Top 5 Coaching Jobs By Conference

[mross34]

Thought it would be interesting to see everyone's opinions on where the best coaching jobs in each conference are. Keep in mind that this has nothing to do with current talent on the roster. I'm talking facilities, recruiting pool, fan base, media exposure, tradition, prestige, etc., etc.

Here are my lists:

ACC
1. Florida State - Pretty much as good as it gets for the ACC. Fanbase and recruiting pool give it a big edge.
2. Miami - Probably the best recruiting pool in the country. Distance from other Florida schools sets it aside. Fanbase and facilities are severely lacking from my understanding, keeping it behind FSU.
3. Georgia Tech - History, proximity to Atlanta for recruiting and media exposure, decent facilties add up to a solid 3rd place program for me.
4. Virginia Tech - Success has been recent. Beamer has really overachieved here.
5. Clemson - Unrealistically high fan expectations and low density recruiting pool hold back this program.

Big 12
1. Texas - In-state talent pool sets this school apart from other big two in this conference.
2. Oklahoma - Only over Nebraska due to less reliance over it's history on "non-regional" recruits.
3. Nebraska - Most devoted fan base in the country. Even with the recent struggles, sell out streak is around 300+ games.
4. Texas A&M - Will always be #2 in Texas, but great fan base, recruiting pool, facilities make this a desirable job.
5. Oklahoma State - 3 words. T. Boone Pickens.

Big East
1. Pitt - History, prestige, and fan base give Pitt slight nod over USF.
2. South Florida - Big-time up and comer due to recruiting pool, and like Pitt, has use of fairly new pro stadium.
3. Rutgers - Uncontested locally in recruiting pool. Newly renovated stadium and facilities. Exposure to the largest media market in the US.
4. West Virginia - Fan base, prestige, and history alone place this at 4 on this list.
5. Louisville - Recently renovated facilities, huge athletic budget.

Big Ten
1. Ohio State - In-state talent gives it an edge over Michigan. National prestige gives it an edge over Penn State.
2. Penn State - Too much talent in Pennsylvania to give Michigan the nod over the Nittany Lions.
3. Michigan - Low pay doesn't help its cause.
4. Illinois - Renovated facilities. Huge recruiting pool. Fan support will be there eventually.
5. Wisconsin - Rabid fan support, good facilities. Limited built-in recruiting pool.

Pac 10
1. USC - Probably the best gig in the country.
2. UCLA - If basketball wasn't king here, it could challenge USC.
3. Oregon - Phil Knight's guinea pigs have a good fan base, great facilities. All that's missing is a built-in recruiting base.
4. Arizona State - Rising along with the Phoenix area as a whole.
5. Cal - Because the rest of the Pac 10 is garbage.

SEC
1. Florida - Top dog in Florida will get you top billing in your conference.
2. Alabama - Big tradition = big money.
3. LSU - Great fan base, pretty good recruiting pool built-in.
4. Georgia - Just can't put them higher than this. Never seem to be as good as people think they are.
5. Tennessee - Built-in recruiting base is all that's holding them back.

I was going to attempt to do an overall top 10. But I think once you get to that level, it's pretty much splitting hairs. Notre Dame I'd probably slot into #2 in the Big Ten, with a lack of built-in recruiting them keeping them behind the Bucks, but an exclusive TV deal keeping them ahead of Penn State and Michigan.

 

[BigWoof31]

Thought it would be interesting to see everyone's opinions on where the best coaching jobs in each conference are. Keep in mind that this has nothing to do with current talent on the roster. I'm talking facilities, recruiting pool, fan base, media exposure, tradition, prestige, etc., etc.

Here are my lists:

ACC
1. Florida State - Pretty much as good as it gets for the ACC. Fanbase and recruiting pool give it a big edge.
2. Miami - Probably the best recruiting pool in the country. Distance from other Florida schools sets it aside. Fanbase and facilities are severely lacking from my understanding, keeping it behind FSU.
3. Georgia Tech - History, proximity to Atlanta for recruiting and media exposure, decent facilties add up to a solid 3rd place program for me.
4. Virginia Tech - Success has been recent. Beamer has really overachieved here.
5. Clemson - Unrealistically high fan expectations and low density recruiting pool hold back this program.

VA Tech, Clemson AND Maryland should all be higher than Georgia Tech. GT suffers to sell out their own stadium, has never been to a BCS game, has significant budget issues, and requires atheltes to take and pass Freshman Calc (an issue from a recruiting standpoint). I believe the talent from DC to Jersey is comparable to the talent in GA and the Terps sell out every game. Nicer campus too.

Big 12
1. Texas - In-state talent pool sets this school apart from other big two in this conference.
2. Oklahoma - Only over Nebraska due to less reliance over it's history on "non-regional" recruits.
3. Nebraska - Most devoted fan base in the country. Even with the recent struggles, sell out streak is around 300+ games.
4. Texas A&M - Will always be #2 in Texas, but great fan base, recruiting pool, facilities make this a desirable job.
5. Oklahoma State - 3 words. T. Boone Pickens.

I'd flip flop OSU and Texas A&M - but that's pickin' nits.

Big East
1. Pitt - History, prestige, and fan base give Pitt slight nod over USF.
2. South Florida - Big-time up and comer due to recruiting pool, and like Pitt, has use of fairly new pro stadium.
3. Rutgers - Uncontested locally in recruiting pool. Newly renovated stadium and facilities. Exposure to the largest media market in the US.
4. West Virginia - Fan base, prestige, and history alone place this at 4 on this list.
5. Louisville - Recently renovated facilities, huge athletic budget.

Who gives a flying [censored]?

Big Ten
1. Ohio State - In-state talent gives it an edge over Michigan. National prestige gives it an edge over Penn State.
2. Penn State - Too much talent in Pennsylvania to give Michigan the nod over the Nittany Lions.
3. Michigan - Low pay doesn't help its cause.
4. Illinois - Renovated facilities. Huge recruiting pool. Fan support will be there eventually.
5. Wisconsin - Rabid fan support, good facilities. Limited built-in recruiting pool.

Wow, I've significantly undervalued UI's appeal. I thought they might make the top 5 with the ability to pull from Chicago, but I would have assumed Iowa would be up there. Guess I don't really know the Big 10 from a hole in the ground. Hey! Speaking of holes in the ground:

Pac 10
1. USC - Probably the best gig in the country.
2. UCLA - If basketball wasn't king here, it could challenge USC.
3. Oregon - Phil Knight's guinea pigs have a good fan base, great facilities. All that's missing is a built-in recruiting base.
4. Arizona State - Rising along with the Phoenix area as a whole.
5. Cal - Because the rest of the Pac 10 is garbage.

I'd sub in Arizon for Cal. Yes, Cal has been better in the past 10 years, but it's gotta be alot nicer living in Tucson than Berkley/Oakland. More money committed to Athletics at Zona too - at berkely you have to share athletic revenue with Social justice platforms and "Save the Marble tailed Squirrell" campaigns...no [censored]ing way I'd coach there.

SEC
1. Florida - Top dog in Florida will get you top billing in your conference.
2. Alabama - Big tradition = big money.
3. LSU - Great fan base, pretty good recruiting pool built-in.
4. Georgia - Just can't put them higher than this. Never seem to be as good as people think they are.
5. Tennessee - Built-in recruiting base is all that's holding them back.

Meh. I'd flip flop LSU and Bama and also sub Auburn for UT, but it's pretty accurate.

 

[BB73]

I think I'd put Colorado ahead of Okie State. They have a good history and a beautiful campus.

I think I'd put Washington in front of Cal. I know they're terrble now, but they have a good history, they're in a major city, and the stadium on Lake Washington is a great location.

Good job, and an interesting topic.

 

[mross34]

I think I'd put Colorado ahead of Okie State. They have a good history and a beautiful campus.

I think I'd put Washington in front of Cal. I know they're terrble now, but they have a good history, they're in a major city, and the stadium on Lake Washington is a great location.

Good job, and an interesting topic.

Originally I had both of those changes. I think Oklahoma State is a program that is making serious moves to be a perennial power.

As far as Washington goes, I think you're right. Looking back on it, I think the Washington gig is the better job.

 

[methomps]

Washington is #2 or 3 in the Pac-10. UCLA is not.

 

[mross34]

Washington is #2 or 3 in the Pac-10. UCLA is not.

Even with the huge advantage UCLA has in local talent pool?

 

[redbenn]

I think I'd put Colorado ahead of Okie State. They have a good history and a beautiful campus.

I think I'd put Washington in front of Cal. I know they're terrble now, but they have a good history, they're in a major city, and the stadium on Lake Washington is a great location.

Good job, and an interesting topic.

too many hippies at colorado (or cal for that matter) to be top 5 football

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6t3VKLL-OY"]YouTube - Colin Cowherd - The People's Republic of Boulder[/ame]

http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/blogs/entry/7119677/9003059

4. Colorado-Last year the 'Buffs were able to make a bowl game after having a terrible first year, but according to Colin Cowherd Colorado will never be good because of too many hippies in Boulder,

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Big Ten
I'd put Michigan above Penn State easily, and Wisconsin probably above UIUC.

Pac 10
To me, Washington is a strong #3. They've fallen on hard times but are still a sleeping giant.

SEC
I'd drop LSU down to 5. They'll need to compete at a top level nationally for longer than five years before I'd put them ahead of Georgia and Tenn.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

I'd drop FSU down several notches in the ACC. They haven't been playing nearly as long as many other schools. That, along with other factors that are best left to other threads leaves them short on funds and facilities.

One measure of a program that most Buckeye fans don't know about is called "endowment" of the scholarships. To oversimplify the issue, a teams scholarships are fully endowed if they have been given enough money that the interest they earn from it pays for the scholarships. The reason that most Buckeye fans aren't aware of this issue is because Ohio State has had fully endowed scholarships for football longer than any of us have been alive.

At FSU, the scholarships are not fully endowed. This means that they have to spend a significant chunk of their football budget every year to pay for the short-fall. This cuts into the budget for facilities.

FSU has been on a drive lately to try to pay for an indoor practice facility. That drive has been dramatically hampered by the perfect storm of a rough economy coupled with a flurry of scandals, one of them an academic scandal that has yet to reach its nadir.

Now wrap your mind around that fact: FSU DOES NOT HAVE AN INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY. I've seen the plans for the one that they are TRYING to raise money for, and it isn't a shadow of The Woody. If you aren't fully endowed, it's hard to have a Woody.

During pre-season camp, a Tropical Storm blew through and kept them from practicing for 2 and 1/2 days. That would never happen to a team with an indoor facility.

While FSU does a great job of recruiting, the head coaches job does not have the built in advantages that many people assume it has. Jimbo Fisher could be in for tough sledding in the years to come.

 

[Dryden]

If you aren't fully endowed, it's hard to have a Woody.

This is the best on-topic sentence in a football related thread in the history of the Interwebs.

 

[methomps]

Even with the huge advantage UCLA has in local talent pool?

ucla is a basketball school and that is reflected in the mediocre pay they offer to football coaches (made worse by the COL in Los Angeles). Their stadium is an hour away from campus. Their traditions include a guy who waves a towel all game and senior skip day.

 

[HailToMichigan]

The jobs at Penn State and Florida State, whenever they're filled with a newcomer, will carry the weight of EXPECTATIONS, in the form of a huge sun-eclipsing shadow that will pretty much doom Jimbo Fisher and whoever at PSU to failure. That alone drops them a few notches.

I wouldn't slot Notre Dame all that high, either. Again, expectations. Notre Dame boosters and alums seem to hate every coach they've had since Holtz. Even His Weisness is starting to feel the heat.

 

[BB73]

Big Ten
I'd put Michigan above Penn State easily, and Wisconsin probably above UIUC.

I came back into the thread to also say that I think TSUN should be ahead of Penn State.

 

[bukIpower]

Big Ten
1. Ohio State- Fan Base, and talent is better than anyone in the BT.
2. Michigan- draws attention nationally
3. Penn State- They were built from the ground up and can get better
4. Wisconsin- Passion is there, but the talent is shaky sometimes.
5. MSU- Up and coming team. Will move up to possibly #3 if the consistency is kept.

ACC
1. FSU- The recruits will still pour in for them when bobby leaves.
2. VaTech- Great fan support and will always be a tough out.
3. UNC- They're gonna be good. I mean really good in the future (coach pending).
4. Miami- The talent will always be there, but their fan support is awful.
5. Ga Tech- I would say Maryland but they're too up and down for me.

SEC
1. Florida- Great coaching and great atmosphere.
2. Alabama- always been a proud program
3. LSU- an up and down team but normally very good.
4. Tennessee- NO matter how bad they suck they still draw fans/athletes
5. Georgia- All the talent in the world, but never will put it together IMO

Pac 10
1. USC- Duh
2. Oregon- Facilities!
3. Washington- coaching, and talent is missing but IMO a great school
4. Cal- Offense happy team
5. UCLA- Great school, and will be good soon

Big 12
1. Texas- Hook em' no contest.
2. Nebraska- Yeah I know, but the tradition here is great.
3. Oklahoma- Always a team that'll blow out the minors but loses big games.
4. A&M- Great fan support although the coaching isn't there (yet)
5. Texas Tech- Sooner or later recruits will notice what leach is doing

Big East
1. WVU
2. Pitt
3. Cincy- Only one worth saying anything. They're gonna be good if Kelly stays around for a bit!
4. USF
5. Louisville

 

[sandgk]

Scanned that list - which might be taken to mean I gave it scant attention bukIPower - but what I was looking for was the first thing that did not really fit.

I got as far as SEC - Tennessee.

If you had placed the Vols that high barely ten years ago, no argument. Not today though. They are losing the battle for recruits instate - they are also under extreme pressure on their true, traditional recruiting grounds, out of state. I'd move the other two SEC teams up one notch each and add as a new 5th place South Carolina.

Now Tennessee may get back into that top 5 listing sometime in the future (Cutcliffe, better recruiting) but not until that time - never mind the drunken sea of bright orange.