The SEC in flux: Four teams could be seeking new coaches
Could the SEC soon see the return of the uneasy rider Bobby Petrino? (AP photo)
The mighty SEC could see a 29 percent change in coaches before November is done. Joker Phillips has already been told he’s out at Kentucky, and Arkansas is conducting a search even as interim John L. Smith lobbies to stay. (Good luck there. Smith inherited a Top 10 team and has gone 4-6. He has also declared bankruptcy, which may be why he needs the job.) And two of the league’s flagships — Auburn and Tennessee — figure to be holding we’ve-decided-to-go-in-different-direction press conferences soon.
Gene Chizik won a BCS title in 2010. In 2012 his Auburn Tigers have gone 0-7 in league play and have lost 63-21 to Texas A&M and 38-0 to Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Matt Scalici of Al.com reports that Chizik is telling recruits he will be back next season, but what’s a coach supposed to say?
After Tennessee lost to Missouri 51-48 in overtime Saturday to fall to 0-6 in SEC play, rumors swirled that Derek Dooley had been fired. Those weren’t accurate, but he did meet with athletic director Dave Hart Jr. on Sunday, which can’t be a good sign. As much as Tennessee might like to keep Dooley, there’s no getting past his career SEC record: It’s 4-18, the victories coming against Ole Miss, Kentucky and Vanderbilt (twice).
It would be a major upset if either Chizik or Dooley returns, and that would leave the biggest of all football conferences in serious flux. Going alphabetically, here’s a look at what at what could transpire.
ARKANSAS: This is only one of the four jobs for which Bobby Petrino isn’t apt to campaign, given that he just got fired after wrecking both his motorcycle and his career. Gary Patterson of TCU was identified as the frontrunner — he called such rumors “unfounded” — by CoachingSearch.com. It’s believed that Tommy Tuberville, who has already coached two of the seven programs in the SEC West (Ole Miss and Auburn), would have interest. But Tuberville’s candidacy for this or any other job might have been compromised: He was caught yanking the headset off a graduate assistant and has since been reprimanded by the Big 12.
X-factor: Charlie Strong, whose Louisville Cardinals are 9-1, has a sterling SEC history (defensive coordinator at South Carolina and Florida) and Arkansas ties (born in Batesville, played at Central Arkansas), but his name hasn’t been circulating the way Patterson’s has. Maybe it’s because Tom Jurich, the Louisville AD, told Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports he’ll make Strong the highest-paid coach in the land if that’s what it takes to keep him.
AUBURN: Writing for Mr. SEC.com, John Pennington has tabbed Petrino and Jimbo Fisher of Florida State as the leaders in the clubhouse for a job that hasn’t officially come open. (Not that such a thing has ever bothered Petrino.) Fisher made noise this week by complaining that the BCS system, which ranks his once-beaten Seminoles behind three two-loss SEC teams, “stinks.” He also asked: “How retarded is that?” He later apologized for what he called “a poor choice of words.”
X-factor: There has been speculation that Jay Jacobs, the AD who hired Chizik and who handed him a massive raise after Auburn won it all, would be sacked along with his coach. (Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News has advocated as much.) But 247Sports reported that school president Jay Gogue has told board members he plans to keep Jacobs.
KENTUCKY: The least of the four jobs, and the hardest to handicap. Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports reported the Wildcats aren’t considering Petrino, which seems surprising. For all his foibles, the man can coach, and his father told Adam Himmeslbach of the Louisville Courier-Journal that his son “is interested” in Kentucky. Sonny Dykes, who was a grad assistant in Lexington under Hal Mumme and whose Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are 9-1 and ranked 20th in the BCS standings, is seen as a possibility, but it’s not clear if the Wildcats will pay the going rate to hire a Hot Name. (They pay big in basketball, as we know.)
X-factor: Forde also mentioned Dirk Koetter, who’s the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, as a possibility. Koetter hasn’t worked in college since being fired at Arizona State after the 2006 season, but he was the coach who put Boise State on the football map. And Mitch Barnhart, the Kentucky AD, had a history of tapping a man with Northwest roots who last worked for the Falcons: In 2002 Barnhart hired Rich Brooks, once Oregon’s coach and later Dan Reeves’ defensive coordinator here, and Brooks led Kentucky to four consecutive bowls before retiring.
TENNESSEE: There has been a goofy cyber push for Jon Gruden, but it’s easier to see the ESPN analyst coaching the Philadelphia Eagles next season. Tuberville figures to be in play, and maybe Petrino. Both Pennington of Mr. SEC and Knoxville blogger Tony Basilio mention Miami coach Al Golden, whose Hurricanes are trying to hold off Georgia Tech in the ACC Coastal, and former Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio.
X-factor: He’s bright, he’s brash and he has won more SEC games in two seasons than Dooley has in three. Trouble is, James Franklin has done his winning at Vanderbilt, which Tennessee barely deigns to acknowledge. Franklin is clearly bound for big things at a bigger program — VandySports.com reported he spurned an overture from North Carolina State — but for the Big Orange? That’d be like Georgia hiring Paul Johnson.
By Mark Bradley
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269 comments Add your comment
Mobile Dawg
November 16th, 2012
9:17 am
Dooley gets one more year.
Kentucky gets Petrino
Tuberville to Arkansas
Charlie Strong to Auburn if Chizik leaves
zbulldawg
November 16th, 2012
9:33 am
Boring !!!!! I will say we need to keep Bobby P out of the SEC. Jimbo would be a nice addition. We need to get coaches with class & who are moraly sound !! LET THE BIG DAWG EAT
Junkyard1988
November 16th, 2012
9:34 am
Dr Lou…The Frightened Irish could not beat their way out of a wet bag!
Under The Bleachers
November 16th, 2012
9:36 am
Destin Julie
November 15th, 2012
11:58 pm
Under the Bleachers….please look above. Too bad Mikey wasnt on a motorscooter
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$44
Taking up for husband, brother….is that the best you got?
Panties, Grades, guns, scooters, but that is all old news, moved past that long ago!
Under The Bleachers
November 16th, 2012
9:37 am
Tuberville has his own baggage issues, look up his wife’s name and you will see.
After further review
November 16th, 2012
9:41 am
TO; Chip ‘The Dixie Dove’ Shirley:
Since there arwe six teams in the SEC currently in the top 10, and those teams have, mostly, played each other, the list is less impressive than it looks at firs. In addition, whole the SEC teams have certainly played a lot of current top 10 teams, none of them has beaten every one they played.
Here’s a suggestion: make a similar list of the W_L records of the opponents of all those teams, and I’ll bet a differenct picture emerges.
GeoffDawg
November 16th, 2012
9:56 am
I agree with you ARdawg. The sheer fact that his market value is so high within his profession should be enough to convince most people that he’s not just some Saban puppet.
Jeff Van Note
November 16th, 2012
9:57 am
Kentucky needs to lure Rich Brooks out of retirement, the way Kansas St. brought Bill Snyder back out of retirement.
LawDawg
November 16th, 2012
9:58 am
This article is fine, except you did not explain the Jimbo Fisher adequately at all. Why in the world would he leave an FSU program that is recruiting well and poised to win the ACC for an Auburn program in shambles?
Because he doesn’t like the BCS? You know, that system that is already being replaced. That makes zero sense, and you have provided no other rationale or evidence that this is even a remote possibility.
ARdawg
November 16th, 2012
10:02 am
Geoffdawg
That’s the seething jealousy from the peanut gallery. Most likely Tech fans. The guy can coach or he wouldn’t be on Saban’s staff. Despite last Saturdays performance Alabama’s defense is still one of the best in the country. Much of that is directly attributed to Smart
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
November 16th, 2012
10:10 am
Gene will get another year at auburn. Several assistant coaches will be cut. The total buyout of Gene,AD,assistant coaches and new hires would total over 20 million and even though they would like to move on all of them it will not happen per former auburn player within the process. The Memphis thing is still brewing for the two ghetto assistant coaches. The NCAA is tired of playing games with the auburn on their scheme of risk vs reward with recruiting. The legal team at auburn is next to none in knowing just what the NCAA can gain access to and they take it right to the max and have since 81.
UGA could beat Alabama no doubt but I don’t think they have the tuffness and discipline to beat Bama for 60 minutes. Regardless in 2013 Bama will be ranked again in the top 5(as usual) and UGA will be talking the talk as ususal. Mark Richt has how many NC trophies? UGA has how many NC trophies? Mom and Dad bought me my 1st car in 1970 (SS 396 Nova and I still have today) and 10 years later you guys get your only trophy. We both share collectors items.
GeoffDawg
November 16th, 2012
10:17 am
LawDawg, it wasn’t addressed here but according to Chuck “The King” Oliver on 680 the other day, Jimbo Fisher has apparently burned a lot of bridges with the administration and the boosters in Tallahassee and he may be proactively trying to find his next gig before it blows up in his face.
Taxi Smith
November 16th, 2012
10:17 am
The only thing that surprises me about Aubuirn is that anyone will go to school there.
GeoffDawg
November 16th, 2012
10:18 am
ARdawg, I’m sure that’s a big part of it. People just need to remember to follow the money to get at the truth.
SimpleDawg
November 16th, 2012
10:19 am
Goldie Rot…..
You’re a moron…even for a socially retarded techie.
LawDawg
November 16th, 2012
10:22 am
GeoffDawg: Thanks. If that is the case, then a lateral move to Auburn would make a lot more sense.
909
November 16th, 2012
10:28 am
Dan Mullen
ARdawg
November 16th, 2012
10:29 am
Hard to imagine that Fischer would make the jump to that wreck of a program at Auburn though. However, truth is stranger than fiction
GeoffDawg
November 16th, 2012
10:40 am
909, I like Dan Mullen but I think he may be at the right program for his abilities. He’s going to need to notch some big wins against Bama or LSU to make that next jump up in prestige.
Whiskey Breath
November 16th, 2012
10:54 am
That would be funny as hell if Ga hired Petrino. Why, because Ga has always claimed the “Hollier than thou” trophy. But they would sell out in a heartbeat if they thought he could get a NC.
Whiskey Breath
November 16th, 2012
11:13 am
Prettty good info Wet Willie.
Your right on with Ga, but they know that. What made me jealous was the Nova your parents gave you. I was one of those kids in high school that was eating my heart out when they saw your car.
Did you have to tell us about the 396 engine? I am dreaming about it and still eating my heart out.
Don’t be so cruel!
Utah Dawg
November 16th, 2012
12:12 pm
You CMR/Bobo haters clearly took the short bus to school. CMR bought the program back from the brink after horrid years after Dooley. We were not even relevant any more. Yes…but the grass is always greener. There’s some mythical guy out there that will win the SEC every year and bring home a national championship on a regular basis (Dooley had 1 in 3 tries). Very good coaches are getting fired including one that won a national championship because winning in the SEC consistently is a brutal endeavor. Back to back East titles and sitting at #5…you inbred homers go back to your caves in Appalachia.
Steve
November 16th, 2012
12:15 pm
My wife and I both bleed orange. If UT hires Bobby Petrino, we won’t watch a game until he’s gone. We’ve already been through the “hire a guy of questionable character” experiment with Lane Kiffin.
College Football Fan
November 16th, 2012
12:17 pm
Perhaps one of these four schools should hire Mike Leach.
Never been a coach with a more appropriate name.
Look at the video and decide if you would want you son to play for him.
He is profane. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=uZaOFTp5_C8
Steve
November 16th, 2012
12:28 pm
@ College Football Fan: Hopefully by the time an 18 year old man is in college, he’s not shocked and offended by gratuitous use of the “F” word. Would I use it as much? No, but only because you minimize its shock value with overuse. If use of profanity is a disqualier for college football coaches, get ready to see a whole bunch of coaches out on their collective a$$es. What I saw in the video was Mike Leach informing a room full of players that they weren’t all they thought they were. In today’s “Everyone is Special/Everyone Gets a Trophy” world, that’s a good thing.
DIT
November 16th, 2012
12:28 pm
No way Jimbo leaves Free Shoes U!. He is building a very program over there AND it’s much easiler to win in the A She She than the SEC.
Shame on any major college program to hire Petrino, yet it will still happen. I can actually see Charlie Strong going to UT. He would be a very good hire.
I’m also surprised that we have not heard much of Kirby’s name yet. Probably will hear it a lot more after the NC game.
Joey
November 16th, 2012
12:34 pm
Whisky Breath (10:54), you are showing your ignorance of football history. UGA has, at least since the early 60’s, hired assistant coaches, other than Donnan, who was a Div 1-AA coach (Marshall) at the time.
So for 50+ years, we have never “sold out” in a coaching hire, where a NC seemed a certainty.
dawgfacedboy
November 16th, 2012
12:47 pm
CHizik is Cam Newton from being a sub .500 coach for his career.
"Chef" Tim Dix
November 16th, 2012
12:47 pm
Kirby Smart will be the next head coach at Alabama.
College Football Fan
November 16th, 2012
12:48 pm
Steve – you are unfortunately probably right and Leach is a good coach if wins and losses are your bottom line on coaching quality.
I just do not think profanity is necessary to get your point across with anyone.
As a wise man once said: Profanity is the last resort of inarticulate m f ’s.
joe
November 16th, 2012
12:52 pm
Can’t wait to see Chucky in the SEC!!!
Joey
November 16th, 2012
12:53 pm
“Chef” Tim Dix (12:47),
Unless Mark Richt retires before Saban moves on. I just think Kirby will get the offer when Richt calls it quits.
fayncdawg
November 16th, 2012
1:07 pm
I know Kirby eats, lives, bleeds SEC football! BUT if he is Smart (pun intended), he would see that his best job oppurtunity would be the ACC! The two North Carolina public universities need him yesterday esp. with recruiting! The #1 reason why the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack don’t win 9-10 games a year is that they can’t successfully recruit a 3 star+ in-state prospect. Let’s see Gurley, Marshall , LeMay (both brothers), Ellerbe, Sturdivant, Massaquoi, Joe Cox, Mel Ingram, Brandon Spikes! That’s just a small sample of North Carolina prospects leaving the state. Again if Kirby is Smart, he would see he can remedy this problem for one of these two schools (he’d probably work out better for the Wolfpack). Even if he wanted to come back to the Dawgs in 2016, being a 9-10 win coach in the ACC would do him much good.
C-town's Finest
November 16th, 2012
1:12 pm
Nobody going to hire Kirby Smart because they know soon as Richt hangs up them head phones, wherever Kirby Smart is coaching he is going to drop them and head back to Athens….j/s
fayncdawg
November 16th, 2012
1:24 pm
CTOWN FINEST
Your point well taken! BUT! Question #1: is CMR leaving UGA before 2016? Uh, NO! Question #2: does Smart continue being Saban’s flunky for that long? Uh, NO!! Question #3: can the two North Carolina public universities continue to do no better than Duke and Wake Forest because they can’t recruit? UH, NO!!! Advice to the Pack and the Heels: GET SMART! (or at least try).
Flo- Ri- Duh
November 16th, 2012
1:27 pm
Don’t think Aubarn or Tennessee will go after Petrino. Tuberville to Tennessee is a possibility and Aubarn probably would consider him if they had not already fired him once themselves. Dooley should probably be given one more year as his team is much improved but the Vols won’t have the patience. Chizk doesn’t deserve another year…… he is GONE.
Flo- Ri- Duh
November 16th, 2012
1:29 pm
Smart won’t leave Bummer ’cause he knows Saban will be heading to Texas in a couple of years if not sooner and if he loses to UGA it will be sooner.
Flo- Ri- Duh
November 16th, 2012
1:35 pm
Charlie Strong to Tennessee and James Franklin to Aubarn.
fayncdawg
November 16th, 2012
1:35 pm
And further more, the Pack and the Heels don’t need to think long term in the midst of wallowing in mediocrity in a conference where they should be winning 9+ games a year! If they can’t entice a coach fully capable of immediately having 9+ win seasons, then what?? That would pretty much be a strong indication that they will NOT entice any decent coach now, in 2016 , in 2030 and beyond!
fayncdawg
November 16th, 2012
1:42 pm
Srange as it sounds Flo ri duh, I really see Saban staying in place for a while. I think trying to eclipse Bear Bryant’s legacy keeps Saban right there at Bama!
Joey
November 16th, 2012
1:53 pm
Why would Saban go to another college? Bama’s football program eclipses Texas in National Titles and national respect.
If he leaves, he will go back to the NFL – I think Cowboys, or Jets. He won’t go back to a mess like Miami again and have to rebuild from scratch.
Ole Big Dawg
November 16th, 2012
2:29 pm
Tennessee is going on 2 more years of probation as a result of Kiffen….guess those fine folks can keep using Dooley as a scapegoat. Tenn fans…Gruden…or any big name coach is not going to Knoxville in that mess. You hired Dooley…give the man a fair shake he doesnt deserve the treatment he has received. Kiffen left you like a cheap ho and you take it out on your next gf…lol
Red Stick
November 16th, 2012
2:37 pm
Steve
November 15th, 2012
7:49 pm
“C’mon man, really? Let’s see.
Richt vs Bama 3-1
Richt vs LSU 3-2
Richt vs Tech – Do I need to list it?
Richt vs Florida in the past 6 years, 3-3. What else ya got?”
Richt is 3-4 versus LSU.
2003: LSU won twice
2004: UGA won
2005: UGA won
2008: UGA won
2009: LSU won
2011: LSU won
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Mobile Dawg
November 16th, 2012
2:41 pm
OBD, I agree that Dooley should get one more year in Knoxville, he would be on a short leash however.
I think Charlie Strong would be a good fit at AU for the players. The admin and alumni might have some heartburn but that needs to be gotten over.
Petrino should be run out of coaching with his track record, but it seems there’s no real accountability anymore.
f. Gardner
November 16th, 2012
2:53 pm
What about Dan Mullin to Aurburn? Cows and pigs aside Mullin has the umph to get the job done at Auby, but still will have the cows and pigs.
Petrino does not deserve another shot in the SEC, the big East maybe!
Rodster
November 16th, 2012
3:14 pm
Auburn should hire Petrino. They deserve each other. Petrino would win more games than Chizik but it would be a deal with the devil.
Really?
November 16th, 2012
3:17 pm
Georgia is the first team to earn their spot in the SEC Championship game this year. The Dawgs are waiting to see who they will play in the Championship game for the best conference in college football and yet there are still idiots that are so pathetic they are still running their sucks trying to cast doubt on Georgia.
How do these dirt stupid haters manage to dress themselves each day? Do they even get dressed or do they roll from their putrid matress and crawl to their ancient desktop amidst a swarm of flies and go straight to the ajc blogs?
Tim Scott
November 16th, 2012
3:24 pm
AT UT with Dave Hart’s long standing relationship with the Bowden clan might either Tommy or Terry surface here? As a Gator fan I think Dooley is doing a great job.
Ole Big Dawg
November 16th, 2012
3:48 pm
Really…..a result of having a good coach in CMR combined with a rich history of owning and kicking these little guys tails year in and year out. Folks that come on places like this daily to bash a team..fanbase..coach..players..programs are losers. Funny thing is many feel they are doing something..lol…they are admitted losers for the simple fact they are…..fun to twist the knife in their side…fortunately for the Bulldawg Nation…our Dawgs provide plenty of ammo so to speak to make them rather trivial in there bellyaching!
Turkey Neck
November 16th, 2012
4:15 pm
Yechmites are a hoot. The only think Yech is going to run is Johnson out of town, if they can afford it.