2013 College Football Coaching Carousel thread...

The JMU Barneys fire Mickey Matthews. That could be a very good FCS job but they are making noises about moving up to FBS. Maybe they should ask ODU how that's going.

 

Hard to believe The Mick was there for 15 years. One of my all-time favorites. He led JMU to the national title in 2004. It's definitely a very good job. Will be interested to see which direction Jeff Bourne goes with this one.

 

If I'm USC, would it be worth a call to look at Mike Gundy? Everything that gets reported is about how Gundy, even as an Okie State grad, has an awkward relationship with T. Boone and the AD there. Has a BCS bowl win, an offense that moves the ball, and a solid amount of charisma.

What are his warts, the "I'm a man" rant from 2007 and an SI story that hasn't gained any juice in national consciousness? The 8-5 year in 2012 after losing a top-five WR (Blackmon) and a first-round QB (Weeden)?

Other than that, he's got 9+ wins every year since 2008, and 10+ wins three out of the last four years and a pair of Big XII titles. I think he's at least worth a phone call.

 

I agree. I wonder if Texas will give him a look as well ...

 

Going better than 80-20 would lead you to believe. Transitioning to FBS isn't an easy task. Western Kentucky was a strong FCS program that struggled a ton when they moved up. UMass was a respectable FCS program that looks like turkey turds today. It took UConn and South Florida a while to get their sea legs, and while Marshall has been OK enough, people thought they'd be the same worldbeaters they were in I-AA.

JMU's in a weird spot because they apparently think they're above the Sun Belt, don't seem to be getting into CUSA and there's no guarantees the MAC is in an expanding state of mind. But staying in the CAA would just kill their supporters, because their three main rivals are on to bigger better things than some horny tricks, and they were replaced with Elon and College of Charleston (and Albany and Stony Brook for football). Plus who the hell builds that stadium just to host Central Connecticut State and St. Francis?

 

Nor should they.
Georgia Southern doesn't complete a pass (0-3), and yet they beat you at home.
Ye Gods.

 

ODU's doing it from scratch. JMU wouldn't be.

Of course, doing it from scratch hasn't seemed to bother UTSA. They've got an outside shot at the CUSA title game but still won't be able to play in a bowl game because they're in their final transition year and aren't eligible yet.

 

Very unreliable. But I wish it were after the past few weeks.

 

The day after the Georgia Southern loss, the Orlando Sentinel published a list of potential replacements for Muschamp that included Gene Chizik, Chad Morris, Lane Kiffin, Dirk Koetter... The Kiffin suggestion was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but the list was beyond laughable. Only decent name on the list was Charlie Strong.

It was not written by Edgar Thompson (who is great) or Mike Bianchi (one of my favorites) but I felt embarrassed for The Sentinel when I read it.

 

Strong has to be the first call, right?

 

If you believe the articles that ran today, he's not getting fired, so it's a non-issue.

If I was Florida, a place that can outbid almost anyone for a coach, my first calls would be to Sumlin, Swinney and Strong.

 

Based on nothing other than my internal belief that you can't lose to Georgia Southern at UF, I do not believe the articles that ran today.