Notre Dame Coach Watch 2009: All Quiet on the Western Front
by CW on Dec 2, 2009 9:30 AM EST
in Notre Dame Football
28 comments
Not a whole lot of action on the coaching front yesterday, but a few bullet points:
- TCU's Gary Patterson is set to sign an extension today.
- Brian Kelly won't talk about it, which is what you do before your team plays for a conference title, a BCS berth and an undefeated regular season.
- Adam Schefter has been unfollowed on Twitter because he has basically thrown out every name and possibility in regards to the Irish gig and clearly has no firmer grasp on what's happening than you or I.
- Bob Stoops continues to issue some very nice non-denial denials, and while everyone thinks it's ridiculous to think he'd jump, I'm still saying there's a chance.
(I was trying to find a nice "No Means No" PSA to put here, but the internet really failed me. This is probably the best there is. Poor form, internet.)
On the recruiting front, Chris Martin - Eggo-like in his perennial waffling - decommitted, only to be replaced by bedtime with stud defensive tackle recruit Louis Nix. Say what?
"He told me about the situation with the coaches, and he said if he wasn’t going to be there, he thought I should still go there, and that Notre Dame was the best school for me," Nix explained. "For someone to tell me that, who possibly wouldn’t be coaching me, that’s something worth listening to."
The 6-foot-3, 315-pound Nix did just that, giving his pledge to Alford and the Irish, even with Notre Dame currently sitting without a head coach. Former coach Charlie Weis was dismissed on Monday.
"The school," Nix stated. He becomes the 18th player to verbally commit to Notre Dame's class and first defensive tackle. "Even though they’re going through a coaching change, the school is really attractive, and it caught me when I went down there a couple times."
Nix has visited Notre Dame three times since the summer. He camped in South Bend back in June, returned on an official visit for the Michigan State game in September, and traveled back on his own dime for the USC game in October.
In late-November 2008, Nix verbally committed to Miami, but recently de-committed from the Hurricanes and chose the Irish over LSU and Florida.
Uh, thanks Louis? It's sheer speculation whether Martin, Nix or both heard something, or didn't hear something, or whatever, but this is certainly great news as the Irish faithful attempt to patiently wait for Swarbrick to work some magic. I'm not sure what the precedent is for getting top 100 recruits without a head coach, but let's hope we keep doing it.
Please dump all your rumors, innuendo, idle speculation and love songs to your favorite candidates in the comments and move on from Monday's.
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Nix and Martin
While getting both would have been the best case, if ND could only land one, it is better that they got Nix, a premier DT. Martin is a top DE/OLB, but ND has a much bigger need for DTs right now.
As for Martin de-committing, this is no surprise, he has been backing away from ND for months now.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
Plus he is in wait and see mode
If ND brings in the right guy, then he will be back on board. I think he has been backing away because he saw the writing on the wall. If ND lands a top notch coach this guy will re-commit.
stoops
just drop it. he isn’t coming. nor is meyer. now that we have that out of the way, let’s focus on who this could really be and who this really should be.
the later first…this should be someone who has been a head coach before. period. HC is unlike any job in football and the only way to know it is to do it. some guys have all the right stuff but they just hate the responsbility of it and there is only so much you can delegate. if JS hires a lifelong assistant then he needs to get his head examined.
the former…no one is really out there. meyer. gone. stoops. gone. patterson. gone. harbaugh. gone. butch davis…well, of course, he’s still around. don’t love him but he would be better than weis. but he is not a wake up the echoes guy.
i could see JS going for tedford at cal. he talks all the time about having a guy who understands the academic side of the equation and someone who has a good perception. tedford is good on tv, young, at a very demanding academic institution, and he has kind of run the string at cal. one problem, he is not a defense guy. so that might kill him.
i could see JS going into the pros again for someone…but someone who did some time as a HC at some point before he went into the pros. that guys is this guy
sure…he’s a very dark horse but JS may go for “that kind of guy”
"I think it's safe to say our concerns are many." -- Kirk Ferentz
i'm hardly in a position to control anything
it’s a blog…now be quiet.
"I think it's safe to say our concerns are many." -- Kirk Ferentz
consider the source
he’s a troll from Hawkeye land and trolls always try to dominate the conversation.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 3, 2009 8:54 AM EST up reply actions
With all the great assistants, why not consider one?
Will Muschamp (Coach Boom) from Texas and Charlie Strong from Florida are two that immediately come to mind. Muschamp just said he isn’t going anywhere, but Strong’s name is getting thrown around for the Louisville job. He has ND ties and has had a consistently good defense down in the swamp. Sarkasian is doing good things at Washington, and he was a long-time assistant.
I understand ND wants a head coach on Day 1, but their short list is getting shorter by the day (e.g. Patterson’s contract extension, Meyer’s flat out denial, etc.).
Who is on ND's short list?
You named 2 guys. Even if Patterson does sign an extension, he could still come to ND. Maybe assume that Stoops is off of it an even Gruden and Dungy. That would be a really short list.
Hiring an assistant would be really dumb at this point. I think Davie and Weis have shown that ND is not a good place to learn how to run a team. ND does not need a guy that is going to come in and go 4-8 (Sarkisian). ND needs a guy that is ready to come in and go 12-0. I don’t know any assistants that have or are ready to do that.
Not sure who is on the list.
I don’t know if anyone but Swarbrick really knows. I was referring to TCU’s offer to Patterson and Meyer’s statement (for what it’s worth):
http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/ncf/news/story?id=4703348
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/11/23/meyer-irish.ap/index.html
As far as assistants go, the two guys I listed are diamonds in the rough (my opinion). UW’s record does not reflect what Sark is doing up there. 4-7 stinks, but it’s an improvement on 0-12.
And, you are absolutely correct, ND is a rough spot to learn on the job. The term I read a lot on the internet describing the position is “Fish Bowl”. 12-0 is lofty, but doable with the talent and resources at the new coach’s disposal.
Right
I understood that. I was just saying that you only listed two guys. That would be a really really short list. I am guessing the short list has like 10 names on it. So I don’t think it is time to start throwing darts at potential diamonds in the rough.
Also, I agree that those guys could turn out to be great coaches. However, now is not the right time for them to be at ND. Maybe in the future when they learn the ropes.
Sarkissian
When you are 0-12 the previous year, there is only one direction you can go … up. I agree with you, Sarkissian will do a good job resurrecting the UW program from the ashes, but ND needs a guy ready to go right now, not a guy who is learning the ropes like Sarkissian. ND is not in long term rebuilding mode like UW. UW is willing to wait a few years for success, while ND needs success now, therefore ND needs a proven head coach right now. Going for another assistant (like Weis or Davie) again is the dumb play.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 3, 2009 8:59 AM EST up reply actions
Muschamp said he's staying at UT
http://www.rakesofmallow.com
by CW on Dec 2, 2009 12:29 PM EST up reply actions
Weis was an assistant, a great one
so maybe the smart play is to get someone who has experience being in charge this time
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 3, 2009 8:55 AM EST up reply actions
Hey! knock that Tedford crap out right now!
though he’s one of the few who could step right in and succeed, imo.
The question always remains, are they (those who make this decision) going to be serious about finding a head coach, or are they going to be out for a name to quiet the angry masses.
Go Bears Go
If I want a coach to be ranked in the top 15 preseason
then score a combined six points in his two biggest games of the season, I’ll give Jeff Tedford a call.
Also, his end of game strategy against Stanford – take a knee on 3rd and 8 with 3 minutes left to kick a field goal to go up 6, then squib kick and give the Cardinal the ball at the 47 – was one of the worst end-of-game coaching sequences I’ve ever seen, bailed out only by a poor Andrew Luck pass.
http://www.rakesofmallow.com
by CW on Dec 2, 2009 6:00 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, there are challenges to be sure....and individual decisions to question
the centering play, was conservative for our crappy kicker’s benefit, and made ‘furd burn their last time out. Force them to score a TD with 2 mins and no timeouts….i.e., put the ball in a RS Frosh’s hand, not the Senior Heisman Candidate’s. Does our kick coverage blow? yes.
Go Bears Go
by Rocksanddirt on Dec 3, 2009 11:24 AM EST up reply actions
Tedford has done wonders at Cal
a school where football success has been hard to find, but he clearly has not been able to get Cal into the elite level of college football, and that is what ND is looking for. Most disturbing has been his inability to develop QBs, his supposed strength. Aaron Rogers was great, but his other QBs have been underachievers. QB play has been the main reason Cal has not been able to play consistently at the highest level. What has saved Tedford from being canned is his uncanny ability to beat Stanford.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 3, 2009 9:03 AM EST up reply actions
QB development in his background is overrated.
while he has done it in the past, you can’t when you are running a full DI program. The OC can, the QB coach can, the HC cannot, unless he lets the rest of team suffer (see Weiss this year). What has saved tedford from the rath of the masses is beating ’furd, but they mostly have sucked. what has gotten him a big raise and extention is bowls and average attendence of about 65,000, and a graduation rate in the 80% range (same as general Cal population, no one gets out easy).
Go Bears Go
by Rocksanddirt on Dec 3, 2009 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
The head coach is ultimately responsible for the
failures of his team, so Tedford is ultimately responsible for the program’s failure to find and or develop top QBs, and that more than anything else, has prevented Cal from becoming an elite football team.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 3, 2009 4:51 PM EST up reply actions
Just for the record
you are bad mouthing a guy (Jeff Tedford) who in the time that CW was at ND he was coaching to an average season record of 9-3 each year… while CW was winning at an an average of 7-5.
While he may not be Urban Meyer, he far outperforms any coach that Notre Dame has had since Lou Holtz. And he outperforms Randy Edsall the guy JS is focused on if reports are accurate. And just to crystalize the point, when Tedford came to California they had averaged 3 wins a season for the previous five years and 4 wins the previous 18 years. So not only is he a winner, he is a builder.
I think ND fans need to get off their high horse.
"I think it's safe to say our concerns are many." -- Kirk Ferentz
Are you reading impaired?
Note my earlier post, you know, the one headlined “Tedford has done wonders at Cal”.
Also, it is not badmouthing Tedford when I state Cal has failed to meet expectations the last few seasons, and that the primary reason for this is substandard QB play, an area that Tedford was supposed to be expert in. That he ahs outperformed Weis is irrelevant except to you, our resident troll from Iowa.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 3, 2009 5:58 PM EST up reply actions
I wasn't targeting you...it is just how the thread works.
okay…
"I think it's safe to say our concerns are many." -- Kirk Ferentz
Weak
Yes, that is how the thread works. You click reply to the thread to which you are responding, so clearly you were responding to my post.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 4, 2009 9:10 AM EST up reply actions
ND is a national team
so I am not a troll. Moreover, I am not just spouting nonsense partisan crap. I am here to discuss ND football. I am not a ND hater or lover. So get over the notion that this is some exclusive club where only ND homers can speak.
You need to go create your own blog where only you post…then you’ll be happy.
"I think it's safe to say our concerns are many." -- Kirk Ferentz
You are a troll
You are here to bag on ND. You think you can do that because for the first time in probably forever, Iowa is better than ND. When that changes, you will probably disappear.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Dec 4, 2009 9:12 AM EST up reply actions
ESPN Insider has this little guy...
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/1915418,CST-SPT-nd02.article
Basically says that ND has contacted UConn Head Coach Randy Edsall. He did after all take them from 1AA to the Big East.
I still like Butch Davis.
This space for rent.
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