2021-2022 College Football Coach Hire/Fire Thread

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MplsGopher said:
The current Northern Sun is basically a hodgepodge of:

- the rest of the NCC schools that couldn't/wouldn't move up but didn't want to drop their programs
- the old Northern Sun, ie the second-tier DII conference in the NCC days (Winona State, etc.)
- NAIA move-ups (some from the DAC)
- Upper Iowa moved up from DIII, I believe

So it's not surprising that some of the programs are pretty weak and only a handful each year really compete for the title.
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It's kind of a mess really. I think it's the largest D2 conference but the sizes and missions of the schools are all very different.

You have the old NIC schools: Moorhead, Winona, Bemidji, SWMSU, Northern
(these were NAIA until 1995)

There are the NCC schools that were left behind when the Dakota four went D1: Mankato, St. Cloud, Duluth, Augustana
(these were NCAA D2 - though some were in the old NIC previously)

Two that came up from the UMAC: UM Crookston and Concordia - St. Paul. (UM-Morris dropped down to the UMAC, which is a really low level D3 conference)

Three that came up from the NAIA: Sioux Falls, UMary and Minot State

One joined from D3 - Upper Iowa, to become the only D2 school in the state.

And I don't know where Wayne State (NE) was before. I thought Nebraska-Kearney was also a member at one point.

Augie is supposedly moving up to D1, but last I heard, it wasn't going smoothly. The Summit league rejected their application.
 

Notre Dame taking a gamble here. Luke Fickell or Matt Campbell would be much safer and proven.

 

mkAz said:
Notre Dame taking a gamble here. Luke Fickell or Matt Campbell would be much safer and proven.

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Would they be taking less of a gamble?

assuming they could get them…
Luke fickel was in charge of Ohio states only bad season in the lifetime of the players. Different game playing a power 5 schedule.
Matt Campbell has lost 4 or more games in 8 of 10 seasons as head coach of you include his Iowa state and Toledo days.
All 3 could be successful. None of them is a sure thing.
 

Who knows with Fickell, he may not want to talk to anyone until after the playoffs (assuming they get in). Even if there’s word he’s interested, it could backfire to wait another month and then he says no.
 

I would go Oklahoma before Norte Dame. Having Dallas 3 hours away for recruiting alone would make that job easier.
 


It sounds like almost none of the assistants are going with Brian Kelly to LSU.
 


bizzle22 said:
The Lincoln Riley move is an interesting one. There seem to be some rumors that he wasn't happy about the move to the SEC. Surely makes more money for the athletic department, but also makes his job a lot harder.

IMO there is also something to be said about the quality of life in LA vs Norman. Not just in terms of a "higher-class" society, but more in how he is able to live his life. I'd imagine he can't really go anywhere in Norman without being recognized. Can't run to Target, can't go out to dinner unless he's getting a private room in the back, can't go to school events for his kids, etc. In LA he'll be a C-list celebrity, and will be able to do those things in relative anonymity. Some coaches probably love being the king of a college town, but others don't want the extra attention when they are off the clock, especially with a young family.

I don't get the sense this was a money thing. He's probably not getting a huge raise in the net with the higher taxes in California. Was making about $8M per year at Oklahoma, and I bet he could have gotten them to match whatever he was offered by USC if he really wanted to stay.
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Maybe it was getting free excess to an airplane 24/7 for he and his family. Or pehaps USC willing to buy both of his houses for $500,000 above the asking price. Lots of interesting tidbits in his contract.
 





timj5304 said:
I would go Oklahoma before Norte Dame. Having Dallas 3 hours away for recruiting alone would make that job easier.
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Sounds like Venables is the favorite for Oklahoma since Stoops cashed in at Kentucky.
 

mkAz said:
Notre Dame taking a gamble here. Luke Fickell or Matt Campbell would be much safer and proven.

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Actually might be a genius move. They keep the DC and OC and maintain continuity with a great staff.
 




Pretty remarkable given the huge jobs open if Fickell and Matt Campell end up staying put.
 




howeda7 said:
Pretty remarkable given the huge jobs open if Fickell and Matt Campell end up staying put.
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I have to imagine Fickell wants to stay and see this run to the playoffs through.
Plus, with Cincy going to the Big 12, he'll be the coach of a great P5 program soon enough.

I think Campbell is happy in Ames. He doesn't even have an agent.
 

howeda7 said:
Pretty remarkable given the huge jobs open if Fickell and Matt Campell end up staying put.
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Both of them will be coaching their schools in the Big 12 next season, minus Oklahoma and Texas. Much like Riley moving to the Pac 12, both may see that as a better long term coaching opportunity than grinding it out in the SEC or at Notre Dame.
 

I'm surprised Notre Dame went with Freeman, I thought they would choose someone who has proven head coaching experience. It makes sense if they are able to keep most of the current coaching staff together.

It's similar to what Ohio St did with Day and what Oklahoma did with Riley. But getting your first head coaching gig at Notre Dame at only 35 years old is no easy task.
 

howeda7 said:
Pretty remarkable given the huge jobs open if Fickell and Matt Campell end up staying put.
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Fickell is likely waiting until after this weekend to make himself available to anyone if at all. Campbell has been pretty good and I think it will really come down to fit for him. Interesting thing about him is all his experience before Iowa State was MAC or below. Not sure he has a ton of connections to make him an easy hire.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Both of them will be coaching their schools in the Big 12 next season, minus Oklahoma and Texas. Much like Riley moving to the Pac 12, both may see that as a better long term coaching opportunity than grinding it out in the SEC or at Notre Dame.
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Or when Chris Pedersen left Boise to go to Washington, despite likely having offers from much larger programs.
 

discochris said:
It's kind of a mess really. I think it's the largest D2 conference but the sizes and missions of the schools are all very different.

You have the old NIC schools: Moorhead, Winona, Bemidji, SWMSU, Northern
(these were NAIA until 1995)

There are the NCC schools that were left behind when the Dakota four went D1: Mankato, St. Cloud, Duluth, Augustana
(these were NCAA D2 - though some were in the old NIC previously)

Two that came up from the UMAC: UM Crookston and Concordia - St. Paul. (UM-Morris dropped down to the UMAC, which is a really low level D3 conference)

Three that came up from the NAIA: Sioux Falls, UMary and Minot State

One joined from D3 - Upper Iowa, to become the only D2 school in the state.

And I don't know where Wayne State (NE) was before. I thought Nebraska-Kearney was also a member at one point.

Augie is supposedly moving up to D1, but last I heard, it wasn't going smoothly. The Summit league rejected their application.
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Summit picked St Thomas over Augie, which makes perfect sense for them at the moment.

Augie isn't going anywhere, and when the Summit loses another school or two (when, not if), they can be plucked.

MVC (the actual conference, not the FCS football league) just lost Loyola and so there will be more churn.

Have always been talk of Western Illinois joining Eastern Illinois, currently in the Ohio Valley, but that conference itself is on shaky ground.
 

MplsGopher said:
Summit picked St Thomas over Augie, which makes perfect sense for them at the moment.

Augie isn't going anywhere, and when the Summit loses another school or two (when, not if), they can be plucked.

MVC (the actual conference, not the FCS football league) just lost Loyola and so there will be more churn.

Have always been talk of Western Illinois joining Eastern Illinois, currently in the Ohio Valley, but that conference itself is on shaky ground.
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I have to think that USD and SDSU had to have some some pull in the Summit turning down Augie. Why would they want another D1 school in their backyard, and in the largest city in their sparsely populated state to boot?
 

Sure, each school gets a vote and certainly can lobby the other schools to vote any particular way.

The Summit just doesn't need Augie, at this time. We'll see what happens with the MVC, Horizon, and OVC.
 

discochris said:
I have to imagine Fickell wants to stay and see this run to the playoffs through.
Plus, with Cincy going to the Big 12, he'll be the coach of a great P5 program soon enough.

I think Campbell is happy in Ames. He doesn't even have an agent.
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Sounds like it might be bids for 6 conference champs.
Either way, one of those two will be vying for a playoff spot every year in a new system.

Or being one of 7-8 vying for 3 playoff spots in the SEC.


the SEC has played itself. By far the best conference: but if 7 or 8 of the top 16 programs in the country are in one conference….a couple of them will finish .500 in conference play because math
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Both of them will be coaching their schools in the Big 12 next season, minus Oklahoma and Texas. Much like Riley moving to the Pac 12, both may see that as a better long term coaching opportunity than grinding it out in the SEC or at Notre Dame.
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I'm pretty sure Oklahoma and Texas can't move to the SEC until 2025. Maybe I misread, but I'm nearly certain they are still in the Big 12 next season.
 

WriterGoph said:
I'm pretty sure Oklahoma and Texas can't move to the SEC until 2025. Maybe I misread, but I'm nearly certain they are still in the Big 12 next season.
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The SEC and both schools will tell anyone who asks that both schools fully intend to meet all contractual obligations of the Big 12 Grant of Rights (TV contract stuff), which goes through the 2024-25 fiscal year. *

* = wink wink
 
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WriterGoph said:
I'm pretty sure Oklahoma and Texas can't move to the SEC until 2025. Maybe I misread, but I'm nearly certain they are still in the Big 12 next season.
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From everything I've seen it's still to be determined. I am likely wrong stating that it will be next season. The TV deal expires in 2025, but I think it's likely the move will be before then, although it may cost both schools some money.

Right now, it sounds like BYU, Cincinnati, and Houston will all be in the Big 12 starting in 2023. I will be surprised if Oklahoma and Texas are still there at that point. None of it is finalized and I'm sure we'll hear more this offseason.
 
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It's looking even better for the Big 12 than I think they expected. Three of the four teams coming in are in the top 25 this year, and the total record of the incoming teams is 41-7 this season.
 

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