You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, and you shouldn't judge a coach just by his win-loss record. According to some on this forum, Horton would never be a good head coach because of his record back in Nevada. Never mind the experience, knowledge and professional growth he has added in the years since. Others say Hoke would be a terrible choice because of his win-loss record. Beyond the fact that some of this record is due to rebuilding programs, the fact that it took him awhile to get things moving forward at Ball State doesn't necessarily reflect on his current abilities.
My point isn't that we should hire either one. I'm just saying we tend to overlook the knowledge and experience guys may gain while they are losing. As Holtz said last night talking about Shannon, you make a lot of mistakes in your first head coaching job. Many guys become much better head coaches after their first or even second job. That's why it pays to hire someone who has already been a head coach. He's had a chance to learn from his mistakes.
Before you're quick to judge any candidate because of his overall record, ask yourself if you would like to be judged for the rest of your career on how you performed in your first job. Hopefully that thought might make you a little more openminded towards some of the candidates.
My point isn't that we should hire either one. I'm just saying we tend to overlook the knowledge and experience guys may gain while they are losing. As Holtz said last night talking about Shannon, you make a lot of mistakes in your first head coaching job. Many guys become much better head coaches after their first or even second job. That's why it pays to hire someone who has already been a head coach. He's had a chance to learn from his mistakes.
Before you're quick to judge any candidate because of his overall record, ask yourself if you would like to be judged for the rest of your career on how you performed in your first job. Hopefully that thought might make you a little more openminded towards some of the candidates.
