(10-29-2024 01:12 PM)Ourland Wrote: (10-29-2024 12:55 PM)westsidewolf1989 Wrote: As others have said, the main priority is something that can win very quickly, whether it is with the current players or a slew of transfers. We cannot approach this hiring from a 2017 mindset, where Bloom was going to be given a long leash, build a program, etc. I'd offer a guaranteed (except to fire for cause) three-year deal (not five) that has a one-year extension option at the university's discretion. Whether we need to have a payment due to the coach if we don't exercise the option is something I'd have to think more about. Pay him a large salary and have massive incentive bonuses. If he can't hit two bowls in three years and a 8 or 9 season, kick him to the curb and do it all over again. He gets money and we get a fresh start without muddling our way through another 2, 3, 4-win "progress" type of coach. The amount of time we wasted keeping Bloom employed beyond 2021 (I'll give everyone a mulligan during the 2020 COVID season) is simply insane.
As a litmus test, I and others would be concerned if the coaching candidates don't ask questions about the university's level of commitment to reach bowl games, conference championships, etc.
Good post. I'm happy to hear that Holz wouldn't be interested, and my feeling is that McClelland will want to go into a completely different direction anyway. Holz is old, and so is Keeler. This job is going to take energy.
I don't know much about coaching contracts, but I know enough to realize that the cushy contract given to Bloomgren won't work. It didn't demand enough in results. A 6-6 record and bowl loss isn't enough by any standard, even at Rice, but it was enough for Leebron and Karlgaard.
I wouldn't have a problem with Coach Nextup getting a four-year contract that's loaded with incentives. If he can't get real results by the end of year three, buy out the last year, and move on. Long-term rebuilds are a thing of the past. Three seasons is a realistic amount of time to turn a program around now. That's the only good thing about the portal.
The bolded sentence stuck out to me.
Coach: "Are you committed to reach bowl games, conference championships, etc.?"
University hiring admin: "Yeah, we are committed to reach bowl games, conference championships, etc."
Coach: "Okay."
University hiring admin: "Okay."
University: "Are you committed?"
Coach: "Yeah."
University: "Good enough for us."
That is meaningless unless specific questions are asked and answered on both sides, instead of meaningless phrases and word salads.
Something along the lines of:
Coach: "How much additional real money (not in-kind balance-sheet maneuverings) I mean actual university budget line-items, not additional fuind-raised goals, but today's university dollars in cold, hard cash are you willing to invest in each of the following areas with specific enumerated additional increased dollar amounts for each:
+ assistant coaching salaries broken down specifically by each position
+ In-state recruiting
+ out-of-state recruiting
+ specific additional facilities we both enumerate and agree upon
+ additional transportation budgets
+ additional increase in marketing budget, including specific measures broken down granularly of new marketing outreach programs with dollar amounts for each above and beyond what is being spent now, which is the baseline expenditure
+ new corporate sponsorships in and specifically for athletics in general and football in particular
+ new corporate endowments for specific additional positions
+ specific dollar amount increase for student attendance/promotion with the goal of getting regular attendance of 75% to 80% of student body at football games (free food/student tailgating (non-alcohol), student swag and clothing giveaways every week, student pre-game and in-game contests prize money, et cetera...
+ specific dollar amount increase for general public attendance/promotion with the goal of getting regular attendance of increase of 75% to 100% or more, not including student body each year at football games (free food/ tailgating (non-alcohol), student swag and clothing giveaways every week, pre-game and in-game contests prize money, et cetera...
University: "We are committed to these specific dollar amount increases in each of those areas broken down granularaly by category: $________________.00"
Coach: "You willing to put that in writing?"
University: "Yes, we are. It will be part of your contract."
University: "Coach, specifically, how many wins minimum are you willing to commit to in writing each year for a three-year contract, with university option for fourth, and are you willing to be fired for not being in conference championship game by Year 3?"
Coach: "well, gee, um, I, uh..."
University: "NEXT!"
Actual football coach answer: "If I am not in the conference championship game by Year 3 , fire me!"
Actual football coach answer: "If Rice is not in the Top 25 by Year 5, fire me!"
Even Vanderbilt made the Top 25, along with Army
and Navy this season so far. If they can, we can. get a coach who is willing to commit to it and put his own job security on the line for it. Pay him an average Div I coaching salary to do it, not the bottom-level salary. Pay his assistants. With NIL nowadays, the concerns about cheating are now markedly reduced. All the funny business is more out in the open.
Find a coach who will take what he has and create schemes (a la ruowls) to make them successful, not stick to a specific, rigid offense scheme that may or may not work here. Open up the game and score, score, score! To heck with TOP. Run and shoot. Give fans something to watch. Get a DEFENSIVE-minded coach who will shut other teams down like we just saw Vandy do to Alabama. NIL-pay the best kicker in the country to play at Rice. That should be a no-brainer.
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Moving on from Moving on?...the Next Rice Football Head Coach: Scott Abell
RE: Moving on...the Next Rice Football Head Coach 
