JPETERMAN

Starting to feel somewhat optimistic about the OU WR coach. Haven't really heard much lately on it. Seems like if it was a definite no, then we'd have heard something by now. Guessing OU is trying to give him a raise to stay, but not necessarily willing to match if we truly money whipped him because then they'd have to bump all their other guys substantially too. So he's probably torn between coming for the money or staying for a lesser increase, and a sense of loyalty. Not terribly worried about the WR coach position in general, because if Wiggins is supposedly the floor, that's still a pretty good upgrade as it is. But it'd be nice to steal an actual good coach from OU as opposed to Boulware and Norvell.

Mack probably told him the guys he wanted to target because some high school coach friend of his swore to god that the kid had a ton of potential and was a real good kid on and off the field and that if offered that they would commit early. Plus: It sounds like recruiting tool$ available under $ark > those available under Mack at the time. Hypothetically speaking of course.

I'm less concerned with that because making a coaching change isn't necessarily to maximize wins in the very next season. If we have to take a step back defensively to ultimately get to where we need to be in year 3, then you do it and hire the right guy. But if we are not enthralled with any of the choices out there, I'd prefer to punt and get another data point on Ash to see if he is the real deal, or see if someone else better is available next season. Especially if Boom really does just want a year off and he was your target all along anyway.

I'd wager there are 2,500 people on here that know more about Texas recruiting than Galloway. However, it wasn't a big secret that our 2021 class was underwhelming, and it was national news when Ewers decommitted, and I think Palmer maybe even referenced it. Even accounting for only those 2 data points gives a pretty good indication of how Texas football is being viewed and that things were not trending well. It was just an uninformed, terrible opinion that just annoys me more than anything. If we start off next season 5-0 with a win over OU Galloway will likely be the first to say what a great decision bringing in Sark was. They get paid to talk. It is what it is. But at least Palmer didn't sound like a complete idiot with his head in the sand while discussing the situation.

Hell South Florida even realized he had to go after 3 years. Nice guy. WAY over his head. Galloway clearly has no feel for it and is just talking off the top of his head. Still annoying.

When news broke that Herman was getting canned Saturday, Galloway was the most outspoken that I saw on the halftime shows etc. with his initial take about how you have to give coaches time for them to win because they need a chance to get their players in place, blah blah blah. Said Texas was impatient because we only gave Herman 4 years, after only giving Strong 3. It just isn't fair to them. Basically implied we should have kept Mack Brown and we just have unrealistic expectations. That kind of crap.

And this is why the outrage from the national media, i.e. Joey Galloway is completely stupid. Giving Herman more time to turn it around was never really an option. I'll take a 1-2 day hit in the headlines all day long for not being fair or giving him enough time to turn things around. Things would only have gotten worse by retaining him, as you all know. But seeing the above is still pretty shocking tbh.

Situation is fluid. If only way to get Raymond is to give him control of CB and Safeties, and Banks wants to keep Special teams and is coming, you do both and find something else for Gideon to do. Timing of his hire was strange, but I'm sure he's sharp enough to coach other positions given how high people are on him apparently.

Maybe we just roll with Ash for a year, keep continuity, and then make a more educated decision next season when Boom might be back in play.

Freeman might not be waiting around much longer.....or maybe we have someone else already in place https://footballscoop.com/news/sources-lsu-on-verge-of-nabbing-top-dc/

Good coaches use the offseason to look at other teams tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, and figure out ways to improve their performance the next time they meet. Also, they self-scout to look for areas to improve within their own team. This necessitates self reflection, humbling yourself, and admitting that you can and should do certain things better. Our staff just wanted to go 1-0 for the day and try not to burn their toast.

Was there enthusiasm when he came in? I don't honestly recall or know any better. But, I didn't think anyone even knew who the hell Gilbert was, let alone his +1, Mattox (despite having to send the entire admin department to try to entice them to come). I mean moving on from Wickline was a blessing at the time since that was such a cluster, but I can't remember any genuine excitement over Mattox when we hired him. He may well have turned out to be a good coach, I just don't recall excitement at the time over him. In any case, night and day between that moment and now. Sark wasn't the home run hire that many of us wanted as HC, but that must have been our low-point when we had to beg for assistants from Tulsa to come coach for us. This staff (without even knowing all the final pieces yet) compared to the previous two will give us a much better shot.

I think part of the problem was Herman always overestimated his chances of performing well on the field too. Well, we can close on them because we'll be in the big 12 title game or the playoffs and then everyone will want in. So we can take our time. We'll have the pick of the litter in December after the season because eeeerrbody.

Would love to bring Raymond on although I'm not sure it is a good chance yet, depending on who you listen to. But that doesn't change my thinking of wanting 5 full time defensive coaches. I just think if anything, with an offensive minded head coach, you need to focus more resources on your defense. Can it work? Sure. But it's not the best allocation of resources in my opinion. And my initial point was Gideon has to at least be serviceable in helping out the defense and can't be just mainly a special teams guy and fill in here or there on defense without a fairly significant role on that side of the ball as well.

Ogre is also a defensive coach, not calling plays with his head focused mainly on that side of the ball.

It'd be great for Gideon for sure from an exposure standpoint and learning aspect. And our Special teams would no doubt be improved. But I don't want a team going up against Lincoln Riley offense being understaffed with only 4 (or 4 1/2) full time coaches dedicated to coaching defense on the practice field. That breakout has 5 full time offensive coaches, plus the head-coach calling plays. And only 4 full time defensive coaches. And one special teams coach. I mean if Gideon is good enough to focus on special teams, and take Safeties, all while recruiting at a high level then it works. But that seems a little bit ambitious to put on his plate at this point in time to be honest and I'd expect some growing pains. Maybe I'm wrong and he can handle it. Losing Banks really hurt because he'd have run special teams from the offensive side of the ball.

Would be surprised if there is carpet, which probably just lends itself more to hardwood.

That's my concern with hiring Gideon I guess if his main job is ST. He's got to take a larger role in coaching the DBs to a pretty meaningful extent I think. Hopefully he's ready. Otherwise this seems unbalanced again which isn't optimal.

I just hope we don't have a misbalanced staff with less coaches dedicated to defense again. I'm not mensa, but that didn't seem very smart to me when they expanded the number of on field coaches a few years ago, especially since Herman was involved on that side of the ball as well (as will Sark obviously)

Not to equate alcoholism to criminal activity, but it seems like given Sark's history, he'd be pretty open to giving kids 2nd chances. Especially if his involvement was truly limited to riding in the car, and not doing the actual crime itself. I'm sure Sark will get around to calling him and making a decision based on the facts (which I don't pretend to know). But it's probably pretty far down his to do list at this point understandably. If it was a quick reassurance/recruiting call, he'd probably make time for it similar to how he reached out to LJ and Wright. But I'm sure that conversation will need to be much more in depth. I'd hope he can make it into the class, and think he likely will.

I'd be ok with keeping Ash. Still not completely sold on him though. Team showed improvement just by being fundamentally sound and slowing the game down for them. But I think he needs elite talent (pass rushers and lock down corners) like he had at Ohio State in order to have a championship level defense. Now if we get some of these names being tossed around as assistant coaches and are truly willing to play the recruiting game on par with SEC teams, then I'm even more comfortable with him running the defense going forward. But If we have all this money just ready to be handed out....why not offer Elko $3MM per year for 4 years. Most thought they had to way overpay to get him (and retain him as well if I recall they already having to bump him up once). But their ROI looks pretty darn good to me right about now. Maybe he has no interest and you don't want to let it be known that he turned us down to stay in college station? But I'd sure like to see what he could do paired up opposite a Sark offense as opposed to what Jimbo rolls out.

Wonder if Saban told Banks he was now the next in line for when he retired and that he'd groom him. Kind of makes sense as to why we'd hear that he was likely coming, and then all of a sudden he isn't. I don't think any way Saban retires at the end of this year or else Sark would have stayed. But he can't coach forever. So dangling that carrot would definitely make Banks reconsider if he was planning on coming originally.

Hmmm. Ok, thanks for posting. Guess I just lazily assumed he had dropped off since scuttlebutt was that Tennessee and their fanbase apparently was fine with letting him go elsewhere. Guess it truly must just be because of the drama within their coaching ranks.

Maybe there is a salary cap per year, and not per player? Kind of like how in some sports a player can get a 1/2 scholarship. Nah, nevermind. That wouldn't explain Georgia.

Is Tee Martin still a terror on the recruiting path? He was a beast back in the day. But seems like some of his polish has maybe worn off. I think I read he and Pruitt had a falling out over a leak to the media. And maybe he's kind of mailed it in. Personally, give me the TCU WR coach, the guy from Kansas, or the guy from USC before Tee Martin. I think WR coach is probably the easiest coaching position to fill too. If you aren't dumb and worried only about alignment that is. In any case, I think if there is one coach on the team I'd rather get a guy that is a better coach than a recruiter, it'd be at the WR spot. Now he truly has to be a good coach though, meaning an upgrade from Coleman who was seen as a good coach (but maybe only in comparison to Meh). But if the Bama WR coach wants to come here, giddy up. High School WRs grow on trees and they are plentiful. You don't have to get the #1 or #2 wr in the country every year. You can find guys that can be successful. And if we can come close to replicating the Bama offense, and win, and start to get guys drafted, kids will want to come even if the wr coach isn't exactly a rainmaker. Plus, if we truly are going to start playing the game, that's what is truly going to give us a better shot at the #1 and #2 type wr recruits more than a personable wr coach.