I want to stress that we're in the very early stages of this. There's a little information out there and probably a lot of misinformation. Some of that may be intentional. You're going to see plenty of conflicting reports (including one here very shortly) and honestly, it's going to be virtually impossible to know what's true and what's not. The impression I get is that this search is going to be run very, very quietly. Mack Rhoades will know what's going on. Maybe 2-3 others will. And I think that's about it.
Anyway, on to the actual news (or some semblance thereof). Today, our focus is mostly on Justin Fuente, the Memphis coach.
I'm told from sources in Memphis that this year definitely has a different feel than last year. Last year, Fuente was telling suitors (and he had some) "Thanks, but no thanks, I'm staying at Memphis." This year, he's not shutting it down right off the bat. As it was put to me, "he seems to be exploring his options this year."
Will Missouri be one of those options? Absolutely, I expect the Tigers to make some inquiries...and they may already have done so. I was sent a piece from ESPN today (it's premium so I'm not going to link it or anything) that said in Missouri's search it's Fuente and then it's everybody else.
That may be true. However, from what I'm told, Fuente may have some reservations about the stability of the administration at Mizzou. The President and the Chancellor both resigned/were forced out last week. That's one of the things Mack Rhoades is going to have to address with candidates. Is it enough to prevent Fuente from exploring the job? I have no idea. I've also been told all along that Fuente may prefer some other openings (specifically Virginia Tech). The interest has never seemed strong between him and South Carolina. I don't really know the reasons why, but a lot of coaches will view the ACC (or just about any other conference) as an easier path to the playoff than the SEC. Not saying that's necessarily the case with Fuente, but I've been hearing Virginia Tech is the most likely landing spot for him for quite some time now.
*The most intriguing part of the coaching carousel this year might not be the jobs that are already open, but the ones that might come open. There's been plenty of speculation about Mark Richt at UGA, recent talk about Charlie Strong at Texas and then a report yesterday that Les Miles was coaching for his job at LSU. I talked to someone yesterday who backed that up. Basically, keep an eye on Baton Rouge if the Tigers lose to Ole Miss this weekend.
To me, that's a game changer. The Hat has his critics. But he's won 78% of his games, two SEC titles and a national championship. And LSU, before Nick Saban got them going again, wasn't really an annual national power. Miles has done well there. If he's out, don't you absolutely have to make a call and see what he thinks? He strikes me (similar to Richt, but even more successful) as a guy who might do really well at a place where winning ten games every year is viewed as a good thing and not a birthright and, ultimately, a disappointment.
*This all kind of speaks to the timetable. Rhoades told us he didn't have one. And finding out Pinkel was leaving on October 28th certainly gave him a head start. But even with that head start, the heavy lifting in the process probably won't really start until the dust settles the week after the regular season and we know which jobs are open and which coaches are available. Even if Rhoades has his guy in mind, does it make sense to wait a little bit and see what happens with a guy like Les Miles? I sure think it does, but I'm not in charge.
Anyway, on to the actual news (or some semblance thereof). Today, our focus is mostly on Justin Fuente, the Memphis coach.
I'm told from sources in Memphis that this year definitely has a different feel than last year. Last year, Fuente was telling suitors (and he had some) "Thanks, but no thanks, I'm staying at Memphis." This year, he's not shutting it down right off the bat. As it was put to me, "he seems to be exploring his options this year."
Will Missouri be one of those options? Absolutely, I expect the Tigers to make some inquiries...and they may already have done so. I was sent a piece from ESPN today (it's premium so I'm not going to link it or anything) that said in Missouri's search it's Fuente and then it's everybody else.
That may be true. However, from what I'm told, Fuente may have some reservations about the stability of the administration at Mizzou. The President and the Chancellor both resigned/were forced out last week. That's one of the things Mack Rhoades is going to have to address with candidates. Is it enough to prevent Fuente from exploring the job? I have no idea. I've also been told all along that Fuente may prefer some other openings (specifically Virginia Tech). The interest has never seemed strong between him and South Carolina. I don't really know the reasons why, but a lot of coaches will view the ACC (or just about any other conference) as an easier path to the playoff than the SEC. Not saying that's necessarily the case with Fuente, but I've been hearing Virginia Tech is the most likely landing spot for him for quite some time now.
*The most intriguing part of the coaching carousel this year might not be the jobs that are already open, but the ones that might come open. There's been plenty of speculation about Mark Richt at UGA, recent talk about Charlie Strong at Texas and then a report yesterday that Les Miles was coaching for his job at LSU. I talked to someone yesterday who backed that up. Basically, keep an eye on Baton Rouge if the Tigers lose to Ole Miss this weekend.
To me, that's a game changer. The Hat has his critics. But he's won 78% of his games, two SEC titles and a national championship. And LSU, before Nick Saban got them going again, wasn't really an annual national power. Miles has done well there. If he's out, don't you absolutely have to make a call and see what he thinks? He strikes me (similar to Richt, but even more successful) as a guy who might do really well at a place where winning ten games every year is viewed as a good thing and not a birthright and, ultimately, a disappointment.
*This all kind of speaks to the timetable. Rhoades told us he didn't have one. And finding out Pinkel was leaving on October 28th certainly gave him a head start. But even with that head start, the heavy lifting in the process probably won't really start until the dust settles the week after the regular season and we know which jobs are open and which coaches are available. Even if Rhoades has his guy in mind, does it make sense to wait a little bit and see what happens with a guy like Les Miles? I sure think it does, but I'm not in charge.
