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Coaching Tenure

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ShakerBuck

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I know this question has been tossed around before, but why do OSU coordinators and position coaches seem to stay in Columbus for a cup of coffee and then head on to a head coaching position at another school, or other promotional oppt.

Obviosly we hire talented and ambitios coaches, just look at the list of coaches who have come through and achieves gret success as heas coach (Petey, Saban, Zook, Walt Harris etc. -- forget i said zook )

VTs D coordinator has been with VT for like 20 years and a handful of other coaches 10+.

Do we dangle the OSU position as a stepping stone?.....a similar reason why COoper had so many guys leave early for NFL stardom.

Maybe coaches at other schools such as VT and scUM are happy at their perch and don't have the ambition to be Head Coach someday.

Any insight?
 
ShakerBuck said:
VTs D coordinator has been with VT for like 20 years and a handful of other coaches 10+.
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While the trend has changed recently, VT is not on par with the OSU's, USC's, and Texas' of the nation. This kind of think happens constantly. USC lost half of their staff IIRC after last season.

Coaches don't want to be assistant coaches for the rest of their lives. Some guys, like Heacock, probably won't look for another head coaching job. However, the rest are young gurus that do such a great job that schools want to pay them big bucks to run their own program. Why shouldn't they take that job?
 
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I hear ya, but there are other big time schools that seem to have much more continuity . Maybe it is becasue they tend to bring in their own alumni. (Maybe Fickell & Peterson will stick around awhile)

And Also, I gotta tell you, I'm sure VT assts. have had plenty of offers over the past decade. Especially Bud Foster their DC.

I have no problem with a coach with ambition to leave for a promotion, I just find it unusual that whenever we have an up and comer people are talking about them leaving in their 2nd year, and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens
 
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I'm sure many have wanted to get the VT coaches, I'm just suggesting that until recently they haven't been on the same level.

What other perrenial BCS contenders maintain their coaching staff? Perhaps there is a team like that, but I'm curious what team you are referring to. OU has lost a ton of assistants, as well as USC, Texas and OSU. LSU has even lost a head coach.
 
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What other perrenial BCS contenders maintain their coaching staff?
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Michigan (WR 11years, DC 17 years, RB 14years, OC 9years, OL 6years,DL1yr - came from MSU ouch)

and VT ( i think they have been pretty elite over past 10 years) for starters

I don't much about the staffs at a lot of other schools, but I'd guess FSU is pretty stable too.

Maybe the answer is we just don't hear much about coaches from other schools shuffling around as much but it does....
 
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ShakerBuck said:
Do we dangle the OSU position as a stepping stone?
Click to expand...

Yes, as a stepping stone. It's been that way since Woody. I couldn't begin to name all of Woody's assistants who went on to Head Coaching positions (Dubs, chime in here, we'll compile a list) and other higher level positions. Same way with Tressel. He's got a couple of loyalists who will never leave him (as Woody had Esco Sarkinnen), but the rest will be moving on in time (like Dantonio and Tucker and Snyder).

That makes all the best and brightest up-and-coming young coaches salivate for the chance at an OSU assistant coaching position. While we may have to tolerate more coaching turnover than the average fan is comfortable with, it assures that we will always have some of the best young minds in football on our staff.
:osu:
 
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Coaches absolutely come to OSU looking for a chance to advance. JT himself used it to get his first HC job. Part of the reason for that is OSU has the leverage to go after the 'best and brightest' - read 'most amvbitious'. Who really wants to hire someone who wants to be a career assistant?

On the other hand, VTs rise to prominence has been fairly recent. The coaches you reference have been there throughout this experience, so when they were hired VT was not viewed as a 'stepping stone' program. I would also imagine that they have seen considerable raises as time has passed and VT revenue has grown - enough to keep them happy.

But I am only speculating.
 
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This seems as good a thread as any to post this:

There are only 9 coaching changes so far for next season:

COACHING CHANGES
FOR 2006 SEASON
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=500 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="30%" bgColor=#dedede>[SIZE=-1]TEAM[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="36%" bgColor=#dedede>[SIZE=-1]OUT[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="34%" bgColor=#dedede>[SIZE=-1]IN[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width="30%">[SIZE=-1]Boise State[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Dan Hawkins[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Chris Petersen[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width="30%">[SIZE=-1]Buffalo[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Jim Hofher[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Turner Gill[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width="30%">[SIZE=-1]Colorado[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Gary Barnett[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Dan Hawkins[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width="30%">[SIZE=-1]Kansas State[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Bill Snyder[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Ron Prince[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width="30%">[SIZE=-1]Middle Tennessee[/SIZE]</TD><TD vAlign=top width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Andy McCollum[/SIZE]</TD><TD vAlign=top width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Rick Stockstill[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width="30%">[SIZE=-1]Rice[/SIZE]</TD><TD vAlign=top width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Ken Hatfield[/SIZE]</TD><TD vAlign=top width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Todd Graham[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width="30%">[SIZE=-1]San Diego State[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Tom Craft[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Chuck Long[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width="30%">[SIZE=-1]Temple[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Bobby Wallace[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Al Golden[/SIZE]</TD></TR><TR><TD width="30%">[SIZE=-1]Wisconsin[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="36%">[SIZE=-1]Barry Alvarez[/SIZE]</TD><TD width="34%">[SIZE=-1]Bret Bielema[/SIZE]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Last year, there were 23:

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0 vAlign=top><TD colSpan=5>Coaching Changes </TD></TR><TR class=bg1 vAlign=top><TD>School </TD><TD>Out </TD><TD>School
Record </TD><TD>Yrs </TD><TD>New Coach </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>BYU </TD><TD>Gary Crowton </TD><TD>26-23 </TD><TD>4 </TD><TD>Bronco Mendenhall </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>East Carolina </TD><TD>John Thompson </TD><TD>3-20 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>Skip Holtz </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Florida </TD><TD>Ron Zook </TD><TD>23-14 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>Urban Meyer </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Illinois </TD><TD>Ron Turner </TD><TD>35-57 </TD><TD>8 </TD><TD>Ron Zook </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Indiana </TD><TD>Gerry DiNardo </TD><TD>8-27 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>Terry Hoeppner </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>LSU </TD><TD>Nick Saban </TD><TD>48-15 </TD><TD>5 </TD><TD>Les Miles </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Marshall </TD><TD>Bob Pruett </TD><TD>94-23 </TD><TD>9 </TD><TD>TBA </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Miami (Ohio) </TD><TD>Terry Hoeppner </TD><TD>48-24 </TD><TD>6 </TD><TD>Shane Montgomery </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Mississippi </TD><TD>David Cutcliffe </TD><TD>44-29 </TD><TD>7 </TD><TD>Ed Orgeron </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>New Mexico State </TD><TD>Tony Samuel </TD><TD>34-57 </TD><TD>8 </TD><TD>Hal Mumme </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Notre Dame </TD><TD>Tyrone Willingham </TD><TD>21-15 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>Charlie Weis </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Ohio </TD><TD>Brian Knorr </TD><TD>11-35 </TD><TD>4 </TD><TD>Frank Solich </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Oklahoma State </TD><TD>Les Miles </TD><TD>28-21 </TD><TD>4 </TD><TD>Mike Gundy </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Pittsburgh </TD><TD>Walt Harris </TD><TD>52-43 </TD><TD>8 </TD><TD>Dave Wannstedt </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Stanford </TD><TD>Buddy Teevens </TD><TD>10-23 </TD><TD>3 </TD><TD>Walt Harris </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>San Jose State </TD><TD>Fitz Hill </TD><TD>14-32 </TD><TD>4 </TD><TD>Dick Tomey </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>South Carolina </TD><TD>Lou Holtz </TD><TD>33-37 </TD><TD>6 </TD><TD>Steve Spurrier </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Syracuse </TD><TD>Paul Pasqualoni </TD><TD>107-59-1 </TD><TD>14 </TD><TD>Greg Robinson </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Washington </TD><TD>Keith Gilbertson </TD><TD>7-16 </TD><TD>2 </TD><TD>Tyrone Willingham </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>UNLV </TD><TD>John Robinson </TD><TD>28-43 </TD><TD>6 </TD><TD>Mike Sanford </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Utah </TD><TD>Urban Meyer </TD><TD>21-2 </TD><TD>2 </TD><TD>Kyle Whittingham </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Utah State </TD><TD>Mick Dennehy </TD><TD>19-37 </TD><TD>5 </TD><TD>Brent Guy </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Western Michigan </TD><TD>Gary Darnell </TD><TD>46-46 </TD><TD>8 </TD><TD>Bill Cubit </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



So are more coaching changes coming, or are we safe this year? Will the big shake-up in the NFL cost us some position coaches ala Tim Spencer a few years ago?

This looks to be the first time in a long time where there might be continuity on the coaching staff from one season to the next.
 
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i think the other part of it that hasn't been mentioned is that ohio is a big football state. tOSU isn't the only college in ohio that has a football team. alot of the guys that are leaving tOSU are going to schools in ohio that they have personal ties to. things that draw them to that school other than just winning a nc. they went to school there or they have some form of relationship with the school.

and as oh8ch stated, i think with the abundance of well know lower tier ohio colleges and tOSU. its setup very nicely to propel assistant coaches into their own big named big time head coaching career. 4 years as an assistant at tOSU, 5 years as a head coach at UC, then land a major coaching job either at tOSU or elsewhere. look at the big names who have done exactly that over the years.
 
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Martin is right-OSU is nicely positioned as a way-stop for MAC coaches looking to rise. Hazell,and both of the DB coaches I believe-names escape me-all did time w/ MAC programs, as did Fickell for 1 year, I believe. OSU has been a power for years, and has always been seen as a place that develops coaches. Also, unlike Nebraska under Osborne, FSU under Bowden, or Joe Pa at PSU, OSU has had 3 head coaches in the last 25 years. Anytime a coaching change is made, staff turnover will take place. Also, if a new coach comes in at a place like OSU, he will probably not be a comparatively young buck looking to make a name for himself-like Bob Stoops-but who might stay if he builds a power-but rather a more established guy, who will not be bringing in a staff of loyalists w/ him who might choose to stay at a place for 20 years, but rather up and comers who want to take advantage of coaching at OSU. Look at it this way-before this season, the last 4 coaches to win NCs-Carroll,Saban,Tressel, and Coker-were all assistants at OSU at one time or another.
 
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I think Coach Tress understands as much as anyone that many assistant coaches are looking to rise up through the ranks and eventually become a head coach. He's going to do whatever he can to get his guys promotions as they work their way up the ladder.

Think of it this way, would you want the assistant coaches that nobody else seems to want? michigan has only had one coach that I know of in the past few years advance somewhere else (DeBord went to head coach at CMU, now back at ttun). You don't see anybody knocking down the door to get a piece of Jim Hermann or Terry Malone action, and I think there's a reason why. They're just not good, period.
 
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