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If Tressel retired today, who would you want to replace him?

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Who will be next when Tressel decides to hang up the vest?
By Robert Gartrell
[email protected]
Published: Monday, November 15, 2010

When Jim Tressel was hired at Ohio State in 2001, he came to Columbus unproven at the Division I level of football.

But 103 victories, six Big Ten championships and a national title later, few are second-guessing OSU's decision to hire the former Youngstown State coach.

Tressel will probably be the first coach to leave OSU on his own terms since Carroll Widdoes did in 1945. It also isn't wild conjecture to say that he will likely leave the program stronger than it was when he replaced John Cooper.

It's still impossible to know when Tressel will leave. But at 57 and in his 10th season with the Buckeyes ? and with a contract that expires in 2014 ? it's not too early, or difficult, to speculate on potential replacements.

Once Tressel puts his sweater vests back in the closet for good, expect to see these four coaches (all of whom have ties to OSU) among several other potential candidates.

Cont...
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http://www.thelantern.com/sports/who-will-be-next-when-tressel-decides-to-hang-up-the-vest-1.1777403
 
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I agree with (and approve of) everyone other than Urban Meyer.

I think if Tressel has his way (which might be a part of leaving on his own terms) he will definitely promote from within the staff and go with Fickell or Hazell.

Either way, when Tressel goes I think that Bollman and Heacock go too, which leaves those two as the obvious choices for the new offensive and defensive coordinator positions.

How is this for a dream scenario. Hazell as head coach, Fickell as defensive coordinator, and some young hot shot for offensive coordinator that brings in a spark on offense (which of course is tempered by the Tressel disciples).

That would be nice. The hard part is keeping Fickell around that long or keeping him around if he is not the head coach. I think he has stuck around this long because he knows there is going to be a changing of the guards soon and he is in perfect position to move up.
 
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Why would we want Hazell as our head coach? He has proven nothing as a head coach. This is why Fickell and Hazell should already be coaching other teams to get the experience to following Tressel. I'm skeptical about guys coaching OSU that have never been a major DIV1 head coach or at least a sucessful head coach in a lower division...

I'd hate to see those guys go from coordinator to coach and become overwhelmed. OSU is not Indiana...I want a proven guy with Ohio ties...that understands the rivalry...Im worried moving Hazell or Fickell will hurt the team and maybe the coaches themselves...IMO they need experience somewhere else first.


Buckeye86;1812379; said:
I agree with (and approve of) everyone other than Urban Meyer.

I think if Tressel has his way (which might be a part of leaving on his own terms) he will definitely promote from within the staff and go with Fickell or Hazell.

Either way, when Tressel goes I think that Bollman and Heacock go too, which leaves those two as the obvious choices for the new offensive and defensive coordinator positions.

How is this for a dream scenario. Hazell as head coach, Fickell as defensive coordinator, and some young hot shot for offensive coordinator that brings in a spark on offense (which of course is tempered by the Tressel disciples).

That would be nice. The hard part is keeping Fickell around that long or keeping him around if he is not the head coach. I think he has stuck around this long because he knows there is going to be a changing of the guards soon and he is in perfect position to move up.
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brutus2002 said:
Why would we want Hazell as our head coach? He has proven nothing as a head coach. This is why Fickell and Hazell should already be coaching other teams to get the experience to following Tressel. I'm skeptical about guys coaching OSU that have never been a major DIV1 head coach or at least a sucessful head coach in a lower division...

I'd hate to see those guys go from coordinator to coach and become overwhelmed. OSU is not Indiana...I want a proven guy with Ohio ties...that understands the rivalry...Im worried moving Hazell or Fickell will hurt the team and maybe the coaches themselves...IMO they need experience somewhere else first.
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Agreed. However, I wonder if the Ohio State decision-makers would want to pursue what they did with Tressel (a proven head coach, but not a high-level coach) or if they'd try to make a splash and hire the Urban Meyer- or Bo Pelini-type coach. A big-name coach is going to come in with their ideas of changing it up in Columbus. That means that someone like Pelini will come in and probably bring in their coordinators and staff members. This is expected, but may have the effect of running off a lot of the established guys on our current staff.

I think that I'd rather have some continuity from Tressel to his immediate successor. I think it'd be a good opportunity for Fickell or Hazell to be a head-coach elsewhere and come back (if successful) to their dream job.
 
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brutus2002;1812390; said:
OSU is not Indiana...
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exactly, so how does getting three years of experience at a school that is even lower on the football scale than Indiana (where are they going to coach at? Kent State? Akron?) going to prepare Fickell or Hazell for head coaching duties more than being groomed by Tressel and learning how he runs the program on the field, off the field, and on the recruiting trail every day of the year?
 
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Its funny you bring up Akron since Lee Tressel advised his son Jim to take a job there rather than be an assistant under Paterno...to get exposed to more things.

Indiana was an example but I'll bite

Its a B10 school...They would be lucky to get a chance at a B10 school right away considering their experience in the first place. They would get used to recruiting the B10 region AS A HEAD COACH...MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE WHOLE PROGRAM. Indiana is not as difficult as OSU I would imagine...less pressure etc...it would get them used to the grind and mulyi facets of being a head coach in the same conference as OSU.

Its really simple...you don't hire guys that have no head coaching experience at places like OSU...Minnesota and Indiana maybe

Buckeye86;1812403; said:
exactly, so how does getting three years of experience at a school that is even lower on the football scale than Indiana (where are they going to coach at? Kent State? Akron?) going to prepare Fickell or Hazell for head coaching duties more than being groomed by Tressell and learning how he runs the program on the field, off the field, and on the recruiting trail every day of the year?
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brutus2002;1812407; said:
Its really simple...you don't hire guys that have no head coaching experience at places like OSU...Minnesota and Indiana maybe
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you say you are worried about an assistant being over his head as a head coach, I am worried about an outsider coming in and destroying what Tressel has built at Ohio State on and off of the football field

to each his own

also, if Tressel retires on his own terms it's not like he is going to completely disappear from the program, Fickell or Hazell will always have someone to turn to for advice if they are feeling overwhelmed
 
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