Coaching Hires Revisited

[Herb]

LSU hired Brian Kelly and the LSU fanbase overall embraced the hire, but in typical fashion there appears to be a portion of the fanbase who look at Kelly like they did Miles (and Saban) and will never truly accept him as our HC. I think overall, most LSU fans that were surprised by the hire did their research and realized out of the available coaches out there Kelly was a very good hire.

Most agree Kelly is doing the most with what he has and nobody predicted that at this point in the season there would be a chance for LSU to wind up 10-2 on the season (it COULD happen).

Let's look at some of the other major hires from this cycle - including some coaches that were given huge extensions so they would not get hired away.

• Lincoln Riley - solid hire by USC who has USC on a tear. Riley was probably also a finalist for LSU and there was a point where it was rumored we had hired him. 
• Marcus Freeman - the guy that replaced Kelly at Notre Dame. The Notre Dame fan base - after Kelly left for LSU - has been comical in their insistence that Kelly was a mediocre at best coach and Notre Dame would be way better off without him. Once locked into that mindset, they now exclaim that Notre Dame's current woes are the fault of Kelly and that Freeman inherited a pile of garbage from Kelly. 
  
  I like Freeman and I hope he succeeds (though I loathe ND) but it is hard for anyone to succeed going from zero HC experience to taking over a major program. It looks like he is a good recruiter or at least he is good at keeping together the recruits Kelly had been targeting for ND the last couple of years.
• Mario Cristobal - Too early to tell here, but Miami looks like it is a hot mess right now. Cristobal probably needs at least 2 more years to see improvement but I wish we could have played them this year. He has a reputation as being a top tier recruiter and he could get them playing better down the stretch and build the team back to some level of respectability. Right now that is far away.
• Billy Napier - Since 2000 Florida has only had a single coach last 5 years on the job (Urban Meyer). I like what Napier did at ULL and he'll have all of the tools to succeed. The impatience of Florida as an institution will determine if he sticks. 
• Brent Venables - Every year Venebles was on every "short list" of candidates for any major coaching vacancy. Venebles signed a fully guaranteed $43.5 million contract. Right now Choklahoma has been eliminated from the Big 12 championship after dropping their 1st 3 games against conference opponents. If they decided this was a mistake and fired him at the end of the season, they'd owe him $36 million because of the guaranteed contract so if he doesn't turn things around, the Sooners might suck for a while.  
• Sonny Dykes - Dykes just seems to win wherever he goes. This looks like a solid hire by TCU. TCU is undefeated right now and are ranked #7 in the nation as a result.

 

Some of the guys that got HUGE extensions to retain them:

• Jimbo Fisher - extended presumably to prevent him from coming to LSU and as a reward for having "the greatest recruiting class ever". TAMU is 3-4 right now, has not won a single game on the road, and lost to Appy State. Firing Jimbo at the end of the season would cost Texas A&M a staggering $86 million dollars. That is over 5x what we paid to buy out Ed orgeron's contract.
• Mel Tucker - many here (including me) had Tucker on our list of guys to replace Orgeron. Tucker signed a ten year $95 million FULLY GUARANTEED extension to prevent him from getting hired away. The Spartans are also 3-4 with their losses being by a combined 81 points, and they are considered underdogs for all of their remaining games. If they wind up with a losing season Michigan State will have losing seasons under Tuck in 3 of the last 4 years.
• Steve Sarkasian - Signed a 5 year extension with Tejas for $34 million that includes a buyout of 70% of whatever the balance is. At the end of this year, if he were fired it would be about $19 million. Texas is doing fairly well at 5-3 but are kind of hot and cold. I think Sark has them pointed in the right direction, overall.

Overall, I think we did pretty well with our hire.

[Nutriaitch]

Lane Kiffin - still a 55 gallon drum full of douche

 

[Hatchertiger]

Jimbo picking up a paycheck from the Aggies ...

[houtiger]

I still don't like a ten year fully guaranteed contract.  There is only one college coach who has EARNED that kind of contract, and we all know who he is.

Four years is about the minimum contract, a new coach wants a commitment that he will have an opportunity to turn a program around.

Hopefully enough of these schools get burned with these 10 year fully guaranteed deals that univ. go back to the way it used to be, 4 or 5 years, then get extended for 2 or 3 years at a time if performance warrants.  The buyouts could be more nuanced.

The aggies want to fire jimbo now, but with last year's recruiting class, he could come back with a better year next year, then they wouldn't want to fire him.  But jeeze, jimbo has been there 5 years, he should have the team rebuilt by now.  When you give a guy too much security, he loses some fire to excel.  The contract has taken away his incentive to work his way to the top, because he is already a mega earner.

[Big T]

I would say between 4 and 5 is the number. With the money they are being paid that is enough time to show an administration that you have the ship headed in the right direction. 

[Herb]

I like making the buyout a percentage of the balance. As it gets nearer the end gives a school the ammo to pull the trigger if they need to. 70% might be high, but 50% - 60% seems more doable.

Make it so its not Monopoly Money.

[Nutriaitch]

2 hours ago, houtiger said:

I still don't like a ten year fully guaranteed contract.  There is only one college coach who has EARNED that kind of contract, and we all know who he is.

You can make the argument a lot more of them are worth it when you look at the money having an upper tier team brings to the university.

Dabo has likely earned a lifetime deal at Clemson by now.

 

2 hours ago, houtiger said:

Four years is about the minimum contract, a new coach wants a commitment that he will have an opportunity to turn a program around.

Hopefully enough of these schools get burned with these 10 year fully guaranteed deals that univ. go back to the way it used to be, 4 or 5 years, then get extended for 2 or 3 years at a time if performance warrants.  The buyouts could be more nuanced.

The aggies want to fire jimbo now, but with last year's recruiting class, he could come back with a better year next year, then they wouldn't want to fire him.  But jeeze, jimbo has been there 5 years, he should have the team rebuilt by now.  When you give a guy too much security, he loses some fire to excel.  The contract has taken away his incentive to work his way to the top, because he is already a mega earner.

unfortunately, that's unlikely to ever happen.

why? because it is (and always has been) an arms race.

the moment you offer a 5 year deal with smaller buyout, your rival will offer 6 with a bigger buyout.

[Nutriaitch]

another one you left off:

Matt Rhule - unemployed

 

[Herb]

30 minutes ago, Nutriaitch said:

another one you left off:

Matt Rhule - unemployed

 

But he was an NFL hire (and I think Rhule was hired by the Panthers the year before last).  

I was limiting it to the NCAA coaches that were hired or extended when Kelly was hired.

 

[Herb]

There was also the Virginia Tech dude, who I can't remember who he is (and I guess Virginia as well).

I was also leaving schools like Troy out of it.

[Nutriaitch]

12 hours ago, Herb said:

But he was an NFL hire (and I think Rhule was hired by the Panthers the year before last).  

I was limiting it to the NCAA coaches that were hired or extended when Kelly was hired.

 

gotcha.

 

was thinking you meant all "candidates".

[Herb]

9 hours ago, Nutriaitch said:

gotcha.

 

was thinking you meant all "candidates".

Not really.  I was looking at the guys that were hired when Kelly was or the guys who got huge extensions to keep them from LSU.

But it would be interesting to do a "where are they now" look at the people who were thought to be candidates for LSU and hindsight them in comparison to where Kelly has the program pointed.

[LSUDad]

Brian Kelly earns $500,000 bonus for bowl eligibility after LSU beats No. 7 Mississippi

Scooby Axson

USA TODAY

 

 

 

 

AD

0:05

 

 

 

LSU coach Brian Kelly has more to celebrate Saturday than just his team's defeat of No. 7 Mississippi.

The 45-20 victory at home against the Rebels gives the Tigers their sixth win of the season. Kelly's contract stipulates he earns a $500,000 bonus in every season LSU is bowl-eligible.

Kelly, who turns 61 next week, scored one of the richest deals in college athletics when he left Notre Dame for Baton Rouge last November after 12 seasons with the Fighting Irish, inking a 10-year deal that will pay him $95 million.

In addition to the bowl-eligibility bonus pocketed, Kelly is making $9 million this season, with $100,000 pay raises each of the next two years. Starting in 2025, He will make $9.4 million until the contract ends.

There's still more money to be made for on-field performance if LSU keeps winning. 

Kelly will receive either $100,000 for a New Year's Six or $200,000 for a semifinal appearance, plus $300,000 for a championship game appearance or $500,000 for winning the College Football Playoff.

Edited October 27, 2022 by LSUDad

[Herb]

12 hours ago, LSUDad said:

Brian Kelly earns $500,000 bonus for bowl eligibility after LSU beats No. 7 Mississippi

Scooby Axson

USA TODAY

 

 

 

 

AD

0:05

 

 

 

LSU coach Brian Kelly has more to celebrate Saturday than just his team's defeat of No. 7 Mississippi.

The 45-20 victory at home against the Rebels gives the Tigers their sixth win of the season. Kelly's contract stipulates he earns a $500,000 bonus in every season LSU is bowl-eligible.

Kelly, who turns 61 next week, scored one of the richest deals in college athletics when he left Notre Dame for Baton Rouge last November after 12 seasons with the Fighting Irish, inking a 10-year deal that will pay him $95 million.

In addition to the bowl-eligibility bonus pocketed, Kelly is making $9 million this season, with $100,000 pay raises each of the next two years. Starting in 2025, He will make $9.4 million until the contract ends.

There's still more money to be made for on-field performance if LSU keeps winning. 

Kelly will receive either $100,000 for a New Year's Six or $200,000 for a semifinal appearance, plus $300,000 for a championship game appearance or $500,000 for winning the College Football Playoff.

 

 

[LSUDad]

Just to let folks know, Nick will cuss a little at times. So NSFW. 

[houtiger]

National sports analyst talking about the Auburn job.  Basically, he's blaming the Auburn boosters for failure to support Harsin.  That is why the AD left.  The AD didn't consult with the boosters when he hired Harsin, or he did and they did not agree.  So, cut your nose off to spite your face, they didn't support Harsin, or the AD.  Not sure what happened with the investigation to Harsin bringing his female assistant with him from previous job...., it didn't go anywhere and Harsin survived.  If there was no trouble found, who leaked the story.  He said the boosters didn't provide NIL money the way other schools did.  Some of that is on Harsin, he didn't know how to get it organized, but the boosters could have helped him.

Years back a booster was recruiting Bobby Petrino, but Tuberville had not been fired, was not fired.  Auburn has a history of boosters meddling.  Embarrassing. 

These stories add up to a less attractive job at Auburn.

[Nutriaitch]

1 hour ago, houtiger said:

National sports analyst talking about the Auburn job.  Basically, he's blaming the Auburn boosters for failure to support Harsin.  That is why the AD left.  The AD didn't consult with the boosters when he hired Harsin, or he did and they did not agree.

remember several years ago i said i hoped to god TAF wasn't pulling the strings?

this is why. 

boosters need to cut checks but stay out of the specifics of "who"

1 hour ago, houtiger said:

  So, cut your nose off to spite your face, they didn't support Harsin, or the AD.  Not sure what happened with the investigation to Harsin bringing his female assistant with him from previous job...., it didn't go anywhere and Harsin survived.  If there was no trouble found, who leaked the story.

probably one of those "not illegal, but immoral" type things.
can't fire him for it, but can smear his name.

1 hour ago, houtiger said:

  He said the boosters didn't provide NIL money the way other schools did.  Some of that is on Harsin, he didn't know how to get it organized, but the boosters could have helped him.

it is against NCAA rules for the head coach (or anyone else employed by the school) to have any direct involvement in NIL money.

1 hour ago, houtiger said:

Years back a booster was recruiting Bobby Petrino, but Tuberville had not been fired, was not fired. 

a booster?

the freaking AD and University President flew to interview him.

1 hour ago, houtiger said:

Auburn has a history of boosters meddling.  Embarrassing. 

These stories add up to a less attractive job at Auburn.

Auburn is the Dollar Tree version of Texas.
can't get out of their own way, and let the boosters run the whole show.

[houtiger]

55 minutes ago, Nutriaitch said:

it is against NCAA rules for the head coach (or anyone else employed by the school) to have any direct involvement in NIL money.

The coach does not need to be directly involved, but he can be tangentially involved.  I'm not sure Harsin is that much of a people person, he may just be an X and O person.  He would have needed help to get this organized, like Brian Kelly jumped on this when he got to LSU.

 

"Feb. 2, 2022 -As the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics in the Name, Image & Likeness era continues to evolve, LSU Athletics invites businesses interested in learning more about the present state and future impact of NIL for a night of education, conversation, and interaction with coaches and administrators at Tiger Stadium on February 2.

The event, NILSU: Geaux Time, is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. inside of the South Stadium Club, providing up-to-the-minute and exclusive insight into the NIL era to businesses seeking more information on how to properly engage in deals with LSU student-athletes. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and those interested in attending can RSVP here.

The session will feature a panel of coaches and administrators from LSU, as they discuss how NIL affects their industries – from the day-to-day work on the recruiting trail and in the locker room to the long-term impacts on their respective sports. Topics covered will include best practices for communicating with student-athletes, proper usage of LSU Athletics marks, and education regarding permissible deals, as well as the emergence of NIL collectives across the country and other relevant NIL trends.

In addition to LSU coaches and administrators, the event will also feature experts from Altius Sports Partners, LSU’s NIL advisory partner. Space is limited to those who RSVP."

https://lsusports.net/news/2022/01/07/lsu-welcomes-businesses-to-nil-panel-event-on-february-2/

[Nutriaitch]

12 minutes ago, houtiger said:

The coach does not need to be directly involved, but he can be tangentially involved.  I'm not sure Harsin is that much of a people person, he may just be an X and O person.  He would have needed help to get this organized, like Brian Kelly jumped on this when he got to LSU.

 

"Feb. 2, 2022 -As the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics in the Name, Image & Likeness era continues to evolve, LSU Athletics invites businesses interested in learning more about the present state and future impact of NIL for a night of education, conversation, and interaction with coaches and administrators at Tiger Stadium on February 2.

The event, NILSU: Geaux Time, is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. inside of the South Stadium Club, providing up-to-the-minute and exclusive insight into the NIL era to businesses seeking more information on how to properly engage in deals with LSU student-athletes. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and those interested in attending can RSVP here.

The session will feature a panel of coaches and administrators from LSU, as they discuss how NIL affects their industries – from the day-to-day work on the recruiting trail and in the locker room to the long-term impacts on their respective sports. Topics covered will include best practices for communicating with student-athletes, proper usage of LSU Athletics marks, and education regarding permissible deals, as well as the emergence of NIL collectives across the country and other relevant NIL trends.

In addition to LSU coaches and administrators, the event will also feature experts from Altius Sports Partners, LSU’s NIL advisory partner. Space is limited to those who RSVP."

https://lsusports.net/news/2022/01/07/lsu-welcomes-businesses-to-nil-panel-event-on-february-2/

those are all for the purpose of educating on proper (i.e. legal) ways to go about NIL.

actually organizing NIL is illegal.

[houtiger]

29 minutes ago, Nutriaitch said:

those are all for the purpose of educating on proper (i.e. legal) ways to go about NIL.

actually organizing NIL is illegal.

Educating the people with the money on the proper way to engage is helping to get the effort organized so it is not illegal, while doing so at arms length.  Semantics.

It does not change what the analyst said, Harsin did not have the support of the boosters.

 

[Big T]

Only thing left to do now is sit back and see how badly they screw up this hire. My $ is on Sanders and I'd double down that he flames.

[Nutriaitch]

1 hour ago, Big T said:

Only thing left to do now is sit back and see how badly they screw up this hire. My $ is on Sanders and I'd double down that he flames.

ever been in the Auburn/Opelika Alabama area?

Deion’s tan is a bit too deep to get the permanent gig, if you know what i mean. 

Caddy as an interim is “acceptable” because he’s Cadillac freaking Williams, and impermanent. 

[LSUDad]

 

[houtiger]

Re: the Auburn job.  If it is offered t Lane K, I think he would take it.  Yes the boosters interfere, but I think he would have more boosters at Auburn and a better NIL setup than he has at OM.  Just a guess, I don't know much about either program.  Yes, Auburn is in Nick's back yard, but Nick is 71.  Lane is a fun guy and I think he could recruit some offensive players.

[LSUDad]

Brian Kelly continues to rack up extra cash during his first season in Baton Rouge. The LSU coach earned a $75,000 bonus for capturing the SEC West title.

LSU clinched the crown by edging host Arkansas 13-10 and Alabama’s 30-24 victory at Ole Miss.