I do not doubt you one second on this, Richard. Just as I don’t doubt the reports a week or so back that Dan Mullen assured his team he wasn’t leaving MSU.
Nonetheless, this gives us two 100% correct pieces of information. 1. That Gus is coming here no matter the SECCG & playoff situation. 2. That Gus is staying at Auburn & there’s no truth to the idea he’s coming to Arkansas.
I will be stunned – absolutely stunned – if Gus leaves Auburn. My source is really good. Oh, I know. Everyone has good sources. And, everyone knows who they believe and who they do not. Things could change, so I don’t ever say anything is 100 percent. But I would be looking for someone else based on my source.
I disagree. It seems to me there’s another word for that. It’s called lying. Now, I’m not sure what the proper thing to have done would have been, but if he’s not sure (or if he’s sure he’s coming) he shouldn’t be recruiting if that means lying to recruits. Perhaps he should have said something ambiguous like, “There are always rumors at the end of the coaching season. I have no plans to leave but it’s impossible to make that kind of promise to anyone.” Or he might have tried some other deflection. However, if he plans to come here, he shouldn’t tell a recruit to his face that he’s not.
However, I’ll await the final determination on that until I know for sure where he’ll be next year. Unfortunately, I still don’t know if Irwin’s reliable source in Springdale or Gus’s promise to the recruit is accurate. (I guess both might be wrong. Gus could end up somewhere altogether different.)
I partially agree with you NE. If Gus was coming here, you would expect him to let recruits he really wants know he may be here instead, and have them keep their eye open. If he’s staying at AUB then obviously he said the right thing.
I just don’t understand everyone thinking it’s Gus. Too many National guys point out, it’s the wrong time. Guy beat Bama (goes a long way with the AUB boosters and fans), won the SECW. Will probably win the SECCG. In my opinion, will win the NC. Has the majority of his team returning. Maybe the first time since he has been there the seat has actually cooled off. Everything at AUB, would point to a coach returning next year. Also, people who actually claim to know him (I mean really know him) claim his dream job isn’t HC of AR, but is in the NFL. There were at least two reports yesterday, some NFL teams reached out to AUB about talking to him. If he is gonna leave AUB, it would probably be to go to the NFL. I can’t see him saying no to all that, to come here for a rebuilding job, just can’t see it.
Plus, look at Clay’s comments, I trust his sources more than anybody else’s.
I would not expect him to tell the kid he is leaving. I just don’t think he ought to lie to his face about staying if he isn’t. Now, he might not know that he’s leaving & he might have finessed the question a bit. I can appreciate that. I just don’t think he needs to tell a kid he’s staying if he knows he isn’t.
All you can do is relate what the recruit told you, Richard. The kid might have only heard what he wanted to hear or might not have recognized something of a “non-answer” that led him to believe he’s staying put. But I can see big Springdale boosters hearing what they want to hear, too. Especially if they don’t believe anyone could possibly turn them down.
Only thing that worries me with Norvell, is if he is winning with a program built by fuente. We just had a coach who won with a program built by the man before him, and it wasn’t as easy to figure things out for him. Also that he doesn’t have experience in the SEC.
Venables doesn’t have the SEC experience, but he has experience with a team with as elite talent as you’ll find.
Have to be able to identify the right caliber athletes.
These coaches play both sides of the fence. Bottom line he’s gonna get paid big bucks by someone. It’s all about the money. Always has been and always will be.
