The List (for now)

As you may have noticed, we took a glance at many of the candidates being linked to the Kansas job. Since that time, we’ve received the target list. This is the list they’re operating from and it comes from someone who does know. Obviously, it could change at any moment – especially now that the separation has been formalized – but this is what the AD is working off of right now.

1. Jim Harbaugh – I don’t know if the coincidences this week mean anything, but he is the top target right now. That’s not speculation.

2. Kevin Sumlin – Some might say he hasn’t done enough yet to be this high, but no surprise he’s a target.

3. Houston Nutt - This one caught me off guard, but apparently he contacted Kansas. Looking for some leverage with Ole Miss? Maybe. Before hearing this, I would have never connected him with the position and even now, can’t see him being the guy.

4. Larry Fedora - No surprise here.

5. Skip Holtz – I didn’t even think enough of him, or the possibility of him, to include him in my massive post yesterday, so to have him this high was a surprise.

6. Butch Davis - I’m hesistant to even write this one down. Doesn’t make any sense right? Has to be Butch Jones? Don’t shoot the messenger, but he clearly said Butch Davis.

7. Turner Gill – Maybe low for some people’s taste, but again, not a surprise one way or the other.

As for the assistants that are to assume interim head-coaching responsibilities (Bowen, Beaty, Miller), each is being paid handsomely to handle recruiting duties and bridge the gap between regimes. However, Clint Bowen is set up to interview for a position with Florida State. No specific word on the other two. As an aside, Warinner is lobbying to be able to stick around as well, but by being left off the above list, one has to wonder if he has much of a chance.

We’ll update you as/if we know anything more.

Thoughts?

Article Tags:

Big XII, College Football, Kansas Jayhawks

89 Responses

Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 8:45 am

I expect FootballCoachScoop to change their current list accordingly.
BluManGrp said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:17 am

@Triston: You give them too much credit. I don’t think they work hard enough to look at blogs. I think they just post whatever gets emailed to them.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:22 am

If I wasn’t already lined up for a gig at Phenomenal U, I’d throw my name into the FootballCoachScoop hat. Hell, I still might, gotta keep your options open.
BluManGrp said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:25 am

Houston Nutt is certainly a surprise, as Ole Miss is a higher profile program than KU. I personally think he’s an awesome coach, but he’s never coached or lived in Texas, which is a downer. I agree, that one came out of right field (seems to make more sense to me than left field, I’ve never gotten that expression).
TaylorTRoom said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:43 am

Active coaches get on the list by being successful. They cannot be on the list for more than a couple of days, because their current gigs start getting very antsy. The active coaches either need to be released by the search (and probably have it announced by the candidate “removing his name from consideration”), take themselves out (often followed by a raise at their current job), or be hired.

The longer this drags on, the less likely the search is converging on one of the active coaches.
Neon said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:50 am

Arkansas recruits to Texas (as does Ole MIss I’d guess) so I wouldn’t worry about Nutt’s recruiting.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 11:04 am

Arkansas recruits to Texas (as does Ole MIss I’d guess) so I wouldn’t worry about Nutt’s recruiting.

Agreed. Also, Nutt’s fallout with Arkansas was because parents got upset with him. Does Lew really want that after KU parents have been heard speaking out about Mangino?
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 4th, 2009 at 11:28 am

TTR – Expect this to be done by the end of next week, at the latest.

Re: Houston Nutt. He makes no sense at all, and even less given that it was he who contacted us…Doesn’t he already make 2.5mil and coach at an SEC school that was (albeit hilariously) ranked in the top 5 this season?

And the Butch Davis thing makes almost less sense. I just think they had to mean Butch Jones. After all, this info came from an elderly fella…
Neon said:

December 4th, 2009 at 11:50 am

Many of these guys are in bowl game preperation? Does your source indicate next week or just quickly?
BluManGrp said:

December 4th, 2009 at 12:12 pm

You sure it’s not Miller interviewing at FSU?
Phenomenal Smith said:

December 4th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

RE Houston Nutt, recall that Ole Miss had just announced that Ed Orgeron was going to remain the coach when Houston called them and told him he wanted to be their coach. Orgeron was fired and Nutt hired. Just like that. Maybe he calls about all openings.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

Maybe he calls about all openings.

So you’re saying he’s proactive? Gotta like that.
Ben F said:

December 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

@Triston/BlueMan — obviously HipHop’s not doing his research since he forgot probably the most important candidate, should be listed at 1b:
Herm Edwards

(I’m going to throw out another one: Adam Sandler)
Gene Claude said:

December 4th, 2009 at 1:04 pm

What the hell is wrong with Houston Nutt? Maybe he has the rare job interview fetish. Gets him all randy. I bet he’s down at the local Oxford Starbucks wearing a groucho mask interviewing for the open assistant manager position all the time, eyes rolling back in his head, moans emitted….

Ok, that’s probably enough of that.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 4th, 2009 at 1:14 pm

Neon: There’s no definitive source/date, but all indications point to a decision being made by the end of next week. Possibly sooner.

BMG: No, I’m not. But I specifically asked about Bowen and that’s the answer I was given. Did hear about the Miller thing too, though.

Ben: I can’t help who is or is not on the list. But I stand by my assertion that Herm would make a good college coach. Just as long as he hired someone to be his clock manager.
Gene Claude said:

December 4th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

PLEASE, PLEASE,PLEASE hire Herm Edwards. Please. We will lose the next 20 bball games to you (yes, I realize I just offered no actual consideration for this deal….).
Phenomenal Smith said:

December 4th, 2009 at 1:47 pm

Herm’s ability to assess talent seems to be poor. I’d welcome him to the Big 12 with open arms.
Leonidas said:

December 4th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

I want nothing to do with the baggage Nutt might have following the end of his tenure at Arkansas.

Butch Davis just seems clear out of left field. Doesn’t seem a good fit.

A little surprised Gill is that low on the list.

I’m torn on Harbaugh though. The positives: he’s brash. Doesn’t shy away from saying what he thinks and clearly instills a swagger in his teams. His players clearly respond to him. The negatives: he’s brash. Doesn’t shy away from saying what he thinks. Very much a double-edged sword. Also, can he recruit Texas well?

VERY glad to not see Edsall on this list. The guy may be a good coach, but he seems to be an east coast guy and just not a good fit for KU.
Boo Radley said:

December 4th, 2009 at 2:16 pm

Two words: Don Fambrough
Boo Radley said:

December 4th, 2009 at 2:44 pm

Harbaugh would shock me. In all seriousness, and no offense to HipHop and the rest of the KU faithful, but is the KU job really that appealing for a lateral, if not a step down move for Harbaugh? Sure Lawrence is cheaper than Palo Alto, but does he want to make a move now to a lower tiered Big 12 program? Yes, until you finish in the top half of the Big 12 again, you are a bottom tiered program in the conference. Sure you are better off than when Allen left, but other than one season, there hasn’t been much really and all those players are gone.

Coming off a 1-7 season losing your all timeQB, your two best all time WRs, a solid running back, your only all conference player (Stuckey), and returning defense that is just not very good, whoever takes the job has a lot of work to do. Do you think someone wants to come in here an try to rebuild a program when they think they are going to want to take another job? If you think you are not rebuilding again, then you are drinking some really good Kool-Aid.

Seems to me signs point to Sumlin or Gill, guys that need to earn their stripes at a BCS school.
Leonidas said:

December 4th, 2009 at 2:48 pm

@ Boo: I know. It’s not like KU will ever go to a BCS game, much less win one. Oh wait…
huskerwes1 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

We tried for Nutt when we didn’t get Spurrier…then accepted our bronze metal (generous, I know) Callahan…

Here’s to hoping another winning fat man comes to Kansas- With Mangino gone I’ll get to see a lot more of the game b/c I’m constantly torn between watching the inflatable Lil’ Red bounce on his head on the sideline and watching the lesser planets orbit around Mangino.

Call me a freak- I just like to look at that guy.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 2:59 pm

but is the KU job really that appealing for a lateral, if not a step down move for Harbaugh?

Lateral? Maybe. Step down? Definitely not (overall anyway, though you make a point as far as immediate future). Stanford has been pretty hit or miss in terms of winning seasons since the days of Bill Walsh’s first tenure there in the late 70′s.

It becomes attractive when you look at the money and academic aspects. KU will certainly pay him more, and the academic standards will allow Harbaugh to really see what he can do in recruiting. And it doesn’t matter because no matter where Harbaugh coaches next year, he’ll be biding his time for Michigan.
Boo Radley said:

December 4th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

Leonidas, you keep thinking you earned that one so you sleep better at night. We all know who won the game that mattered.

But I am talking about the future of the program not the past. 12-1 to 5-7 just shows how far you have fallen. YOU LOST SEVEN IN A ROW. Your only Big 12 win came when a pass was over thrown by a foot. Southern Miss had the ball with a chance to win in Lawrence. You are not going to a bowl game. Pretty sure if you can’t make a bowl, your program is not in very good shape.

Look, I know it sucks to when your team is bad again . Hell we were bad for almost 20 years, got better, and then we sucked again for a couple more. Just reminds me a little of our Larry Smith years.

We all like to think our teams are better than they are, but can you honestly say you think the KU program is not in total rebuild mold or not a lowered tiered Big 12 Program? If they held a preseason 2010 Big 12 poll right now, do you think KU would be in the top 8? So what if you built new facilities, and the new Fat Man (Perkins) is bringing in more cash. Ask your self this: right now with your current players are you a program that can challenge for a division title? See you have to win one of those to play for championships.
Boo Radley said:

December 4th, 2009 at 3:42 pm

Actually Triston, Harbaugh may not head to Michigan. He apparently has pissed a lot of people off there which Chet from our site reminded me about.

.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 3:44 pm

Your only Big 12 win came when a pass was over thrown by a foot.

True. We’re also a garbage offensive interference call (CU) and dumb play calling and a safety (missouri) away from being 7-5 instead of 5-7. That’s neither here nor there, and it is what it is, and all that other talk.

I don’t think this is a top tier team right now but I think the program overall is in a better position than Stanford to succeed in the long haul. Not to mention, as a whole, the Big 12 is typically better than the Pac-10.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 3:46 pm

Boo: I still remember how he pissed people off but I think that time and Dick Rod losses can heal those wounds in a hurry. I honestly believe that people at Michigan would welcome him with open arms if they have another bad year next year.
Leonidas said:

December 4th, 2009 at 3:48 pm

Yes. KU won the Orange Bowl and has a big, beautiful BCS trophy on display. We all cry our tears over that Missouri loss into our Orange Bowl trophy.

You see, that’s the difference between MU fans and KU fans: you all think the KU game is “the only one that matters” whereas, while we want to beat MU badly, we’ve definitely got our eyes on a larger prize.

Being a Missouri fan, you see what you want to see, which is KU in the worst possible light with the worst possible chances for success. Mangino clearly lost this team, but left it light years ahead of where he found it.

We’re all comfortable that KU football will be just fine, despite Missouri fan’s wishes to the contrary.
Neon said:

December 4th, 2009 at 3:53 pm

I think we’ll be a lower tier team in 2010, but definitely not a lower tier job. Of the factors coaches are considering, current roster talent isn’t terribly high on the list. If Pinkel had left last year, do you really think the lack of talent in Columbia would have kept coaches away? They are 2 of the 30 or so best jobs in college football. Finding a qualified candidate won’t be hard. Finding the RIGHT candidate- that’s a little more tricky.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 4:01 pm

I think we’ll be a lower tier team in 2010, but definitely not a lower tier job.

The voice of reason that is Neon.
Phenomenal Smith said:

December 4th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

Leonidas, that is bullshit. Your broad brush is much too clumsy for reason. Besides, MU and KU football fans are exactly alike.
Phenomenal Smith said:

December 4th, 2009 at 4:11 pm

Finding the RIGHT candidate- that’s a little more tricky.

And that’s the scary thing for KU right now. The job is good – lots of money – Mangino made 150% more than Harbaugh this year (that’s before the buyout, of course) – facilities are getting better, good conference, manageable expectations, good enough recruiting location.

But, starting over is scary.
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Starting over is scary and kind of exciting. What we know is we have a lot to offer a coach and that we’ll get a guy with a great resume (something that was much less true when we hired Mangino). What we don’t know is if he’ll succeed.

If you were one that felt Mangino had a chance to repeat his Orange Bowl year, you might be scared as that’s a pretty lofty goal for any program not named USC, Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State or Florida.

If, like me, you thought the last 2 years were the standard deviation and the Orange Bowl was an outlier, you’re OK with the risk as the chances of him doing better than Mangino’s mean is pretty good considering we’re in the position to hire a more accomplished coach.

The potential to advance the program is better by taking any of the guys on this list than it was by keeping Mangino, even before Lew blew up his ability to recruit.

There is also a chance of regression. Starting over is scary, especially in the B12 these days.

Missouri is obviously rolling (nice rebuilding year slavers. makes me puke thinking about it. imagine what you could do with a coach that doesn’t mail it in on Saturdays). Nebraska is likely back at the top of the North. Every team in the south is perenial top 40. It’s certainly a 4-4 (max) league for all but the best programs.

This is not really unlike Missouri’s decision to cut their losses with Quin Snyder (though let’s say they decided to cut ties in 03 or 04- it was pretty obvious then that the EE was the aberration). I think hiring Anderson hasn’t turned out to be a home run, but it has certainly been progress.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 4th, 2009 at 4:33 pm

Looks like I’ve missed quite a ridiculous argument here.

Job Status: The Kansas job is very middle tier as far as the Big XI is concerned. But since we’ll pay as much or more than anyone except OU, UT (and maybe A&M), it becomes more attractive.

They are 2 of the 30 or so best jobs in college football. Finding a qualified candidate won’t be hard. Finding the RIGHT candidate- that’s a little more tricky.

Could not agree more, Neon.

Program Status: Entirely hinged on the hire. Like Neon said, the Orange Bowl was obviously an anomaly with our current talent. The 5-7 that transpired this year was equally anomalous. 2008 really is what we are right now…a couple bad breaks and we’re fighting for a bowl, a couple good ones and we’re in contention for the Big XII. The right coach might be able to up that ante, but currently we’re a 7-8 win type of team.

Harbaugh: It would shock me some too, honestly. And if we do get him, we’ll probably lose him to the NFL some day (assuming it goes well). But it’s not a step down – and maybe I spend way too much time discussing wealth management – but money is ALWAYS a factor. And if Harbaugh’s goal is the NFL (or some other big job), from his perspective, it makes a whole lot of sense to keep building his resume while making twice as much money in the process.
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 4:45 pm

Program Status: Entirely hinged on the hire. Like Neon said, the Orange Bowl was obviously an anomaly with our current talent. The 5-7 that transpired this year was equally anomalous. 2008 really is what we are right now…a couple bad breaks and we’re fighting for a bowl, a couple good ones and we’re in contention for the Big XII. The right coach might be able to up that ante, but currently we’re a 7-8 win type of team.

This.

Though I’m a bit more pessimistic and will go 2σ of 5-9 wins (Yes, I had to look up how to type a σ) . 11 wins was as much an aberration as winning only 3 would be. This is still a significantly better range than we were in 8 years ago and as good a range as most programs that would give the guys on this list the keys.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 4th, 2009 at 5:10 pm

It was 12 wins, dammit!
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 5:16 pm

Ha! All my standard deviation analysis and I got the number wrong.
Phenomenal Smith said:

December 4th, 2009 at 5:46 pm

Missouri is obviously rolling (nice rebuilding year slavers. makes me puke thinking about it. imagine what you could do with a coach that doesn’t mail it in on Saturdays).

First, without that coach Mizzou wouldn’t be rolling along – we had to try a half dozen coaches to find him. Second, I don’t get the “mailing it on Saturdays” comment. All coaches make boneheaded calls on occassion – Pinkel’s are almost always 2 point conversion related. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his game plan and he was on the front end of this spread phenomenon, so he’s not afraid to change. Of course, I think Pinkel walks on water. I will take 8 wins with the occassional shot at being in the top 10 from now until I die. Plus, from all accounts he runs a clean program and won’t bring any shame to the program like Quin Snyder did. I hated that.

I think hiring Anderson hasn’t turned out to be a home run, but it has certainly been progress.

Absolutely. Again, as long as he keeps us clean and takes us to the dance with the occassional shot at the final four, I’ll be very happy.

Starting over is scary and kind of exciting.

Very true. I love change for that reason. It’s a rush.
DCJayhawk0208 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

After lurking here for months, this thread has forced me into registering for an account.

So here’s my $0.02:

I find it hard to believe we could land Harbaugh. But my immediate experiences with KU football were the Terry Allen years (Terry’s first year was my freshman year). I remember vividly the offensive linemen coming into the Wheel on Fridays before games drinking pitchers of beer and eating multiple Wangs when all of us should have been in class.

I was ecstatic when we hired Mangino, thought we hired “above” where the program was at the time (mainly because Mangino was and is a health risk, and you have to wonder how much the university would have paid out had he had a massive coronary, considering there’s no way he could qualify for health insurance).

And now, I think we’re in a similar position. The money we’ve committed to the facilities and the coaches’ salaries and the success of the basketball team mean that a specific kind of coach will want this job: one with a chip on his shoulder. Much like Mangino, the new coach will have to have a need to prove he can bring football to a level that fan support will not drop off after Late Night. Harbaugh has that chip on his shoulder. I don’t know if Fedora, Gill or Sumlin do (I’d lean toward Fedora or Sumlin over Gill). Fulmer might, given his unceremonious departure from Tennessee.

There’s a special kind of coach that looks at a program like Kansas and says, “Here’s my plan to give Bill Self a run for his money.” And I hope that’s the mentality of our next coach. Because, in my mind, that’s the only way that 2009 becomes the aberration and not the rule.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 4th, 2009 at 6:22 pm

Great thoughts DC, couldn’t agree more. Keep ‘em coming.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 6:30 pm

Welcome aboard DCJayhawk

Besides, MU and KU football fans are exactly alike.

How dare you Phenomenal.
[hastily removes crimson and blue shaded glasses]
How dare you!
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 6:39 pm

First, without that coach Mizzou wouldn’t be rolling along – we had to try a half dozen coaches to find him. Second, I don’t get the “mailing it on Saturdays” comment. All coaches make boneheaded calls on occassion – Pinkel’s are almost always 2 point conversion related

After this year, there is no doubt Pinkel is a great CEO, it just seems like he mails it in on Saturdays to me. Much like Roy mails it in during games. Both are system guys. If the game plan they put out there is better than the other teams game plan you’re going to win. If not they’re not going to change it. Not a bad fella to be compared to eh?

Call them stubborn or ‘not good at Xs and Os’ or whatever, but as long as they win I wouldn’t complain either. But since he coaches in Columbia you’ll forgive me if I poke fun at his skills as a strategist.
Gene Claude said:

December 4th, 2009 at 7:24 pm

I think the phrase “mails it in” is what confused me. I associate that with lack of effort, which is not something that comes to mind when I hear Pinkel.

If you mean he is not a great in-game strategist, and I think that is what you mean, by all means, concur. One interesting note…Eberflus had his issues, but he was not afraid to rework a defense to take on specific opponents. That was a big reason he gave Tech such fits. He was not Pinkel-like in that regard. And he is no longer here.

I will say this: It is difficult to really scheme much out of the hurry up spread. Your play call is often determined by the other team’s alignment. And Brad Smith didn’t exactly lend himself to creative offensive game planning, that is, if you intended to utilize the forward pass. So it is possible, although maybe not probable, that Pinkel has been hamstrung by personnel and now system.

But he’s probably just not real good at spur of the moment change.

And, as Phenom notes, I very much love the man.
DCJayhawk0208 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 7:31 pm

Rereading my first post, I feel like I didn’t spell it out quite as clearly as I thought. So, after pouring myself a second glass of wine, I’m going to try it again:

We got Mangino, a great coach (maybe not a great person, but a football genius), because noone else would take the chance on the guy.

Now, I feel like we’re in a similar situation with a whole different set of challenges. But, in some ways, very similar. Our football team is far, far better, but nowhere near as successful as our basketball team. We need a coach now who sees that as a challenge and not as the status quo. Just like we needed a coach who didn’t see the Allen years as the status quo, we need a coach now who doesn’t see the Mangino years as the status quo.
WSURazorback said:

December 4th, 2009 at 9:22 pm

Please Please hire Nutt…so I can laugh at every KU fan I know. Nutt is a mediocre coach at best, and a worse recruiter, however he will love the helmet and his brother will take the team to Sonic for cherry limeades
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 9:42 pm

If Nutt was mediocre I’d hate to hear what people in Arkansas are saying about Petrino.
WSURazorback said:

December 4th, 2009 at 9:46 pm

Petrino is loved in Arkansas
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 9:52 pm

To be fair, who doesn’t like cherry limeades? I think Petrino is a bitch for the way he bailed on the Falcons, but he’s a pretty good college coach.
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 9:54 pm

Nutt won 8 or more games 6 times in his years in Arkansas. Petrino has yet to win 8 games. I’m all for being optimistic, but I’m not sure how he could be considered an upgrade at this point.
WSURazorback said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:02 pm

They know Petrino is better..Petrino had two 1 loss seasons while at Louisville, Nutt has had only one 1 loss season in his career and bis best season at Arkansas he lost 3 games. The 3 loss season was his first season playing with Danny Fords players. and jilted??Nutt was forced to resign..If I were a KU fan(im not..however my entire family is) Nutt would be the last coach id want….Nutt is nothing but trouble for a program..sure he can motivate his players but he cant recruit ad he sure cant coach
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:15 pm

If Nutt really did contact KU about the position, then something is wrong. I don’t know that he has any connection to KU at all, other than both he and Bill Self played basketball for OkSU (not at the same time). If he’s already trying to bail on Ole Miss it’s bad news. Plus, his time in Arkansas was never eye popping, in my opinion.
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:22 pm

So you’re assuming Petrino’s going to have the same success with Arkansas’ schedule as he had with Louisville’s? Good luck with that- Louisville under Petrino made Boise State’s schedule look like Notre Dame’s. The guy’s 12-12 so far so he’s got a ways to go.

I’m not pushing for Nutt, just pointing out that he did pretty darned well in Arkansas (better than anyone of this era has done in Fayetteville). And has obviously done quite well at Ole Miss.
WSURazorback said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:31 pm

Im assuming Petrino is going to do better with Arkansas than Nutt did..my Louisville commnet was to your orginal comment stating that Nutt had several seasons better than any in Petrinos career…I feel that Petrino has Arkansas on the right path and I am confident with him being the coach..with Nutt no matter what the lead was you always worried he was gonna screw it up somehow. Nutt is a used car salesman and a rah rah guy..but a coach he is not
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:39 pm

I’m not trying to rag on Petrino, just pointing out that Nutt accomplished more at Arkansas than anyone has been able to do in this era. Petrino has yet to get 8 Ws at Arkansas and Nutt was over that mark more than not (and he was obviously a ton better than the coaches before him back a ways).

Petrino’s record at Louisville was fluffed by a very easy schedule (even after they joined the BE), so I’m not sure you can count on averaging 8+ wins at an SEC school.

I thought at the time that Arkansas fans were losing their minds when when they got rid of Nutt and nothing Petrino has done has made me think otherwise. Broyles retired 25 years too late and Nutt was the only good decision he made during that time.

Many in the same fan base that thought they were going to hire Self from Kansas a few years back so maybe ‘losing’ isn’t the proper tense.
gingerballs said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:52 pm

Well as we knew, two of the candidates have solid ties to the area….

I want Jerry Glanville, FWIW.
WSURazorback said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:55 pm

In time Petrino will out perform Nutt without questions…Nutt has a huge ego which often becomes a problem for him..he ran off several good players and the offensive coordinator of the year because it took away his spotlight..Nutt operates with the playbook of a middle school team, and is one of the most predictable coaches in the country…I think Charlie Strong, Turner Gill, or Butch Jones would be great choices for KU.
Triston27 said:

December 4th, 2009 at 10:56 pm

I’ll see your Jerry Glanville and raise you Coach Winters.
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 4th, 2009 at 11:15 pm

I think there’s quite a bit of question if Arkansas ever brings in a coach that can match Nutt’s decade there. It’s simply a much more difficult job than it was in the Lou Holtz era.

@Ginger- that’s not a recent photo of Turner and his daughter is it? Like Alcorn St?
gingerballs said:

December 4th, 2009 at 11:59 pm

Undated….or I am a facebook stalker.
Triston27 said:

December 5th, 2009 at 12:41 am

Undated….or I am a facebook stalker.

A handsome reward to whomever can tell which person in this video is GB.
Gene Claude said:

December 5th, 2009 at 9:43 am

I love the argument that Nutt had a huge ego and that was a big problem for him at Arkansas…so clearly, Bobby Petrino must be the answer. He of the Biblical humility and honesty.

I don’t mean to direct this at WSURazorback, because the discussion here seems entirely cordial and reasonable…but my experience (from SWMO and the Cotton Bowl a couple years ago) is that the Arkansas fan base may be even more irrational and belligerant than the Mizzou fan base, and that’s saying something.

Houston Nutt clearly has issues if he is contacting KU for a job, not meant to be a slight on KU, but Ole Miss is a pretty good gig. I think it says something about his coaching ability (or Ed Orgeron’s) when you consider what he did last year with Orgeron’s players.
Jon said:

December 5th, 2009 at 12:44 pm

Let’s look at Nutt’s record where it counts. Look at how many bowl games he won while he was here. Look at his record when you take away the cupcake teams and the lower tier SEC schools.

You might say Petrino has never had a 8 win season (if we win the Liberty bowl then it will be an 8 win season) but Petrino has yet to have a year as bad as Houston Nutt.

Nutt went 5-6 and 4-7 at Arkansas and this was in his 7th year. Plain pathetic. That is also when he had Peyton Hillis, Marcus Monk, Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Look at Ole Miss this year, was ranked 5 in the preseason and now they are dwelling near the bottom of the top 25. It also took Petrino 1 year to put together a recruiting class better than what Nutt produced in 10 years.

Petrino also has a solid BCS win, something that Nutt never even sniffed at while he was here. This year in the SEC Arkansas was the youngest team and Ole Miss was one of the oldest (might be the oldest).

So far since Petrino has came we have improved. Ole Miss has stayed the same this year with some amazing talent. If Ole Miss loses this bowl game then they will have regressed this year by 1 game. We’ll see how well Nutt does once Orgeron’s studs leave and he’s left with his recruits.

Nutt’s tenure at Arkansas was nothing short of mediocre and his record and stats prove that.
Phenomenal Smith said:

December 5th, 2009 at 2:37 pm

Let’s look at Nutt’s record where it counts. Look at how many bowl games he won while he was here.

You lost me early. While I love bowl games, a coach’s record in these meaningless exhibition games does not a strong resume make.
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

Yeah, I’d work on getting in a bowl game before I worried about a coaches record in one. And again, comparing Petrino’s success at Louisville isn’t going to win you any arguments, especially when most of your conference claims that the SEC is soooo much better than any other conference and their teams should all be given preferential treatment because of that.

As far as Nutt being mediocre, he was the best coach in Fayetteville in an entire era of football. I guess you can claim his time there was mediocre, but that doesn’t say much about the chances for Petrino to succeed.
texasrebel222 said:

December 5th, 2009 at 5:28 pm

did somebody say nutt is one of the most predictable coaches in the country?
Your wrong. Arkansas losing Nutt was horrible for your program. Was this predictable? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw7hsXv9MFU
Jon said:

December 5th, 2009 at 7:43 pm

When I said look at Nutt’s record where it counts, I didn’t mean just bowls. Yes the bowl games are one thing that Nutt was horrible at. Take away the cupcake teams and the bottom feeding SEC teams that regularly did bad during Nutt’s tenure and this record isn’t so hot. Look at his embarrassing beatdown by USC 2 years in a row. Need I mention again that Petrino has yet to have a year as bad as Nutt.

I won’t lie, Arkansas was very excited when Nutt came. We were in the hole and his cheerleading attitude was refreshing when he arrived in Fayetteville. The novelty ran out after Ford’s players left and we started doing poor. Going 4-7 and 5-6 in his 7th year of coaching didn’t help his cause either. His poor recruiting tactics didn’t help either.

Arkansas was in need for a breath of fresh air and we feel we have found it. The verdict is still out for Petrino but most Arkansas fans are content with him and feel he is leading us in the right direction. Outsiders opinions are nothing more than opinions. Time will certainly tell if we made a good hire. What I think won’t affect the outcome of the Razorbacks one bit.

Nutt may have been the best thing since sliced bread when he arrived but that doesn’t make him any better of a coach. He barely went over .500 in the SEC with his tenure at Arkansas. Take away the Vanderbilts, and Mississippi schools and there are even less quality wins in that bunch. Arkansas fans desired something different and better and thats what we sought out to do. Whether our coaching hire was good will be decided by Petrino’s future record.

By the way Neon, we are in a bowl game. Not the best one, but a bowl game none the less.
Neon Boudreaux said:

December 5th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

I don’t think KU fans would claim that we are better off (certainly not ‘without question’) if after 2 years, Mangino’s replacement can only exceed what Mangino did his 2 worst seasons here, especially if we’ve yet to match the relative success Mangino brought us in the last 2.
Raefzilla said:

December 6th, 2009 at 1:34 pm

Nice scoop on Nutt, Hiphop. Another website just reported that he was interested and everyone all the posters were blindsided by the news.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 6th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

Happy to be of service. You know we’re alwasy out ther tirelessly chasing down leads for our loyal readers.

Personally, I’m pretty unsure about him myself. Would rather have a few others on this list. But apparently he’s a very real possibility. Rumor has it he and his AD aren’t getting along (ever heard of such a thing?) and interestingly, I was also told he’s Bill Self’s cousin.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 7th, 2009 at 9:01 am

FYI, I’m told Harbaugh is interviewing today and right now he’s leaning towards Kansas. Take it how you will.
WSURazorback said:

December 7th, 2009 at 9:43 am
WSURazorback said:

December 7th, 2009 at 9:43 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d4mVHDtkK4
Triston27 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 10:30 am

Nice pull, Razor. That was pretty good.

Hiphop, I’m convinced you have a tent set up outside Lew’s office. But I refuse to get my hopes up. Texas news radio says he’s waiting for an NFL gig.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 7th, 2009 at 10:39 am

Triston, Lew is in New York. And many coaches are there or making their way there for awards banquets, etc…

I’d agree that NFL is a bigger risk than Michigan (at some point), but I implore you to never, ever gather information via sports radio.
Triston27 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 11:27 am

I was just mentioning what I’d heard from a friend. But I’d completely forgotten about the NFL being a real possibility for him.
Gene Claude said:

December 7th, 2009 at 11:59 am

What? Sports radio has lots of useful information. For example, I learned just the other day that “THE CHIEFS OFFENSE IS A GODDAMN JOKE.”
Raefzilla said:

December 7th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

Hey, don’t knock my man Soren Petro. OK, well you can knock him sometimes. But overall he’s a cut above the rest of the sports radio riff-raf.

Hiphop, if that’s true about Harbaugh you just made my day.
Mississippi Coach Houston Nutt to………. « The Blog Hawgs said:

December 7th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

[...] by Adam Butler on December 7, 2009 Kansas? I’ve seen this movie before. I know how it ends–with a raise from Mississippi, a [...]
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 7th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

Raef: Petro is far and away the best radio personality in the Kansas City area, mostly because he’s the only one that’s competent (with Nick Wright the only other possible exception).

On Harbaugh: I assume no culpability if it’s not true, but it’s from a source worth believing.

I love how everyone is four days late on this Houston Nutt thing. Just shows how quiet Lew is keeping things.
blumangrp said:

December 7th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

Nice “No mea culpa” HipHop.
Triston27 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:35 pm

Harbaugh talking to ND too apparently.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/sports/ncaafootball/08irish.html?_r=1&ref=sports
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:42 pm

Don’t be ridiculous, Triston. If he has the chance to coach at Kansas, he’s not going to waste his time with Notre Dame.
Triston27 said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:51 pm

Good point, Hiphop. Campanile > Touchdown Jesus

I’m anxious for all this to just get over with. The longer this drags on, the more recruits we’ll lose, obviously. But I don’t like LSU using this as ammunition to draw Grissom away.
Boo Radley said:

December 7th, 2009 at 2:56 pm

“Don’t be ridiculous, Triston. If he has the chance to coach at Kansas, he’s not going to waste his time with Notre Dame.”

That’s true Hiphop. If you want to physically abuse players for years, and not get caught, KU is place to be.

Sorry too easy.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 7th, 2009 at 6:18 pm

Actually, Notre Dame is the place for that…Holtz was as bad as they come and yet he’s still celebrated there.

Well played and point taken, however.
Phenomenal Smith said:

December 7th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

Just saw Harbaugh on Monday Night Countdown (he’s in Green Bay rooting on his brother). He said that he hasn’t been contacted by Notre Dame and that “the good Lord willing, he’ll be head coach at Stanford next year.” So, you can hope the good Lord wants him to leave Stanford for KU, because sounds like he’ll do whatever that guy wants.
Hiphopopotamus said:

December 7th, 2009 at 7:02 pm

Phenom, I think it’s pretty obvious the good Lord wants whatever is best for Kansas. If that means Harbaugh, then it’s only a matter of time.
Neon said:

December 7th, 2009 at 8:56 pm

Kind of sounds like Jimmy’s thinking fat raise?
gingerballs said:

December 7th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

Buuuut, Harbaugh has been divorced right? No way Notre Dame comes off that moral high horse right?

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