Coaching News and Rumors

12/3 Rumors/Buzz floating around (plus some actual news):

FSU was courting Matt Campbell of ISU, but is now trying to get James Franklin of Penn St., Lane Kiffin, or Mike Norvell of Memphis. Campbell just signed an extension through 2025 at ISU.

Ole Miss is courting Norvell. They're more likely to get him than Arkansas, as there is apparently some bad feelings Norvell harbors against the pigs. Other possibilities for the Rebels include Bill Clark (UAB), and Billy Napier (La.-Lafayette).

Arkansas is looking at Lane Kiffin and Mike Norvell.

Could we see a bidding war for Mike Norvell between FSU, Ole Miss and Arkansas (and maybe Missouri)? If Norvell plays his cards right, he could see some serious $$$$$ in the bank. FSU is the best job of the bunch, and it's not even close. FSU is a sleeping giant, with a great stadium and facilities, lots of $$$, a huge fan base, in an enviable recruiting locale, that can co-dominate their league with Clemson. Arkansas and Ole Miss are right there with aTm as perpetual also-rans in the SEC West, and they're unlikely to overtake LSU, Bama, or even Auburn anytime soon. Missouri...please. Of course, Norvell may not get the FSU offer.

Jimmy Lake replaces Chris Peterson at U. of Washington.

USC and Clay Helton -- does he stay or does he go?
 
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Chop,

Nica analysts, but I take exception with Doak Campbell and the FSU fan base. The stadium, while large is an overgrown high school erector set. Much like the old Leland Stanford, Jr Stadium except Stanford had the good sense to use dirt to fill in under the erector set.

FSU fans rank with State Penn and Colorado as the most clueless fans I’ve ever been around.

That said, it is a huge opportunity for the right guy. The convicts are down and not likely to get up since no one wants or will take that job. Mullen and Florida are a disastrous match, and will continue to be an “almost there”.

UCF is the Third Ward of whatever conference they are in. Wannabes. A commuter school.

FSU and Clemson are the only football schools in the Swofford’s Folly Conference. Right guy can have FSU playing a two game schedule - Sons of Klem for the ACC and Florida for recruiting dominance in the talent reach state.

Chuckie NeinASS and Bowelsby humped the puppy on admitting those two schools.
 
Chop said:
Arizona -- Kevin Sumlin is on the hot seat. And Arizona gets pretty darn hot (at least the weather does). He's grace period ends after next year.
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Sumlin started off pretty good and had a 4-1 record early on, but went 0-7 the rest of the way. Several losses were close and a couple were scores very late in the 4th Qtr; however, he had a couple of blowout losses as well. Apparently he's safe for another season, but the expectations for next year are higher.
 
Minnesota's PJ Fleck isn't being thrown around much, as a target for a higher profile program, in the rumor mill (yet).

Iowa's DC Phil Parker could be a target for DC at a more premier program. He's somebody we should at least have on our radar. He played DB at Michigan State. He also coached under Saban at Toledo...

This coaching carousel season, we're mostly seeing a lot of Southern guys who will stay in the South and a lot of Northern guys who will stay in the North. If FSU really is courting Franklin of Penn St hard, that will be a tough sell. Franklin is from Pennsylvania, is getting paid over $5.5 million per year, and is the local hero up there. Maybe if FSU breaks the bank and if Franklin liked his stint in the South at Vanderbilt. The beaches in the Florida panhandle certainly beat the beaches on the Jersey Shore. Plus, if getting a national title is what drives him, it would be more likely at FSU than at Penn St. At FSU, many years he'd just have to get by Clemson (and maybe Mack's Tarheels) to reach the playoffs. At Penn St, he faces aOSU, Michigan, Michigan St, and then either Wisconsin, Minn, or Iowa each year to have a shot at the playoffs.
 
FSU is flirting with Brian Kelly, but will likely take Norvell before the Noles become the next Miami

Too many $$$ people in Tallahassee remember the Vanderbilt rape issues.
 
SabreHorn said:
FSU is flirting with Brian Kelly, but will likely take Norvell before the Noles become the next Miami

Too many $$$ people in Tallahassee remember the Vanderbilt rape issues.
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I'd take Norvell over the others. That being said, I've long thought of FSU as the sort of place that doesn't have too many qualms about ethics and decency.

The pigs may get stuck with Kiffin, and the Rebels with someone from a less lofty coaching background.
 
12/4

Nothing official, but lots of buzz from lots of different sources are saying that USC’s Helton will get another year to prove himself.

Seemingly everyone in the market wants Norvell. He’ll have his choice of offers to pick from.

Ole Miss is casting a wide net, and the potential candidates include Tulane’s Willie Fritz, Bryan Harsin, Mike MacIntyre, Rich Rodriguez (not joking), along with the obvious in Norvell, Kiffin, and La Lafayette’s coach, Billy Napier. Cincinnati’s coach, Luke Fickell, may also be in the mix.

FSU’s big cigars have met with Penn State’s Franklin. Franklin could just be playing them off to get a bump in salary from Penn St, who knows....? He’s a Pennsylvania guy.
 
Helton is indeed safe, if for no other reason than the house is divided. Only option is interim for Jack Del Rio. Lots of $$$ trying to figure out how to fire their new president so they can hire Urban Myth. She won't and can't afford to let him be hired after her tenure at UNC.
 
12/5

FSU -- Most crystal ball gazers are now predicting Norvell as the next Seminole HC. It could be the winning coach of the Memphis vs. Cincinatti game (Norvell or Fickell), to be announced after the game. The big cigars have met with Penn State's Franklin... We could be looking at an alumni / administration split (Franklin comes with some serious baggage...) Meanwhile, FSU has engaged DHR International to officially "run the search." Everybody looking for a coach seems to want Norvell, but Fickell is a good option as well.

Wash State bumps up Leach's salary and extends his contract through 2024. The Pirate stays in the Palouse. His (reported) dreams of one day being a hog were trumped by lots of $$$$ and what appears to be a patient, tolerant (of his eccentricities), and forgiving fan base and administration.

Ole Miss -- Billy Napier of La Lafayette is a rising star in the search for the new Rebel HC. The Rajun Cajuns are trying to keep him and are in salary / salary bump negotiations with Napier. With the Rebels paying some $17 million to ditch their old coach, it would be ironic if they got outbid by La Lafayette. The Rebel net is still cast wide and guys like Norvell, Fickell, Kiffin, App. State's Eli Drinkwitz, Harsin, among others, are still in the mix.
Here's some in-depth Ole Miss info/rumors: What are the best (and worst) scenarios for the Ole Miss football coaching search?

Missouri -- Blake Anderson (Arkansas State) is in the running and is getting the most buzz. Other candidates getting some buzz are Jim McElwain, Willie Fritz, Jeff Monken, Skip Holtz, Troy Calhoun, and Will Healy. I'm curious as to why the hogs aren't pushing for Anderson--they clearly do not have Norvell in the bag, with others in hot pursuit of him (Norvell). Maybe the pigs are all in for Kiffin. :idk:

USF -- Steve Spurrier, Jr.'s name is popping up on the radar. :lmao:

Colorado St. fires Mike Bobo (who cares, I know...). Look for a head coach from a smallish Western program, or a coordinator from the PAC or WAC to be hired as the Rams' new HC. This would have been a fine opportunity for Helton to land on his feet if USC had dumped him.
 
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Chop said:
Colorado St. fires Mike Bobo (who cares, I know...). Look for a head coach from a smallish Western program, or a coordinator from the PAC or WAC to be hired as the Rams' new HC. This would have been a fine opportunity for Helton to land on his feet if USC had dumped him.
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That would be a fine opportunity for Orlando too, though I don't know if he is even considering becoming a head coach.
 
12/6

It could be a Hog vs Rebel battle for Kiffin, although FSU is reportedly looking at him as well. All three of Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Florida State are casting wide nets--and all include Norvell and Kiffin. Kiffin is playing hard-to-get, and getting the most $$$$ may be the biggest driver of his car. FSU is passing the hat to its donors requesting a "1 time 20% increase" to their donations. FSU should be able to out-buy these SEC teams, but I think Norvell is their #1 target.

Billy Napier (La Lafayette) is in the mix for Ark and Ole Miss, with La Lafayette opening up the wallet to keep him. The latest is that Napier wants his assistants to be paid more as part of the deal... Napier's driving a hard bargain and will make the pigs or Rebels pay.

Re: 3 big head coaches many are courting--Norvell, Napier, and Kiffin. After reading the rumors and the tea leaves, here's my educated guess on how it ultimately shakes out:

1. FSU -- Norvell -- he's the best candidate of the 3. Not only is FSU clearly the best of these three programs, it can also pony up the most $$$. Norvell is also rumored to hold ill will towards the pigs.
2. Ole Miss -- Napier -- Ole Miss is on Napier like white on rice. Good cultural and recruiting fit too. Some new reports saying Ole Miss will take Kiffin, so we'll see.
3. Arkansas -- Kiffin -- The hogs seem to have a relatively high tolerance for odd fellows and controversial characters. FSU flat-out outbids the pigs for Norvell, and Norvell takes the greener pastures of Tallahassee (with a realistic shot at a national title some day in the near-to-midrange future) over the hog wollers of Fayettville (with no realistic shot at a national title in the next decade, if ever). Also, as previously mentioned, Norvell apparently really dislikes U. of Arkansas. Further, the swine are not as high on Napier as Ole Miss is. Kiffin catches a lot of flak, but he could make for a good head coach there. He'll obviously be a big step up for the hogs.

I don't know where Luke Fickell of Cincinnati ends up in all this, but he'd be a good second choice for any of the above. But maybe he waits it out for something more to his liking...? He's an Ohio guy (aOSU DL), and he coached at Akron, aOSU, and now Cincinnati. Fickell has Big 10 written all over him. He might wait a year or two for a big program opening up North. Still, if FSU comes knocking...

Up North: Franklin will stay at Penn State--it's official. Franklin just signed a contract extending him through 2025 at Penn St. Some FSU big wigs had met with him earlier in the week, but they'll likely end up with Norvell, which IMHO is a better outcome anyway.

Fresno State has an opening as Jeff Tedford stepped down, reportedly for health/personal reasons...
 
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New reports are claiming Ole Miss is now the leader for Kiffin. Other reports are claiming the Rebels are still heavily courting Billy Napier. If Ole Miss gets Kiffin, who does Arkansas get?

If the hogs can't get Kiffin or Norvell, and if they don't want Napier, perhaps they will look across the state to Arkansas State's Blake Anderson.
 
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Jeff Traylor supposed to be interviewing for Lamar HC position

Supposedly the SMU players wanted Traylor for HC back when Morris left for Pigsty
 
Lamar may be the worst coaching job in America and it pays that scale. No support, attendance is less than the local 3A games. Worst campus and facilities anywhere. Traylor would be a fool to consider having to live In Beaumont for less money than HS coaches are making.
 
SabreHorn said:
Lamar may be the worst coaching job in America and it pays that scale. No support, attendance is less than the local 3A games. Worst campus and facilities anywhere. Traylor would be a fool to consider having to live In Beaumont for less money than HS coaches are making.
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Prison sentence!
 
Announcers for the Memphis v Cincy game are projecting Norvell to FSU. (Nothing official).

Meanwhile, Kiffin’s in-game coaching skills are on display as FAU is crushing UAB.
 
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