I am fascinated by D1 CFB coaching searches
I feel bad about how much I love to watch football programs replace coaches and the associated ripple effects. Like, I should be this interested in something important like my 401k or eating more vegetables. Shrug.
So the only thing we know is that USC and LSU will be getting new coaches/staffs.
What other predictions do you folks have?
If Franklin leaves, what does PSU do?
If Tucker leaves, what does MSU do?
Is Fickell leaving UC? Maybe PSU/MSU?
What other coaching changes/firings/etc do you folks see happening?
November 4th, 2021 at 8:21 AM ^
Not being snarky at all. While I despise the guy, I am so rooting for Meyer to end up either in the booth or SEC/USC and not sniff the B1G., After his failed tenure at NFL.
November 4th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
The NIL money potential at USC is absurd. Meyer could already recruit without it. You want no part of Meyer at USC if you want any shot at top recruits ever again. I guess it could still happen but I’d rather take that chance with them not hiring a guy who is already known as a recruiting genius.
November 4th, 2021 at 11:31 AM ^
NIL money, NIL money. This is not a shot at you (poster) but I'm starting to believe this NIL thing is a whole lot of nothing. So many big names have NIL deals that are actually pretty damn bad at their jobs, or have lost their jobs completely
November 4th, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
cough, cough, Clemson QB, cough.
You're saying companies are unlikely to continue shelling out the amounts that have been reported because college players don't perform reliably? I hope that's not a huge surprise to those involved.
I'm also not sure it makes a big difference in how much money gets paid out now vs. before. In the before-times, if you got benched, you probably also lost under-table $, right? Maybe there's more protection for the player now since they have a contract (but I would bet there's some language in there that gives the sponsors an out).
I think the impact of NIL is about how much a given school resisted under-table $ before, compared to how much sponsorship potential they have now. At USC, I'm not sure what that ratio is, but it's probably better than an SEC school.
November 4th, 2021 at 12:13 PM ^
I'm not sure USC was a great resister of under-the-table money. Maybe we should consult Reggie Bush or Renaldo Sidney.
November 4th, 2021 at 11:31 AM ^
NIL money, NIL money. This is not a shot at you (poster) but I'm starting to believe this NIL thing is a whole lot of nothing. So many big names have NIL deals that are actually pretty damn bad at their jobs, or have lost their jobs completely
November 4th, 2021 at 4:48 PM ^
I don't see USC going for Meyer now. Maybe before his latest hit in the media, but not now, and probably not even before that bar incident.
November 4th, 2021 at 7:52 PM ^
Yeah, I'm not sure Meyer would end up in Socal though even if he did leave the Jacksonville. Too much distraction there for himself and the players, and the media spotlight would be intense. I think he's much more likely to end up in Cayman Nebraska than out West.
November 4th, 2021 at 10:39 AM ^
I think Meyer gets a second and possibly 3rd year at Jacksonville. They'll win 1 or 2 more this season and then go 7-9 next year. If they play above .500 in year three he won't get fired till the end of the year.
November 4th, 2021 at 1:05 PM ^
I think Meyer, if Jax fires him, will need some time to cool off. USC will likely not pay his buyout. There is also some bad karma around Meyer (as there usually is) but apparently in football you can do whatever heinous thing you want and as long as it’s been a year and you go to a different place, you’re still desirable. If he gets back in the college game again, he’ll need a year or two to let things settle so he can go to sex addicts anon with tiger.
November 4th, 2021 at 2:37 PM ^
Shad Khan will give Meyer a few years here in Jacksonville. There is no talk of him being on the proverbial hot seat. They are a young team that traded away a lot of their talent and are a few years away from competing. I think Meyer and Khan both realized that when he was brought here.
November 4th, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
Meyer's never getting another platinum job ever again. The way things ended at Ohio State with him almost getting the entire athletic department staff fired over his handling of the Smith stuff, that's over. Two of the most influential athletic directors of the last 20 years who have the largest number of former assistants running athletic departments around the sport came away from the Urban Meyer experience feeling burned and pissed off.
The best job Meyer could get if he came back to college would be a job like Miami where they've been dogshit for 20 years but they used to be something and could theoretically get back, or a place with deep pockets but no history of success like a Texas A&M type program.
November 4th, 2021 at 9:35 PM ^
Well said
November 4th, 2021 at 8:24 AM ^
I don't see Fickell leaving UC for PSU or MSU. Can't see the upside for him to make essentially a lateral move.
November 4th, 2021 at 8:27 AM ^
Whether Fickell would leave Cincy is an open question, but moving to prominent programs in a major P5 conference that has three teams currently in the top playoff rankings is hardly "lateral."
November 4th, 2021 at 8:32 AM ^
I thought the comment was trying to mock PSU and MSU. May be not.
November 4th, 2021 at 8:43 AM ^
Cincy is moving to the BIG12. By staying put, Fickell could become the coach of a P5’s prominent program. Assuming the BIG12 remains a P5 conference, which is very much in doubt.
November 4th, 2021 at 9:48 AM ^
Let’s be honest, it’s going to be a Power 4 in football once Oklahoma and Texas leave that conference.
November 4th, 2021 at 10:20 AM ^
That is not fair to the Big12. It will be the Power 4.5 once OU and UT Austin move.
Who would win on Saturday if UT Austin played UT San Antonio at Jerry World?
November 4th, 2021 at 11:39 AM ^
For football at least. For basketball should still be strong. But being P5 doesn't really matter much for basketball though anyway.
November 4th, 2021 at 12:02 PM ^
it’s going to be a Power 4 in football once Oklahoma and Texas leave that conference.
It will be perceived that way, even though since 2009 Texas is a middle-of-the-conference program and currently worse than Cincinnati, Oklahoma St, and Baylor. Oklahoma held it down as an elite program that makes the playoff, but their schedules in those years weren't much different than the future Big 12, as it of course never included Oklahoma.
November 4th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
For Penn St., I agree. For MSU though, I think it would be much easier for him to win the Big XII with Cincy than to win the B1G with MSU. They've already said that the Big XII will remain a Power 5 conference, so if he's looking to make the CFP/compete for championships, Cincy probably gives him the better path.
November 4th, 2021 at 5:07 PM ^
Could be wrong, but I believe Fickell turned down MSU the last time. Now PSU, that would be a whole different situation. But with Cincinnati moving to the Big 12, I don't see him leaving.
November 4th, 2021 at 11:23 AM ^
Thatsthejoke.gif
November 4th, 2021 at 12:52 PM ^
But cincy will be in the big 12 by 2023, Mayb earlier. Winning a Texas and Oklahoma less big 12 will be way easier than dealing with Ohio state every season.
November 4th, 2021 at 12:58 PM ^
I wouldn't be surprised to see Ryan Day go to the NFL and then Fickel comes back to Cbus.
November 4th, 2021 at 8:28 AM ^
It depends on how the year ends. If UC goes undefeated and is left out then he may want to move sooner than later. Once in the Big 12, that won’t happen but will he be patient enough?
November 4th, 2021 at 8:32 AM ^
Cinci to penn state is in no way, shape or form a lateral move. He already passed on MSU last go round, so I’m not sure why he’d go there now, but he’d be crazy to not at least consider a move to psu
November 4th, 2021 at 8:58 AM ^
Campus culture played role in Luke Fickell turning down Michigan State football job
Has the culture changed?
November 4th, 2021 at 1:21 PM ^
November 4th, 2021 at 8:40 PM ^
Got a couple of couches. Burning the love seat.
November 4th, 2021 at 9:38 AM ^
Campus culture played role in Luke Fickell turning down Michigan State football job
Has the culture changed?
November 4th, 2021 at 10:35 AM ^
If Franklin leaves, Fickell would go to Penn State for no other reason than to have a chance to give Ohio a loss once a year.
November 4th, 2021 at 8:33 AM ^
Fickell to MSU would be a PROBLEM for Michigan. He understands the rivalry, has been proven to be a solid coach, and would continue the strides that MSU has been making.
Im not saying the tide would change based on who is the better program in the state, but he would continue a trend that Michigan fans should not like.
November 4th, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
Fickell will go to OSU or Notre Dame whenever there is an opening. Until then, he stays at Cincinnati. Raises his family in stability and makes $3 mil or so doing it. Not a bad way to go.
November 4th, 2021 at 11:10 AM ^
This, I agree is the most likely outcome. I think there is more than a remote chance Ryan Day ends up back in the NFL at some point in the next few years. He's not an OSU legacy, and from what I've gathered he doesn't have any deep ties to the state of Ohio as did Meyer or Tressel before him. Most of the experience he gathered up until coordinating offenses for one year at BC before moving up to Ohio State was developed in the NFL.
I just get the sense at some point he's going to get an NFL offer he feels like he can't refuse and he'll make the jump. Fickell is the obvious replacement if/when that happens. He knows it, and so does OSU. What Fickell does this off-season will tell us a lot about what the vibe is around Day's prospects at OSU. If he stays put and turns down PSU/USC offers, it tells us that job is probably opening up pretty soon. If he jumps to another high profile coaching vacancy, probably tells us OSU and Day are both committed to the long haul.
November 4th, 2021 at 12:36 PM ^
It's like you read my mind. Thanks for saving me the effort of trying to say exactly this.
November 4th, 2021 at 12:33 PM ^
Who is in the Cincy pipeline, particularly at qb, will likely play a major role. It wouldn't be the first time a coach is the beneficiary of special talent at his school. If so, you probably want to strike while the iron is hot. Lest you stick around and see your team's performance come back to earth under your leadership. (Ogeron at LSU could be a prime example of a ream coming back to earth after a stellar qb moves on). Same might apply to Tucker, once Walker and a chunk of his huge transfer class moves on.
November 4th, 2021 at 10:55 AM ^
Yeah, MSU losing Tucker only to get Fickell would be a lite version of OSU losing Tressell only to get Urban later. Bad development for us if that happens
November 4th, 2021 at 11:03 AM ^
Fickell turned down MSU last time, when he didn't have nearly as much leverage as he has now. No chance he'd go there now when he can probably have his pick of the litter.
November 4th, 2021 at 8:52 PM ^
I can see no reason Fickell would go to MSU. It is not an attractive proposal.
November 4th, 2021 at 8:34 AM ^
After the disrespect to UC from the playoff committee I expect him to bolt.
November 4th, 2021 at 9:15 AM ^
fickell going to msu or penn state is absolutely a step up, and you only need to look at the playoff rankings for proof. cincinnati will go undefeated and finish outside the playoff. AGAIN. there's no chance that an undefeated big ten team misses the playoff, and a 1-loss team will usually at least be in the conversation.
November 4th, 2021 at 10:17 AM ^
As much as I dislike the current playoff system, let’s not pretend the only difference between MSU going undefeated, and Cinci going undefeated, is “respect”.
November 4th, 2021 at 11:10 AM ^
Except MSU, if it goes undefeated -- which it won't, but let's just say -- would have played a significantly harder schedule than Cinci, which beat Notre Dame, granted. But MSU's schedule is much harder overall.
November 4th, 2021 at 2:44 PM ^
oh, no argument here whatsoever...didn't mean to suggest otherwise. but that's kinda my point - coaching at a cincinnati has inherent limitations that don't exist at msu or penn state.
November 4th, 2021 at 9:31 AM ^
Unless he wants to make a move to the league, I wonder if he's just biding his time and waiting for the OSU job to open up. Whenever that might be. That's what Kirby Smart did before going to UGA. He was on Saban's staff for years and just patiently waited until Richt got fired so he could come back to his alma mater.
I don't know how Day feels about staying at OSU long term. Maybe he wants to, or maybe he's got an itch to coach at the professional level. I don't know. I don't think he had any ties to OSU whatsoever before Meyer hired him onto his staff, but he'll probably be getting offers to coach in the NFL if he hasn't already. And if he does leave, I imagine Fickell will be the first and only call OSU makes.
November 4th, 2021 at 10:55 AM ^
MSU is a lateral move. PSU is a step up.
That said, easier to compete and win at Cinci if B1g 12 is still considered Power 5.
November 4th, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
C'mon, I know disrespek is fun, but those aren't lateral moves. MSU is a moderate upgrade, PSU is a major upgrade.
The upside is 1) money (he's currently the 45th highest paid coach at 3.4M a year) and 2) that he'll actually play in a conference where he can win something