UC Coaching Search Official Thread

[RedRocker]

I need some of what this guy is on.....

Ralph is in a time warp; either 15 years too late or 15 years too soon.

[RedRocker]

I hate to have an arrogant attitude about it, but if UC offers, I can't see how he'd pass up more money + BCS to go to Huntington, WV.

I don't think he would.

[norwoodbearcat]

Ralph is in a time warp; either 15 years too late or 15 years too soon.

Ralphs talking about droppin 20k on seats. If hes got that kind of money for two seats hes obviously doing something right.

[#41]

We GET it on Sumlin, 41. Let it rest. I can guarantee you that this board has absolutely ZERO impact on who UC will hire, so your campaign does not matter. You first tried to tell us that Sumlin has been out of the midwest forever, before a simple search showed that he did not leave for Texas A&M until 2001, at age 36. I know you'll do everything you can to convince us that he can't be hired, just as you spent weeks talking gloom and doom before Kelly left. You often have some good insights. I'd love to hear some insights on who you actually like, and why.

I was accused of doom and gloom, but doom and gloom is pretty much what we got, isn't it? I don't say it to be "I told you so," because I really take no joy in the fact that the school is missing a coach and will be playing one of the biggest games in school history without their leader -- but I was basically slammed for telling the truth, as I saw it.

I dislike Kevin Sumlin. I'm disappointed he's being considered. I'll leave at that until we hear something new.

As for who I like -- that's a tough question. I'm still in the process of looking things over. When a name pops up -- like Sumlin or Golden -- it's easy to make a decision one way or the other. I can recall Buffalo games or Houston games I've watched, I can do some reading, scan Scout & Rivals, look at background, and make a call on what I think. Generating a name is a little more time intensive, and frankly, I haven't had time to sit down and do it.

In the past, I've stated that I like Butch Jones, I like Dave Clawson, and I like Dave Christensen. I'm still with them, though, probably a little higher on Christensen than Clawson or Jones. There are a couple other names that intrigue me that I plan on researching a little more when I have some time. Admittedly, it's tough with some of these names because I haven't seen their teams play.

[norwoodbearcat]

I would like someone who has the ability to establish some type of running attack even with a pocket passer. The spread is the future but many teams still have the ability to run using it. I watched hat MAC championship because I wanted to take a look at Butch since it was pretty apparent BK was gone and I liked what I saw but I was not sold at all

[bearcatbret]

I will take the coaching job. I will demand zero pay and distribute evenly among the current staff. Keep the current staff and we will win. We have a good assistant in short sleeve KC and in the offense in JQ. We need to keep these guys through the sugar bowl at least. Also, I think the recruiting comes from KC. Keep him on doing his current job. Maybe when the next coach leaves between 2-4 years, he will be ready to be a lifer.

[catscratchfever]

pretty sure #41 has some inside info that UC is going to hire Sumlin. He is just getting a headstart on his criticism

[#41]

pretty sure #41 has some inside info that UC is going to hire Sumlin. He is just getting a headstart on his criticism

And, just to get ahead of the story, the rumors are NOT true that I've registered www.firekevinsumlin.com.

[Pete]

Personally, I am looking at Chuck Martin at GVSU.

I would prefer UC hire someone who has run a program long enough for there to be no doubt as to whether it is him or his predecessor who can claim success.

"All Martin has done his first five years is lead the Lakers to two NCAA DII Football National Championships, 61 total wins and set the all-time NCAA DII winning streak at 40."

His record tells me that he can recruit and he can coach. 40 wins in a row means his teams are prepared every week.

Would I prefer he had DI experience, yes. But more than anything, I am looking for someone that can run a program and has the youth and energy to keep UC on an upward trajectory.

[Pete]

Thoughts on assistant coach philosophy

I think there is universal agreement on where the UC program is right now.

UC has just recently placed itself in the upper echelons of college programs on the football field, but still remains below the upper echelon of college programs financially. To move into the upper echelon will take some years and a lot of hard work and money. Another 10 years of success, stadium expansion and fan base growth will be required to build the infrastructure to compete financially with the upper echelon.

If UC hires a successful head coach that wins a BEast championship, there is a chance that another program that can offer more money will sweep in and take that coach away, along with most assistants. The next successful coach may very well be at UC for 3-5 years.

If UC hires a dud, the next coach may very well be out in 3 years as well.

So, over the next 10 years, you are looking at 2 or 3 coaches. At the end of that decade, hopefully UC is in a position to compete financially with the schools that are likley to try and take the coach away. But in the mean time...

Newer head coaches generally make less money than coaches that have been around for 3-5 years. And obviously, assistant coaches do not make near the money that the head coach does. My understanding is that UC offered BK an amount not too far off from the ND salary (perhaps before incentives). But it is not enough to keep a really good coach.

How can UC spend the money over the next 10 years in a way that builds the program?

So here is one thought. Why doesn't the athletic department take a strategy to be financially competitive with the assistant coaches. Now, I don't know what the pay difference is between a ND defensive coordinator and a UC defensive coordinator, my guess is that is is fairly large. My guess is that it is not as large as the difference between a head coach at ND and a head coach at UC. But, if UC can use the raise they were trying to give BK and pour it into the assistant coaches, then perhaps UC becomes a destination job for assistants. Then perhaps the program can build a network of assistants over the next 10 years that want to stay at UC, and perhaps someday be a head coach at UC.

Am I making sense?

Or would it just be better to buy a new helicopter for recruiting local games ;-)

[norwoodbearcat]

Personally, I am looking at Chuck Martin at GVSU.

I would prefer UC hire someone who has run a program long enough for there to be no doubt as to whether it is him or his predecessor who can claim success.

"All Martin has done his first five years is lead the Lakers to two NCAA DII Football National Championships, 61 total wins and set the all-time NCAA DII winning streak at 40."

His record tells me that he can recruit and he can coach. 40 wins in a row means his teams are prepared every week.

Would I prefer he had DI experience, yes. But more than anything, I am looking for someone that can run a program and has the youth and energy to keep UC on an upward trajectory.

have you ever seen them play? Stats dont mean everything to me

[MST83]

In 2009, Larry Kehres (Care-Us) begins his 35th year at Mount Union College and his 24th season as head football coach. In his 23 years at the helm of the Purple Raiders he has built one of the most successful programs in all of college football.

His teams have won 19 Ohio Athletic Conference Championships (1986, 1990, 1992-2008) while posting 17 undefeated regular seasons (1986, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995-2004, 2006-2008) and claiming 10 of the last 16 NCAA Division III National Championships (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008).

Since 1990, the Raiders have made 18 NCAA Playoff appearances while posting college football's most wins and best winning percentage (245-11-1/.956). Since 2000, Mount Union has record of 125-4.


In total, Kehres has a career coaching record of 275-21-3 (.924) and for his efforts has been named American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year a record 13 times, AFCA National Coach of the Year eight times, OAC Coach of the Year six times and in 2008 became just the second-ever NCAA Division III winner of the Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year award.


According to Kehres, a successful football program is built on organization and consistency.

"We have built a successful program, in part, because our coaching staff has remained intact and is committed to our system," he said. "We feel our program is well-organized. Our players know what is expected of them. They know that we believe in taking advantage of opportunities and not beating ourselves with mistakes.

"Offensively, we like to attack the defense and make them cover the whole field. Defensively, we want to create big plays. As for the kicking game, I believe in being aggressive and winning the field position battle. Being consistent in all three phases and being well-conditioned puts you in a position to win games in the fourth quarter."

Kehres is aware of the fact that his program has reached a level of excellence few teams can match.

"We' re proud of what our teams have accomplished," he noted. It's a compliment to all the coaches and players who have been part of our program and have contributed in the success at Mount Union. It's very difficult to reach the top, but even more difficult to maintain excellence."

Kehres, a native of Diamond, Ohio, graduated from Southeast High School. He earned a business administration degree from Mount Union in 1971.

He served as a graduate assistant coach at Bowling Green State University in 1971-72, earning a master's degree in health and physical education. In 1973, Kehres got his first head coaching job as the football coach at Johnstown Monroe High School in Johnstown, Ohio.

He returned to Mount Union the following year, spending the next 11 seasons as an assistant coach, serving mainly as the offensive coordinator before taking over as head coach prior to the 1986 season.


His successes have not been limited to the football field. He started and coached the Mount Union swim program from 1974-86. In 1985 he was named director of athletics and in 1991, Mount Union became the first institution in the history of the OAC to claim both men's and women's all-sport trophies in the same season.


As director of athletics, he has overseen and aided in the expansion of varsity sports, increases in the athletics staff and an aggressive plan to enhance and create some of NCAA Division III top facilites including the current $17-million expansion and renovation of the Timken Physical Education Building and Petersen Field House.


Kehres is also an associate professor of physical education and values what his students have accomplished in the classroom as well as the football field. In his time as head coach, Mount Union has had 14 Academic All-Americans, two national finalists for the Draddy Trophy otherwise known as the Academic Heisman and in 2008 quarterback Greg Micheli was named Academic All-American of the Year and a recipient of the NCAA Top VIII Award given to the top student-athletes in the nation.


He and his wife, Linda, have three grown children, Vince, Faith and Jan. They reside in Alliance.



BEFORE YOU GET UPSET I AM JOKING. LOL

[Bearcat_DF]

I think there is universal agreement on where the UC program is right now.

UC has just recently placed itself in the upper echelons of college programs on the football field, but still remains below the upper echelon of college programs financially. To move into the upper echelon will take some years and a lot of hard work and money. Another 10 years of success, stadium expansion and fan base growth will be required to build the infrastructure to compete financially with the upper echelon.

If UC hires a successful head coach that wins a BEast championship, there is a chance that another program that can offer more money will sweep in and take that coach away, along with most assistants. The next successful coach may very well be at UC for 3-5 years.

If UC hires a dud, the next coach may very well be out in 3 years as well.

So, over the next 10 years, you are looking at 2 or 3 coaches. At the end of that decade, hopefully UC is in a position to compete financially with the schools that are likley to try and take the coach away. But in the mean time...

Newer head coaches generally make less money than coaches that have been around for 3-5 years. And obviously, assistant coaches do not make near the money that the head coach does. My understanding is that UC offered BK an amount not too far off from the ND salary (perhaps before incentives). But it is not enough to keep a really good coach.

How can UC spend the money over the next 10 years in a way that builds the program?

So here is one thought. Why doesn't the athletic department take a strategy to be financially competitive with the assistant coaches. Now, I don't know what the pay difference is between a ND defensive coordinator and a UC defensive coordinator, my guess is that is is fairly large. My guess is that it is not as large as the difference between a head coach at ND and a head coach at UC. But, if UC can use the raise they were trying to give BK and pour it into the assistant coaches, then perhaps UC becomes a destination job for assistants. Then perhaps the program can build a network of assistants over the next 10 years that want to stay at UC, and perhaps someday be a head coach at UC.

Am I making sense?

Or would it just be better to buy a new helicopter for recruiting local games ;-)

There are several problems with this scenario - you still need someone to lead the staff and this person will need to buy into the strategy and be able to be successful and be willing to take less and stay . . . otherwise, you are going to have a lot of turnover at the top and a lot of disorganization. In some ways, it would be similar to the Minter era when there was a lot of turnover of assistant coaches. There just wasn't any continuity.

The other problem is that head coaches like to assemble their staff. BK will likely take the majority of the current coaching staff (Coombs and Hinton are the only two that stay IMHO). Likewise, whoever comes in will want to bring the majority of their staff.

Programs don't hire the assistants - the HC does.

[MST83]

If you like Cronin here is an idea from MSU

Matt Griffin
Football

Head Coach

Experience: 3 Years

Alma Mater: New Hampshire
1992

Hometown: Turners Falls, Mass.

Very few schools in the country can boast the kind of coaching tradition that has taken up residence at Murray State University, especially in the last 25 years. Consider the men who in recent history have guided the Racers on the football field:

• Mike Gottfried left Murray State to coach at Cincinnati, Kansas and Pittsburgh before becoming one of the top college football television analysts in the country while working for ESPN.

• Frank Beamer left Murray State for his alma mater, Virginia Tech, where he guided the Hokies to a spot in the national championship game against Florida State in 2000, earning several national coach of the year awards.

• Houston Nutt took the Racers to unprecedented heights before leaving to restore the winning tradition at Arkansas, and now Ole Miss.

Now the torch is carried by a coach who has all the makings of becoming the next Murray State football head coaching legend....Matt Griffin.

Griffin is set to begin his fourth season at the helm of the Racer program after being selected as the school’s 16th head football coach Dec. 12, 2005.


The Racer coach is building the program block-by-block, recruit-by-recruit, practice-by-practice and game-by-game.


Griffin inherited a program that was coming off a winless Ohio Valley Conference season. But turning around a program is nothing new for Griffin.


In his first opportunity as a head coach, Griffin needed three seasons to land UT Martin its first winning season since 1993 and just the sixth since 1970.


The patient approach of Griffin has taken shape as the 2009 edition of the Racers is bolstered by the largest number of upperclassmen since his arrival.


The entire 2009 preseason depth chart features players that all have starting experience, and filled with players that have been significant contributors in the Griffin era.


The offensive minded Griffin will have a more active role in the offense this season as he will serve as the team’s quarterbacks coach.


Griffin will inherit a mix of young and old as he adds a trio of incoming freshman to go along with his two seasoned quarterbacks. Griffin looks to guide Jeff Ehrhardt back to his all-conference form from two season’s ago, while talented senior Nico Yantko looks to bounce back from injury.


Griffin’s plan began to show during the 2008 season as the Racers more than doubled their win total from the previous season and finished with a 5-7 record and a 4-4 mark in the OVC, culminating with a thrilling victory over nationally-ranked Tennessee State in the final game of season.


Griffin’s tenure began with a 2006 season that featured 48 freshman on the 82-man roster. The two-deep was filled with 21 true-freshman, with 12 starting at least one game during the season.


Griffin’s second MSU team was young as well, with 72 freshmen and sophomores and only 14 juniors and seniors. Those freshmen and sophomores are the building blocks to championship contention.


It didn’t take long to see that Griffin’s Racer teams will be fundamentally sound. The season before his arrival Murray State finished last in the nation with 38 turnovers. In Griffin’s first season, MSU lowered its turnover margin from minus-24 to minus-3.


Griffin’s first Racer squad was one of the most disciplined teams not only in the OVC but in the nation as well. MSU finished the 2006 season as the least penalized team in the conference. Only 19 teams in the country had fewer penalty yards per game than Murray State.


In his three season’s, Griffin has mentored eight all-OVC performers, including reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nathan Williams and 2007 Freshman of the Year Jeff Ehrhardt. Williams, along with senior Austen Lane, became the first Racers to garner All-America honors since 2001.


Griffin’s success at MSU is not just limited to the field, as the Racers have shown steady improvement in the classroom. The team posted a 2.72 GPA during the Fall (2008) semester and followed it up with a 2.83 GPA in the Spring (2009). The team has also improved it’s APR in each of his first three seasons, posting a 965 this past year.


He came to Murray State after serving as head coach at the UT Martin for three seasons.
At UT Martin, he turned around a program that had not won an Ohio Valley Conference football game in the six years before his arrival as head coach.


In 2005 the Skyhawks completed the turnaround by finishing 6-5 overall and 4-4 in the OVC. The winning season was just the second in the school’s NCAA FCS history and the first since 1993.


A year later, while Griffin was beginning the rebuilding process at Murray State, many of the players he recruited and coached at UT Martin led the Skyhawks to a 9-3 record, a share of the OVC Championship and a No. 13 national ranking.


“Coach Griffin is an excellent coach who has brought a high level of enthusiasm and passion to the program,” said MSU Director of Athletics Allen Ward. “Matt is recognized as one of the up-and-coming head coaches in all of college football, and I am thrilled that he is leading our program.”


In August 2006, American Football Monthly showed it agreed with Ward when the magazine selected Griffin to its list of the 80 “hot” coaches for 2006.


The Skyhawks’ achievements in 2005 led to Griffin being named one of the 16 finalists for The Sports Network’s Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. In addition, Griffin was chosen as the recipient for the 2005 Tennessee Sports Writers Association College Football Coach of the Year award.


The six wins in 2005 tied the 1993 UT Martin squad for the most in the program’s history as an NCAA FCS institution. The four OVC victories in 2005 tied for the second-most in school history. Only the 1993 team (5-3) had more league wins.


In his three seasons at UTM, Griffin led the Skyhawks to six OVC wins, more than the five victories UTM had in the previous eight years combined.


In 2005, UT Martin led the OVC in total defense (324.3 yards per game), and ranked second in scoring offense (27.0 points per game) and rushing offense (193.0 yards per game).


During his tenure at UTM, Griffin produced 10 All-OVC selections, which was more than the previous seven years combined. The six all-conference honorees in 2005 were the most ever for the Skyhawks in one season. Over those three seasons, UTM football players have been recognized 13 times by the OVC as Player of the Week.


“Our football team will be comprised of young men who are great competitors on the field and in the classroom,” said Griffin. “All of our players will earn a degree and learn how to excel above their potential as athletes. The lessons they will learn from this game will set a foundation of success for the rest of their lives.”


Under Griffin’s leadership, the football program at UTM produced its first, and only the third in school history, First-Team Academic All-American selection. In addition the Skyhawk football team has produced 16 Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll selections and two OVC Scholar-Athletes, which is the highest individual honor that can be earned by OVC student-athletes and is given annually to three men and three women.


“Success at any endeavor starts with passion,” said Griffin. “When you get a group of young men who love the game, great things happen. They understand this is every day, every play - Racer Pride.”


Before arriving at UTM, Griffin spent four seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Maine where he helped lead the Black Bears to back-to-back Atlantic 10 Conference championships and berths in the FCS playoffs in 2001 and 2002. Maine advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs in each of those years, earning the first playoff victories in school history.


Prior to accepting the position at Maine, Griffin spent the 1997 and 1998 seasons as offensive coordinator at UTM.
His coaching career began at Plymouth State College where he served as an assistant for two seasons (1992-93).
The Turners Falls, Mass., native made coaching stops at the University of Richmond (1994) and Northeastern University (1995-97) before beginning his first stint at UTM.


While serving as the quarterbacks coach at NU, Griffin recruited Jim Murphy who went on to set the school career records for passing yards, attempts and completions, while ranking second in touchdown passes.


His coaching and playing career has taken him to four Atlantic 10 Conference (now Colonial Athletic Association) schools. Before coaching at Maine, Richmond and Northeastern, Griffin graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1992 with a bachelor of science degree in political science. He served as team captain and led the league in passing efficiency as a senior.


Griffin helped the Wildcats capture the 1991 Yankee Conference Championship, UNH’s first title in 16 years, and advance to the FCS playoffs.


He held several passing records at UNH when he left the university. At time of graduation, Griffin ranked third in New Hampshire history with 5,425 career passing yards. His 2,734 passing yards in 1991 is the third-most in a single season by a Wildcat quarterback. Griffin ranks fourth in school history with 734 career passing attempts and fifth with 392 completions.


Griffin is married to the former Lisa Morin. They are parents of daughter Molly, 16, and sons Cullen, 14, and Garrett, 8.

[colocat]

I like what I've read about him, but I understand that a former UC coach is bringing him to Notre Dame, unfortunately.

Personally, I am looking at Chuck Martin at GVSU.

I would prefer UC hire someone who has run a program long enough for there to be no doubt as to whether it is him or his predecessor who can claim success.

"All Martin has done his first five years is lead the Lakers to two NCAA DII Football National Championships, 61 total wins and set the all-time NCAA DII winning streak at 40."

His record tells me that he can recruit and he can coach. 40 wins in a row means his teams are prepared every week.

Would I prefer he had DI experience, yes. But more than anything, I am looking for someone that can run a program and has the youth and energy to keep UC on an upward trajectory.