COACHING CAROUSEL
Gus Malzahn gets his Vanderbilt offer -- wait, what?
Apparently, they're serious about this.
Though Vanderbilt, as a private school, is not required by law to release its coaches' salaries, it's thought that Malzahn has been offered as much as $3 million per year. Historically, Vanderbilt's coaching contracts extend for a guaranteed seven year term, and if so, Malzahn's compensation would be the largest in the school's history.
Okay, so Vanderbilt is offering Malzahn $3 million to -- what?!? Vanderbilt is offering a football coach $3 million? As in, $2 million and then another million added on, right? Wow. Maybe they actually are willing to make the money at least slightly worth the fact that someone will be coaching at Vanderbilt.
I used to think that it was close to ridiculous to think that Malzahn would go to Vanderbilt, but that was when I thought they wouldn't be willing or able to offer a decent contract. With $3 million on the table, it will be more difficult for the Auburn OC to say no, though it's still likely a long shot.
James Franklin is also in the running
So Maryland actually pays someone to be their offensive coordinator. And Vanderbilt is willing to compound this error by paying him to be the head coach. For those who think I'm being too critical -- Franklin's offense have ranked 68th, 102nd and 85th (so far) in total offense this year. One would think this a less than ideal hire for a school that had trouble scoring this year, though in fairness being 85th would be a massive improvement for the Commodores.
David Williams -- for reasons passing understanding given that he's in the middle of a coaching search -- speaks.
Williams, who first met Franklin when Franklin was an assistant at Kansas State, has long been impressed with Franklin’s focus and preparation.
It would have to be something like that.
Williams said he will meet with Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos no later than Friday morning about candidates; the two will also rely on input from other unspecified individuals with knowledge of the candidates.
The Post also shoots down the idea that Ken Niumatalolo of Navy will be a candidate for the job. My fingers thank him.
Dan Mullen pretends that he wants the speculation to end
Dan Mullen would make a great politician. He's apparently not happy with having to answer all these speculative questions about his future.
"It's kind of annoying because I have to answer a lot of questions that don't pertain to our football team," he said. ...
"I haven't had contact with anybody," Mullen said again Thursday. "The only person I've talked to about a coaching position is sitting right here at the end of the table (Stricklin). I'm very happy at Mississippi State University. I have no plans on going anywhere."
Okay, Dan, let me give you some advice. If you want this "annoying" speculation to end, there's a way to do it. All you have to do is say, "I am withdrawing my name from the search for the head coaching positions at the University of Florida and the University of Miami, and I will not accept either job if it is offered to me."
Anything less than that is just inviting the talk to continue. Unless, of course, you want the speculation to continue and are just playing to the Starkville base. If that's the case, keep doing exactly what you're doing. It's working like a charm.
Bruce Feldman says Dan Mullen is out of the mix in Miami search
Whether that's because DA U!!11! is not interested in Mullen or thinks he's headed to Gainesville isn't clear.
DeLoss Dodds now talking about Tommy Tuberville's job prospects
A "highly placed official at a Big 12 school" tells the Austin American-Statesman that Tommy Tuberville will not go to Miami. Now who would that possibly be leaking to the press like that? (HT: Double-T Nation)
OTHER NEWS
Cam Newton should shut up
Throughout the whole process of the Cam Newton investigation, I have wanted to believe -- even with my logic told me that it was likely not true -- that Cam Newton didn't do anything wrong. But he's making statements that make it harder and harder to believe that he has even one more shred of integrity than his father.
"I had no dealings with nobody at Mississippi State during the time that I came to Auburn," Newton said.
So Mississippi State recruited Newton via ESP? Really, if Dan Mullen can get a recruit like Cam Newton interested in going to Starkville without even talking to him, Florida will be well advised to hire him NOW. Because that's quite a feat.
"But I felt that, as a whole, Auburn possessed what's best for Cam Newton, and that's why I decided to come here on my decision."
Apparently, the secret ingredient for Cammy-Cam Juice can only be found in the Greater Opelika Metropolitan Area. But the more telling here thing is that Cam Newton talks about "I decided" and "my decision" to go to Auburn -- which contradicts the story his own family told Sports Illustrated about who decided Newton would go to Auburn. If they can't even get their story straight on who decided Cam should join the Tigers, maybe Cam didn't know Cecil was asking State for a smile.
Newton told ESPN he hadn't directly asked his father what transpired between him and Mississippi State, but "at the end of the day, I can look him in the eye and know he has my best interests at heart." ...
He said he and his father have not discussed the situation that ended with the NCAA ruling that his father had broken its rules.
"That's not something that I'm trying to get clarity of because I really don't care," Newton told Fowler. "At the end of the day, I can look him in his eye and he can look me in my eye and I can know that he has my best interest [in mind]."
He doesn't care if his father broke the rules?!? Not even a little? Yes, after his life and college career have been turned upside down in the middle of what should have been one of the happiest years of his life, Cam Newton doesn't care that Cecil Newton's stupidity threw his eligibility into doubt and has a vast swath of college football fans convinced that he's a cheater. That makes -- absolutely no sense. And if you don't care if the rules were broken, what does that say about your own sense of whether they should be followed?
Kenny Rogers apparently foldin' them
The wonderfully-named quasi-agent-type interviews with the Mississippi Secretary of State's office, and his lawyer says he believes Rogers' round of interviews is done.
That ought to be comforting to the new coach
Urban Meyer might be retiring, but he's not going anywhere.
"I’ve been asked and requested to remain at Florida for as long as they’ll have me," Meyer said at the Outback Bowl’s contract signing party Thursday. "They’ve been very gracious, and I’m here to help in any way. I have an idea (what he’ll be doing within the program), but we’ll have to wait until the new coach gets here."
I can just see his visits with the new head coach in a few years. "Hey. Just checking in. I know you're getting a lot of criticism, but I think you're doing a heck of a job. Just great. Hey, out of curiosity, what are the dimensions on the windows in here? Not asking for any reason in particular. Just always wondered about that ..."
Fulmer thinks Meyer courageous in the same way French infantry divisions are
Phillip Fulmer's reaction to the resignation of Urban Meyer rather confuses me.
I think it’s just a huge statement that the pressure coaches nowadays are under. Good for him to have the courage to step down and do the things that are important to him.
Now, if Fulmer had said something like "Good for him to have the good sense to step down and do the things that are important to him," that would make sense. And I'm all for the sentiment that walking away from a fight can take courage. But walking away from a challenge or pressure hardly strikes me as an act of courage.
Who?!?
Mike Hartline has been arrested for disorderly conduct and alcohol intoxication. Yes, that Mike Hartline. No, I don't understand it any more than you do.