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Best coaches you may or may not have heard of
Posted November 17th, 2008 at 03:08 AM by JessN
We used to do an article called "Coaches to Watch" here at TideFans, but we've gotten away from that somewhat in recent years.
Part of the problem has been a lack of up-and-comers that were showing promise. The other issue is that, with the advent of sports message boards, there aren't a lot of hidden gems left. Everyone, for instance, knows who Chris Petersen (Boise State) is.
So instead of a list of coaches of the future, here's a list of guys, mostly at non-BCS schools, who you may or may not have heard of, and why you might be hearing of them soon, as several schools in and near the Southeast begin to look for coaches. They are listed in no particular order:
Brian Kelly, Cincinnati- like Petersen, most people already know about Kelly. What many don't know is that he already has two national titles under his belt from Grand Valley State. He's an inventive offensive coach and shouldn't have any problem succeeding at a larger school.
Turner Gill, Buffalo- Buffalo is bowl-eligible for the first time in school history and Gill is largely to thank for that. Gill won't be long for Buffalo, largely considered one of the hardest jobs in Division-IA. Many Nebraska fans wanted him instead of Bo Pelini and if Nebraska continues to struggle, those fans might just get what they want.
David Bailiff, Rice- Relative to where a team was picked prior to the season, no one has exceeded expectations more than Bailiff, whose team was expected to finish around 3-9 but is instead 7-3 and tied for Conference USA's West Division lead. Bailiff has only been a head coach for five years, and only two of them in Division-IA, plus he's no spring chicken at 50 years old. But he has a long history in Texas football and may get on radar screens at Texas A&M or Arizona if those programs continue to flounder.
Bill Cubit, Western Michigan- A former assistant at Florida, Cubit's WMU team is 9-2 this year and has become a consistent winner. Cubit is 55 years old and probably has one move left in him.
Brady Hoke, Ball State- Hoke went from unknown to minor celebrity this year as the Cardinals are undefeated. More so than anything else, Ball State University seems to have little interest in investing in its program long-term, so look for Hoke to jump at the first opportunity. It wouldn't be surprising to see him at Indiana or possibly Illinois if Ron Zook washes out there.
Chris Ault, Nevada- Ault is in his 60s and has been at Nevada forever, part of the time as its AD. It's his alma mater, and he's not going anywhere. But more people need to know who he is. Not only is Nevada bowl-eligible again, but Ault is just three wins away from 200 career wins -- all of them coming at Nevada. He is the inventor of the Pistol offense, which has become a staple of most spread-option attacks. It's a shame that Ault never got to coach on a bigger stage. And how a coach can get near 200 wins these days without the media jumping on it is a mystery in itself.
Rick Stockstill, MTSU- When Stockstill, who was a trusted assistant of Steve Spurrier's at South Carolina and his recruiting coordinator there, got the job at MTSU, he had quite a hill to climb. The team, under former coach Andy McCollum, had become undisciplined and academics were a big issue. Stockstill probably has fewer scholarshipped players on his roster than any other team in Division-IA, yet MTSU is scrappy and upset Maryland in Week 2 this year. Stockstill knows how to recruit and has a lot of experience in the Southeast. Once he gets MTSU's scholarship level back up to standards, he should get the Blue Raiders to the top of the Sun Belt.
Randy Edsall, Connecticut- Edsall is on the verge of getting himself off this list. With his experience as an assistant at Georgia Tech and in the NFL, he could be very attractive to a Southeastern team looking for a coach. If Auburn lets Tommy Tuberville go after this year, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Edsall's name come up.
Derek Dooley- The former Nick Saban assistant and son of Georgia legend Vince Dooley, Derek Dooley currently has Louisiana Tech bowl-eligible and is doing it the Saban way, by recruiting well and instilling discipline. Dooley is a Virginia grad, and if Al Groh gets cut down this year or next (it wouldn't be a surprise), look for Dooley to return. He's probably also on Auburn's potential short list.
Check back later in the week for an update on SEC bowl hopes.
Part of the problem has been a lack of up-and-comers that were showing promise. The other issue is that, with the advent of sports message boards, there aren't a lot of hidden gems left. Everyone, for instance, knows who Chris Petersen (Boise State) is.
So instead of a list of coaches of the future, here's a list of guys, mostly at non-BCS schools, who you may or may not have heard of, and why you might be hearing of them soon, as several schools in and near the Southeast begin to look for coaches. They are listed in no particular order:
Brian Kelly, Cincinnati- like Petersen, most people already know about Kelly. What many don't know is that he already has two national titles under his belt from Grand Valley State. He's an inventive offensive coach and shouldn't have any problem succeeding at a larger school.
Turner Gill, Buffalo- Buffalo is bowl-eligible for the first time in school history and Gill is largely to thank for that. Gill won't be long for Buffalo, largely considered one of the hardest jobs in Division-IA. Many Nebraska fans wanted him instead of Bo Pelini and if Nebraska continues to struggle, those fans might just get what they want.
David Bailiff, Rice- Relative to where a team was picked prior to the season, no one has exceeded expectations more than Bailiff, whose team was expected to finish around 3-9 but is instead 7-3 and tied for Conference USA's West Division lead. Bailiff has only been a head coach for five years, and only two of them in Division-IA, plus he's no spring chicken at 50 years old. But he has a long history in Texas football and may get on radar screens at Texas A&M or Arizona if those programs continue to flounder.
Bill Cubit, Western Michigan- A former assistant at Florida, Cubit's WMU team is 9-2 this year and has become a consistent winner. Cubit is 55 years old and probably has one move left in him.
Brady Hoke, Ball State- Hoke went from unknown to minor celebrity this year as the Cardinals are undefeated. More so than anything else, Ball State University seems to have little interest in investing in its program long-term, so look for Hoke to jump at the first opportunity. It wouldn't be surprising to see him at Indiana or possibly Illinois if Ron Zook washes out there.
Chris Ault, Nevada- Ault is in his 60s and has been at Nevada forever, part of the time as its AD. It's his alma mater, and he's not going anywhere. But more people need to know who he is. Not only is Nevada bowl-eligible again, but Ault is just three wins away from 200 career wins -- all of them coming at Nevada. He is the inventor of the Pistol offense, which has become a staple of most spread-option attacks. It's a shame that Ault never got to coach on a bigger stage. And how a coach can get near 200 wins these days without the media jumping on it is a mystery in itself.
Rick Stockstill, MTSU- When Stockstill, who was a trusted assistant of Steve Spurrier's at South Carolina and his recruiting coordinator there, got the job at MTSU, he had quite a hill to climb. The team, under former coach Andy McCollum, had become undisciplined and academics were a big issue. Stockstill probably has fewer scholarshipped players on his roster than any other team in Division-IA, yet MTSU is scrappy and upset Maryland in Week 2 this year. Stockstill knows how to recruit and has a lot of experience in the Southeast. Once he gets MTSU's scholarship level back up to standards, he should get the Blue Raiders to the top of the Sun Belt.
Randy Edsall, Connecticut- Edsall is on the verge of getting himself off this list. With his experience as an assistant at Georgia Tech and in the NFL, he could be very attractive to a Southeastern team looking for a coach. If Auburn lets Tommy Tuberville go after this year, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Edsall's name come up.
Derek Dooley- The former Nick Saban assistant and son of Georgia legend Vince Dooley, Derek Dooley currently has Louisiana Tech bowl-eligible and is doing it the Saban way, by recruiting well and instilling discipline. Dooley is a Virginia grad, and if Al Groh gets cut down this year or next (it wouldn't be a surprise), look for Dooley to return. He's probably also on Auburn's potential short list.
Check back later in the week for an update on SEC bowl hopes.
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