Favorite candidate not named Napier

The recruiting angle is the only one I worry about with the candidates not named Napier. Even with Napier, he has done well recruiting in the Sunbelt but it is still a guessing game whether he will do well in the SEC. Saying that, I have warmed up to Joe Judge. I think he would do well as a CEO type of coach with an emphasis on details and hard work. I would think he would be adaptable also since he isn't married to a system like Moorhead.

My other favorite is Fickell. I just don't know about Calhoun especially since he has been at Air Force for so long. Not against him but he would be further down the list for me along with Hud.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

I'd kick the tires on Dave Clawson, Bryan Harsin, and Luke Fickell. I think hiring a successful sitting HC is important bc JC can't mess this hire up. You can't gamble two times in a row. That's how you tank a program.

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This is pretty much my list as well.

I wonder if we're just courtesy interviewing B candidates as a favor to agents while we wait out Napier. You haven't heard a peep about us even trying to with guys like Satterfied or Whittingham so I wonder if Billy does pass after his game today if we'll start to hear about chasing some higher quality candidates.

Maybe we have and they've all said no, but there are about 10 guys worth kicking the tires on and seeing if you could convince him and there might be a few you go back and try to convince multiple times before you give up.

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Originally Posted by Irondawg

I wonder if we're just courtesy interviewing B candidates as a favor to agents while we wait out Napier. You haven't heard a peep about us even trying to with guys like Satterfied or Whittingham so I wonder if Billy does pass after his game today if we'll start to hear about chasing some higher quality candidates.

Maybe we have and they've all said no, but there are about 10 guys worth kicking the tires on and seeing if you could convince him and there might be a few you go back and try to convince multiple times before you give up.

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We absolutely are interviewing guys for agents, back up plans, etc. You have to do that. It also gives you cover as well but you have to do those things. But Satterfield and Whit are not on the board. Satterfield is not leaving a P5 school with a higher budget, easier road to wins, especially after just one season and kicking our rear in the bowl game. That’s not happening.

Clawson, Hud, Napier, Clark in that order

Honestly, I could get behind most (not all) of the candidates mentioned, provided one thing: we see Cohen/MSU finally open up the checkbook and commit to hiring one of the best staffs in the country. We might not be able to attract known commodity HCs like the blue bloods of the world, but we should be able to have stellar assistants by paying like a blue blood and giving them a chance to show their value with SEC-caliber athletes against SEC competition. If we aren't willing to put in the money to have a top staff, not just HC, then we'll forever experience this ebb-and-flow of coaching changes and potential setbacks when we miss on a HC hire. A great staff can help offset the learning curve for young or inexperienced coaches.

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Originally Posted by Technetium

Honestly, I could get behind most (not all) of the candidates mentioned, provided one thing: we see Cohen/MSU finally open up the checkbook and commit to hiring one of the best staffs in the country. We might not be able to attract known commodity HCs like the blue bloods of the world, but we should be able to have stellar assistants by paying like a blue blood and giving them a chance to show their value with SEC-caliber athletes against SEC competition. If we aren't willing to put in the money to have a top staff, not just HC, then we'll forever experience this ebb-and-flow of coaching changes and potential setbacks when we miss on a HC hire. A great staff can help offset the learning curve for young or inexperienced coaches.

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I agree.

For a non blue blood program like us I think we HAVE to really open the checkbook up on assistant coaches to help level the playing field.

If we are not willing to spend money like a big program, then we are not really serious about becoming one