Quote: I hope somebody can persuade me to be optimistic, because my trait for Gallic Fatalism is making me depressed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- It could be worse, just think about Dinardo's last year and how far we have come. Or go watch the mens basketball team! :hihi:
in Skip we trust I truly hope Saban announces today that he is staying at LSU. I have felt all along that the clear signals are that he is going to take the Miami job, and I haven't changed that opinion. Really, really hope I'm wrong. If he does go, it is up to Skip to bring in someone so that hopefully the program does not miss a beat and stays in the mix for SEC and national championships. While I don't want to see Saban go, I have believed that Skip would be able to bring in a heavyweight replacement. I truly hope I'm right in that assumption. I read on some forum recently, maybe this one, that Les Myles at Okie State was a serious candidate. Please say it ain't so! I've made up mind -- if Butch Davis truly is not interested this year, and there are no NFL head coaches interested, I think I would go with Rich Rodriguez. He is an offensive innovator and was responsible for the very explosive Tulane (yeah, Toolame!) offense the year they went 12-0. He is known in the state and with the high school coaches. He has now had a few years to run a major college program. While his success at West Virginia has not been spectacular, it has been solid, and I think with the larger budget, fan base and recruiting base at LSU, I think he represents the best choice available and would do a good job. With the caveats: Saban leaves, obviously; Rodriguez is willing to leave his alma mater for a bigger job; and that Gruden, Del Rio, Holmgren, Shanahan, are not interested. I don't think Dennis Erickson is the way to go, nor do I think Tuberville is the way to go. And no Curley Hallmans, please (Tommy West, Les Myles, Southern MS and No Tx St coaches). While guys like Fightin Tiger think I'm being too pessimistically premature, I've seen the handwriting on the wall for the past week. Face up to reality and continue to support the program and Skip's efforts to keep LSU at the top of the college football heap, by naming a worthy replacement to Nick C'est Bon. If I'm wrong and he stays, I'll gladly take all the "I told you so's," and will even take a "STFU" or F*** off from the eloquent Fightin Tiger! Merry Christmas! :lsug:
I don't understand the Del Rio thing. He's never coached college ball. We have zero idea what kind of recruiter he'd be. He might hate recruiting for all we know. BARE MINIMUM is someone who will go out and get good talent because he's done it before.
needs to happen quickly I agree Riley may not be the best choice. The search and selection process needs to happen fairly quickly so as to affect recruiting as little as possible. That's why I don't know if we have time to wait on an NFL coach. Jack Del Rio? When would he be available? It looks like the Jags are going to make the playoffs. As far as Butch Davis, certainly I'd contact him, but a/c to reports he wants to take the year off. Looks to me like that leaves us with a current college head coach, and I think Rodriguez is the best of that bunch. I think he would be a good choice, one that I would support and I hope other Tiger fans would as well. Again, if Nick stays, let me have it, I'd welcome the abuse!ldskule:
I just don't understand why so many want to sign Butch Davis if Saban leaves. The man screwed over Miami when he flatly rejected any notion he was leaving and then bolted for the Browns then got kicked out basically by the players who said he "quit on them" and numerous other bad things said by multiple players, if not most.
I tend to agree w/ you about Butch Davis, but not b/c of what he did in Miami ... but b/c how his Browns' tenure ended -- not well ... his health affected, etc. But, he is a "big name." As is Dennis Erickson. But let's not forget that Saban was not a huge name when LSU lured him from Mich St. We need to pick someone that can run a big program and has some innovative expertise on one side of the ball, and will bring in a good coordinator for the other side of the ball. The reason Saban is such a great coach is that he doesn't limit his assistant and coordinator hires just based upon whether he knows or has worked with someone, like DiNardo did. Anyway, I'm still hoping that somehow Nick stays, but, I don't see it and I hope Skip is prepared. In that event, I agree, Davis is not the answer, I think Rodriguez would be a really good hire for the program.:tigerhead
