For this edition, let's start with the jobs that are still open in college football, and see what is happening there before switching gears to those jobs that have been filled...
Arizona State
There have been some strange happenings in college football's coaching carousel, but none that have been as strange as Ray Anderson's approach to the Sun Devil coaching search this week. First, Anderson spent upwards of $12 million in firing Todd Graham, who had just completed a 7-5 season with a second place finish in the PAC-12 South. Both of those happenings exceeded most sane expectations this season. Secondly, after it seemed that he had the attention of Kevin Sumlin, and shortly, Chip Kelly, Anderson got crazy and decided that the new coach would have to retain the coordinators. That is something that a sane AD in this process just does not do. Chip Kelly was only passively interested in the job, and ended up with PAC-12 South rival UCLA, while Sumlin has just faded into the carousel itself, not to be heard from for days.
Every realistic shot that Anderson had at hiring a top tier coach went out the window with his nutty demands, and it appears now, that we are within hours of Herman Edwards being named as head coach, the same Herm Edwards who has not coached in upwards of a decade, and last coached college football when I was in high school in the 80s.
It's probably one of the worst developments for Arizona State that could have happened, and when it all falls down, Anderson should be shown the door along with his coaching choice. By the way...Anderson used to be Edwards' agent.
Arkansas
Arkansas is all in on the Gus Malzahn train right now, and they are waiting to see if Auburn loses to Georgia this Saturday in the SEC title game, because they believe that would be the event that would lead him to leave Auburn for the Hogs. If Auburn wins, and the Tigers are a playoff team, Malzahn likely stays, or so goes the theory. If he stays at Auburn, all attention turns to Mike Norvell of Memphis as plan B. Nothing has changed in this situation, and nothing likely will until Sunday.
Kent State
There is still virtually zero buzz about this job, and nothing is likely to happen this weekend. There has been zero national talk about this job, largely thought to be one of the worst available.
Nebraska
The Huskers will likely have an answer on the Scott Frost front this weekend, as UCF will play Memphis for the AAC title Saturday. Frost is not making any decisions until that game has been played. If Frost turns them down, the field gets murky, at best. Mike Leach may be the fall back plan here, but he would likely not be a decent cultural fit for the Huskers, nor would they be for him.
Rice
With David Bailiff out at Rice, look for two small school candidates to get major play here. Colby Carthel of Texas A&M Commerce is still a young offensive mind that is on the rise, and Willie Simmons is a riser at Prairie View as well. Look for both to be involved sooner than later.
South Alabama
With no information free flowing out of Mobile, at this point it makes sense that Jacksonville State coach John Grass will be a candidate for USA. Grass is still in the FCS playoffs now, and will not be discussing anything of this nature until that run ends for the Gamecocks.
Tennessee
In the worst coaching search dumpster fire in coaching search history, the only consistency is that once a mob mentality negated the hire of Greg Schiano (Peyton Manning supported the hire), and set the Vols up for defamation lawsuits and breach of contract suits to boot, nobody wants this job. Mike Gundy has said no. Jeff Brohm has said no. David Cucliffe has said no. Jason Witten has said hell no. Dave Doeren has said no. Now, Kevin Sumlin has told people that he has zero interest in the job. It sounds as if people have gone public about having no interest, even if they have not been contacted or named as candidates. The Vols are almost out of major options at this point. Just think, just a couple of weeks ago, the myopic morons that have ruined this job thought that they would have John Gruden in the job. Here's another statement on that matter...Gruden isn't coming, and never was.
Texas A&M
We could have an answer tomorrow when it comes to the Aggies, and it looks as if Jimbo Fisher is currently on a private plane from Tallahassee to College Station tonight. If this were to get wrapped up tomorrow, and all indications point to it getting done, A&M will have their only candidate locked up in short order.
UTEP
UTEP seems to be swimming in a very similar candidate pool as Rice is at this point, but as I reported last week, Sam Houston State KC keeler was identified as a front runner today. The Bearkats are in the middle of an FCS playoff run, and nothing will get done until that run is complete.
Florida State
I am getting questions from Twitter followers on this job tonight, with Jimbo Fisher likely to take the Texas A&M job after cornering himself into having to accept that job by virtue of overplaying his hand with Florida State. At this point, their top candidate would be Willie Taggart, which I believe would likely not be a perfect fit. Taggart has never been a one year guy on a job, and usually stays at least five years on average to get the job done that he starts before moving on. It's so early in that process of FSU protecting themselves that Taggart has been the only name mentioned, and anything else would simply be conjecture by me. Now if you would like to hear that...tune in to my coaching search podcast, which will be out in the next few days.
FCS Jobs
I receive occasional tweets from people on openings in FCS jobs, and I try to get as much information about those jobs as I can. One such job that I have received questions about is Tennessee Tech, where Marcus Satterfield was recently fired. One thing to note is that the job is posted on the NCAA website, and applications are not being accepted until tomorrow. Stay tuned there.
In the meantime, Montana will be announcing Bobby Hauck, Part 2 tomorrow. His contract was agreed upon yesterday, was being approved by the university board today, and will be finalized with an official announcement tomorrow. Hauck was 80-17 the first time around, but his teams were plagued by off-field issues.
Brad Laird was hired as head coach at Northwestern State this week, and he has already began assembling his staff, which is quick for any job on any level.
Jobs Already Filled
Florida, Dan Mullen: The prodigal son under Urban Meyer returns to Gainesville.
Georgia Southern, Chad Lunsford: The interim guy got the job after big wins over USA, ULL.
Mississippi State, Joe Moorhead: Penn State OC and former Fordham coach goes south.
Ole Miss, Matt Luke: Spent $137,000 on a search firm to hire the guy they already had.
Oregon State, Jonathon Smith: Former Beaver comes home after botched search.
UCLA, Chip Kelly: One of the home runs of the coaching search season, Bruins go all in on football.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Radio Appearance Lineup For This Week
Remember to listen in as I appear on the following radio shows coming up this week!
Tuesday, Nov. 28th
on ESPN Vegas
at 1:30 pm PST
Click link below to listen live
or if you are local, tune into 1100 AM or 98.9 FM.
Friday, Dec. 1st
on VSIN SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Channel 2014
at 6:30 am EST / playback at
11:30 am PST
VSIN broadcasts from The South
Point Casino, Las Vegas.
Listen live on your SiriusXM
radio channel 204 or via internet by clicking link below
Friday, Dec. 1st
on ESPN Vegas
at 1 pm PST
Click link below to listen live
or if you are local, tune into 1100 AM or 98.9 FM.
As the Coaching Carousel Turns: Volume 6
Here are the latest developments that I am hearing this morning. As always, you can follow me throughout the day on Twitter @BiloFootball to get up to the minute information as well.
Mississippi State: I got word yesterday that Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt has been telling some people that he intended on accepting the Mississippi State job, but that talk may have been premature, as other candidates are reportedly being interviewed as well, including Penn State OC Joe Moorhead, Clemson DC Brent Venables, SMU Coach Chad Morris, and former Bulldog DC Manny Diaz. I should have more info on this job shortly.
Arkansas: Two different search firms are being hired today, one to hire an AD, and one for head football coach. Gus Malzahn is still the primary target, but again, that is a leaky proposition as of now. The second target is Mike Norvell of Memphis, if Malzahn falls through. Venables and Morris fall under the plan C category as well, and have already been vetted, according to multiple sources.
Tennessee: The circus continues in the toxic atmosphere that is Knoxville. Representatives have flown to Stillwater this morning to interview Mike Gundy, who's name always appears in relationship to any Tennessee job search. Understanding that Dave Doeren and Jeff Brohm are targets as well, but it feels like the administration is just grasping at straws now, and this job just became very expensive. More in the coming hours here.
Of course, it's still fairly early, and I expect this not to be my only piece written on the coaching carousel today. More news as it becomes available later today.
Please don't forget to tune into ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas today at 1PM PST to hear me on "The Pressbox" with Clay Baker and Ed Graney as we discuss all of the madness that has been this crazy week in college football!
Mississippi State: I got word yesterday that Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt has been telling some people that he intended on accepting the Mississippi State job, but that talk may have been premature, as other candidates are reportedly being interviewed as well, including Penn State OC Joe Moorhead, Clemson DC Brent Venables, SMU Coach Chad Morris, and former Bulldog DC Manny Diaz. I should have more info on this job shortly.
Arkansas: Two different search firms are being hired today, one to hire an AD, and one for head football coach. Gus Malzahn is still the primary target, but again, that is a leaky proposition as of now. The second target is Mike Norvell of Memphis, if Malzahn falls through. Venables and Morris fall under the plan C category as well, and have already been vetted, according to multiple sources.
Tennessee: The circus continues in the toxic atmosphere that is Knoxville. Representatives have flown to Stillwater this morning to interview Mike Gundy, who's name always appears in relationship to any Tennessee job search. Understanding that Dave Doeren and Jeff Brohm are targets as well, but it feels like the administration is just grasping at straws now, and this job just became very expensive. More in the coming hours here.
Of course, it's still fairly early, and I expect this not to be my only piece written on the coaching carousel today. More news as it becomes available later today.
Please don't forget to tune into ESPN Radio 1100 in Las Vegas today at 1PM PST to hear me on "The Pressbox" with Clay Baker and Ed Graney as we discuss all of the madness that has been this crazy week in college football!
Monday, November 27, 2017
As the Coaching Carousel Turns: Volume 5
The circus is alive and well around the carousel this evening after what was an incredibly eventful week and weekend. Here is the latest news as the carousel spins faster and faster:
Arizona State: With the firing of Todd Graham (as was expected) in place, ASU has turned their sites squarely on now fired Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, and the interest is entirely mutual. That said, no deal has been finalized yet, and other names are still being tossed about.
One technical hang up for any potential hire could be the insistence that DC Phil Bennett and DC Billy Napier both be retained. Other candidates that have been mentioned are Derek Mason of Vanderbilt, and former Sun Devil Teryl Austin, however neither of those candidates are likely to fire anyone up at this point.
Arkansas: With Bret Bielema out the door, the future of Arkansas football is at stake. There are several high level people in Fayetteville that are pushing hard for the Gus Malzahn move that has been talked about, but after Auburn won the SEC West bu beating Alabama to make it to the SEC title game, that seems less likely than ever to happen now. Mike Leach is another name getting a ot of love from some influential people, so he could very well show up in the circus there if the Malzahn thing does fall through.
Florida: The Gators took three tries, but finally landed their man over the weekend in Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen. Mullen's ties to the Gators run deep, and he has already stated that he would enlist the help of one of his better pupils in Tim Tebow to help re-energize the program. Chip Kelly had a deal in place, but jolted the Gators in the 11th hour for UCLA. Scott Frost, who was their second target, never gave them an interview opportunity.
Mullen is a perfect fit guy for the Gators, and will pour his entirety into this job. That said, the pressures at Florida are much more intensive than in Starkville, and he will find that out soon enough.
Mississippi State: With Mullen gone, all one can do in Starkville is think about what Mullen brought to the program. He has built a fantastic foundation, and leaves with a solid base of talent entering 2018. Word today was received that Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt had interviewed today, and was teling people close to him that he would be taking the job. That said, it appears that Penn State OC Joe Moorhead is interested, and that the administration wants to speak with Clemson's Brent Venables after the ACC title game as well. Pruitt remains the favorite at this hour, but stay tuned as this is still fluid.
Nebraska: The Huskers are in a corner. They have to find a coach who is a perfect fit for their culture, someone who will cater to a myopically rabid fan base and a booster group that is even more so. Chip Kelly was approached, but they whiffed (it was a terrible fit, anyway). Mike Leach has been discussed, but an ass kisser he is not. We are now down to UCF coach and former Husker Scott Frost, but for Frost, he has to be able to believe that he has a chance to recruit and win in Lincoln. The culture is very different in Lincoln than it was in Frost's days there, as the Huskers had major recruiting ties to Texas as a member of the Big 12. In the Big 10, some of their major recruiting areas dried up for them, and the struggle is real. Something to remember here is that UCF AD Danny White believes that he can keep Frost, and a very lucrative contract extension is being worked on that may have Frost considering sticking around a bit longer. Nothing will be done until the AAC title game against Memphis has played out next weekend.
Ole Miss: The Rebels payed a search firm $137,000 to hire the guy they already had in interim coach Matt Luke, who was elevated to the full time job. What that says is that this job was one that nobody else wanted due to the lingering black cloud of NCAA violations under former coach Hugh Freeze. That concern was very real indeed. Willie Taggart was offered the job, and said no thanks and moved on. For the Rebels, the only option was sticking with who they have until everything clears over, which could be months, or even years down the line. This was a move of necessity and desperation, not a move that anyone really wanted to make.
Oregon State: Beau Baldwin was supposed to be announced as the next head coach of Oregon State football, but strangely enough, nothing has happened. Baldwin, the former Eastern Washington head coach turned Cal OC, was mentioned all night Saturday as the Bears lost to UCLA as the guy, and suddenly we have radio silence. Jedd Fisch, the OC at UCLA, and Jonathon Smith, current Washington OC and former Beaver QB have both been in the mix as well, but again, all signals have gone dead out of Corvallis. We should have something here in the next 24 to 48 hours, but this is very odd indeed. One thing to note is that the entire staff was let go today with the exception of current interim coach Corey Hall.
Tennessee: The cluster of all clusters, nuclear waste dumps to end all waste dumps, raging inferno to end all raging infernos. That is the state of Tennessee football tonight. Greg Schiano was hired and fired in the same day because, simply enough, his name was not John Gruden. An angry group of fans and boosters brought back to life a ridiculous story tying Schiano to knowing of Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse during his time at Penn State as a defensive assistant in the 1990's. By the way, this is a story that has been debunked time and time again, and no investigation, FBI or otherwise, has ever found this information to have any merit, all the way to the point that Schiano was never deposed in that case, and was never sued by any victims for having knowledge of the situation. His reputation is clear, and he has since been hired as a head coach at Rutgers, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and as DC at Ohio State. This was simply an attack on the character of a man not named Gruden, and it will lead to lawsuits for both wrongful termination and defamtion of character.
Now, nobody wants the job, as even David Cutcliffe got preemptive, as the Duke head coach shot them down before they even had a chance to call. The nuts that encompass the Tennessee booster and fan base have gone so far as to calling on former players to come in and clean up the mess, driving Jason Witten's name into this circle of fire, which drew the response of Witten having to say that he wanted nothing to do with it. Names that are flying around now are names of former players who have never coached anything of note, ever.
Nobody who is sane wants to be within 100 miles of Knoxville these days, and the Volunteer brand has been stained beyond recognition. Enjoy being the Cleveland Browns of the SEC, you morons!
Texas A&M: With the Kevin Sumlin dragged out finale being played last Saturday night, attention here has moved on to Jimbo Fisher and nobody else. Of course, on paper, this seems utterly ridiculous, as Florida State is a much better gig these days than A&M simply because the Aggies play in the same division as a man named Saban. That being said, the rumors persist, up and to the point that FSU had to go public and state that they would be willing to do whatever it took to keep Jimbo in Tallahassee. The rumors are still circling, and A&M is going to push hard until they get a definitive no. If we start to hear other names being floated about with this one, it will mean that the Fisher chase is waning, and that the Aggies are moving on. Until then, stay tuned!
UCLA: As I reported all last week, days before it became official, UCLA hired Chip Kelly as their next head football coach, and a presser was held this morning on the picturesque Westwood campus. Kelly was already on the recruiting trail on Sunday, a day before his official presser.
Kelly's hire is a massive shift in hiring philosophy for the Bruins, and no other candidate was considered or interviewed during the process that took under one week to play out. In all of my years around this program, this is a first. It's a brand new day in LA, and everyone is taking notice.
Georgia Southern: The Eagles made a bold move today in promoting interim coach Chad Lunsofrd to the permanent job. Lunsford picked up huge wins against South Alabama and then UL-Lafayette, and that was enough to be picked up for the full time gig. He had the support of players, fans, and boosters, and got the job over Brent Price of Army and Mike Houston of James Madison, who pulled his name out of the hat to concentrate in the FCS playoffs.
Kent State: Paul Haynes was officially fired, but there is zero buzz around this job at this hour. It is largely thought to be one of the worst jobs in college football, a potential graveyard for coaches. More on this as we hear it, but right now, it's the job that few people are even discussing on any level.
Rice: David Bailiff was officially let go today, which was highly expected to happen after a 1-11 finish to the season. Stanford coordinators Lance Anderson and Mike Bloomgren are hot names here right now, as is South Carolina OC Kurt Roper, who is a former player at Rice. More news is expected here in the next 72 hours.
South Alabama: Auburn OC Chip Lindsey is the hot name for the South Alabama opening to replace Joey Jones, who resigned a week ago. Auburn DC Kevin Steele has been rumored here as well, but both Lindsey and Steele are working on getting Auburn prepped for the SEC title game this week. Jeremy Pruitt, the Alabama DC has been rumored here as well, but he is the current front runner at Mississippi State, so I would not consider him a candidate here, unless something goes completely sideways. USC OC Tee Martin has been rumored to be wanting to head back south, and has been mentioned at USA and at Georgia Southern, but with the GSU job closed now, and Tennessee maybe calling, Martin may not be in play for the Jaguars at this point. Georgia LB coach Kevin Sherrer was the DC at USA in 2013, and may be in play, but he is working for Georgia this week getting ready for the SEC title game. One more name that is intriguing here Jacksonville State coach John Grass, who's team is involved in the FCS playoffs.
UTEP: Names here include Sam Houston State coach KC Keeler, Ole Miss OC Phil Longo, Texas A&M Commerce coach Colby Carthel, Utah WR Coach Guy Holliday, and Prairie View Coach Willie Simmons. Carthel is still involved with the D2 playoffs, but could be the young, energetic guy that teams look for these days. Simmons just wrapped up his season at Prairie View with a win over Texas Southern last week, and is looking to move up as well.
Montana: Former head coach Bobby Hauck interviewed today, and looks to be the only real candidate in play right now. I expect a hire in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Northwestern State: Brad Laird was hired as head coach last week, and is building his staff from scratch after some assistants were being considered to be candidates to stay.
More news tomorrow! As always, follow me on Twitter @BiloFootball for the latest, up to the minute information as I receive it!
Arizona State: With the firing of Todd Graham (as was expected) in place, ASU has turned their sites squarely on now fired Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, and the interest is entirely mutual. That said, no deal has been finalized yet, and other names are still being tossed about.
One technical hang up for any potential hire could be the insistence that DC Phil Bennett and DC Billy Napier both be retained. Other candidates that have been mentioned are Derek Mason of Vanderbilt, and former Sun Devil Teryl Austin, however neither of those candidates are likely to fire anyone up at this point.
Arkansas: With Bret Bielema out the door, the future of Arkansas football is at stake. There are several high level people in Fayetteville that are pushing hard for the Gus Malzahn move that has been talked about, but after Auburn won the SEC West bu beating Alabama to make it to the SEC title game, that seems less likely than ever to happen now. Mike Leach is another name getting a ot of love from some influential people, so he could very well show up in the circus there if the Malzahn thing does fall through.
Florida: The Gators took three tries, but finally landed their man over the weekend in Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen. Mullen's ties to the Gators run deep, and he has already stated that he would enlist the help of one of his better pupils in Tim Tebow to help re-energize the program. Chip Kelly had a deal in place, but jolted the Gators in the 11th hour for UCLA. Scott Frost, who was their second target, never gave them an interview opportunity.
Mullen is a perfect fit guy for the Gators, and will pour his entirety into this job. That said, the pressures at Florida are much more intensive than in Starkville, and he will find that out soon enough.
Mississippi State: With Mullen gone, all one can do in Starkville is think about what Mullen brought to the program. He has built a fantastic foundation, and leaves with a solid base of talent entering 2018. Word today was received that Alabama DC Jeremy Pruitt had interviewed today, and was teling people close to him that he would be taking the job. That said, it appears that Penn State OC Joe Moorhead is interested, and that the administration wants to speak with Clemson's Brent Venables after the ACC title game as well. Pruitt remains the favorite at this hour, but stay tuned as this is still fluid.
Nebraska: The Huskers are in a corner. They have to find a coach who is a perfect fit for their culture, someone who will cater to a myopically rabid fan base and a booster group that is even more so. Chip Kelly was approached, but they whiffed (it was a terrible fit, anyway). Mike Leach has been discussed, but an ass kisser he is not. We are now down to UCF coach and former Husker Scott Frost, but for Frost, he has to be able to believe that he has a chance to recruit and win in Lincoln. The culture is very different in Lincoln than it was in Frost's days there, as the Huskers had major recruiting ties to Texas as a member of the Big 12. In the Big 10, some of their major recruiting areas dried up for them, and the struggle is real. Something to remember here is that UCF AD Danny White believes that he can keep Frost, and a very lucrative contract extension is being worked on that may have Frost considering sticking around a bit longer. Nothing will be done until the AAC title game against Memphis has played out next weekend.
Ole Miss: The Rebels payed a search firm $137,000 to hire the guy they already had in interim coach Matt Luke, who was elevated to the full time job. What that says is that this job was one that nobody else wanted due to the lingering black cloud of NCAA violations under former coach Hugh Freeze. That concern was very real indeed. Willie Taggart was offered the job, and said no thanks and moved on. For the Rebels, the only option was sticking with who they have until everything clears over, which could be months, or even years down the line. This was a move of necessity and desperation, not a move that anyone really wanted to make.
Oregon State: Beau Baldwin was supposed to be announced as the next head coach of Oregon State football, but strangely enough, nothing has happened. Baldwin, the former Eastern Washington head coach turned Cal OC, was mentioned all night Saturday as the Bears lost to UCLA as the guy, and suddenly we have radio silence. Jedd Fisch, the OC at UCLA, and Jonathon Smith, current Washington OC and former Beaver QB have both been in the mix as well, but again, all signals have gone dead out of Corvallis. We should have something here in the next 24 to 48 hours, but this is very odd indeed. One thing to note is that the entire staff was let go today with the exception of current interim coach Corey Hall.
Tennessee: The cluster of all clusters, nuclear waste dumps to end all waste dumps, raging inferno to end all raging infernos. That is the state of Tennessee football tonight. Greg Schiano was hired and fired in the same day because, simply enough, his name was not John Gruden. An angry group of fans and boosters brought back to life a ridiculous story tying Schiano to knowing of Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse during his time at Penn State as a defensive assistant in the 1990's. By the way, this is a story that has been debunked time and time again, and no investigation, FBI or otherwise, has ever found this information to have any merit, all the way to the point that Schiano was never deposed in that case, and was never sued by any victims for having knowledge of the situation. His reputation is clear, and he has since been hired as a head coach at Rutgers, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and as DC at Ohio State. This was simply an attack on the character of a man not named Gruden, and it will lead to lawsuits for both wrongful termination and defamtion of character.
Now, nobody wants the job, as even David Cutcliffe got preemptive, as the Duke head coach shot them down before they even had a chance to call. The nuts that encompass the Tennessee booster and fan base have gone so far as to calling on former players to come in and clean up the mess, driving Jason Witten's name into this circle of fire, which drew the response of Witten having to say that he wanted nothing to do with it. Names that are flying around now are names of former players who have never coached anything of note, ever.
Nobody who is sane wants to be within 100 miles of Knoxville these days, and the Volunteer brand has been stained beyond recognition. Enjoy being the Cleveland Browns of the SEC, you morons!
Texas A&M: With the Kevin Sumlin dragged out finale being played last Saturday night, attention here has moved on to Jimbo Fisher and nobody else. Of course, on paper, this seems utterly ridiculous, as Florida State is a much better gig these days than A&M simply because the Aggies play in the same division as a man named Saban. That being said, the rumors persist, up and to the point that FSU had to go public and state that they would be willing to do whatever it took to keep Jimbo in Tallahassee. The rumors are still circling, and A&M is going to push hard until they get a definitive no. If we start to hear other names being floated about with this one, it will mean that the Fisher chase is waning, and that the Aggies are moving on. Until then, stay tuned!
UCLA: As I reported all last week, days before it became official, UCLA hired Chip Kelly as their next head football coach, and a presser was held this morning on the picturesque Westwood campus. Kelly was already on the recruiting trail on Sunday, a day before his official presser.
Kelly's hire is a massive shift in hiring philosophy for the Bruins, and no other candidate was considered or interviewed during the process that took under one week to play out. In all of my years around this program, this is a first. It's a brand new day in LA, and everyone is taking notice.
Georgia Southern: The Eagles made a bold move today in promoting interim coach Chad Lunsofrd to the permanent job. Lunsford picked up huge wins against South Alabama and then UL-Lafayette, and that was enough to be picked up for the full time gig. He had the support of players, fans, and boosters, and got the job over Brent Price of Army and Mike Houston of James Madison, who pulled his name out of the hat to concentrate in the FCS playoffs.
Kent State: Paul Haynes was officially fired, but there is zero buzz around this job at this hour. It is largely thought to be one of the worst jobs in college football, a potential graveyard for coaches. More on this as we hear it, but right now, it's the job that few people are even discussing on any level.
Rice: David Bailiff was officially let go today, which was highly expected to happen after a 1-11 finish to the season. Stanford coordinators Lance Anderson and Mike Bloomgren are hot names here right now, as is South Carolina OC Kurt Roper, who is a former player at Rice. More news is expected here in the next 72 hours.
South Alabama: Auburn OC Chip Lindsey is the hot name for the South Alabama opening to replace Joey Jones, who resigned a week ago. Auburn DC Kevin Steele has been rumored here as well, but both Lindsey and Steele are working on getting Auburn prepped for the SEC title game this week. Jeremy Pruitt, the Alabama DC has been rumored here as well, but he is the current front runner at Mississippi State, so I would not consider him a candidate here, unless something goes completely sideways. USC OC Tee Martin has been rumored to be wanting to head back south, and has been mentioned at USA and at Georgia Southern, but with the GSU job closed now, and Tennessee maybe calling, Martin may not be in play for the Jaguars at this point. Georgia LB coach Kevin Sherrer was the DC at USA in 2013, and may be in play, but he is working for Georgia this week getting ready for the SEC title game. One more name that is intriguing here Jacksonville State coach John Grass, who's team is involved in the FCS playoffs.
UTEP: Names here include Sam Houston State coach KC Keeler, Ole Miss OC Phil Longo, Texas A&M Commerce coach Colby Carthel, Utah WR Coach Guy Holliday, and Prairie View Coach Willie Simmons. Carthel is still involved with the D2 playoffs, but could be the young, energetic guy that teams look for these days. Simmons just wrapped up his season at Prairie View with a win over Texas Southern last week, and is looking to move up as well.
Montana: Former head coach Bobby Hauck interviewed today, and looks to be the only real candidate in play right now. I expect a hire in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Northwestern State: Brad Laird was hired as head coach last week, and is building his staff from scratch after some assistants were being considered to be candidates to stay.
More news tomorrow! As always, follow me on Twitter @BiloFootball for the latest, up to the minute information as I receive it!
College Football FBS PRS Rankings: Week 13
| Sunday, November 26, 2017 | ||||
| Rank | Points | Team | Record | Opponent |
| 1 | 2742 | Wisconsin | 12-0 | Def. Minnesota 31-0 |
| 2 | 2528 | Oklahoma | 11-1 | Def. West Virginia 59-31 |
| 3 | 2492 | Central Florida | 11-0 | Def. South Florida 49-42 |
| 4 | 2294 | Alabama | 11-1 | Lost to Auburn 26-14 |
| 5 | 2235 | Georgia | 11-1 | Def. Georgia Tech 38-7 |
| 6 | 2170 | Clemson | 11-1 | Def. South Carolina 34-10 |
| 7 | 2162 | Penn State | 10-2 | Def. Maryland 66-3 |
| 8 | 2162 | Ohio State | 10-2 | Def. Michigan 31-20 |
| 9 | 2001 | Memphis | 10-1 | Def. East Carolina 70-13 |
| 10 | 1872 | Southern California | 10-2 | Bye |
| 11 | 1859 | Auburn | 10-2 | Def. Alabama 26-14 |
| 12T | 1849 | Oklahoma State | 9-3 | Def. Kansas 58-17 |
| 12T | 1849 | Washington | 10-2 | Def. Washington State 41-14 |
| 14 | 1831 | Texas Christian | 10-2 | Def. Baylor 45-22 |
| 15 | 1810 | Miami (FL) | 10-1 | Lost to Pittsburgh 24-14 |
| 16 | 1776 | Toledo | 10-2 | Def. Western Michigan 37-10 |
| 17 | 1671 | San Diego State | 10-2 | Def. New Mexico 35-10 |
| 18 | 1622 | Boise State | 9-3 | Lost to Fresno State 28-17 |
| 19 | 1613 | South Florida | 9-2 | Lost to Central Florida 49-42 |
| 20 | 1586 | Notre Dame | 9-3 | Lost to Stanford 38-20 |
| 21 | 1578 | Stanford | 9-3 | Def. Notre Dame 38-20 |
| 22 | 1561 | Florida Atlantic | 9-3 | Def. Charlotte 31-12 |
| 23 | 1487 | Troy | 9-2 | Def. Texas State 62-9 |
| 24 | 1474 | Northwestern | 9-3 | Def. Illinois 42-7 |
| 25 | 1401 | Virginia Tech | 9-3 | Def. Virginia 10-0 |
| 26 | 1345 | North Texas | 9-3 | Def. Rice 30-14 |
| 27 | 1343 | Michigan State | 9-3 | Def. Rutgers 40-7 |
| 28 | 1304 | Louisiana State | 9-3 | Def. Texas A&M 45-21 |
| 29 | 1293 | Fresno State | 9-3 | Def. Boise State 28-17 |
| 30 | 1280 | Washington State | 9-3 | Lost to Washington 41-14 |
| 31 | 1116 | Ohio | 8-4 | Lost to Buffalo 31-24 |
| 32 | 1106 | Louisville | 8-4 | Def. Kentucky 44-17 |
| 33 | 1099 | Michigan | 8-4 | Lost to Ohio State 31-20 |
| 34 | 1058 | Arkansas State | 7-3 | Def. Louisiana-Monroe 67-50 |
| 35 | 1034 | Army | 8-3 | Bye |
| 36 | 1014 | Central Michigan | 8-4 | Def. Northern Illinois 31-24 |
| 37 | 986 | Northern Illinois | 8-4 | Lost to Central Michigan 31-24 |
| 38 | 961 | Southern Mississippi | 8-4 | Def. Marshall 28-27 |
| 39 | 940 | North Carolina State | 8-4 | Def. North Carolina 33-21 |
| 40 | 926 | Mississippi State | 8-4 | Lost to Mississippi 31-28 |
| 41 | 880 | Alabama-Birmingham | 8-4 | Def. Texas-El Paso 28-7 |
| 42 | 823 | Appalachian State | 7-4 | Def. Georgia State 31-10 |
| 43 | 797 | South Carolina | 8-4 | Lost to Clemson 34-10 |
| 44 | 791 | Iowa | 7-5 | Def. Nebraska 56-14 |
| 45 | 783 | Arizona | 7-5 | Lost to Arizona State 42-30 |
| 46 | 751 | Marshall | 7-5 | Lost to Southern Mississippi 28-27 |
| 47T | 691 | Missouri | 7-5 | Def. Arkansas 48-45 |
| 47T | 691 | Arizona State | 7-5 | Def. Arizona 42-30 |
| 49 | 656 | Boston College | 7-5 | Def. Syracuse 42-14 |
| 50 | 644 | Colorado State | 7-5 | Regular Season Over |
| 51 | 641 | Wake Forest | 7-5 | Lost to Duke 31-23 |
| 52 | 632 | West Virginia | 7-5 | Lost to Oklahoma 59-31 |
| 53 | 630 | Southern Methodist | 7-5 | Def. Tulane 41-38 |
| 54 | 624 | Iowa State | 7-5 | Lost to Kansas State 20-19 |
| 55 | 570 | Florida International | 7-4 | Def. Western Kentucky 41-17 |
| 56 | 564 | Oregon | 7-5 | Def. Oregon State 69-10 |
| 57 | 555 | Kansas State | 7-5 | Def. Iowa State 20-19 |
| 58 | 547 | Navy | 6-5 | Lost to Houston 24-14 |
| 59 | 515 | Houston | 7-4 | Def. Navy 24-14 |
| 60 | 478 | Texas A&M | 7-5 | Lost to Louisiana State 45-21 |
| 61T | 458 | Kentucky | 7-5 | Lost to Lousiville 44-17 |
| 61T | 458 | Georgia State | 6-4 | Lost to Appalachian State 31-10 |
| 63 | 445 | Wyoming | 7-5 | Lost to San Jose State 20-17 |
| 64 | 440 | Texas | 6-6 | Lost to Texas Tech 27-23 |
| 65 | 373 | Akron | 7-5 | Def. Kent State 24-14 |
| 66 | 330 | Texas-San Antonio | 6-5 | Lost to Louisiana Tech 20-6 |
| 67 | 319 | UCLA | 6-6 | Def. California 30-27 |
| 68 | 267 | Western Michigan | 6-6 | Lost to Toledo 37-10 |
| 69 | 237 | Texas Tech | 6-6 | Def. Texas 27-23 |
| 70 | 219 | Utah State | 6-6 | Lost to Air Force 38-35 |
| 71 | 214 | New Mexico State | 5-6 | Def. Idaho 17-10 |
| 72 | 203 | Middle Tennessee State | 6-6 | Def. Old Dominion 41-10 |
| 73 | 203 | Buffalo | 6-6 | Def. Ohio 31-24 |
| 74 | 184 | Utah | 6-6 | Def. Colorado 34-13 |
| 75 | 128 | Mississippi | 6-6 | Def. Mississippi State 31-28 |
| 76 | 125 | Western Kentucky | 6-6 | Lost to Florida International 41-17 |
| 77 | 109 | Duke | 6-6 | Def. Wake Forest 31-23 |
| 78 | 96 | Eastern Michigan | 5-7 | Def. Bowling Green State 34-31 |
| 79 | 68 | Louisiana Tech | 6-6 | Def. Texas-San Antonio 20-6 |
| 80 | 48 | Temple | 6-6 | Def. Tulsa 43-22 |
| 81 | 24 | Virginia | 6-6 | Lost to Virginia Tech 10-0 |
| 82 | -22 | Purdue | 6-6 | Def. Indiana 31-24 |
| 83 | -24 | Florida State | 5-6 | Def. Florida 38-22 |
| 84 | -61 | Georgia Tech | 5-6 | Lost to Georgia 38-7 |
| 85 | -70 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 5-6 | Lost to Georgia Southern 34-24 |
| 86 | -143 | Air Force | 5-7 | Def. Utah State 38-35 |
| 87 | -144 | Minnesota | 5-7 | Lost to Wisconsin 31-0 |
| 88 | -187 | Indiana | 5-7 | Lost to Purdue 31-24 |
| 89 | -189 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 5-7 | Lost to Nevada-Reno 23-16 |
| 90 | -195 | Colorado | 5-7 | Lost to Utah 34-13 |
| 91 | -206 | Louisiana-Monroe | 4-7 | Lost to Arkansas State 67-50 |
| 92 | -210 | California | 5-7 | Lost to UCLA 30-27 |
| 93 | -233 | Tulane | 5-7 | Lost to Southern Methodist 41-38 |
| 94 | -234 | Miami (OH) | 5-7 | Def. Ball State 28-7 |
| 95 | -307 | Vanderbilt | 5-7 | Def. Tennessee 42-24 |
| 96 | -364 | Florida | 4-7 | Lost to Florida State 38-22 |
| 97 | -373 | Pittsburgh | 5-7 | Def. Miami (FL) 24-14 |
| 98 | -465 | Old Dominion | 5-7 | Lost to Middle Tennssee State 41-10 |
| 99 | -549 | South Alabama | 4-7 | Bye |
| 100 | -569 | Nebraska | 4-8 | Lost to Iowa 56-14 |
| 101 | -646 | Massachusetts | 4-7 | Bye |
| 102 | -693 | Arkansas | 4-8 | Lost to Missouri 48-45 |
| 103 | -725 | Syracuse | 4-8 | Lost to Boston College 42-14 |
| 104 | -730 | Maryland | 4-8 | Lost to Penn State 66-3 |
| 105 | -806 | Cincinnati | 4-8 | Def. Connecticut 22-21 |
| 106 | -815 | Tennessee | 4-8 | Lost to Vanderbilt 42-24 |
| 107 | -856 | Georgia Southern | 2-9 | Def. Louisiana-Lafayette 34-24 |
| 108 | -873 | Rutgers | 4-8 | Lost to Michigan State 40-7 |
| 109 | -897 | Brigham Young | 4-9 | Def. Hawaii 30-20 |
| 110 | -921 | Nevada-Reno | 3-9 | Def. Nevada-Las Vegas 23-16 |
| 111 | -923 | Idaho | 3-8 | Lost to New Mexico state 17-10 |
| 112 | -961 | Hawaii | 3-9 | Lost to Brigham Young 30-20 |
| 113 | -1013 | North Carolina | 3-9 | Lost to North Carolina State 33-21 |
| 114 | -1096 | Tulsa | 2-10 | Lost to Temple 43-22 |
| 115 | -1124 | New Mexico | 3-9 | Lost to San Diego State 35-10 |
| 116 | -1145 | East Carolina | 3-9 | Lost to Memphis 70-13 |
| 117 | -1148 | Connecticut | 3-9 | Lost to Cincinnati 22-21 |
| 118 | -1179 | Coastal Carolina | 2-9 | Bye |
| 119 | -1348 | Bowling Green State | 2-10 | Lost to Eastern Michigan 34-31 |
| 120 | -1458 | Illinois | 2-10 | Lost to Northwestern 42-7 |
| 121 | -1509 | Texas State | 2-10 | Lost to Troy 62-9 |
| 122 | -1606 | Kent State | 2-10 | Lost to Arkon 24-14 |
| 123 | -1647 | Baylor | 1-11 | Lost to Texas Christian 45-22 |
| 124 | -1686 | Ball State | 2-10 | Lost to Miami (OH) 28-7 |
| 125 | -1689 | Rice | 1-11 | Lost to North Texas 30-14 |
| 126 | -1814 | San Jose State | 2-11 | Def. Wyoming 20-17 |
| 127 | -1853 | Charlotte | 1-11 | Lost to Florida Atlantic 31-12 |
| 128 | -1955 | Oregon State | 1-11 | Lost to Oregon 69-10 |
| 129 | -2011 | Kansas | 1-11 | Lost to Oklahoma State 58-17 |
| 130 | -2301 | Texas-El Paso | 0-12 | Lost to Alabama-Birmingham 28-7 |
Saturday, November 25, 2017
As the Coaching Carousel Turns: Volume 4
Now that Chip Kelly is the official head football coach at UCLA, we now can turn all eyes on the other jobs that are open, both major and minor, across the country. Here is the latest:
UCLA: As I had been reporting all week, Kelly is indeed the new head football coach at UCLA, and it happened in the timeline in which I projected that it would. An announcement came early this morning (Saturday) on ESPN Gameday, and ESPN later announced that Kelly would not be making his weekly gig at ESPN 2. Shortly thereafter, AD Dan Guerrero made a statement confirming the hire. A presser will be held on Monday to make the official introduction.
Tennessee: There are three major candidates for the job currently. Greg Schiano of Ohio State, Dan Mullen of Mississippi State, and Mike Leach of Tennessee are now the three seeming finalists for the job. Scott Frost is not being mentioned as a candidate here at this time.
Mullen flew to Knoxville for meetings in the last 24 hours, and they have been in touch with Schiano as well. Leach's communication level is unkonw at this hour, but it has been stated through sources that if offered, he'd likely take the job and leave Pullman.
Washington State: One major fallback plan for Washington State if Mike Leach does leave is that DC Alex Grinch could be promoted to head coach. This situation is incredibly fluid as of this hour.
Oregon State: Beau Baldwin will be officially announced on Monday or Tuesday as the next head coach of the Beavers. His season wrapped as California OC last night in a loss to UCLA. Baldwin was a highly successful coach at Eastern Washington, but that move has not worked very well in the past (see Paul Wulff, Washington State).
Florida: Scott Frost is the front runner for the Gators now that Chip Kelly has spurned their advances. That said, it is no guarantee at this hour that Frost is taking this job. If he does not want the job, the Gators need to know now, as target number two, Dan Mullen, is heavily in play at Tennessee. Charlie Strong has some support from folks inside the administration as well.
Nebraska: At this point it's Scott Frost, Matt Campbell, or bust. Due to the intrusive nature between the boosters and fans with head coaches at Nebraska, this is a tough job to sell, and it has to go to the right candidate. Chip Kelly never would have worked, and Mike Leach would have imploded that relationship very easily. This job is all about fit, and will be a tough sell moving forward if they whiff on both candidates.
Ole Miss: This job has the least amount of buzz of the Power 5 gigs because of the black cloud hanging over it with the NCAA. What Ole Miss is seeking now is a program builder. Willie Taggart has already turned them down, and is a premier program builder. Focusing on Neal Brown of Troy next may make the most sense here.
Arkansas: This job has been open for about 24 hours now, and still, there is much talk of Gus Malzahn bolting for the Hogs. Now that Auburn has beaten Alabama today, that seems less likely now, especially if Auburn beats Georgia again in the SEC East title game next week. Charlie Strong could get play here, as could Willie Taggart and Matt Campbell. Remember that Campbell was on staff when Toledo defeated Arkansas a few years back.
Georgia Southern: The Eagles really want to get a deal done shortly, and may not wish to wait for Army OC Brent Price much longer. A new name that has popped up here is James Madison head coach Mike Houston, as well as USC OC Tee Martin, who would love to return to the South.
South Alabama: There has not been a ton of buzz in Mobile around the USA job, but the top candidate here should be John Grass of Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks are currently in the FCS playoffs, so they would have to wait out that run for those talks to take place.
Kent State: Paul Haynes is finally gone. There is literally zero buzz here, so as soon as I start to hear something about this, I will report it.
UTEP: This job still seems to be centering on Phil Long of Ole Miss and KC Keeler of Sam Houston State. More as I hear it.
Rice: David Bailiff has a meeting with the AD tomorrow, and it is expected that he will not be retained with the Owls.
Charlotte: Brad Lambert will be back for the 2018 season.
Texas Tech: Kliff Kingsbury will be back at Texas Tech in 2018.
Texas A&M: The Jimbo Fisher odds are very small, as Florida State has committed to do whatever they need to retain him.
Florida State: I don't see Jimbo going anywhere, but if he does, look for a full court press on Justin Fuente of Virginia Tech.
Montana: The Griz are expected to make a major play for former head coach and current San Diego State ST coach Bobby Hauck. The interest is highly mutual, and this could get done quickly now that San Diego State will not be playing in the Mountain West title game.
Stay tuned...more as we here it!
UCLA: As I had been reporting all week, Kelly is indeed the new head football coach at UCLA, and it happened in the timeline in which I projected that it would. An announcement came early this morning (Saturday) on ESPN Gameday, and ESPN later announced that Kelly would not be making his weekly gig at ESPN 2. Shortly thereafter, AD Dan Guerrero made a statement confirming the hire. A presser will be held on Monday to make the official introduction.
Tennessee: There are three major candidates for the job currently. Greg Schiano of Ohio State, Dan Mullen of Mississippi State, and Mike Leach of Tennessee are now the three seeming finalists for the job. Scott Frost is not being mentioned as a candidate here at this time.
Mullen flew to Knoxville for meetings in the last 24 hours, and they have been in touch with Schiano as well. Leach's communication level is unkonw at this hour, but it has been stated through sources that if offered, he'd likely take the job and leave Pullman.
Washington State: One major fallback plan for Washington State if Mike Leach does leave is that DC Alex Grinch could be promoted to head coach. This situation is incredibly fluid as of this hour.
Oregon State: Beau Baldwin will be officially announced on Monday or Tuesday as the next head coach of the Beavers. His season wrapped as California OC last night in a loss to UCLA. Baldwin was a highly successful coach at Eastern Washington, but that move has not worked very well in the past (see Paul Wulff, Washington State).
Florida: Scott Frost is the front runner for the Gators now that Chip Kelly has spurned their advances. That said, it is no guarantee at this hour that Frost is taking this job. If he does not want the job, the Gators need to know now, as target number two, Dan Mullen, is heavily in play at Tennessee. Charlie Strong has some support from folks inside the administration as well.
Nebraska: At this point it's Scott Frost, Matt Campbell, or bust. Due to the intrusive nature between the boosters and fans with head coaches at Nebraska, this is a tough job to sell, and it has to go to the right candidate. Chip Kelly never would have worked, and Mike Leach would have imploded that relationship very easily. This job is all about fit, and will be a tough sell moving forward if they whiff on both candidates.
Ole Miss: This job has the least amount of buzz of the Power 5 gigs because of the black cloud hanging over it with the NCAA. What Ole Miss is seeking now is a program builder. Willie Taggart has already turned them down, and is a premier program builder. Focusing on Neal Brown of Troy next may make the most sense here.
Arkansas: This job has been open for about 24 hours now, and still, there is much talk of Gus Malzahn bolting for the Hogs. Now that Auburn has beaten Alabama today, that seems less likely now, especially if Auburn beats Georgia again in the SEC East title game next week. Charlie Strong could get play here, as could Willie Taggart and Matt Campbell. Remember that Campbell was on staff when Toledo defeated Arkansas a few years back.
Georgia Southern: The Eagles really want to get a deal done shortly, and may not wish to wait for Army OC Brent Price much longer. A new name that has popped up here is James Madison head coach Mike Houston, as well as USC OC Tee Martin, who would love to return to the South.
South Alabama: There has not been a ton of buzz in Mobile around the USA job, but the top candidate here should be John Grass of Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks are currently in the FCS playoffs, so they would have to wait out that run for those talks to take place.
Kent State: Paul Haynes is finally gone. There is literally zero buzz here, so as soon as I start to hear something about this, I will report it.
UTEP: This job still seems to be centering on Phil Long of Ole Miss and KC Keeler of Sam Houston State. More as I hear it.
Rice: David Bailiff has a meeting with the AD tomorrow, and it is expected that he will not be retained with the Owls.
Charlotte: Brad Lambert will be back for the 2018 season.
Texas Tech: Kliff Kingsbury will be back at Texas Tech in 2018.
Texas A&M: The Jimbo Fisher odds are very small, as Florida State has committed to do whatever they need to retain him.
Florida State: I don't see Jimbo going anywhere, but if he does, look for a full court press on Justin Fuente of Virginia Tech.
Montana: The Griz are expected to make a major play for former head coach and current San Diego State ST coach Bobby Hauck. The interest is highly mutual, and this could get done quickly now that San Diego State will not be playing in the Mountain West title game.
Stay tuned...more as we here it!
Friday, November 24, 2017
The Chip Kelly Conundrum: As the Carousel Turns, Volume 3
Many of you have most likely already read my tweets in the last two days regarding the Chip Kelly situation. As I have stated, and has been confirmed by sources directly confirmed by people involved deeply in the negotiations and other figures close to the situation, Chip Kelly and UCLA have the framework of an agreement in place to make Kelly the next head coach of the UCLA football program. I cannot emphasize enough that I have not received any confirmation that this deal has been signed and completed, but I have been told that a deal should be locked down for an announcement as early as tomorrow from UCLA directly, and a press conference could be held as early as Monday.
Many people in the Florida camp still firmly believe that they have a deal in place with Chip Kelly as well. I will tell you that if that were truly the case, I would report that, however, I have received zero credible information from anyone involved in the Florida side of this story to say that this is true and factual. I have received such information from the UCLA camp, which is why I am reporting as such. Please understand that this is not a fan site. I do not report on any one school more deeply than another, and I have absolutely zero in the way of anyone from either side being able to hold anything over my head for information. I have received what I have received, and will report as such as credible information becomes available.
All of this is not to say that any deal with UCLA could still go sideways at any point, but I have been told, by credible sources directly involved, that this is unlikely, but not impossible. Until something is singed and announced, the world can be a strange place.
Reiterating other pieces to this that I have tweeted out in the last 48 hours are the following:
Many people in the Florida camp still firmly believe that they have a deal in place with Chip Kelly as well. I will tell you that if that were truly the case, I would report that, however, I have received zero credible information from anyone involved in the Florida side of this story to say that this is true and factual. I have received such information from the UCLA camp, which is why I am reporting as such. Please understand that this is not a fan site. I do not report on any one school more deeply than another, and I have absolutely zero in the way of anyone from either side being able to hold anything over my head for information. I have received what I have received, and will report as such as credible information becomes available.
All of this is not to say that any deal with UCLA could still go sideways at any point, but I have been told, by credible sources directly involved, that this is unlikely, but not impossible. Until something is singed and announced, the world can be a strange place.
Reiterating other pieces to this that I have tweeted out in the last 48 hours are the following:
- UCLA has made what I am told is a "substantial offer" to Kelly himself.
- AD Dan Guerrero is not really the one making the calls here, but is involved.
- Troy Aikman, as part of a larger group on influential individuals, is putting on a full court press on Kelly and his reps, and Under Armour is involved in backing the deal financially.
- Kelly has already reached out to several former assistants, recruiting them to join him at UCLA.
- The deal, in and of itself, is larger than any deal offered to any coach in UCLA history.
- The willingness to pay north of $12 million to fire Jim Mora was a sign of a "seismic shift" in UCLA philosophies on football, and shows that they are going all in on football for the first time.
- This deal would have been unlikely even five years ago.
- We could have a presser as early as Monday morning on campus.
- Kelly flew to Los Angeles for meeting with UCLA reps (still trying to confirm this).
- Kelly's agent is a UCLA alum, and was directly contacted.
- Kelly had a deal in place with Florida until Mora was fired, and put Florida off at that point once his reps were contacted by UCLA, forcing Florida AD Scott Stricklin and his team to fly back to Gainesville with nothing in hand.
- Kelly has turned down other overtures in the last 48 hours from Tennessee, Nebraska, and Texas A&M, and also stopped thinking about his fascinations with the Arizona State job, which were very real.
- Kelly had hesitations with Under Armour, as his friendship with Phil Knight was a problem, as Knight has a "bitter rivalry" with Under Armour, not so much with Adidas, which reps Arizona State.
- Any reservations with Under Armour have been resolved.
- Kelly will not be taking any offers from any other schools moving forward.
- Florida has started to look at other candidates, such as Scott Frost, Charlie Strong, and Dan Mullen, as they are seeking a fallback plan.
These are most of the facts as I know them to be at this time. There are other ongoing items as well, and I will be open to discussing them on Twitter, where you can find me @BiloFootball, as always. And also as always, any comments on this piece here on the blog are welcome. I will only ask that any comments are conducted with respect and are conductive to solid debate. Anything else will be ignored, deleted, and blocked.
More as it becomes available...
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
College Football FBS PRS Rankings: Week 12
| Sunday, November 19, 2017 | ||||
| Rank | Points | Team | Record | Opponent |
| 1 | 2480 | Wisconsin | 11-0 | Def. Michigan 24-10 |
| 2 | 2442 | Alabama | 11-0 | Def. Mercer 56-0 |
| 3 | 2291 | Oklahoma | 10-1 | Def. Kansas 41-3 |
| 4 | 2286 | Central Florida | 10-0 | Def. Temple 45-19 |
| 5 | 1976 | Georgia | 10-1 | Def. Kentucky 42-13 |
| 6 | 1956 | Miami (FL) | 10-0 | Def. Virginia 44-28 |
| 7 | 1920 | Ohio State | 9-2 | Def. Illinois 52-14 |
| 8 | 1912 | Clemson | 10-1 | Def. Citadel 61-3 |
| 9 | 1872 | Southern California | 10-2 | Def. UCLA 28-23 |
| 10 | 1833 | Penn State | 9-2 | Def. Nebraska 56-44 |
| 11 | 1766 | Boise State | 9-2 | Def. Air Force 44-19 |
| 12 | 1734 | Notre Dame | 9-2 | Def. Navy 24-17 |
| 13 | 1728 | South Florida | 9-1 | Def. Tulsa 27-20 |
| 14 | 1724 | Memphis | 9-1 | Def. Southern Methodist 66-45 |
| 15 | 1671 | Auburn | 9-2 | Def. Louisiana-Monroe 42-14 |
| 16 | 1631 | Washington | 9-2 | Def. Utah 33-30 |
| 17 | 1613 | Texas Christian | 9-2 | Def. Texas Tech 27-3 |
| 18 | 1600 | Oklahoma State | 8-3 | Lost to Kansas State 45-40 |
| 19 | 1562 | Toledo | 9-2 | Def. Bowling Green State 66-37 |
| 20 | 1461 | San Diego State | 9-2 | Def. Nevada-Reno 42-23 |
| 21 | 1443 | Washington State | 9-2 | Bye |
| 22 | 1372 | Stanford | 8-3 | Def. California 17-14 |
| 23 | 1311 | Florida Atlantic | 8-3 | Def. Florida International 52-24 |
| 24 | 1290 | Michigan | 8-3 | Lost to Wisconsin 24-10 |
| 25 | 1249 | Ohio | 8-3 | Lost to Akron 37-34 |
| 26 | 1222 | Troy | 8-2 | Bye |
| 27 | 1197 | Northwestern | 8-3 | Def. Minnesota 39-0 |
| 28 | 1181 | Virginia Tech | 8-3 | Def. Pittsburgh 20-14 |
| 29 | 1119 | Northern Illinois | 8-3 | Def. Western Michigan 35-31 |
| 30 | 1104 | Fresno State | 8-3 | Def. Wyoming 13-7 |
| 31 | 1101 | Mississippi State | 8-3 | Def. Arkansas 28-21 |
| 32 | 1099 | North Texas | 8-3 | Def. Army 52-49 |
| 33 | 1085 | Louisiana State | 8-3 | Def. Tennessee 30-10 |
| 34 | 1070 | Michigan State | 8-3 | Def. Maryland 17-7 |
| 35 | 1034 | Army | 8-3 | Lost to North Texas 52-49 |
| 36 | 1011 | South Carolina | 8-3 | Def. Wofford 31-10 |
| 37 | 925 | Marshall | 7-4 | Lost to Texas-San Antonio 9-7 |
| 38 | 915 | Arizona | 7-4 | Lost to Oregon 48-28 |
| 39 | 835 | Louisville | 7-4 | Def. Syracuse 56-10 |
| 40T | 826 | Central Michigan | 7-4 | Def. Kent State 42-23 |
| 40T | 826 | Wake Forest | 7-4 | Def. North Carolina State 30-24 |
| 42 | 779 | West Virginia | 7-4 | Lost to Texas 28-14 |
| 43 | 774 | Arkansas State | 6-3 | Def. Texas State 30-12 |
| 44 | 756 | Iowa State | 7-4 | Def. Baylor 23-13 |
| 45 | 745 | North Carolina State | 7-4 | Lost to Wake Forest 30-24 |
| 46 | 732 | Southern Mississippi | 7-4 | Def. Charlotte 66-21 |
| 47 | 693 | Navy | 6-4 | Lost to Notre Dame 24-17 |
| 48 | 681 | Alabama-Birmingham | 7-4 | Lost to Florida 36-7 |
| 49 | 669 | Georgia State | 6-3 | Bye |
| 50 | 668 | Kentucky | 7-4 | Lost to Georgia 42-13 |
| 51 | 644 | Colorado State | 7-5 | Def. San Jose State 42-14 |
| 52 | 631 | Texas A&M | 7-4 | Def. Mississippi 31-24 |
| 53 | 621 | Texas | 6-5 | Def. West Virginia 28-14 |
| 54 | 581 | Wyoming | 7-4 | Lost to Fresno State 13-7 |
| 55 | 571 | Appalachian State | 6-4 | Bye |
| 56 | 493 | Iowa | 6-5 | Lost to Purdue 24-15 |
| 57 | 488 | Texas-San Antonio | 6-4 | Def. Marshall 9-7 |
| 58 | 487 | Arizona State | 6-5 | Def. Oregon State 40-24 |
| 59 | 440 | Missouri | 6-5 | Def. Vanderbilt 45-17 |
| 60 | 436 | Southern Methodist | 6-5 | Lost to Memphis 66-45 |
| 61 | 434 | Western Michigan | 6-5 | Lost to Northern Illinois 35-31 |
| 62 | 386 | Boston College | 6-5 | Def. Conneticut 39-16 |
| 63 | 384 | Kansas State | 6-5 | Def. Oklahoma State 45-40 |
| 64 | 355 | Florida International | 6-4 | Lost to Florida Atlantic 52-24 |
| 65 | 337 | Utah State | 6-5 | Def. Hawaii 38-0 |
| 66 | 331 | Houston | 6-4 | Lost to Tulane 20-17 |
| 67 | 286 | Oregon | 6-5 | Def. Arizona 48-28 |
| 68 | 282 | Western Kentucky | 6-5 | Def. Middle Tennessee State 41-38 3 OT's |
| 69 | 234 | Virginia | 6-5 | Lost to Miami (FL) 44-28 |
| 70 | 189 | Akron | 6-5 | Def. Ohio 37-34 |
| 71 | 163 | Georgia Tech | 5-5 | Lost to Duke 43-20 |
| 72 | 136 | UCLA | 5-6 | Lost to Southern California 28-23 |
| 73 | 116 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 5-5 | Def. New Meixico State 47-34 |
| 74 | 87 | Minnesota | 5-6 | Lost to Northwestern 39-0 |
| 75 | 81 | Middle Tennessee State | 5-6 | Lost to Western Kentucky 41-38 3 OT's |
| 76 | 40 | New Mexico State | 4-6 | Lost to Louisiana-Lafayette 47-34 |
| 77 | 15 | Buffalo | 5-6 | Def. Ball State 40-24 |
| 78 | 6 | Texas Tech | 5-6 | Lost to Texas Christian 27-3 |
| 79 | -21 | Utah | 5-6 | Lost to Washington 33-30 |
| 80 | -37 | Colorado | 5-6 | Bye |
| 81 | -39 | Louisiana-Monroe | 4-6 | Lost to Auburn 42-14 |
| 82 | -48 | Nevada-Las Vegas | 5-6 | Def. New Mexico 38-35 |
| 83 | -54 | Indiana | 5-6 | Def. Rutgers 41-0 |
| 84 | -84 | California | 5-6 | Lost to Stanford 17-14 |
| 85 | -91 | Eastern Michigan | 4-7 | Def. Miami (OH) 27-24 |
| 86 | -106 | Mississippi | 5-6 | Lost to Texas A&M 31-24 |
| 87 | -116 | Louisiana Tech | 5-6 | Def. Texas-El Paso 42-21 |
| 88 | -118 | Tulane | 5-6 | Def. Houston 20-17 |
| 89 | -130 | Duke | 5-6 | Def. Georgia Tech 43-20 |
| 90 | -170 | Florida | 4-6 | Def. Alabama-Birmingham 36-7 |
| 91 | -210 | Purdue | 5-6 | Def. Iowa 24-15 |
| 92 | -216 | Temple | 5-6 | Lost to Central Florida 45-19 |
| 93 | -278 | Florida State | 4-6 | Def. Delaware State 77-6 |
| 94 | -294 | Old Dominion | 5-6 | Def. Rice 24-21 |
| 95 | -334 | Air Force | 4-7 | Lost to Boise State 44-19 |
| 96 | -341 | Nebraska | 4-7 | Lost to Penn State 56-44 |
| 97 | -470 | Maryland | 4-7 | Lost to Michigan State 17-7 |
| 98 | -483 | Miami (OH) | 4-7 | Lost to Eastern Michigan 27-24 |
| 99 | -511 | Syracuse | 4-7 | Lost to Louisville 56-10 |
| 100 | -535 | Arkansas | 4-7 | Lost to Mississippi State 28-21 |
| 101 | -549 | South Alabama | 4-7 | Lost to Georgia Southern 52-0 |
| 102 | -557 | Pittsburgh | 4-7 | Lost to Virginai Tech 20-14 |
| 103 | -567 | Vanderbilt | 4-7 | Lost to Missouri 45-17 |
| 104 | -621 | Tennessee | 4-7 | Lost to Louisiana State 30-10 |
| 105 | -646 | Massachusetts | 4-7 | Def. Brigham Young 16-10 |
| 106 | -647 | Rutgers | 4-7 | Lost to Indiana 41-0 |
| 107 | -771 | Hawaii | 3-8 | Lost to Utah State 38-0 |
| 108 | -776 | Idaho | 3-7 | Lost to Coastal Carolina 13-7 |
| 109 | -872 | North Carolina | 3-8 | Def. Western Carolina 65-10 |
| 110 | -897 | Tulsa | 2-9 | Lost to South Florida 27-20 |
| 111 | -951 | East Carolina | 3-8 | Def. Cincinnati 48-20 |
| 112 | -959 | New Mexico | 3-8 | Lost to Nevada-Las Vegas 38-35 |
| 113 | -979 | Cincinnati | 3-8 | Lost to East Carolina 48-20 |
| 114 | -1018 | Connecticut | 3-8 | Lost to Boston College 39-16 |
| 115 | -1100 | Georgia Southern | 1-9 | Def. South Alabama 52-0 |
| 116 | -1101 | Nevada-Reno | 2-9 | Lost to San Diego State 42-23 |
| 117 | -1137 | Brigham Young | 3-9 | Lost to Massachusetts 16-10 |
| 118 | -1179 | Coastal Carolina | 2-9 | Def. Idaho 13-7 |
| 119 | -1226 | Bowling Green State | 2-9 | Lost to Toledo 66-37 |
| 120 | -1230 | Illinois | 2-9 | Lost to Ohio State 52-14 |
| 121 | -1315 | Texas State | 2-9 | Lost to Arkansas State 30-12 |
| 122 | -1460 | Kent State | 2-9 | Lost to Central Michigan 42-23 |
| 123 | -1472 | Ball State | 2-9 | Lost to Buffalo 40-24 |
| 124 | -1487 | Rice | 1-10 | Lost to Old Domninon 24-21 |
| 125 | -1496 | Baylor | 1-10 | Lost to Iowa State 23-13 |
| 126 | -1646 | Charlotte | 1-10 | Lost to Southern Mississippi 66-21 |
| 127 | -1756 | Oregon State | 1-10 | Lost to Arizona State 40-24 |
| 128 | -1837 | Kansas | 1-10 | Lost to Oklahoma 41-3 |
| 129 | -1987 | San Jose State | 1-11 | Lost to Colorado State 42-14 |
| 130 | -2137 | Texas-El Paso | 0-11 | Lost to Louisiana Tech 42-21 |
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