Usually colleges wait until the end of the year before giving struggling football coaches the hook, but not this season. Nope. 2008 has already seen Tommy Bowden "resign" from Klimpsen and Ty Willingham also decide to "step down" at the end of the year from the U-Dub gig.
How about Auburn? For some reason Awbarn fans are wanting to ride the best coach the Tigers/War Eagles/Plainsmen have had since Dye out of town for one bad season. Has Awbarn slipped? Yes, a bit. Have the Tigers disappointed after they were pegged a preseason top 10? yes, but remember the last time that happened? 2004 they went undefeated. But, HEY, as a UGA fan, I would love NOTHING more than for a big rival to lose a quality coach. So I welcome this.
Then over on Rocky Top, fans want the Great Pumpkin to leave the Pumpkin patch immediately. This is strange because he is coming off a CO-division championship and a near upset in the SECCG of eventual BCS champ LSU and a subsequent contract extension. They do look turrbull though and he just doesn't seem to have the same mojo without David Cutcliff that he does with him.
How about West Va and Michigan? Well you KNOW RichRod isn't going anywhere (according to John from Downtown Atlanta on ScoreATL's Sunday scoreboard show, this is a rebuilding year and I am a moron for not knowing that. Ummm Mark Richt didn't lose to Toledo in his rebuilding year at UGA...a year he won 8 regular season games and went to a bowl FOR THE RECORD.) It also appears that West Va might be happy with Stewart after freaking out earlier because they realized they NEVER should have given him that gig.
Finally, I am hoping Da Cuse FINALLY make a move and stop talking about it. PLEASE. I am SICK of this. Either DO IT, or SHUT UP ABOUT IT. (I also will not bother with the South Carolina talk or the UVa talk since Spurrier is sticking around at least one more year IMO-he wants to see if Garcia is the man; and UVa is sitting atop the Coastal Division standings right now. This is just one year after Al Groh won ACC Coach of the year. Sorry to my stepdad, but Groh will not go.)
So now we get to my thoughts on the matter of their replacements. As far as Klimpsen goes, if I were the Tigers, I would wait until The OTHER Tigers fire Tuberville, then go after him. CTT knows what it is like to live in a cow town, so the small, football crazed town of Klimpsen wouldn't come as a shock. Also Tuberville would OWN the ACC. If we break down Coaches of the conference, he outcoaches Randy Shannon at Mia, he is better than Jimbo Fisher/shell of Bobby Bowden, has better players than Paul Johnson at GT, better players than NCState and Duke and Wake, better coach than UVA and BC. The only coaches he has problems against: Beamer and Butch Davis. But Tuberville would have the Tigers in the ACCCG every three years, if not every other year. Yeppers. Klimpsen would be smart to wait and pursue this fish MORESO than Bobby Johnson at Vandy. I don't think Johnson is leaving; why would he want to? He is in too good of a situation at Vandy in terms of security and lifestyle. Let's see......Nashville or Klimpsen? No stress or hyperstressed? This is another one though: If Johnson wants to leave Vandy, I'd be OK with that as a UGA fan.
U-Dub, if they haven't already gotten Lane Kiffin signed, then I say that the Prez goes after Will Muschamp, DC from Texas. Apparently the Prez was at LSU when Saban (And Muschamp) roamed the sidelines on the Bayou. I heard where Pat Hill's name was being mentioned, but why? Why would U-Dub want to bring in the Fresno State Coach? Because he sometimes knocks off a crappy BCS conference team? Because the FSU bulldog baseball team beat UGA in the CWS? Go get Muschamp, but be warned: as intense as the guy is, Matt Stafford torched him as a true frosh and again as a sophomore. And Sam Bradford certainly toasted his vaunted D. I know people are sort of overlooking this because the Texas O is doing so well and everyone is chalking it up to "The Amazing Big 12 offenses!" Ummm Texas has some FINE athletes on D and they gave up 5 TDs to Bradford? Last time I checked, all the Pac 10 DOES is pass. U-Dub had better watch out for that one. But I think Muschamp is the best option, unless Lane Kiffin (who left USC to get paid from The Raiders?) is already signed. Yeah, wouldn't Mike Leach look good up there though? That offense would scare the pants off of USC. I might like to see that!
Auburn. Here is where Muschamp's name will be brought up again, same with Kiffin's name. Not sure why on Kiffin, but people keep saying his name here. He is a west coast guy. You REALLY think he wants to come to Awbarn? Ummmm, doubt it. The Tiger people may run off Tuberville then realize no one wants this gig. That would be funny if you ask me. Honestly! They would have to go to the midmajors and beg someone to take this gig. I would think that Brian Kelly of Cincy (not a mid-major, but it might as well be) turns it down because he wants the Vols gig. I think they might give Utah a call and see if Kyle Whittingham (did I spell that correctly?) wants it. Auburn said they wanted a spread offense, and this Urban Meyer clone might be just what they are looking for. IF he takes it.
Tennessee. Here is where I might say Brian Kelly of Cincy, but the hot story is Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Bucs. Apparently he started his career coaching with the Vols and BOY WOULD THAT be a splash. The only thing is, I don't think Gruden would be able to recruit and keep 10 QBs on his 85 man roster. Walk-ons maybe, but you can't tie up all of those scholarships. No, what probably happens here is the team goes out and tries to get David Cutcliff back from Duke. And he would come back. It is just kind of weird that the school would want a guy that has been such an enhhhh head coach, both at Ole Miss and now at Duke.
Da Cuse. Kiffin's name comes up here, (because it is coming up everywhere) but I wonder why not get Jim Fassel, the old NY Giants coach. He has some New York ties and he knows what the NY Press would be like. Greg Robinson is just moping around up there and you know that Fassel would never stand to be what his team is right now. He'd probably pop off and get himself fired opposed to being what Robinson is now.
And PS, if West Va does struggle too much, I would think that Tommy Bowden, a WVU Alum might get a call. Does that make Stewart uncomfortable that TB is making a visit "to tailgate" up there this weekend? It would if I was Stewart. Just saying.
And hey John from Downtown and the rest of you Michigan fans: WE KNOW IT IS A REBUILDING YEAR, but losing to Toledo should never happen from one of the winningest programs EVER! Paul Johnson at GT is putting in a new system, but he isn't failing miserably like RichRod is. Admit it: the guy is slime and if you could do it over, you wouldn't have made the hire. You would have shopped around a little more. Admit it! Do it. Wait.....ADMIT IT! Thank you.
Otherwise I think the rest of the coaching world sticks around. Pete Carroll is staying put, 49ers be darned. (now if they had drafted Leinart...) Kirk Frentz at Iowa gets to stay (because who wants to go to Iowa? The land of farmer's daughters..) JoePa stays and so does BBowden. Petrino tries to leave Arkie, but no one will have him. Krapthorpe sticks at Louisville because "he is building something." Maybe Rich Brooks leaves UK, but then Joker Phillips is there. And for WHATEVER REASON Sly Croom is not allowed to be fired from Miss State. If Bobby Johnson leaves Vandy, then perhaps Vandy folds its program.
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