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Kiffin would harken back to the arrogant offensive-minded Spurrier days, but his defenses have been garbage.  

I swear to god, these offensive coaches are incapable of fielding great defenses because they're getting waxed everyday at practice and never get that swagger a great defense requires.

Yet if we've learned anything, Florida needs an offensive-minded HC.  That's just the truth.  

And the only SEC HCs I'd want are Saban or Smart.  Brian Kelly is random AF, he's a midwest guy.  I think he'd really enjoy the type of players he could get at UF, it'd help him out against big-boy opponents he seems to struggle against.

Kelly is random, and the idea probably is about what you think of Notre Dame. Is it a difficult place to recruit to? If so, he's doing a great job and is a no brainer hire for a place like Florida.

First of all, I think there's about a 0% chance Kelly goes to Gainesville.

I think ND lacks the high-end skill position guys that the name SEC programs have.  ND still recruits nationally, but I'd say at the B+ level.  It's not 1975 anymore.  ND hasn't won a NC since these kids' PARENTS were in middle school.  All they've done is be on a (for college football purposes) random-ass channel all the time and gotten absolutely curb-stomped in the brightest arenas. 

Hell, if I'm a random 5* from North Carolina, to me, ND is probably a fancy Wisconsin.  Tends to have good line play and gets those guys drafted, but not a lot of elite WR/CBs, and an oddly-high number of white guys. 

I know that's random and doesn't matter, but it's still true. 

Oh no I think you are right. ND was pretty irrelevant after Lou Holtz left up until the time Kelly was hired, and it took him a minute to get the program back to a contender type status. They haven't been able to assemble quite as much talent as you need, but they have assembled a lot of talent. If you think it is hard to recruit to ND, then you have to think Kelly would really do well at schools where it is a whole lot easier.

Don Brown to UMass makes sense. He's got deep ties there, was the HC there before and he's a Boston/MA guy. I think he'll do well.

His 2016 defense was pretty spectacular vs everyone- but man did his defenses wane over time. He got "figured out" and never adjusted. It showed it's ugly head in 1 game in 2017- on the road vs Penn State but otherwise in 2017 that was the only embarrassment- but 2018, 2019, & 2020 just got a little worse and worse.

His scheme is WAY too blitz heavy and man coverage reliant. He basically sent the house every god damn snap and routinely put LB's and Safeties in man to man coverage with WR's and RB's like Olave & Barkley. His scheme is awesome if you have the talent to run it- but who the hell has that kind of talent? Bama doesn't even have that kind of talent- how many LB's can run with backs like Barkley or how many safeties can run with WR's like Olave in straight up man coverage with no help? Oh yeah, like none.

He needed to mix up his coverages play more zone and blitz less- but the guy basically does not believe in that sort of stuff at all.

Smart is obviously a good recruiter.  Currently I think he has two excellent assistants who make him look good.  Is he a high level HC?  I hope so, don't know so.  It may not matter.  Recruit at that level long enough and things will happen.

With all these openings, one would think Fickell will be gone soon enough, is there anything "bad" about him at all?

I think Kiffin would be the one I'd fear most.   Aranda doesn't match their style, I think.  Mark Stoops is doing an excellent job at UK but again doesn't offer the style points.

Fickell is a maybe.  Were I him, I'd be more interested in USC.

Probably so, but I think his style matches Florida better than the others, and he probably would run up a lot of points on folks.  Get out the popcorn.