OT: If he leaves, who follows Tressel?
Obviously rumors+allegations don't necessarily turn into verified violations, and even then, they don't necessarily turn into specific penalties, so Tressel may not be going anywhere after this year. But there is a chance he will, at least. If he does leave, who becomes their next coach? Some candidates:
1. Urban Meyer. Odds: 10-1
I think it's too early for Meyer to return to football, since he said he was going to spend time with his family. Plus he's not going to leave retirement for a program riddled with sanctions anyways. I just don't see this as likely, though the likelihood rises if Tressel sticks it out another year and/or OSU's penalties are light.
2. Luke Fickell. Odds 3-1.
If Tressel does get the boot this year, they'll likely pick a very solid, unspectacular, bean-counting, squeaky-clean true believer. Fickell is many of those things. If Fickell is not implicated in whatever causes Tressel to hypothetically leave, he's one of the prime candidates. If not, they'll have to look elsewhere.
3. Darrell Hazell. Odds 5-1.
Here's another possibility. Though he was on the program until recently, he will have been away for the Tatgate shenanigans fallout. Has most of the upside of Fickell too. Only problem is that he was literally just hired as Kent State's coach, and a one-and-done flight to OSU could create more attention than a hypothetically beleaguered OSU athletic department, conceivably seeking stability, wants.
4. Mark Dantonio. Odds 20-1.
I know some OSU bloggers are suggesting Dantonio, which would be funny in some ways, and not in others. He had no compunction leaving Cincinnati for MSU, so I doubt loyalty would be a factor. But I just don't see him leaving a stable MSU situation for an unstable OSU one (which is what it would be, in this hypothetical scenario).
5. Someone else. Odds 4-5.
As you can see, I think Fickell and Hazell are the most likely candidates, but both are almost certainly to be tarnished by whatever tarnishes might tarnish Tressel to the point where he goes. So I don't give them more that a 41.67% chance of becoming the next OSU coach...unless the violations end up not being as bad as the allegations and Tressel stays on. Then that likelihood increases.
But if, indeed, they are, then I think the chances of looking outside, perhaps for a former OSU assistant or another successful lower-division coach rises. Who are the likely candidates?
Stoops was OSU's first-choice in 2000. He turned them down. Hardly seems like a guy aching to be a Buckeye.
And the Stoops boys may have grown up in Youngstown, but their Big Ten roots are in Iowa City, not Columbus.
You're way off on this.
Not only are you way off on Stoops to OSU, but to say he didn't build the program up to where it is is about the dumbest thing ever.
1) Stoops has won 1 national championship in his 12 years. ohio state, of course, also has 1 national championship in the same span of time. Lateral move, from that perspective. Wilkinson and Switzer each have 3 to their names. There are, of course, just those 7 championships in Sooner history.
2) Stoops' 129 wins in 12 seasons gives him an .806 win pct, third all time and just behind Switzer (.837) and Wilkinson (.826). Of course, Stoops has also coached 13.3 games per season, compared to 10.5 for Wilkinson and 11.9 for Switzer. That makes things a little tougher. In fact, Stoops is averaging 10.75 wins per season, compared to 8.5 for wilkinson and 9.8 for Switzer.
3) Stoops finished in the AP top 10 eight times in twelve seasons (75%). Switzer did it 12 out of 16 times (75%), and Wilkinson did it 12 out of 17 times (71%). Stoops compares very favorably.
4) Oklahoma has 5 Heisman trophy winners - 1 under Wilkinson, 1 under Fairbanks, 1 under Switzer, and 2 under Stoops.
5) There were 36 AA's under Wilkinson (2.1/season); 51 under Switzer (3.2/season); and 32 under Stoops (2.7/season).
In conclusion, your assertion that Stoops doesn't seem to approach the status of Bud and Barry seems flawed.
And I agree for the most part, but 8 of 12 is 67%, not 75%
It reminds me of the good old days.
Ted Ginn Sr.
But Ginn Sr. would have to take a pay cut from what OSU currently pays him.
is almost as big of a douchebag as Tressel so it wouldnt surprise me at all. i still stand my earlier comment tht brian kelly and dantonio r the biggest dbags in the game
is almost as big of a douchebag as Tressel so it wouldnt surprise me at all. i still stand my earlier comment tht brian kelly and dantonio r the biggest dbags in the game
They are already looking at, especially those with ties to OSU. Of course, given my lack of knowledge of these schools in the area, I have no idea who would be the most likely candidates...other than Hazell, of course.
If things are really bad at OSU, they are going to clean house. Expect them to try and get a super recruiter in there to keep the talent level up that they can easily fire after four years when sanctions are up. Doc Holliday from Marshall comes to mind. USC basically did that with Kiffin, but expect OSU to not pick someone with close ties to Tressel.
it could turn into a UM Bball Fisher situation with Fickel..sometimes interim coaches intrigue AD's
Eric Mangini. He always gets the shitty jobs in Ohio.
I've voting for Dantonio. The Spartan psyche is already damaged by the last coach who bolted after achieving semi-success (Saban). A second time would just be priceless.
Charlie Weiss is an offensive genius and has no ties to Tressel. Hire him now, OSU! Please!
If it was me doing the hiring, I would go far away from anyone even remotely connected to the present staff. I would look for someone like coach Hoke. Someone with some experience and a definite passion for football and tosu. I just hope whoever they get can't recruit like the amazing Hoke and co.
revisionist history. If every school was in the business of hiring their 3rd or 4th choice, there would be plenty of great coaches looking for jobs. Tressel was not OSU's first choice, it happened to work out pretty well...on the field. It doesn't always work that way.
...I don't give a damn.
Who gives a you know what who coaches that school, as long as we kick their ass.
Gruden will be mentioned in the mix but eventually they will go with Gus Malzahn. Go ahead and tell all of your friends that you heard it here first.
Dantonio would jump at the offer to coach OSU. MSU isn't exactly primed for longterm success and no one good (Saban, Petrino) ever stays.
I agree.
Dantonio should be the favorite IMO (surely not the "longest shot" on the list). Regardless of the current heat in Columbus....
He has strong ties to OSU, a resume and name recognition the fans would accept, and it's still a far more desirable position than the MSU job.
Isn't going to leave MSU. Again, wishful thinking by Michigan fans.
MSU isn't exactly primed for longterm success and no one good (Saban, Petrino) ever stays.
What does Petrino have to do with MSU?
I do agree though, Dantonio would be on that shit.
If enough stuff really goes down, not one respectable coach would take that job with all of the scholarship reductions, sanctions, and probably bowl bans.
Two words: LANE KIFFIN
"respectable".
I think "who follows him" is literally more interesting. . .the FBI, the police, the band? Or maybe who follows him out the door. . .the AD, the President, players?
RonP for Ohio!
Paging THE_KNOWLEDGE
1 stoops...turned down his dream job in nd, twice! And turned down osu already, didn't even talk to osu!
2 gruden.....dude makes over a million a yr to do tv broadcasts of games.....he knows his family now...he isn't giving that up...and not to mention he is becoming a football media rockstar.....not happening no matter what program or nfl team comes calling.....(this reminds me of all the talk about jimmy johnson's return to coaching..yeah you see how that went)
3 Ferentz... makes 4.5 million a yr overall in iowa city.... money isn't the issue and he is reveared there even if he goes 8-4...try that in a2 or cbus.........................................
4 Meyer....... Too soon but the real issue for osu is sanctions....why go into a job riddled with handcuffs and one mistake makes it ten times worse! Honestly I don't see Meyer coaching in the bigten at all.... unless joepa retires this yr and pennst comes calling and Meyer has a clean slate....could happen...osu and sanctions not happening.
5 Glenn Mason.... I know I know huge disappointment here but the second the job is open turn on the bigten network to see him gravelling for the job........
We should ask Glen Mason's hot wife. She comments on here, right?
Paterno is going to die as head coach of Penn State, then they'll bury him at mid field in Happy Valley just so he can still be a part of the team after he's gone.
Those who think Meyer wouldn't take the OSU job are guilty of wishful thinking.
He'll take it after a one-year interim tenure by Fickell. OSU might get two years and some loss of scholarships, but with Meyer and Ohio talent, we're talking about a pretty easy rebuild up from wherever they land on probation.
OSU values football way more than Michigan and it will show when they get Meyer and rebould very quickly.
He's high-risk, high-return. The only way I see them going this way is if they truly perceive themselves to be at the very top rung of college football and think they can avoid a significant fall. The fall however is probably inevitable with what they are facing, especially if it comes to Tressel leaving, and taking a big chance, in the end, probably won't seem like the best choice. There will be voices that want someone like Meyer - it will depend on who down there holds the most sway.
If they bring in Meyer and something else bad happens, then they are really screwed.
I had an interesting conversation while delayed in O'Hare last week with a guy who played for Florida (after Spurrier -- he didn't know him -- so probably in the 1970s?). I don't know if he's involved with the program still or not. He came over because I made a comment about Charlie Weiss and he's not a fan. We got onto the subject of Urban Meyer and he said Urban probably will coach again, but not in the SEC -- he didn't like the things he would have had to do to compete with the SEC West, noting Muschamp's a Saban guy who's unfortunately what you need in the SEC these days. He was a big fan of Urban - said he's the kind of coach who really cares about his players.
FTR he said we've got a great coach in Hoke and called RR a "weasel" -- I didn't get into it.
I don't think Tressel leaves, but if he were to retire, quit or get fired I think that they'll try to stay close to home. Fickell or maybe even Spielman would be my best bets.
If Tressel goes out at osu it would likely mean the NCAA slapped the university with a show cause order. I'm assuming that would also mean osu would get spanked with probation, loss of scholarships, and things like that.
<br>So I don't see any brand name coach (Meyer, Gruden, Stoops) coming to a program in that much trouble when they could coach almost anywhere.
<br>
Coming into a program under sanctions can be a blessing tho because you have your scapegoat already in place.
Lou Holtz name was being tossed around when they hired Tressel , maybe they could hire him and he and JoePA could discuss geriatric drug perscriptions , adult diapers and become bridge partners
Do you think that the Buckeye fans have topics on their board about how [INSERT FORMER PLAYER OR COACH WITH SOME TIES TO THE PROGRAM] always considered coaching at OSU to be their dream job and will definitely, 100%, BKFinest it, guaranteed jump at the job if it is offered so that he can "come home"?
OSU might be best served to make an internal hire...Maybe the defensive / offensive Coordinator.
As a long term solution or possible interim coach? If OSU's violations end up being only Tatgate, then I could see an internal promotion for a long term coach. However, as the OP mentioned, if new violations emerge at OSU and they're anything close to what has been thrown out in some other posts, I would think OSU would need to clean house.