Legacy And Redemption

[Duluthguy]

I'd like to hear some different perspectives on a couple of factors that could influence the hiring of a new coach:

AGE: You can make a valid point that an older guy, such as Belotti, may not have enough "fire in the belly" any more, but, couldn't you also argue that an older guy might be really concerned about his legacy? If he's been a winner in the past, is he going to be complacent about possibly going out as a loser? On a much smaller point, actually a question, could a guy who is obviously taking his last coaching job attract experienced, really motivated, very loyal coordinators because they know they might have a shot at his job when he retires?

BAGGAGE: Obviously a serious concern, but a guy with baggage might realize that if he doesn't stay squeaky clean that he'll be done in football. Might a guy, such as Leach, be looking for redemption and to prove his critics wrong?

TIMING: If you have a really good candidate that you could hire immediately and another who is perhaps slightly better, but you'd have to wait until at least the end of the season to even interview him, how significant is timing in your decision as to who to pursue?

CUTENESS: My wife thinks this should be the primary factor in choosing a new coach - might just eliminate Mangino.

Thoughts?

 

[Ole]

Age:
Fire in the belly isn't only age dependent. My take on Belotti is that although he's older and accomplished, if he is itching to get back to coaching that should be enough proof of his fire.
I do like a young up and comer though, more to prove, less to lose. If there's no legacy, there's no reason not to lay it out on the line.

Baggage: Meh, every good coach has some IMO. Nobody wants a choirboy leading them, most of the best coaches just keep it under the table by winning. Redemption I think would be isolated, specific games, teams etc. Coaches might be more willing to stay under the radar if they've been burned in the past though.
Leach has no baggage IMO, Mangini doesn't either. Barnett maybe, but he's about equal to iowee's captain liar.

Timing: You wait for a GREAT coach, but you better have an agreement in place. You do not wait for an NFL coach to finish his season(Frazier).

Cuteness is for the ladies, charm etc. I say get a mean ugly SOB coach, get some pretty boy assistants and players. (My wife was partial to Decker, no replacement yet though)

 

[Foggie]

my perspective

Here are my thoughts:

Age: Not a big deal to me. Obviously, a younger (40ish) coach would be nice, but there is always the chance they will use the U as a stepping stone. We are at that level. If they bring in a 55-60 year old coach I would expect that person to lay a good foundation in the next 5-10 years then hand it off to one of his experienced coordinators. "Experienced" is the key. The older new coach has to bring in quality coordinators - younger and potentially a hot prospect in the coaching universe. Then it could be a seamless takeover. This is easier said than done, of course.

Baggage: I don't see the U hiring one of these guys. Leach and Levitt are a little too fresh in the mind of the administration. Maybe 5 years from now it would not make a difference.

Timing: I would wait until the regular season ends at least. No reason to hurry. If you go after the better coach before bowl games are played, so be it. This happens often enough. Now, if you are talking Gary Patterson and would need to wait until after the bowl season, then wait until after. Because you know they are sending out feelers to a bunch of coaches and J-Mat would know whether he has a chance on a guy. I also guess it depends how big a gap "slightly" is, too.

Cuteness: I would need to see his wife.

 

[gophmeister]

I watched a segment with Joel Maturi on Fox Sports North and he reiterated that he is looking for a marquee name. To me that means a successful head coach or a successful coordinator from a BCS school.

AGE: It matters. This is a rebuilding job that might take several years. Someone like Bellotti may say he wants back into coaching, but will he feel the same in 5 years? Does he want to do a complete rebuild or would he want to go somewhere he could win right away? Maybe a wise old guy can do it.

Baggage. Depends on what kind and how big a risk the guy is. That said, Mangino baggage no chance, but Leach is someone they could overlook that on.

Timing: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. More than likely they'll have their feelers out there and won't put themselves in a position to miss out on someone. If someone signals they want to come here and it can be kept a secret, then more than likely we'll wait for that.

It's worth mentioning that our ideal number 1 candidate will probably not take the job and the same can be said for maybe guys 2 and 3. Like in anything you prioritize based on how favorably you rank the candidates. If there's a guy out there we like and he likes us too, but we like this other guy a little more, but he's playing hard to get if I were Joel, I take the guy we like who likes us too. He may not be the prettiest, but at least we avoid getting jilted by the prom queen and have to take the creepy girl (Trestman) to the dance.