Only Post Your Researched History Of Your Top Candidate For The Job Here.

I will start with

BUTCH DAVIS

My 10 Reasons that Butch Davis should be our next head coach.

1. I think he is getting a bad rap, because he is fresh off a "resignation" and "nervous breakdown." In reality, Cleveland did much better under Butch than they had done in the most recent years before him, and the "nervous breakdown" was one panic attack that he made the mistake of telling the press about. I don't see any history of panic attacks and he was not on medication. I think these two negatives and the fact that Hurricanes won the national championship the year after he left are way overblown by people on this board after looking at them more closely.

2. He is credited with turning the University of Miami football program around, leading them to a Number 2 national ranking in 2000. He has a reputation of working well with young players, and is known as a strict disciplinarian.

3. Previous coaching experience:
1995 to 2000 - Head Coach University of Miami (51-20)
1993 to 1994 - Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator
1989 to 1992 - Dallas Cowboys Defensive Line
1984 to 1988 - University of Miami Defensive Line
1979 to 1983 - Oklahoma State Receivers Coach

4. Best I can tell: Butch had ONE panic attack and it was before his last game with the Browns. I think it is reasonable for a driven person to have a panic attack based on all the circumstances that led up to it.

5. He is a defensive coach like we want to succeed Saban.

6. Davis, who inherited a 5-27 team devoid of any depth or star players in 2001, went 24-36 during his stay in Cleveland. He led the Browns to a 9-7 record and a playoff appearance in 2002, his second season after leaving the University of Miami.
Since then, the Browns regressed, going 8-19 amid a string of close losses, costly injuries and chaos. Did better at Cleveland than people think because people look at him right after he "resigned."

7. I don't think we would lose him to the NFL or another college (Miami?).

8. Led Miami from the depths of probation to incredible talent and they were able to win a national championship with his players the year after he left, but I think they would have won it if he stayed.

9. Was part of the Jimmy Johnson turn around of the Dallas Cowboys where they went 1-15 his first season and had won two Superbowls by the end of his time there.

10. Miami won a national championship when he was their defensive line coach in the 1980s.

 

True, I had forgoteen how truly bad Cleveland was when he got there. He is sort of my 1A choice along with:

Jack Del Rio


Meteoric rise from Assistant to the 2000 World Champion Baltimore Ravens to D/C of the Carolina Panthers and then as Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Went 5-11 in his first Jags campaign as he struggled to put his kind of team together. However Jacksonville is 8-6 this year and in prime position to a make a playoff push, even if the very tough AFC.

 

Great idea for a thread! I hope this becomes one of the "official" discussion threads and that people take the time to do some research to back up their choices before posting them.

I can look it up, but I had found some really good stuff on Butch and posted it a couple of weeks back. One thing that I like is he caused UM player graduation rates to go way up in his time there.

Based on his negative turn in the pros, I suspect Butch is more of a "Lou Holtz" college coach who took a turn with the pros than a Dennis Erickson (who, obviously, still has the NFL jones).

That being said, his terrible time in handling the stress of the Browns job may not make him the best person to handle a top SEC gig. He'll be a top candidate, no doubt, but I want a full search with some good options considered over the next three weeks.

 

Not for a professional...... and being a "professional" is not limited to the NFL, IMO.

 

Jack Del Rio

BACKGROUND:

College: Linebacker, 1981-84 Southern California.

Pro career: Linebacker, 1985-86 New Orleans Saints, 1987-88 Kansas City Chiefs, 1989-1991 Dallas Cowboys, 1992-95 Minnesota Vikings.

Pro coach: 1997-98 New Orleans Saints, 1999-2001 Baltimore Ravens, 2002 Carolina Panthers, 2003-04 Jacksonville Jaguars (head coach).

COACHING EXPERIENCE:

2003 to Present - Jacksonville Jaguars, Head Coach
2002 - Defensive Coordinator, Carolina Panthers
1999 to 2001 - Baltimore Ravens, Linebackers Coach
1998 - New Orleans Saints, Linebackers Coach
1997 - New Orleans Saints, Assistant Strength Coach

Currently in second year as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. At 41, Del Rio is the second-youngest head coach in the NFL, just four months older than Tampa Bay’s Jon Gruden. Went 5-11 in his first season, is 8-6 in second season, and in contention for a playoff spot. His 2003 defense ranked sixth overall in the NFL and second against the run. He had inherited a team that had not been in the top 10 in total defense since 1999 and ranked 20th overall in 2002. In only one season, he took a porous run defense that was ranked 25th in 2002 and elevated it to second in the NFL, and only allowed one 100-yard rusher all year.

Proving that he could also coach the offensive side of the ball, Del Rio oversaw an offensive line that in 2003 allowed the fewest sacks in team history while Fred Taylor rushed for a career-high 1,572 yards and Byron Leftwich started 13 games as a rookie QB.

In his only season as defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers in 2002, Del Rio improved the defense to second in the league from 31st in 2001. Despite coming off a 1-15 season, the Panthers’ defense allowed only 290.4 yards per game, behind only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina led the NFL in fewest rushing yards per attempt (3.7) and were second in three other categories: fewest yards per play, third down efficiency and sacks (52). The Panthers allowed only 302 points, fourth fewest in the league. They did not allow a 300-yard passer and didn’t yield a 100-yard rusher until the season finale.

From 1999 to 2001, Del Rio was the linebackers coach of the Baltimore Ravens, helping the team win Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants. For those three years, all of which the Ravens finished second in total defense, Del Rio developed Peter Boulware, Jamie Sharper and Ray Lewis, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV. During the Ravens’ Super Bowl championship season in 2000, Baltimore's defense set the NFL 16-game record by allowing only 165 points and recording four shutouts, one shy of the post-1970 record. The group also led the NFL with 49 forced turnovers. The defense continued its domination in the playoffs, allowing just one touchdown in four games. The lone score allowed in the Ravens’ 34-7 Super Bowl win over the New York Giants came on a kickoff return.

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

Third-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints in 1985. He was named to the NFL’s All-Rookie team and earned the Saints’ Rookie of the Year award in 1985. Following two seasons in New Orleans, played for the Kansas City Chiefs (1987-88), Dallas Cowboys (1989-91) and Minnesota Vikings (1992-95). He led the Vikings in tackles three straight years (1992-94) and played in the Pro Bowl following the 1994 season. During his career, Del Rio recorded 1,078 tackles, registered 12 quarterback sacks, made 13 interceptions and started more than 100 consecutive games between 1989 and 1994. He went to the playoffs once with the Cowboys and three times with the Vikings.

Del Rio was a four-year starter from 1981 to ’84 at Southern California, where he earned consensus All-America honors as a senior and was runner-up for the Lombardi Award. Co-MVP of the 1985 Rose Bowl. Led the Trojans in tackles for a loss three years in a row. Del Rio finished his career with 340 tackles, 58 for a loss, five fumble recoveries and one interception.

OTHER

Del Rio has learned from some of the best coaches in all of football. He was recruited to USC and played for John Robinson, and in the NFL he played under Bum Phillips, Jim Mora, Frank Gansz, Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Green. As an assistant coach, he has worked for Hall of Famer Mike Ditka and Super Bowl winner Brian Billick, as well as John Fox.

Drafted out of high school by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981, Del Rio batted .340 while playing catcher on Southern California’s baseball team in 1983 and ’84. He was a teammate of current Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson and former major league slugger Mark McGwire.

Born April 4, 1963 in Castro Valley, California, Del Rio graduated from Hayward (California) High School and holds a political science degree from the University of Kansas. He and his wife, Linda, have three daughters: Lauren, Hope and Aubrey, and a son: Luke.

 

Posted on Thu, Dec. 23, 2004

Garcia says he was warned about Butch Davis' flaws

By MARLA RIDENOUR

Akron Beacon Journal


BEREA, Ohio - Cleveland Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia seems to regret the leap of faith he made with former coach Butch Davis.

Speaking for the first time in nearly three weeks, Garcia made it clear that he didn't think signing with the Browns in March was a mistake. But he said his new teammates warned him about Davis' lying and the atmosphere it created.

"I think it made it difficult for him to really get the team to accept what he believed," Garcia said Thursday. "When I came in in the off-season, I heard things from players in this locker room about how things were going to be difficult for me to handle, how things were going to be different from what I was used to.

"As much as I wanted to give everybody an equal chance and keep an open mind, things did change and started to change my mind. I could see how the mentality from other players could affect that whole vision of what they believe and what they were going to put into something."

Davis resigned Nov. 30. Garcia has three years remaining on a four-year, $25 million contract he can void after 2005. He said if the new coach and general manager want him, he's committed to honoring that deal.

"I think the key is that the coach who comes in here understands the players and the players understand the coach and that everybody is at the same level," Garcia said. "That he treats us like men and that we treat him with the respect he deserves. If that's the case, then you're going to get the most anybody here has to offer."

Some have speculated that Davis and Garcia rushed into a marriage that didn't fit either side. Davis wanted to dump quarterback Tim Couch and fans in San Francisco had turned against Garcia.

"I looked at what was my best opportunity to be a starting quarterback," Garcia said. "Cleveland had a good group of receivers and a defense that had been playing well and good special teams. You look at the running backs coming back. I thought this was something that could really work. There are a lot of positives in this locker room.

"But it doesn't start within this locker room. It starts above this locker room. Then it filters down to us and we take it from there. That's where I think this whole pattern got all screwed up."

Garcia said he came to understand Davis' personality and their relationship became strictly professional.

"I didn't feel I needed to go into his office a couple times a week and have that sort of closeness," Garcia said. "I never had a problem with Coach Davis."

Davis and Garcia had their disagreements. Garcia was outspoken all year about the offense and his role in it, capped by his "too predictable" comments after a Nov. 14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Davis indirectly referred to Garcia as "skittish" after an Oct. 10 loss to the Steelers.

"When your back is against the wall, emotions are going to take over sometimes," Garcia said. "We may be more vocal than we should be. Certain things have to be kept amongst this team. Some things came out that were hurtful to both sides. We dealt with it and moved on."

Garcia was placed on injured reserve with a third-degree knee sprain on Dec. 13, the first time in his six-year career that he has landed on that list. He missed two more games with a rotator cuff injury. He said previously the most games he'd sat out was three last season.

Talking at his locker and not at a podium, Garcia was more relaxed than he has been. He said he feels the burden of carrying the team has been lifted, a frustrating burden with the Browns 3-11 and on an eight-game losing streak.

"It's been one of those years where I can't wait for 2005 to kind of switch over," Garcia said. "I can grow and better myself and help better the situation around me. I came in to bring a spark to this team and found myself fighting an uphill battle week in and week out. It eventually zapped the life out of me."

LSU CANDIDATE? - Browns interim coach Terry Robiskie said he would be interested in the job at Louisiana State if Nick Saban leaves to take over the Miami Dolphins as has been reported. A Louisiana native, Robiskie has never worked in college, coaching in the NFL for 23 years.

"Absolutely," Robiskie said. "Like I'm reading today coach (Dave) Wannstedt (took) the Pittsburgh job. I know he said a week or two ago he wouldn't take it and the first thing that came to my mind, `How do you not go back home?' My house, my dad, my family, they're probably 32 miles from Baton Rouge. My uncle lives about five miles from campus. It would be intriguing to me. I'd be more than willing to listen."

 

Excellent post!!! I can't add anything to what you've already said except that I hope we land him. Since Butch Davis is probably one of the only potential head coaches that are free at the moment, look for him to be interviewed first.

 

Les Miles

Oklahoma State Head Coach



Release: 04/05/2003
Les Miles is beginning his fourth season as Oklahoma State's Head Football Coach and the state of Cowboy football has never been better.
When OSU opens the 2004 season at the Rose Bowl against UCLA, the Cowboys will begin a season that once again features promising overtones. OSU will be looking for a third straight winning season and a third straight bowl appearance.

The success of OSU football should come as no surprise. Miles has injected a winning philosophy on the field and off. The Cowboys have matched winning games with winning in the classroom. In addition, Miles and his staff have proven time again to be tireless and effective recruiters.

The third year of the Les Miles era of Oklahoma State football proved to be one of the most significant seasons in Cowboy football history.

Miles and the Cowboys went into the 2003 season with nearly unprecedented expectations. They finished the season playing in the school's first January bowl in 55 years.

With a blend of seasoned veterans and exceptional young talent, Miles led the Cowboys to a 9-4 mark in 2003. The 2003 team became just the sixth team in Oklahoma State football history to win nine times in the regular season.

The Cowboys capped the 2003 season with an appearance in the SBC Cotton Bowl. It was Oklahoma State first Cotton Bowl appearance since 1945 and the school's first January bowl game appearance since 1949. It also marked the first time Oklahoma State has gone to back-to-back bowl games since the 1987 and 1988 squads appeared in Sun and Holiday Bowls.

The January 2nd game in the Cotton Bowl was Miles' 37th game as Oklahoma State's head football coach. Miles will carry a career record of 21-16 into the 2004 season opener at the Rose Bowl against UCLA.

Oklahoma State's 2003 season was highlighted by victories over eventual Big 12 Champion Kansas State and a bowl-bound Texas Tech squad. Miles and his Cowboys won seven straight after a season opening loss at Nebraska and finished the season with back-to-back victories.

Under Miles, the Cowboys began the season ranked 24th in both major polls and finished the regular season No. 22 in the Associated Press' Top 25 rankings.

Miles was the 2002 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year after directing his second Oklahoma State team to an 8-5 record and the school's first bowl appearance since 1997. The Cowboys won behind a record-setting offense, sparked by All-American Rashaun Woods and sensational sophomore quarterback Josh Fields.

In three short years, Miles has turned the Oklahoma State football program into one that is nationally competitive. He is the first head football coach in OSU history to post victories over Nebraska and Oklahoma in the same year. He is the first Oklahoma State football coach to defeat in-state rival Oklahoma in each of his first two seasons.

Miles is now the first coach since the late 1980's to lead an OSU team to back-to-back bowl appearances.

What was significant about Oklahoma State's success in 2003 is that it followed success of 2002. The Cowboys carried the winning consistency from last year right into this season and are in a stretch in which they have won 15 of their last 19 games, dating back to an Oct. 19. 2002 win over Nebraska at Boone Pickens Stadium.

The Cowboys won again in 2003 with a balanced offense and a defense that was, at times, spectacular. Oklahoma State averaged 226 yards on the ground and 187 yards through the air for a combined average total offense of 414.6 yards per game. That is the highest average total offense since OSU's record-setting 1988 unit averaged 515.2 yards per game.

Miles, an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator during the Alamo Bowl season of 1997, became the school's 21st head coach on Dec. 6, 2000. He was Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator for three seasons prior to that, including the 1997 season when the Cowboys finished the regular season with an 8-3 record and accepted a bid to play in the Alamo Bowl.

During Miles' three previous seasons at Oklahoma State, the Cowboy offense produced near-record-setting numbers. The 1996 team had 4,295 total yards, an average of 390.5 per game. Those totals were the fourth-best in the history of OSU football. Two of the three years under Miles, the Cowboy offense had more than 4,000 total yards. The 1997 Cowboy offense scored 332 points, the third-most in OSU history, and the Cowboys averaged 22.5 points per game in 1995, 22.0 in 1996 and 27.6 in 1997.

Success has followed Miles at every stop of both his playing and professional career. He was a two-year letterman at Michigan (1974-75). During those two seasons, Michigan was a combined 18-3-2, had final Associated Press national rankings in the top 10 and participated in both the Rose and Orange Bowls.

He joined Bo Schembechler's Michigan coaching staff in 1980 for the first of two stints as a coach in Ann Arbor. In 1980 and 1981, Michigan combined for 19 wins and just five losses, won the Big 10 title in 1980 and played in the Rose and Bluebonnet Bowls, respectively. Miles left Michigan for Colorado, where he served on Bill McCartney's staff from 1982 through 1986. In his final two years at Colorado (1985 and 1986), the Buffs earned bids to the Freedom Bowl and Bluebonnet Bowl.

Prior to the 1987 season, he returned to Michigan, where he would spend the next eight years as part of one of the most successful eras in Michigan football history. From 1987 to 1994, Michigan won 71 games, made eight straight bowl appearances, including four trips to the Rose Bowl, and finished no lower than No. 21 in final Associated Press national rankings.

The 1989 Michigan squad finished 10-2, won the Big 10 championship and finished ranked No. 7. That would be Coach Bo Schembechler's final season as Michigan's head coach.

When Gary Moeller took over the Michigan program prior to the 1990 season, Miles remained on the staff. The 1990 team finished 9-3, winning the Big 10 title and the Gator Bowl. The following season (1991), Michigan finished 10-2 and with a No. 6 national ranking. Miles coached some of the best players to wear the Michigan uniform, including eight first-team All-Americans, 10 total All-Americans and 12 players from Wolverine offensive lines that were NFL draftees.

He has worked with some of the most noted coaches in college football. At Michigan, he played for legendary coach Bo Schembechler and later served on Schembechler's staff. He also worked with Gary Moeller at Michigan and Bill McCartney at Colorado.

Born November 10, 1953, Miles earned his degree in economics from Michigan in 1976. Les and Kathy Miles have four children, Kathryn, Leslie Matthew, Benjamin and Macy Grace, born last July.

Alma-Mater: Michigan 1976

 

The thing I like about Del Rio is his youth may be a plus for recruiting. Being defensive minded helps with the lack of time you have in the NCAA for practices. Complex offenses are just not the best thing in my opinion because of all the practice time you eat up in formations and less time to actually work the route running and catching the ball. Defense you can work on disquising the blitz and be more sucessful with less practice time.

Hopefully I will be able to learn something form this process.

 

Unfortunately, I believe Del Rio will be ruled out due to lack of college coaching experience. I believe Davis will be ruled out because he is damaged goods. I've heard too many negative things about him to be comfortable with him, anyway. Les Miles, I don't know about. I do believe the next LSU coach is currently a head coach of a Division 1 college program. But, which one...