OT: All signs seem to indicate RR will get Casteel
For those of you who don't want to read about RR anymore, please skip this thread before it turns into a "not our coach" bitch session.
Probably after the game tonight Casteel will make his move to join RR in Arizona. The fact that he hasn't named one, yet, seems to be an obvious sign that RR was willing to wait until after WV plays tonight.
I also was on a flight with a WVU sports management grad student who said the athletic dept. believes Casteel is gone, as well.
If true, could be a great get for RR. Hope it works out.
RR's first Pac 12 game next year will be against Oregon - rough way to start.
http://www.eerinsider.com/2012-articles/january/casteel-set-to-leave-af…
EDIT: sorry, I put this into the wrong section. please move into Mgoboard.
January 4th, 2012 at 7:28 PM ^
Casteel's gone from being the heir apparent under an over-his-head Stewart to a coordinator with no future at the school under Holgerson...aside from the prevalent rumors of friction between the two (understandable under the circumstances).
January 4th, 2012 at 7:39 PM ^
Holgorsen seems like he would be a dick to work for.
January 4th, 2012 at 9:05 PM ^
To be fair, he inherited a minor personnel clusterf*ck at West Virginia considering that the transition from Stewart to himself was rather clumsy from a PR standpoint. It doesn't give him the right to look a bit uptight on the sidelines, but I suppose I can't totally blame him at the same time. The "coach to be" thing just doesn't work when egos are involved.
January 4th, 2012 at 9:08 PM ^
The guy looks like a belligerent drunk on the sideline. I wonder what he's like when he's really drunk (which is apparently often). He also came off as a prick when he publicly complained about students not showing up early enough to the games. He said something to the effect of, "You want to talk about elite programs, LSU is an elite program. I don't know about this place."
January 4th, 2012 at 8:17 PM ^
...when the heir apparent is passed over for an outsider or when the choice is finally made between two possible heirs, the coach not chosen usually has to go, for the program's sake as well as his own. They can be great guys with all the good will in the world and it's still going to be awkward.
January 4th, 2012 at 9:01 PM ^
I don't necessarily agree that Casteel was the heir apparent. He seems to be content being a career coordinator. Bacon says that about Casteel in the book (though I'm not sure what he's basing that on, since he never actually talked to Casteel). Casteel has been considered a top DC for a while now, so if he wanted to be a head coach, he would have tried to position himself for a head coaching job much earlier on. When Holgorsen was brought on as the HC in waiting, he asked Casteel and all of the defensive staff to stay. I don't think he would have done that if Casteel was a candidate for the job that eventually went to Holgorsen.
I think Casteel agreed to stay on because he didn't anticipate that working for Holgorsen would be any worse than working for Rodriguez or Stewart. I think he realized Holgorsen was a dick as the year went on.
January 4th, 2012 at 10:50 PM ^
January 4th, 2012 at 11:55 PM ^
I was thinking about Fickell as I wrote that. I was also thinking about Carr/Miles.
Maybe I've misread the situation but I'll be surprised if Fickell actually stays. I think he'll get a HC offer somewhere and I expect him to take it when it comes.
January 5th, 2012 at 1:48 AM ^
I don't think it's emasculating, and I don't even think most people see it that way. Keep in mind that Fickell is only 38 years old, whereas Meyer is 47. If I were him, I would relish the opportunity to stay on as an assistant and learn from one of the best coaches in the game. Fickell was unexpectedly thrust into the top job out of necessity. He probably wants to be a permanent head coach at some point, but he's not ready now.
January 5th, 2012 at 9:47 AM ^
Fickell has two options at this point. Go out and try to basically replicate the path of Brady Hoke or stay home and wait for Meyer to have more health issues (aka get caught nailing grad students by his wife). The issue with replicating the path of Brady Hoke is you have to struggle to avoid a career killing school. All it takes is one mid major school with a shitty AD and your career can be killed early on.
Whereas at tOSU he is the DC of the top school in a top talent producing state. All he has to do is put good defenses on the field and make it clear he's growing as a coach and he has a solid shot at replacing Meyer or jumping right into another BCS job in a few years.
I'd say Fickell is fairly smart to hang out at tOSU until he is in his early 40s. At which point if Meyer looks like he'll be a long term fixture then Fickell can see if any of the bigger schools are hiring. Or if Meyer looks to be heading rapidly for retirement, he can wait.
January 4th, 2012 at 7:30 PM ^
According to Bacon's book WVU offered Casteel a small raise and a contract to stay. Michigan (read Bill Martin) refused to match either of those things.
The difference between the UM and WVU offer was only $10k, IIRC. Surely Michigan with its $262 million dollar stadium rennovation and multibillion dollar endowment could find $10k to match WVU's offer? If I were Casteel I would have felt insulted.
January 4th, 2012 at 10:05 PM ^
What are we talking about, a 3 or 4% difference in annual salary, with Michigan having the advantage in terms of national profile and resources? If he wanted to be at Michigan $10,000 wouldn't have made a difference. If he wanted to be at Michigan he wouldn't have made it a bidding war or listened to counteroffers. If he wanted to be at Michigan, he would have been at Michigan. If Rodriguez really wanted him, he wouldn't have let 10,000 stop him. Just like a corporation, the powers depend on the front line guy to propose the deals that they need, to tell them what needs to be done. They don't sit back and get in blind bidding wars.
January 4th, 2012 at 7:38 PM ^
More important than Casteel for Arizona is that Tony Gibson and his distinct style of yell-coaching will be presiding over a secondary that finished 118th in pass defense in 2011.
January 4th, 2012 at 10:09 PM ^
Here here.
January 4th, 2012 at 7:43 PM ^
and then he still sucks.
January 4th, 2012 at 8:18 PM ^
The nerve of him. Giving everything he had as the head coach of Michigan football, with all of his contributions. What an asshole. I love wishing our ex-coaches ill will.
January 5th, 2012 at 8:39 AM ^
How old are you, three? I can understand people not being happy with the records RR had while at UM but anything more than that boggles my mind. The guy busted his ass for this program and did so under some pretty difficult circumstances. Many would even say he wasn't given a fair shake and yet still he tried everything he could to stay on as HC.
Honestly, I wouldn't have blamed RR if he chose to quit after the OSU game when most people felt it was inevitable that he would be fired. That would have given him time to find a new gig while the iron was hot instead of sticking with DB's timeline which made it impossible to do so.
I won't lie, I loved RR and supported him throughout his time at UM. I knew after the bowl game it was time for him to leave and I couldn't be happier at how things have turned out for UM. I can also understand why people weren't happy with the product he delivered here, but to turn that into a personal hatred so intense that you would wish that person fails in his lifes work is insane to me.
January 4th, 2012 at 8:16 PM ^
Even if they do suck, it still won't matter. He'll just blame his players.
January 4th, 2012 at 8:19 PM ^
This is great news. Best of luck to him in AZ.
January 4th, 2012 at 8:33 PM ^
I am very glad for both Rich AND the board. Because either way the issue of what might have been will be settled if JC heads west. If the defense sucks then the faction that thinks it wouldn't have matter will be vindicated. If the defense does well (and i think it will) then the people like me who think JC would've made a huge difference here will have their day.
BTW...just got home from New Orleans and need to rest up and dry out. My 52 year old body just took a very nice three day pounding of too much food, too much booze and not enough sleep. But it was SO worth it......
January 4th, 2012 at 8:44 PM ^
Barwis, Magee, Dews and Casteel! But who's going to play drums?
I hope Michigan plays Arizona in the Rose Bowl someday.
January 4th, 2012 at 10:11 PM ^
Admittedly, I don't ever watch West Virginia but their defense is far from impressive tonight. Clemson has oer 300 yards and the first half isn't over yet.
January 4th, 2012 at 11:24 PM ^
there is one thing you can bet the house on, the zona offense will be fun to watch.
remember, the only reason why we have D. Rob and D. Gardner is because of RR.
January 5th, 2012 at 1:34 AM ^
January 5th, 2012 at 4:12 AM ^
Said it better myself. I have hated Lloyd with a passion for many many years and my hate just continues to grow.
January 5th, 2012 at 1:55 AM ^
If Arizona works out a deal with Casteel, Bill Martin looks like even more of a jackass than he already did. I mean, ARIZONA is paying a DC more than MICHIGAN was willing to. Unreal.
January 5th, 2012 at 9:04 AM ^
Desert Swarm!
January 5th, 2012 at 9:30 AM ^
This topic goes here http://forum.goazcats.com/
It's an easy enough mistake to make. I myself will be tempted to do a full page writeup when they get curbstomped by Colorado.
For the record though, good luck to RR and coach Lombardi-er-Casteel.
January 5th, 2012 at 9:42 AM ^
don't be a jerk.