The Back Alley Archives

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... /20838606/

SEC

KENTUCKY


OUT: Joker Phillips, the hand-picked successor to Rich Brooks who took over a program coming off of four straight bowl appearances (albeit a school-record four straight bowl appearances) and in three seasons bottomed-out with a 1-9, 0-7 SEC start in 2012. The last of those nine, a 40-0 drubbing at the hands of Vanderbilt, resulted in Phillips' firing with two games left in the season. Phillips coached through the end of the season, finishing 2-10 overal and 0-8 in league play.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": With Bobby Petrino reportedly not in the Wildcats' sights -- even if they're in his -- and Rex Ryan not a realistic target (despite his long-ago experience with in-state Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky), most early chatter has centered on Louisiana Tech's Sonny Dykes, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator and former Arizona State head coach Dirk Koetter and Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. If the Wildcats prefer a Stanford-style power game to Dykes' or Kingsbury's Air Raid, they could look at Western Kentucky head coach Willie Taggart. (Nov. 8)


TENNESSEE


OUT: Derek Dooley, hired out of Louisiana Tech with a 17-20 record after Lane Kiffin's abrupt departure just before Signing Day 2010. A promising 6-7 debut for Dooley gave way to a 5-7 2011 season -- one capped by a loss to Kentucky, ending the Vols' 26-game streak vs. the Wildcats -- and a 4-7 mark in 2012 before he was fired the morning after losing to Vanderbilt 41-18. Dooley finished his Tennessee tenure with a 4-19 SEC record.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": Longtime Phillip Fulmer offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe wasted no time committing his future to Duke, taking his name out of the running. But most Tennessee fans won't mind as long as Jon Gruden remains available. After years of flirting with college jobs, the former Super Bowl winner could finally take the plunge at the school where his wife graduated and where he once served as a graduate assistant. If he ultimately says no, Petrino could be an option for the desperate Vols, as well as names like Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart or Louisville coach Charlie Strong. (Nov. 19)


ARKANSAS


OUT: John L. Smith, fired less than eight months after he took the job. Smith was brought on as a one-year interim head coach following Arkansas' dismissal of Bobby Petrino, and he did not do much during his time to convince the school he was the right man for the job. A very talented Arkansas team went 4-8 in 2012 under Smith with losses at home to teams like Louisiana-Monroe.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": Like just about every SEC school looking for a head coach, Jon Gruden's name has popped up in speculation surrounding Arkansas. Whether it will be Gruden or anybody else, we will know quickly. Sources tell CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd the school will have a replacement within 10 days. (Nov. 24)


AUBURN


Out: Gene Chizik was fired only two seasons after winning Auburn's first national championshipsince 1957. Since winning the national title following the 2010 season, Chizik's Auburn teams went 11-14 overall but with a more damning 4-12 mark in the SEC, including an 0-8 record this season. In his four seasons at Auburn, Chizik went 33-19.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": Many names have been floated as possible replacements for Chizik in recent weeks, as his firing was expected. Those include former Auburn offensive coordinator and current Arkansas State head coach Gus Malzahn, Louisville coach Charlie Strong and, of course, former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino. And though he's a far less likely candidate, expect Auburn to at least make a phone call to Florida State head coach -- and former Auburn assistant -- Jimbo Fisher. (Nov. 25)
BIG TEN

PURDUE


OUT: Danny Hope, who was fired in spite of winning his last three games to get Purdue back to a bowl game for the second straight season. However, according to GoldandBlack.com, Hope's fate was sealed after a 38-14 loss to Wisconsin in mid-October. In his four seasons in West Lafayette, Hope went 21-27 overall and 12-19 in the Big Ten.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": Northern Illinois' Dave Doeren will be a name that comes up often in this search. Other possible candidates include Cincinnati's Butch Jones, Louisiana Tech's Sonny Dykes, Fresno State's Tim DeRuyter and Kent State's Darrell Hazell. The Big Ten Network's Tom Dienhart also mentioned Jim Tressel and Tony Dungy as longshot candidates. (Nov. 25)


PAC-12

CAL


OUT: Jeff Tedford, fired after 11 seasons in Berkeley and a solid 82-57 record. The Bears were the laughingstock of the Pac-12 when Tedford arrived, but a 10-2 season in 2004 and a 10-3 campaign in 2006 made the former Oregon offensive coordinator one of the hottest coaches in the country. The Bears' momentum stalled, though, and a 3-9 mark in 2012 -- and 9-18 Pac-12 record over his final three seasons -- wasn't enough for a 12th year.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": The Bears could look to the NFL with either Cincinnati Bengals assistant Hue Jackson, a former Cal assistant and Raiders head coach, or Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, a former Bears All-American. If they stay within the college ranks, Boise's Chris Petersen could get the obligatory phone call, with San Jose State's Mike MacIntyre, Utah State's Gary Andersen and Fresno State's Tim DeRuyter also possibilities after impressive 2012 seasons. (Nov. 20)


COLORADO


OUT: Jon Embree, who was given only two seasons in Boulder before being dismissed. During his two years at Colorado Embree's Buffaloes went 4-21, including a 1-11 mark in 2012. Colorado went 3-15 in its first two seasons of Pac-12 play under Embree.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": According to Daily Camera Colorado beat reporter Kyle Ringo, the first person Colorado AD Mike Bohn may contact for the job is just down the road at Air Force. Troy Calhoun has been contacted about the job before. Fresno State's Tim DeRuyter has also been mentioned as a possibility by CoachingSearch.com's Pete Roussel.
ACC

NORTH CAROLINA STATE


OUT: Tom O'Brien, fired after six seasons and a 7-5 season in 2012. O'Brien led the Wolfpack to three bowl games but never finished higher than second in the ACC's Atlantic Division while compiling a 40-35 record. His teams were only 22-26 in ACC play.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": The name at the top of the list is Vanderbilt's James Franklin. Franklin had been hired at Maryland by current NC State athletic director Debbie Yow as Ralph Friedgen's eventual replacement. After Yow left for Raleigh, Franklin left for Vanderbilt. (Nov. 25)


BOSTON COLLEGE


OUT: Frank Spaziani, promoted to the head job in 2009 after 10 years as the Eagles' defensive coordinator. But after taking over a program coming off of back-to-back ACC Championship appearances under Jeff Jagodzinski, Spaziani leaves with a 22-29 mark and a declining record all four years of his tenure: 8-5 to 7-6 to 4-8 to 2012's 2-10 disaster.
POSSBILITIES FOR "IN": Per CoachingSearch.com, the Eagles will look for a candidate with head coaching experience. That could include Kent State's Darrell Hazell, former Texas A&M head coach (and Massachusetts native) Mike Sherman, and FCS New Hampshire head coach Sean McDonnell.
NON-BCS

IDAHO


OUT: Robb Akey, who took the Vandals to a surprising Humanitarian Bowl berth (and victory) in his third season in 2009 but could never regain that momentum. On Oct. 21, he became the 2012 season's first coaching casualty after losing 70-28 at Louisiana Tech. (An unhappy Akey claimed he was let go prematurely to avoid being paid $105,000 due at the end of the season.) Akey went 3-17 in his final two seasons and left Moscow with a 20-50 overall record.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": The Vandals' impending move to independence -- and, in the longer term, possibly the FCS -- will make their coaching search one of the most challenging of the 2012 offseason. Athletic director Rob Spear has said interim coach Jason Gesser will be a candidate, and UTEP offensive coordinator Aaron Price -- a graduate of nearby Washington State and former assistant at Idaho State -- could have interest in the job. (Nov. 8)


WESTERN MICHIGAN


OUT: Bill Cubit, who went 51-47 in his eight seasons at Western Michigan and led the Broncos to three of the five bowl games in program history. Unfortunately for Cubit, the fact that he never won a conference championship meant his solid record wasn't enough to survive a 4-8 season that saw his team finish the season with a loss against lowly Eastern Michigan.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": USA Today's Paul Myerberg points out that Syracuse defensive coordinator Scott Shafer is a former Broncos assistant, and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco was an assistant under Brian Kelly at nearby Central Michigan. (Nov. 19)


UTEP


OUT: Mike Price, who led the Miners to matching 8-4 records and a pair of bowl games in his first two years in El Paso but failed to post another winning season in his remaining seven. He retireswith a 176-182 career mark, two Rose Bowl apperances with Washington State that look even more impressive in hindsight, and his bizarre 2003 drinking-binge firing at Alabama without coaching a game.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": Though it's early, a list of names from CoachingSearch.com included Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino, Sam Houston State coach Willie Fritz, Texas Tech OC Neal Brown and mad offensive tinkerer Bob Stitt of the D-II Colorado School of Mines. (Nov. 19)


GEORGIA STATE


OUT: Bill Curry, who retired after three seasons as the only coach in the fledgling Panthers program's history. Hired in 2008 to guide GSU from scratch to the FBS -- they join the Sun Belt as an official member next summer -- Curry finished 10-23 overall in Atlanta and a disappointing 1-10 in 2012. But he does have some outstanding lip syncing skills to keep him warm in retirement.
POSSIBILITIES FOR "IN": The Atlanta Journal-Constistution ran down a list of names including Georgia assistant Rodney Garner, South Carolina defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward, Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Giff Smith, and others including Virginia Tech's Shane Beamer and Georgia's Mike Bobo -- though as highly respected BCS coordinators settled at their schools, GSU may have to set its sights slightly lower. (Nov. 19)

I don't know, man. Lots of desperate teams that seem like career-enders for prospective coaches. If I've got a good reputation, maybe I take Arky or the Vols in the SEC - but no way would I touch Kentucky or Auburn. Their best hope is a young up-and-coming coach from a mid-major conference.

Mark Stoops to Kentucky.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/sn ... 9642.story

Wisconsin's Bret Bielema to Arkansas?

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--sou ... 32340.html

Auburn hires Gus Malzahn: http://www.oanow.com/sports/college/aub ... 0f31a.html

Clock's ticking, Tennessee.

Adazzio to BC:

http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/12/0 ... story.html

[quote=DocZaius]Adazzio to BC:

http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/12/0 ... story.html[/QUOTE]

I am happy for Addazio getting a better job as long as UF does not hire him at any position than OL coach

^LOL

Charlie Strong rejects the Vols:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/w ... extension/

And the Vols hire....

Cincinnati Coach Butch Jones?

http://nooga.com/158868/potential-tenne ... tch-jones/

Unfortunately for Jones, many Tennessee fans know him for being one of the few major-conference coaches former UT coach Derek Dooley defeated. Tennessee beat Jones and the Bearcats 45-23 in 2011.

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com ... redemption

Oh, Tubs loved geology. I imagine it appealed to his meticulous nature, and his offensive philosophy of dropping a heavy thing on something repeatedly until it breaks. An ice age here, million years of mountain building there. Geology is the study of pressure and time. That's all it takes really, pressure, and time, and Jimmy Sexton kidnapping children and threatening their parents if they didn't raise a buyout and do it quick.
That, and a big goddamn poster of something he called a binturong.
Like I said, in Lubbock, a man will do most anything to keep his mind occupied.
Tubs did like he was told, buffed those wins over Texas States and such to a high mirror shine. The administration simply didn't notice. Neither did I... I mean, seriously, how often do you really look at a man's out-of-conference schedule? Tubs crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit smelling foulness I can't even imagine, or what you might call...chili.
Five hundred yards... that's the length of five football fields, just shy of half a mile, or more. Roughly the amount you'd give up to Oklahoma State, say.
Tommy Tuberville, who crawled through a river of shit-chili and came out clean on the other side. Tommy Tuberville, headed for the Pacific, or at least a body of water with a city with a Big East team in it. Those of us who knew him best talk about him often. That means no one ever really talks about him, but all men are mysteries, I suppose.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal ... ball-coach

Butch Jones to Tennessee: The arguments for and against, but mostly for

By Spencer Hall on Dec 7, 10:31a
512



University of Tennessee

Tennessee fans are unhappy about the conclusion to their drawn-out coaching search, but they should be happy about the coach they got.
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Butch Jones was Tennessee's fourth choice--at best, fourth--for its position of head football coach. Jones is a Big East coach with no SEC coaching experience whose most ignominious loss at Cincinnati came to the man Tennessee just fired: Derek Dooley, who coached the Vols in a 45-23 defeat of the Bearcats on September 10, 2011.

That is correct: Tennessee just hired a man who has not beaten a single ranked team.

Butch Jones has no victories versus ranked teams in his career, and yes, did lose to Derek Dooley. This is largely a matter of Jones coaching the Cincinnati Bearcats, a Big East team lodged in a conference whose only ranked teams have a habit of fleeing to other conferences. in the meantime, after a 4-8 first season in Cincinnati, Jones won 19 of his final 25 games and won two split conference titles. Yes, you can still split the conference title in the Big East, because they really would like to have a title game, but no one stays long enough to make a championship game feasible. Jones made the best of a bad situation, just as he did at Central Michigan, where he won 27 games in three years and won two conference titles.

Jones currently has a one-game win streak versus Vandy, and a bowl win in that same game. Derek Dooley had and has neither.

Butch Jones is also a failure of a hire in another sense: recruiting. Jones has never recruited in the SEC, a must for any coach coming into the SEC snakepit. Tennessee, more than any other SEC school, requires a coach who understands the layout of the talent pools, and how to access them from the difficult, contested geographical position of Rocky Top. Tennessee recruiting has sunk--particularly on defense--over the last few years, and there is no indication Butch Jones is capable of righting it.

A quick look at Cincinnati's roster shows that if any coach has an understanding of Tennessee's diversified recruiting needs, it is Jones. He recruited Florida and Georgia well, and excelled at finding and successfully recruiting talent from out-of-state, something Tennessee has always had to do thanks to its small talent base and location. His starting quarterback was from New Orleans, and his leading playmaker, Ralph David Abernathy IV, was from Atlanta. Jones also did a nice job keeping the local talent around him, that same talent that more often than not was pursued by Ohio State. He also developed that far-flung talent, another failing of Dooley's throughout his tenure.

Jones will surely be adequate, but is that what Tennessee is really after here? Tennessee fans craved a winner, a splashy hire, a real proven champion and program-builder like Jon Gruden, Charlie Strong, Larry Fedora or even Mike Gundy. Rather than landing any of these, Dave Hart dragged the Tennessee fan base through an embarrassment of rejections before finally pulling a coach who simply could not say no. Tennessee deserved better. Tennessee fans deserved better.

No, no you didn't. The Tennessee fan base deserved a coaching search executed with effort, honesty, and with an eye toward actually hiring someone who could do the difficult job of coaching the Volunteers football team. That person, contrary to all reports, was never Gruden, who was at most offered the job by boosters before the AD could react, and then scuttled when it became clear that half the people involved in Tennessee football are barking, tree-licking insane people.

Then the university pursued three very difficult targets because when you have ambition, you aim at targets you might not hit. Charlie Strong was staying at Louisville from the jump because after two decades of being an assistant, the Cardinals gave him a shot, and Strong is legitimately attached on both an emotional and financial level to the university and the team. Mike Gundy is another excellent choice, but is a lifetime Oklahoma State alum and coach, and might have been angling for a well-deserved raise the whole time. Larry Fedora has been at UNC one year, and leaving after one year gets you a Kiffin/Graham mercenary tag.

Butch Jones is a good coach who said yes, and was looking to take a better and better-paying job. If you have a problem with this, you have a problem with America, commie. Butch Jones has a better record coming in than his predecessor, has actually been a successful coach at the FBS level, can recruit, prefers a run-first offense, and unlike anyone interviewed ACTUALLY WANTS TO BE IN KNOXVILLE COACHING THIS FOOTBALL TEAM.

No, he's not Jon Gruden, but you know what he is? Real, talented, and currently employed by the University of Tennessee, where he will not flirt with an NFL job, not lose to Kentucky and Vandy on the regular, and will not care about the lunatic fringe of the Tennessee fan base currently holing up in the hills with delusions of grandeur that they are Tuscaloosa-by-the-Tennessee-River. Right now you are a program that lost to Vanderbilt and Missouri in 2012.

Start there, and work your way out of the woods one game at a time. Start with someone like, say, Butch Jones, the new head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.