2018 Coaching Changes thread

[DevilFroggy]

ASU's defensive coordinator Phil Bennett steps down for "personal and health" reasons.  Was offered a job on Herm's staff, but is moving on. He was brought in by Todd Graham in 2014 mostly because he was in agreement with running their blitz-aggressive defense which most ASU fans wanted to see moved on from anyway. If one of the strategies of the Herm hire was to keep assistants, the main target was keeping the OC Billy Napier.

You're confusing Bennett with Keith Patterson. Bennett was only at ASU for this past season. He's definitely a good DC, maybe not "elite" but absolutely improved ASU's D from 2016 to 2017.
But he's old and still a Texan through and through and it's understandable why he decided not to stick around. He's probably gonna need neck and knee surgery in the off season then see what jobs he can get for the 2019 season, probably close to home (Texas) as possible.

[rolltidefan]

Mario turned around FIU and they canned him after one down year.Was Bama's oline coach for 2-3 seasons and a evidently a good recruiter.That is what is needed in Autzen could work out

cristobal is a fantastic recruiter and good coach too. only thing i don't like is he is a zone blocking scheme. bama was at it's best in man blocking scheme. but to be fair to cristobal we were moving to a more spread/zone read offense for which the zone blocking is designed. and can't deny the success we've had with it, i just prefer the pro style, man blocking style.

[CatsbyAZ]

You're confusing Bennett with Keith Patterson. Bennett was only at ASU for this past season. He's definitely a good DC, maybe not "elite" but absolutely improved ASU's D from 2016 to 2017.
But he's old and still a Texan through and through and it's understandable why he decided not to stick around. He's probably gonna need neck and knee surgery in the off season then see what jobs he can get for the 2019 season, probably close to home (Texas) as possible.

Yes, I overlapped the two. But now Billy Napier is leaving! To coach Louisiana. For not that much of a pay raise. 
A big expectation of this whole Herm-as-CEO deal was to give appointed assistants more responsibility until giving specifically Napier the HC reigns once Herm stepped down. It's like buying a small chain of restaurants only to have the chefs all quit on you in a matter of weeks.

[DevilFroggy]

It's making me lean more towards Froggy and less towards Devil.

[Brutus Buckeye]

Apparently the Kent St coaching search is a total clown show. 

Not sure why they don't just hire Hazell back. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Apparently the Kent St coaching search is a total clown show.

Not sure why they don't just hire Hazell back.

It's one thing to go from a history of success at one level to try to go up to the next [more competitive] level, fail, and drop back down.
But he didn't have a history of success at Kent State. He had only two years at HC. Yes, those two years were great, but that's not enough body of work to welcome him back with open arms.
If he'd been good for 5-10 years, then had trouble in the B1G, sure, bring him back. But a mere 2 years of success in the MAC and 4 years of total and complete inability to field a competitive team isn't enough history to justify bringing him back. 

[Brutus Buckeye]

It's one thing to go from a history of success at one level to try to go up to the next [more competitive] level, fail, and drop back down.
But he didn't have a history of success at Kent State. He had only two years at HC. Yes, those two years were great, but that's not enough body of work to welcome him back with open arms.
If he'd been good for 5-10 years, then had trouble in the B1G, sure, bring him back. But a mere 2 years of success in the MAC and 4 years of total and complete inability to field a competitive team isn't enough history to justify bringing him back.

Ideally, sure. But nobody else wants the job.
Kent State has always been gawdawful. 

Now there is some speculation that they might be holding out for the Mt Union coach after their season is over, which would be a phenomenal hire imo. But they are currently getting shot down by mediocre FCS coaches.

[MaximumSam]

You're confusing Bennett with Keith Patterson. Bennett was only at ASU for this past season. He's definitely a good DC, maybe not "elite" but absolutely improved ASU's D from 2016 to 2017.
But he's old and still a Texan through and through and it's understandable why he decided not to stick around. He's probably gonna need neck and knee surgery in the off season then see what jobs he can get for the 2019 season, probably close to home (Texas) as possible.

He's definitely too old for this shit

[bayareabadger]

It's one thing to go from a history of success at one level to try to go up to the next [more competitive] level, fail, and drop back down.
But he didn't have a history of success at Kent State. He had only two years at HC. Yes, those two years were great, but that's not enough body of work to welcome him back with open arms.
If he'd been good for 5-10 years, then had trouble in the B1G, sure, bring him back. But a mere 2 years of success in the MAC and 4 years of total and complete inability to field a competitive team isn't enough history to justify bringing him back.

He also had only one good year. He was 5-7, then 11-3. And that team lost the conference title to an awesome NIU squad. 
But that is a program that's been above .500 nine times EVER. That 11-win season was the only winning one since 2001. It looks like they're going with Syracuse OC Sean Lewis, which is probably as good a move as any. There's one thing about it ...
He's a Wisconsin guy. Not only a Wisconsin guy, but one I remember. He was a big QB-turned-tight end, the sort who you wonder if he could be something at his size and ends up a No. 3 or 4 guy. I figured he was selling insurance. Instead he went from HS OC to running Dino Babers' high-flying attack. Very weird. 

[847badgerfan]

I remember watching him play in HS.

[Brutus Buckeye]

He also had only one good year. He was 5-7, then 11-3. And that team lost the conference title to an awesome NIU squad.
But that is a program that's been above .500 nine times EVER. That 11-win season was the only winning one since 2001.

Yeah, Kent is definitely the worst D1 FB program in Ohio, even including Youngstown State. 
Ohio U was arguably worse in the pre-Solich era, but he's been there for a pretty long time at this point and generally finishes above .500. 

[CatsbyAZ]

SMU hires Sonny Dykes. A good hire, IMO. He knows Texas, and has left the two programs hes coached - La Tech & Cal - better off. The big drawback is his lack of concern for a defense. 

[FearlessF]

Yeah, Kent is definitely the worst D1 FB program in Ohio, even including Youngstown State.
Ohio U was arguably worse in the pre-Solich era, but he's been there for a pretty long time at this point and generally finishes above .500.

YSU has a solid coach now
Frankie is 96-71 at Ohio - 2-6 in bowls
I think Frankie might have more wins at Ohio than any other coach

[ELA]

YSU has a solid coach now
Frankie is 96-71 at Ohio - 2-6 in bowls
I think Frankie might have more wins at Ohio than any other coach

3rd behind Bill Hess (1958-77) with 108 and Don Peden (1924-46) with 121.
Peden won 6 BAA titles (pre-cursor to the MAC), and Hess won 4 MAC titles.  That's the omission on Solich's resume, 0-4 in MAC title games.