A lot of us pined for someone other than Barry Odom.....I know I did, here is where they stack up...
Tom Herman:
2016: 9-3 with Houston, beat FSU in the Peach Bowl.
2017-2018: 7-6, 4-1 at Texas with a bowl win over Mizzou.
Overall: 20-10.
Appears to have made some progress this year even with a head scratching loss to Maryland. I don't think Mizzou was ever a real destination for Herman, especially with Strong on the hot seat and what his current success was at Houston.
Verdict: Wish we had him, never had a chance.
Larry Fedora:
2016-2018: 8-5/3-9/1-3, lost a bowl game to Stanford.
Overall: 12-17
I fall into this category, after an unexpected 11-3 record in 2015 I thought Fedora was one of the hottest names on the market, I figured he had built something at UNC. Apparently what he had built was a pyramid scheme that has run out of gas as his team is now 4-12 since the start of 2017. I don't know how long he will last at UNC at this pace.
Verdict: Wanted him, dodged a bullet
Justin Fuente:
2016-2018: 10-4/9-4/3-1, 1-1 bowl record...lost to...ODU?
Overall: 22-9
Great coach at Memphis, looks to be continuing his success at VT. The lone blemish really looks like an unexplainable loss to ODU on the road(why are you playing at ODU?). I personally think he was the hire of the year in 2015, and his on the field success definitely seems to be backing it up...but ODU...seriously?
Verdict: First choice, got his DC instead
Matt Campbell
2016-2018: 3-9/8-5/1-3, bowl win vs Memphis, beat Oklahoma
Overall: 12-17
Sounded like a Gary Pinkel 2.0 situation....went to Iowa State instead. Has played Oklahoma tough since he entered the Big 12, seemed to make a big step from 3-9 to 8-5 in year 2. Has followed that up with a pretty underwhelming 1-3 start, with close losses to Iowa, OU, and TCU. The losses don't seem like a big deal to me in year 3, especially considering how competitive they were against 2 ranked teams that have considerably more talent than they do. I think Campbell will ultimately be successful at ISU and move on to a bigger program.
Verdict: Underrated hire at the time, could have been a Tiger?
Sonny Dykes
2016: 5-7 at Cal
2017-2018: 3-3, coached a bowl game
Overall: 8-10
I never thought the fit at Mizzou was a good one and was kind of curious that he got interviews with Mizzou, USC, and Virginia. He was shortly fired after receiving a contract extension and moved down to a lower program in SMU.
Verdict: Didn't want him, still don't
Matt Rhule
2016: 10-3 at Temple, bowl loss to Wake Forest
2017-2018: 4-14 at Baylor
Overall: 14-17
I honestly don't know what to think about Rhule. Of all the programs that might have been worse off than Mizzou in 2015, Baylor is number one on that list. After a successful stint in Temple he took over maybe the biggest dumpster fire in the FBS. Baylor probably won't win 5 games this year with their remaining schedule and the NCAA investigation has finally completed. If he manages to get Baylor back to respectable I'd expect him to jump ship fairly quickly.
Verdict: Interesting hire....still interested
Feel free to add anyone I missed. With that said, Barry Odom is 14-15 and appears to be turning things around. The home run hires of Fuente or Herman never seemed plausible. I think the real what if will be between Campbell and Rhule, who both seem to be building foundations at programs comparable to Mizzou.
Tom Herman:
2016: 9-3 with Houston, beat FSU in the Peach Bowl.
2017-2018: 7-6, 4-1 at Texas with a bowl win over Mizzou.
Overall: 20-10.
Appears to have made some progress this year even with a head scratching loss to Maryland. I don't think Mizzou was ever a real destination for Herman, especially with Strong on the hot seat and what his current success was at Houston.
Verdict: Wish we had him, never had a chance.
Larry Fedora:
2016-2018: 8-5/3-9/1-3, lost a bowl game to Stanford.
Overall: 12-17
I fall into this category, after an unexpected 11-3 record in 2015 I thought Fedora was one of the hottest names on the market, I figured he had built something at UNC. Apparently what he had built was a pyramid scheme that has run out of gas as his team is now 4-12 since the start of 2017. I don't know how long he will last at UNC at this pace.
Verdict: Wanted him, dodged a bullet
Justin Fuente:
2016-2018: 10-4/9-4/3-1, 1-1 bowl record...lost to...ODU?
Overall: 22-9
Great coach at Memphis, looks to be continuing his success at VT. The lone blemish really looks like an unexplainable loss to ODU on the road(why are you playing at ODU?). I personally think he was the hire of the year in 2015, and his on the field success definitely seems to be backing it up...but ODU...seriously?
Verdict: First choice, got his DC instead
Matt Campbell
2016-2018: 3-9/8-5/1-3, bowl win vs Memphis, beat Oklahoma
Overall: 12-17
Sounded like a Gary Pinkel 2.0 situation....went to Iowa State instead. Has played Oklahoma tough since he entered the Big 12, seemed to make a big step from 3-9 to 8-5 in year 2. Has followed that up with a pretty underwhelming 1-3 start, with close losses to Iowa, OU, and TCU. The losses don't seem like a big deal to me in year 3, especially considering how competitive they were against 2 ranked teams that have considerably more talent than they do. I think Campbell will ultimately be successful at ISU and move on to a bigger program.
Verdict: Underrated hire at the time, could have been a Tiger?
Sonny Dykes
2016: 5-7 at Cal
2017-2018: 3-3, coached a bowl game
Overall: 8-10
I never thought the fit at Mizzou was a good one and was kind of curious that he got interviews with Mizzou, USC, and Virginia. He was shortly fired after receiving a contract extension and moved down to a lower program in SMU.
Verdict: Didn't want him, still don't
Matt Rhule
2016: 10-3 at Temple, bowl loss to Wake Forest
2017-2018: 4-14 at Baylor
Overall: 14-17
I honestly don't know what to think about Rhule. Of all the programs that might have been worse off than Mizzou in 2015, Baylor is number one on that list. After a successful stint in Temple he took over maybe the biggest dumpster fire in the FBS. Baylor probably won't win 5 games this year with their remaining schedule and the NCAA investigation has finally completed. If he manages to get Baylor back to respectable I'd expect him to jump ship fairly quickly.
Verdict: Interesting hire....still interested
Feel free to add anyone I missed. With that said, Barry Odom is 14-15 and appears to be turning things around. The home run hires of Fuente or Herman never seemed plausible. I think the real what if will be between Campbell and Rhule, who both seem to be building foundations at programs comparable to Mizzou.
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