The message boards have spoken, and we now have preferred replacements for some of the coaching jobs around the country that are either vacant, likely to be vacant soon or merely wished to be vacant.
Florida: Lane Kiffin.
Kentucky: Jon Sumrall.
Oklahoma State: Zac Robinson.
UCLA: Kalen DeBoer (in a heated competition with Clark Lea and Will Stein).
Virginia Tech: Dan Mullen.
These results are unscientific and subject to change, of course. In the case of UCLA, the discussion is just beginning — Bruins fans love Deshaun Foster and have preferred to blame athletic director Martin Jarmond. But Friday’s 35-10 loss to New Mexico in front of some UCLA parents and a handful of lost tourists was the end for Foster. Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry, too, and that one was easier to see coming and has been the hope of Hokies fans for some time.
Oklahoma State and Florida may not be far behind. There’s no real buzz about Kentucky and Mark Stoops, but so what? “What’s next?” is the sports fan’s favorite question, especially the college football fan with head coach grievances. Let’s check in on some of the arguing.
Florida
Kbmagill: “Kiffin time?”
SUGator51: “First person who mentions they don’t want him because he lost to Billy (Napier) last year gets a swirlie.”
GatorandLFC: “I don’t care about that. … I say no because I believe he would be our Mark Richt.”
Rzvvl2: “I would kill for a Mark Richt at this point.”
Aldo.Raine23 brings up the fact that Napier beat Kiffin last season.
SUGator51: “Swirlie time, Aldo. @VH3s Burner asked to do the honors
Aldo.Raine23: “You two are welcome to bring it on if you’re feeling frisky.”
LDGator: “Grow up.”
GatorHayes: “Kiffin is a better-looking Mullen. Pass.”
Smittastic14: “As I think it’s an upgrade, I don’t really want him because he’s done nothing meaningful as a head coach.”
GatorFW: “People want a coach with multiple Playoff appearances and/or championships, and not realize we’ve likely missed the window to bring them in once there.”
Virginia Tech
Hokieman42886: “Dan Mullen Train. Let’s go! Who agrees? And if you don’t, why not?”
Thequickvt: “Isn’t it known he doesn’t like recruiting?”
MDhokie: “BFD. Recruiting not so important anymore.”
Some Hokies fans have thrown around Dan Mullen’s name as a replacement for Brent Pry. (Denny Medley / Imagn Images)
Wait, what?
Red Hokie: “Pry likes recruiting.”
Jglass21: “He was 34-15 at Florida including an SEC championship game appearance and three New Year’s Six bowl games. … Then look at his resume at Mississippi State. He would be the best coach since Frank Beamer by a long shot and would get the program back to winning pretty much overnight. Florida and most SEC schools have unrealistic expectations, Mullen can flat out coach and Virginia Tech should do everything they can to hire him.”
For the record, this would be a great idea for Virginia Tech. Not sure it would be a great idea for Mullen, nor whether he would seriously entertain it.
Oklahoma State
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo reported Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle could be a Mike Gundy replacement consideration.
Dignon003: “He’d be pretty far down my list.”
Marshal Jim Duncan: “I just do NOT believe that Zac Robinson will be interested.”
Fasteddie: “Zac feels like the football version of waiting on Bill Self. OSU will be waiting all postseason with nothing but their (expletive) in their hands waiting on Atlanta’s season to end only to be told thanks but no thanks.”
Robinson fits the profile of a lot of the coaches who rise to the top of message board coaching polls: He played at the school in question. That’s consistently overrated as a factor. But perhaps the Falcons OC would choose to disrupt his apparent path to an NFL head-coaching opportunity and replace his college coach at a program that is on a questionable trajectory. Crazier things have happened!
Kentucky
Again, we have a former player, though in this case the red-hot Tulane coach would be replacing his former boss, not the guy who coached him in college. Again, this isn’t something that is or should be close.
Still, here’s the impassioned case from Gamalielkid: “I fully believe only one guy can revive UK football now. The fans want him, the media loves him, he is one of the hottest names in young coaches right now and he would bring the fans, alumni and most of all PLAYERS to UK if we signed him. (AD) Mitch (Barnhart) wanted him two years ago — and all he has done is prove to be the guy we thought he was since then. If Mitch wants to leave UK on a high note, then he has to make this move if UK doesn’t make a bowl game this year.”
In the coming days, I need UCLA fans to explain why DeBoer, if he somehow gets himself run out of Alabama, would look the Bruins’ way for more than a sympathetic cringe.
Brian Kelly vs. the media, a handy litmus test
LSU coach Brian Kelly absolutely snapped on TV reporter Michael Cauble for asking a totally fair and normal question about the Tigers’ offensive struggles after his team’s 20-10 win over Florida on Saturday. It was a ridiculous display by Kelly. He knew offensive questions were coming at some point. The idea that he should have been fluffed first — “Great win, Coach, and how about that defense and those fans tonight?” — is embarrassing. This isn’t high school.
Message boards can be telling during coach versus media moments. Last season, Kelly doing something like this probably earned little sympathy from LSU fans because the Tigers underperformed. This season started with a big win — finally — over a Clemson team purported to be a national title contender. But maybe Clemson just isn’t great? Also, this LSU offense is sputtering. What’s the ruling on this, LSU fans?
Babin7: “Props to them both, I say. Reporter asked the right question and BK backed his guys in public how he should have. Sometimes it comes to that. I don’t side with either over the other.”
Most people did. Some are angry with Cauble and hope that the thing that essentially never happens — access stripped — happens. Why is this fantasy brought up so often? Some are worried about what they saw and are unimpressed with Kelly’s outburst. It seems like a pretty even split. And I kind of thought it would lean more anti-media. Coach Kelly, may we suggest less tantrum throwing, more offense fixing?
Some Vols fans must blame Josh Heupel for Georgia loss
Neyland Stadium saw another SEC classic Saturday, and yes, Tennessee should be hurting after blowing an eight-point lead late and missing what should have been the game-winning field goal. Still, to me, given the play of Joey Aguilar, the expectations reduction when he was tapped to replace Nico Iamaleava, and the reality of a 12-team Playoff world, I think Vols fans should be more excited than anything right now.
But thread after thread after thread on the UT message boards revolved around Josh Heupel’s decision-making late in the game. One, because of the sequence before the missed field goal to win, including a false start, with Heupel trying to put the ball in the right spot for Max Gilbert. And two, because of three straight runs after a turnover, up 35-30, rather than going for the knockout punch.
I had zero issue with the first. Make a field goal. Heupel explained the second by saying Georgia had two safeties back, so the look was right to run. I’d still argue to try to take something short through the air on one of those plays and get some run after catch. It’s a fair second-guess. It’s also not the blunder of the century. For some.
VFF: “He coached like Butch there.”
Ouch. And that was not one of the nastier comments. Vols fans who want to make these decisions much bigger than they were: Try some perspective. Let’s close with words from a fan who has some.
AZVOLSFANS: “Second-guessing is sooooo easy. I’m 100 percent certain that if Heupel called for the kick one play earlier and Max missed it, 100 percent of the dudes who are critical today would’ve been saying ‘We were picking up 2-3 yards per run, he should’ve run one more play to get the kick under 40 yards.’ If Heupel calls for a pass, and there’s a sack or a pick, those same dudes on here would be calling him stupid for that.”
(Top photo: Justin Ford / Getty Images)
