

Not as surprised Mullen has not profited from so many openings, but at same time expected to hear he got a call from someone since so many were in need. Seems to be enjoying the relaxation of UNLV anyways so maybe he had no interest in moving back up.
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Mullen is Smart. There is a world where UNLV makes the playoff this year if Duke wins the ACC and James Madison loses the Sun Belt title game.

The best thing for Mullen is to stick at UNLV for another year and win 10-11 games and see what happens with the South Carolina, Ole Miss or Miss State jobs. I say Ole Miss because i could easily see Golding getting the Zach Arnett treatment.
 
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#446
#446
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#447
#447
JMSqb11 said:
Mullen is Smart. There is a world where UNLV makes the playoff this year if Duke wins the ACC and James Madison loses the Sun Belt title game.

The best thing for Mullen is to stick at UNLV for another year and win 10-11 games and see what happens with the South Carolina, Ole Miss or Miss State jobs. I say Ole Miss because i could easily see Golding getting the Zach Arnett treatment.
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Read a pretty good PR re-hab article on Mullen and UNLV from this season sometime. "UNLV kind of self recruits cause it's Vegas. The view from my office is spectacular. The facilities are a hidden gem no one knows exists here." etc., etc. He said when he went to check the job out he walked in touring all the facilties and asked the AD was he sure they were at UNLV. The AD has his drops in the article. He knows they are a stop over & re-hab location and they have accepted they will rinse and repeat every 2-4 years. All that good stuff. Mullen did elude to re-engaging in the big product, but at the same time was quite happy and comfortable at UNLV.
 
#448
#448
In other news...Baker was slated to stay on at LSU as DC, but is now interviewing for the Tulane job.
 
#449
#449
GVF said:
Read a pretty good PR re-hab article on Mullen and UNLV from this season sometime. "UNLV kind of self recruits cause it's Vegas. The view from my office is spectacular. The facilities are a hidden gem no one knows exists here." etc., etc. He said when he went to check the job out he walked in touring all the facilties and asked the AD was he sure they were at UNLV. The AD has his drops in the article. He knows they are a stop over & re-hab location and they have accepted they will rinse and repeat every 2-4 years. All that good stuff. Mullen did elude to re-engaging in the big product, but at the same time was quite happy and comfortable at UNLV.
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It may be a minority position but I don't think Mullen needed to rehab anything. FLorida looks like the one with their heads up their ass with the firing of Mullen and hiring of Napier and now another Napier type.

I got to spend time some with Mullen when he was at Starkville. Very nice and easy going fella. Guess that is easy to do in Starkghanistan. But he will be a hot commodity next coaching cycle. I imagine he is going to crush it in the portal. It really is wild how UNLV hasn't become the Jacksonville state of the west coast. Getting a bunch of 4/5 star busts to transfer to lower tier school.
 
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#450
#450
JMSqb11 said:
It may be a minority position but I don't think Mullen needed to rehab anything. FLorida looks like the one with their heads up their ass with the firing of Mullen and hiring of Napier and now another Napier type.

I got to spend time some with Mullen when he was at Starkville. Very nice and easy going fella. Guess that is easy to do in Starkghanistan. But he will be a hot commodity next coaching cycle. I imagine he is going to crush it in the portal. It really is wild how UNLV hasn't become the Jacksonville state of the west coast. Getting a bunch of 4/5 star busts to transfer to lower tier school.
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I always like Mullen. I don't feel he had any re-habbing to do, but seems a good many here have been 50/50 on him maybe during this coaching see-saw.
 
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