OK Willow,

Here's where I'm sitting on the coaching search as of 2:15pm Nov. 17. In contract negotiations things can and do change rapidly.

First, no one but a handful of people have any clue what is going on. Stonehog posted that the Ath. Dept. has been on lock down the last 2 weeks. Areas where media could go that were right next to the coaches and AD's offices are no longer accessible and there are curtains put up and security detail posted to the doors.

Something is moving, something that if it leaked would ruin it. This tells me it's someone that currently has a job, and that his agent was likely in town to possibly sign a tender on behalf of his client.

This day and age of technology a face to face interview is not required. Hell I interview people all the time through video chat, I have videoconference meetings almost weekly using anymeeting.com / gotomeeting.com. Long and the coaches could have both interviewed from the comfort of their own sofas.

One of the more important factors we should look at isn't overall happiness with the coaches as most of them are likely happy with their jobs. We're looking for the coach that still has something to prove, the guy that really wants to go out with a bang.

I think Tuberville, Patterson, Gundy, Davis, Fitzgerald all fit this criteria. I think Petersen might be finally interested in coaching somewhere where he'd have some tools at his disposal.

Jeff Long is a very perceptive man, and competitive. He's been willing to take risks, open the piggy bank, and hedge those risks to his advantage.

I'd love for it be Gundy, I think he could blow up at Arkansas, the Ath. Dept. supports coaches at Arkansas that is a huge attraction for someone in Gundy's position. I think Holder would tell Gundy to hit the bricks before giving a raise or extending him further. T Boone and Holder just might fire Gundy for flirting with Arkansas, they're that far up each other's arse.

End of the day, I don't think it'll be Gundy or Patterson. Fitzgerald keeps intriguing me because I think JL will hire a name out of left field, not one of these purported leaders uninformed media claim they have a source on.

I don't think it'll be Petersen, I don't think it'll be Tuberville. If I had a gun to my head, I'd say Butch Davis and hope they give him the funds to have an all-star type staff. I don't think Davis is the #1 pick though.