I was talking to a writer yesterday that covers the Gators, and he was giving me the word they are getting out of the Florida AD’s office regarding the coaching search. And I wanted to pass along what he told me:
– He said that Doc Holliday, the Marshall head coach, is not currently a target and right now it doesn’t seem as if there is any intention to go after him. Apparently, his ties to the Urban Meyer era are something Jeremey Foley, the Florida AD, wants to get away from. My own sense of it tells me that may very well be true now, but we’ll see what happens if they have to start getting further down their list of candidates.
– He also told me, in no uncertain terms, that Florida has already contact Bob Stoops’ agent and that Stoops is Florida’s number one target.
– He said Florida has also been in contact with Gary Patterson’s people, and he informed me that they’ve been told Patterson is the second person on the list after Stoops.
– The third and only other target at this time is Dabo Swinney. However, he did not say whether there has been any contact between Florida and Dabo’s people yet. He did said that while there are currently only three targets, Dabo isn’t necessarily the 3rd option. In other words, they may wind up looking at other options that could be higher on the list. But again, he was clear that Stoops and Patterson are the two main targets right now.
– He also said that Foley wants the decision made by Christmas.
– He did not have any word on whether there appears to be any interest on the part of Stoops or Patterson and that, at this point, any reports of interest coming from either of their respective camps would be rumors and/or speculation, not based on any facts.
54 Comments
I think stoops will stick around but man if the fans and media keep being negative towards he and the program, I would expect him to make the change. He shouldn’t have to answer to the BS from the psychotic fans and the media people scratching for every bit of ratings share they can find.
I mean no disrespect, but I’m just curious if you think he’d endure any less criticism anywhere else…including, but not limited to, Florida. If you’re being paid millions to coach a team, you’re going to deal with high expectations. And if Stoops has such thin skin that the fans’ and/or media comments are getting to him, then he’s not worth keeping around. Not saying that any of that is the case, or that I agree with various fans’ and/or media comments about Stoops. But what you’re saying makes little sense in context. FWIW, I’ve been around Gator fans and other SEC fans. If you think Sooner fans are “psychotic”, then I don’t suggest ever visiting or living in SEC country.
That’s a fair point but I think stoops is a good enough coach to get things going in Florida the way he did here. Florida is a top 5 job in the country, as is OU but if stoops left I don’t think OU would even be a top 10 job. And I don’t think it’s as much about fans and media expectations as it is his own expectations. I bet if you took this entire staff to Florida right now, stoops would have a top 5 recruiting class because of the instate talent around him.
OU not a top 10 job? Zack, like reading your stuff but if we’re not a top ten school or opportunity, name the ones in front of us. To me it’s a short list. I will bet within the coaching community a lot of guys would jump from their high profile coaching gigs to come to OU.
Thanks. It’s just my opinion though as are most rankings. To me without stoops this wouldn’t be a top ten job. Without bob, Barry, Benny and bud is ou still a top ten school? I don’t think it has been or will be unless the next guy is the right guy to continue the excellence here. And I’m an optimistic guy but when stoops does decide to leave (hopefully 15-20 years from now) I don’t believe we will find the right guy, to me that is a very hard thing to do. For example look at Florida, Meyer had them rolling and left, you would think they could hire a blind man and still run things but that wasn’t the case.
Also when it comes to recruiting it would be easier to get the athletes stoops wants on defense if he were at Florida.
Meyer covered up all of the pot and arrests. They had over 35 arrests on that alone but no one was kicked off or had a game taken away. Also, their TE wasn’t a saint and it caught up to him. Muschamp got rid of a lot of kids his 1st year for doing the same crap Meyer let them get away with. I know for a fact that in Florida, recruits knew if they want to smoke weed, Florida was the place to go and not get in trouble. Talent dropped off and Meyer knew it was time to go.
Those are good points but stoops has been the opposite of Meyer. I doubt stoops would leave but I could see this being the time.
Yeo, that “win no matter what” creed would not suit stoops because he is not a sleaze ball like Meyer. In fact,I would bet it was the border-line if not outright criminal cover ups that gave Meyer his stress and other health issues.
This makes absolutely no sense. A school is a top 5 or 10 job based on a coaching vacancy, not it’s current coach. Even at the end of the Blake reign of error, OU was still considered a top destination for coaches. As for Meyer at UF, he left a program in tatters on and off the field.
It’s been a top 5 program under stoops. To me the next coach will be a fall off, that’s why I think the job would lose value by being vacant.
Zack, I agree with you that without all of those guys, OU wouldn’t be a top ten destination. But the fact is those men accomplished great things while coaching OU and that history and tradition they built makes OU a top ten school.
I don’t disagree that it should be but reality the way I see it is that ou doesn’t get the respect it deserves. I would like to see the coaches forget about having a national recruiting foot print and just recruit the hell out of texas and oklahoma and Louisiana/Arkansas. Ou shouldn’t be getting beat out in this area for a recruit by Baylor/tech or osu.
OU has always been and will always be a top job
I don’t disagree with you as far as prestige and tradition but with the kids these days I think the tradition sell is a whole lot harder. But would you agree Florida is more of a destination for coaches and players?
I give a snort of digest in the Gators direction.
Interesting. Muschamp didn’t win games but he did clean up the mess that Meyer left. The timing, conference, school, TV exposure, & athletes are there to make a splash. Stoops is our man period. However, it would be hard to pass up the Florida winters. Hope BS stays.
I still don’t understand why Jim McElwain is top there list? SEC background, offensive minded and turn around at CSU. Heck if Stoops does go then I would hope Joe C. would give him a call.
If Stoops goes to Florida it’s so he can claim that 2008 National Championship game
This reminds me of a wish list that a univeristy comes up with but never pans out. Remember how many coach’s turned down Notre Dame, Texas and USC. It seemed like the same names are always thrown out that and the #1, #2 or #3 target, but rarely does it lead to a hire. I.E. Stoops, Saban, Mora Jr, John Gruden, Malzhan, ect…
I don’t think Bob gives Florida a second look unless they offer a ridiculous amount of money. Bob’s agent has been very good at getting Bob a raise even after a 2 loss, no big 12 championship kind of season. This will give him a chance to pressure OU into matching an offer from Florida.
Would seem to put the OU admin in a bit of a bind because they might be forced to give him a raise and/or let him keep whoever and still have to raise funds for the expansion project from a restless fan base. And I know there are multiple big money people that aren’t pleased with the way things are going.
This little money person isn’t either. 🙂
haha! We are all little money people next to some of these people. But rich in heart and spirit…of course! 🙂
Attrition wise, I’m thinking 5 or 6. I know you can’t say but……..
Neither is this little money person.
No raise this year for Mr. Stoops, didn’t earn it- that’s my take.
There won’t be.
I know I have kept my five dollar donation in my desk drawer waiting to see if the OU defense gets straightened out.
Exactly, the big wigs and donors may need to be a little like the ones at Texass where they truly have the say in decisions, but don’t have to take any public exposure.
“I know there are multiple big money people that aren’t pleased with the way things are going” I knew you were tapped in, and all that, but now I gotta know who you’ve been lunching with…and where….and who picked up the tab 🙂
If Bob did decide to leave (which I’m with most of you guys I don’t think he will) I’d love for Joe C. to get in contact with Clemson OC Chad Morris about the job and if he got it bring Venables with him. My dream choice would be Sumlin, but I know it’s a pipe dream.
Sumlin???? WHY????? He is an NCAA sanction waiting to happen.
Knows the program well from his time here, great recruiter, really good offensive mind.
They can target anyone they want, but it isn’t happening with Bob.
I can’t figure out why they are not targeting David Cutcliffe. Had success at Ole Miss with only one losing season in 7 seasons (and tied for the West Division champs in 2003) and now success at Duke. He has roots all around the SEC and is a proven coach.
Nice call.
nothing wrong with what you said. but its pretty easy to have a winning season in the sec. you have practically 4 cupcake ooc games and you only play 8 conference games. in this case, most yrs you should beat ark, miss st is a toss up, should beat a&m, then you get 2 against the terrible east. if you avoid uga, that should be 2 wins. its set up to get everybody bowl eligible, which is why they have 3000 bowl tie ins, all in the southeast
That is the case now but this was 10 years ago. It actually was a little easier, in my opinion, to do well in the SEC west back then. They have their sights on high profile guys, which I understand, but to me Cutcliffe is more in line with what they will end up with (which isn’t a bad thing).
He’s a good coach for sure. He helped make Peyton Peyton. Wouldn’t be bad at all. And yes its always been easy to get bowl eligible in the sec. And I hate when their fans make the argument about bowl records and stuff. Not hard to beat Syracuse in Jacksonville or Michigan in Atlanta
Also, when the SEC will “hand” pick who they will play. They have full power which is the tail wagging the dog.
For what UF was paying Muschamp they should also have Charlie Weiss and June Jones on their wish list.
That’s what I was thinking. Charlie Weiss could then end up the highest paid coach in the country, after a year, without having to go to the office, when Fla. chips in for him not to coach there as well.
Would Patterson be interested?
He’d be a fool not to be.
Not so sure on that, He makes more $$$ than Mushchump did and is the belle of the FW area right now.
I would think that more money than he makes now would be offered.
I has been said he makes quite a bit of money from investment opportunities provided by TCU alumns, particularly in O&G.
Patterson would definitely be interested.
I would think, if TCU makes the first CFB Playoff, he is not interested. If they get snubbed… or play themselves out of it, I can see him being more interested.
Some have said the OU fans and media chomping on Stoop’s butt might cause him to look somewhere else. I tell you what, at $5 million per year and the lead dog of a big name program you best have developed a tough hide. The Florida job is not the plum some are making it out to be.
Apologizing in advance for the sarcasm, but didn’t Florida get the message that Stoops is complacent, arrogant, disingenuous, detrimentally loyal, stubborn, and prone to going stale if not kept constantly wrapped and refrigerated? What’s wrong with those people, putting a guy like that at the top of their list?! 🙂
I think this could legitimately happen. Stoops usually uses these situations to upgrade his pay. That won’t happen this year, and it could very well throw him into the waiting arms of his former stomping grounds. This is a top tier program with elite athletes, and I said it all along that next year our skill and depth will be better than this years team. The draw is real, come to OU and immediately have the chance for a ring. I think the list of those interested would be long, and we’d have our pick of the litter.
Is it a coincidence that Stoops took a short vacation to Florida recently during an OU bye week? Wonder if there was any discussion regarding the Florida coaching vacancy.
And the team’s on-field performance immediately dropped off? It’s an interesting, albeit a little tin-foil-hat, question.
Grain of salt implied…Pat Dooley tweeted Stoops, Gundy and Kelly are “off FL’s list” this AM.