Say It Ain't So, Will...

[DRU2012]

The word here in Austin is that Mack Brown is considering stepping down (Whattaya expect from a guy who throws his friends and whomever else is handy to the wolves each time they're at the door courtesy of HIS general failures? A real class act...), and the number one candidate, supposedly based on his own back-channel interest, is none other than the guy who WAS their "Head Coach In Waiting" before he supposedly "jumped at the chance to come home to his 'dream job in Gainesville' ", our own Will Muschamp.
Of course, it is worth noting that the OTHER names being prominently thrown about are Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier--with the added wrinkle of a supposed DOUBLE-switch where Muschamp moves back to Austin and SS returns to G-ville...So maybe it's ALL just Media Bull Roar, but still: There's a certain persistence to the talk among people who oughtta know better, were it all just "the usual talk".
Now there are those who probably hope this is true, at least the Chomp-moving-on talk--and the return of "Our Savior of All Things Gator" would amount to icing-on-the-cake, but I'm not among them. In fact, I would consider it a cynical betrayal of the highest order since Urban Meyer pulled HIS "Always-a-Gator (Lemme look at their recruiting lists and make a few calls from my UF-office while I negotiate my OSU contract)"-screw-job were our current Coach now to jump BACK to the Shorthorns at the first opportunity, no MATTER the "practical considerations". OK--there's probably a million more bucks a year or two earlier in such a jump, and he IS facing some real fan and booster pressure for the first time here with the questions arising early in this pivotal season, but STILL: You make certain claims, promises to players and fans, and the bulk of us are eventually won over and currently stand BY you, regardless. If you can't do the same in the face of your first waves of both temptation and adversity, then TO HELL WITH YOU.
Thoughts, anyone?

 

[Escambia94]

I think you are overreacting to the rumor mill. Finebaum is always stirring the pot on Twitter. He has always been the most incorrect on any rumors. I think he had it solid and confirmed that Chris Peterson or Bob Stoops was going to replace Urban Meyer. Save the blood pressure medication and stop reading any rumors that originated from Slime-baum.

 

[awebbf5]

I would welcome Spurrier back, his style when in the swamp was fun to watch. Our defense would probably take a little hit, but I've always been the type I'd rather have a great offense rather than defense.

 

[Ga8or22]

Nothing will happen before the end of the college season - then all heck will break loose

 

[awebbf5]

Nothing will happen before the end of the college season - then all heck will break loose

True

 

[DRU2012]

I think you are overreacting to the rumor mill. Finebaum is always stirring the pot on Twitter. He has always been the most incorrect on any rumors. I think he had it solid and confirmed that Chris Peterson or Bob Stoops was going to replace Urban Meyer. Save the blood pressure medication and stop reading any rumors that originated from Slime-baum.

Just repeating and highlighting the admittedly hysteria-ridden level of anxiety and over-reaction down here--and if it were ONLY "SLIME-bonb", I'd have laughed it off...But this is a "rumor with legs", and some purveyors who have "gotten it right" in the past. But it IS Austin, "da ATX", after all.

 

[DRU2012]

I would welcome Spurrier back, his style when in the swamp was fun to watch. Our defense would probably take a little hit, but I've always been the type I'd rather have a great offense rather than defense.

Yeah: We wouldn't see the kinds of games--or impotent OFFENSE, if you can even call it THAT, SS certainly wouldn't if HE were in charge!--But I LIKE Muschamp's overall attitude and approach since he got here...I just thought his idea to "get a high-minded, creative OC in here to build a pro-style offense that will complement the killer-D I'm gonna build" would yield better results faster than it has done so far. That's been a function of OC-letdowns, really, I suppose (and most of us thought his choices were sound, even exciting in each case going in--but to little avail).
At this point, assuming the ship DOES "stay the course" at least as far as Chomp remaining at the helm, either Pease shows us all he's got a sound plan that indeed begins to bear fruit soon and thru' the rest of this season, or we'll likely be starting over with a THIRD OC in 2014.

 

[DRU2012]

Nothing will happen before the end of the college season - then all heck will break loose

Well, yeah--but the whole point of this thread was a kind of reactive, "Here's what "THEY" are saying"-deal, and throwing it out there, like, "What happens if they're RIGHT?!!!"

 

[Escambia94]

Even if Muschamp left, Spurrier would not return, and even if he did return he would not be the same. Spurrier's offense was ahead of its time, but those times have caught up to him. He is now older, wiser, and less Fun N' Gun. I was actually at USCe when Spurrier arrived in Columbia. The Gamecock fans were excited for the "Cock N' Fire", but that never materialized. Spurrier is the best coach for South Carolina, and is no longer the best coach for Florida.

Will Muschamp is the best coach for Florida now. I have doubts as to whether or not Brent Pease is the best offensive coordinator for Florida. Under Coach Muschamp, the Gators have recruited and coached up some very good defensive players. So far, none of the Gator coaches have been successful in evaluating natural talent out of high school or growing talent out of college sophomores and juniors--at least not on offense.

The best coach for Texas is anybody but Mack Brown. Here is how I would rank the rumors:

1. Vanderbilt HC James Franklin. He made a winner out of Vandy with very little talent to pull from.
2. Oklahoma State HC Mike Gundy. He would certainly excite the lethargic offense, and he is very affordable.
3. Boise State HC Chris Petersen. He makes decent money, but he now realizes that moving BSU into a harder conference diminishes whatever advantage he had as a dark horse candidate.
4. TCU HC Gary Patterson. He makes a lot of money and has an upstart program that does well. Texas can dump a lot of money on his lap and get him over the hump to a national championship.
5. Northwestern HC Pat Fitzgerald. He is a CEO-like coach, similar to Mack Brown. He would need to raid other schools for coordinators.
6. Alabama DC Kirby Smart. He has spent enough time in Nick Saban's shadow to make a viable candidate, if Saban were willing to let him go. Alabama could freeze Sabana and Smart by doubling their salaries.
7. UCLA HC Jim Mora would be a good candidate for his NFL connections and political power, but he is emotionally connected to UCLA.
8. Baylor HC Art Briles. This would be a good move for Briles, and he could even keep his house only 90-minute drive up the I-35.
9. Louisville HC Charlie Strong. This could be the big offer Charlie truly deserves, but would he surrender his little empire in Louisville?
10. Florida HC Will Muschamp. The Longhorns would welcome him home with open arms, and pay him well. I do not think he would want to take that position after abandoning the head-coach-in-waiting job to coach his dream job, his boyhood team. Then again, Texas can afford to double his salary. Personally, I do not see this happening.
11. Alabama HC Nick Saban. Texas cannot double his pay. Saban is going to stay in Alabama or jump to the NFL, but not take a lateral position at UTx.
12. Texas A&M HC Kevin Sumlin. Not going to happen. Why would he move from the #1 school in Texas to the #2 school in Texas?

 

[Leakfan12]

Man I hope not. Florida already lost two coaches (Spurrier OK can't blame him for leaving for the NFL though I wished he didn't go back to school at South Carolina and Meyer, man I still hoping those crapeyes choke). Texas could get anybody (even those in the NFL). I hope they pick Smart. Sad part, UTexas might go Defense.

 

[Escambia94]

My guess is that they go after a CEO-like HC and snag an offensive coordinator to be co-OC with Applewhite. The problem is that Applewhite will hold back UTx, but they are loyal to alumni. UTx is too big to fail, so expect some changes. With their schedule, they might not win another game for two months.

 

[Ga8or22]

Excellent Article - reflects my thoughts!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...amp-in-a-must-win-situation-against-tennessee

 

[Leakfan12]

Excellent Article - reflects my thoughts!
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...amp-in-a-must-win-situation-against-tennessee

I think it's a little too soon to determine if Muschamp is in the hot seat or not though lose against UT his seat will get warmer.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

I agree with Leakfan12, you do not go 11-1 and then are in the hot seat that quickly.

 

[Escambia94]

I have stated this before--I rarely trust Bleacher Report and I almost never trust Slimebaum or the Orlando Slantinel. If I have to trust a local news source, I use Gainesville Sun. When in doubt, if it is too good to be true or too annoying to be anything but emotion-invoking rumor, then I do not trust it.

That article makes broad assumptions and generalizations. I know a lot of Gator fans in their upper 30s and lower 40s that are fine with winning a game 17-10 or 6-3--a win is a win. Sure, I remember the Fun N' Gun beating teams 66-10, but I also remember the Fun N' Gun getting shut down against Nebraska 24-62. I bet if the 2012 Gators faced the 1995 Cornhuskers they would not have lost 24-62. This Gator team is built to be slow and methodical with a slim margin of loss or victory. I do not foresee Will Muschamp's Gators ever getting blown out like that. The worst blow out we should ever see under Muschamp are the blow outs in his first year, 10-38 and 11-41 against Alabama and LSU. Honestly, I would rather lose a close game 23-33 (Sugar Bowl '13) than suffer another 24-62 drubbing (Fiesta Bowl '96).

 

[Leakfan12]

I'm sure you guys heard by now after Satan (Saban) won his third Bama title, that Texas ask if he wanted to come to Texas but the issue was dropped after Mack Brown wanted to return. Honestly, I think they should go after Kirby Smart. Unless Bama plans to him as much as Satan, I doubt they'll keep Kirby for long.

 

[Escambia94]

I would love to see Kirby Smart move up. He is about my age, interestingly enough, yet he is the highest paid assistant in college football at $1.2M/year. This means that there is not much more upward mobility for Kirby unless Nick Saban wants to make him head-coach-in-waiting and give him a salary increase similar to Will Muschamp's HCIW salary at Texas. Muschamp has shown that the only way to keep good assistants is to promote them and pay them. Kirby Smart is out of room to move up unless he takes a head coaching position.

Just to give everyone an idea of what kind of money is out there, here are some coach salaries:

• Top-5 NFL coaches average, $8M
• Top-10 NFL coaches average, $5.5M
• Nick Saban, Alabama, $5.3M
• Mack Brown, UTx, est $5M
• Will Muschamp, UF, $3M
• average SEC head coach salary, $2.5M
• bottom SEC head coach salary, $2.0M
• first-time NFL head coach salary, $2.0M
• Kirby Smart salary, $1.2M
• top SEC assistant salary, $500k
• average SEC assistant salary, $300k

 

[miltongator]

Zook 2.0 will feel the warmth intensify if he can't produce a win vs Tenn. Sounds like the game plan is to go back to the ground and pound and not let JD throw the rock. That is probably the best chance for a win, but it sure is lackluster.

 

[miltongator]

The word here in Austin is that Mack Brown is considering stepping down (Whattaya expect from a guy who throws his friends and whomever else is handy to the wolves each time they're at the door courtesy of HIS general failures? A real class act...), and the number one candidate, supposedly based on his own back-channel interest, is none other than the guy who WAS their "Head Coach In Waiting" before he supposedly "jumped at the chance to come home to his 'dream job in Gainesville' ", our own Will Muschamp.
Of course, it is worth noting that the OTHER names being prominently thrown about are Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier--with the added wrinkle of a supposed DOUBLE-switch where Muschamp moves back to Austin and SS returns to G-ville...So maybe it's ALL just Media Bull Roar, but still: There's a certain persistence to the talk among people who oughtta know better, were it all just "the usual talk".
Now there are those who probably hope this is true, at least the Chomp-moving-on talk--and the return of "Our Savior of All Things Gator" would amount to icing-on-the-cake, but I'm not among them. In fact, I would consider it a cynical betrayal of the highest order since Urban Meyer pulled HIS "Always-a-Gator (Lemme look at their recruiting lists and make a few calls from my UF-office while I negotiate my OSU contract)"-screw-job were our current Coach now to jump BACK to the Shorthorns at the first opportunity, no MATTER the "practical considerations". OK--there's probably a million more bucks a year or two earlier in such a jump, and he IS facing some real fan and booster pressure for the first time here with the questions arising early in this pivotal season, but STILL: You make certain claims, promises to players and fans, and the bulk of us are eventually won over and currently stand BY you, regardless. If you can't do the same in the face of your first waves of both temptation and adversity, then TO HELL WITH YOU.
Thoughts, anyone?

We need to keep Muschamp around....but only as the DC. That's where his talent lies.

 

[DRU2012]

We need to keep Muschamp around....but only as the DC. That's where his talent lies.

Let's face it: THAT was the basic, de facto rationale for bringing him in here to start. Chomp himself more or less implied that was the case (ie. that as a "Head Coach in name and salary ONLY", he was really just the DC who would BRING IN "the right guy" on offense) in both word and deed when he announced Weis' hiring in practically his first public utterances as Gator Head Coach, and we were generally all cool with it at the time (as we mostly were with Pease--tho' there WERE some mutterings 'bout how maybe he wasn't the guy who made that Boise St. offense so creative...He DID work with their QBs, tho', and that alone seemed to bode well).
I'm totally OK with that approach, btw, but DAMN! SOMEONE'S gotta do a better job of making that pick! I mean, the fact that WE all thought these were good ones, had heard of 'em and bought into the surface info everyone had access to, THAT shouldn't be the level our "BRAINTRUST" is working at, evaluating and finally choosing who we hand the future of the Gator offense to. GOTTA be a higher standard than "everybody says", right?!!!