We're approaching the Mike Bianco Melt Stage of this football coaching search...

Stoops would be an improvement over the last two boneheads.

The biggest problem with Stoops is offensive.

He'd recruit really well. The team would play hard. The defense will be solid.

He'd have to be forced to innovate offensively.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

I heard a month ago stoops name being thrown around by Tom luginbill. He was convinced he was best person for job, and would do amazing things here.

I agree with most of this. I don't think Napier...or Tucker...or (insert coach here who hasn't been to the playoffs/won a NC) would do a poor job. In fact, past history suggest they ALL could win a NC. I'm just hoping the AD doesn't lock LSU into a huge financial commitment they can't reasonably get out from under if things don't work out. Most notably commiting $100 million plus over 10 years to get Jimbo Fisher's 8-9 wins per season or giving Mel Tucker a huge contract simply because he had one decent (might look less impressive after this week) season at MSU.


Fisher to LSU at $8 million for 6 years? Fine. That's a reasonable, relative to market value, contract to see if he can be a NC level coach in the SEC. If it becomes clear soon thereafter he's going to continue to be a 8-9 win HC then LSU can move on without having to consider a $50 million or so buyout.

Fisher to LSU at $11 million for 10 years is an insane contract relative to Fisher's coaching history.

Mel Tucker has been in coaching for a long time. He knows the height of his success at MSU is capped. He can make a good salary in a relatively low pressure job...but he's not winning any NCs. He knows that opportunity is there at LSU. So if you want him, offer him 6 years at $6.5 million with the argument that MSU may be willing to pay him a bit more...but he's never going to sit at the top of the college football mountain there like he could at LSU. He very well might think I'll take a bit less on the front end because I know if I hit it big there I can significantly recoup it on the back end.

Yes LSU NEEDS a new HC. But LSU is also a very desirable job. No need to go into the search acting like you're the ugly girl who needs to do whatever is necessary just to get a very average guy. You're still hot enough to attract a big time guy without immediately agreeing to do anal

So who is the Johnson in the football search?

Matt Campbell

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So who is the Johnson in the football search?

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There are a whole bunch of potential Jay Johnsons out there.

Who's been at multiple places and brought up an also-ran program to win their conference? Who has a great reputation as a recruiter and X's and O's guy on a particular side of the ball?

That's Johnson.

I don't know that there's a perfect fit for that M.O. in this field, but there are some who are close.

Mel Tucker could be Johnson, but for the fact he didn't stick around at Colorado long enough to turn the place around. He did dramatically upgrade their recruiting, though. And he definitely has Michigan State at a level that looks a little like what Johnson did at Arizona his last year (subject to what happens against Ohio State on Saturday).

Jeff Brohm at Purdue hasn't had the huge breakout season yet. I think it probably comes next year. But he's brought Purdue back to relevance after he tore it up at Western Kentucky, he's a passing game guru and it seems like he's a good recruiter. I don't think he's quite Jay Johnson. He's a Jay Johnson in training.

Dave Clawson is a Jay Johnson. Not sure about the recruiting, but in terms of maximizing the results from his programs at multiple stops he's got it. They drop 50 points every week on somebody, and he's at Wake Forest where it shouldn't be remotely possible.

Chris Klieman from Kansas State is another Jay Johnson in training like Brohm is. Next year he's going to be THE hot name. He won four national championships in five years at North Dakota State and he's taken K-State from the basement to at least the middle of the pack this year. They're 7-3, they've won four straight and he's got Baylor at home and then at Texas to finish the season. If he can win out you pretty much have to look at him as the coach of the year in the Big 12 and all of a sudden he might be a guy.

But the real Jay Johnson is Matt Campbell. He won at Toledo and put up massive numbers there, and then what he's done at Iowa State is nothing short of amazing. Nobody's managed to sustain a successful program there the way Campbell has, and to watch them play is really impressive. You can see that scheme-wise they give fits to everybody they go against even though they're usually very limited athletically. It's exceptionally hard to get quality talent to Ames, Iowa (or Manhattan, Kansas, for that matter).

I'd throw Mike Gundy into this mix, but Gundy probably figures more as a poor man's Kevin O'Sullivan in that there's probably too much shite with him to make him sellable.

Jimbo is Jim Schlossnagle. It seems pretty obvious that's who he is. Didn't they both end up at A&M? And Dabo is Dan McConnell.

I'd say Aranda is Cliff Godwin in this and Napier is maybe Matt Riser or Lane Burroughs.

And I still say there are NFL guys - particularly coordinators with college coaching experience (and perhaps NFL head coaching experience, too) whose names will be thrown around for head coaching jobs in the League - that Woodward should be talking to. That's what Saban and Pete Carroll were when they got hired at Alabam and USC.