Ok, let's review what our beloved TAMU has done in the past with coaching hires. There is a consistent thread / commonalities in our hires and can help us going forward.
I am hearing a LOT, that we won't be able to attract a "PROVEN" head coach. Oddly, that might be great news. Let's look at the record, I'll just go back during my lifetime:
Good to very good hires:
Emory Bellard: assistant coach, never been college head coach
Jackie Sherrill: successful, short stint at head coach at Pitt, very successful assistant
R.C. Slocum: assistant coach, never been a head coach
Mediocre to bad hires:
Dennis Franchione: previous head college coach
Mike Sherman: previous NFL head coach
Kevin Sumlin: previous college head coach
Jimbo Fisher: previous college head coach
So, 4 previous head coaches we hired, three are / were bad.
Let's look at the top coaches now:
Saban: multiple head coach spots, very successful
Swinney: never a head coach OR a coordinator until Clemson HC
Smart: never a head coach until UGA
Lanning: never a head coach
Sarkesian: two mediocre HC stints, got hired from UA where he was an assistant
Venables: never a head coach.
Bob Stoops: never a head coach, was DC at Florida.
So among the top tier of coaches now, many got hired at big time schools when they were assistants.
The data from 50+ years VERY STRONGLY suggest that we should hire a bad ass up and coming assistant coach.
(And yes, I left Tom Wilson out for a reason.)
I am hearing a LOT, that we won't be able to attract a "PROVEN" head coach. Oddly, that might be great news. Let's look at the record, I'll just go back during my lifetime:
Good to very good hires:
Emory Bellard: assistant coach, never been college head coach
Jackie Sherrill: successful, short stint at head coach at Pitt, very successful assistant
R.C. Slocum: assistant coach, never been a head coach
Mediocre to bad hires:
Dennis Franchione: previous head college coach
Mike Sherman: previous NFL head coach
Kevin Sumlin: previous college head coach
Jimbo Fisher: previous college head coach
So, 4 previous head coaches we hired, three are / were bad.
Let's look at the top coaches now:
Saban: multiple head coach spots, very successful
Swinney: never a head coach OR a coordinator until Clemson HC
Smart: never a head coach until UGA
Lanning: never a head coach
Sarkesian: two mediocre HC stints, got hired from UA where he was an assistant
Venables: never a head coach.
Bob Stoops: never a head coach, was DC at Florida.
So among the top tier of coaches now, many got hired at big time schools when they were assistants.
The data from 50+ years VERY STRONGLY suggest that we should hire a bad ass up and coming assistant coach.
(And yes, I left Tom Wilson out for a reason.)
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