McElwain is trending....

[CougPatrol]

Dude was coach of the year in 3 different conferences (MWC, SEC, MAC). Took over a 1-11 Central Michigan program last season and had them in the conference championship game this year. Born in Missoula and owns a home in Flathead Lake, MT. 58 years old, and probably looking at WSU the way Leach is looking at Mississippi State. Big job, close to home.

HIRE HIM NOW!!!

http://www.cm-life.com/article/2020...chun-michael-offered-head-coach-opening-story

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/s...could-succeed-mike-leach-at-washington-state/

 

[Brent H.]

Dude was coach of the year in 3 different conferences (MWC, SEC, MAC). Took over a 1-11 Central Michigan program last season and had them in the conference championship game this year. Born in Missoula and owns a home in Flathead Lake, MT. 58 years old, and probably looking at WSU the way Leach is looking at Mississippi State. Big job, close to home.

HIRE HIM NOW!!!

http://www.cm-life.com/article/2020...chun-michael-offered-head-coach-opening-story

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/s...could-succeed-mike-leach-at-washington-state/

I won't love the hire, but won't hate it either. I think there are other coaches out there that we can look at.

 

[earldacoug]

What offense does he run ?

 

[royhobbs2]

pretty good coach, will likely run a conventional/pro-style offense. That is a non starter imo. Stay with the air raid, build on what you have.

 

[NMBRCRNCHR]

Agreed, we still can't get the talent to go head to head with most teams, running what USC and UW run. We need a "gimmick" to even the playing field, same as bball. Plus, pro style offense is quite boring

 

[CougPatrol]

What offense does he run ?

His offense is traditional, balanced. Read-option, play action. Vertical concepts.

 

[CougPatrol]

pretty good coach, will likely run a conventional/pro-style offense. That is a non starter imo. Stay with the air raid, build on what you have.

I disagree. There are air-raid concepts in just about every modern offense now, even the NFL. Leach's offense was WAY too slanted towards the passing game.

A good coach tweaks their offense to match the personnel they have to work with. WSU is able to recruit and develop solid offensive linemen and above average QBs. McElwain wouldn't come in here and establish a dual tight end, power running game. We'd have a single back (Borghi) and a vertical passing, RPO offense. That's precisely where we need to move to, IMO.

 

[royhobbs2]

I saw an article on another site , cult center I believe stating that now that Leach is gone WSU must go to a different offense because all the other pac 12 teams have figured out the air raid.

This is dunder headed thinking and will lead to a massive fail imo.

The air raid ran like a well oiled machine in 2018, it didn't go out of style in 1 year. You need an equalizer because you are never going to match the bigger programs in talent. Build on what you have accomplished.

If WSU goes away from the air raid it will ruin the program imo.

 

[chugspig]

Air raid is great. Just get a mobile QB, hand the ball off 7-10 times more, and consider a TE as a possession receiver/play action guy. The offense is suddenly 3x more open, which is what the whole offense is based around.

 

[earldacoug]

I think we need to stay with air raid or close. Changing is risky imo.

 

[M-I-Coug]

Dude was coach of the year in 3 different conferences (MWC, SEC, MAC). Took over a 1-11 Central Michigan program last season and had them in the conference championship game this year. Born in Missoula and owns a home in Flathead Lake, MT. 58 years old, and probably looking at WSU the way Leach is looking at Mississippi State. Big job, close to home.

HIRE HIM NOW!!!

http://www.cm-life.com/article/2020...chun-michael-offered-head-coach-opening-story

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/s...could-succeed-mike-leach-at-washington-state/

As this being a message board, how do we know that McElwain would even show up on Chun's long list and/or short list?

We can sit here and keyboard all day long. You know, he's most likely not reading WazzuWatch. Assuming he doesn't, how do you get Chun to know about McElwain? Too bad he doesn't have an email input line or something to accept input from fans or the community?!

 

[ShockandAweWSU]

A more modernized Air Raid like Oklahoma's would be perfect. A running qb, more motion, utilize a tight end from time to time, a more diverse running game, etc....

We just don't have the personnel to switch to any other offense. All our players know is the Air Raid.

 

[CougPatrol]

As this being a message board, how do we know that McElwain would even show up on Chun's long list and/or short list?

We can sit here and keyboard all day long. You know, he's most likely not reading WazzuWatch. Assuming he doesn't, how do you get Chun to know about McElwain? Too bad he doesn't have an email input line or something to accept input from fans or the community?!

We don't know, which is why this is fun. When the National media starts buzzing about a candidate, ADs hear about it because the big, influential boosters talk about it. Someone like McElwain is known by most ADs. I'm sure McElwain's agent has already sent out a flare to Chun.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

A more modernized Air Raid like Oklahoma's would be perfect. A running qb, more motion, utilize a tight end from time to time, a more diverse running game, etc....

We just don't have the personnel to switch to any other offense. All our players know is the Air Raid.

Every team in the country right now is recruiting dual threat qbs. We'd be at the bottom of the barrel for options a kid would want to go to.

Get a passer with ok mobility. We're not getting Tua to come to Pullman.

 

[CougPatrol]

We're not getting Tua to come to Pullman.

We just landed a kid similar to Tua in this years class.

 

[FnuLnu]

Dude was coach of the year in 3 different conferences (MWC, SEC, MAC). Took over a 1-11 Central Michigan program last season and had them in the conference championship game this year. Born in Missoula and owns a home in Flathead Lake, MT. 58 years old, and probably looking at WSU the way Leach is looking at Mississippi State. Big job, close to home.

HIRE HIM NOW!!!

http://www.cm-life.com/article/2020...chun-michael-offered-head-coach-opening-story

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/s...could-succeed-mike-leach-at-washington-state/

Didn't a CSU assistant of his during the New Mexico Bowl call Halliday a "fag" or some other epithet when he went out of bounds on the CSU sideline?

Apology & punishment was a bit lame, IIRC

 

[CougPatrol]

Didn't a CSU assistant of his during the New Mexico Bowl call Halliday a "fag" or some other epithet when he went out of bounds on the CSU sideline?

Apology & punishment was a bit lame, IIRC

Wrong word to use, but knowing what you know about Halliday, would you have name called him? Dude talked more smack than any QB we've ever had.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

We just landed a kid similar to Tua in this years class.

He's not Tua.

 

[dgibbons]

I won't love the hire, but won't hate it either. I think there are other coaches out there that we can look at.

Same.

He seems like a rebuild specialist. 58 years of age. Pro style offense will struggle in Pullman.

Not sure that's what we're looking for.

 

[Coug90]

pretty good coach, will likely run a conventional/pro-style offense. That is a non starter imo. Stay with the air raid, build on what you have.

I think the air raid concept can be tweaked. You’ve got a couple talented QBs and another one OTW that are familiar with Air Raid. Don’t change the offense, use the route concepts but put your own spin on it and make sure these QBs understand Borghi is their friend. He should get 15 + carries a game.

 

[royhobbs2]

Of course you can tweek it I’m sure Harrell or any air raid coach you hire littrell or holgerson would tweek it. Max needs more runs and a mobile qb would help. You can also put a tightend at the x if he is a good reciever

another air raid qb who is a coach is sonny cumbie

 

[CougPatrol]

Same.

He seems like a rebuild specialist. 58 years of age. Pro style offense will struggle in Pullman.

Not sure that's what we're looking for.

Yea? I'm not sure you're what we're looking for.

I had to edit this post to include a smiley face. I don't want dgibb challenging me to a fight, telling me to say that to his face.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Im a fan of a passing offense at WSU. No tight ends though.

I think the $ spent on TEs, when put into the OL, makes the OL much better. It gives you the numbers you need to start with... to get the talent you need to end with.

I think the volume of WRs helps land a few more kids than usual that are play makers.

I like having a brand name passing offense to recruit QBs to. They know exactly what you do. They will most likely at least take your call. Pro set? You are nothing special now.

I think there are a ton of backs on the West Coast that fit the style youre looking for in the AR.

WSU isnt gonna out SC, SC. WSU needs schemes that fit the 3 star kids they get. What WSU has to do is be well coached. The margin for error is so slim that unforced errors just crush you. Have a roster of 4 and 5 star talent? Much easier to make a few big time plays down the stretch to recover from mistakes. Have a roster of 3 star talent? Not likely to work out for you unless youre playing a team with 2 star talent. IE Oregon State this year.

The carousel of assistant coaches has to stop. Some schools can make a phone call and offer a scholarship the night before LOI day and land kids. Other schools need 2 and 3 years of building relationships. Which is WSU?

IMO, WSU needs 4 ball coaches. HC, OC, DC, STC. These guys have to be tip top ball coaches. The other 6 guys are recruiters. Theyre gonna get coached up to be coordinators, move on. Maybe theyre in Pullman 2-6 years and done. Fine.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Im a fan of a passing offense at WSU. No tight ends though.

I think the $ spent on TEs, when put into the OL, makes the OL much better. It gives you the numbers you need to start with... to get the talent you need to end with.

I think the volume of WRs helps land a few more kids than usual that are play makers.

I like having a brand name passing offense to recruit QBs to. They know exactly what you do. They will most likely at least take your call. Pro set? You are nothing special now.

I think there are a ton of backs on the West Coast that fit the style youre looking for in the AR.

WSU isnt gonna out SC, SC. WSU needs schemes that fit the 3 star kids they get. What WSU has to do is be well coached. The margin for error is so slim that unforced errors just crush you. Have a roster of 4 and 5 star talent? Much easier to make a few big time plays down the stretch to recover from mistakes. Have a roster of 3 star talent? Not likely to work out for you unless youre playing a team with 2 star talent. IE Oregon State this year.

The carousel of assistant coaches has to stop. Some schools can make a phone call and offer a scholarship the night before LOI day and land kids. Other schools need 2 and 3 years of building relationships. Which is WSU?

IMO, WSU needs 4 ball coaches. HC, OC, DC, STC. These guys have to be tip top ball coaches. The other 6 guys are recruiters. Theyre gonna get coached up to be coordinators, move on. Maybe theyre in Pullman 2-6 years and done. Fine.

This, with an addition or two.

The current HC salary is good enough to get a good HC. Maybe even a bit more than needed for the first year for a rising star that has never been a HC. But the assistant pool is too small to assure the level of recruiting and coaching continuity that you need. The coaching side of that is obvious; when you find a good 3* kid, you need to work on what he needs to learn if you want somebody who gets PAC honors later. The recruiting side is maybe less obvious, but every bit as important...in some ways maybe even MORE important. Recruiting relationships take time to build with a HS coach network. You can't do that if you change assistant coaches every 2 or 3 years. We need at least another $1m in the assistant pool, and I suspect that Chun will need to agree to that in order to get a really desirable HC.

The points about trading TE resources in order to get more OL and thereby ending up with a good PAC level O line are important. So is the idea that we are more able to get a playmaker RB if he is in the dual purpose run/receive mode than competing with the rest of the PAC for the half dozen bruiser HB's available on the west coast every year. Often missed in the discussion is that the big group of WR's should (I say should, because CML didn't do a good job of this) provide the occasional CB candidate.

 

[425cougfan]

Through the lens of recruiting and NFL adoption, greater credibility throughout major college football, etc., moving away from the Air Raid now and going to a pro-style system seems much like selling Apple and buying Nokia right after the iPhone came out in 2007. We already went through a long period when that offense was viewed as a gimmick that wouldn't prepare players for the pros for various reasons. That has been changing the past few years and it certainly is now.

Aspects of the Leach Air Raid frustrated me (and most others) at times, and it has some issues in bad weather that we'll almost certainly get at least a couple times per year, but virtually everyone else running it has modernized it, incorporated the run game to a greater extent, etc., which cuts against most of those shortcomings.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

I won't love the hire, but won't hate it either.

This is how I feel about the Harsin, Harrell, Grinch, etc. lists too.

I feel like I'm going to be whelmed with anyone we hire. Is it bad I want to actually steal a standing P5 coach from someone else for once? Gimme some excitement.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

This is how I feel about the Harsin, Harrell, Grinch, etc. lists too.

I feel like I'm going to be whelmed with anyone we hire. Is it bad I want to actually steal a standing P5 coach from someone else for once? Gimme some excitement.

I'm there with you, but it isn't going to happen. On top of - who would/ could we realistically steal that a) checks all the boxes and b) we actually want?

 

[random soul]

This is how I feel about the Harsin, Harrell, Grinch, etc. lists too.

I feel like I'm going to be whelmed with anyone we hire. Is it bad I want to actually steal a standing P5 coach from someone else for once? Gimme some excitement.

Ha, if I could see one person get interviewed (on the assumption that he would even want the job, because it would probably be lateral at best) it would be Brent Venables. But I've come to the conclusion that he's happy winning championships as a DC. David Cutcliffe is someone else that I think fits the profile of what WSU is after in terms of resume'. I don't know how familiar either of them are with the West Coast though. Among those with a good resume' being floated, McElwain is one I think you at least talk to. I'm hoping Chun surprises us in a good way, because right now our box of up and comers and retreads isn't doing much for me either.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

Ha, if I could see one person get interviewed (on the assumption that he would even want the job, because it would probably be lateral at best) it would be Brent Venables. But I've come to the conclusion that he's happy winning championships as a DC. David Cutcliffe is someone else that I think fits the profile of what WSU is after in terms of resume'. I don't know how familiar either of them are with the West Coast though. Among those with a good resume' being floated, McElwain is one I think you at least talk to. I'm hoping Chun surprises us in a good way, because right now our box of up and comers and retreads isn't doing much for me either.

I too, also like this idea. Venables as your defense guy and then bring in an AR OC.

 

[froropmkr72]

I too, also like this idea. Venables as your defense guy and then bring in an AR OC.

Venables should of been a head coach 10 years ago.

 

[chipdouglas]

I disagree. There are air-raid concepts in just about every modern offense now, even the NFL. Leach's offense was WAY too slanted towards the passing game.

A good coach tweaks their offense to match the personnel they have to work with. WSU is able to recruit and develop solid offensive linemen and above average QBs. McElwain wouldn't come in here and establish a dual tight end, power running game. We'd have a single back (Borghi) and a vertical passing, RPO offense. That's precisely where we need to move to, IMO.

Not sure if you saw the Giants' new coach who came from the Pats and coached under both Saban and Belichick.

Great interview about adapting to what you have instead of square peg/round hole. Hoping to see a lot of this with whomever we land.

 

[95coug]

I too, also like this idea. Venables as your defense guy and then bring in an AR OC.

There’s zero reason for Venables to leave Clemson for a coordinator gig. I’m not sure he’d come to the PAC-12 even for an HC spot. He’s never worked west of Kansas.

He’s way overdue for his shot at the top job, and he’s certainly worth a phone call, but I don’t think he’s any more likely to be interested than Meyer or Stoops.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Not sure if you saw the Giants' new coach who came from the Pats and coached under both Saban and Belichick.

Great interview about adapting to what you have instead of square peg/round hole. Hoping to see a lot of this with whomever we land.

View embedded media

Like having a running back compared to a Heisman finalist and never giving him the ball??? Cause air raid.

 

[Fab5Coug]

Im a fan of a passing offense at WSU. No tight ends though.

I think the $ spent on TEs, when put into the OL, makes the OL much better. It gives you the numbers you need to start with... to get the talent you need to end with.

I think the volume of WRs helps land a few more kids than usual that are play makers.

I like having a brand name passing offense to recruit QBs to. They know exactly what you do. They will most likely at least take your call. Pro set? You are nothing special now.

I think there are a ton of backs on the West Coast that fit the style youre looking for in the AR.

WSU isnt gonna out SC, SC. WSU needs schemes that fit the 3 star kids they get. What WSU has to do is be well coached. The margin for error is so slim that unforced errors just crush you. Have a roster of 4 and 5 star talent? Much easier to make a few big time plays down the stretch to recover from mistakes. Have a roster of 3 star talent? Not likely to work out for you unless youre playing a team with 2 star talent. IE Oregon State this year.

The carousel of assistant coaches has to stop. Some schools can make a phone call and offer a scholarship the night before LOI day and land kids. Other schools need 2 and 3 years of building relationships. Which is WSU?

IMO, WSU needs 4 ball coaches. HC, OC, DC, STC. These guys have to be tip top ball coaches. The other 6 guys are recruiters. Theyre gonna get coached up to be coordinators, move on. Maybe theyre in Pullman 2-6 years and done. Fine.

If they go with a guy like Rolovich, they can probably get him for a couple million. Spread the rest out among the assistant salary pool.

 

[BiggsCoug]

If they go with a guy like Rolovich, they can probably get him for a couple million. Spread the rest out among the assistant salary pool.

Part of me says WSU needs to pay market value. Either for what the coach is worth or what a BCS job should pay.

The other part of me says f’uck you glorified PE teacher. People are going to bed hungry tonight. You get $500,000 and even that is too much.

WSU football needs a brand. Passing offense, some kind of defensive scheme people recognize. Something that makes WSU different.

 

[Observer11]

Part of me says WSU needs to pay market value. Either for what the coach is worth or what a BCS job should pay.

The other part of me says f’uck you glorified PE teacher. People are going to bed hungry tonight. You get $500,000 and even that is too much.

WSU football needs a brand. Passing offense, some kind of defensive scheme people recognize. Something that makes WSU different.

We have battled at times - but in total agreement on the bolded part.

The "market" doesn't follow laws of supply and demand and the business model of college athletics is horribly flawed. Aside from a select few, the vast majority are bleeding deficits and debt. Someday there will be a day of reckoning. If the NCAA had half a brain, they'd implement reforms before the state legislatures start imposing their will as California did with the student-athlete image pay issue.

That's not going to matter because WSU will still pay in excess of $2.5 to $3 Million for a new coach because, well, 'market'. But as we saw with Leach, there comes a point where the 'market' forces overwhelm the benefit derived or the 'market' pulls the coach somewhere else.

 

[Brent H.]

I think market rate for the Pac-12 is around $2.5-$3M. Lake is making $3M, Smith around $2M, Wilcox $2.3M. Pay around $2-3M. Use the rest on coaches. That frees up another $1.5M in cash for assistance. You can go out and get a solid DC for that amount.

 

[froropmkr72]

Part of me says WSU needs to pay market value. Either for what the coach is worth or what a BCS job should pay.

The other part of me says f’uck you glorified PE teacher. People are going to bed hungry tonight. You get $500,000 and even that is too much.

WSU football needs a brand. Passing offense, some kind of defensive scheme people recognize. Something that makes WSU different.

Are you on a diet? What you said reminded me of how everyone on CML's staff got a raise just for being them. It just reminds me that there are coaches only making $200,000, who have proven they can coach, recruit and are truly deserving of a large raise as opposed to being on the staff of a legend who frankly...is tired of doing coaching searches.