I am going to try and keep ASU's coaching search to one thread this year. I'll keep it updated with info that comes out of ASU, plus hot names at the moment.

Our AD called coaching searches an art form today.


Facts

1. There is more interest in the ASU job this year than any other previous year. ASU is the only team in FBS to have three straight league titles on its resume, and we have 6 underclassmen who made all conference. Also, we'll be changing QB's next year, so a coach will be able to pick his guy.

2. Multiple current FBS Head coaches have applied for the position. Our AD confirmed this today.

Salary: Arkstfan mentioned today that only three D1 assistants now make 7 figure salaries. With Harsin's buyout, we can now offer 7 figures for the right coach. That means basically anyone is up for grabs.

Here is my unofficial list

Mike Norvell (Arizona State OC) Graduated from UCA, wife is from Arkansas.

Rhett Lashlee (Auburn OC) Was OC at ASU in 2012. He has not turned 30 years old yet, which is an issue, but talk is that our players want him.

Phillip Montgomery (Baylor OC) I am not sure what our odds are of poaching Montgomery, especially with Briles drawing NFL interest, but he certainly meets the qualifications for the position.

Dan Werner (Ole Miss OC) One of the Golden rules of ASU coaching searches is that we call Hugh Freeze to get his advice. Werner is a great story. He's coached at Miam and Ole Miss, but when his wife died in 2009, he left his coordinator position at Northwestern State to coach at a Mississippi area High School because he didn't want to force his elementary aged kids at the time to move.


Bruce Feldman of CBS fell for a Satirical Website's posting about Houston Nutt and actually called Nutt to see if he was interested. That was humorous.

The fans want Lashlee...

I think a more established coach like Orgeron would be the way to go after 3 straight "up and coming" coaches.

But Lashlee could be a good pick.

(12-12-2013 02:14 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  The fans want Lashlee...

I think a more established coach like Orgeron would be the way to go after 3 straight "up and coming" coaches.

But Lashlee could be a good pick.

Our AD will not go after an established coach, unless that coach is an offensive mind and is currently coaching an FBS program. Orgeron does not fit the Offensive mind qualification.

Otherwise, we'll go after a young coach and let him build his reputation here. If we win another league title and lose another head coach, oh well, we just hire another one.

I'm nominating Pete Lembo of Ball State. Had a great season, has already been turned down by Wake and UConn this year, AState can give him Harsin's salary and he'll get a $300k raise plus a free house which makes it an even better package. We typically do two cars instead of one that many places do. What's more, he already was planning to be in Mobile on January 5.

(12-12-2013 02:46 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I'm nominating Pete Lembo of Ball State. Had a great season, has already been turned down by Wake and UConn this year, AState can give him Harsin's salary and he'll get a $300k raise plus a free house which makes it an even better package. We typically do two cars instead of one that many places do. What's more, he already was planning to be in Mobile on January 5.

That would be pretty funny stuff! I wouldn't mind him, but he's not my #1. I like Montgomery & Lashlee & Norvell.

Of course people want that job, its a quick stepping stone to a big job. I hope you find another great coach who stays this time.

(12-12-2013 03:39 PM)slycat Wrote:  Of course people want that job, its a quick stepping stone to a big job. I hope you find another great coach who stays this time.

We've been getting a lot of FCS coaches calling too. I swear Willie Fritz has people working on our message board trying to get his name out there. It seems like we cant go through a coaching search without two or three newbies on our board popping up to talk about him.

We wont hire FCS though.

(12-12-2013 03:21 PM)indianE Wrote:  

(12-12-2013 02:46 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I'm nominating Pete Lembo of Ball State. Had a great season, has already been turned down by Wake and UConn this year, AState can give him Harsin's salary and he'll get a $300k raise plus a free house which makes it an even better package. We typically do two cars instead of one that many places do. What's more, he already was planning to be in Mobile on January 5.

That would be pretty funny stuff! I wouldn't mind him, but he's not my #1. I like Montgomery & Lashlee & Norvell.

Not in my top three but ya never know. The AD said that most of the $1.75 million would be spent on moving expenses for new staff. Unless we are buying guys houses in other towns, makes you wonder if he's planning on paying a buyout.

I like yall's wish list.

I was expecting to come in here and see an Orgeron lovefest.
The guy would come in to the Belt and immediately recruit the rest of us out of our shoes.

But would probably be another 1 and done if he had success.

I hadn't heard much about that Lashlee guy, but I mentioned him to my friend who is a huge Auburn fan and he started gushing about him. Sounds like an up-and-comer with a lot going for him.

But since yall are the competition, I am pulling for Skip Holtz.

Brian Van Gorder :)

(12-12-2013 05:19 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  Brian Van Gorder :)

Todd Monken.

We're going triple option baby!

Todd Monken at Southern Miss could be looking for a new gig. What was he, 1-10 or something like that in his first year at USM.

(12-12-2013 06:24 PM)GaSoEagle Wrote:  Todd Monken at Southern Miss could be looking for a new gig. What was he, 1-10 or something like that in his first year at USM.

Yes, but he won his last game with a blowout against UAB. On second thought it WAS against UAB. Nuff said.

The players wanted Hugh Freeze, and he gave us a 10 win season. Bring along Lashlee as HC and Aplin as QB coach. Let's see these kids work some magic.

If you want a Monken am sure your friends at GaSo would .....
never mind.

Arkansas State has consistently avoided the mistake that has debilitated others in this position: making "will he stay" a criteria for hiring a coach.
Pretty savvy leadership in Jonesboro.

(12-13-2013 09:31 AM)DrBox Wrote:  Arkansas State has consistently avoided the mistake that has debilitated others in this position: making "will he stay" a criteria for hiring a coach.
Pretty savvy leadership in Jonesboro.

After keeping a few coaches around for far too long, I think they finally figured it out.

Here are a couple more names that keep coming up.

Josh Heupel (Oklahoma OC) Heupel has been interested in our job before, and rumor is that he has been contacted by us again this year. Unlike many assistants who will be appearing in BCS games, he is not popular amongst our fans, who have not been a fan of Oklahoma's offense this year. We're also not sure we'd run the style offense we need to win.

Pete Lembo (Ball State HC) We originally brought this name up on our board as a joke to scare Ball State's message board of like 6 members to approve our memberships so we can talk football. However, I have it from a decent source that Lembo actually is interested in our position. He is currently only making 400K at Ball State, he has next to no budget for assistants, and the schools president does not care about football. They are also stuck in a division inhabited by NIU, meaning the best years often mean no title. He's also applied at such coaching grave yards as Wake Forrest and UConn. Is he likely? No, it would be incredibly awkward, and probably not worth the hassle for either side.

One thing I did find interesting through some research is that ASU, WKU, and ULL play more than most G5 schools do for coaches, including both Fresno State and Northern Illinois. Heck, ASU's coordinators make more per year than Todd Berry does at ULM. If any of these three schools came open, its not out of the realm of possibility to hire a current FBS head coach.

(12-13-2013 12:15 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  Here are a couple more names that keep coming up.

Josh Heupel (Oklahoma OC) Heupel has been interested in our job before, and rumor is that he has been contacted by us again this year. Unlike many assistants who will be appearing in BCS games, he is not popular amongst our fans, who have not been a fan of Oklahoma's offense this year. We're also not sure we'd run the style offense we need to win.

Pete Lembo (Ball State HC) We originally brought this name up on our board as a joke to scare Ball State's message board of like 6 members to approve our memberships so we can talk football. However, I have it from a decent source that Lembo actually is interested in our position. He is currently only making 400K at Ball State, he has next to no budget for assistants, and the schools president does not care about football. They are also stuck in a division inhabited by NIU, meaning the best years often mean no title. He's also applied at such coaching grave yards as Wake Forrest and UConn. Is he likely? No, it would be incredibly awkward, and probably not worth the hassle for either side.

One thing I did find interesting through some research is that ASU, WKU, and ULL play more than most G5 schools do for coaches, including both Fresno State and Northern Illinois. Heck, ASU's coordinators make more per year than Todd Berry does at ULM. If any of these three schools came open, its not out of the realm of possibility to hire a current FBS head coach.

Where we are lacking is staff pay and especially Western and even if we keep the head coach it makes it harder to keep the asst coaches. Even to other G5 schools. At Western our coordinators make 200k each out of the $800,000

Western is 74th in head coaches pay and 93rd in staff pay

ASU and ULL are more balanced

ASU 79th and 72

ULL 76TH AND 78

I think with the low staff pay it shows Western is getting close to a limit we can pay. At least so without a outside source bumping it up

Its going to be John Thompson