2013 College Football coaching carousel

I think Chip Kelly is the right guy, and they will match or top any NFL salary offered to him. He still may leave, though.

 

The Big 12 has worse graduation rates than the SEC. Sorry if that doesn't fit your narrative.

 

Not related to Gruden, because that isn't happening, but this is just not true as regards Cal. The campus and alumni LOVE football. Berkeley is a treasure on game day, it really is -- as much atmosphere (whatever that means) as anywhere. They drew very well and commanded a large media presence in the Bay Area in the mid-2000s. And as for the difficulty of stadium renovations, that was mostly the work of a dedicated core of NIMBYs that was working against the preferences of a vast number of residents.

The attendance numbers of the last year or two are a reflection of the team's misfortune, but when they're at all good, it's a great scene. And people do care.

 

Yeah, I would have said, Ohio State, Notre Dame and a handful of SEC schools would be the only places that would give Gruden what he would want. Obviously, there isn't likely to be an opening at ND or OSU. Realistically, the Tennessee job is the only college job where Gruden could wind up this year, unless there's an unexpected opening.

 

Ah, I was incomplete there. Was referring to the open jobs now that he would potentially be interested in. Bob Stoops and Mike Gundy aren't going anywhere.

 

OK. You know I get defensive about these things.

 

My mom is a Cal grad and I grew up going to Cal games. There is definitely an interest there and the alumni would love to have a program that could compete for PAC-12 titles on a regular basis.

Is there the kind of interest that there is at LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama...? Hell no... Those schools are widely defined by the success of the football program, and that's simply not the case at Cal.

 

I absolutely believe you. But I was speaking about Cal football when good compared to Tennessee/Arkansas/Auburn football when good. Including "campus" might have been wrong. But a 12-1 Tennessee team sparks general hysteria. A 12-1 Cal team sparks a lot of happy fans.

If you're paying $4 million or more for a football coach, he better bring hysteria.

More or less, Cal has too many other good things to care about football on the same level as those schools.

 

Berkeley is a very underrated place to watch a football game.

It's not LSU. It's not Nebraska.

 

I would be perfectly content to see that entire campus slide into the river and watch the pieces crash into Fort Loudon Dam. But a little reading comprehension is in order. The athletic department had been writing donation checks to the academic side from its annual profits. It is stopping that practice, not drawing down from taxpayer money. Very few schools do that, and I was frankly surprised UT was still doing so.

 

The names being discussed to replace Tedford aren't terribly exciting. Hue Jackson is one name mentioned a lot. He'd be a good coach and a good get, but I don't know if he would be seen as an exciting hire.

Greg Roman would make a lot of sense. Mike MacIntyre, Gary Andersen...

 

Hue Jackson would be terrific. I think he would make a wonderful college coach, and he has loads of connections.

Jackson is a better coach than Lane Kiffin.