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The Charlie Strong Decision

MoJames

By MoJames
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MoJames

MoJames 8241

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So I was having some PTSD over the latest round of coaching changes and decided to revisit the situation surrounding Mack Brown leaving the program and the options at that point to come in to Texas. Some still feel that Saban was close to coming this way, I have no inside information to suggest that he wasn't, but I always considered him a long shot. Bill O’Brien was mentioned as well, but he's NFL through and through. So past Saban and O'Brien who was out there that we "missed" on. It seems most of the options listed that year were out and out misses if you look at what they have done sense. Who knows how things play out if they do join Texas football, but purely based on their performance since, there was only one name that has panned out 6 years down the road.

Misses

James Franklin - The guys has done a fantastic job building PSU up from where Bill O'Brien left off. He hasn't taken the next step yet, but many believe he is a season or so away from competing with the juggernaut that is Ohio State. He has a cloud around him of being a bit slimey to most I talk to who follow the Big 10 closely, but certainly has built a winner from a rather depressing situation. He might not be able to do the political part surrounding the Texas job, but I'm not sure he would do it any worse than Strong or Herman.

Guz Mahlzahn - I had a hard time putting him here, I almost want to put him in Under Performed, but I think he's done well enough for Auburn. In the Big 12, he could've put together something a bit more dominate as he wouldn't be playing Alabama and LSU every year.

Under Performed

Jimbo Fisher - I put him here only because he still has winning seasons (against FCS football competition) but he is still employed. At no point did I want this clown either and I bet in a couple of years he will be in the dodged category.

Mark Dantonio - Quite a few wanted this dinosaur, he obviously peaked around the time this search was going on. MSU never was a year in and out powerhouse and so his success since 2013 is about right to keep his current job, but certainly not be the coach of Texas.

Mike Gundy - He's perfect where he is at and was never coming out way, nor should he.

Pat Fitzgerald - This guy is probably a good coach, but no where near good enough for Texas. Northwestern has been pretty quiet since 2013.

Gary Patterson - He's never going to do better than what he is doing at TCU which is maintaining.

Dodged

Gary Andersen - I think he's back at Utah State?

Chad Morris - Appears this guys is a good OC, maybe.

Larry Fedora - He's now on our staff as an analyst...

Al Golden - Not sure if he was ever a serious candidate, but I couldn't tell you what he is doing without google and I don't plan on looking it up.

Rich Rodriguez - haha

Art Briles - Nope

 

Who else you got?

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Texasrocks

Texasrocks 2124

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Justin Fuente should probably be on the list. His HC experience was similar to Strong's at that point. That was probably too early for PJ Fleck, but he may have just appeared on the radar.

I have to say, I really wanted Gary Andersen at the time. I thought he was going to be a special coach.

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Gene Parmesan

Gene Parmesan 3993

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1 minute ago, TrashMaster G said:

I still laugh about the morons who seriously wanted Briles. 

In my defense, it was pre rape disclosure.  Only thing I was aware of were steroid rumors going back to his high school days, and I didn't give a shit about that, nor was I performing background checks for my daydreams. 

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JBJ

JBJ 3648

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I was on the Dantonio boat back then.

In retrospect, I don't think his brand of defense would have survived in the B12.  He's got a good network and reputation still, he might have been able to hire well and lean on his coordinators.

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SDG

SDG 3319

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6 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Never happening. PNW guy through and through and haaaates booster glad-handling (though he's actually good at it, since he's just an earnestly quality dude).

I don’t disagree that it probably wasn’t going to happen; I’m just saying he was mentioned as a candidate at the time.  I’m pretty sure we has a thread on TOS but rather than swimming through the crap to find it I’ll just post the the first google result.  
 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1849009-why-chris-petersen-needs-to-bolt-boise-for-usc-or-texas-while-he-still-can

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WBT

WBT 20415

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Posted (edited)
16 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Never happening. PNW Boise guy through and through and haaaates booster glad-handling (though he's actually good at it, since he's just an earnestly quality dude).

That was the thought during the 2013 season.  Then he left and went to Washington.

Edited by WBT
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mdmost

mdmost 42843

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I think it was really only down to Charlie and Jim Mora Jr. The only miss was James Franklin as he's shown he can recruit well and coach. He's also at a place with unrealistic expectations and done well there. Malzahn was going to the MNC that year, IIRC, and would've required us to wait quite a while to maybe be told no. 

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Gene Parmesan

Gene Parmesan 3993

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Just now, WBT said:

That was the thought at the time.  Then he left and went to Washington.

Yeah the consensus was he was a Boise lifer because of his kid's doctors.  I have no idea if anyone with any power kicked the tires on that one?  Now he's a northwest only guy.  That may very well be true, but region bias seems like a low obstacle when it comes to a job like Texas. 

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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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Pretty easy to argue anyone who we “dodged” could have been better at Texas...with our resources, recruiting hotbed, yada yada yada.  Also pretty easy to argue anyone we “missed” on could have been worse at Texas...with all the pressure, BMD ass kissing required, blah blah blah.  And pretty much anything in between.  In other words, pointless thread.

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Funk Doctor Spock

Funk Doctor Spock 11920

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I really, really bought into Fleck and his WMU team, and went to see them against Wisky. I wanted him before Herman, but I would have been shouted down, and rightfully so. I think he's done a fantastic job at yet another shit stop. Before Strong I didn't think Saban was ever coming here, ever. It was fun to watch. I just knew I didn't want Strong based on his resume and Bridgewater lighting in a bottle moment. You could just tell he was going to fail miserably. 

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Saint Tacky

Saint Tacky 1610

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Turns out after the fact that Charlie was zeroed in on at an event in NYC right after the season ended and there was one follow-up trip to Charlie's residence after the fact.  To the best of my knowledge no one else was interviewed, and the timing of the hire seems to support that.

I was told by a BMD that the new coach had already been hired, but that the BMD wasn't told who the coach was (his source was our former AD).  BMD was told only that the deed was done and there was a veiled reference to the new hire's season being over before our own bowl game.  We sat down and spent hours making a list of potential hires.  Strong was on the list and I don't recall who else. I need to see if that list exists.

This may have been contemporaneous with Mack's "killing it in Florida" statement because I seem to recall associating that statement with the hiring, and not the pursuit of Nick Saban as some speculated.  Fuck, it's all a blur.  I threw what I knew out there on the other site and there was some constructive dialogue that would be interesting to read.  I need to go back and look at that thread.

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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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3 minutes ago, Saint Tacky said:

True; but, it sounded better than "very little," and not as self-deprecating as "none."

For accuracy, you probably could have just gone with...

“My comments were mostly met with fart jokes, smart ass remarks, mom jokes, insults, and poop jokes.”

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JBJ

JBJ 3648

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Posted (edited)

 

35 minutes ago, Spider2YBanana said:

I just knew I didn't want Strong based on his resume and Bridgewater lighting in a bottle moment. You could just tell he was going to fail miserably. 

Strong went almost a decade as the "top coordinator who couldn't get a headcoaching job."  I am always skeptical of the guy that is an interview-level candidate for every opening but can't get any offers.

A few Gators on TOS used him as the poster-child for the Rooney Rule.

 

But my main gripe with him at the time was he was a "system" coach, and felt like Texas was/is more suited to a GM-type coach who could find the correct coordinators to continually stay ahead of the meta-game.

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Jive Turkey

Jive Turkey 12568

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2 hours ago, MoJames said:

Gary Patterson - He's never going to do better than what he is doing at TCU which is maintaining.

 

I don’t buy this at all. He wouldn’t have taken the Texas job, but he could absolutely succeed here. In the last 6 seasons, which is the applicable time frame, Patterson has one 12 win season and two 11 win seasons at TCU. And he’s done it with guys we don’t want. He would have been a massive upgrade over Strong (and Herman).

Edited by Jive Turkey
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Roofle

Roofle 266

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2 hours ago, MoJames said:

Guz Mahlzahn - I had a hard time putting him here, I almost want to put him in Under Performed, but I think he's done well enough for Auburn. In the Big 12, he could've put together something a bit more dominate as he wouldn't be playing Alabama and LSU every year.

What the fuck is with people's inability to differentiate between "dominant" and "dominate"?

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Deej

Deej 76542

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3 minutes ago, JBJ said:

 

Strong went almost a decade as the "top coordinator who couldn't get a headcoaching job."  I am always skeptical of the guy that is an interview-level candidate for every opening but can't get any offers.

 

stepbrothers-job-interview-scene-1.jpg

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ousux

ousux 5586

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Russian-Dating-2.jpg
I've been doing nothing all day but clicking, clicking, clicking..seems the link is borked.

In the spirit of keeping on topic, the names thrown around back then just prove Shag/surly didnt know jack diddly fuck about coach searching, and not sure even Saban coming here could replicate what he's done at Bama since 2013.
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