Thought this would make an interesting discussion. I put all 10 coaches in the poll because there's enough room for them all and if you don't like that then too bad.
My ranking of coaching jobs for 2018:
1. Billy Napier (Coach of the Year) - I'll eat crow about this one. I don't consider UL to be in the top tier of the conference in terms of talent, but they're one win away from winning the east and have gotten to bowl eligibility. Grade: A+
2. Scott Satterfield - Was supposed to be a rebuilding year and got into the top 25 and has put up impressive statistics, could have another double-digit win season with a game lost to the hurricane. Grade: A
3. Chad Lunsford - From 2 wins last year to 8 and counting and might very well have wins over both division champs. Offensive coaching staff has done a good job overall of coaching around roster deficiencies on offense. Don't underestimate how bad Tyson Summers was and give Lunsford too much credit, though. Grade: A
4. Neal Brown - Got the win over Nebraska and impressed with how NB seemed to tweak things after Kaleb Barker went out for the season. Grade: A
5. Joe Moglia - Coastal fans might disagree, but they weren't expected to do much and they're on the cusp of bowl eligibility while shuffling through QBs and beat what might very well be the CUSA champions. Grade: A-
6. Matt Viator - Gets the Warhawks to bowl eligibility, and no one can really mark them down as a win. Defense still hasn't been great. Grade: B
7. Shawn Elliott - working around some serious roster deficiencies that might've been inevitable for any coach taking over after Trent Miles. Grade: B-
8. Blake Anderson - This was supposed to be the year. At least he won the non-conference games and has the team playing well late season. Grade: C
9. Everett Withers - Can't do it with just defense. Offense is anemic Grade: D
10. Steve Campbell - Disappointing. Thought he'd fare better with the roster South has. Not ready to give up on him yet. Grade: F
Lunsford... Napier if he wins this week and wins the championship
You can’t take virtually the same players from a 2-10 team and turn them into an 8-3 team (with 10-3 very possible) and not be coach of the year
Lunsford, with Napier a close second
Blake Anderson seems to have righted the ship.
(11-18-2018 11:52 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote: [ -> ]You can’t take virtually the same players from a 2-10 team and turn them into an 8-3 team (with 10-3 very possible) and not be coach of the year
You had a roster built for 10 wins after Slick Willy left and made a bad hire. Then corrected that hire immediately and are back to 8 wins. Come on man quit sandbagging.
Billy Napier took over a program with 60 scholarship players after the sanctions and a locker room that was a mess. The line was set at 4.5 wins on the season and we will play for the Sun Belt Championship with a win this week.
How is this even up for debate?
That fact that you included Campbell and Withers makes this poll null and void.
Yeah, I think if you take into consideration where the started the season as far as the state of the program Napier is the hands down winner. Lunsford has done well but he did have a much better program to start with than Napier. Anderson, Satterfielld and Brown had loaded guns to start with so, especially in stAte's case, I don't see them as COY candidates.
(11-18-2018 12:35 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 11:52 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote: [ -> ]You can’t take virtually the same players from a 2-10 team and turn them into an 8-3 team (with 10-3 very possible) and not be coach of the year
You had a roster built for 10 wins after Slick Willy left and made a bad hire. Then corrected that hire immediately and are back to 8 wins. Come on man quit sandbagging.
Billy Napier took over a program with 60 scholarship players after the sanctions and a locker room that was a mess. The line was set at 4.5 wins on the season and we will play for the Sun Belt Championship with a win this week.
How is this even up for debate?
We were picked to finish 2nd to last in the East and we started the season ranked 117th out of 128 teams. 6-5 is not some kind of epic turn around for the Cajuns. Y’all finished last season 5-7...
(11-18-2018 12:51 PM)sdcritter Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, I think if you take into consideration where the started the season as far as the state of the program Napier is the hands down winner. Lunsford has done well but he did have a much better program to start with than Napier. Anderson, Satterfielld and Brown had loaded guns to start with so, especially in stAte's case, I don't see them as COY candidates.
Napier took over a 5-7 team and they are 6-5 currently. Wow talk about overcoming the odds
(11-18-2018 12:58 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 12:51 PM)sdcritter Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, I think if you take into consideration where the started the season as far as the state of the program Napier is the hands down winner. Lunsford has done well but he did have a much better program to start with than Napier. Anderson, Satterfielld and Brown had loaded guns to start with so, especially in stAte's case, I don't see them as COY candidates.
Napier took over a 5-7 team and they are 6-5 currently. Wow talk about overcoming the odds
I’ll say it again, 65 scholarship players on the entire roster. A locker room that actually fought with coaches. I don’t think you understand what kind of mess that Napier took over.
We blew the Coastal game, but were really just playing a 10 game season. There was no way we would compete with Miss St or Bama.
Lunsford took over a team that was good and coached by an idiot. It’s not like Sommers had 3 straight losing seasons and under NCAA sanctions.
But you’re right, let’s bow down to the gnat eaters in Statesboro.
(11-18-2018 01:05 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 12:58 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 12:51 PM)sdcritter Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, I think if you take into consideration where the started the season as far as the state of the program Napier is the hands down winner. Lunsford has done well but he did have a much better program to start with than Napier. Anderson, Satterfielld and Brown had loaded guns to start with so, especially in stAte's case, I don't see them as COY candidates.
Napier took over a 5-7 team and they are 6-5 currently. Wow talk about overcoming the odds
I’ll say it again, 65 scholarship players on the entire roster. A locker room that actually fought with coaches. I don’t think you understand what kind of mess that Napier took over.
We blew the Coastal game, but were really just playing a 10 game season. There was no way we would compete with Miss St or Bama.
Lunsford took over a team that was good and coached by an idiot. It’s not like Sommers had 3 straight losing seasons and under NCAA sanctions.
But you’re right, let’s bow down to the gnat eaters in Statesboro.
Georgia Southern was under NCAA sanctions through 2016 and 2017 too, but we’re suppose to bow down to the snail eaters in Lafayette because y’all are barely bowl eligible? Okay...
Where have you even been all season? Surprising that you Cajuns are only just now coming back to the board considering your new coach has completely re-energized your program and all
(11-18-2018 01:05 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 12:58 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 12:51 PM)sdcritter Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, I think if you take into consideration where the started the season as far as the state of the program Napier is the hands down winner. Lunsford has done well but he did have a much better program to start with than Napier. Anderson, Satterfielld and Brown had loaded guns to start with so, especially in stAte's case, I don't see them as COY candidates.
Napier took over a 5-7 team and they are 6-5 currently. Wow talk about overcoming the odds
I’ll say it again, 65 scholarship players on the entire roster. A locker room that actually fought with coaches. I don’t think you understand what kind of mess that Napier took over.
We blew the Coastal game, but were really just playing a 10 game season. There was no way we would compete with Miss St or Bama.
Lunsford took over a team that was good and coached by an idiot. It’s not like Sommers had 3 straight losing seasons and under NCAA sanctions.
But you’re right, let’s bow down to the gnat eaters in Statesboro.
This was my thinking and honestly, I expected people to think I was a homer for thinking it. Guess not.
(11-18-2018 11:52 AM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote: [ -> ]You can’t take virtually the same players from a 2-10 team and turn them into an 8-3 team (with 10-3 very possible) and not be coach of the year
Brown went from 4-8 to 10-3 and didn’t get it lol
Lunsford should get it IMO
(11-18-2018 11:38 AM)EigenEagle Wrote: [ -> ]9. Everett Withers - Can't do it with just defense. Offense is anemic Grade: D
I think you're being kind calling the offense anemic, but I digress.
In general, COY is always weird to me. The coaches that do what they are supposed to (like Brown and Satterfield) don't get credit, because they've had success.
But for me, the top coach of the year candidates are Napier and Lunsford. They both made a quick turnaround with teams that has been truly impressive.
It should be Lunsford. That means it will be Anderson.
I picked Satterfield. App could have seemingly been a little down this year with who they lost, but they looked better, starting in game one against a top 15 team. Had they not lost Moore and Thomas (for the GS game) I feel they’d still be undefeated in SBC play and still in the top 25.
This seems as premature as ranking GS a few weeks ago.
Napier gets my vote IF they make the championship game.
(11-18-2018 01:08 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 01:05 PM)geauxcajuns Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 12:58 PM)TrueBlueDrew Wrote: [ -> ] (11-18-2018 12:51 PM)sdcritter Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, I think if you take into consideration where the started the season as far as the state of the program Napier is the hands down winner. Lunsford has done well but he did have a much better program to start with than Napier. Anderson, Satterfielld and Brown had loaded guns to start with so, especially in stAte's case, I don't see them as COY candidates.
Napier took over a 5-7 team and they are 6-5 currently. Wow talk about overcoming the odds
I’ll say it again, 65 scholarship players on the entire roster. A locker room that actually fought with coaches. I don’t think you understand what kind of mess that Napier took over.
We blew the Coastal game, but were really just playing a 10 game season. There was no way we would compete with Miss St or Bama.
Lunsford took over a team that was good and coached by an idiot. It’s not like Sommers had 3 straight losing seasons and under NCAA sanctions.
But you’re right, let’s bow down to the gnat eaters in Statesboro.
Georgia Southern was under NCAA sanctions through 2016 and 2017 too, but we’re suppose to bow down to the snail eaters in Lafayette because y’all are barely bowl eligible? Okay...
Where have you even been all season? Surprising that you Cajuns are only just now coming back to the board considering your new coach has completely re-energized your program and all
Well for the first half of the season I was in Syria....so....they don’t have great internet.