It's Stoops. I thought this thread was closed.
I want to weigh in on the choice Bo is preparing to make. On one hand, he can take back full control of the defense and likely promote John Papuchis to defensive coordinator. The other option is hiring a coach to take over and run the defense, presumably Mike Stoops. I for one think it would be a big mistake for him to go with the former.
I want to start by declaring that I personally feel that John Papuchis is the most valuable position coach on Bo's staff. But IMO, promoting Papuchis and thus likely promoting a graduate assistant or intern to replace him on the Husker staff does little to boost the program overall. Ross Els, if he is not tabbed by Carl Pelini to be his DC at Florida Atlantic, could take over the special teams duties, but I think Papuchis is very valuable as the Huskers' recruiting coordinator. I favor Papuchis' recruiting strategy and feel he is a rising star in this capacity. Having a full class in 2013 will really show what Papuchis can do in this roll.
While I am sure Pelini is tempted to take back control of the thing he does best, which is coach and call defenses, IMO that would almost be like taking a step back in his head coaching progression. I feel Pelini wants to be able to oversee the entire program and not pigeonhole himself to one side of the ball primarily. I believe he should follow the lead of fellow defensive guru head coaches like Nick Saban and Bob Stoops. Both have top defensive coordinators on their staffs (Kirby Smart and Brent Venables) and allow both to run the defenses, with much success. Do Saban and Stoops give input, you bet your arse. But both Smart and Venables are considered to be among the top half-dozen defensive coordinators in the college game today and Saban and Stoops know this and can trust them. I feel Mike Stoops would join them in that classification. Most think Stoops would only be around for 2-3 years, I disagree. If Stoops comes to Lincoln and has the same success as Venables and Smart, he will eventually have his choice of a much better place to once again be a head coach, but it would be more like 5-years. No offense to Carl Pelini, but Brent Venables and Kirby Smart aren't leaving their schools for a job in the Sun Belt Conference. Those two are going to get BCS gigs when they decide to make the move. Mike Stoops, with his resume, would get the same treatment. I think Stoops needs Nebraska as much as Nebraska needs a top coach like Stoops to come and add some value to the staff in general.
It would likely cost Nebraska in the range of $700,000 or more, but a school like Nebraska can afford it and should not hesitate to offer it. Besides, like Smart, Venables, Bud Foster and a few others who make that kind of money, Stoops would be worth it. Adding a coach like Stoops would create a buzz around the program that would resonate with recruits and current players.
I'm sorry, what qualifications for the top position on our defensive staff does a guy who currently runs a charity have? Where has he been a defensive coordinator, or even an assistant, in the past?
Very nicely stated, and I couldnt agree more! Thanks for your input!
Make it a +2.
You doing better today bro?
Very nicely stated, and I couldnt agree more! Thanks for your input!
Show me where I said he was gonna be.
How do you know Mike Stoops will be are next DC?
Honestly, there are only a few scenarios where as I could justify promoting John Papuchis rather than hiring a guy like Mike Stoops. The first positive being that it is always a good move having your coordinators be your best recruiters, which Papuchis and Beck clearly are. Bo Pelini sells the program to recruits, but Beck and Papuchis sell the systems they would be apart of. In this regard, it would be a huge positive.
The other philosophy would be to go out and hire a top-flight recruiting coach/coordinator. In my personal opinion, when a coach puts a staff together, his most important hires are his offensive and defensive coordinators (obviously) and his strength coach. After those core three, without a doubt, the next in line is the recruiting coordinator. I feel he should be the highest paid position coach on the staff. He is entrusted in feeding the lifeline of the program; finding the talent to sustain a great program for consecutive years. In essence, he allows a team to reload, not rebuild.
If Papuchis is promoted, I assume Vince Marrow or TJ Hollowell would be added to the Husker staff. While I feel both could be good additions, I would look to aim higher and find someone who is proven and has a reputation and resume for recruiting and coordinating the task.
I would personally make a call to recently fired Memphis coach, Larry Porter. Porter is widely regarded as one of the top handful of recruiters in the country. His ties to the SEC would be a huge benefit. He is a RB coach, so I could then see moving Ron Brown back to coaching the TEs and keep Garrison's focus soley on the OL with Cotton.
Pelini has no ties to Porter, thus it is basically a pipe-dream that he or anyone else would be lured from a current position to take over similar responsibilities at Nebraska. Maybe its the NFL structure in me, but I see no reason a coach would need a prior background with a position coach. I would simply identify the best, and go pay him to work his magic for my team.
Along with Porter, some other guys who I would target and offer a raise/title upgrade to are:
Ed Orgerson, USC
Rodney Garner, Georgia
Larry Johnson, Penn State
Trooper Taylor, Auburn
Tosh Lupoi, Cal
Tommy Thigpen, Auburn
Eddie Gran, Florida State
Don Pellum, Oregon
Clint Hurtt, Louisville
Stan Drayton, Ohio State
Billy Gonzales. LSU
Josh Henson, Missouri
Joe DeForest, Oklahoma State
May not mean anything other than they are all friends, but on the Lincoln news at 6:00, during the video story about Carl, they showed a shot of Bo and Mike Stoops standing together and having a good laugh about something. Maybe just a high school reunion or maybe something else.