Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

hah, writers just doing their jobs this time of year

the Frost hype in Lincoln is crazy, ALL 100% positive

Frost is a genius, ..... Riley, Pelini, Callahan, Solich knew nothing

Frost is the next Osborne, .............but no one remembers how Osborne was criticised the first 20 seasons of his career

I am sort of amused at the coach speak coming out of spring practice and the parsing that the writers have to do to figure it all out.  Coach Smart said the all everything frosh QB "sort of hit a wall" and that got multiple paragraphs of analysis, as if a coach is really going to reveal much of anything to anyone that is real.

To a degree, I imagine they're not exactly trying to figure it out.
They know people read about QBs. They know people really read about young, unknown, 5-star QBs. So when the HC says something, especially something either positive or negative, they'll deliver product to their consumers, probably as much as they can. 
What I find more interesting is why a coach who seems to dislike revealing anything mentions that. Is that motivation?  A kick in the backside? Is that trying to tamp down expectations? A friend of mine is a fan of a team whose young four-star couldn't throw a spiral. Coach said nothing but nice stuff. Insiders didn't exactly want to crush a kid that young. Not sure if it's good or bad or nothing. 

I imagine playing the media is a part of being an HC.  You learn how to say stuff that means nothing really but sounds good.  We just have to play them one game at a time.  This is BORING.  Of course it is.

The fans eat up every nuance or vocalization as meaningful and the writers have to serve the public and they do.  I imagine we here have heard enough of it to realize it is largely blather and burfle.

I watched an interview with Jake Fromm, half of it, and he was good at saying boring stuff.  The press was good at asking stupid questions.  We of course had a starting soph QB last year with a pretty highly regarded true freshman coming in and there was talk of a real competition for the starting position, when there wasn't.  Eason tweaked his knee in the third series of Game One barely saw the field the rest of the year.

I think there's a degree of playing the media, but I think that's probably a small part of it. If it was a primary part, a lot more coaches would be good at it, and they're not. 
Coaches try to appear non-controversial, to a degree. I always assumed the one game at a time thing was saying something they had to believe. I think coaches and teams are about process oriented thinking. Coaches want to be, kids are not, so they have to keep saying it and talking about it (even if they're putting in Ga. Tech or Auburn stuff the week of a SoCon game). Sometimes they also have to say things to assuage worries from a player's family, or a high school coach they need to be on good terms with. They have to act and think like they can beat anyone, when they often go into a game knowing the odds are long as hell. 
It's interesting with the talk of a competition. Coaches sometimes do that as a bland answer (every position is open). Some update things truthfully, others do not. And the story behind the scenes is often more complex when it slips out. Do we think Fromm showed well enough in camp to earn the job? Eason obviously looked plenty vulnerable as a freshman. 
It's also interesting because high-level coaches are for the most part kind of low-grade insane. You almost have to be in that world. To have the charm to work recruits and families but also at the same time a complete disinterest in most people, it's very odd. Kirby is an odd duck to say the least, from the governor Kirby thing to a few stories I've heard (I'll share via PM if you want).

Steve did give good honest frank interviews

that's what led to my strong dislike of him.  Throwing players, especially QBs under the bus publically is unneeded IMO.  Regardless if it's warranted.

It's also interesting because high-level coaches are for the most part kind of low-grade insane. You almost have to be in that world. To have the charm to work recruits and families but also at the same time a complete disinterest in most people, it's very odd. Kirby is an odd duck to say the least, from the governor Kirby thing to a few stories I've heard (I'll share via PM if you want).

This, they are.  It is a strange world.  Their livelihood is 100% dependent upon the decision of 16-18 year old kids.  That alone would drive most people insane.  Beyond that it is a field which takes the idea of being competitive to a level that is beyond what most people will ever contemplate.  Then there is the media scrutiny.  

How many here think they might have the skills and constitution to be an FBS HC (presuming you had the requisite experience etc.)?

I coached my kids' teams on back of course but that is a different kettle of oysters.

Obviously most of us would love the chance to coach a P5 program - cause we love football and think we know all about it.

but, the stark reality of leaving our relatively cushy jobs for the rigor and scrutiny of being a head coach, would cause me to say no thanks

I always wonder why successful coordinators make the move to head coach, when they can live comfortably doing what they love and are good at, while escaping the podium, press, and the pressure of the head coach

I would say there are two reasons and both of them make perfect sense:

• These people are EXTREMELY competitive by nature.  Being a highly successful coordinator is great but the pinnacle of the profession is to be a successful HC.  People who are that competitive obviously want to reach the pinnacle.  
• The money:  Even the highest paid coordinators make only a fraction of what HC's make.  Taking a HC gig would probably be a wise financial choice even if you KNEW that you were going to suck at it and get canned.  Just signing the contract usually guarantees HC money for at least 4-5 years.  Basically signing one HC contract sets you up for life.  Additionally, failed HC's are usually able to jump back to the coordinator ranks without much drop-off from where they were before so the stint as a failed HC doesn't really cost you anything financially.