FAU interviews Luke Fickell for HC Job
http://m.cbssports.com/s/36901/60?arenaAbbr=ncaaf&arenaName=College%20F…
November 6th, 2013 at 2:27 PM ^
it pretty good at OSU right now - and maybe could be considered a Coach in Waiting - he was already interim coach once - would probably be a good option for them if Urban decides he's had enough in the next 3 years (which I feel would be more likely if he wins a NC).
November 6th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^
That he and Urban haven't necessarily gotten along, partially because of the performance as far as fundamentals are concerned with the defense for the majority of last year and for the better part of the first half this year. I'm also guessing he's not happy being a "co-DC"
November 6th, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^
Hadn't heard that - but then again, I don't pay the closest attention to what is going on in the coaching ranks at other schools.
Thanks for the feedback!
November 7th, 2013 at 9:15 AM ^
has NFL talent on defense like Roby, Shazier, Spence, Washington, etc. and isn't performing up to their potential doesn't help either.
November 6th, 2013 at 2:50 PM ^
Fickell's about as well liked as Borges, except that Fickell hasn't cost us a game (yet). Fickell's also itching to be a head coach again, and there are rumors that Urban is pushing him forward in his career.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:20 PM ^
Would they go outside or promote Withers to play-caller? I know Withers had a ton of talent to UNC but his defenses were never that productive.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:34 PM ^
No idea, but I think Withers is probably on a short leash too, given the issues with pass defense.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:46 PM ^
Urban threw Fickell a bone when he kept him around two years ago (though, he is not as disliked as the Buckeye fan above insinuates and has done a pretty darn good job in the past two years all things considered). If Urban thinks the best man for the job is currently on staff, then he will promote from within. If not, he will look elsewhere. Either way, he is going to go through the process and he won't be throwing anyone bones this time around.
November 6th, 2013 at 10:15 PM ^
Urban will not hesitate for a minute to bring in new staffer if it helps him win. That is the way it is when you are at the top and want to stay there. Hoke should take notice.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:59 PM ^
Fickell definitely takes a lot of heat from Buckeye fans, but it should be noted that OSU's defense currently is ranked 9th nationally in total defense and 10th nationally in scoring defense for this year.
He's certainly earning his paycheck this year, even if fans like to fixate on a couple of bad games last year.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
Don't kid yourself. Urban is going to be the Ohio coach for a long time. I don't like it, you don't like it, but that is what will happen. He will keep winning and will only get fired if something bad goes down, like illegal benefits or something like that. You don't leave that program for another job because quite frankly, it's a destination job.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:49 PM ^
Depends on your opinion of the guy. If you think he is a scumbag who left UF because he was running a shady program and he feared that he would never beat Nick Saban then, yea, he will probably be at OSU for a while. If you believe that he retired because he genuinely believed that he owed it to his family and was genuinly concerned about his health then who knows? He could be gone next year.
November 6th, 2013 at 10:56 PM ^
Wow you must think highly of him.
November 7th, 2013 at 7:42 AM ^
Maybe I am naive when I take it very seriously when a man ends up in the hospital, quits his job and wants to spend more time with his family. I imagine it would take something very serious to make you quit when you have reached the pinnacle of your profession. If you believe that, it is not so far fetched to think it could happen again?
November 6th, 2013 at 4:03 PM ^
If you're responding to me, I'm fine with Urban as HC and I hope he stays forever, or at least until Tom Herman is ready to replace him.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:50 PM ^
Florida was a destination job too. He left because he's a flake. I could see him being at OSU no longer than 7-8 years.
November 6th, 2013 at 8:32 PM ^
Florida is not a destination job.
Notre Dame, USC, Texas, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Alabma are destination jobs.
November 6th, 2013 at 9:06 PM ^
huh? Why is UF not a destination job?
November 6th, 2013 at 2:29 PM ^
Interesting. I had no idea that FAU existed in a time warp in which 2011 didn't happen.
November 6th, 2013 at 2:35 PM ^
They, like, saw that guy crater as a HC right?
I'm really surprised Urban kept him on staff when he was hired after seeing his interim HC season. Talent for days on that team and coaching that looked like it was collectively caught gratifying itself to a JC Penney catalog by its grandma.
November 6th, 2013 at 2:52 PM ^
Fickell threw himself on a grenade in 2011. He's a defensive coach, and he didn't have any time to bring in a real offensive coaching staff to replace Tressel. I question whether anyone could have been successful in that position.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:07 PM ^
Definitely agree here. I don't have anything against Fickell, and I admire him stepping up in 2011. If he goes to FAU, I wish him luck. If he stays at OSU, I hope he fails miserably.
November 6th, 2013 at 10:58 PM ^
I agree with you 100%. The man took talent from a 12-1 team and a 12-0 team and managed to go 6-7. He was in a tough situation, but he was horrrrrrrrrrible. From QB development to defense to clock management. Nothing he did was even above average.
November 6th, 2013 at 11:09 PM ^
The defense is the reason we won six games. Bollman is the reason we lost 7. Goo goo goo joob. Not to mention, who on that staff could have done better? Dick Tressel? Nick Siciliano?
November 7th, 2013 at 1:39 PM ^
The defense that year was not good. Ypu can't argue that it was.
November 7th, 2013 at 2:26 AM ^
I can't believe no one has addressed that metaphor yet. Well, I'll leave it be as well. Majestic.
November 6th, 2013 at 2:38 PM ^
This would not be good. Fickell's D should of already cost them some games but hasn't because their offense is the hotness and, of course, their lack of a real schedule.
November 6th, 2013 at 2:39 PM ^
Not surprising, OSU insiders are passing along consensus rumors that Meyer is going to give him an epically firm handshake, a gold watch, a slap on the back and show him the door the moment the bowl game is over. Vrabel, on the other hand, isn't going anywhere. Meyer loves him.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:07 PM ^
Can you imagine if they give Fickell the "good luck in your future endeavors" handshake and we KEEP Borges? As if the way the two programs and their last head coaching vacancies were handled was not a depressing enough dichotomy.
They want to win. We just want "Michigan Men."
November 6th, 2013 at 3:32 PM ^
There is simply no way to tell if Borges will be a productive OC here until next year. All right?
November 6th, 2013 at 3:46 PM ^
Yeah. there is. Look at his nomad career track and point to the time where things were really rolling in Year 4, even though he usually doesn't even last that long. The man gets worse. Auburn to out of football to San Diego State. There's a reason that path happened.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:01 PM ^
So did Brian Kelly. Both have hadforu head coaching jobs and multiple assistant jobs. Multiple coaching jobs is not necessarily a sign of poor quality.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:32 PM ^
Not remotely the same. Meyer and Kelly have climbed the ladder in every move. They left for BETTER programs. Borges has not and has been canned at a few spots.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:45 PM ^
He also did leave IU for Auburn. So he has made "climbs".
I'm not a huge Borges fan, but you guys are warping the record a bit to make an argument.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:53 PM ^
Please tell me you didn't just go there. He came to Michigan with Brady Hoke, who made a quantum leap himself based partly on him having two good seasons (2008 Ball State, 2010 SDSU) but HUGELY based on Michigan's internal politics.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:28 PM ^
San Diego State had a great offense by year 2. What you on about?
November 6th, 2013 at 3:33 PM ^
are so true and pathetic that I literally figuratively vomited.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^
It isn't entirely shocking that Pat Chun would go immediately to Ohio State to look for a potential replacement for Carl Pelini. I believe Chun worked at OSU for many years before taking the FAU position anyway.
The Sun Sentinel article had more information - (HERE). Pat Chun was quoted here:
“I am a firm believer that this job is a different job from when Carl took over,” Chun said. “Conference USA, the stadium is the host of a bowl game, we’re trying to fix a couple of things over at the Oxley [FAU’s football facility]. I know the caliber of candidate that this job will attract, so I’m excited about what the next chapter will be. At the end of the day, it’s on me to go find someone who can take this program to another step.”
November 6th, 2013 at 3:20 PM ^
Always thought that Fickell would be farmed out to a MAC school for a HC job if Tatgate never happened to be groomed for a possible return down the road. I do think he was kept around for a reward for "stepping up" after it went down in Cbus and also for "knowing where the bodies are buried" good and bad for that program.
As far as not being a Buckeye fan and can look at that team with a unbiased eye. The last two years have been the worst Buckeye defenses in my forty years of life. So I'm sure as UW has said and Duck Dynasty has taught us "He Gone".
November 6th, 2013 at 3:22 PM ^
NOT a good thing. If Fickell leaves, Urban is going to hire a Greg Mattison level DC. Keep Fickell in Columbus!
November 6th, 2013 at 3:59 PM ^
Said the same thing
November 6th, 2013 at 3:31 PM ^
I think Fickell would be perfect for the Miami (NTM or YTM I'm not even sure around here anymore which Ohio or Miami is ever being talked about) head coaching job. Go to a MAC school for a few years, cut your teeth, go to a BCS school and get paid, then come back to OSU when you have some good experience as a head coach.
I believe he was kept on when Meyer came in because a) he was being rewarded for stepping up in 2011 b) he helped keep some consistency and information about the current roster and c) he and Vrabro were pretty much a package deal, which I'll be interested to see if Vrabs leaves with him when he goes as I think Meyer and Vrabel have developed a bro-mance now too.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:40 PM ^
send them to East Lansing. I wouldn't mind a few coaches leaving there.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:58 PM ^
from Bowling Green to Utah to Florida, most of his DC's and OC's are either gone to the NFL or have HC coaching positions now:
Not all of them are terrific success stories as HC's (BGSU DC Tim Beckmann now HC at Illinois).
http://www.hustlebelt.com/2012/7/17/3166251/the-2002-bowling-green-football-coaching-tree-is-amazing
Then there is the story of Charlie Strong, DC at Florida and now HC at Louisville.
Luke Fickell isn't a spring chicken. The dude coached under DC Jim Heacock for several years at Ohio.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:47 PM ^
He played at OSU in the 90's.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:24 PM ^
I don't like Ohio in the slightest, but I credit Fickell for jumping on the grenade for them. I hope he takes the FAU job and has success there.
November 6th, 2013 at 4:56 PM ^
Per 11W, Tim May tweets that reports of Fickell interviewing there are erroneous.
November 6th, 2013 at 5:36 PM ^
Even if he hasn't interviewed yet, it is generally accepted that he will be asked to interview at some point.
The FAU AD worked at OSU for years and has basically stated that Fickell is the top candidate. Whether Fickell will take the job is certainly up in the air though.
November 6th, 2013 at 6:23 PM ^
I just heard a snippet on the Columbus TV news saying Fickell didn't interview, and Urb said something like "he (Fickell) didn't interview; he'd better not have."