I didn't see it already posted here. What a day of news in college football. Personally, I think college football is losing one of the great ones in Spurrier.
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/10/12/9016595/steve-spurri...
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Being reported that an interim coach to be named tomorrow morning, so the retirement is basically immediate.
http://footballscoop.com/news/report-steve-spurrier-to-retire/
http://www.gamecocksonline.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ga_mangus_400188.html
G. A. Mangus will be the interim coach.
QB and TE coach? He should come here, those are the same thing
*Crosses fingers* Please no posts relating this to Frank, please no posts relating this to Frank....
His son is an assistant coach. Helluva lot of similarities.
He said please.
Hell, uva - lot of similarities
ftfy
Man I hope they get him on Gameday or something ASAP.
Just as long as he continues to do Hatin A$$ Spurrier!!!
Yes, he's very skilled in that column that he writes!
He will be missed. At one point, he was truly hated. Now he's reverred.
Crazy how many of the great old coaches rarely seem to go out on good terms recently.
So there are openings at:
USC
SCAR
Maryland
And very possible/likely openings at:
Miami
UVA
Arkansas
Purdue
UGA
Syracuse
Rutgers
Kansas
Iowa State
There's going to be plenty of competition for head coaches if Frank/Whit decide it is time for change here.
Yeah, will be an interesting off-season to say the least
It makes it a buyer's market for head coaches, to some degree.
I have to wonder if this won't factor into Whit's timetable.
And, here comes the Bud to ________ rumors.
Also, maybe some recruits are now back in play.
Bud to MERRYLAND is the one I fully expect to be the biggest.
He should jump if he can. I expect they go after a HC with experience at a lower level. Fleck?
If Richt becomes available, he's a great fit for a lot of places. He played at Miami but that seems like a weird fit these days. Could stabilize Arkansas. UVA would be a good fit with that southern gentleman persona. But VT might the best fit for Richt.
USCw should pursue Whittingham or Harsin hard if they can't get chip Kelly.
USCe wants Strong and that might be a good move for him now. I wonder if they can get TCUs Patterson? Maybe they hold Petrino as a fallback option?
Richt ain't going anywhere. UGA is ranked in the top five -- in football revenue.
And the fans are on edge. Saying he can't win the big games. I'd say there's some warmth to his seat...
It's a reasonable assumption, but in this instance it's not correct.
Don't forget North Texas and UCF.
In that kind of a list we would be a top 5 coaching job, minimum. And if you factor in recruiting area and ease of path to playoff, you could make a legitimate argument for Top 2.
I agree that VT would be towards the top of the list.
I'd buy top 5. Not top 2. USC, SCAR, UGA, and Miami are all really attractive jobs. VT is a great candidate but I think we're all wearing our O&M glasses if we think we're top 2
Miami is not that great of a job. Their stadium is off campus and their fan support sucks. Plus, being in a pro city doesn't help.
rich recruiting ground plus all that tradition and all them rangz
But I thought their finances are rather mediocre, which does not allow them to pay top dollar for a coach.
Correct
Yea, who could ever forget this...
Boatz and Hoez!
I don't think that's something coaches care that much about. They just want to win, and typically prefer the easiest route to a win. Recruiting at Miami is a breeze. Any coach with half a brain should be able to win at least 9 games a season there. Recruits will always want to go there - it's the U, and as much as we hate to say it, they will always have that aura about them.
Miami has no money. That in and of itself is a big problem. Financially, they are an absolute mess right now and its not getting any better. They're not making money off of football, and their stadium situation isn't exactly great. Even when they have good teams, they haven't been able to pack in Sun Life over the last 5 years or so, and this problem only compounds itself as the local recruits are going elsewhere. You're right in that it should be easy to recruit to Miami, but that is no longer the case. Their facilities just aren't very good, and they don't have the money to bring them up to speed. That is a school very much getting left behind by the evolving nature of collegiate athletics.
Football coaches want to win. Miami's CURRENT recruiting class is ranked 11 on 247 sports after years of mediocrity. They've got championships.
You get to live in South Florida.
It's a good job.
Not as good as VT, of course...
I stand by what I said.... Payroll will not be a limiting factor in our coaching search. If it was, it would have shown up in basketball, where we were busy paying off 2 other coaches as well as the future hire. The fact we went big in that sport, in a sport where we lose money annually, pretty much solidifies that we'll go as big as we need to with our football salary to remain relevant.
So if you take price out of the equation, what makes us attractive over those other schools (SCar, UGa) is what I said earlier, the closeness to a recruiting hotbed, and the ease at which you can contend for National Titles. Until we are in an age where 2 teams from the same conference are routinely making the playoff, selling an SEC job is going to be a hard sell for a while (as will be the Big Ten in not too long). So many good teams play in that conference that it can be argued that winning there would be tougher than winning a National Title elsewhere. And if you don't win a National Title at the likes of SCar or UGa, you're going to be run out of town in short order. At VT, you get that good recruiting base to work out of, and you're in a position where you are the name-wise top dog in your division, and should have a fairly easy path to the ACC title game every year. Win that game and you're a better than average shot of making the playoff.
VT offers a stable and rich local recruiting base, a rabid fanbase that will travel, a stadium that is regarded as one of the toughest in the nation to visit when the fans are invested and involved, a good salary, and is located in a division and conference that has playoff potential on a silver platter. Really, the only school in that list that provides a better opportunity is Southern Cal (and Texas, should Strong get the boot).
I'll agree with USCe, but not UGA. UGA has better recruiting than VT, and easy enough path in the SEC East, and state of the art everything.
UGA is has all of these things. Plus, I think it takes a lot for an SEC team to not get into the playoff. I think the only way the SEC doesn't get a team in is if all other 4 conference champions are undefeated. Additionally, Miami has all of those things except the fan base. But as I said above, I believe some coaches are unfazed by that.
No, I agree... but to get to the playoff, at UGa, you'll have to get through Bama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, LSU, Tennessee... At VT you'll have to get through Clemson and FSU, and in most years, you'll only play one of them, in the title game.
Much, much easier path to success at VT than UGa.
And I disagree about Miami. They are a national has-been. That is a school desperately trying to cling to the nature of college sports from the 90s not realizing the game has passed them by. They are recruiting players right now in high school that weren't alive the last time they played for something meaningful. And they are having a hell of a time trying to even establish themselves as annual Coastal contenders.
But UGa only has to play Auburn every year. They are basically in the same boat as VT in regards to cross-divisional schedules. Auburn may be better than BC, but that hasn't always been the case. Theoretically, in a 14 team conference, they should play Bama and LSU about as often as VT plays FSU and Clemson, the exceptions being conference Championship games. The other teams in the SEC West aren't exactly perennial powerhouses, better that the rest of the ACC Atlantic for sure, but not significantly enough to skew a coaching decision. Besides, the playoff actually makes it easier for a one-loss team to get in. Lose an SEC game during the regular season, but win out and win the SEC Championship and you're guaranteed a spot. Being in the SEC may be harder, but it also brings with it more leeway from the playoff committee.
The biggest difference is the SEC badge that gets sewn onto the jersey. That brings with it more television revenue, national exposure, and advantages in recruiting. It brings more money, period. You have to pay a lot more for a coach in the SEC to keep pace with other coach salaries than you do in the ACC. Whit may be willing to open the checkbook, but he isn't going to throw away money that he doesn't have to.
UGa also doesn't have to worry about losing some top in-state recruits to another in-state program.
I also don't buy the idea that coaches pick a job based on how easy their schedule will be or how easy of a path to the Playoffs they may see. Good coaches have confidence in themselves and think they can win on the biggest stage and want the best challenges for their team. I'm not sure I want a coach who chooses VT because we present and "easier" way.
Alum07 wrote: And I disagree about Miami. They are a national has-been. That is a school desperately trying to cling to the nature of college sports from the 90s not realizing the game has passed them by. They are recruiting players right now in high school that weren't alive the last time they played for something meaningful.
That may be true, but I would point to a) It's in Miami, and b) Their current class is rated #11, with 9 four-start recruits.
Echoing what VTkey said above, but Miami is a school that is never completely out of it. Go up to any high school recruit and ask them if they know the U. Ask them what school Michael Irvine went to. Ask them where Ray Lewis went. Ed Reed. The players they are recruiting now may not have watch Miami win anything, but they've seen plenty of their alumni not just win in the NFL, but go into the hall of fame. That, combined with the available recruits, is enough of a basis to rebuild an average ACC school into in a playoff team.
The very possible list will keep expanding. We avg about 25 head coaching changes a season in the last 4 years
ISU coach isn't going anywhere. They don't have the money to buy him out of that stupid 10yr/$20mm contract after his impressive 6-7 record in 2012. Plus people in Ames don't give a shit about the football team as long as the bball team continues to kick ass.
IMO, these jobs, in order from most to least attractive (falsely assuming that all school can afford similar salaries):
Although, I'm not convinced UGA, VT, UVA, Purdue, or Arkansas will be available next year. USC is tricky for two reasons - We don't know the status of Pat Haden, AND they may choose to stick with their interim coach (like they should've done last time after winning out). UMD and USCe may also wind up sticking with their interim HC's.
If Pat Haden doesn't deserve to be sacked, I don't know who does.
I don't get this sentiment. It's all over the national press, but I don't see it.
Haden is an amazing man. His bio is extraordinary. Sure, his first two hires were bad. But, you can't put the entire Sarkisian thing on him. He vetted Sarkisian. Sarkisian was a SC/Pet Carol guy. The boosters wanted Sarkisian. Sarkisian, ultimately, fell to his own demons.
He didn't do a quality job of vetting or he hired the wrong search company.
So they should have known he had a serious alcohol problem?
Yea based on the fact that reporters in one day were able to dig up interviews, tweets and receipts showing his clear problem.
Sarkisian should've at least been given a leave of absence at the beginning of the year. That's on Haden.
And Sark calling up to Haden in the pressbox last year at Stanford was bizarre. It demonstrated that both of them were out of their element.
seriously think your #8 should be dropped to about #25, which is about how many new coaches will likely be hired this off season
They pay!! (Time cop is #3 in the ACC!)
And the expectations are minimal. Not a bad gig...
Plus the coastal is a mess and recruiting has potential. The entire coastal division must be attractive to any up-and-comer because it's not difficult to get to Charlotte. If you can do that and win you're flirting with the playoffs...The ACC Coastal division is probably the easiest route to the playoffs for any young ambitious coach out there. That means VT and UVA are both attractive jobs IMO
I agree. The ACC Coastal is pretty attractive as a coach. There isn't really a dominant, consistent team in there right now.
So the SC beat writers and local sports reporters here in SC are reporting this now.
http://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-...
Some of the USCe fan comments at the bottom of that site surprised me. I guess I assumed he was really loved and revered down there -- seeing as how he actually made their program relevant and all. Guess not...
You could say the same thing about reading comments about Beamer on Tech articles...
I mean, Jesus himself could be coaching the Hokies and Id be pissed about being 0-4 in conference play.
Something about too nice a guy, can't get enough hate for the other team going.
Trying to evenly divide the
fishesrushes.No fire in the belly.
The OL is turning the other cheek, and it's not good footwork.
The sideline water keeps turning into wine.
On the other side, no need for a dome or lightning delays, he keeps parting the storms. And forget trying to dump the water jug on him.
More players ascend into the NFL.
The officiating has gotten a lot better, the blind can now see.
On military appreciation day, we gotta keep the flyover guys away from him, for some odd reason he punches pilots.
punches pilots? had to reach for that one.
You think that was a reach, you shoulda seen the one I had for fumbles like he has holes in his hands.
Loved the "NO COMMENT" comment.
I've always liked Spurrier. I really hope he doesn't fade into the woodwork. I'd love to see him on tv doing some Hatin' Ass Analysis soon.
Finebaum and Spurrier would be quality radio.
I'm betting dude is gonna be on the golf course, not in the booth. If the latter gets in the way of the former, it'll be goodbye Visor boy.
I, personally, have always liked Spurrier. I loved his days at Florida. That being said, how the hell do you leave your team midseason? (Assuming there are no extenuating circumstances like the AD saying, "retire or you're fired.") You get fired, that's one thing, but I would think the respectable thing to do is at least stick out the season with the kids that signed on to play for you.
and try to ruin Clemson's season too!
I assume he wants his handpicked guy to have a live audition for the job.
There are many potential reasons, from health to being 0-4 in the SEC.
Sometimes, you just wake up one day and don't want to do it anymore.
Man, effective immediately? Caught me by surprise.
Sure we'll be seeing Spurrier on ESPN here shortly.
Spurrier is my favorite college coach. This is sad news.
Man, this weeks Hatin' Ass Spurrier is probably going to have 200% more hate.
Wait, so let me get today straight.
-USC's coach got fired
-Other USC's coach retired
-Florida's QB is banned for a year
-Maryland coach fired
Anything else major I'm missing?
UCF AD resigned, North Texas fires their football coach.
UCF AD resigned? I was just about to reply to your comment above that the UCF job wouldn't be bad for someone looking for a rebuild at a place with good facilities.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/ucf-knights/os-ucf-george-o-leary-...
O'Leary stepped down as AD but remained on as HC. I guess he didn't want to fire himself.
plenty of UCF people here expect once an AD gets hired O'Leary will more than likely get fired... how do you go from a BCS bowl to 0-for season so quickly?
"And with the 3rd pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select...Blake Bortles."
That's how.
I agree. but the way they're losing is awful. When your team avg's 52 rushing yards a game and 15 PPG I don't know how you can back a HC.
Did not know he was also the AD. I can't believe one player meant so much to that team.
Former Texas A&M player (disappeared after they beat Bama in '12) hacked a random jogger to death with a machete.
Whoa....Man, this thread has taken a nasty turn!
BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF HATIN' ASS SPURRIER!?!
Come on guys we need to focus on the important questions here. Will they stop doing it now that he is done, or pick a new coach to parody?
If anything, it gives him more time to hate. And we probably get more golf related jokes.
He is my all-time favorite coach in any sport and that picture is my Twitter avatar (and has been since it first surfaced).
Worth noting, Hokie targets CJ Freeman, Pete Leota, and JJ Givens all had verbally committed to South Carolina. Per JC Shurburtt, 4 Star Linebacker PJ Blue is already jumping ship.
http://southcarolina.247sports.com/Bolt/Blue-de-commits-from-South-Carol...
Don't think we really wanted Givens. Basically stopped recruiting him apparently.
They liked Freeman but didn't want to take a RB unless he was super special - and they didn't think Freeman was.
Leota they would take in a minute.
Is it sad that all I saw was LB and said I want?
Honestly, I respect the hell out of him for this. Once he realized it was over, he pulled the plug. No sense is dragging it out, trying to play the charade of recruiting knowing you're not there in a year. No need to make the retirement a huge event. Just one day he's working, the next day he isn't.
There is a certain dignity to that. Realizing the game will go on after you're gone and to not make things a bigger deal than it needs to be.
And yes, I do think he will replace Corso on Game Day in the not too distant future.
Agreed...
Kermit the Frog and Emma Watson, easy to recognize. The other guy I can't place, but it looks a lot like either Ethan Hawke or Rider Strong.
Christian Bale.
My wife would be so disappointed in you for not recognizing Christian Bale.
I'm disappointed in me too, now.
You, sir, have made me rethink my position above. Kudos and a leg.
Yes. Please.
A membership at Augusta National helps too! He'd be a sweet replacement for Corso!
Love your post Alum07, well said! Leg!
That's good.... for like the 2 weeks a year they aren't trying to renovate it where you are actually allowed to play.
Yeah - Don't get me wrong, Augusta is a ridiculously nice course that I would love to play, but a membership there doesn't seem like the best use of money for those who like to play.
Augusta isn't about playing its about having been invited to join. The list is not about the richest or even most powerful, if you ask to join they won't invite you.
I sincerely hope so. That would be great. Any TV executive with any college football programming who hasn't already left the OBC at least a half dozen phone messages should be immediately fired. If he's interested in TV work, he'd be great.
I said this during the news of Edsall's firing, so I'm going to say it here:
For Pete's sake, call those recruits now!
leg for you too, brings me back to childhood... cant wait until the 2016 movie comes out
but...but...the Green Ranger never had a Thunderzord!
leg for you just because its about damn time we get a power ranger gif
That's Whammy Ward, right?
Yes it is.
Midseason just seems like such odd timing for this. Put on your tin foil hats boys and girls. What's the real reason this happened?
Alright, since you insist:
The Ol' Ball Coach has decided to bail on USC Lite and tap the real USC. As in the University of Southern California. He wants to own the PAC-12 and he figures his son, Spurrier Jr has finally earned a visor of his own, i.e. the head coaching job at USCe.
There, I said it. I'm out.
As S Vanpelt noted on SC tonight it's actually Head Ball Coach - HBC. I've always wondered how this got turned around......
That was always a pet peeve of mine, people calling him the Ole' Ball Coach
Dude is old.
I bet you knew exactly who I was referring to when you read my subject line, though didn't you? He's commonly referred to as HBC and OBC.
Found this in a post from '97. Looks like OBC was something he sorta gave himself, while HBC was something bestowed upon him. (And it's from '97, so the OBC was around then and prior to that...when SVP was at the Golf Channel. So, if you are older than SVP at ESPN, then either works. You know that some older alumnus still refer to our alma mater as VPI.)
Not worth arguing about but Spurrier has always used HBC, others have used OBC quite a bit, but having followed UF back in the day, it was always HBC. Here's a now famous pic of the HBC's headset.
http://gamedayr.com/lifestyle/coach-lifestyle/steve-spurrier/steve-spurriers-headset-hbc-nickname-126116/
Maybe he has HBC tape on his headset, but the "ol ball coach" comes from a quote that Spurrier said about himself, back in the 90's. It was a simple reference, and doesn't mean that it's what he uses all of the time, but explains where OBC comes from; not that he uses it.
What on earth is happening in NCAA FB this year.
Steve Spurrier was easily the best quote in sports and a darn good coach to boot. This is a sad day for anyone who likes the sport.
Oh, and I sincerely do hope that Spurrier will be in the media, too. Maybe not in Corso's role, but I think he and Mack Brown would be a blast to listen to together.
I like him a whole lot better now than I did when he was coaching the Redskins.
Seems pretty sudden, though. Is it that he saw the writing on the wall, and just didn't want to feed speculation the rest of the year, or was he pushed out?
It could be any number of things. We'll probably never truly know. He could have been pushed out. He could have some undisclosed health issue. He could be jumping ship for the USCw job. Maybe he just genuinely and honestly decided he's not fit for the job and didn't want to drag on for the rest of the season. Maybe he thought by getting out early it would force SCAR to get a head start on the next coaching hire. It seems they'll be in high demand this off-season. The only given is that there will be a ton of speculation over the next several days. Theories will be flying around like straw in a tornado.
He could be jumping ship for the USCw job.
thnx
I've heard people speculate that he'd be looking at another job this offseason, but I think this is true retirement for the ball coach
Would agree with you. Age 70 is kind of a weird time to be looking for a new job.
(as a reminder to others, yes, he is older than Beamer)
I love the HBC ... always have. What's not to like? He was a fantastic coach, a total goofball, is a great interview, and quite possibly has the best troll game of all time. Even if you didn't like the guy, you have to respect his trolling abilities.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1987380-the-top-10-steve-spurrier-tro...
EDIT: corrected scene/character reference
My favorite from this list is actually Dabo's reply:
[Spurrier]"Most of our guys have never been to Death Valley. (LSU's stadium) is the Death Valley, isn't it? Or is there another one? There's two of them. That's right. There's two Death Valleys."
Clemson, of course, has nicknamed its stadium "Death Valley," just as LSU has. The conceit here being, for those who still don't get it, that LSU has been a much stronger football program and, thus, is more entitled to use the moniker.
To which Swinney replied, quite perfectly, "I can see where he might have a little confusion. Our guys have never been to USC. California is a long way from here."
lol..."The real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet."
Drink.
Spurrier when a fire at Auburn destroyed 20 books: "The real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet."
Sorry to hear the Spurrier is leaving, but I am excited to see what Coach Elliot can do. When I was playing at Appalachian State he was our OL coach. He was tough, but fair. One of my favorite coaches from that staff.
I really wanted Elliott when we hired Loeffler.
"Field looks nice Elliott, real nice" Spurrier then turns, and walks into the tunnel for the very last time. Camera zooms out, his footsteps can be heard fading away as a soppy song begins to play. Fade camera. Roll credits, Enter Tears
Over the past couple weeks, I have tried to convince myself to try and hold back the tears when Frank decides to hang it up. After reading this about Spurrier, I've accepted the fact that I will be a mess when the day comes.
You know, the mid-season retirement isn't all that bad in this case. There are a handful of coaches that have more-or-less earned the right to pull this off; and Spurrier is one of them. They are 2-4 and 0-4 in the $EC. So, he knows it's going to be a bad season. Period. Instead of making it worse, he leaves the keys to the assistant coaches. They now have a real-time interview...on-the-job. They can prove themselves worthy of the head coaching position, and thusly the pay that goes with it. Or, they can prove they were in the right position previously. Works in the schools favor. If everything goes well, they don't have to go on a long drawn out hunt for a new coach.
I know people are going to say "what about the kids he recruited?" Well, it is Spurrier. He always had the chance of bugging out at any moment. "what about leaving in the middle of the season???" Really, what difference does it make. If those kids haven't been coached to do what they are doing by now, there is not a whole lot they are going to learn between now and Dec 1. The spring camps and August are when the coaching takes place. Now, it's about game prep. There's only so much one coach can do (that's why there are positional coaches and coordinators on staff.) He's done his part.
Also, they can start looking for a coach NOW. Same with Maryland.
It extends the time period for contacting people and getting the short list together.
Sort of the opposite of what Weaver did in basketball.
Supplemental to Vtkey and VPIhokieME mentioning the Auburn quote, I present the top Steve Spurrier quotes (compiled from these four sources):
AGE/META
"The Pope is 77 years old and he's in charge of a billion people. All I have to do is put 11 on the field."
"All I can say is that I'm going to try to coach the way I've coached in the past. And if it ends up not being good enough, then so be it."
"Some people ask, 'How did you end up (at South Carolina)?' I said, 'I was available and they were the only ones who offered me a job the end of 2004.' "
"People ask, 'Why are you still coaching?' I forgot to get fired and I'm not going to cheat."
"I'm smart enough to know when it's time to let somebody else come in and do this, but I'm also smart enough to know that we've beaten Georgia four of the last five years, beaten Florida four of the last five years and beaten Clemson five of the last six years. We're only 3-2 against Tennessee the last five years, and they won a couple of close ones against us, but they've lost 10 in a row to Florida. So I'd say we've done OK and have a lot more we're going to do."
"Well, like I told people, I breezed right through age 60, breezed right through 65, and I'm going to try my best to breeze right on through 70. I can still remember just about everything. So mentally, I think I'm the same as I was. We got two people running for president, I think Hillary and Donald Trump are both 69, I believe. Coach K at Duke, he's still doing pretty good at, I think 69 also. So the age really doesn't mean a lot."
On his offensive line in 2006: "Well, we can't trade 'em. So I guess we have to coach 'em."
ALABAMA
"In 12 years at Florida, I don't think we ever signed a kid from the state of Alabama...Of course, we found out later that the scholarships they were giving out at Alabama were worth a whole lot more than ours."
"(Nick Saban) got a nice little gig going, a little bit like [John] Calipari. He tells guys, 'Hey, three years from now, you're going to be a first-round pick and go.' If he wants to be the greatest coach or one of the greatest coaches in college football, to me, he has to go somewhere besides Alabama and win, because they've always won there at Alabama."
ARKANSAS
On South Carolina's 52-7 win over the Razorbacks: "I do feel badly for Arkansas. That's no fun getting your butt beat at home, homecoming and all that."
On Tennessee and Arkansas having the same record as South Carolina in 2014: "We were 7-6. Same as Tennessee, same as Arkansas. I think they're sorta celebratin' big seasons last year. ... There are people in Knoxville and Fayetteville still doing cartwheels over going 7-6."
AUBURN
On a fire at the football dorm that destroyed 20 books: "But the real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet."
CLEMSON
On the Death Valley nickname: "Most of our guys have never been to Death Valley. (LSU's stadium) is the Death Valley, isn't it? Or is there another one? There's two of them. That's right. There's two Death Valleys."
On the state of the South Carolina program (widely attributed, but probably not an original): "We aren't LSU and we aren't Alabama. But we sure ain't Clemson."
On Dabo Swinney's anger over the above quote: "I said, 'Well, what do you want me to do? I didn't say it.' Smart people don't believe everything they read, and they don't believe hearsay. ... I guess Dabo believed it."
Swinney was asked about his relationship with Spurrier and said, "He's from Pluto, and I'm from Mars." Spurrier responded: "Dabo probably thinks there's only, what, nine planets out there? I think I read where Pluto may not be considered one now."
On winning an SEC title compared to beating Clemson: "What I've also learned at South Carolina, our fans realize there's more to life than winning the SEC championship. They really do. We're in a state with Clemson. Clemson used to pretty much own South Carolina in football, no question about it. We have a state championship trophy. If you ask our fans at South Carolina, I can assure you a majority would say, 'We would rather beat Clemson than win the SEC.' That is how big it is to them, that one game. Personally, I'd rather win the SEC. I don't mind saying that. Personally, that's the bigger trophy."
FLORIDA STATE
On scandal in Tallahassee: "You know what FSU stands for, don't you? Free Shoes University."
On illegal hits against Danny Wuerffel: "He's like a New Testament person. He gets slapped up side the face, and turns the other cheek and says, 'Lord, forgive them for they know not what they're doing.' I'm probably more of an Old Testament guy. You spear our guy in the earhole, we think we're supposed to spear you in the earhole. That's kind of where we're a little different."
On Jadeveon Clowney getting a speeding ticket: "I didn't know Jadeveon's car that could go that fast. He doesn't have a pretty car like those FSU guys used to drive."
GEORGIA
On playing the Georgia early: "I don't know. I sort of always liked playing them that second game because you could always count on them having two or three key players suspended."
On Georgia recruiting: "Why is it that during recruiting season they sign all the great players, but when it comes time to play the game, we have all the great players? I don't understand that. What happens to them?"
After being asked if he thought Florida would beat Georgia... "Is Ray Goff still coaching there?"
TENNESSEE
On the Gamecocks' matchup at Tennessee "Will be the 14th time I've coached in Neyland Stadium. ... I've coached there more than some of their head coaches."
On the Vols missing out on the Sugar Bowl during his Florida years: "You can't spell Citrus without U-T." "I know why Peyton came back for his senior year: he wanted to be a three-time Citrus Bowl MVP"
"In Knoxville they're still doing cartwheels because they went 7-6 and won a bowl."
"I know why Peyton came back for his senior year: he wanted to be a three-time Citrus Bowl MVP"
This is pure gold and one of my all-time fav's of his.
Well Damn, hog all the quotes why don't ya. Shesh, guess I'll be on my way since I have nothing to share now.
Funny man though, there will be a void
Mark Dantonio is an USCe grad, don't be surprised if he emerges as a leading candidate.
Yea, I don't see him leaving the Big10, where he has a yearly chance to be in the Football playoff at the end of the year to a school has been average at best in the SEC for a very long time even before Spurrier got there. I could be wrong but I just don't see him leaving a program at the top for a second tier program in the SEC.
Well, at MSU he's second fiddle to Izzo. That might be enough to push him back "home."
The only way I see him leaving is if Michigan State implodes the rest of the season, which is about as likely as Nick Saban getting fired by Bama at the end of the year and becoming the heir apparent to Time Cop at UVA.
Of course now that I say this, Michigan State will probably win out and he pulls a Brian Kelly and abandons ship right after the regular season is over.
I am impressed with Babcock forcing this move in South Carolina as example of an option. Shrewd, very shrewd!
"If it starts going south, starts going bad, then I need to get out. ... It's time for me to get out of the way and give somebody else a go at it."
South Carolina president Harris Pastides said he asked Spurrier twice Monday to reconsider, but Spurrier declined.
"That doesn't work a lot," Spurrier said about finishing out the season. "If the players know you're not going to be their coach after such and such a time, you just don't have the accountability. ... The team needs to hear a new voice, a new message from another coach."
Words to live by....
Say a lot about Spurrier, but the guy knows his profession.
I like Spurrier... As a dreaded redskin fan, I don't even hate him for the stint he was there for. Danny Boy wouldnt even let him pick his QB in his second year, so I was glad he went back to college.
I found this quote rather interesting (from the Washington Post):
"First of all, I'm resigning. Don't say I've retired completely from coaching," he said. "I don't know if I'll be a head coach again, maybe a high school team somewhere. ... College football game is a game of recruiting, and that's another reason I need to move on. I don't know if coaching is completely over or not. It's fun being a part of a team. I might be a consultant or something. ... Being on a team is fun."
But the recruiting part of the job clearly wasn't something he savored anymore.
"Yesterday, I was sort of a recuriting liability. It's hard to recruit when your coach has been there for a long time ... With a new coach here, I think recruiting will pick up."
Edit: I think Swinney was going to go for the kiss, but Spurrier clearly isn't going to meet him half way...
Spurrier coaching high school football is a bad new bears type movie waiting to happen. I would pay good money for that.
Man, ...they are uncomfortably close..
Apparently, Dabo is a mouth-breather. Why am I not surprised.
I thought I heard from somewhere that Spurrier would consider being a consultant as well.
Mayhap he should be a consultant for Lefty on offense and Frank on career advice?
Heck, maybe HBC could just be a post-game translator.
Frank: "[Team X], they'll really get after ya."
HBC: "We sucked today."
Frank: "I think our guys really performed well."
HBC: "We kicked their ass and we're not sorry."
Frank: "I think [player on other team] really had a great game."
HBC: "I can't wait until that kid is gone. Maybe he'll get suspended next year."
Frank: "Those were exhibition games. They're behind us."
HBC: "Courtesy flush on the season. Move on."
Frank: "We did some things well, and other things not so well."
HBC: "You don't want to hear the audio from my headset. Would make grandma blush."
Frank: "We've got to cut down on the penalties."
HBC: "There are gonna be some asses on the bench next week."
Frank: "We're happy to get a win against a good team."
HBC: "I thought we were up shit's creek for a while there."
All of these are great but this one beautiful:
It didn't take very long for Maryland to make a pledge to become the Oregon of the East.
It really does seem to me that they're making the same mistake the Redskins have made (repeatedly) under Dan Snyder, and try to throw money at the problem, and in the process sell out the soul of their program. It's what happens when someone who doesn't understand football at it's core tries to buy a program.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/tracking-the-terps/bal-terps-randy-edsall-wallace-loh-20151012-story.html
I don't think the Snyder comparison really applies in a college atmosphere. What makes Snyder the worst is that he meddles in player personnel issues (trades, FAs, etc.). In college, you're stuck with the players on your team that year, with no trades or FA signings.
I also don't think we can assume Plank will be like that just because he has a lot of money. So far, I get the perception that it's been pretty much the opposite.
What is he going to say? Oh, I tell them what to do because I donate lots of cash?
Maryland changed conferences and dumped some varsity sports over cash, and they flipped Friedgen out after a winning season and a bowl game, when Maryland doesn't really have that great a football record to begin with. Now they fired Edsall mid-season. In the link, Loh mentions that it's an attractive job because they have an underwear company backing them.
Is this really an attractive coaching position? The football arms race continues.
I'm trying to not put words in your mouth here, but I think you're looking at it as guilty until proven innocent (and that probably doesn't really encapsulate your argument correctly, for which I apologize, but that's my simplification of what I'm understanding).
Because he's got a ton of money, he surely has a ton of influence (that he downplays), but until he starts acting like Dan Snyder and pushing UMD to hire/fire people like crazy, I don't think it's fair to assume that's what he'll become.
And yes, I think it's really an attractive coaching position. You basically have a blank check for your resources, and the lack of an amazing football record lets you cement yourself as the coach that built the program.
I suppose I'm wary of the "money can buy me a football team" approach to football.
It's what Snyder did with the Redskins. He whipped out the old checkbook, and expected to buy a winner.
Yes, he meddled. Do Loh and Anderson look like the kind of people that could be pushed around by someone with a checkbook? Yes. Yes they do.
But are we really moving towards a situation where the college with the richest donors wins athletic events? Maybe, but is that really what we want from academia and NCAA sports?
Here's to you, Ol Ball Coach
