Coach Candidates Thread (OP Updated 12/22)

[AUFriction 1,179]

14 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

Yep, he flamed out after a while.  But your argument that HC experience is a must defies logic. I can show you plenty of dudes with HC experience that sucked when they got a shot at a big school.

Hell man, one coaches 20 minutes from me (Tom Herman).

I'm not ruling him out as a good coach. I'm saying he is too much of an unknown. He had modest success in the much easier to play in Pac 12, and he's been able to get arguably the best recruited offense in the country to produce. Can he recruit here effectively?  Can he hire good coaches? He's an unknown. Hiring an unknown needs to be a last resort. 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

1 minute ago, AUFriction said:

Hiring Kevin Steele needs to be a last resort. 

FTFY

[PigskinPat 2,582]

2 minutes ago, AUFriction said:

I'm not ruling him out as good coaches. I'm saying he is too much of an unknown. He had modest success in the much easier to play in Pac 12, and he's been able to get arguably the best recruited offense in the country to produce. Can he recruit here effectively?  Can he hire good coaches? He's an unknown. Hiring an unknown needs to be a last resort. 

So who’s your #1 again? Fickell?

[AUFriction 1,179]

Just now, Brad_ATX said:

FTFY

I disagree. Hiring Steele would just be straight unacceptable. 

[AUFriction 1,179]

1 minute ago, PigskinPat said:

So who’s your #1 again? Fickell?

Fickell doesn't have an splotches on his record, and, again, I don't think he's the most proven coach. But I think he's the best fit culturally for Auburn. I think he would draw more patience from fans if he didn't work out.

[SaturdayGT 719]

Late to the party...not a fan of MC. ..I haven't checked, but i bet Malzan has a better record in a better conference than MC. ...just watching here and there, ...one coach that really sparked a "dude, this guy would be awesome at auburn" is the Indiana coach....the players freaking love him in a way Clemson players love Dabo.  That stuff shows on the field. And makes great programs.....

[DAG 34,062]

2 hours ago, ellitor said:

I feel bad for not knowing but what do you do @DAG?

I am a ICU Nurse/Detox nurse   but currently in Np school. Was going the CRNA route but just did not love it. No need to feel bad! 

[USATiger 741]

3 minutes ago, AUFriction said:

I'm not ruling him out as a good coach. I'm saying he is too much of an unknown. He had modest success in the much easier to play in Pac 12, and he's been able to get arguably the best recruited offense in the country to produce. Can he recruit here effectively?  Can he hire good coaches? He's an unknown. Hiring an unknown needs to be a last resort. 

One could look at it as modest success or one could look at it as a helluva a job considering his illness.   Who the hell knows how good of a HC Sark could be sober.   The dude pissed away a lifetime of opportunity, but was given a second chance and has been an A+ coach since.  Just think what a sober Sark could do if he were at a P5 school.   Yes, the alcohol is the 800# gorilla but you know what that's want contracts are for, and hell there aren't many coaches out there that don't get drunk.  You ought to see the post-games with Spurrier, damn beer everywhere.    

Fact is the dude has proven himself to be trustworthy, like it or not, Saban is the best barometer of this.  Like it or not, Sark should be in the top 5 for this job.  Top 3 if you ask me.

[AUFriction 1,179]

3 minutes ago, SaturdayGT said:

Late to the party...not a fan of MC. ..I haven't checked, but i bet Malzan has a better record in a better conference than MC. ...just watching here and there, ...one coach that really sparked a "dude, this guy would be awesome at auburn" is the Indiana coach....the players freaking love him in a way Clemson players love Dabo.  That stuff shows on the field. And makes great programs.....

Took over in 2017. His records since... 5-7; 5-7; 8-5; 6-1. He's spent most of his career out of the southeast. His only real successful year has been this one. He's an interesting coach to keep an eye on for the future, but also way too many unknowns. 

[PigskinPat 2,582]

4 minutes ago, AUFriction said:

Fickell doesn't have an splotches on his record, and, again, I don't think he's the most proven coach. But I think he's the best fit culturally for Auburn. I think he would draw more patience from fans if he didn't work out.

So even though Fickell is less proven as a head coach (he coaches in the American Athletic Conference for crying out loud), you can disregard that just because you feel like he’d fit in better culturally for Auburn? And if he doesn’t work out, I don’t care how personable he is, the patience won’t be there.

[AUFriction 1,179]

2 minutes ago, USATiger said:

One could look at it as modest success or one could look at it as a helluva a job considering his illness.   Who the hell knows how good of a HC Sark could be sober.   The dude pissed away a lifetime of opportunity, but was given a second chance and has been an A+ coach since.  Just think what a sober Sark could do if he were at a P5 school.   Yes, the alcohol is the 800# gorilla but you know what that's want contracts are for, and hell there aren't many coaches out there that don't get drunk.  You ought to see the post-games with Spurrier, damn beer everywhere.    

Fact is the dude has proven himself to be trustworthy, like it or not, Saban is the best barometer of this.  Like it or not, Sark should be in the top 5 for this job.  Top 3 if you ask me.

The text I bolded is kind of my problem with Sark. We just don't know. If the goal is really to chase more consistent championships, there's not enough positive info on him to have confidence that he's the guy to do it. 

[DAG 34,062]

Funny thing is someone like Gus could never turn around a program like FIU, or get Michigan State to 10 wins or come close to getting IU to 6-1. Not proven but just my opinion based on what I’ve seen of him. 

[Bo Didley 146]

It’s going to be coach Steele! Mark my word 2020 post season edition! 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

3 minutes ago, AUFriction said:

The text I bolded is kind of my problem with Sark. We just don't know. If the goal is really to chase more consistent championships, there's not enough positive info on him to have confidence that he's the guy to do it. 

There's literally not a candidate out there that will fit the criteria of a sure fire, home run hire.  Anyone will be some type of gamble.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

1 minute ago, Bo Didley said:

It’s going to be coach Steele! Mark my word 2020 post season edition! 

And if it is, you can cancel my hotel reservation in Happy Valley next year.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

17 minutes ago, PigskinPat said:

So who’s your #1 again? Fickell?

Fickell is my #1.  I just don't think our money people are smart enough to even consider him.  We have morons calling the shots.

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

2 minutes ago, Bo Didley said:

It’s going to be coach Steele! Mark my word 2020 post season edition! 

If you just keep posting this somebody will agree with you

[AUFriction 1,179]

Just now, PigskinPat said:

So even though Fickell is less proven as a head coach (he coaches in the American Athletic Conference for crying out loud), you can disregard that just because you feel like he’d fit in better culturally for Auburn? And if he doesn’t work out, I don’t care how personable he is, the patience won’t be there.

Actually, point taken. Strike Fickell from the list. The fans are too fired up right now for a Fickell. I think I just put him on top because I personally wanted him here. I wholeheartedly care what image the coach gives off, and I really want a Fickell type.  But, I think the fan base as a whole right now needs a proven winner, not a chance hire. 

Like I said earlier, we aren't getting him anyway. He's more likely to take a big 10 job, and he may struggle to recruit some here anyway since he's not connected here. 

[USATiger 741]

1 minute ago, AUFriction said:

The text I bolded is kind of my problem with Sark. We just don't know. If the goal is really to chase more consistent championships, there's not enough positive info on him to have confidence that he's the guy to do it. 

That was meant in jest.  Like, look how good of a HC he was drunk, he will be much better sober, type deal.  

There are no guaranteed home run HC's out there, save for a few, and we aren't getting those few.   Gus was a huge risk, too much if you ask me, as his tenure as OC showed signs of not being a great leader. He was never one to adapt or take advice as to how to get better at his craft.  A coach that knows everything is a failed coach, pure and simple.

[Bo Didley 146]

3 minutes ago, ClaytonAU said:

If you just keep posting this somebody will agree with you

My optimism for this s*** to make sense is gone! 2020 has been simply logic defied in all facets of my life why not the team I’m a dye hard fan of ? Haha,  if Steele isn’t hired I win , maybe ... 

[AUFriction 1,179]

3 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

There's literally not a candidate out there that will fit the criteria of a sure fire, home run hire.  Anyone will be some type of gamble.

You would be completely correct. I've said over and over again through the last 117 pages that I don't think the right hire is out there this year. So, we have to get as close as possible. That would be with Cristobal or Freeze, which are my top 2 picks of realistic candidates. I don't love either one, but they are the closest to the goal and arguably the most known commodities. 

[Bo Didley 146]

5 minutes ago, ClaytonAU said:

If you just keep posting this somebody will agree with you

You know good and well the search committee agrees with me! 

[tigeraddikt 1,626]

2 hours ago, Tony4AU said:

Don’t believe anyone has mentioned this coach

 

 

Jim McElwain 

Oh Lawd just what we need...we'd at least always beat the Ole Ms. Rebel Brown Black Bear Land Sharks bc they'd be afraid of getting humped by our coach.

[AUFriction 1,179]

7 minutes ago, tigeraddikt said:

Oh Lawd just what we need...we'd at least always beat the Ole Ms. Rebel Brown Black Bear Land Sharks bc they'd be afraid of getting humped by our coach.

This is all anyone needs to know about McElwain

 

[tigeraddikt 1,626]

1 minute ago, AUFriction said:

This is all anyone needs to know about McElwain

 

He went hammerhead on him. "A vitriolic moment" lmao.