Thread: the Head Coach candidates thread

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

Joe Judge not looking so hot at the moment. I realize he’s five games in and his best player is out for the year, but John Harbaugh was just a special coach. Hard to duplicate that. How Ozzie Newsome saw that is what makes Ozzie Newsome the personnel genius he is.

I think it’s kind of like quarterbacks. You have to shoot your shot with these guys and hope. If it doesn’t work, do it again.

Joe Judge is an old school type hardo who quite frankly I'm surprised is still a type of coach who gets a head job.

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

Is Kellen Moore really going to get head coach looks?

that's just my speculation, but i think he could. . . what names you gonna contribute? i was hoping you'd fill in the "college coaches" section. . .

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

Is Kellen Moore really going to get head coach looks?

Probably? If Zac Taylor did I think pretty much any young QB/offensive coach with success is in play. Wouldn't shock me if Leftwich started getting looks soon too.

Originally Posted by dogfish

that's just my speculation, but i think he could. . . what names you gonna contribute? i was hoping you'd fill in the "college coaches" section. . .

The one you mentioned, Riley, I wouldn't want to go anywhere near. His OU teams always get shellacked when they get to the playoffs and have to face a real team from the Big 10 or SEC. His gimmicky stuff works in the Big 12 but I wouldn't want him coaching my pro team. Granted Kliff had a lot of those same concerns and he hasn't been just awful in AZ so who knows.

Originally Posted by dogfish

that's just my speculation, but i think he could. . . what names you gonna contribute? i was hoping you'd fill in the "college coaches" section. . .

I think the coaches people want at the college level might not make the jump, but Lincoln Riley is the one that gets the most talk. It’s certainly the success of the quarterbacks that is fueling his name in the pro ranks. I like the idea of Riley better than Kellen Moore.

A name I never thought I’d hear in professional coaching talk came up in a podcast yesterday, and now I can’t remember who specifically said it, but Dabo Sweeney. I don’t think he’ll ever leave Clemson unless it’s for Alabama (alma mater), but for a national writer to bring his name up was very interesting. Caveat, that was speculation, not reporting. Might have been Robert Mays at The Athletic.

Interest in college coaches is all mostly based on quarterback success and scheme. Spurrier got his look because his quarterbacks were mildly successful and he ran a pass-heavy offense. Same thing with Kingsbury.

Other coaches, maybe, Dan Mullen at Florida maybe. This will get a strong reaction from SEC people depending on what school they root for, but he’s coached Alex Smith, Tebow, Newton, Dak Prescott. He was on the staff with Urban Meyer when McDaniels and Belicheck were talking scheme with them.

Kirby Smart might be an interesting one. Georgia. A former defensive coordinator who has built Georgia into the top tier (non-Alabama, Clemson division) of teams. I’d say outside of Saban and Sweeney he’s the best coach in the country.

For examples of those types of coaches making the jump you have, positively, Carroll and Switzer, and, negatively, Nick Saban.

All these guys are recruiters though. I don’t know how well their coaching extends to the NFL. Rhule was the type of coach that made more with lesser players.

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

I think the coaches people want at the college level might not make the jump, but Lincoln Riley is the one that gets the most talk. It’s certainly the success of the quarterbacks that is fueling his name in the pro ranks. I like the idea of Riley better than Kellen Moore.

A name I never thought I’d hear in professional coaching talk came up in a podcast yesterday, and now I can’t remember who specifically said it, but Dabo Sweeney. I don’t think he’ll ever leave Clemson unless it’s for Alabama (alma mater), but for a national writer to bring his name up was very interesting. Caveat, that was speculation, not reporting. Might have been Robert Mays at The Athletic.

Interest in college coaches is all mostly based on quarterback success and scheme. Spurrier got his look because his quarterbacks were mildly successful and he ran a pass-heavy offense. Same thing with Kingsbury.

Other coaches, maybe, Dan Mullen at Florida maybe. This will get a strong reaction from SEC people depending on what school they root for, but he’s coached Alex Smith, Tebow, Newton, Dak Prescott. He was on the staff with Urban Meyer when McDaniels and Belicheck were talking scheme with them.

Kirby Smart might be an interesting one. Georgia. A former defensive coordinator who has built Georgia into the top tier (non-Alabama, Clemson division) of teams. I’d say outside of Saban and Sweeney he’s the best coach in the country.

For examples of those types of coaches making the jump you have, positively, Carroll and Switzer, and, negatively, Nick Saban.

All these guys are recruiters though. I don’t know how well their coaching extends to the NFL. Rhule was the type of coach that made more with lesser players.

Yeah guys like Dabo and Mullen feel like college lifers to me. I watched 10 years of Mullen at MSU. He's a great recruiter and motivator, but his in game coaching often left a lot to be desired.

A guy I think could be intriguing, more along the lines of Rhule, is PJ Fleck. He took Minnesota from nothing to the doorstep of the playoffs last year. I could see him getting looks if he wanted to go that route.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Yeah guys like Dabo and Mullen feel like college lifers to me. I watched 10 years of Mullen at MSU. He's a great recruiter and motivator, but his in game coaching often left a lot to be desired.

A guy I think could be intriguing, more along the lines of Rhule, is PJ Fleck. He took Minnesota from nothing to the doorstep of the playoffs last year. I could see him getting looks if he wanted to go that route.

Fleck is a guy who should get top tier college looks or pro looks. Good coach to bring up. His schtick might be a little much for professionals, but he’s clearly a good coach.

Jimmy Lake and (I know this isn’t a popular name to bring up in Colorado, but...) Mel Tucker might be interesting.

This is a guy who it's still WAY too early to tell, but Arkansas' new coach Sam Pittman is someone I'm keeping an eye on at least. Took over a team this year that hadn't won an SEC game in over 2 and a half years, and his his first 3 games they played Georgia tough, won at Mississippi State, shutting down Leach, and were robbed on a late call that would have given them a win over Auburn. Again, still way too early to know but he's off to a good start there.

I don’t know anything about Pittman. What’s his background?

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

I don’t know anything about Pittman. What’s his background?

He was the o-line coach at georgia before this, not sure about before that. He's 58, so he does kinda have the Fangio "what took you so long to get a head coach job?" kinda feel to him, but to immediately make Arkansas so competitive is just insanely impressive. They've quite possibly been the worst power 5 program of the last couple of years.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

He was the o-line coach at georgia before this, not sure about before that. He's 58, so he does kinda have the Fangio "what took you so long to get a head coach job?" kinda feel to him, but to immediately make Arkansas so competitive is just insanely impressive. They've quite possibly been the worst power 5 program of the last couple of years.

Kansas says “hi,” but point taken. I think his age would keep most NFL teams away.

Before that he’s a completely college lifer, it looks like.

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

I think the coaches people want at the college level might not make the jump, but Lincoln Riley is the one that gets the most talk. It’s certainly the success of the quarterbacks that is fueling his name in the pro ranks. I like the idea of Riley better than Kellen Moore.

A name I never thought I’d hear in professional coaching talk came up in a podcast yesterday, and now I can’t remember who specifically said it, but Dabo Sweeney. I don’t think he’ll ever leave Clemson unless it’s for Alabama (alma mater), but for a national writer to bring his name up was very interesting. Caveat, that was speculation, not reporting. Might have been Robert Mays at The Athletic.

Interest in college coaches is all mostly based on quarterback success and scheme. Spurrier got his look because his quarterbacks were mildly successful and he ran a pass-heavy offense. Same thing with Kingsbury.

Other coaches, maybe, Dan Mullen at Florida maybe. This will get a strong reaction from SEC people depending on what school they root for, but he’s coached Alex Smith, Tebow, Newton, Dak Prescott. He was on the staff with Urban Meyer when McDaniels and Belicheck were talking scheme with them.

Kirby Smart might be an interesting one. Georgia. A former defensive coordinator who has built Georgia into the top tier (non-Alabama, Clemson division) of teams. I’d say outside of Saban and Sweeney he’s the best coach in the country.

For examples of those types of coaches making the jump you have, positively, Carroll and Switzer, and, negatively, Nick Saban.

All these guys are recruiters though. I don’t know how well their coaching extends to the NFL. Rhule was the type of coach that made more with lesser players.

What about Herm!?!?

Back to pro assistants, what are your thoughts on Leftwich Mo? He's risen pretty quickly from a QB coach to OC, seems pretty respected/well liked by his players, is a known name from his playing days, and will likely get interviews thanks to the Rooney rule. I could see him getting a job in the next few years.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Back to pro assistants, what are your thoughts on Leftwich Mo? He's risen pretty quickly from a QB coach to OC, seems pretty respected/well liked by his players, is a known name from his playing days, and will likely get interviews thanks to the Rooney rule. I could see him getting a job in the next few years.

Don’t know how much of their success is Arians and how much is Leftwich, but he’s at least intriguing.