Top coaches to replace Collins.

[Thick]

Go!!

[msstate7]

Bill Clark and Ed o as co-def cood's

[jumbo]

Promote Turner to DC, bring in Orgeron as DL coach/co-dc.

[ShotgunDawg]

Manny Diaz

[FlabLoser]

Orgeron all day, everyday. Good at defense and recruting would take a big step up.

[solodawg]

I hope Manny never comes back...The guy never liked Starkville and was looking for a way to get out before he got here..

[HailState39110]

Go!!

Bring the Wildboyz to Starkville!! come on down Ed Orgeron

[bulldawg28]

Deshea Townsend we could run the Steelers defense.

[Thick]

Don't forget, Collins coached the LBs too, so we need a good position coach as well.

[NCDawg]

Orgeron all day, everyday. Good at defense and recruting would take a big step up.

I agree with this, but Turner to DC and Orgeron to DL coach seems pretty good, too. If all else fails, bring back Manny Diaz.

[starkvegasdawg]

Somebody that thinks 1B is the most dumbass thing they have ever heard of in their life.

[Thick]

I really don't care for Manny. We gave him his opportunity, and he left us. No ill will, just not somebody that would stay long in my opinion.

[thedawg]

Eddie O aint coming for the DL job... He would only listen to DC job.. I dont think there is any question he could coach Line backers if need be..

[Thick]

If O can coach LBs......no contest pay him 1.25-1.5mm as DC and head of recruiting.

[Irondawg]

Why does everyone assume O has any clue about overall game planning scheme? Yeah he could be a great recruiting asset but can he game-plan and call a D?

[thedawg]

Ed Orgeron has coached Linebacker one year early in his career.... David Turner has coached linebackers for two years early in his career... Both have been around a long long time and understand how to coach defense. I would think if you can get Orgeron its a no brainer

[campshelbydog]

Why does everyone assume O has any clue about overall game planning scheme? Yeah he could be a great recruiting asset but can he game-plan and call a D?

He was the defensive playcaller at Ole Miss for at least one year according to one of my Ole Miss friends.

[AFDawg]

Im calling Ed O and Bill Clark. Also I'm calling Tyson Summers at UCF. They were 3 in total D and 9 in scoring D this year.

http://www.ucfknights.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/summers_tyson00.html

[Really Clark?]

Why does everyone assume O has any clue about overall game planning scheme? Yeah he could be a great recruiting asset but can he game-plan and call a D?

^^This^^

Blows my mind and has been discussed adnausem. Name one defense he has ever ran? And he didn't run USC's defense last year either for those who thinks he did. UM he started off as the HC/DC but that got worse every year even with NFL talent on defense and was more of a group game effort with his assitance coaches. I don't care if you want to bring him in for recruiting and DL but that will require other moves along the staff.

[HancockCountyDog]

Why does everyone assume O has any clue about overall game planning scheme? Yeah he could be a great recruiting asset but can he game-plan and call a D?

This x10000.

Being able to recruit and being able to come up with a defensive gameplan, and more importantly, adjust that gameplan during the game are key. Coach O has shown almost no ability to do that. Also , he is looking for a HC gig after turning down over a million to stay at USC.

[msstate7]

This x10000.

Being able to recruit and being able to come up with a defensive gameplan, and more importantly, adjust that gameplan during the game are key. Coach O has shown almost no ability to do that. Also , he is looking for a HC gig after turning down over a million to stay at USC.

I would think usc was personal. He thought he deserved the HC job and wasn't staying there for anything less.

[AFDawg]

David Gibbs at Houston would be a good interview. 19th in total D and 11th in scoring D. Coached at Auburn and in the NFL. I'm just basing the interview off the numbers, though. I don't know their style of play.

[MetEdDawg]

Im on the Bill Clark train. Coached a lot of HS football in Alabama, was the DC at USA, HC of Jacksonville State and took them to 11-4 with a quarterfinals loss, and got UAB to 6-6 and bowl eligible for the first time in a decade.

One more bowl eligible year at UAB and I think he could have taken a low level BCS job. He's good and he's got a lot of connections in Alabama and I think is just an overall good coach.

[cheewgumm]

I'd hire Orgeron.

I bet he can coach D.we know he can recruit. It would really help in recruiting, specifically sfainst Ole Miss. IMO.

Is be calling him thus AM.

[Statefan]

Im on the Bill Clark train. Coached a lot of HS football in Alabama, was the DC at USA, HC of Jacksonville State and took them to 11-4 with a quarterfinals loss, and got UAB to 6-6 and bowl eligible for the first time in a decade.

One more bowl eligible year at UAB and I think he could have taken a low level BCS job. He's good and he's got a lot of connections in Alabama and I think is just an overall good coach.

I also think he would be an excellent hire, but wouldn't we just find ourselves in this same position in a couple of years?

[HoopsCoach21]

Bo Pelini??

[MetEdDawg]

I also think he would be an excellent hire, but wouldn't we just find ourselves in this same position in a couple of years?

That's life at the top which is where we want to be. Assistants get promoted or move to higher paying jobs. Hopefully that's what our life becomes because at some point if we continue to do well, we will have our coordinators looked at for HC jobs. I'm ok with that because that means we are competing every year.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

Call Bill Clark & keep the train moving. He's an excellent coach & he would also keep & maybe even improve the Bama pipeline that Collins started.

[Smitty]

Bo Pelini??

Yes, please. Let's step the **** up here. Hire Pelini AND O

[BLITZII]

Manny Diaz

No absolute not....Manny had his chance and jumped ship as soon as he got another offer. Now, you cannot blame Manny since it was Texas and a sizeable pay increase.

Hell, his defensive ineptitude is what got him FIRED at Texas.

[ShotgunDawg]

I also think he would be an excellent hire, but wouldn't we just find ourselves in this same position in a couple of years?

You can't make hires with that in mind. You always have to hire the best guy, and keep doing that. If they leave, they leave.

[War Machine Dawg]

Yaw Yaw Footbaw. The man can flat coach some D and recruit. Plus it would be hilarious watching the BearSharks reaction to us hiring him

[Political Hack]

If we end up with O or Pellini or Clark, it would be an upgrade. Collins is great, but these guys would bring some thump.

[chainedup_Dawg]

I really hope we go after Clark. Screw calling him, get in the friggin car and drive to him.

[Statefan]

You can't make hires with that in mind. You always have to hire the best guy, and keep doing that. If they leave, they leave.

I agree with that, it is just hard for me to envision how we can get any type of continuity from a DC for more than a year or two. Hopefully the SEC TV money eventually allows us to bump up assistants' salaries across the board to negate this problem

[FreeBoosie]

I would be all in on Clark. My only concern is that he is 2 years from Alabama state Teachers pension. Does anyone know if taking a job out of the state would mess that up? I have heard this is the reason he is hesitant on taking any non-Alabama based jobs.

[Really Clark?]

Bill Clark is a good one to talk to, Chizik very good DC and recruiter, very long shot but call Pat Narduzzi to see if he wants out of Dantonio's shadow and big pay raise, Barry Odom at Memphis worth a call before he decides on Arkansas.

[MetEdDawg]

I would be all in on Clark. My only concern is that he is 2 years from Alabama state Teachers pension. Does anyone know if taking a job out of the state would mess that up? I have heard this is the reason he is hesitant on taking any non-Alabama based jobs.

He should already be vested. He coached high school in AL for 10 straight years. Then was at USA, Jax State, and UAB for another 7 years. He's already vested I believe. Not sure how that works if you stay at the college level and how that affects retirement. But he's got a HS mindset. He needs to have a college mindset. He's going to get millions of dollars over the next 5-10 years. He should be able to coach well for the next 10 years at least, bank a good portion of that, and not have to worry about being vested or pension.

[thedawg]

on the state pension he can basically put that on hold.... He can always come back and do two more years... With the amount of money we are going to pay him I certainly think he could justify it

[maroonmania]

Man, looking at the list of names thrown out so far, I'm feeling even worse about losing Collins.

[War Machine Dawg]

Man, looking at the list of names thrown out so far, I'm feeling even worse about losing Collins.

You're crazy. Good DCs are a dime a dozen, quite honestly. And Pelini & Chizik have proven to be elite DCs, should we choose to go after them. My guess is Pelini will be after a HC gig, though. The guy never won fewer than 9 games, for crying out loud. And we know O can coach some D and recruit. He did a damn good job as interim HC at USC, and frankly, deserved at least an interview for the permanent HC gig. He's definitely grown as a coach since he was at TSUN, which some people here can't seem to comprehend.

[RougeDawg]

Somebody that thinks 1B is the most dumbass thing they have ever heard of in their life.

^^This^^. Whoever the f*ck it is, we need to get it completed soon. We will have recruits waivering and other teams poaching more than usual. Stick had to of had some feeling that this was possible and should have a short list of candidates. If we drag this process our it will show that Strick was unprepared yet again.

[engie]

And we know O can coach some D
How do we know this?

[StThierry]

^^This^^. Whoever the f*ck it is, we need to get it completed soon. We will have recruits waivering and other teams poaching more than usual. Stick had to of had some feeling that this was possible and should have a short list of candidates. If we drag this process our it will show that Strick was unprepared yet again.

Strick doesn't hire the assistant coaches. It will be on Dan

[FISHDAWG]

No absolute not....Manny had his chance and jumped ship as soon as he got another offer. Now, you cannot blame Manny since it was Texas and a sizeable pay increase.

Hell, his defensive ineptitude is what got him FIRED at Texas.

and just exactly who have we had that didn't jump ship (aside from JLD)

[Thick]

Pelini and Chizik really would not be bad at all. Well according to several on this board, Dan would have to be willing to turn over the defensive strategy and playcalling, which means any former HCs could never work under Dan. Pelini and Chizik are not happening.

[Prentis]

JOE LEE DUNN!!!!!!

[Irondawg]

1) Barry Odom (Memphis)
2) David Gibbs (Houston)
3) Bill Clark (UAB)
4) Kevin Steele (Bama)
5) Gene Chizik (SEC network)
6) DJ Durkin (FL)
7) Coach O

Wouldn't shock me if we didn't talk to all of these guys. I really like what Odom has done at Memphis. Durkin is a young up and comer but hard to tell how much of that was Muschamp and how much of the FL D was really influenced by Durkin. Wouldn't take too much effort to figure it out though.

O gives a recruiting boost but doesn't have DC experience really. Honestly I think anybody on the list above would make a good and defensable hire.

[mparkerfd20]

Why is everyone so high on Bill Clark? He's been a HC and was a DC for South Alabama. He's hardly had any DC experience with a real Power 5 school. He may be great, but there's better out there for sure.

[MabenMaroon]

Why is everyone so high on Bill Clark? He's been a HC and was a DC for South Alabama. He's hardly had any DC experience with a real Power 5 school. He may be great, but there's better out there for sure.

One really nice thing about Clark would be his relationship with the HS coaches in Alabama, he is very well respected among his former colleagues and of course knows the area and people like the back of his hand. That being said, the UCF DC is very intriguing.

[Really Clark?]

Here is a name with a tie to Mullen. Chuck Heater DC at Marshall. Doubt he leaves West Virginia but he has had a good recruiting reputation. Older guy though and may be at his last job with his buddy Doc Holiday. But he has done a really good job there and is respected coach.

[Really Clark?]

One really nice thing about Clark would be his relationship with the HS coaches in Alabama, he is very well respected among his former colleagues and of course knows the area and people like the back of his hand. That being said, the UCF DC is very intriguing.

Hasn't the UCF DC only been there one year? He does have Alabama and Georgia ties.

[MetEdDawg]

One really nice thing about Clark would be his relationship with the HS coaches in Alabama, he is very well respected among his former colleagues and of course knows the area and people like the back of his hand. That being said, the UCF DC is very intriguing.

This all day long. Bill Clark knows Alabama and we are making huge in roads there at the high school level. That would be especially beneficial for this class with guys like Smitherman, Mixon, Payne, and a few others.

Plus he's been a SUCCESSFUL HC everywhere he's been that was on his way up. 1 year at Jacksonville State and they go 11-4 and make the quarterfinals. One year at UAB and he gets them bowl eligible for the first time in a decade. Don't care that it was at UAB or Jacksonville State. He's been successful everywhere he's been and that to me is what matters here.

I will agree that Tyson Summers has me intrigued as well. He's been at Troy, Georgia, Georgia Southern, UAB, and now UCF. He's young and has experience coaching LBs. I think it could be a very good fit.

[Irondawg]

Yep, add summers to my list - he's worth looking hard at as well

[GTHOM]

If we get can Pelini he should be number 1 on the list, saw on twitter he was going to youngstown state, hope not. Outside of him I like Orgeron, Odom from memphis, Bill Clark. I dont know a whole lot about any of the other names you guys posted except Joe Lee Dunn that would be epic

[FISHDAWG]

If we get can Pelini he should be number 1 on the list, saw on twitter he was going to youngstown state, hope not. Outside of him I like Orgeron, Odom from memphis, Bill Clark. I dont know a whole lot about any of the other names you guys posted except Joe Lee Dunn that would be epic

nobody could ever accuse Joe Lee Dunn of a bend but don't break defense

[GTHOM]

nobody could ever accuse Joe Lee Dunn of a bend but don't break defense

Hell no. is he still coaching?

[maroonmania]

You're crazy. Good DCs are a dime a dozen, quite honestly. And Pelini & Chizik have proven to be elite DCs, should we choose to go after them. My guess is Pelini will be after a HC gig, though. The guy never won fewer than 9 games, for crying out loud. And we know O can coach some D and recruit. He did a damn good job as interim HC at USC, and frankly, deserved at least an interview for the permanent HC gig. He's definitely grown as a coach since he was at TSUN, which some people here can't seem to comprehend.

Well first, as someone else has said, I don't really think a Pellini or Chizik is even realistic. Second, if good DCs are so easy to find why have 2 of Mullen's 4 DC hires been HORRIBLE (Torbush and Wilson). Statistically Collins went backwards this year for sure but I still think he is a very good DC and no I don't have absolute confidence that we will hire someone as good or better. And beyond that I'm getting sick of going through the DC merry go round every year or two. It would be nice to have a little continuity on that side of the ball for a change.

[Tbonewannabe]

Bring the Wildboyz to Starkville!! come on down Ed Orgeron

Just ripped off my shirt and spun it around my head like a helicopter. Side note: I got some funny looks at work.

[Dawgfan77]

Promote Turner to DC, bring in Orgeron as DL coach/co-dc.
Not a smart move if this occurs.

[NCDawg]

Man, looking at the list of names thrown out so far, I'm feeling even worse about losing Collins.

I think Collins is a good coach, but after the Ole Miss game, I'm not devastated about seeing him go (although I know it was not all his fault).

[basedog]

To me, Collins has a soft personality and so did our defense. I also think you have to have thick skin to work with Mullen and that ain't all bad! We definitely back peddle on defense with more talent this past year.

[thunderclap]

I think Collins is a good coach, but after the Ole Miss game, I'm not devastated about seeing him go (although I know it was not all his fault).

I'm still trying to figure out from which file cabinet we dug out the Chris Wilson Oxford game plan. Or why.

[Mjoelner34]

Realistic expectations or not, I think the Pelini talk can stop. Reports are that he is going to be the new head coach of Youngstown State.

[hells bells]

Where is Manny? Mixed on this due to how he left. Wifey does not like Starkvegas either does she?

[Dawgface]

Somebody that thinks 1B is the most dumbass thing they have ever heard of in their life.

Lol. Good one.

[Mjoelner34]

Where is Manny? Mixed on this due to how he left. Wifey does not like Starkvegas either does she?

That was the main reason he left from what I heard at the time. I wonder what she thinks about the nightlife and social life in Ruston? LOL

[Really Clark?]

That was the main reason he left from what I heard at the time. I wonder what she thinks about the nightlife and social life in Ruston? LOL

I think the MAIN reason was it was Texas and a bump in pay. Rumor was she didn't like Starkville but it wasn't the main reason he left.

[Todd4State]

That was the main reason he left from what I heard at the time. I wonder what she thinks about the nightlife and social life in Ruston? LOL

What goes around comes around.

[Beaver]

FWIW...Jonathan Banks tweeted at Dan Mullen "So we bringing back @Coach_MannyDiaz?"

[TrapGame]

I think Manny has been humbled a good bit. He left for Texas and wound up at Ruston. The grass ain't always greener. I think if given the chance Manny would come back with renewed vigor ready to coach a damn good SEC level defense.

Just as long as he doesn't do that 1b shit.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

What's the infatuation with Diaz? I don't think he's that good & the #'s pretty much prove it.

[Bothrops]

I don't know about Manny, he's still young and learning. I'm just glad I'm not Dan at the moment. With four DCs in and out in a short time, this hire needs to be perfect and that don't exist.

[Bothrops]

What's the infatuation with Diaz? I don't think he's that good & the #'s pretty much prove it.

I think I might agree here.

[CadaverDawg]

What's the infatuation with Diaz? I don't think he's that good & the #'s pretty much prove it.

Totally agree. I will be severely disappointed if we hire Diaz back.

[HSVDawg]

What's the infatuation with Diaz? I don't think he's that good & the #'s pretty much prove it.

^This.

Forget whether or not his wife liked Starkville or whether he would leave again. Why is everyone overlooking that his defense at Texas completely sucked ass, or that his defense at MSU was mediocre at best considering the number of future NFL players he had to work with?

[maroonmania]

How about a guy like Barry Odom at Memphis? I thought he did a heck of a job there. Only thing is he is a secondary coach as well and not a LB coach.

[War Machine Dawg]

Totally agree. I will be severely disappointed if we hire Diaz back.


^This.

Forget whether or not his wife liked Starkville or whether he would leave again. Why is everyone overlooking that his defense at Texas completely sucked ass, or that his defense at MSU was mediocre at best considering the number of future NFL players he had to work with?

http://i.imgur.com/xHFRtju.gif

[Ralph]

This made me laugh for some reason.


1) Barry Odom (Memphis)
2) David Gibbs (Houston)
3) Bill Clark (UAB)
4) Kevin Steele (Bama)
5) Gene Chizik (SEC network)
6) DJ Durkin (FL)
7) Coach O

[C222]

What's the infatuation with Diaz? I don't think he's that good & the #'s pretty much prove it.

And we had like 6 NFL guys on that D.