They know Harrell saved Heltons butt. They know Harrell is really good. Might even get a couple SC coaches and transfers. Needs to get done and keep Air Raid rolling. BTW...he runs the rock a lot more than Leach.
USC fans fretting over losing Harrell.
- Thread starter ShockandAweWSU
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I'm saying in my opinion Harrell is the best candidate for the job. Pay him 3 million per and give him 4 to 5 million to hire a young energetic coaching staff who can recruit and keep this great offense going
If it’s between Harrell and Rolo, there’s no way you can say Harrell’s the better candidate.
Actually working in Pullman (or the Palouse) as an adult has great value.
As a former player much less so.
More importantly..get a good defense going as they handle the offensive side,
Let me play devils advocate. Frankly, if you can’t move the ball with air raid concepts and USC’s talent you should be in plumbing, not coaching. Harrell has not shown much. Had he turned Cals offense around, for example, that would be something, as their talent level is like ours. The fact that USC appears to be high on him should be a concern, not a hiring positive. Look at the list of duds they have hired since McKay retired: Tollner, Smith, Hackett, Robinson times 2, Sark, Kiffin and Helton. The only quality hire USC has made in more than 40 years, was a botched search, desperation hire. Did I mention, that USC thought their assistants Sark, Kiffin and Helton, were hot up and comers too.
Cougs are overdue for a little Pac-12 poaching for a change.
Don’t forget that his talent this year included a true freshman, third string QB that was thrust into action early due to injuries above him. I was impressed with what Harrell spilled off this year.
Good stuff, No Doubt, but does it compare to what Leach accomplished with a walk on and a guy who was actually benched at ECU, throwing to kids who got no love from the big boys.
yea but pretty much every comparison will fall short of what Leach was able to accomplish, right ?
I can't think of anybody who is a better pure coach than Mike Leach. The hope is they don't have to be because they have better skills in other areas, such as recruiting, Outreach, flexibility and staff management and retention. You don't need to be a mad scientist to win in football, but it does help.
WSU recruiting has been the same for 18 out of the last 20 years. Staff management is directly tied to university resources and beyond the coachs control-when poaching by rival schools occurs. Resources and retaining staff is directly related to recruiting.
It all depends upon what you'd define as pure coaching. Relationships and inspiration matter. Perhaps thinking that the ship doesn't go down because the captain's still aboard? All the other things that you've mentioned...matter.
I'd love any DC with Rocky Long's mentality. At about 5:40 he talks about locking into certain guys.
With Long what you see is what you get. He probably has 2-3 years of coaching left in him.He would be a good DC for someone if he still wants to coach.Whomever is selected as the coug HC should give him a call . Hei s a young 68 year old if there is such a thing, He expects his D players to be as tough and physical as he is.That would be a welcome change.
Pure coach by my definition is that explained by Bear Bryant, taking your'en and beating his'en, then taking his'en and beating your'en.
The fact that during 2/3 of the last 20 years we had a guy who was utter recruiting nightmare, followed by a guy " not known as a recruiter," had a lot to do with that, particularly considering we got zero FOB recruiting bounce out of Leach. Both of our Top recruiting classes we had were Price related 1999 and 2002, or came early for Doba (2004 on paper only). As for salaries, what you can pay has a lot to do with retention, no doubt, so does a school's reputation, but who you work for is a major factor too. Price and Doba held their staffs together, because by all accounts they were super great guys to work for, Doba clearly too nice, he kept guy's he should have not retained. Leach clearly had something to do with his coaches' flight, it wasn't only flight for more pay. Claey just walked, leaving a 1 million dollar contract.
dumb post
so the 4 guys that got poached in 4 years was because "Leach is not a nice guy".
Im sure money has nothing to do with it. Leach is very close to all the guys that got poached. Its a business.
Have you ever met Leach ? How do you know hes not as nice as Price ?
And I would say Leach is near the top of the list in this. He consistently met or did better than "the experts," even Cougs, predicted while in Pullman. Only last season was the exception, and that had a lot to do with his track record of always exceeding expectation. In other words, he becamea victim of his own success. Not a big fan of the guy on a personal level, but he proved to me, grudgingly, that he is one hell of a football coach.
If Leach kept his staff together, as you say, but for 4 poaches, that is a very good indication that he is great to work for, considering the lower pay and lack school reputation.
However, please reconcile your claim with this:
I had a quick look. I see at least 12 position staff changes in 8 seasons: Manning, Grinch, Nichol, Shepard, Phelps, Sage, Spurrier, Miller, Brock, McBarth, Claeys, Shaver, I'm sure I'm missing some, it is hard to keep track because their have been so many. Leach's staff appears to have been quite a revolving door. Please explain.
I have no clue whether Leach is good or bad to work for, I do know that coaches came and went in previously unprecedented numbers during his time here. I don't think Walden, Erickson, Price, Doba or Dumb arse had that many staff changes combined.
With smaller assistant coaching staffs than Leach.
Counting coaches leaving (not double counting their replacements who stayed and finished out)
Walden had (at least) 10 coaches leave.
Erickson zero (John L Smith was leaving. He took Idaho gig just before Erickson departed)
Price had (at least) 15 coaches leave.
Doba had (at least) 4 coaches leave. (Should have been more...)
Pat Ruel is only Walden staff member of note - pretty undistinguished crew.
If you have no clue on how he is to work for I think you will get your answer when you see how many go with him to Mississippi.
As for the others that have left : the Oregon poaches, Manning and Grinch every one of those guys received a minimum of a 33% pay increase. Grinch has doubled his pay in the 2 years since he left and Manning about a 50% increase. Those are not lateral moves to get away from someone.
One possible addition- Jimmy Burrow is fairly distinguished, but only because his offspring is a Heisman winner.
Glad Cougar
Old copy of WSU media guide listed the staffs by year - very helpful (but not who OC or DC was)
Current downloadable version just lists them by name with the head coach they were under in a separate column.
The Walden staff departing members may have left college coaching all together - pay was very bad & hours long. HS coaching wasn't a bad option then.
Thanks, the only press guide I have from way back is the 1983, with Millard on the cover, a pamphlet by today's standard.
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