2013 College Football coaching carousel

Exactly.

When people think of Ferentz, a common next thought is "$4M a year". Can't be losing to Central Michigan, Iowa State, Indiana (and nearly Northern Illinois) this year -- and the Gophers in 2010 and 2011.

 

So if you fire Ferentz, who do hire at $4 per to replace him? Who wants that job and will be an improvement on the current guy?

 

That's the big question. The odd part is the next coach won't make $4M -- so who do you get? Do you search for a true up-and-comer or take a coach who may have fallen back a bit? (Bobby Petrino, Line 1...)

I think Iowa is stuck a bit here because you have a 57-year-old coach making top dollar. Yet not all coaches his age are alike. Some, like Nick Saban, are older but exude more energy. Ferentz, in 1999, was one of the younger and hungrier coaches in the Big Ten. Now that's taken up by Pelini, Meyer, Fitzgerald, Bielema, Hoke and even Dantonio and that guy from Indiana. With Paterno gone, only Minnesota and Purdue are coached by old men who don't seem like they can relate to an 18-year-old speedster. Ferentz has a calm, CEO demeanor in public and, when the train goes off the rails, that doesn't always play well.

 

Why a mid-level Big Ten school like Iowa is paying a coach $4 million a year is puzzling.

Texas won't have an opening for a while unless Mack Brown has health issues or there's some sort of scandal. Texas will go 8-4 and make a mid-level bowl and that's more than enough.

 

It always seemed to be the perfect storm. Every few years, he'd have a real strong season, losing to USC in the Orange Bowl, beating LSU or Florida in the Cap One or Outback Bowl, beating Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl), then some NFL jobs would open and there would be rumors floating that he's this big hot commodity that all the NFL teams were interested in him. Next thing you know, he's got another raise and a big extension. Very well-played on his (and his agent's) part.

It's a gamble either way.

Do you bet that Ferentz is going to discover how to get things fixed and get it moving in the right direction - in a conference that should be tougher than ever with teams like Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Northwestern all trending upward?

Or do you like the chances of getting some young blood in there, like a Bobby Diaco, and believe he will get the job done at half the price?

 

It was a graveyard for Mumme also. He ended up getting fired as part of some cheating scandal and I don't believe he's ever coached D1 since.

And both Brooks and Mumme also had losing overall records Kentucky. I believe I heard that UK has only had one coach finish over .500 in something like 60 years, and I don't think anyone's moved on to bigger and better things after UK since Bear Bryant left in 1952.

So, yeah, I think it could be fairly categorized as a graveyard job.

 

I posted it earlier but if you get rid of Ferentz after this season and paid his successfor even $3 million per year, you are on the hook for about $2.5 million in Ferentz buyout. EVERY YEAR UNTIL 2020.

 

Petrino would seem to be the perfect fit at Kentucky: Delusional fanbase with some big $$$ boosters who will fly him up tomorrow. Hiring a former Louisville coach may not go over too well, though.

 

Call it an even trade -- Pitino goes from UK to U of L, Petrino goes from U of L to UK.

 

Hal Mummie was the head coach at New Mexico State after leaving UK.

 

And it was right after Bryant: Blanton Collier, 1954-61. So it's been a few years.

 

Good points, but I don't see the Iowa faithful embracing Petrino at all.