Written by The Sports Mole
| Sunday, 29 November 2009 10:43
|
College Football News
Now that the college football season is winding down, the annual coaching carousel moves. Here are some things to watch for in the next few days and weeks:
Memphis - It is now a known fact that LSU assistant head coach and running backs coach Larry Porter will become the next head coach at Memphis. Porter, a former Memphis running back in the early 90's, has always talked about becoming the coach at his alma mater. In C-USA, this has the possibility of being a quick turn-around job, and Memphis has recent history of being very good just a few years ago when Carolina Panthers star DeAngelo Williams toted the mail for the Tigers. Porter is best known for his recruiting exploits and has been hailed as the best recruiter in the country by many of his brethren in the college coaching world. He has also helped produce five college backs to rush for 1,000 yards or more in a season. Besides being known as a top recruiter, Porter is a "Memphis" guy and will connect with the community immediately. Porter has already been working on a staff and bringing in former Ole Miss assistant and current Lambuth University head coach Hugh Freeze is a possibility. It is possible that former LSU offensive graduate assistant and current Memphis assistant coach John Wozniak will stay aboard Porter's staff. Do not discount the possibility of former LSU co-defensive coordinator Doug Mallory returning east of the Mississippi River on the defensive staff. Raasaan Haralson, a Baton Rouge native and current defensive grad assistant for LSU, could be persuaded to join the Memphis staff as a full-time assistant. Haralson has experience working in Tennessee as a GA on Phil Fulmer's staff at Tennessee.
Louisville - The Steve Kragthorpe three-year experiment is over, and athletic director Tom Jurich is looking for a replacement. Former high profile head coaches Phil Fulmer and Tommy Tuberville have been explored as options along with current head coaches Mike Leach (Texas Tech), Kevin Sumlin (Houston) and Butch Jones (Central Michigan). Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain are also choices for Jurich.
Akron - J.D. Brookhart came to the Zips as a cerebral offensive guru from the University of Pittsburgh. In year two, he led the Zips to a bowl game. But in the last four seasons, Akron has operated under the .500 mark, and Brookhart is now out as head coach. Look for someone with a vast knowledge of the Midwest to get the job, a coach such as Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, Penn State defensive coordinator Ron Vanderlinden, Florida quarterback's coach Scott Loeffler, and Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell. Vanderlinden has previous head coaching experience at Maryland, and Loeffler was a quarterback and assistant at Michigan and in the NFL as well.
Georgia Southern - It appears that Georgia Tech assistant and former GSU Hall of Famer Giff Smith will not get a crack at the head football job, running a distant second to fellow Georgia Tech staff member Jeff Monken. The slotbacks coach/special teams coordinator for the Yellow Jackets has followed Tech head coach Paul Johnson from GSU to Navy and now to Tech in Atlanta. Monken has great knowledge of Georgia Southern, the Southern Conference, the state of Georgia and the offensive system that he will run at GSU.
Colorado - Dan Hawkins WILL return to Boulder next season as he avoided walking the plank after the 2009 season. Hawkins' buyout may have had something to do with it, but hats off to the Colorado administration for seeing that Hawkins received another year to turnaround the program.
Georgia - Amidst a down year on the Plains in Athens, head coach Mark Richt may have to make a change or two on his staff. Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez may be a guy who is under the miscroscope.
Southern - Head coach Pete Richardson, the longtime 17 year head coach of the Jags, will sit down with athletic director Greg LaFleur in the next few days to talk about the state of the program. There has been an underground swell that has been building in the last two years concerning the ouster of Coach Pete.
Notre Dame - One of the most coveted jobs out there - as presumed by Notre Dame officials and their fans - will be open very soon. Charlie Weis will not return to South Bend for another season with the Irish. Weis never fully put his arms around the responsibility of being the head man at the most visible football program in the country. Weis' pro football ego got in the way, and he shut out and turned off many former players and alums. Recruiting at the South Bend school has almost dropped off of the planet by Irish standards. Long gone are the marquee skilled players and offensive linemen that used to sign with Notre Dame by the dozen. The Irish athletic director and school president have nothing to lose and are swinging for the fences first to see who may be interested. Everyone from Tony Dungy to Jon Gruden to Brian Billick to Bill Cowher to Bob Stoops and, of course, don't forget Urban Meyer has been mentioned. The four former NFL head coaches are not coming out of retirement for this job. Stoops is not leaving Oklahoma, and Meyer will not leave Florida. The Irish will have to be content with going after Cincinnati head man Brian Kelly, the best viable candidate out there.
Portland State - Division III Willamette head coach Mark Speckman, San Diego State offensive coordinator Al Borges and former Army head coach and New Orleans Saints tackle Stan Brock are the 3 finalists for the head coaching job here. The new head man will succeed former NFL head coach Jerry Glanville. Speckman has built a respected D3 power in the Oregon university, Borges has directed offenses with great success along the west coast, and Brock is a native of Portland, Oregon and coached a local Arena franchise, the Portland Forest Dragons, a decade ago before a short stint as the head coach at West Point.
Nicholls State - One name continues to come back to me: University of Central Arkansas assistant head coach Hud Jackson. The son of Sonny Jackson, the most successful head coach in Nicholls State history, makes ense for a program looking for renewed vigor.
