I have confidence with the talent on hand and the fact that a shake-up was required. Staff and coaching are a HUGE contributor towards team success. Yes - talent with coaching is the ultimate combo. UT now has the opportunity to strike this balance. George and Wright were marginal performers at best. UT can now reinvigorate both sides of the ball with new coaches and the latest ideas in D & O. I look forward to dramatic improvements in 2020. I liked both coaches personally but feel we can definitely do better and we will.

I believe in coach Candle and I believe he will right the ship.

The position searches for O & D coordinators will be fascinating. I'm sure there are also some awesome candidates from FCS and DII, in addition to FBS, that could vastly improve UT. THE LB hire will be critical and that it will likely be done in conjunction with the new DC's direct input.

Any names anyone would like to throw out for these positions? I'm thinking and will add my own in later posts. UT is still a DAMN good place to coach and most national coaches realize this fact and that there is talent on-hand and coming in to build around. It'll get done.

I concur with your analysis or perception, but, unless we pay someone and I mean PAY for a great coordinator, then we are limited. I'd wait until the end of the NFL Season because the unemployment line will be long and maybe we can snatch a Defensive Coordinator?

Derrick Jackson is making $200,000 at NIU.
Lou Esposito is bringing down $185,000 at WMU.
Per USA Today.

NFL coaches salaries aren't published in general, but the consensus is that coordinators make on average around $1M. Some have made a lot more than that.

CMU got Akey because he followed McElwain there from FLA, and he wasn't a coordinator in the NFL but a position coach. NFL position coaches make a lot less, but there is no guarantee a good position coach makes a good coordinator.

Pretty hard to watch the Buffalo and Kent State bowl games yesterday and not see the impact of their head coaches on the programs. Who would have thought Kent State would have moved as far as they did coming off a 2-10 season last year to finish the way they did. And they have a pretty solid QB coming back next year. Of course the Flash Fast came from the Falcon Fast under Babers at BG. The new BG coach is showing some early promise in dealing with the mess he inherited. Liepold at Buffalo has had some good success there and previously at Wisconsin Whitewater. Has beaten the Rockets 2 years straight and has not lost to Toledo in his 5 years at the helm. But he did lose to Mount Union while at W-W, then went on to win 46 straight games there. Also coached for 3 years for Frank Solich at Nebraska. Seems to have been a pretty good hire and will likely remain at Buffalo for a long time since he is now around 54 years old and not likely headed anywhere in big time programs unless he gets Buffalo to a New Years 6 bowl game sometime in the next couple of years.

And today Central goes with their seasoned head coach and very qualified assistants/coordinators. Another team that rose from the dung pile with only 1 win last year. Coaching does make a big difference. Our trajectory is not good right now. Can it change without a change in the head coach? it will be a challenge for sure.

I think the HC is more important than ever in college football

(12-21-2019 10:52 AM)MotoRocket Wrote:  Pretty hard to watch the Buffalo and Kent State bowl games yesterday and not see the impact of their head coaches on the programs. Who would have thought Kent State would have moved as far as they did coming off a 2-10 season last year to finish the way they did. And they have a pretty solid QB coming back next year. Of course the Flash Fast came from the Falcon Fast under Babers at BG. The new BG coach is showing some early promise in dealing with the mess he inherited. Liepold at Buffalo has had some good success there and previously at Wisconsin Whitewater. Has beaten the Rockets 2 years straight and has not lost to Toledo in his 5 years at the helm. But he did lose to Mount Union while at W-W, then went on to win 46 straight games there. Also coached for 3 years for Frank Solich at Nebraska. Seems to have been a pretty good hire and will likely remain at Buffalo for a long time since he is now around 54 years old and not likely headed anywhere in big time programs unless he gets Buffalo to a New Years 6 bowl game sometime in the next couple of years.

And today Central goes with their seasoned head coach and very qualified assistants/coordinators. Another team that rose from the dung pile with only 1 win last year. Coaching does make a big difference. Our trajectory is not good right now. Can it change without a change in the head coach? it will be a challenge for sure.

Kent State’s turnaround was impressive. And, they nearly beat us in the Glass Bowl. Will be interesting to see if Lewis can keep that going.

(12-22-2019 07:56 AM)bcunn3128 Wrote:  

(12-21-2019 10:52 AM)MotoRocket Wrote:  Pretty hard to watch the Buffalo and Kent State bowl games yesterday and not see the impact of their head coaches on the programs. Who would have thought Kent State would have moved as far as they did coming off a 2-10 season last year to finish the way they did. And they have a pretty solid QB coming back next year. Of course the Flash Fast came from the Falcon Fast under Babers at BG. The new BG coach is showing some early promise in dealing with the mess he inherited. Liepold at Buffalo has had some good success there and previously at Wisconsin Whitewater. Has beaten the Rockets 2 years straight and has not lost to Toledo in his 5 years at the helm. But he did lose to Mount Union while at W-W, then went on to win 46 straight games there. Also coached for 3 years for Frank Solich at Nebraska. Seems to have been a pretty good hire and will likely remain at Buffalo for a long time since he is now around 54 years old and not likely headed anywhere in big time programs unless he gets Buffalo to a New Years 6 bowl game sometime in the next couple of years.

And today Central goes with their seasoned head coach and very qualified assistants/coordinators. Another team that rose from the dung pile with only 1 win last year. Coaching does make a big difference. Our trajectory is not good right now. Can it change without a change in the head coach? it will be a challenge for sure.

Kent State’s turnaround was impressive. And, they nearly beat us in the Glass Bowl. Will be interesting to see if Lewis can keep that going.

I like Lewis. Kent won their last four games including Buffalo, Ball State and a bowl game. They have terrible facilities. They beat BG by 42. Fourteen of their sixteen 2020 signees were 3 star players. He makes half of what Candle does.