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PHONE'S RINGING -- IT'S URBAN ON THE LINE

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Who made the best coaching hire yesterday?

Arkansas - Bielema
7% (135 votes)
Auburn - Malzahn
20% (379 votes)
Boston College - Addazio
3% (60 votes)
Purdue - Hazell
69% (1301 votes)
Total votes: 1875

Comments

Oyster's picture
Oyster on 5 Dec 2012 - 7:05am #

Say what you will, but 68 wins in 7 years aint too shabby.  I do see this as a blow to the B1G unless Wisky can get a great coach that can keep it going.  The B1G has a bad rep right now and losing a good coach on one of the few strong teams is not good.

On a side note, 610 reported that Alvarez is considering coaching the Rose Bowl game.  If he does, I'm picking Wisky in that one.

LouGroza's picture
LouGroza on 5 Dec 2012 - 7:50am #

Read that Bielema did not seem particularly happy the last few days according to a high school coach that keeps in touch with him regularly. Also said he felt Bielema was feeling pressure about this years record and that his skin wasn't made to take much of that. Funny thoughts.

Alhan's picture
Alhan on 5 Dec 2012 - 8:24am #

I'm not sure coaching in the SEC is going to be less pressure. In fact, there will most likely be more pressure to win where he's going. I don't know that the money behind Arkansas is going to settle for 7 win seasons.

You can kill a fly with your slipper or a cannon. Either way, the fly dies. -Ramzy

Nappy's picture
Nappy Mod on 5 Dec 2012 - 10:44am #

7?  I feel a steady dose of 5-7 years is in his future. 

Fan of bacon since 1981

lcrumley89's picture
lcrumley89 on 5 Dec 2012 - 8:51am #

Hazell's hire will definetly improve Purdue's play and he should be able to actually compete for recruits based on his history. That being said, Bielema running to the SEC only hurts the conference at this point considering how poor the conference as a whole plays.

“There are some people addicted to alcohol, some people are addicted to gambling,” Luginbill said. “Urban Meyer is addicted to football, and he’s addicted to winning.”

aboynamedtracy's picture
aboynamedtracy on 5 Dec 2012 - 1:02pm #

That may be true, but it depends on who he is replaced by.

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skycake on 5 Dec 2012 - 9:07am #

Boston College hired Steve Addazio? Is that a joke? 

I can only assume Jim Bollman was their first option but he turned them down. 

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Alpo on 5 Dec 2012 - 9:30pm #

Addazio was my coach freshman year in HS. The guy is intense for sure, Whether that translates to wins is another story. BC is a step up from Temple and I wish him the best, even though he was a piece of work back in he day when I knew him!

45has2's picture
45has2 on 5 Dec 2012 - 9:34am #

Gus Malzahn was AU's OC when $cam Newton led them to the NC. Given their last three recruiting classes and current players, Auburn has the best chance to make a massive wins improvement.

"I don't like nice people. I like tough, honest people." -W.W. Hayes

Poison nuts's picture
Poison nuts on 5 Dec 2012 - 10:25am #

Hazell is a great hire but Auburn made the best move IMO...

The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.

hodge's picture
hodge on 5 Dec 2012 - 10:30am #

Malzahn was the perfect hire for Auburn.  If he can coach a team anywhere close to how well he runs an offense, the Tigers are gonna be set.

Gotta give some credit to Bielema.  He probably realized that years like this were going to be the norm with a rejuvenated OSU and UM opposing him (not to mention Nebraska and MSU being on their same level, as well), got a big offer in Arkansas, and followed the cash to Fayetteville.

Being a "hot" commodity during a coaching search can be quire the transient thing.  Props to the big guy in Madison for leveraging it before it all slipped away.

Doc's picture
Doc on 5 Dec 2012 - 10:59am #

^^What he said.^^

Bert leaving wisky hurts the league, but I think his run in Madison was coming to an end.  He got while the gettin was good.  Can't blame him for it.  In five years he'll be coaching Iowa. 

Unky Buck's picture
Unky Buck on 5 Dec 2012 - 12:19pm #

We all know that Kirk Ferentz will still be coaching Iowa and will be winning the B1G Coach of the Year award in 2017 after taking 6 previously sub .500 teams to 8-4 due to the vast improvement he made that year.

Seriously, though, I may be in the minority but I don't think his loss is as big as people think. The numbers don't really lie. He was 23-1 against the likes of Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois but 16-18 against the remaining B1G. On top of that, he was 2-4 in bowl games. So while overall numbers look good, I think when you dig a little bit, you find numbers that aren't so great. He struggles against teams that are better or on an equal plain. So while perception is that we lost a good coach, I say that the SEC just gained a mediocre at best coach. He took his money and ran and you can't blame him for that, but I think Wisconsin will be able to find a better coach.

hodge's picture
hodge on 5 Dec 2012 - 12:38pm #

And thus we're left with the crux of Tresselball: you'll always beat the teams that you're more talented than, but you'll struggle to match up to teams that are equal or superior in that regard.  

Tressel was one of the greatest game managers to ever coach, which mitigated a lot of his system's inherent weakness.  Bielma isn't Tressel's equal (nor does he field the talent Tressel did), and thus his fundamental strategy is exposed as such: overwhelm lesser teams, struggle to beat the ones that can match up to the hogs on your O-Line.

aboynamedtracy's picture
aboynamedtracy on 5 Dec 2012 - 1:05pm #

I'm with you. He can be replaced fairly easily. I'd rate him no better than 5th among current B1G coaches and you can ask Johnny how brilliant that group is on the whole.

 

bassplayer7770's picture
bassplayer7770 on 5 Dec 2012 - 11:18am #

While Fathead did do pretty well with Wisky's program, I voted for Hazell.  I'm really curious what he'll be able to do with a larger program and likely better recruits.

I will also be curious to see how Malzahn does at Auburn minus Cam Newton.

NW Buckeye's picture
NW Buckeye on 5 Dec 2012 - 12:32pm #

Does Hazell have to grow a mustache? 

Unky Buck's picture
Unky Buck on 5 Dec 2012 - 12:40pm #

That was one of the things that needed worked out in the contract and what held it up for a bit. It's a requirement that all Purdue head coaches must have a thick, Tom Selleck type mustache.

BuckNutInAnnArbor's picture
BuckNutInAnnArbor on 5 Dec 2012 - 12:39pm #

Malzahn at Auburn is a great combo.  I wonder if Arkansas reached out to him at all - he was Houston Nutt's OC for a season.  Week 2 next season will make for a slightly awkward moment when the Tigers host the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

"...but then again 'Michigan' and 'huge mistake' are synonymous so that shouldn't have been much of a surprise to anybody."  - Mark Titus

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Timotheos on 5 Dec 2012 - 8:00pm #

The Ohio State coaching tree grows again.

onetwentyeight's picture
onetwentyeight on 5 Dec 2012 - 8:42pm #

Malzahn will be a steal. People forget that the year before they got CAM they still went 8-5 and put a scare into Saban in the Iron bowl even tho Malzahn had some no-name QB starting. The guy is legit. He even won AT ARKANSAS STATE. 

Poe McKnoe's picture
Poe McKnoe on 5 Dec 2012 - 9:16pm #

Drama has followed Malzahn at every stop.  Don't expect it to stop now.  Hazell FTW (or maybe not, at Purdue).

Grant Edgell's picture
Grant Edgell on 6 Dec 2012 - 1:27am #

I think Hazell to Purdue may be the best hire on the list when all is said and done, but I'll admit losing Bert is probably a decent blow to the B1G (or Leaders, anyway).  Douche or otherwise, he may have maxed out Wisconsin's program while he was there - unless the next coach comes in and averages a higher annual recruiting class than 51st in the nation (Bielema). That's an awfully high (low?) number compared to the nice he had in Madison.

 

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