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(10-15-2019 06:58 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  

(10-15-2019 03:50 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(10-14-2019 08:40 PM)eroc Wrote:  

(10-14-2019 12:58 PM)Cat-Man Wrote:  P5 Conference = Path to the NC (as unlikely as it may be, but it's still a path)

I know it's comparing apples to oranges, but people also thought Mick was going to be a lifer for almost the EXACT same reasons. (hometown/local boy, not wanting to uprooting daughter, not wanting to leave family/dad/brothers)

I never believe the Coach speak when they say they will stay. I hope he proves me wrong, but I'll believe it when I see it. IF he's going to leave, I kind of hope he does leave this year. IMO, they are going to lose him or Freeman after this season. If Fick leaves first, then hopefully Freeman gets promoted and we would have at least 3 years of him.

i don't know how relevant the Mick comparison is but i agree with the larger point about coach speak. iirc there were stories out there about Fickell waiting for the "right" opportunity and not jumping for the next available opportunity. That offers some hope that he's not just looking for the next opportunity but the next best fit for him and his fam. And between the two of them, i think Freeman departs first. The question is really does he make a slightly vertical move to a p5 DC gig or does he hold out for an HC gig perhaps at a mid-major to get his feet wet before some larger gigs come calling.

One thing about Freeman, UC can pay him as much to be the DC as a MAC school can to be their HC. Looking at the MAC, the only jobs worth taking are Toledo, Ohio and maybe Western Michigan (if you are looking to move up after 2-3 years of success). I am guessing those jobs will open up pretty soon (Solich will have to retire someday).

Bolded, this is true. And I get the sense that UC will sweeten the pot for F&F if this season plays out as we hope it could. Odds are, a successful DC would move on after doing what he's done here and that certainly could happen. But I fear the more likely scenario would be Fickell moving on and Freeman joining him at a P5 where the money as DC would beat most non-P5 head coaching jobs. I only suggest this because it seems they are close personal friends outside the lines...

I guess anything can happen, but extremely unlikely that Freeman would turn down the UC HC job if it were offered. Maybe he doesn't think he's ready or doesn't want the responsibility or something (e.g. perhaps like Fickell was at OSU) but that's very rare. If Fickell left, the UC job would be about as good as one could hope for in college football as far as getting their first HC job.

But as I've been saying since last year, I think it's much more likely we lose Freeman to another job before we lose Fickell.

(10-15-2019 01:02 PM)Bearhawkeye Wrote:  I guess anything can happen, but extremely unlikely that Freeman would turn down the UC HC job if it were offered. Maybe he doesn't think he's ready or doesn't want the responsibility or something (e.g. perhaps like Fickell was at OSU) but that's very rare. If Fickell left, the UC job would be about as good as one could hope for in college football as far as getting their first HC job.

But as I've been saying since last year, I think it's much more likely we lose Freeman to another job before we lose Fickell.

Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, and Lincoln Riley are all coaching their first job in college football and all besides day walked into top 5 jobs. I think the trend recently is more towards these uber talented coordinators staying on as assistants until the mega job opens up, especially considering the insane money that some of these schools are throwing at coordinators. We don't know what Freeman's end goal is but if it's to be a big time college HC his best move would probably be to go to a mega school as a DC vs starting out as a lower level HC.

(10-15-2019 01:12 PM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(10-15-2019 01:02 PM)Bearhawkeye Wrote:  I guess anything can happen, but extremely unlikely that Freeman would turn down the UC HC job if it were offered. Maybe he doesn't think he's ready or doesn't want the responsibility or something (e.g. perhaps like Fickell was at OSU) but that's very rare. If Fickell left, the UC job would be about as good as one could hope for in college football as far as getting their first HC job.

But as I've been saying since last year, I think it's much more likely we lose Freeman to another job before we lose Fickell.

Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, and Lincoln Riley are all coaching their first job in college football and all besides day walked into top 5 jobs. I think the trend recently is more towards these uber talented coordinators staying on as assistants until the mega job opens up, especially considering the insane money that some of these schools are throwing at coordinators. We don't know what Freeman's end goal is but if it's to be a big time college HC his best move would probably be to go to a mega school as a DC vs starting out as a lower level HC.

Weren’t most/all of them coordinators at elite programs though? What I’m saying is as good as Freeman is I don’t think we can expect him to jump from Cincinnati Defensice Coordinator to the Head Coach of a Top 5–10 program like the candidates you mentioned.

(10-15-2019 01:12 PM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(10-15-2019 01:02 PM)Bearhawkeye Wrote:  I guess anything can happen, but extremely unlikely that Freeman would turn down the UC HC job if it were offered. Maybe he doesn't think he's ready or doesn't want the responsibility or something (e.g. perhaps like Fickell was at OSU) but that's very rare. If Fickell left, the UC job would be about as good as one could hope for in college football as far as getting their first HC job.

But as I've been saying since last year, I think it's much more likely we lose Freeman to another job before we lose Fickell.

Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, and Lincoln Riley are all coaching their first job in college football and all besides day walked into top 5 jobs. I think the trend recently is more towards these uber talented coordinators staying on as assistants until the mega job opens up, especially considering the insane money that some of these schools are throwing at coordinators. We don't know what Freeman's end goal is but if it's to be a big time college HC his best move would probably be to go to a mega school as a DC vs starting out as a lower level HC.

Fair point until you dig a little deeper into some of those situations. Swinney was a position coach before getting the job as an "interim" when the HC was fired midseason. So I'm not sure how you plan ahead for that to ultimately play out that way for you. Kirby Smart coached under Saban at LSU, then for the Dolphins and then at Alabama for another 9 years before getting the Georgia job. Hey, maybe Fick is the next Saban, but that's a long wait especially for a guy with NFL coaching experience on his resume. Ryan Day also had NFL coaching experience before hooking up with his mentor, Chip Kelly (considered a college offensive coaching genius up until recently). Then he worked under another coaching legend at OSU in Urban. Like Swinney, Day got his first HC job starting on an "acting" basis in this case amidst some unlikely controversy and confusion at OSU.

So sure, anything is possible, but I think most coaches would rather take the chance to prove themselves at a place that they know they will have the resources to win at (e.g. UC these days) than follow a winning coach indefinitely hoping that the dominoes eventually somehow fall your way at a big money job (and even if fortune smiles on you and you get one, those "interim" and "acting" HC jobs don't always work like a dream - just ask Fickell) and risk always wondering "what if?"

(10-15-2019 01:32 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  Weren’t most/all of them coordinators at elite programs though? What I’m saying is as good as Freeman is I don’t think we can expect him to jump from Cincinnati Defensice Coordinator to the Head Coach of a Top 5–10 program like the candidates you mentioned.

What I was getting at was that if Freeman wanted to be the HC at a school like his alma mater that his best avenue would be to be a DC at one of those schools. Of course our DC isn't getting a sniff at those jobs. If he wants to be the HC of a good 20-50 school like UC then he could remain here as DC or go to a lower level to prove himself as a HC.

(10-15-2019 02:45 PM)RealDeal Wrote:  

(10-15-2019 01:32 PM)C1ncy4Life Wrote:  Weren’t most/all of them coordinators at elite programs though? What I’m saying is as good as Freeman is I don’t think we can expect him to jump from Cincinnati Defensice Coordinator to the Head Coach of a Top 5–10 program like the candidates you mentioned.

What I was getting at was that if Freeman wanted to be the HC at a school like his alma mater that his best avenue would be to be a DC at one of those schools. Of course our DC isn't getting a sniff at those jobs. If he wants to be the HC of a good 20-50 school like UC then he could remain here as DC or go to a lower level to prove himself as a HC.

Ah, in that case then I think that’s one legitimate path to a HC job, but it can also take a long time and nothing is guaranteed. Having the opportunity to take over what is currently a successful Cincinnati HC job, with players you recruited and believe in would have to be pretty tempting, especially if the position opened because you watched Fick do it for a few years before getting an opportunity at P5 school that has enough resources to compete.

I guess what I’m saying is, there are different paths available and as long as you do a great job you will get opportunities.

Dantonio's contract situation at MSU:

MICHIGAN STATE – They are hard to watch on the field and full of drama off it. Mark Dantonio is owed $4.3 million in a retention bonus after Jan. 15, or $7 million if Michigan State fires him. If he stays, that $7 million buyout drops to $3.5 million next year. If he’s fired, Dantonio would get an additional $1 million working for the university in 2020. (This is a terrible contract for Dantonio in terms of guaranteed money, considering all his success and that his deal goes through 2025.)