Where should Bobby Petrino coach next?

November 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The regular season is over for most college football teams, which means coaches are getting fired and the hunt for a replacement is taking place.  Enter Bobby Petrino, the former head coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Atlanta Falcons, and Louisville Cardinals.  While Petrino is without a doubt one of the best coaching candidates available this year, his past indiscretions will make it difficult for a college football program to hire him.  He was fired fromArkansasafter crashing his motorcycle with his mistress on the back of it (and tried to cover it up), he left the Falcons 13 games into his first season as head coach to take theArkansasjob, and he took theAtlantajob shortly after signing a 10 year extension atLouisville.

He has shown a lack of loyalty and poor judgment at each of his past head coaching spots, so why would anybody hire him? It is a simple answer, Petrino wins games. And if you are a program looking to regain the glory and prestige of years past, winning is all that matters.  A 4-3 bowl record, combined with two BCS bowl appearances, a 75-26 head coaching record, and several top 10 finishes in his eight year college coaching tenure will make Petrino one of the most sought after coaches of the offseason.

So where should he coach next? Here is a list of schools Petrino should show interest in coaching.

Tennessee
The Volunteers are fresh off of their third straight losing season under former head coach Derek Dooley and are hungry for a return to national relevance.  Offensively the Vols are one of the most talented teams in the nation, ranking in the top 25 nationally in passing yards, points per game, and total offense.  If he can convince players like Justin Hunter and Cordarelle Patterson to forgo the NFL draft, then the Vols will bring back one of the most talented offensive units in the nation.  Something that should make the offensive minded Petrino happy.  His offenses have routinely been able to outscore opponents, so the transition atTennessee should be easier than another coaching position.

Auburn
Everyone knows that Petrino interviewed for theAuburn job a few years ago and did not get it.  Now, thanks to the recent dismissal of Gene Chizik,Auburn is looking for a coach and Petrino would be an excellent candidate.  True Chizik is just two years removed from a national title, but this season’s 0-8 SEC record along with the fact that he had a 15-17 conference record meant that a change had to be made.  The development of quarterbacks after Cam Newton left was one of the biggest issues that Chizik could not seem to figure out.  Petrino does a great job improving his quarterbacks (see Ryan Mallet and Tyler Wilson for example) and he will get the best out of Kiehl Frazier if he is hired as the head coach atAuburn.

North Carolina State
This is one of two programs looking for a head coach that has a winning record for the 2012 football season (Purdue is the other school).  Yet, the reason why N.C. State is a good fit is mainly because it is the best available job not in the SEC.  Which means an easier road to a BCS Bowl, and that means more money and possible opportunities for a coach who is known to jump ship at the sight of a better job.  There are only two ACC teams ranked in the BCS poll (Florida State and Clemson) and Petrino should be able to win games and compete for a conference championship sooner here than at any other location. 

California
A trip to the west coast might not be a bad idea either, especially at a program likeCal.  The Golden Bears are hungry for a winning season and might be willing to overlook Petrino’s past mishaps.  It is not necessarily a rebuilding job inBerkeley, although this year’s 3-9 record indicates otherwise.  Thanks to the job that formerCal coach Jeff Tedford did in his 11 year tenure, the Golden Bears are now a respectable program and a good coaching fit for Petrino’s offensive genius.  Fans are yearning for the glory days when Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback and the Golden Bears had one of the most potent offenses in the nation, and if there is one thing Petrino can do it is coach a high powered offensive attack.

Arkansas
Sure they fired him, but now the Razorbacks faithful know how much they need Petrino.  The Razorbacks administration should amend his firing to a one year suspension and bring him back.  After all, everyone deserves a second chance.  Just make sure to put a motorcycle clause in his contract.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport.  Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from different college football games throughout the Mid-South.

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Coaching candidates for Tennessee football

November 19, 2012 by 2 Comments

Derek Dooley was fired Sunday after one of the worst losses in school history to rival Vanderbilt.  This came as a surprise to no one as Dooley’s SEC record in his three year tenure with the Vols is 4-19 (including a loss to Kentucky last season to snap a 26 game win streak against the Wildcats) with an overall record of 15-21.  He has posted a losing record every year since taking over head coaching duties for the Volunteers and Tennessee has made it to only one bowl in his tenure.  Tennessee will be looking for their fourth coach in six years and whoever they hire will have the difficult task of bringing the Vols back to national relevance.  During the glory years under Phillip Fulmer Tennessee averaged just three losses a year.  Since then the Volunteers have struggled to stay above .500 and make it to bowls.  The Vols are in a tough spot financially due to NCAA probation, buyouts, and a budget deficit for the 2011-2012 academic year.  Yet, Tennessee needs to find a good coach, who will be reasonably priced, and have the ability to turn the program back into the powerhouse it once was.  Below is a list of qualified candidates who meet these criteria.

Bobby Petrino
Remember when fans and experts were saying that Arkansas had the talent to contend in the SEC West this year regardless of if Petrino was the head coach?  Well they were terribly wrong as the Razorbacks are going to miss out on a bowl this year without him.  Their struggles show how valuable a signal caller Petrino is and what he can do for your football program.  He has head coaching experience which is something the Volunteers want (and need) and the credentials to walk in and instantly demand the respect from everyone affiliated with the program.  He has finished in the top ten of the BCS rankings four times during his eight years as a college coach (twice at Louisville and twice at Arkansas) which is something Tennessee has not managed to do since 2003.  The great thing about Petrino is that he is coming off of a scandal and should be cheaper than he would be had he not crashed his motorcycle.

David Cutcliffe
Few people have the insight and understanding of SEC and Tennessee football, but Cutcliffe does. In fact, Cutcliffe withdrew his name from consideration the last time Tennessee was looking for a football coach, something vols fans should hope doess not happen twice. He started off as an assistant coach under Fulmer and worked with star quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tee Martin.  Cutcliffe was the offensive coordinator for the National Championship team as well. Fans should not be too discouraged by his head coaching record (just 65-67) because he has spent the last five seasons coaching at Duke, which is a very difficult place to win games if you are a football coach.  Yet, he has found a way to improve the football program and the Blue Devils are now bowl eligible for the first time since 1995 (just their ninth bowl game in school history).  He is a quality coach who is flying under the radar, and may even give the Vols a hometown discount seeing as he has strong Tennessee ties.

Tommy Tuberville
Speaking of coaches with SEC (and Ole Miss) ties, Tuberville is another great option that the Tennesse brass should consider inquiring about.  He is the head coach at Texas Tech, but you have to believe that if a job opened up in the SEC (a conference he did extremely well in while he was a head coach) he would take it.  Tennessee is rich in tradition (much like Auburn and Ole Miss) and being the Vols head coach will allow him to reacquaint himself with all of his old SEC rivals (Georgia and Alabama).  Tuberville would also get a chance to inflict some pay back on two of the schools that he used to coach for in Auburn and Ole Miss.  While he will not come cheap, the Vols should certainly see if there is a way to lure him to Knoxville.  After all, he has an overall record of 130-75, is 7-3 in bowls, and while at Auburn beat arch rival Alabama six straight times.

Kirby Smart
If you can not beat them join them, it is that simple.  Not only is Smart one of the best assistant coaches in the nation, he is the best assistant coach from your arch rival’s program.  Hiring him away from Alabama will simultaneously make the Vols a little better and the Crimson Tide a little worse, closing the huge gap between the two programs.  The problem with Smart is that he is going to be a hot commodity at the end of the year and Tennessee cannot afford a biding war for his services.  However, hiring a defensive minded coach like Smart might be just what the Vols need to make a return trip to prominence and snap their six game losing streak to Alabama.

Chan Gailey
The Vols do not have the money to lure him away from the NFL, so in order for this to have a chance at working he will need to be fired from the Buffalo Bills.   Provided he loses his job after this year, Gailey would be a terrific hire for Tennessee.  He has years of coaching experience in both professional and college football, is a great offensive mind, and should be able to help turn the Vols football program around.  Georgia Tech was the last college team he coached and they made it to bowl games in all six of his seasons.  Not bad considering Tennessee has missed out on bowl eligibility the past two years.  

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport.  Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from different college football games throughout the Mid-South.

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Arkansas fighting for bowl eligibility after 30-27 loss to Ole Miss

October 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

If you would have said that the Arkansas Razorbacks would be fighting for bowl eligibility before the start of the season people would have looked at you like you were crazy.  Yet, thanks to a 30-27 loss in Little Rock to Ole Miss, that is exactly where the Razorbacks find themselves.

“We held them to three field goals but that was one too many,” John L. Smith said after his team’s crushing defeat.  The Razorbacks lost on a last second field goal thanks to a perfectly executed two-minute drill drive by the Rebels who improved to 5-3 on the season, and are just one game away from being bowl eligible.  Ole Miss was 2-10 last season, and their turn around is nothing short of remarkable.

Just as remarkable is the Razorbacks turn around.  They started the season with SEC West Championship aspirations and were even ranked in the top ten nationally (and No. 1 in the TAM rankings).  It is hard to believe that these same Razorbacks now stand a chance of not reaching bowl eligibility.

“It is going to be hard.  Life is hard.  We are going to battle… gain more confidence, more confidence more work, more work more confidence, and continue that cycle,” explained Coach Smith.  Hard is an understatement as the three of the next four Arkansas opponents are ranked in the top 15 in the BCS standings.  Arkansas is now 3-5 and needs to win three more games to become bowl eligible.

However, Coach Smith remains positive even with the difficult task ahead of them, “They have, to this point, shown great character and great class.  They have done everything we asked, they continue to battle, and they will continue to do the same.  They are not going to start pointing fingers or any of that stuff.”

The game changed in the second quarter when Charles Sawyer blocked a Razorbacks punt and returned the ball all the way to the Arkansas 22 yard line.  All it took was four plays for the Rebels to gain the lead on a Barry Brunetti one yard touchdown run, a lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the game.  “When you get a punt blocked there is a 90 percent chance you are going to lose.  I take that very personal.  So if there is anybody to blame it is me,” Coach Smith said.

That blocked punt is not the only thing Razorbacks fans are blaming on Smith.  He is also shouldering the blame for this disappointing season.  The disappointment started with an unforgivable loss in the second week of the season to Louisiana Monroe.  Since then the Razorbacks have struggled to find the consistency needed to win games.

Clearly Smith is not Bobby Petrino, but nobody thought Arkansas would need to win three of their final four games just to make bowl eligibility.  “We had a chance,” Smith said.  “We just have to make a couple more plays and maybe we get there.”

Hopefully Arkansas can find a way to make “a couple more plays” in their next four games.  Otherwise, this season will go down as one of the most disappointing seasons in Razorback history.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport.  Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from different college football games throughout the Mid-South.

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Who will be the next head football coach at Arkansas?

September 28, 2012 by 8 Comments

April 1, 2012 is a day that all Razorbacks fans want to forget because on that day their quest for a SEC Championship was ruined.  Bobby Petrino’s scandal, and subsequent dismissal from the university, left a gapping void that interim coach John L. Smith has been unable to fill so far this year.  Arkansas has gone from BCS Title contender to maybe managing to get bowl eligible in a matter of three weeks.  The Razorbacks have lost three straight games including a 52-0 home loss to SEC West rival Alabama.  Even if Arkansas can turn things around it is highly doubtful that Coach Smith will return as head coach next year.  So, who should Arkansas hire as their next head coach?  Maybe Arkansas will steal Mike Smith from the Falcons the way they stole Petrino.  Or maybe they go out there and hire Jody Sears, the interim coach at Weber State.  While these are two unlikely candidates, there are several strong coaches that Arkansas should seriously consider hiring, and here is a short list of possible future Razorbacks coaches.

Phillip Fulmer
It was rumored that Coach Fulmer would be the next head coach at Arkansas after Petrino was fired.  Sadly for Razorbacks fans it was just a rumor, but maybe the two sides can work something out in time for next year.  Fulmer spent 17 years at the University of Tennessee and is one of the most accomplished coaches in SEC history.  He has two SEC titles, five SEC Championship game appearances, and a SEC record of 92-34.  His teams almost always finished the year nationally ranked (ranked in the AP top 25 13 of his 17 years) and he also has a National Championship.  Hiring a coach with the accomplishments and accolades of Fulmer would ensure the Razorbacks stay nationally relevant, and help them as far as recruiting is concerned.

Skip Holtz
Son of former Arkansas head coach Lou Holtz, Skip Holtz was another name rumored to be in the mix for the head coaching job at Arkansas when Petrino was let go of.  Holtz is familiar with the area spending his middle and high school days in Fayetteville while his dad was the head coach of the Razorbacks.   Hiring Holtz would certainly rejuvenate the Razorbacks fan base and he is more than capable of getting Arkansas back to where it was when Petrino was coaching.  However, there is some cause for concern with Holtz.  While he does have 12 years of head coaching experience and a record of 87-64, he is struggling at South Florida going 4-11 in Big East play in his three year tenure at the school.

Kirby Smart
The one bad thing during Petrino’s tenure at Arkansas (other than the motorcycle accident) was the defense. Arkansas put up some spectacular offensive numbers during his tenure, but their defense was mediocre at best.  As the old saying goes “Offense wins games, but defense wins championships,” and right now there is not a better defensive mind in college football than Kirby Smart.  He has spent the last six seasons at Alabama learning (and winning) under Coach Nick Saban.  In his four years as the Crimson Tides defensive coordinator, his defenses have finished in the top five nationally in total defense and scoring defense three times.  Also, he is the 2009 Broyles Award winner for best coordinator in the nation.  Hiring somebody with knowledge about how the Alabama program works is another plus for Smart, especially since Arkansas is 0-5 against the Saban led Crimson Tide.

Mark Stoops
If Kirby Smart is the best defensive mind in college football, Mark Stoops is not too far behind.  Stoops has nine years of defensive coordinator experience, and he has spent the past three seasons at Florida State, transforming the ‘Noles defense into one of the nation’s best.  The Seminoles finished last year ranked fourth in the nation in total defense and first in the nation in rushing defense.  So far this year the Seminoles are the second best team in the nation in total defense, a credit to Stoops’ coaching ability.  While Stoops does not have any head coaching experience, it would be a mistake for Arkansas to not consider hiring a coach with the resume that he has.

Todd Berry
Few Arkansas fans knew who Todd Berry was before this season started, but they all know who he is now.  His Louisiana-Monroe squad upset the Razorbacks three weeks ago and started this Arkansas free fall.  Coach Berry is in his third year as the Warhawks head coach and has a record of 10-17 while there.  He has ten years of coaching experience at smaller schools (Illinois State, Army, and UL Monroe) amassing a woeful 39-77 career record, but do not let the record discourage you.  His team’s performance so far this year has been eye opening and he will garner significant attention this off season.   Last year the Warhawks finished eighth in the nation in rushing defense and 21st in total defense, an impressive feat considering the disparity in facilities and talent UL Monroe has when compared to bigger FBS schools. All Berry needs is an opportunity to coach at a school with the resources Arkansas has and he will be able to win games.

Bobby Petrino
Good luck with that one.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport.  Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from different college football games throughout the Mid-South.

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