Convince me why this guy would be a bad hire...

[The Franchise]

So, why is he still coaching in D-III?

I don't know. Maybe he likes it there. Maybe bigger programs think the same way that some of the people in here think (i.e., He's a D3 guy so he can't do it a higher level).

Jim Harbaugh coached 3 years at D2 San Diego before Stanford grabbed him. Sometimes, you need to be progressive in your thinking when hiring a HC if you can't go to the NFL and convince a guy like Saban to leave the Dolphins.

 

[The Franchise]

What Al has taught me is that regardless of the level youre at, you have to win something ala Urban, Tressel if you're gonna go small school or non power conference, its a must

How many championships does he have to win? He has 5.

yes, he fulfills that criteria, just dont know about the 3 level jump, those HS guys OP mentions were coordinators first

Being a coordinator has nothing to do with being a successful HC. Either you're a leader of men or you aren't. How many good coordinators have you seen go on to flop as HCs?

 

[Consigliere]

Chise, I think the real questions is why is he still there?

Even if no BCS teams came calling, where are the non-BCS teams or FCS teams?

 

[Bigtip]

Let ICE HARRIS coach...

From a recruiting standpoint it would work out, but gameday coaching at this level? Well...couldn't be worse than AL really. He will at least have south FL athletes on lockdown and not begging them the month before signing day because he was chasing NJ kids who either can't stay on the field or off the sauce.

yeah thats what we thought about Randy. it might work for the first year but you have to put a good product on the field for continued success recruiting

 

[DapperSlapper]

It's happening. I just looked at Google Analytics real time, and someone from Whitewater was viewing firecoachgolden.com. It's a done deal.

 

[caneaddict]

What Al has taught me is that regardless of the level youre at, you have to win something ala Urban, Tressel if you're gonna go small school or non power conference, its a must

How many championships does he have to win? He has 5.

yes, he fulfills that criteria, just dont know about the 3 level jump, those HS guys OP mentions were coordinators first

Being a coordinator has nothing to do with being a successful HC. Either you're a leader of men or you aren't. How many good coordinators have you seen go on to flop as HCs?

right, he'd be the first to do it though, it sounds like; from HS/D3 to FBS HC

 

[FRCane]

Can he recruit south florida? And how is he at developing talent?

Anyone competent HC at UM can recruit South Florida. There's no magic potion. Put a good, exciting product on the field, develop players, and work hard.

I remember people questioning whether some redneck from Oklahoma State who grew up in Arkansas could recruit S. FL. Both of those rednecks--JJ and Butch--did an incredible job of it.

I agree to an extent. But how much recruiting has he even done? DIII schools don't offer football scholarships. Does he even have a recruiting budget?

Would be an awfully bold (and stupid, imo) hire for a former powerhouse trying to reclaim its place in the CFB landscape. He did spend 3 seasons as an assistant with Nebraska, but that was 10-12 years ago.

 

[DapperSlapper]

 

[The Franchise]

Chise, I think the real questions is why is he still there?

Even if no BCS teams came calling, where are the non-BCS teams or FCS teams?

I generally don't view opportunities or solutions by what other people are doing. Just because no one else has hired him doesn't mean that it would be a bad move. Like I said earlier, the time to hire Harbaugh was when he was at San Diego, not when he was at Stanford or San Francisco. You have to be ahead of the game when you're trying to fix ****.

 

[Consigliere]

So, why is he still coaching in D-III?

I don't know. Maybe he likes it there. Maybe bigger programs think the same way that some of the people in here think (i.e., He's a D3 guy so he can't do it a higher level).

Jim Harbaugh coached 3 years at D2 San Diego before Stanford grabbed him. Sometimes, you need to be progressive in your thinking when hiring a HC if you can't go to the NFL and convince a guy like Saban to leave the Dolphins.

I'm more curious as to why he hasn't been proactive in moving up. There are divisions between him and BCS.

 

[Consigliere]

Chise, I think the real questions is why is he still there?

Even if no BCS teams came calling, where are the non-BCS teams or FCS teams?

I generally don't view opportunities or solutions by what other people are doing. Just because no one else has hired him doesn't mean that it would be a bad move. Like I said earlier, the time to hire Harbaugh was when he was at San Diego, not when he was at Stanford or San Francisco. You have to be ahead of the game when you're trying to fix ****.

Harbaugh also was a QB coach in the NFL (and a player) but that is still true.

I'm not saying nobody touching him (i.e. giving offers) makes it a bad move.

I'm just saying his dominance is difficult to match, why is he still there? If the reason is because he loves his alma matter, then it doesn't matter.

 

[Consigliere]

Chise, you won't get definitive reasons because odds are nobody heard of him before you posted his name. So the concerns stem from why is he still there? Has he been offered any other gigs?

The only reason these are the concerns are because there isn't much to evaluate him on when doing our due diligence (over the interwebs).

 

[DiegoCane]

I grew up near there so I know a little bit about the program. UW-Whitewater works on a distinct talent advantage every time they play a game at the D3 level because everyone wants to play either there or Mount Union.

D3 programs don't have a limit on players since they don't give scholarships. That is the reason UW-W and Mount Union are in almost every single championship game at that level. They played 6 straight times for the championship.

That said, he is a good coach for that level. I don't really see him as an innovator but what he does works extremely well obviously. I personally think its a big step forward to go from UW-W to Miami. I think there are a ton of guys I'd want more but its an interesting name.

Mount Unions coach who retired in 2012, Larry Kehres, went 332-24-3 at the D3 level. He won 21 conference titles in a row, going 188-1.

 

[Miami82]

Chise, I think the real questions is why is he still there?

Even if no BCS teams came calling, where are the non-BCS teams or FCS teams?

I generally don't view opportunities or solutions by what other people are doing. Just because no one else has hired him doesn't mean that it would be a bad move. Like I said earlier, the time to hire Harbaugh was when he was at San Diego, not when he was at Stanford or San Francisco. You have to be ahead of the game when you're trying to fix ****.

I don't think it would be a bad move once I had an answer to several questions. Up-n-comers tend to be in their late 30's/40's. This guy is 50. Could be a late bloomer, but until you did the interview and background check you just don't know.

 

[pbcup]

Can he recruit south florida? And how is he at developing talent?

Anyone competent HC at UM can recruit South Florida. There's no magic potion. Put a good, exciting product on the field, develop players, and work hard.

I remember people questioning whether some redneck from Oklahoma State who grew up in Arkansas could recruit S. FL. Both of those rednecks--JJ and Butch--did an incredible job of it.

I agree to an extent. But how much recruiting has he even done? DIII schools don't offer football scholarships. Does he even have a recruiting budget?

Would be an awfully bold (and stupid, imo) hire for a former powerhouse trying to reclaim its place in the CFB landscape. He did spend 3 seasons as an assistant with Nebraska, but that was 10-12 years ago.

Yes, Div III schools do have a recruiting budget and while they don't offer football scholarships, "academic" scholarships are plentiful at some schools. I'm sure he's a **** of a coach, but there are only a handful of D3 schools that devote the kind of resources to football that Whitewater does. They're like Alabama while 99% of D3 is like Eastern Michigan. Whitewater is also an 11,000 undergrad state school where many D3 schools have only a couple thousand students, or less.

 

[PSU Cane]

Let ICE HARRIS coach...

From a recruiting standpoint it would work out, but gameday coaching at this level? Well...couldn't be worse than AL really. He will at least have south FL athletes on lockdown and not begging them the month before signing day because he was chasing NJ kids who either can't stay on the field or off the sauce.

Everyone thought Shannon was going to lock down So Florida recruiting as well......and it didn't happen. You still need to put the time, energy and dedication into things and sell the parents. I don't personally know Ice, so while he might be a father figure to many kids in So Florida, does he have the energy and personality to recruit relentlessly against the like of Saban, Jimbo, Urban, TRob, etc? Would he be respected enough to put together a respectable staff of coaches and not just recruiters? All that needs to be considered. Just b/c Malzahn did it doesn't mean any HS coach can. Malzahn proved himself first at Auburn as OC and then at Ark State. As bad as Al has been here at times, he did resurrect a HORRIBLE Temple program and coach good defenses at UVA, so i understand why he got a shot.

Plus, check the roster of that 2001 team. Half of the starters were NOT from So Florida. USC comes across the country for a few Florida and NJ kids. Florida recruits the Mid-Atlantic. FSU recruits the **** out of Bama and Georgia. You can't be blinded with just local kids. You need to be open to kids from across the country. Yes, lock down the local studs, but keep your eye on those national kids as well. I wouldn't necessarily spend a lot of time in NJ, but i understand it with the former ties these guys have at Penn State and Temple.

 

[supacane]

No, why take a chance on this guy when the Butch is out there. That's why we keep going round in circles then finally backwards for 12 years. Put some money into the program and what you get it back from media money and sponsors. Good coach earns 4,times his salary and have left overs for top class assistants. We cannot afford another experiment.

 

[MT-hurricane]

Good thinking, Chives. I don't think we need a guy with Miami connections, but it will always concern me if an unfamiliar guy takes over he has to build relationships with crazy south Florida recruits, as well as their crazy coaches, handlers, and street agents.

Along the same line I would throw out Craig Bohl who is now at Wyoming, but had great success at North Dakota State.

 

[MT-hurricane]

No, why take a chance on this guy when the Butch is out there. That's why we keep going round in circles then finally backwards for 12 years. Put some money into the program and what you get it back from media money and sponsors. Good coach earns 4,times his salary and have left overs for top class assistants. We cannot afford another experiment.

Because, believe it or not, there are better coaches (gasp) that would consider the Miami job.

 

[Canesfan1899]

What Al has taught me is that regardless of the level youre at, you have to win something ala Urban, Tressel if you're gonna go small school or non power conference, its a must

This. This guy meets that criteria.