Coaching Carousel

[HarryBosch]

No worries, Brian Kelley ain't coming back.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Not that it would ever happen, but I personally would never want Brian Kelly back here. No way.

What he did to those kids that season was wrong. You can argue that that's nature of the business, and that's fine. But those kids played their hearts out for him, were a FG away from playing the National Title game, and he deserted them. Sitting at 11-0 and #3 in the country, in a city that could not have been any more appreciative or supportive, and you just pick up and leave? And take half your staff with you? You can't even let some of them stay to coach the bowl game? Not to mention that he informed the team night of the their awards banquet.

He abandoned those kids and this town. And that's not right, no matter what portion of the blame your assign to him. They way it was handled by him was terrible. I wish I could remember some of the quotes he had given leading up to the days and weeks of his departure. It wasn't a very graceful or tactful exit. I took the entire situation as gigantic middle finger to UC and the schools fans.

F#$@ Brian Kelly. I hope Notre Dame loses out and he ends up somewhere terrible.

I completely agree, I think I was the first to mention "would you take Kelly back" but I just said it as a conversation piece. I said as soon as I said it that personally I wouldn't. I don't blame him one bit for taking the Notre Dame job. It was his dream job and we knew that when we hired him and I also understand the nature of the business where he had to take the job when he did and not wait a month, but it still just left such a bad taste in everyone's mouth. To me you always have to move forward and that would be a move backward. Sadly, a guy like Kelly would be insanely successful at a school like Cincinnati had he stayed. But he wanted a bigger payday and a bigger spotlight and I can't blame him. But, while Kelly is obviously an offensive genius of sorts and a hell of a motivator and was the epitome of getting the most out of your players when he was here, he isn't and wasn't perfect as far as coaches go. His teams didn't play defense and looked as clueless as Tuberville's have at times and he really wasn't a great recruiter. Although with Notre Dame pedigree that could have changed. But he left the cupboard pretty bare, especially on defense.

 

[Bearcats Sports]

Like people have said before, UC needs a young up incoming coach. We were at our best when we had young and hungry coaches like D'antonio, Kelly, and Jones. They all ended up leaving, but the way they grew our program and brought in talented recruits was great.

 

[M64W]

I mean we could, sure. And I don't doubt that a number of fans would be thrilled with the move. But for me personally, I don't want to win that bad. Which is somewhat crazy for me to say because I think I'm pretty demanding of coaches. I value winning, and winning big, more than most fans. But I'd rather roll the dice with literally anyone else, and I mean anyone at all, than Brian Kelly. I'd rather do worse with another option than better with him. But to each their own though.

I just think some may forget just how ugly that all that was. One big difference in Petrino's departure was that it was announced after the bowl game. Jan 7th to be exact. He didn't ditch a 11-0, #3 ranked team, a school, and a town, right before the biggest game in the program's history.

It's not just that he left, it's how he left. His players were the last to found out. Rumors had been flying for weeks, and heated up days and days prior to his telling them. It had been reported as a done deal the morning of the night he decided to break the news to his kids. They were left in limbo.

He told just before their awards banquet. Classy move there. I remember reading that Mardy Gilyard just grabbed his MVP trophy and left. Guys were crying with reporters in their face, on what should have been a night to celebrate all of their hard work. That's just wrong.

I find almost impossible to believe he couldn't have coached that bowl game if he wanted to. If he really wanted to, and if Notre Dame really wanted him, that would been allowed to happen. But it didn't, despite it being the right thing to do. And not only did he immediately pack up and leave town he took half the staff with him. It's not uncommon for assistants to be allowed to stay back. That didn't happen either. We lost not only our head coach, but a number of other assistants. Here we are, in the biggest game of these kids lives, biggest game ever for this fanbase, and were at half staff. Wtf?

There's a lot of quotes on that from kids on that team about how they were mislead and lied to. Tony Pike, if you listen to 700, certainly sounds like a smart enough guy. I'm sure he knows the game is business. Yet I remember him really chastising Kelly for what he was telling the team throughout the ordeal. How much he loved the team, how much his family loves the city, blah, blah, blah. Yet he picked up immediately and gave them no notice and no help.

And the worst of it all, I kept thinking at some point, perhaps during his initial press conference at ND, that he would make a point to acknowledge those kids and this town. That maybe he would express sincere regret that he couldn't be a part of the rest of the season, that he greatly appreciated everybody, that he loved the city. Never happened. He gave on bs canned answer to Cincinnati and moved right on.

In the years since he's never gone out of his way to compliment this school or town. He's never applauded the improvements or thrown in support for us moving to a power conference. He's never said much of anything. We have gotten more praise from Urban Meyer than Brian Kelly. Think about that. The coach at O$U has more nice things to say about an in-state competitor than our old coach.

I'm sure he could do very well here if he came back. I would just view every win as tainted, and it would be hard to stomach to see him in red and black. We deserve so much better than being such a desperate destination that we're forced to bring back someone that treated us like dirt. It's the equivalent of going back to a woman that cheated on you a dozen of times just because you can't do any better. The word pathetic comes to mind.

I have responded 3 times now, but each time my post does not show up?? I am tired of trying to respond. Help??

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

I have responded 3 times now, but each time my post does not show up?? I am tired of trying to respond. Help??

How are you spending the bye week coach?

 

[M64W]

How are you spending the bye week coach?

I am counting up all the teams who would love to be 3-3. Three more wins and we are bowl bound.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Tuberville hasn't been fired yet?

 

[#BearcatNation]

Tuberville hasn't been fired yet?

Nope, unfortunately. I posted this to Twitter earlier, but USA Today ranked every FBS team, from 1-128. They had UC at 80. Seems very fair, to be honest.

What was funnier to me, though, was that Miami (OH) was 128. Out of 128. The literal worst FBS team. A team Tubs had us losing to at the end of the 3rd quarter. At home.

My how far we've fallen. I'm fine if they want to wait till the end of the year to fire Tubs, but if he's back next year, I'm going to lose it. Such awful timing with the Big 12 stuff going on. You'd like to think it doesn't matter, but their higher-ups are still keeping an eye on us.

Regardless of our conference next year, our program needs a fresh start. Should go with a young, hot commodity, in my opinion. Someone who's young and will fire up our players. Maybe a high-major's O or D coordinator?

 

[JackBauer151]

Nope, unfortunately. I posted this to Twitter earlier, but USA Today ranked every FBS team, from 1-128. They had UC at 80. Seems very fair, to be honest.

What was funnier to me, though, was that Miami (OH) was 128. Out of 128. The literal worst FBS team. A team Tubs had us losing to at the end of the 3rd quarter. At home.

My how far we've fallen. I'm fine if they want to wait till the end of the year to fire Tubs, but if he's back next year, I'm going to lose it. Such awful timing with the Big 12 stuff going on. You'd like to think it doesn't matter, but their higher-ups are still keeping an eye on us.

Regardless of our conference next year, our program needs a fresh start. Should go with a young, hot commodity, in my opinion. Someone who's young and will fire up our players. Maybe a high-major's O or D coordinator?

I want PJ Fleck. Same mold as BK and Butch. Young up and coming coach ready to take the next step. If you cant get him then yes I'm with you. Tom Herman was the Dontonio route as he was a big time coordinator and Houston is rocking. Program feels so stale after 4 years of tubs. Need the excitement back if nothing else.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

Fleck is going to get a much better job than Cincinnati

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Fleck is going to get a much better job than Cincinnati

You think he's ready for a big time P5 job? If his option is a Purdue level P5 job, I'd see us as a better choice bc he could win here while waiting for a top job to open. We have a good track record as being that kind of program for coaches and it'd be a nice pay raise for him in the meantime. Unless he can get Texas or LSU, I'm not sure it'd be worth walking into a P5 established loser for a coach his age. Obviously lots of pieces will be moving around over the coming months, but I don't think it's impossible for us to be in the running on Fleck.

 

[WAITE HOYT 2]

You think he's ready for a big time P5 job? If his option is a Purdue level P5 job, I'd see us as a better choice bc he could win here while waiting for a top job to open. We have a good track record as being that kind of program for coaches and it'd be a nice pay raise for him in the meantime. Unless he can get Texas or LSU, I'm not sure it'd be worth walking into a P5 established loser for a coach his age. Obviously lots of pieces will be moving around over the coming months, but I don't think it's impossible for us to be in the running on Fleck.

How would you compare us to Purdue if we land in the Big 12? Would we do any better in that league then Purdue does in the Big? Would landing in a P5 be a boost for us in finding a coach?

 

[JackBauer151]

Fleck is going to get a much better job than Cincinnati

That may be true. I'm not sure which programs you have in mind. It might be a better strategy for him to come to Cincy over a shitty P5 school. Simply because you can win big at Cincinnati. Our track record of sending coaches to the best of the best programs is obviously very good. So do you try and win big at Cincy for 3 years then get a really big boy job or do you go to a P5 job where turning the program around is much more difficult? After Tubberville I'm done with stability. Get me the best coach every three years and the excitement that comes with it. Apathy has set in at a time the university can not afford it. Gotta do something.

 

[jacobkdoyle]

How would you compare us to Purdue if we land in the Big 12? Would we do any better in that league then Purdue does in the Big? Would landing in a P5 be a boost for us in finding a coach?

That's a great question. I think maybe we'd be in the running for more of a P5 retread if we got into the Big XII. Maybe Charlie Strong? I really don't know. It might be a benefit that we haven't been an established loser in a P5 conference, like a Purdue.

 

[XgradforUC]

Based on what I just saw reported on WLWT evening news, it would appear that the chance of TT going anywhere before early December, is pretty slim.

His CURRENT buyout is 2.4 million dollars, but that goes DOWN to 1.5 million AFTER Dec. 7.

Not sure there is anyone out there that is going to be willing to cough up the extra 900,000 dollars to see him leave now v waiting until after the season is over.

Not sure how the tampering rules work, but I would think that it is against the NCAA rules for DIRECT contact with an already employed coach until after the last REGULAR season game is played. However, that doesn't mean that contact through a 3rd party doesn't or won't happen before that.

 

[Chad Brendel]

How would you compare us to Purdue if we land in the Big 12? Would we do any better in that league then Purdue does in the Big? Would landing in a P5 be a boost for us in finding a coach?

Dantonio, BK and Butch were hired while UC was in a power conference. I don't think you'd want to see what the hire will likely look like if UC is in the AAC for an extended period of time...

 

[jacobkdoyle]

Dantonio, BK and Butch were hired while UC was in a power conference. I don't think you'd want to see what the hire will likely look like if UC is in the AAC for an extended period of time...

Beats having Tuberville. I'm sure we could get a young C-USA, Sunbelt, or MAC coach.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Dantonio, BK and Butch were hired while UC was in a power conference. I don't think you'd want to see what the hire will likely look like if UC is in the AAC for an extended period of time...

C-USA a power conference?

Dantonio was named head coach at Cincinnati on December 23, 2003. He became the first head coach in 23 years to lead the school to a winning season in his first season at UC. The Bearcats' 7–5 record included a 5–3 record in Conference USA,

 

[Chad Brendel]

C-USA a power conference?

Dantonio was named head coach at Cincinnati on December 23, 2003. He became the first head coach in 23 years to lead the school to a winning season in his first season at UC. The Bearcats' 7–5 record included a 5–3 record in Conference USA,

UC played their first Big East game in 2005, but that whole deal started back in 2003. He was going to coach in a BCS league when he got the job. Highly doubt he takes it if not...

 

[UCBearcats]

Dantonio, BK and Butch were hired while UC was in a power conference. I don't think you'd want to see what the hire will likely look like if UC is in the AAC for an extended period of time...

Sigh....