milesl
1/13/2006, 01:50 PM
Not sure how I feel about this as I HATE Matt Hayes, but he says some nice things about Bob
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=AlziY3JvWi0Qp8DyZFvIEJYcvrYF?slug=fivefo rthemoneyfiveforth&prov=tsn&type=lgns
Five for the money; five for the show
By Matt Hayes - SportingNews
I'm not an NFL guy. Too plastic, too commercialized, too every game ends in exactly three hours for me.
This, however, is the best time of year in the NFL -- when coaches are fired and we're peppered with "ESPN has learned that (insert a coach's name) may or may not retire. Stay tuned for more on this breaking story!"
How does this relate to college football, you ask? There's this theory that NFL teams are shying away from hiring college coaches because recent big-name flops -- such as Steve Spurrier, Butch Davis and Dennis Erickson -- have tainted expectations. Nothing could be further from the truth; just about any NFL team in need would take a chance on one of a handful of college coaches who would jump for the right situation.
The defining trend in the NFL these days is that most successful coaches have defensive backgrounds. Check out some recent successful hires: John Fox (Panthers), Lovie Smith (Bears), Jim Mora (Falcons), Jack Del Rio (Jaguars). There are some college coaches who fit that mold -- and whom NFL execs would give millions to lure to the next level.
1. Pete Carroll, Southern California. No one this side of Bill Belichick knows defense better than Carroll, a former NFL coach who had pockets of success with the Jets and Patriots. Carroll just signed a long-term deal at USC, but that contract is about as solid as Charlie Weis' lifetime deal at Notre Dame. Every coach has an ego, and every coach wants to win at the elite level -- especially a coach who was chewed up and spit out the last time he was there. If an NFL team relocates to Los Angeles, Carroll could be tempted by total control of the organization and an outrageous contract -- as if NFL owners haven't been known to offer that.
2. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma. The same theorists who claim the NFL is backing off college coaches also say Stoops has learned from his mentor, Spurrier, and wants no part of the NFL. Don't believe it. The only reason Carroll is a hotter prospect is his NFL experience. The NFL has been feeling out Stoops since the Sooners won the 2000 national title, and he fits the mold of what the league is looking for: a young, dynamic personality who can energize an organization. No one has done more for the evolution of defense in the college game in the past 15 years.
3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa. A former NFL offensive line coach, Ferentz doesn't necessarily fit the defensive mold. But his Iowa teams have an NFL personality -- they rely on defense and the running game. The Jaguars went after Ferentz three years ago before hiring Del Rio; Ferentz stayed at Iowa, in part because he wanted to coach his son Brian. Because Brian finished his senior season last week in the Outback Bowl, his dad has become the most eligible (read: ready to move) of the group. Ferentz held the title of assistant head coach with the Ravens because of his organizational skills and because players fed off and respected his style.
4. Tommy Tuberville, Auburn. One AFC personnel director says Tuberville is a younger version of Jimmy Johnson, with one caveat: The game doesn't consume Tuberville. His defensive background and ability to put together cohesive, successful staffs are huge pluses. More attractive to NFL execs are his abilities to steer through distractions on and off the field and win big games. Four straight victories over a heated rival (Alabama) and his response two years ago to a failed coup by his school's administration show the kind of moxie the league looks for.
5. Jim Tressel, Ohio State. Yeah, Ohio State is his dream job. And yeah, he's probably not going anywhere. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't listen -- and wouldn't be intrigued by a significant offer of money and player control in the right city. That likely means Cincinnati or Cleveland, and neither job looks to be open anytime soon. Tressel's background is offense, but defense is the foundation of his Ohio State teams and he's a fantastic game planner.
Senior writer Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at [email protected].
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=AlziY3JvWi0Qp8DyZFvIEJYcvrYF?slug=fivefo rthemoneyfiveforth&prov=tsn&type=lgns
Five for the money; five for the show
By Matt Hayes - SportingNews
I'm not an NFL guy. Too plastic, too commercialized, too every game ends in exactly three hours for me.
This, however, is the best time of year in the NFL -- when coaches are fired and we're peppered with "ESPN has learned that (insert a coach's name) may or may not retire. Stay tuned for more on this breaking story!"
How does this relate to college football, you ask? There's this theory that NFL teams are shying away from hiring college coaches because recent big-name flops -- such as Steve Spurrier, Butch Davis and Dennis Erickson -- have tainted expectations. Nothing could be further from the truth; just about any NFL team in need would take a chance on one of a handful of college coaches who would jump for the right situation.
The defining trend in the NFL these days is that most successful coaches have defensive backgrounds. Check out some recent successful hires: John Fox (Panthers), Lovie Smith (Bears), Jim Mora (Falcons), Jack Del Rio (Jaguars). There are some college coaches who fit that mold -- and whom NFL execs would give millions to lure to the next level.
1. Pete Carroll, Southern California. No one this side of Bill Belichick knows defense better than Carroll, a former NFL coach who had pockets of success with the Jets and Patriots. Carroll just signed a long-term deal at USC, but that contract is about as solid as Charlie Weis' lifetime deal at Notre Dame. Every coach has an ego, and every coach wants to win at the elite level -- especially a coach who was chewed up and spit out the last time he was there. If an NFL team relocates to Los Angeles, Carroll could be tempted by total control of the organization and an outrageous contract -- as if NFL owners haven't been known to offer that.
2. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma. The same theorists who claim the NFL is backing off college coaches also say Stoops has learned from his mentor, Spurrier, and wants no part of the NFL. Don't believe it. The only reason Carroll is a hotter prospect is his NFL experience. The NFL has been feeling out Stoops since the Sooners won the 2000 national title, and he fits the mold of what the league is looking for: a young, dynamic personality who can energize an organization. No one has done more for the evolution of defense in the college game in the past 15 years.
3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa. A former NFL offensive line coach, Ferentz doesn't necessarily fit the defensive mold. But his Iowa teams have an NFL personality -- they rely on defense and the running game. The Jaguars went after Ferentz three years ago before hiring Del Rio; Ferentz stayed at Iowa, in part because he wanted to coach his son Brian. Because Brian finished his senior season last week in the Outback Bowl, his dad has become the most eligible (read: ready to move) of the group. Ferentz held the title of assistant head coach with the Ravens because of his organizational skills and because players fed off and respected his style.
4. Tommy Tuberville, Auburn. One AFC personnel director says Tuberville is a younger version of Jimmy Johnson, with one caveat: The game doesn't consume Tuberville. His defensive background and ability to put together cohesive, successful staffs are huge pluses. More attractive to NFL execs are his abilities to steer through distractions on and off the field and win big games. Four straight victories over a heated rival (Alabama) and his response two years ago to a failed coup by his school's administration show the kind of moxie the league looks for.
5. Jim Tressel, Ohio State. Yeah, Ohio State is his dream job. And yeah, he's probably not going anywhere. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't listen -- and wouldn't be intrigued by a significant offer of money and player control in the right city. That likely means Cincinnati or Cleveland, and neither job looks to be open anytime soon. Tressel's background is offense, but defense is the foundation of his Ohio State teams and he's a fantastic game planner.
Senior writer Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at [email protected].