Who Replaces Jimbo?

[HighlandOak]

Maybe so, but it would take something so astronomical, IMHO, that the academic side of the house would probably riot. Then again........we ARE talking Texas A&M !!

A&M has an academic side?

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

Not to take up for Kiffin, but at Ole Miss he has never been close to even on talent level in any of the big games.

He did have some big wins at USC. In particular a win at Oregon that knocked them out of the running for the BCS and us back in. I can't remember if it was 2011 or 2012.

His game day decisions are not elite...

 

[crimsonaudio]

I can see their argument though. If you're gonna pay a guy $75M not to coach, you'd hope his replacement is at least a name people know. No one has ever heard of this guy.

I mean, there's a finite supply of great coaches, and most of the proven guys are entrenched where they are (or are at least new enough in their position they're unwilling to move).

Not sure what the ags expect - it's not like there's a bunch of elite dudes out there hoping for a good gig.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I agree with others that Pate is overstating the desireability of the aTm job. The point I think he misses is the boosters. It's true that aTm has all the tangibles -- money, recruiting territory, facilities and academics. The, "yeah, but...." is those boosters and the control they demand.

Any coach would want the tangibles inherent in that job.

But then they look at the tombstones of the coaching careers of Emory Bellard, Tom Wilson (who?), Jackie Sherrill, RC Slocumb, Dennis Franchione, Mike Sherman, Kevin Sumlin and Jimbo Fisher.

That graveyard of a history gives some idea as to the intangible impediments associated with College Station.

 

[bamadwain]

I agree on Kirby. He isn't going anywhere and is already at his last coaching job. Lanning would definitely be on my personal short list of candidates when Saban hangs it up.

But I'm curious....what have you heard that makes you think he actually wants the job?

I have just heard reports like every one else, that he is waiting on the job and probably reason he's not entertaining offers, we could do a lot worse, he knows the conference and can recruit, I'm just saying

 

[colbysullivan]

I mean, there's a finite supply of great coaches, and most of the proven guys are entrenched where they are (or are at least new enough in their position they're unwilling to move).

Not sure what the ags expect - it's not like there's a bunch of elite dudes out there hoping for a good gig.

Also true. At first I thought “Well maybe they finally realize they’re not an elite program” and then I laughed at myself.

 

[Al A Bama]

Will TxA&M sign the next Coach to a 10 year $150,000,000 contract?

 

[B1GTide]

Head coaches have huge egos. Every one of them believes that he can turn around any program. So the culture at aTm will not scare away anyone otherwise interested in the job.

 

[GP for Bama]

I agree with others that Pate is overstating the desireability of the aTm job. The point I think he misses is the boosters. It's true that aTm has all the tangibles -- money, recruiting territory, facilities and academics. The, "yeah, but...." is those boosters and the control they demand.

Any coach would want the tangibles inherent in that job.

But then they look at the tombstones of the coaching careers of Emory Bellard, Tom Wilson (who?), Jackie Sherrill, RC Slocumb, Dennis Franchione, Mike Sherman, Kevin Sumlin and Jimbo Fisher.

That graveyard of a history gives some idea as to the intangible impediments associated with College Station.

Also Gene Stallings.... after being fired by A&M he had to spend about 20 years in NFL purgatory before being hired by Bama.

 

[Joefus]

The fact that ag fans are delusional enough to think Matt Campbell was even a legit prospect is just baffling

 

[mlh]

I do think aTm is a great opportunity. But only for a coach who can take control of the program, push out the alumni and boosters who want to control things, and have autonomy in building the program.

Is that even possible at aTm? I wouldn't have thought that was possible at Bama prior to Saban's arrival. So maybe it's viable at aTm. But that requires hiring an alpha dog like Saban and I don't see an alpha dog in the candidates being discussed.

I suspect the HC who will make aTm a contender will be the HC after the next HC. And that will be a coach we aren't even talking about right now.

 

[lowend]

Texas college football as a whole is vastly overrated.....

Texas is average outside of Darrell K. Royal & Mack Brown (65% all time winning percentage without those two - ZERO modern era National Championships)

A&M hasn't done anything since pre-WW2. Everything they are right now is built on ONE game that Johnny Football had vs. Bama.

Baylor has a 51% all time winning percentage and no national titles. They have a couple of conference titles during the Art Briles* era.

SMU won two national titles during their cheating era, but not much since. 49% winning all time.

Texas Tech hasn't won a conference title since leaving the SWC and fired the best football coach they've probably ever had because he wouldn't play daddy ball.

And those are just the "name" schools in Texas.

 

[Joefus]

I can see their argument though. If you're gonna pay a guy $75M not to coach, you'd hope his replacement is at least a name people know. No one has ever heard of this guy.

Depends on how closely you follow coaching searches. I always love these so I know him and he’s come up in seemingly every open spot the last couple of years as a second tier choice if the big names fall thru. He’s got a lot hype on him for someone at a tiny school. Decent track record and knows Texas. They could do a lot worse

 

[HighlandOak]

He's Bobby Petrino with a national championship ring.
That's all he is.

He's, or he was, Bobby Petrino with Bobby Petrino and national championship ring.

 

[BearFoot]

You know what, I'm just gonna say it. Good for Jimbo, seriously. If an entity is stupid enough to pay me $23k PER DAY NOT TO WORK, then I'm gonna take them up on it.

There’s a lot to be amused over…..when a back-woods, redneck yahoo from the damper-bottom of the country (West Virginia)…..cons the “self aggrandizing elitists” of the great state of Texas (where the alpha and omega of all things important happen)…..out of a bazillion dollars.

I hope Jimbo laughs all the way to the bank after conning those “ten-gallon comic cowboys” out of their pocket change.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

They aren't an elite program but there will always be the vibe that they're a sleeping giant. They are in a great recruiting state and have a lot of money. With those 2 things all you need is the right HC and you can win a championship there.

Then why hasn't anyone?

 

[Crimson1967]

I would argue - as I have here previously - he was never that good of a coach in the first place. Take away the Winston years (2013-14) from him, and he's 101-47 (.682).

That puts him in with the following coaches:

Amos Alonzo Stagg (.683)
Charley McClendon (.682)
Henry Frnka (.681)
Bobby Petrino (.680)
Mike Belotti (.678)

None of those coaches is an all-time great, they're basically just above average college coaches at best. And while folks can say Stagg was a legend, he only won 314 games because he coached for 65 years, and some of those were against the equivalent of high school teams - literally in that time.
Stagg wasn't a legend because he was a great coach (although tbf he was an early innovator), he's a legend because he lived to be 103 and coached for 65 years. If Saban coached for 65 years at his winning percentage, he'd retire with 734 wins.

Jimbo was just never that great to begin with. Even with Winston, he had 8 of his 27 wins very narrow (one score), including his title win against Auburn.

He's Bobby Petrino with a national championship ring.
That's all he is.

Dooley-Herschel was .687.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

If TAMU hires a guy who is "NOT" currently a hot name I'll be shocked.

I won't.

Who is the big name they're going to hire - and oh yeah, who could they have hired other than Saban or Meyer in 2017 who had the cache and reputation of Fisher?

Fisher won a national championship with presumably less advantages, went to Aggie-ville, and he didn't do as well as Sumlin despite the #1 recruiting class in the country.

The following coaches are the ones still living who have already won an FBS national championship:
John Robinson - he's 88
Danny Ford - he's 75 and hasn't coached in over 25 years
Barry Switzer - 86 and hasn't coached college in 35 years
Jimmy Johnson - he's 80 and hasn't coached college since Reagan was in office
Lou Holth - 86 and long out of the game
Dennis Erickson - he's 76 and flopped everywhere but Miami
Bill McCartney - he's 83, hasn't coached in 30 years, and he's suffering from Alzheimer's
Bobby Ross - 86, a fluke title, and 2 games over .500 in his career
Gene Stallings - 87 and they already fired him once
Tom Osborne - 86 and hasn't coached in over 25 years
Steve Spurrier - 78 and quit in the middle of the season last time he saw an SEC schedule
Lloyd Carr - 78 and lost to App State his last season, out of the game since before the market crash
Phil Fulmer - 73, and he ain't doing it
Bob Stoops - yes, he left Oklahoma after years of not winning a title and has just been waiting to get into the SEC and face angry old folks at his old program.
Larry Coker - he's 75 and inherited his monster, couldn't do jack at Miami later
Jim Tressel - he's 70, an Ohio native, he ain't moving down there

ACTIVE COACHES
Nick Saban - uh, yeah.....amazing he's only a year younger than Fulmer.....
Pete Carroll - he's about six weeks older than Saban and ain't going back to college
Mack Brown - damn, I could see this happening....., but he's older than Saban by about 2 months
Urban Meyer - trust me, he's got better offers than College Station if he wants them
Les Miles - this guy is radioactive and just turned 70; I can see him taking it but why would they want him?
Gene Chizik - uh yeah
Dabo Swinney - Dabo isn't going to a league where he's going to face Saban or Smart yearly and sometimes both.
Ed Orgeron - see Gene Chizik comment
Kirby Smart - you don't leave your home school with a dynasty in vogue and go to the unknown

Jimbo Fisher - the most aTm move in history would be to hire Fisher to replace Fisher and give him even more money.

We have established that about the only coach IN THEORY aTm could hire who has won a title is Dabo, which I don't see happening.

They're gonna hire a no name for this job.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Dooley-Herschel was .687.

Dooley was massively overrated, too.

Again, I'm not saying he was awful, but he carried that shine from 1980-83 through his retirement, and the Jan Kemp scandal happened under his watch late in that time frame (she had to keep players eligible for the 1983 Sugar Bowl against Penn State and sued them). He was a decent coach, but he wasn't a legend outside the borders of the state of UGA, either (as far as his coaching).

That being said, the Georgia job IS better than a lot of folks realize. Richt came damn close to a national title a couple of times, so the job is conducive to winning even before Kirby arrived.

But Pate is out to lunch here, the aTm job is one of the lowest returns on investment CONSTANTLY and without exception in CFB.

 

[Joefus]

Imo the three best options are
Elko
Chris Klieman
Lance Leipold

I don’t think they’ll get any of them though and will settle with the utsa guy or a hot coordinator or some nfl guy that’s been unsuccessful but with a good rep that they’ll drop crazy money on