Pac12 Coaching Hires

My thoughts are that Herm Edwards seems like a real weird dude.

Herm Edwards – I think this will be a bad hire. BUT, it will either be horribly bad or amazing. I “get” what they are trying to do. Run a multi-billion dollar company like a multi-billion dollar company. BUT, I’m not sure the kids see it that way. I’m not sure a recruiting pitch of, “I will run the team like an NFL team, require you do have self responsiblity, and introduce you to contacts in the NFL” will translate into wins. I could see a lot of missed tape sesssions, slacking off, and lack of discipline. These are still kids, kids who have always been pampered, and kids who haven’t had to have any personal responsibility. Giving them more time, more homework, more film to watch and higher stakes in the games isn’t the best recipe for more freedom. 

Cristobal – I think this is a bad hire for Oregon. They should be able to do better. He hasn’t proven anything as a HC. At FIU, he won 1, 5, 3, 7, 8, 3 games. All that shows is that he played in a terrible league, his kids became upper classmen, and then they left. The PAC-12 isn’t the Sun Belt Conference. Look at Lane Kiffin. He takes a bad team and wins 11 games his first year. Urban did the same at Bowling Green and then Utah. 

He can definitely recruit. They will have talent. The problem is, can he coach as well as the other coaches in the PAC-12? We BY FAR, have the best coaches in the country. Chris Petersen. Chip Kelly. Kevin Sumlin. Kyle Whittingham. Mike Leach. He isn’t anywhere near as good as those coaches are. Can he out smart those guys? 

Look at Oregon’s schedule next year. It is rough: Stanford, @Cal, Washington, @ WSU. Ouch. They could go 0-4 in that stretch if Cristobal doesn’t coach his pants off. Then a couple weeks later, he gets UCLA then @Utah. What happens if he goes 0-6 in that stretch? 

Chip Kelly – He will win games. I’m not 100% sold that he will win 9+ games every year. Here is one example why: When he was at Oregon, he was the only “hurry up, spread the field sideline to sideline” coach. Now, Washington, USC, Arizona, ASU, Utah, WSU all run some form of that offense. Also, look at this: When Chip Kelly was last in the PAC-12, Utah ran a 4-3 defensive front. Our DT’s averaged 315 lbs and our ends averaged 270 lbs. 

Last year and this upcoming year, you will see a lot more 3-3 fronts, with our NT weighing 323 and our ends weighing 240. Two completely different defenses to face. 

Smith – who knows, who cares. We don’t play them and they will suck anyways. 

I think Herm Edwards is going to be a train wreck.  No college coaching experience; no recent coaching experience; is extremely abrasive and will not relate well with today’s young players.  Plus he’s never done anything and was terrible on TV as an analyst.

Chip Kelly- I just don’t know about this one.  He flamed out his last two gigs so maybe the magic has worn off; or, if it hasn’t, then UCLA is a great place to resume his prestidigitation.

Kevin Sumlin- I think the reason he is relevant is because of Johnny Football.  OK but not great.