Top coaches to replace Collins.

[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.