Will Friend from Auburn ....

https://dailymemphian.com/section/sports...ill-friend

Surprised it wasn't Diehl ...

Maybe a sneaky good hire. Was the offensive line coach at Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia. Also an offensive coordinator. Maybe he can draw up better running schemes if allowed.

Sounds like a good hire

An excellent hire imo

I like the hire

Looks like a solid hire.

https://auburntigers.com/sports/football...riend/3447

(01-05-2023 06:44 PM)Crazier Wrote:  Maybe a sneaky good hire. Was the offensive line coach at Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia. Also an offensive coordinator. Maybe he can draw up better running schemes if allowed.

Those last two words will be the key. Friend at least has the background for it. We'll see how flexible RS will be.

(01-05-2023 08:35 PM)Alanda Wrote:  Looks like a solid hire.

https://auburntigers.com/sports/football...riend/3447

(01-05-2023 06:44 PM)Crazier Wrote:  Maybe a sneaky good hire. Was the offensive line coach at Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia. Also an offensive coordinator. Maybe he can draw up better running schemes if allowed.

Those last two words will be the key. Friend at least has the background for it. We'll see how flexible RS will be.

My gut tells me he will be all ears for suggestions this iteration.

(01-05-2023 08:39 PM)msu35 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 08:35 PM)Alanda Wrote:  Looks like a solid hire.

https://auburntigers.com/sports/football...riend/3447

(01-05-2023 06:44 PM)Crazier Wrote:  Maybe a sneaky good hire. Was the offensive line coach at Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia. Also an offensive coordinator. Maybe he can draw up better running schemes if allowed.

Those last two words will be the key. Friend at least has the background for it. We'll see how flexible RS will be.

My gut tells me he will be all ears for suggestions this iteration.

I hope so. Both he and Penny are learning on the job. Penny finished 5th in conference his first two years and 3rd in his last two. He won the NIT in his third year and made the NCAA tourney in his fourth so we are seeing improvement on the basketball side. RS' situation is weird. He's winning bowl games, but his conference performance is going the wrong way. From 3rd to 7th to 8th. I can't help but laugh and SMH at Navy going 4-8 and finishing higher in conference than Memphis.

(01-05-2023 07:44 PM)tcountytigerfan Wrote:  An excellent hire imo

I hope WF is an excellent hire, time will tell. Below are comments made by UGA fans , hopefully, they are wrong.


Hire away, but he was awful at UGA, left with BoBo to Colorado St. to avoid being fired, was fired at Colorado St. Pruitt was his best man, ended being fired at UT or got out and left Pruitt holding the bag, left South Carolina without ever coaching a game and is about to be fired from AU. He was an awful recruiter, signed multiple 260-70 lb guys for OL.when Kirby took over we had zero OT on the roster.

(01-05-2023 09:04 PM)Alanda Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 08:39 PM)msu35 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 08:35 PM)Alanda Wrote:  Looks like a solid hire.

https://auburntigers.com/sports/football...riend/3447

(01-05-2023 06:44 PM)Crazier Wrote:  Maybe a sneaky good hire. Was the offensive line coach at Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia. Also an offensive coordinator. Maybe he can draw up better running schemes if allowed.

Those last two words will be the key. Friend at least has the background for it. We'll see how flexible RS will be.

My gut tells me he will be all ears for suggestions this iteration.

I hope so. Both he and Penny are learning on the job. Penny finished 5th in conference his first two years and 3rd in his last two. He won the NIT in his third year and made the NCAA tourney in his fourth so we are seeing improvement on the basketball side. RS' situation is weird. He's winning bowl games, but his conference performance is going the wrong way. From 3rd to 7th to 8th. I can't help but laugh and SMH at Navy going 4-8 and finishing higher in conference than Memphis.

The 2 bowl teams he’s beaten have not been as good as the conference teams that beat him.

(01-05-2023 09:44 PM)MSU64 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 07:44 PM)tcountytigerfan Wrote:  An excellent hire imo

I hope WF is an excellent hire, time will tell. Below are comments made by UGA fans , hopefully, they are wrong.


Hire away, but he was awful at UGA, left with BoBo to Colorado St. to avoid being fired, was fired at Colorado St. Pruitt was his best man, ended being fired at UT or got out and left Pruitt holding the bag, left South Carolina without ever coaching a game and is about to be fired from AU. He was an awful recruiter, signed multiple 260-70 lb guys for OL.when Kirby took over we had zero OT on the roster.

You can always find this type of posts on anyone.
But the overall reputation of Friend is that he is a VERY good recruiter.
I actually think (no info, just a hunch) there are more changes coming on offense and that Friend will get a "bigger" title than OL Coach.

(01-06-2023 09:10 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 09:44 PM)MSU64 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 07:44 PM)tcountytigerfan Wrote:  An excellent hire imo

I hope WF is an excellent hire, time will tell. Below are comments made by UGA fans , hopefully, they are wrong.


Hire away, but he was awful at UGA, left with BoBo to Colorado St. to avoid being fired, was fired at Colorado St. Pruitt was his best man, ended being fired at UT or got out and left Pruitt holding the bag, left South Carolina without ever coaching a game and is about to be fired from AU. He was an awful recruiter, signed multiple 260-70 lb guys for OL.when Kirby took over we had zero OT on the roster.

You can always find this type of posts on anyone.
But the overall reputation of Friend is that he is a VERY good recruiter.
I actually think (no info, just a hunch) there are more changes coming on offense and that Friend will get a "bigger" title than OL Coach.

The guy has been around though. Not sure if that is a good thing or a sign of something else. Or is just the coaching profession? His stops have not been at winning programs. But the Tigers needed a change at OL so hopefully he works out well.

When WF was at Colorado State his salary was 500K and 700K at Auburn. Does anyone know how much his salary be at Memphis?

(01-06-2023 10:07 AM)tigerlands Wrote:  

(01-06-2023 09:10 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 09:44 PM)MSU64 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 07:44 PM)tcountytigerfan Wrote:  An excellent hire imo

I hope WF is an excellent hire, time will tell. Below are comments made by UGA fans , hopefully, they are wrong.


Hire away, but he was awful at UGA, left with BoBo to Colorado St. to avoid being fired, was fired at Colorado St. Pruitt was his best man, ended being fired at UT or got out and left Pruitt holding the bag, left South Carolina without ever coaching a game and is about to be fired from AU. He was an awful recruiter, signed multiple 260-70 lb guys for OL.when Kirby took over we had zero OT on the roster.

You can always find this type of posts on anyone.
But the overall reputation of Friend is that he is a VERY good recruiter.
I actually think (no info, just a hunch) there are more changes coming on offense and that Friend will get a "bigger" title than OL Coach.

The guy has been around though. Not sure if that is a good thing or a sign of something else. Or is just the coaching profession? His stops have not been at winning programs. But the Tigers needed a change at OL so hopefully he works out well.

Averaging about 3 years a stop - such is the life of a coach. Looking at his resume, he had a good run with Richt at UGA and with Bobo at Colorado State (as offensive coordinator). His last 2 stops have not gone well with Pruitt at UTK and with Harsin at Auburn. Of course, those were 2 bad HC hires, and were never going to succeed. But to get the jobs he's had, speaks pretty highly - UAB, UGA, Col St, UTK, Auburn.

Still haven't heard the university or Friend confirm this. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he's the hire. John Martin broke the story and the CA & DM ran with it. We know they are never wrong, lol. Just weird that the university hasn't released it. The university released the Larry Smith hiring almost as quickly as the media reported it.

(01-06-2023 10:57 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(01-06-2023 10:07 AM)tigerlands Wrote:  

(01-06-2023 09:10 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 09:44 PM)MSU64 Wrote:  

(01-05-2023 07:44 PM)tcountytigerfan Wrote:  An excellent hire imo

I hope WF is an excellent hire, time will tell. Below are comments made by UGA fans , hopefully, they are wrong.


Hire away, but he was awful at UGA, left with BoBo to Colorado St. to avoid being fired, was fired at Colorado St. Pruitt was his best man, ended being fired at UT or got out and left Pruitt holding the bag, left South Carolina without ever coaching a game and is about to be fired from AU. He was an awful recruiter, signed multiple 260-70 lb guys for OL.when Kirby took over we had zero OT on the roster.

You can always find this type of posts on anyone.
But the overall reputation of Friend is that he is a VERY good recruiter.
I actually think (no info, just a hunch) there are more changes coming on offense and that Friend will get a "bigger" title than OL Coach.

The guy has been around though. Not sure if that is a good thing or a sign of something else. Or is just the coaching profession? His stops have not been at winning programs. But the Tigers needed a change at OL so hopefully he works out well.

Averaging about 3 years a stop - such is the life of a coach. Looking at his resume, he had a good run with Richt at UGA and with Bobo at Colorado State (as offensive coordinator). His last 2 stops have not gone well with Pruitt at UTK and with Harsin at Auburn. Of course, those were 2 bad HC hires, and were never going to succeed. But to get the jobs he's had, speaks pretty highly - UAB, UGA, Col St, UTK, Auburn.

Still haven't heard the university or Friend confirm this. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he's the hire. John Martin broke the story and the CA & DM ran with it. We know they are never wrong, lol. Just weird that the university hasn't released it. The university released the Larry Smith hiring almost as quickly as the media reported it.

Does he have more freedom to do certain things like recruiting if he isn't officially tied to a school?
I know that used to be a thing, but I'm not really sure if it still is now.

He could be going to Miss State now

Friend now going to Miss St according to FootballScoop.

WTH???

(01-06-2023 04:26 PM)k2tigers Wrote:  Friend now going to Miss St according to FootballScoop.

WTH???

Mike Bobo OC - huge pay gap between Memphis and SEC coaches pay

Knew something was off on this. Glad we didn't hire Bobo, anyway. Good luck Miss Stake.

Another item for the John Martin bio...Right there with the "0%" comment on Austin Nichols.