Hardline Qualifications for next HC

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

3 hours ago, bigbird said:

Good thread!

I wouldn't worry so much with 2 or 4. While important, I wouldn't prioritize those two.  One thing that I have found that acts as a very good indicator for future success is a coach's pedigree.  Who he has worked and learned under and who his teachers learned from.  

 

For example, before taking over at UK, Stoops worked as...

DB coach under Jim Leavitt at USF

Co-DC with Dick Bumpas at UH

Larry Coker at UM (2001 all-time greatest team)

His brother Mike Stoops at Arizona

Bowden at FSU 

 

That's a really good group to learn how to be a coach under.

 

You've got some good names. Look at some of the others on your list and compare their pedigrees. If you do, please let me know which one you think is best. I'd love to hear how they compare.

Exactly!!!!!

The biggest priorities for me are 

#1 - Recruiting, Recruiting, Recruiting!!!!!!

#2 - Coaching Pedigree.    Who have they been learning from?

#3 - SEC experience.    Our new guy has got to know how things are done in our league.   
 

HC experience, NFL ties, schematics, etc.  are secondary to those top 3 IMHO.  

[nurbis 572]

5 hours ago, AU80cruiser said:

I want someone with enough clout that they can make coach O our d-line coach. That can convince Grimes to leave Baylor to be our OC/o-line coach. 

I agree, I wouldn't mind him as DL coach. But I was joking/being sarcastic about him being HC. Just making a point that even with that list of criteria, we could still get a dud. There are no sure things.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

44 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Deion would actually be the ultimate Auburn hire IMO. But it’s be disguised as a great hire because it’s much sexier on paper.

Blind resume - a guy who has less than 5 years as a head coach, has never been an FBS coach, and has no experience in the SEC. Yep. Sounds like someone we’d hire. 

I'm not advocating for Deion, but the guy did pull the #1 recruit in the country to freaking Jackson State.  Meaning he has signed more 5-stars in one season than Auburn has in the last three years combined.

It's not a completely insane idea.

Edited September 19, 2022 by Brad_ATX

[3rdgeneration 6,469]

4 hours ago, Mikey said:

His gig as a coach is a temporary toy, a novelty for him to try. He's not a coach by profession. He doesn't coach football for his livelihood. While his name is known as a player he is unknown in coaching circles. He can and sooner or later will move on to other pursuits. He has absolutely zero qualifications for a job like Auburn's.

Compare Sanders to Dell McGee. Dell has a great background in SEC football, is one of the top recruiters around and is well known and respected in coaching circles. Given a choice between only those two, Dell gets the job hands down based on resume alone.

I'm not saying McGee should be our man but he's one of dozens who would be a better pick for Auburn than Sanders.

Good points about Prime Time.  I like him, though, and can see why he’d attract talent to his team.  

[HAPvsOA 287]

15 hours ago, AUght2win said:

I’m not necessarily opposed to these rules for all future head coach hires. But taking into account our last three hires, and specifically the Harsin hire, I think Auburn needs to strictly follow these prerequisites when looking for its next head coach. 

1. SEC Experience. Period. I, and a lot of us, weren’t worried about Harsin transitioning to the SEC. Thought that wouldn’t be that big of a deal. We were WAY wrong. If there’s one area to overemphasize, I think it’s this one. We need a guy with as much experience in the conference and/or southern football as possible. We need to immediately fix the program’s disconnection with state HS programs and with kids in the region at-large.

2. A former/current Power 5 Head Coach. We as Auburn fans have gotten so used to this not even being an option, that we forget it should really be a requirement for a program like ours. I’m tired of betting on coordinators. I’m tired of betting on small school guys. 

3. Resume as an excellent recruiter. This is implied in the first prerequisite. But there needs to be more than just experience in the SEC. There needs to be a track record of recruiting success.

4. A minimum of three bowl appearances at a P5 school. This one is a tougher bar and whittles the field. But it prevents a Chizik situation. We need somebody that’s not just a flash in the pan. 

Now that doesn’t leave a ton of candidates. But here’s a list of guys I think are realistic that fit:

All 4 Pre-requisites
1. Mark Stoops
2. Mike Leach (not sure if I’d call him an excellent recruiter, but has done well for Miss State)
3. Lane Kiffin (same on recruiting)
4. James Franklin
5. Kliff Kingsbury (recruiting?)
6. Hugh Freeze

Three out of Four
1. Dave Aranda (only 1 bowl)
2. Mel Tucker (only 1 bowl)
3. Tom Allen (2 bowls)
4. Shawn Elliot (Georgia State, non P5)
5. Sam Pittman (2 bowls)

I’m sure there are genuinely a ton of great coaches that would succeed here that don’t fit these qualifications. But for what we need in the next hire, I think they’re imperative.

What do y’all think? And anybody differ on the prerequisites?

Can we just have Coach Bruce Pearl do both? I mean which 5 star O-lineman wouldn't want to play for CBP. 

All kidding aside, a CBP equivalent would be ideal, but I don't think Freeze or Briles have acceptable baggage. Perhaps Sark or Lane fit the analogy better.

If you can't get them, then I'd interview Primetime,  Franklin (bc if you can't beat em, join em and I think his offense could fit our players) and top assistants at Bama, Georgia, & Clemson (but only those that are great recruiters and a great offensive or defensive mind).

I'd also consider bringing T-rob over as D coordinator; it's crazy having him coach for our arch nemesis.  There have to be some other alum that could fit in as well; I just don't know who those are outside of the ones we have, those that left with Gus & D Craig at A&M. 

Edited September 19, 2022 by HAPvsOA

[HAPvsOA 287]

4 hours ago, woodford said:

I'm not trying to pick at you or troll, I promise. What is it about Deion Sanders that would make him a candidate to coach at Auburn?

Remove who he is from the equation and strictly football. What is it about him? Does he run some great scheme?

I think he would bring in top 5 classes, but would he build a staff to sustain it? Jimbo has a loaded roster, and they will lose at least 4 games this year because the offense sucks.

His hype is the elephant in the room. He's like a sexy G5 coach or P5 OC that has a game changing offense but on steroids.

If Deion is your HC, you'd need an amazing OC & DC to get to the top. But I definitely think you could bring in some top recruits. 

[HAPvsOA 287]

5 hours ago, BigBlueWDE said:

Qualification: a coach that will accept an extreme performance based contract

$500k per regular season G5 non-conference win

$1M per regular season conference/P5 win

$2M per post-season win

Front the first $5M. All performance based, no buyout on both sides. Inflate at 3% annually.

Potential annual salary of $16.5M this year, will be pushing $20M when the CFP expands

 

Harsin would have made $4.5M last year

Gus would have made $8.5M in 2017

Chizik would have made $14.5M in 2010

Good luck with that, especially given what just happened to Harsin last year. 

[JMassie11 1,610]

5 hours ago, cole256 said:

You'd be crazy not to after Sanders

Saw somewhere that Auburn better do it before FSU does

[shabby 1,958]

Coordinator under Saban or Smart that can recruit

That's my number one qualification at this point.

McGee

 

[AUgrad97 50]

I believe there are a lot of good choices out there that would be interested in a no-handcuffs opportunity.  I keep saying and I know it's beating a dead horse but the Who is not the critical piece here.  It's reprograming the internal structure and power grab to be able to hand that over to a trusted coach.  Auburn has to be able to convince the right coach they will be given the keys and fuel to the car without having it pre-programmed where the car is going.  

 

That's not a flashy discussion and even more challenging to impact as a fanbase, but without that piece, the who does not matter.  We will be set up to fail again.  We need to hear the leadership say we are going in a different direction philosophy wise and structure to let someone have full control of the program and the team.  

[Carnell 592]

1 hour ago, Brad_ATX said:

I'm not advocating for Deion, but the guy did pull the #1 recruit in the country to freaking Jackson State.  Meaning he has signed more 5-stars in one season than Auburn has in the last three years combined.

It's not a completely insane idea.

It is not just recruiting but being able to coach at a big time programs.  If recruiting was the only factor to winning Barfield would have been very successful.

[SECTigerGal 37]

Kiffin would be my first choice.

McGee

Stoops 

Sanders seems a bit risky but I'd be ok with it.

Wouldn't be entirely opposed to Freeze but think he might be a tough sell for too many folks here to get on board and having a Coach that the entire fan base can get behind would be a nice change of pace.

Please not Kevin Steele.

Lastly, I do not want a coach that I have to Google to know who he is.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

16 minutes ago, Carnell said:

It is not just recruiting but being able to coach at a big time programs.  If recruiting was the only factor to winning Barfield would have been very successful.

We need recruits first and foremost right now.  I don't know how anyone can look at our roster and think otherwise.  The talent gap between us and the top half of the SEC is already pretty large.

[autiger88 3,777]

One thing that needs to be added is our future HC can't say we had a good weeks of practice in any form. 🙄

Edited September 19, 2022 by autiger88

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

2 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

I'm not advocating for Deion, but the guy did pull the #1 recruit in the country to freaking Jackson State.  Meaning he has signed more 5-stars in one season than Auburn has in the last three years combined.

It's not a completely insane idea.

I have absolutely no doubts at all that Coach Prime would match bama and uga in recruiting!   That alone is a strong appeal!   He is also a marketing genius, good at investing in young men, and a top notch motivator!    With the right staff in place (and I think he could land that too) he could be a very good coach!   So, no.   I don’t think it’s an insane idea at all!

[cole256 17,057]

It's hilarious to me that it 's just assumed he can't coach. People will jump on a guy that hasn't done anything and say he's a coach but down a guy who was one of the greatest players of all time and assume he knows nothing

[SECTigerGal 37]

21 minutes ago, SECTigerGal said:

Newbie here and did not know how to edit (apologies for that),but my reasons for the coaches I chose is that I think they would all be great at recruiting and have coached/played in the SEC. I agree with many on here that until the talent level is addressed whatever coach comes in is going to struggle. Getting a top recruiter in can turn it around sooner. My two cents. 

 

Kiffin would be my first choice. 

McGee

Stoops 

Sanders seems a bit risky but I'd be ok with it.

Wouldn't be entirely opposed to Freeze but think he might be a tough sell for too many folks here to get on board and having a Coach that the entire fan base can get behind would be a nice change of pace.

Please not Kevin Steele.

Lastly, I do not want a coach that I have to Google to know who he is.

 

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

I will add one more thing to the idea that Coach Prime is “a risky hire”…

With the talent he will recruit here, let’s say you’re right and he doesn’t cut it as an SEC HC.   Worst case scenario, he leaves a huge pile of talent here for the next guy to work with.  That would be 1000X better than the poop show we’ve watched the last few years!!!   So I don’t see it as a huge risk either.  

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

1 hour ago, JMassie11 said:

Saw somewhere that Auburn better do it before FSU does

I think FSU has a good coach.   I don’t think they’re going to get rid of him any time soon.   JMHO.  

[StuckMic91 369]

12 minutes ago, SECTigerGal said:

 

I would take Freeze over Kiffin. Kiffin’s “analytics” cost them a few times last year including against us. Though it would be entertaining between him and Saban. I’d also add Aranda to your short list. McGee and Prime kind of fit the same mold for me. Recruiting would take a massive bump but who knows what they do with it. I think McGee would be the better fit at AU but Deion would be a blast.

[Taco 617]

16 minutes ago, cole256 said:

It's hilarious to me that it 's just assumed he can't coach. People will jump on a guy that hasn't done anything and say he's a coach but down a guy who was one of the greatest players of all time and assume he knows nothing

If they look into the coaching staff is assembled at lowly JSU they might have second thoughts? 

[Carnell 592]

1 hour ago, Brad_ATX said:

We need recruits first and foremost right now.  I don't know how anyone can look at our roster and think otherwise.  The talent gap between us and the top half of the SEC is already pretty large.

Talent gap closure won't mean much unless you get a coach that can give them a winning game plan and scheme.  We were so outmatched in coaching staff that even if we had bettsr talent we still would have lost that game.  You have got to have both a game coach and a coach that can recruit.  You cannot separate the 2 components.  

 

 

 

[cole256 17,057]

2 minutes ago, Carnell said:

Talent gap closure won't mean much unless you get a coach that can give them a winning game plan and scheme.  We were so outmatched in coaching staff that even if we had bettsr talent we still would have lost that game.  You have got to have both a game coach and a coach that can recruit.  You cannot separate the 2 components.  

 

 

 

So what evidence have you seen to suggest that he's lacking at coaching compared to others

[Jaba4ever 112]

9 hours ago, TitanTiger said:

Qualifications:

1.  Big time recruiter who can put together a staff of other big time recruiters.

2.  Excellent recruiter.

3.  SEC/Southeast coaching experience.

4.  Did I mention being good at recruiting?

5.  No more introverted nerds and surly "all business" types.  Next guy has to be able to unite the various factions, shake hands and kiss babies.

6.  At least several years of being a top coordinator, but preferably a current P5 head coach.

6.  Recruiting.

I'm in agreement here. About the only thing I would add is elite recruiter.

[autiger88 3,777]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

It's hilarious to me that it 's just assumed he can't coach. People will jump on a guy that hasn't done anything and say he's a coach but down a guy who was one of the greatest players of all time and assume he knows nothing

Yep it amazes me as well. Dude can flat out coach and just imagine if he had our resources. I know for a fact we wouldn't be lacking in recruits I can guarantee that.