Big Board of Coaches Updated 1/4/2021

[EZE]

Been a UT fan my entire life - and on this board since 2004. I don't post much but I feel like I can speak intelligently on UT football. I know Holliday wouldn't be a big splash hire but I would absolutely make him my fallback option if I whiffed on some of these other names.

He can coach. No doubt about that.

 

[SDV]

Until we go out and get a coach like Urban, we will continue to wallow in mediocrity to cellar dwellers. None of these guys would do any better here

 

[EZE]

Until we go out and get a coach like Urban, we will continue to wallow in mediocrity to cellar dwellers. None of these guys would do any better here

I disagree. There are some very good coaches on that list. I can easily see Campbell and Freeze building a national contender in the right place...and UT has the facilities, support, history, etc. to be that place.

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Freeze might be good for a year or 2, but he's crooked. If we're going crooked, mortgage the hill and buy Urban Meyer. . . or show some backbone and hire Chris Petersen, or show some balls and put the old boys back in school, with Stoops and Fulmer running the show.

 

[DownNDirty]

Until we go out and get a coach like Urban, we will continue to wallow in mediocrity to cellar dwellers. None of these guys would do any better here

I think every single one of them would do way better than what we've got now. Seriously. All of them at least have head coaching experience and are proving to win big where they are AND turning programs around. Matt Campbell will elevate himself to that next level once he gets to a better program and can get the respect he deserves. What he's done at Iowa State is amazing if you look at his numbers.

 

[EZE]

I think every single one of them would do way better than what we've got now. Seriously. All of them at least have head coaching experience and are proving to win big where they are AND turning programs around. Matt Campbell will elevate himself to that next level once he gets to a better program and can get the respect he deserves. What he's done at Iowa State is amazing if you look at his numbers.

Somebody will hire Campbell and I think he is the next star in college coaching.

 

[sonofUT62]

Anybody on this list but Brady. Does not have head coaching experience. Good/Great coordinators do not always make good/great coaches.

Completely agree. But if Mason got fired, how would you feel about Brady, with Mason as the D Coord and associate Head Coach?

 

[sonofUT62]

List his FBS-level national titles and conference championships.

Unless he has any of those, he's not the right hire (and that's not even bringing up his weak character and value system).

Let's don't go through this pain again of spending 3-5 years finding out the guy we _thought_ could take the next step, actually couldn't. We've done that four times in a row.

It's time to go out and buy a championship winner.

He doesn’t have any hardware because he was in the same division as the greatest coach of all time. Who he beat head to head twice, while at a school with at least the FOURTH BEST recruiting base and facilities in that division. Kirby has 3 consecutive SEC East titles. So what?

 

[DownNDirty]

Completely agree. But if Mason got fired, how would you feel about Brady, with Mason as the D Coord and associate Head Coach?

That's why Brady is near the bottom of my wishlist. But I still think he has more upside potential. If we didn't just hire a disaster of a defensive coordinator as a head coach I would even put Clark Lea who is Notre Dame's DC on my wishlist but after Pruitt I don't want another DC elevated to head coach anytime soon.

I know most people want Freeze as their #1 option and I'd be fine with him because it would be exciting football if nothing else but I think Campbell and Fickell are both better options. And Chadwell and Sitake are both wild cards but I think both of them could get the job done. Sitake may not come here due to his Mormon faith but he's very intriguing. Top 10 in both offense and defense stats with BYU this year. Chadwell makes sense because of his ties to the area and if you pay attention to his Coastal Carolina team those dudes can play. They'd be a middle of the pack SEC team this year - and we are talking about a team that just went D1 a few years ago.

 

[EZE]

List his FBS-level national titles and conference championships.

Unless he has any of those, he's not the right hire (and that's not even bringing up his weak character and value system).

Let's don't go through this pain again of spending 3-5 years finding out the guy we _thought_ could take the next step, actually couldn't. We've done that four times in a row.

It's time to go out and buy a championship winner.

Who fits your criteria?

 

[EZE]

He doesn’t have any hardware because he was in the same division as the greatest coach of all time. Who he beat head to head twice, while at a school with at least the FOURTH BEST recruiting base and facilities in that division. Kirby has 3 consecutive SEC East titles. So what?

Save your breath. There is nobody available who would fit his criteria.

 

[onevol74]

What about the coach at Indiana, Tom Allen? I would at least help him get a big raise if he is not interested in our job.

 

[Voljerm98]

My big board would be:

1b - Hugh Freeze (has had success in the SEC and has said that UT is a dream job for him. Definitely brings some baggage though even if you don’t include off the field issues)

1c - Matt Campbell (very unlikely IMO because he has never expressed a desire to coach at UT. He has proven the ability to develop players and beat teams with superior talent. I think he’s waiting for a NFL gig though)

2 - Joe Brady (high risk, high reward but you can’t argue his ability to develop quarterbacks and I think he will bring a lot of intrigue. However, I’m not sure he considers UT a “dream job” so if we hire him he will probably leave once a NFL HC job is offered to him. I would gladly take a couple years of success though)

...1a of course is Gruden

I gave you a like for Gruden. We must be slipping. It took till post 18 to mention gruden in a coaching search thread. Lol

 

[GenZVol]

If Freeze doesn’t take, I would like to see us bring in a young guy who is tearing it up in another conference. Just depends on the quality of his opponents.

 

[johnsonbrewer]

UT needs to be


View attachment 325100

Let it go
Let it go
Let it go
Let it go

 

[Proud Army Wife]

I think you absolutely start with urban meyer. If his people tell you outright no then you go straight to freeze and lick him down. Nobody else on that list is with talking to until after you’re told no by those two (as they have both done it at the highest level and in the sec). Also, you wouldn’t have to go any lower on that list because freeze would absolutely take the job
But this is so complicated because fulmer has to go first. There’s no way in hell you can keep him around or allow him to have any involvement with this whatsoever. I think you let him go within the next week and try to bring on David Blackburn (or someone else if he declines) within the next few weeks. Then you allow the new ad to lead the charge.

What makes you think Freeze would say yes? He just said no to USCjr.

 

[sonofUT62]

That's why Brady is near the bottom of my wishlist. But I still think he has more upside potential. If we didn't just hire a disaster of a defensive coordinator as a head coach I would even put Clark Lea who is Notre Dame's DC on my wishlist but after Pruitt I don't want another DC elevated to head coach anytime soon.

I know most people want Freeze as their #1 option and I'd be fine with him because it would be exciting football if nothing else but I think Campbell and Fickell are both better options. And Chadwell and Sitake are both wild cards but I think both of them could get the job done. Sitake may not come here due to his Mormon faith but he's very intriguing. Top 10 in both offense and defense stats with BYU this year. Chadwell makes sense because of his ties to the area and if you pay attention to his Coastal Carolina team those dudes can play. They'd be a middle of the pack SEC team this year - and we are talking about a team that just went D1 a few years ago.

I think Chadwell could be the next Freeze. (Full disclaimer I went to school with him at ETSU so I’m biased). Hes a personable guy, his players seem to love him and he’s not above bend the rules a little.I think he would do very well here.

 

[sonofUT62]

What makes you think Freeze would say yes? He just said no to USCjr.

He said he wasn’t entertaining offers right now. There’s a difference. There’s also apparently a substantial difference in his interest in the UT job.

 

[Orangeslice13]

Mike Houston will be the guy they hire.
Or someone like him.
You know. Someone not on the board

 

[UTwild82]

Meyer - he'll say no, but I'd make him say no.

Bob Stoops - same deal. Nothing wrong with asking, but I'm like 99.99% sure he'd say no too.

Hugh Freeze - He can win. Who cares about baggage at this point? I just want to win.

Matt Campbell - great coach doing great things at Iowa State

Steve Sarkisian - Guy has a solid HC record as a P5 HC. Lost his job due to some personal demons. I don't believe Saban would tolerate that, so he must be past that. If so, he could build us into a solid program and that Bama offense is AMAZING.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Who fits your criteria?

Boca already answered that, in post #36.

Out of the list he put together, I personally would love to see UT throw the bank at Meyer and Stoops, see if either of them can be lured back into coaching for big bucks.

Save your breath. There is nobody available who would fit his criteria.

Sure there are. Post #36.

 

[butchna]

Freeze might be good for a year or 2, but he's crooked. If we're going crooked, mortgage the hill and buy Urban Meyer. . . or show some backbone and hire Chris Petersen, or show some balls and put the old boys back in school, with Stoops and Fulmer running the show.

Disband the program if those are our only two options...they’re not coming here.

 

[Orangeslice13]

Until we go out and get a coach like Urban, we will continue to wallow in mediocrity to cellar dwellers. None of these guys would do any better here

That is seriously what it’s going to take.
There’s only a very few who are proven winners.

 

[EZE]

Boca already answered that, in post #36.

Out of the list he put together, I personally would love to see UT throw the bank at Meyer and Stoops, see if either of them can be lured back into coaching for big bucks.


Sure there are. Post #36.

And when that goes absolutely nowhere?

 

[joevol33]

I think you absolutely start with urban meyer. If his people tell you outright no then you go straight to freeze and lick him down. Nobody else on that list is with talking to until after you’re told no by those two (as they have both done it at the highest level and in the sec). Also, you wouldn’t have to go any lower on that list because freeze would absolutely take the job
But this is so complicated because fulmer has to go first. There’s no way in hell you can keep him around or allow him to have any involvement with this whatsoever. I think you let him go within the next week and try to bring on David Blackburn (or someone else if he declines) within the next few weeks. Then you allow the new ad to lead the charge.

I don't care how much we lose, I'm not for licking any man down!