Bo Pelini Vote
I hadn't thought of him until I listened to Brian's podcast, but he's my #1 choice right now by a land slide.
With all the returning starters I think we can still win the Big Ten next year.
1. Defense-With all the returning players he can make a big, instant impact on the defense and with his rep and Michigan's name he could lock down some big name d recruits down the stretch and bring a few from his class to jump start our recruiting Mojo.
2. Offense- Don't think he is married to any one style but he ran as close an offense to ours as anyone last year.
3. Style-Similar emotional style to RR might help in player retention.
4. Dick Factor- He'll take the Freep and skull fuck them.
January 6th, 2011 at 10:46 PM ^
we steal their coach.
They still owe us.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:44 PM ^
He makes less money than RR made and DB is talking about paying more than that to bring someone in. We could double his salary without making him the highest paid coach in college football.
Bielema played at Iowa and coaches at Wiscsonsin. Bo (YTB) was an assistant at OSU.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
I thought this same thing while listening to the podcast.
I'm not sure if he will even be considered, but he seems to be exactly what we're looking for right now.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:18 PM ^
he seems like a monumental prick.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:19 PM ^
So does Belichick.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
disagree slightly on Belichick but speaking more generally but I have a firm "no assholes even if they'd win a million games" policy.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:35 PM ^
or have him coach your team?
January 6th, 2011 at 5:13 PM ^
Belichik is the icy cold type of prick who is eminently in control of his emotions. A bit like Saban, perhaps.
Bo Pellini is more the latter stages of an angel dust binge type of prick ... not that I'm necessarily opposed to his hiring. I'd love to see him actually scare the shit out of Rosenberg in a presser.
January 6th, 2011 at 6:33 PM ^
I'd love to see him actually scare the shit out of Rosenberg in a presser.
bring him in and let him loose.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:16 PM ^
January 7th, 2011 at 4:13 AM ^
would there be a discussion calibrating levels of prick
Guess that's the draw for me,,,,sick?
January 6th, 2011 at 3:34 PM ^
I don't have a problem with our next coach being a monumental prick.
Do you honestly think Harbaugh isn't a pretty huge prick? Nice guys finish last.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:44 PM ^
Don't answer that.
I think Harbaugh and Pelini are very different though. One is a pretty self-satisfied jerk but also a guy who his players seem to have genuine affection for. Pelini on the other hand looks like he's just an asshole.
I would take Harbaugh in a heartbeat on both the resume and personality fronts.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:05 PM ^
Right now, do we really need to worry about if our next Head Coach is a complete asshole or not? If the guy is a winner and does not cheat at the game then I'd say go for him.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:18 PM ^
I don't think having a raving lunatic (as Pelini appears to be) roaming the sidelines helps you recruit and in turn makes it harder to win games. I'm also not all that convinced that Pelini is a guy that will be winning loads of games long term. He inherited the perfect situation where the last coach was a great recruiter (SEE Mr. Suh) but a shitty coach (SEE Bob Stoops' luck at Oklahoma as well). Everyone embraced him and gives him the benefit of the doubt there when all he's really done is win the Big 12 North twice. Gary Barnett did that 4 out of his last 5 years at Colorado and still got fired.
So for me, the jury is still out on Pelini the head coach. I could see a rude awakening in the Big Ten next year.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:13 PM ^
He might get a rude awakening, but it won't be next year. Michigan is down. MSU is overrated and has been destroyed by good defenses. Iowa loses a bunch of seniors. Minnesota and Northwestern.
January 6th, 2011 at 6:36 PM ^
Bo wasn't exactly calm on the sidelines. In fact, he looked alot like Pelini on the sidelines. Remember, both Bos came from the same part of Ohio.
January 6th, 2011 at 9:05 PM ^
Google the guy and even the first page has plenty of "he's an asshole" links. I don't know if we want controversy from the start again. Beyond that, Harbaugh might be an asshole, but he's a Michigan asshole (not a Buckhole).
January 6th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^
I had to answer.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:09 PM ^
for exactly that reason.
January 6th, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
We don't need angry internet message board level prick, but slightly enraged head coach level prick is always a plus in my book. Although, he may have to tone it down somewhat as "kids these days" don't really like to be told to work hard, especially those who transfer to OSU: cough-cough Boren cough.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
This would not be a good thing to resore our integrity - hire a nutcase with anger issues?
January 6th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
Why would Bo Pelini leave Nebraska for Michigan right now? I just don't see it happening.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:36 PM ^
I don't think he gets along with the AD at Nebraska very well. Not to mention money. He makes less than RR made and Brandon is talking about paying lumps of cash to someone to come in here.
January 7th, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
You're right. I realized after I posted that Osborne was the AD there. When I read articles, sometimes they don't have titles listed before the names so I rely on context to figure it out.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
I actually cringed when I first heard Bo Pelini the other day but I seriously think he wouldn't be a bad hire. He definitely would not be my first choice but he would do some good -- Ohio ties, defensive guy, coached with Les Miles and is now clashing a bit with Nebraska's AD. He could quite possibly be interested if called.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:19 PM ^
As much as I respect both Pelini, and Fitzgerald, I'd rather not take a head coach from another Big Ten team. Makes me feel weird thinking about it.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:13 PM ^
I think it would be fun. The last time we poached a Bo from within the conference, it turned into a hell of a rivalry. Why not up the ante and create another one by swiping Pelini?
January 6th, 2011 at 10:11 PM ^
I doubt he comes after a few years in the B1G, but in transition it's for sure fair game.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:35 PM ^
I think I just crapped my pants.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:20 PM ^
No way it would happen so why even discuss? Oh yeah...we're like Notre Dame now....
January 6th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
Bob Stoops. Now we're Notre Dame.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:46 PM ^
I heard Gruden's name come up way before you mentioned Stoops. That is the official "We are ND" barrier and we blew through it days ago.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
Also, after someone threw KC Keeler's name on the board the other day, I think I would be happy with him leading our squad. He has a very similar resume to the one Tressel had before he came to OSU. He's 50ish, so still has probably 20 years in him. He already coaches a team with wings... He played LB, we could definitely use an upgrade in coaching at that position... etc..
January 6th, 2011 at 3:56 PM ^
I also think Keeler would be a great fit. He runs the spread and is very well respected. I grew up in the Youngstown area when Tressel was punting babies for National Titles in 1-AA and Keeler's "aura" in the Philly area (I live here now) is similar.
I believe he signed a contract extension that has him @ Deleware until 2019, but I'm too lazy too google. Either way, Michigan should easily be able to triple his salary.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:13 PM ^
double post, argh.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:16 PM ^
I think the problem you run into with Keeler is getting him here. I think he would be a great hire, but he is to Delaware what Pat Fitz is to NW, except he has won a NC. The guy played at UD and is a coach that is taking them to their third NC appearance under him since 2002. Does he want to go from the local hero and big man on campus to a relative villain (yes, I have a hard time believing people wouldn't vilify a hire like that)?
January 6th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^
He also coached a Division 3 powerhouse at Rowan before moving to Delaware. I think the more knowledgable fans could certainly get on board with that kind of track record (especially with what I expect to be immediate success barring major departures for whoever comes in).
Not sure a guy like that is on the radar especially after the "we'll pay top dollar" statements from DB, but not somebody who would/should be vilified if we go after him.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:27 PM ^
I think it would be less villifying for keeler than rodriguez when he left WVU because WVU was viewed as a good BCS level job. i think people here would be a little bit more understanding because he'd jumping from FCS to BCS
however, delawarians don't have much else to hang their hat on than UD football
January 6th, 2011 at 6:16 PM ^
just found this article today
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110103/SPORTS07/101030328
it's 3 days old and keeler says he's set but i found this the most interesting part
Keeler has drawn attention from I-A schools in the past. That included Michigan, whom Keeler said had contacted him after UD's run to the national championship game in 2007, where it lost to Appalachian State. "That whole Michigan thing was for real," Keeler said. "If [current coach Rich] Rodriguez hadn't taken the job, I was one of three they were going to bring in for an interview. That was Michigan. That was pretty flattering."
Not sure if that's 100% true but I never heard that we had looked at him 3 years ago. doesn't sound like he's moving
January 6th, 2011 at 8:32 PM ^
I just can't see this happening. This would be totally different than bringing in Tressel in from Youngstown St. Prior to going to Youngstown St, Tressel spent 11 years as an assistant at DI, including his last three years at Ohio State. Also, almost all of his career was spent in the Midwest meaning that he understood the region and recruiting there.
Keeler on the other hand has never coached at DI at all. His only experience is on the East Coast with Amherst, Rowan and Delaware. Also, outside of this year (where they've made the FCS finals), his season record since 2005 are as follows: 5-6, 11-4, 4-8, 6-5-- hardly anything to write home about. The 11-4 season was Joe Flacco's senior year, while this season is Pat Devlin's senior year-- so when he has won recently he's had the advantage of big time transfers from D1 schools and suffered otherwise. Hell, until this year he hadn't even finsihed higher than 3rd in his conference since 2005.
A 50-year old career FCS guy with no DI experience, no experience west of New Jersey, who has one conference title in the last five years? This may be the only candidate they could hire that would make me wonder if Brady Hoke wasn't available.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
Good one
January 6th, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
Why don't we go after Dantonio and JoPa too?
/S
January 6th, 2011 at 3:21 PM ^
I know DB hinted that money is no object, but it seems like a lot of coaches that are being brought up (Mullen, Pelini, Miles, Patterson) have signed large contract extensions in the past few years, which implies they're going to be with their programs for the long run.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:26 PM ^
You think that matters to coaches? They're mercenaries, by and large.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
hiring away a conference head coach like Pelini or Fitzgerald seems to be bad blood. Like the RR WV meltdown x 100.
Assistant coaches - sure - does anyone know of a college head coach bailing (not fired) and going to a conference team that worked out?
January 6th, 2011 at 4:05 PM ^
If you want to go back a lot further, Bruce Snyder left Cal for Arizona State and took them to the Rose Bowl.