You are very invested in insisting we are a ‘powerhouse,’ whatever that means. I think it’s a meaningless label. We were not a powerhouse when Howard got here. Clemson was not one before Dabo. I think this sense that we are a natural power if we don’t ***** it up is part of our problem. We aren’t that. We are a small private school in a talent rich area whose admin doesn’t give much of a **** about football and doesn’t seem to care enough to manage the program effectively.
If you start with the assumption we are a ‘powerhouse,’ as you do, you convince yourself any old decent coach can win here, as you have said previously you believe. I do not believe that. We are closer to a dumpster fire, but we do have access to local talent. Not exclusive access, mind you. If we got on a solid roll, we would keep more kids at home and eventually could rebuild. Sure. But how? What’s needed?
And your 1980s focus strikes me as an effort to avoid asking real questions. JJ came here off Howard's title. Dennis off JJ’s. Butch off Dennis’s. Why you expect us to randomly attract the next JJ off of 20 years of putridity is a mystery to me. You should be asking yourself what is different, rather than repeatedly insisting it’s all just bad luck.
Good post.
You are right.
We can’t just hire any coach.
But we don’t necessarily need Urban or Saban to win.
We need the RIGHT GUY.
There are coaches out there that would do better here than their previous track records. The inverse is true as well.
We can’t get the next Jimmy because we don’t have a competent AD to FIND him.
We have to get a guy that fits. I think a Tressel type hire could kill it here.
We need:
1. Strong leader with congruent body language/personality.
2.Program builder.
3.Innovative offense that is balanced and qbs friendly.
4. Aggressive but simple 1 gap defense of primarily man coverage and responsible with blitzing.
5. Good recruiter.
Those guys are out there and can be had for a good price.
The hardest part is picking someone who can maintain under pressure and be humble enough to adjust to obvious issues. We get fooled by used car salesmen because we want to believe.
Mullen is the type of guy we needed and we turned him away TWICE.
Had Mark Helfrich in the building and let him walk without a contract.
Being a champion is hard, but being a solid top 15 is right in front of us but we **** it away.
It’s a shame. We are right there to a strong program but the incompetent administration stands in the way and it seems getting over them is a task on par with scaling Everest.