2013 College Football coaching carousel

Wouldn't call Rich Rod the first choice. More like the panic choice when it seemed the search was taking too long. Maybe the Dolphins won a couple games and the playoffs were at least a possibility. Memory's a bit foggy, but Satan was the first choice, and Rod was the "oh my gosh we better do something or Paul Finebaum will make fun of us" choice.

 

Brian Billick was an offensive coach whose teams often won despite their offensive ineptitude. Jon Gruden was an offensive coach whose teams won with balance.

Brian Billick is 58. Jon Gruden is 49.

Brian Billick was head coach of one team and had three losing seasons in nine years. Jon Gruden was head coach of two teams and had three losing seasons in 11 years.

Brian Billick was fired from his last job because the team stagnated. Jon Gruden left every job he's had on his own terms.

Kyle Boller.

That said, Billick would be a fine hire. But don't pretend he and Gruden are equals.

 

Not that they are equals, just that there are coaches out there who have accomplished less than Billick and get more run.

And Gruden didn't choose to leave TB.

 

Shit, I forgot about that stupid firing. The Bucs fired a guy who went 9-7 in his last two seasons. That's hilarious.

 

Kids will line up to play for Gruden.

 

Can Cal afford him??

 

The Pac-12's TV deal is the biggest in the country now. But Cal football doesn't draw the interest required to make that kind of hire worthwhile.

 

No. There also wouldn't be enough hero worship involved for him to take that job. He would only go to a school where football is the school's No. 1 priority where he will be hailed as the savior and where the student body and the boosters will be lining up to kiss his ass. That's not happening for any coach at Cal.

 

I'm curious who would be in line to replace Kelly in Oregon if he leaves as some expect...

That's a job where they would probably pay just about anything for the right guy.

 

I don't think Gruden's desires even need to be factored in, though. Why would the administration pay that much for a coach who won't move the needle because the campus and alumni base aren't into football, relative to other schools chalking out $4 million for a coach?

 

Also on Cal, one of the things that hurt Tedford was Cal's recent drop in graduation rates. Gruden isn't -- and really no big-name coach is -- about to go some place that pretends to give a shit about education. So it's SEC or bust if he's going to college.

 

I also think Billick is in the same mold as Cowher in that both have been there/done that I regards to coaching and winning and both are happy in their current TV gigs. I don't think going back to 15-18 hour days and the year round grind seems to appealing to either one.

I think Gruden is young enough and has enough of an ego to still chase the dream.