Now that the Gus bus has wrecked let’s look at the candidates.
Norvell- should not be hired for a salary higher than 3.5 million.
I think he would have to show a staff that has SEC experience and knows what they are doing.
I still do not think he is ready and we’d be in a similar position soon.
Morris- 3 Million tops.
Respected as an offensive mind.
Has slowly turned SMU around.
Not overly impressive though.
Venables- Why is he not a HC? What’s the reason?
Kiffin- best recruiter.
Best option to build an SEC experienced staff.
Risky as in how long he’s stay, but as a coach he’s the best option.
Venables hasn’t gone after HC openings. Per the man himself, the last time he interviewed for a HC job was with us in 2012, presumably at the coaches’ meeting where we wound up with BB anyway.
The lack of stability alone is plenty of reason to stay away from Kiffin. We’re never going to get where we want to be if we keep changing coaches every 3-4-5 years.
I’ve just heard rumors that there is something that blackballs Venables as a HC, true or not I don’t know?
I agree on stability, that’s why I’m very worried about the three other names, you have two relatively unproven guys, and a liability.
Now, has lane changed? Possibly, he did fine at Alabama, said it’s the same s receiving a graduate degree in coaching. I think learning under Saban is extremely valuable. Of the other three he’s the one worth the risk to me.
I’ll support whoever, but no matter why I’m probably going to be highly skeptical, unless there’s a better guy we don’t know about.
Get Kiffin even if he stays two years then maybe all of us could get behind smith or Norvell I’m not convinced either is ready for the big time that sec football is.
Mike Leach has been at crappy schools and made them winners. Image he could do much better at a school with great facilities and a generous budget for athletics. He brought two cellar dwellers up because he does more with less. How about much more with more!
I’ve just heard rumors that there is something that blackballs Venables as a HC, true or not I don’t know?
[/quote]I don’t think he has been “blackballed”. But I do think that word has gotten around, after multiple interviews across several years, that he is more of a ‘career assistant’ than a HC. A very good coordinator level assistant; but, none-the-less, not a HC.
There have been many of these over the years, most of which we never hear of because MOST fans don’t know about these guys who serve as assistants for 30 years.
It’s not unlike many industries - a “top worker” is assumed to be next in line for management, and most of the executives do indeed come from folks that were worker bees originally. But, as in coaching, not everyone is cut out to be - or really desires (once they’ve experienced it) being a manager instead of a “do-er”. You see that in Sales - a LOT.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a top coordinator, and these days one of those can make a very nice living ($500,000 - $1.5M). Some, especially early in their careers, assume they NEED to become a HC. But, once they try it - or really look at what the HC has to do (with boosters, media, University Regents, etc), they find out it’s not really what they want to do.
I’ve had Venables slotted with that group for a few years now. I don’t know the guy personally, but this is what he seems to be, to me.