OT: Best Coaching Hire So Far This Season?

Submitted by BursleyHall82 on

Michigan won the coach-hiring sweepstakes last season. Who's winning so far this year? My top 3 are:

1. Virginia (Mendenhall)

2. YT Miami (Richt)

3. Maryland (Durkin)

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JonnyHintz

December 5th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^

Apples to oranges. Michigan's mobile QBs have been turnover machines. Ohio State runs a completely different scheme that goes against the very core of Harbaugh's football beliefs. Generally speaking, those mobile QBs you refer to, take more chances and turn the ball over a lot more than the typical Harbaugh QB. Harbaugh values ball security and efficiency more than he does explosive plays. I don't want a JT Barrett at QB for Michigan. It doesnt fit what we do on offense. It doesn't fit our vision. Now having mobility in a QB isn't a bad thing. Rudock can get it done on the ground in a pinch. But you can't compare that to Ohio State. Taysom Hill is not the same QB that Barrett is and he doesn't run the same offense that Barrett does, nor would he at Michigan. So watching that game, does nothing. That type of "look what those spread option QBs do to our defense," talk is the same kind of talk that pushed out Carr, brought in Rich Rod, and put Michigan behind in the past 8 years. We wanted a return to power football. Manball. Harball. That is going to mean QBs like Henne. Like Navarre. Like Rudock. Sometimes they're going to be able to run a little bit, sometimes you'll have a statue back there. but they're not going to be out there running spread option. QBs like Barrett, are a product of their offensive system. In our offense, I would take Rudock over Barrett every day of the week, and twice on Sunday's. Hill is a good QB. But if O'Korn is as good as advertised (better than Rudock in practices), I don't see a reason to waste a 2016 scholarship that could be utilized on an incoming freshmen to fill one of our many holes. I'd much rather fill a depth spot for 4-5 years that get an athletic backup QB.

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JonnyHintz

December 5th, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^

Apples to oranges. Michigan's mobile QBs have been turnover machines. Ohio State runs a completely different scheme that goes against the very core of Harbaugh's football beliefs. Generally speaking, those mobile QBs you refer to, take more chances and turn the ball over a lot more than the typical Harbaugh QB. Harbaugh values ball security and efficiency more than he does explosive plays. I don't want a JT Barrett at QB for Michigan. It doesnt fit what we do on offense. It doesn't fit our vision. Now having mobility in a QB isn't a bad thing. Rudock can get it done on the ground in a pinch. But you can't compare that to Ohio State. Taysom Hill is not the same QB that Barrett is and he doesn't run the same offense that Barrett does, nor would he at Michigan. So watching that game, does nothing. That type of "look what those spread option QBs do to our defense," talk is the same kind of talk that pushed out Carr, brought in Rich Rod, and put Michigan behind in the past 8 years. We wanted a return to power football. Manball. Harball. That is going to mean QBs like Henne. Like Navarre. Like Rudock. Sometimes they're going to be able to run a little bit, sometimes you'll have a statue back there. but they're not going to be out there running spread option. QBs like Barrett, are a product of their offensive system. In our offense, I would take Rudock over Barrett every day of the week, and twice on Sunday's. Hill is a good QB. But if O'Korn is as good as advertised (better than Rudock in practices), I don't see a reason to waste a 2016 scholarship that could be utilized on an incoming freshmen to fill one of our many holes. I'd much rather fill a depth spot for 4-5 years that get an athletic backup QB.

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Ty Butterfield

December 4th, 2015 at 11:06 PM ^

Hard to believe Muschamp may get another shot in the ESSSSS EEEEE SEEEE. South Carolina fans are crazy and just feel the ESSSSS EEEEE SEEEE myth makes them really good somehow.

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gwkrlghl

December 4th, 2015 at 11:40 PM ^

but the Durkin hire really wasn't that great for Maryland. Maybe it works out but Durkin spent a few years with Florida and one with Michigan. Not exactly a slam dunk hire, just a shot on one of the sexiest coordinators at the moment in the hope that he'll pan out as a HC and that doesn't always happen

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MaizeAndBlueWahoo

December 4th, 2015 at 11:52 PM ^

It's really hard to sound objective considering a former hated rival of one of my teams hired the DC belonging to the other team.  But I'm sure if UVA had hired a coordinator with no HC experience and a relatively short and not much to go on to evaluate him as a coordinator, I think I'd be underwhelmed.

Durkin may turn out to be a great hire, but i think Maryland could have had more.  It's well-known that a concerted effort in terms of salary and investment could have pulled Dan Mullen out of Mississippi State.  Maryland could have done that if they'd wanted to.  Maryland could also have had a coach with, y'know, coaching experience.  Durkin has done a nice job here, but Maryland settled, plain and simple.

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Brodie

December 5th, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^

Agreed, I think it was a shotgun marriage for both parties. Maryland wanted a hot name, DJ was dazzled by the P5 status. Maybe it'll all work out, maybe he gives them a few 8 win years before moving on to greener pastures... but I can't shake the feeling that UMD would have been better off getting Babers and DJ would have been better off going home to Bowling Green. 

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CoachBP6

December 4th, 2015 at 11:40 PM ^

Houston (for getting Hermann to stay

Miami (Richt is exactly what they need)

Virginia Tech (Fuentes is a monster the way he built Memphis is crazy good)

Virginia (love bronco but I don't think Virginia is a program where you can have continued, consistent success.



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wahooverine

December 5th, 2015 at 12:05 AM ^

Obviously I'm biased here, but I'm genuinely curious why you think that about UVA.  Why can't UVA be just as good a program as Va Tech?  Both schools are tied with the number of formers players currently on NFL rosters with 30 each (Michigan is just ahead of them at 32 fyi). UVA probably has the better stadium and overall facilties plus more overall funding. VT is basically the MSU of the state of Virginia.  They've just had a (likely) hall of fame head coach and stability for 20 years. UVA has had 2 coaching misses since George Welsh retired. It has excellence at all it's other sports so the expectation is there. It is the academics?  No reason UVA cant be the Stanford or Michigan of the East coast. I refuse to believe that Duke will remain good.

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CoachBP6

December 5th, 2015 at 3:27 AM ^

Just a tough place to win. Not a bad recruiting area for sure, but most of those guys can't get into Virginia or end up playing for the big SEC teams or the FSU's, Clemson's, and Va.Tech's of the world. Virginia fans don't really care a ton about football, they are fair weather fans in that when the cavs are winning the fans come out, but when losing they all go away.

No matter what Bronco does I'm not sure he will be able to win as much as he did at BYU. However, I have nothing against UVA, so I wish Bronco nothing but the best & I hope he does real well.



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rainingmaize

December 4th, 2015 at 11:52 PM ^

It's Scott Frost. You take the OC of a wide open offense, and put him into the state that prouces the most explosive athletes. Not to mention, UCF is a huge school that mae a Fiesta Bowl just a few years ago. 

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MGB

December 5th, 2015 at 2:23 AM ^

Winners
1. Miami - Richt
2. UVA - Mendenhall
3. UCF - Frost

Losers
1. Illinois - Cubit
2. USC -Helton*
3. South Carolina (probably )

*Helton may do well, but I feel USC could have made a bigger splash.

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ohanyan1

December 5th, 2015 at 3:11 AM ^

Since the season is still going on, that Harlon Barnett and Mike Tressel were the best hires at co-defensive coordinators. Those guys did some work.

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Horseface

December 5th, 2015 at 6:48 AM ^

I can't believe that Muschamp is getting any serious looks from a P5 conference. The SEC is basically turning into one of the professional leagues where any crappy retread can get a job because they have "NFL/NBA/MLB experience". Dude turned Florida into unwatchable sludgefart that they still struggled to break out of this year. 

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Bombadil

December 5th, 2015 at 6:50 AM ^

Overall, I think VT hiring Fuente and keeping Bud Foster as DC is a big deal. Fuente is a sharp offensive mind and should do well with Lawson as QB next year. Rumors were that Foster was going to leave because he didn't get the HC job but he may have turned it down.

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Bombadil

December 5th, 2015 at 7:08 AM ^

I think VT's AD would have lost a lot of support had he let Bud Foster go. He's revered around here but I do get your point. We know all to well what happens if the HC seems undermined by the AD.

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thumpinman

December 5th, 2015 at 7:02 AM ^

I wondered why none of the bigger programs went after Bronco. He's pretty solid. Frost at UCF will be fun to watch (I live in Florida, worked at USF for a while. In my current job, UCF is a customer).

I have no idea what SC is going to do. The fact that they've been the longest without a coach (aside from IL) and yet still don't have one is telling to me. I think the pantry is empty and no one of quality is willing to take the job.

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alttjs16

December 5th, 2015 at 7:49 AM ^

Mendenhall at Virginia. Not only is he a proven winner, but he has been able to do it at a place with a restricted recruiting base. Virginia is a hard place to coach because of the academic standards and unlike Michigan it has no history of winning in football to draw in athletes. Mendenhall is a perfect fit because he can operate in that environment.

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