Stoops out at Arizona. Would Rich Rod fit?
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7086070/arizona-wildcats…
Mike Stoops has been let go by Arizona after 7.5 years for a buyout that should be around $1.4 Mil. The Wildcats started 1-5 with there only win against Northern Arizona then lost 5 straight.
As a side plot... would RIch Rod be a fit in the pac-10? I think his offense with the right DC could be electrifying out there. I think I would be rooting for him.
Edit: Wow clearly meant Mike
October 11th, 2011 at 2:04 AM ^
He wouldn't be a good fit in the Pac-12, he needs to stay on the east coast so he can rehire his previous staff and continue to recruit Florida. The ultimate job for him would be a Central Florida or South Florida, not that either will be coming open anytime soon.
October 11th, 2011 at 2:34 AM ^
But if he's in Arizona, he could probably recruit Texas and California...
October 11th, 2011 at 2:48 AM ^
He has no history of recruiting SoCal and recruiting in Texas is already difficult enough with the established relationships in the Big 12, SEC soon to have a larger presence and the few B10 schools that have recruited there for a while. Just my personal opinion, but it wouldn't be a good fit for RR. I'd expect UA to look at whoever the hot cordinator of the moment is before they'd take a look at him or even Mike Leach who'd probably be a better fit.
October 11th, 2011 at 2:43 AM ^
Decent facilities, good support from the University, relatively weak conference (at least this year), close to the SoCal recruiting grounds and low expectations.
Good formula for having the time to implement your vision, and learn from your mistakes at the last stop.
October 11th, 2011 at 2:45 AM ^
I could see RR doing well in the pac 12 if he was offered the Arizona job. Could you imagine the Arizona vs. Oregon scores lol!
For RR to take the job at Clemson it has to open first and after this year i'm not sure that will happen.
The best place for him would be in one of the Florida schools but all the major ones have new coaching staffs in place so i don't see that happening in the next 2 years. (maybe FSU they deserve a terrible coach after what they did to Bobby Bowden) Possibly USF if Brian Kelly losses a few more games this year and they go after Skip Holtz. Rich just needs to be patient and wait for a job he has a good chance at.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^
Kelly is not going to be fired this season..even if he loses every game left.
October 11th, 2011 at 3:09 AM ^
Speaking as a student at Arizona, I would absolutely love to have Rich come coach here. As far as tradition--everything is solved by winning. Unfortunately, I do not think RR would take the job, and I think the athletic department here will look to throw money at a higher caliber candidate, even if that not be the case.
October 11th, 2011 at 3:13 AM ^
Arizona isn't the easiest place to recruit. I still think the UGA job would be a best-case scenario for RR at this time. Mark Richt's days are numbered there, and he is going to have to perform quite well to keep his job.
UGA's SEC schedule this year is about as easy as it gets in that conference. UT and UF are down this year, and Auburn isn't what they were last year, either. They don't play Bama or Arkansas. If Richt can keep his team from losing to UF and UT, and beat rival Ga Tech, he might keep his job. Unfortunately for Richt, it feels like he is about to get the boot unless he runs the table from here on out and wins a bowl.
Wherever RR lands, I hope he is given the full resources and cooperation of his new school. It would be fun to see him land at a school where he can bring a lot of good recruits in and then actually get to stay long enough to coach them as seniors.
October 11th, 2011 at 3:22 AM ^
I often hear claims that Rich somehow needs to coach in a talent-rich area such as Florida or the south in general. Deferring to Calvin Magee (read Brian's post today: Magee claimed that they won without much talent), I think this is a misconception. Spread 101 dictates that the spread offense compensates for personnel deficiencies by equalizing the field. Rodriguez needs players who can learn to execute his system, not players of superior talent.
The flaw in my argument is the Lombardi claim ("Vince Lombardi couldn't coach this defense..."). Once again, the WVU team that Rodriguez rode to success was not exactly chock -full of talent. I'd sooner interpret this as a subtle jab at GERG. I think Rodriguez could be successful almost anywhere and do it with less talent than he had at Michigan.
October 11th, 2011 at 7:01 AM ^
That is all...
October 11th, 2011 at 7:01 AM ^
That is all...
October 11th, 2011 at 11:25 AM ^
no way UGA hires RR. Richt has Bo-like numbers over a long run and UGA might be best served to let him continue unless this team tanks AND/OR they can hit that elusive home run hire. RR's baggage upon leaving WV and with stretch gate are going to be a factor in where he lands.
Ole Miss seems like a decent fit for RR or I could see Louisville, possibly UK. RR and Cal would be a pair of deuces, and maybe Castell would go to UK?
Arizona should go all peyote-astral plane and hire the HAWK.
October 11th, 2011 at 4:36 AM ^
Seems like the obvious fit. They just fired their coach a couple months will be looking for a new one at the end of the year. The ACC isn't that tough and North Carolina has shown over the last few years that you can pull in top 15 classes on a regular basis. Also, since NC doesn't have a lot of football history they might be willing to hire a riskier high upside guy who has recruited the area before.
As mentioned above Georgia and South Carolina could be in play if their coaches decide to leave after this year as well.
If I were Arizona I would throw a bunch of money at Malzahn and hope he bites, but UCLA might already be thinking the same thing.
October 11th, 2011 at 8:18 AM ^
There's no way that North Carolina would even look at RR. He took one of the cleanest programs in the country (we presume) and got them put on probation within two years. WVU suffered from RR violations, too. UNC has too many NCAA issues right now to even look at him.
I just don't see RR getting a high profile job anytime soon. He may get USF (if Holtz moves on) or UCF or possibly NCSU but that's about his ceiling at this point.
Michigan was horrible from the minute he got on campus and they returned to respectablility almost the minute that he left. Sure, there were some growing pains and circumstances involved but this is not a complete coincidence. He will most likely have a chance to rebuild his career but it's going to take some time.
October 11th, 2011 at 4:54 AM ^
dude! we just broke up!! how can RR even think about hooking up with someone else? such a douche
October 11th, 2011 at 6:46 AM ^
I would say that there are better fits for him out there, primarily in the southeastern part of the US because of his ties, but a mid-range program like Arizona (but probably not Arizona per se) is likely where his next HC job would be. I don't see him in the Pac-100.
October 11th, 2011 at 7:11 AM ^
I'll always root for Rich Rod. He's kind of the ultimate underdog in my book.
October 11th, 2011 at 7:29 AM ^
he would make a better OC at a bigger program and let the memories of the debacle at Michigan fade away. I haven't received my copy of the book yet, but I think RR would be the perfect OC at a bigger school with somewhat lesser academic standards than Michigan and in the South to Southeast.
Arizona would not be that school in my mind.
October 11th, 2011 at 10:28 AM ^
I agree with you even though I would think that a lesser big east team would hire him as a head coach.
October 11th, 2011 at 7:34 AM ^
I don't think Rich goes there. I think Mike Leach or Mark Richt. RR to Georgia?
October 11th, 2011 at 7:47 AM ^
If AZ was going to roll the dice I'd assume it would be on Leach. AZ is decently close to areas Leach had success recruiting from and Leach had a winning record at his program in the region. With RR you're hiring a guy who is on the other side of the country from his recruiting base and did not perform well in a top tier conference.
I liked the idea that RR would end up at one of the smaller schools that joined the Big East. They'd have more patience and he has proven success at that level. Also RR seems to function best as kind of the founder and builder of the program. Where he can do things his way, instead of hearing "But Bo..." 100 times a day. He can rebuild his rep there and then see what the future holds.
October 11th, 2011 at 8:26 AM ^
help get him that new job quicker.
October 11th, 2011 at 9:48 AM ^
I hope so. I'd root for his teams as long as they weren't rivals.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
Why does Bacon say he's pissed about the book?
October 11th, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^
Maybe. Maybe not. ADs do not want bad press or baggage. Obviously Rodriguez had no real hand in Three and Out getting published, unlike Leach's book, but it may not serve his coaching interests to have that information out there.
October 11th, 2011 at 9:14 AM ^
Arizona football in the PAC is equivalent to IU in the B1G. I would think RR has the smarts to avoid that situation.
October 11th, 2011 at 9:27 AM ^
Please no... /shudder
October 11th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
This firing was premature unless there was something going on behind the scenes. They were struggling this year in an obvious rebuilding situation with an all-new OL and a mostly new defense, but Stoops had just put together 3 straight winning seasons at a school that had 4 straight losing seasons before he got there. This will likely hurt U of A's ability to get a replacement if losing was the only issue.
I think RR would be a decent fit there. Nick Foles doesn't fit into his offense, but he's a senior. California and Texas produce more than enough quick little guys for him to recruit. His regional background would not be an issue, as most people in Arizona are from somewhere else and no one gives a damn about "outsiders".
October 11th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
Fans here regard Stoops as a winning coach but one with a ceiling of eight wins. The AD will look for a coach who they believe can take the next step.
October 11th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^
Kind of a rash move by AU, but you need to keep those cute coeds interested in football less they go back to sitting in hot tubs and really wanting to have relations with a version of me that is 10 years younger and not married.
Also, RR will probably stick around in the east, simply because all of his recruiting and experience is east of the Mississippi.
October 11th, 2011 at 1:26 PM ^
The question I'd be asking him would about his role in the disarray of the Michigan defense and special teams. That's what should keep him from getting hired right away in another high-profile job -- the possibility that his success at WVU was the anomaly, and the good offense, bad defense program that he developed at Michigan will be the norm for him.
October 11th, 2011 at 5:13 PM ^
numerous reports are out there of sightings of RichRod on campus at Memphis ... and these weren't just from people who knew someone who saw him. Even local reporters in Memphis pretty much speak as though it happened.
He'd be a better fit for Memphis - since Memphis is being considered for the BigEast - primarily for their basketball. RichRod knows the BigEast and will have an easier time recruiting his typical Florida kids to a town like Memphis. it's also a given basically that Memphis will be firing coach Lary Porter this season.