Black Monday in the NFL (Update)

Today is black Monday in the NFL. Several coaches and general manager's have received their pink slips while I'm sure there will be more fired some time today. Here are the coaches and general manager's that have been fired already today.

Philadelphia-Andy Reid: We all knew this was coming because of Philadelphia's disastrous season, but that doesn't mean it's still not shocking because of how long Andy Reid was Philly's coach. The ESPN story indicates that Reid could land in Jacksonville or Arizona if they fire their coaches. Arizona would probably make the most sense if Reid can find the right QB. Jacksonville is a tire fire and I'm sure Reid won't want to coach Tebow next season.

San Diego-Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith: These two should have been fired a long time ago, especially Smith. In the report on Reid it says the Chargers aren't interested in hiring Reid. In other news the Spanos family that owns the Chargers are from Stockton which means they will probably never make the right decision hiring a general manager or GM.

Kansas City-Romeo Crennel: Schefter is reporting Crennel is out by not GM Scott Pioli. The Chiefs need a clean slate away from Pioli and they're stupidly not breaking away from him. Pioli has been nothing short of a disaster in Kansas City. If the AFC West wasn't so bad the Chiefs wouldn't even have made the playoffs a few years ago. Now I can't even imagine who Pioli will hire now. McDaniels? Bring Tebow in as the QB? This has disaster written all over it.

Jacksonville-General Manager Gene Smith: Maybe drafting a punter in the third round wasn't the smartest move in the world for Gene Smith or drafting Blaine Gabbert. From the report it looks like Mike Mularkey will stay as the head coach but Lord knows why. Mularkey hasn't done nothing in Buffalo and has done nothing in Jackonville.

Cleveland-Pat Shurmur and GM Tom Heckert: The Browns are looking for another head coach and general manager in the span of 5 years. Not only that but they're on their 4th GM and coach in that time span. And people wonder why the Browns are a disaster of an NFL organization. It's already been rumored that Nick Saban and Mike Lombardi could land here which means the Browns will hire Gene Smith and Norv Turner.

Carolina-Ron Rivera: This is only being reported right now by the NFL Net's Mike Lombardi but I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes official. The Panthers massively underachieved this year until kinda turning it around late in the year. I wouldn't be surprised if they hire an offensive coach to replace Rivera.

Chicago-Lovie Smith: Amazing fact about this firing is that if the Packers won yesterday Lovie would be coaching the Bears in the playoffs right now. So once again the Packers defeat Lovie. I wonder if Lovie will challenge this firing? Too soon?

Buffalo-Chan Gailey: The Football Scoop first reported this move and Schefter confirmed it. I find it unbelievable that Gailey was hired as the Bills coach in the first place. And knowing the Bills track record I wouldn't be surprised if they hire another crappy retread coach like Eric Mangini or Mike Sherman.

New York Jets-General Manager Mike Tannenbaum: The Jets finally fired Mike Tannenbaum but Rex Ryan is somehow safe. I guess the band-aid owner* doesn't want to pay for a general manager and head coach to disappear. It's going to be hard to pick a GM who doesn't draft Vernon Gohlston or trade for Aaron Maybin.

*Woody Johnson is the Johnson and Johnson owner which means Rex shouldn't take any Tylenol for a few weeks. 

I'm sure there will be more firings coming up but this is it so far. I'll update if anything more happens.

(Update: Arizona has fired Ken Whisenhunt) Whisenhunt's downfall started the day Kurt Warner retired. He hasn't found a quarterback since and Arizona only got worse. I wonder if Reid would take this job because of Kolb?

Brady Hoke Named the New Michigan Coach

After Les Miles turned them down today, Michigan has officially hired San Diego State coach and former Michigan assistant Brady Hoke. Via M Go Blue:

University of Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon announced today (Tuesday, Jan. 11) the hiring of Brady Hoke as the 19th coach in the 131-year history of Michigan football. Hoke arrives in Ann Arbor after spending the past eight seasons as a head coach at Ball State (2003-08) and San Diego State (2009-10).

"We are pleased to announce the hiring of Brady," said Brandon. "He is a terrific coach and will be a great ambassador and leader for our football program. We look forward to having him build a championship program on the field and in the classroom."

Hoke spent eight seasons in Ann Arbor before embarking on his head coaching career. He mentored the Wolverines defensive line all eight seasons, a group that helped Michigan rank annually among the nation's best in rushing and total defense. Hoke coached three linemen to All-America honors during his tenure -- William Carr (1996), Glen Steele (1997) and Rob Renes (1999) -- and had five players earn first-team All-Big Ten accolades.

I love this hiring. I certainly love it more than the Randy Edsall hiring at Maryland. Hoke is a defensive minded coach who isn't afraid of hiring offensive coordinators, who are great at their jobs, and letting them do their job. He'll rebuild this program like he did at Ball State and San Diego State. Jason Whitlock and myself love this hiring. Congrats RJBO on your new coach.

Harbaugh to Coach The San Francisco 49ers

It's official. Via ESPN:

Jim Harbaugh agreed to a five-year, $25 million contract to become the San Francisco 49ers' head coach Friday, according to team and league sources.

The 49ers announced a news conference scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, but did not indicate the reason.

I don't have time to get into what this means for the 49ers or my true feelings about this move. I need the weekend to talk myself into this move. I'll have a pros and cons post about this move by Sunday, hopefully then I'll have a clear thought of what to think about this.

Sorry RJBO, enjoy Les Miles or Brady Hoke as your next head coach.

It's Official: Michigan Fires Rich Rodriguez

It's official this time. I think. Via ESPN:

Embattled Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez has been fired, a source tells ESPN's Joe Schad.

Michigan released a statement Wednesday saying athletic director Dave Brandon will discuss the state of the program at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Rodriguez was 15-22 after three seasons running college football's winningest program.

RJBO can reopen the bottle of champagne.

Suggestion to Michigan. Instead of wasting time on Harbaugh only to be disappointed like Maryland fans, hire Brady Hoke. He's won at Ball State and San Diego State for Christ sakes. He actually wants to coach at Michigan! He's a 'Michigan Man!' He coaches defense and the last time I checked that was the worst part of your program. He's never said anything bad about the program like Harbaugh has in the past about academics. Hire the right man and that man is Hoke.

Michigan Fires Rich Rodriguez

Michigan has raised up Rich Rodriguez and now has sent him packing. Via ESPN:

Michigan has fired football coach Rich Rodriguez after his third season ended with a school-record 38-point loss in the Gator Bowl, Fox 2 TV in Detroit is reporting.

The report comes after Rodriguez met with athletic director Dave Brandon earlier Tuesday.
Members of the football team are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, according to another report out of Ann Arbor.

Michigan's Gator Bowl loss to Mississippi State knocked Rodriguez's overall record to 15-22 with college football's winningest program.

Michigan will owe the coach $2.5 million to buy out the final three years of his contract.

That noise you just heard was RJBO popping the cork on a Champagne bottle. 

The Promise a Coach Brings

In no other sport does a coach have a brighter spotlight than in football. In football the coach definitely matters more than in other sports. Does a coach matter in baseball and basketball? Sure, but only when they don't screw up. Football coaches though have a far more importance. They're the face of the team. They have to bring some sort of special quality with them to be great. They either have to be motivators, strong leaders, or strategists. A coach brings promise. A promise that your team will have a strategic advantage over the opposing team.

Two people who comment regularly here (RJBO, Kris) and myself are looking for that promise at Maryland, Michigan, and with the San Francisco 49ers with their head coaches.

Maryland fired their long-time coach Ralph Friedgen because he couldn't sell out his stadium. The alumni desperately wanted Mike Leach to become their new coach because he brings the promise of a fun-and-gun offense and eccentric personality. So who does Maryland hire? UConn coach Randy Edsall.

Edsall is a fine coach, someone who lead UConn from Division 1-AA to a BCS game in ten years, but he's not someone who brings a lot of buzz. There's no promise of a fun-and-gun offense or an eccentric personality. I can see why Kris and other Maryland fans were extremely disappointed with his hiring.

As for RJBO and other Michigan fans, they're just looking for the promise of someone not named Rich Rodriguez not being their coach next season. Rich Rodriguez has been a disaster since he set foot in Ann Arbor. Michigan fans want a 'Michigan Man' to lead their program and they get that promise in Jim Harbaugh the current Stanford coach. Michigan wants a coach who brings promise at being the next Bo Schembechler.

Just like how Michigan fans are looking for the promise of the next Bo Schembechler, 49ers fans like myself are looking for the promise of the next Bill Walsh. That's why we're so excited about the idea of Jim Harbaugh coaching our team. 49ers fans have longed for the return of a Bill Walsh-type of coach since George Seifert retired. We think we have our guy in Harbaugh because once upon a time Walsh coached at Stanford.

Silly isn't it? Like Harbaugh can really replicate Walsh just because he coaches at Stanford, but that's what the promise of a new coach brings to a team and it's fans. RJBO and myself will either be Kris like disappointed in the coming week with our new coach or be filled with promise at the future for our teams.

An football coach is the President of the United States. You're either going to hate, love, or feel apathetic towards that person during their tenure in charge. 

Possible Coaching Replacements for Urban Meyer

Urban Meyer has announced his resignation as the Florida Gators football coach. Meyer did this same song and dance last year around this time and eventually came back to Florida. Like Brett Favre, Meyer has lost a lot of credibility with the public on whether he's really going to stay retired or not. For now though, it looks like Meyer will stay retired so it's time to look at possible replacements. On a scale from 1 to 10, 10 the highest 1 the lowest, lets take a look at the possible replacements for Urban Meyer.

Steve Addazio, Current Position: Florida Offensive Coordinator, Years with the Gators 2005-Present: With Florida Gators fans anger pointed all year long at Addazio, this possibility is not likely at all. Florida was also burned the last time they hired a Florida assistant. When Steve Spurrier left Florida in the early 2000's, the Gators hired longtime assistant Ron Zook and that was a disaster. I would love to see Addazio named the head coach of Florida just to see Gator fans burn down Gainesville, but this is just a pipe dream. (Possibility: 1)

The Links

Jordana Brewster to start the Friday mourning.... The recession is hurting the brothel business.... Flood watch is southwestern Pennsylvania.... Arizona cops find 97 migrants in a refrigerated truck.... Arabic TV gone wild..... iPhone vulnerable to hack attacks..... Kevin Fransden vs. Brian Sabean.... Nudity and wine

Now Jose Cancesco is claiming Cal Ripken took steroids (Sports By Brooks)

The Red Sox are in full pursuit of Padres 1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez (MLB Daily Dish)

The Minnesota could be close to trading for Orlando Cabrera (Twinkie Town)

"Farewell Ben Gordan" YouTube video is both creepy and cool (Motown String Music) video below

Has college basketball started yet? (The Crimson Quarry)

When will USC finally be affected from the multiple scandals that have hit the school? (CBS Sports)

A look at ESPN's in-depth viewer research (USA Today)

The worst coaches ever (The Sporting Blog)

What if the trade deadline applied to real jobs? (The Big Picture)

Matthew Stafford is quite the ladies man (The World of Issac)

"Farewell Ben Gordon" tribute video

Iowa St. Strikes Back

Auburn took Gene Chizik from Iowa St., so they took their defensive coordinator.

Paul Rhodes was introduced as the new Iowa St. coach earlier today.

Rhodes spent seven years at Pittsburgh before being hired as the new defensive coordinator at Auburn. He had previously been an assistant at Iowa St. and actually grew up in the state.

Rhodes has been an outstanding defensive coordinator for both Pittsburgh and Auburn, and this should be a good hire for Iowa St.

BREAKING: Sacramento Fired Reggie Theus

According to ESPN, the Sacramento Kings have fired head coach Reggie Theus and assistant coach Chuck Person.

Assistant coach Kenny Natt will be elevated to interim head coach.

While their star guard Kevin Martin has only played nine games, because of injuries, the Kings are only 6-18.

Last Thursday the Kings, without Martin, upset the Los Angeles Lakers. But after getting blown out by 24 points at home to the New York Knicks, the Maloof brothers have had enough.

Their had been speculation that Theus and the Maloofs were at odd. And a Joe Maloof interview with Sacramento radio station KHTK, didn't put to rest the rumors that the two were at odds.

The Maloofs are the ones at fault for hiring Theus. They were the ones who hired Theus, not their general manager Geoff Petrie. It's their fault the Theus hiring didn't work out. They better let Petrie hire the next head coach.

Recruiters Vs. Head Coaches

Ed. Note: I have written some columns and stories for the local paper that I wanted to share.

With college football at a fever pitch and head coaches losing jobs left and right, I thought it was time to explain the difference between recruiters and head coaches.

There are very few head coaches who can do it all. They recruit well and coach even better. There isn’t too many Bob Stoops, Nick Saban’s, Urban Meyer’s, Pete Carroll’s, Mack Brown’s or Jim Tressel’s.

They get the best players in the nation out of high school and make them great in college. These guys are rarity’s. This is also the reason why all these guys have national championships on their mantles.

These guys are also great recruiters because they also coach in areas where football talent comes in a truck load. They hold down the fort though and make sure none of the talent in their state’s leaves for other schools. It’s the Howard Schnellenberger theory.

#####

When Howard Schnellenberger arrived at the University of Miami in 1979, the school was thinking about shutting down the program.

Schnellenberger realized that the best talent in the country was right there in South Florida. He built the proverbial “fence around Miami” and recruiting only the “State of South Florida”. His eye for talent lead the nation in recognizing south Florida as a talent rich area.

By 1983, Schnellenberger had Miami in the national championship game, which they beat Nebraska. Schnellenberger built Miami from the ground up and laid down the foundation that both Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson used to also win national championships at Miami.

This was the point when coaches A) realized the amount of talent in Florida B) that if you are going to be successful in college football you have to recruit your state well and the states around you well.

Phil Fulmer is stepping down from Tennessee because of this. Fulmer at one time was one of the best recruiters in the nation. He could find talent all around the country during the late 90’s.

But when the likes of Carroll, Brown, Stoops, Meyer came to the threshold, they shut down their borders. And with very few talented football players coming out of the state of Tennessee.

Fulmer was not able to keep up with the likes of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, LSU, and Auburn, Tennessee started to fall of the national power radar. And this is why the Volunteers are looking for a new coach.

Head coaches though can’t recruit all by themselves though.

#####

Great coaches surround themselves with great assistants. Bill Walsh and Bill Billichick didn’t win three Super Bowls all by themselves. They had great assistants.

College football coaches are no exception. They have to surround themselves with great assistants to keep the ship above water.

With the recruiting regulations, head coaches can only visit a recruit a few times before signing day. This is where assistants come in.

The assistants go all across their area or the nation and try and find the best players that fit their teams philosophy and chemistry. Then they have to sell themselves and their programs. While doing this they have to make sure another recruiter from a different school doesn’t come in and steel their recruit away.

They are the backbone of the programs. They have to make sure to replenish the talent and others leave. That is why some programs continue to win each year. They may have a down year, but that is because they had to play a lot of that talent right away.

A lot of these recruiters go on to become head coaches because of their success as recruiters. A program looks at what these guys were able to accomplish and say “Why can’t we do, what they are doing.”

#####

Ole Miss took a chance on Ed Orgeron because he was one of the best recruiters in the nation.

In 2001, Pete Carroll named Orgeron the recruiting coordinator at USC. The Trojans went on to share a national championship and win one outright in back to back years.

Orgeron was the one who found Matt Leinhart, Reggie Bush, Mike Patterson, LenDale White and the other players who were key in the Trojans success.

In 2005, Orgeron moved on to Ole Miss because they thought his success as a recruiter would translate into success as a head coach. They were wrong.

While Orgeron did bring in a lot of talent into Ole Miss, he wasn’t a very good coach. His overall record at Ole Miss was 10-25 with no wins SEC play last year. He was fired after last season.

Orgeron’s problem at Ole Miss was that he didn’t know how to make decisions on the field like his mentor Pete Carroll. This plagues a lot of great recruiters who try their luck at head coaching.

They become decisive and often second guess their own decisions. Last year Orgeron didn’t know what quarterback to start, and by the time he made the right decision, it was too late.

Orgeron’s failures go right up there with the Greg Robinsons, Chuck Amato’s, and other failed recruiters turned head coaches.

Then there are the coaches you hear about who cannot recruit.

#####

Tyrone Willingham is stepping down from his job in Washington after this season. The Huskies are one of the worst teams in FBS this season, and a lot of critics are pointing to Willingham’s lack of great recruiting classes. Willingham has never been a great recruiter and many point to this as the reason why Willingham was fired at Norte Dame and now Washington.

Look not every coach in America is going to have a great recruiting class every year. Especially coaching in Washington. But a sup par recruiting class over a three year span can hinder the growth of a program. Washington’s growth has been stunted and many Willingham critics say Norte Dame is still recovering.

Some coaches are just not good recruiters. They don’t supply themselves with great assistants who weave a network, that supplies a program with top notch recruits. Carroll wouldn’t have two national championships on his mantle without Oregeron.

Willingham’s unbelievable loyalty to his assistants going back to his Stanford days, were Willingham’s downfall. Good for Tyrone for being loyal to people who helped him recruit Stanford players, but they had no clue, and tried to recruit Stanford players at Norte Dame then at Washington and now look at them. All of them are now looking for a job at the end of the season.

Other coaches just don’t have the charisma to close a deal. Nick Saban is definitely a surly unlikable guy, but he oozes charisma to close the deal on a recruit. Phil Fulmer just didn’t have it, in this department.

In the end recruiters vs. head coaches is a fine line. Fail in one department and the next thing you know you are out of work and working as an assistant at another school. Recruiting makes or breaks guys(Willingham, Fulmer) and making the right decisions on the field makes or breaks guys(Orgeron, Robinson). There are plenty of assistants on national championship contending teams out there and it is there turn to fail or succeed as head coaches.

It's official: Lane Kiffin introduced as the new Tennessee coach

(SEC fans are not as forgiving as Al Davis)

It became official today, Tennessee introduced Lane Kiffin as the 21St coach in Volunteer country.


This hire is peculiar to me because Kiffin hasn't really done anything in his coaching career. He spent five years at USC, two of those years as the offensive coordinator. He more famously the head coach of the Oakland Raiders the past 1.25 years. He only won five games in his time spent in Oakland.

I don't now what qualified Kiffin to be in the same coaching ranks as: Mark Richt, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Houston Nutt. But Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton obviously saw something in Kiffin. Lane is supposedly going to bring in his father Monte to run the defense and Ed Orgeron as the lead recruiter.

This hire could go both ways: complete disaster or complete genius by Tennessee, but their is no middle ground. And he doesn't have complacent Raider fans sitting behind him, he will have fanatic SEC fans. Good Luck.