Am I paranoid for almost fearing Hud to OM?

[MonkeyCheese]

Hearing Leach or Rich Rod or Sumlin's names thrown around for the past few weeks hasn't concerned me much.<div>
But then when the Hudspeth talk seems to be gaining steam...it concerns me. I assumed he'd find his way back to Starkville eventually and everyone would be happy with it. But if he ends up in Oxford he'll likely not leave unless fired.</div><div>
</div><div>He's a relentless recruiter and it seems Mullen has had problems closing the deal with top recruits. His players love him. And I've heard conflicting reports on players loving Dan or not. To me it seems that Hud would take special pleasure in beating Dan.</div><div>
</div><div>I know, I know.... I'm not saying the sky is falling. Our program has improved leaps and bounds the last three years. But there are still things that make me scratch my head now and then.</div>

 

[MonkeyCheese]

Hearing Leach or Rich Rod or Sumlin's names thrown around for the past few weeks hasn't concerned me much.<div>
But then when the Hudspeth talk seems to be gaining steam...it concerns me. I assumed he'd find his way back to Starkville eventually and everyone would be happy with it. But if he ends up in Oxford he'll likely not leave unless fired.</div><div>
</div><div>He's a relentless recruiter and it seems Mullen has had problems closing the deal with top recruits. His players love him. And I've heard conflicting reports on players loving Dan or not. To me it seems that Hud would take special pleasure in beating Dan.</div><div>
</div><div>I know, I know.... I'm not saying the sky is falling. Our program has improved leaps and bounds the last three years. But there are still things that make me scratch my head now and then.</div>

 

[MSUDawg25]

Hud is a MSU guy. That doesn't mean he wouldn't go to UM, but I think it means he would have to be a homerun for them to hire him. He is damn good, but I don't think he's the guy they are looking for.

 

[bulldogs726]

No doubt i think Hud is the guy if Dan leaves. It should take about 15 seconds for us to call him if Dan leaves and the jet should be fueling up

 

[DavidKellumNicknameGenerator]

I genuinely don't know. I know he went to Delta State and supposedly he butted heads with Mullen when he was in Starkville.

Did he grow up a State fan or something?

 

[RocketCityDawg]

I don't know. Might be able to scam some input, since Hud's wife was friends with one of my former co-worker's wife...ironically, when our supervisor was D. Kellum's bro-in-law. I'll do some mole work and report back.

 

[Obmsufan]

He's top candidate from what I hear.

 

[Texas Bulldog 601]

If he lands there we will most definitely have problem. I wish Mullen will go ahead and tell us he is going to take the Penn State gig so we have a chance at a great coach. We will be left with the leftovers if he waits until January but then again he may not go that route. But after Saturday he may need to take his talents to the Big 10

 

[coach66]

School affiliations aside, the man has to look out for his family and his career and that would be a good opportunity despite its current state. Actually, it is a great opportunity to come in and show immediate improvement. I would rather see them hire someone else but it it happens I surely understand it and we will get ready to compete against him. Let's keep things in perspective!

 

[jcdawgman18]

The main reason being is because we will get totally and completely destroyed in recruiting. He knows how to recruit this state and we, despite our proclamations to the contrary, still don't have a clue.

 

[Foronce]

Hud could be the first football (MSU guy) coach to coach in the SEC that doesn't get to set us back if it don't work out. If it does, if he is a MSU guy wouldn't he come to work at MSU... I think of it as a trial process that doesn't affect us


It worked with Cohen.

 

[NorthMsDawg]

Hud took the assistant position at State to get his foot in the door on the D1 level. It worked the way he hoped. If the opportunity to lead any of the 3 major programs presents itself now or in the near future he takes it. He is just as much a "MSU guy" as Manny Diaz is...

 

[Johnson85]

If it does, if he is a MSU guy wouldn't he come to work at MSU... I think of it as a trial process that doesn't affect us

Their fans won't be able to handle losing a coach to MSU (just like our fans couldn't handle losing a coach to them).

If there is a concern that he would be willing to leave for the MSU job, even as incompetent as their athletics department has been at times, there's no way they don't put some handcuffs in the contract that make it very difficult for him to do so.

 

[Coach34]

they never are<div>
</div><div>But he will do a good job there- thats a given</div>

 

[Foronce]

nm

 

[downwarddawg]

Wouldn't he be just as good a fit or better? He seems a lot like Hud but with Ole Miss ties. I just starting reading a little about him and he beat Hud head-to-head. Just curious.

 

[MonkeyCheese]

I'm sure this has been around, but here is the pedigree of both coaches (from a Rebel mind.)<div><b style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">
[/b]</div><div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">

<b style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Hugh Freeze (HC @ Arkansas State[/b]<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">) Age 42</span><div><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">I was never a believer and laughed every time I saw his name bandied about by the Ole Miss faithful. Now he’s a HC and giving us something more than his Briarcrest-Lambuth portfolio to evaluate. And now I believe. Freeze is very much of the Gus Malzahn/Chad Morris School of offensive philosophy. Freeze was 25 when he took over as head coach at Briarcrest Christian School in August 1995, clinging to the dog-eared playbook for a Wing-T system inherited from his predecessor.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">After three seasons, Freeze shed his two-back persona understanding that up-tempo was an equalizer. More plays, more mismatches, more formations. “I think I have ADD,” Freeze said. “Anytime I’ve had control, that’s what we’ve been. ... I want to have options, and tempo gives me that.” In his fourth year, Briarcrest reached the first of five consecutive state title games. They lost that first one, then three more after that - two of them in heartbreaking fashion. Freeze’s reprieve came on a misty November night in 2002 back at Vanderbilt Stadium. In a fifth consecutive Clinic Bowl, Briarcrest trailed Battle Ground Academy 13-10 in a second overtime. After Briarcrest was stuffed on three plays at the two yard line, assistant Matt Saunders expected Freeze to call on kicker Justin Sparks, a future All-American at Ole Miss. “You want me to send him out?” Saunders asked. “Let’s go win it,” Freeze said. Seconds later, QB Josh Fletcher took the snap and wheeled for a screen pass to running back Robert Towns for the game winning score. “He has that ‘it’ you can’t teach,” Saunders said. “[The] second thing I realized: We’re not going to keep this guy very long.”</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Freeze left Briarcrest in 2005 to join the Ole Miss staff as an assistant athletic director for external affairs (whatever that means). In 2006, he took over as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for the Rebels. The very few wrinkles that were inserted into Dan Werner’s white bread offense came from Freeze, including the “McCluster Fluster” (hidden ball trick to Dexter for his first Rebel TD to win the Memphis game). In 2008, incoming Rebel HC Houston Nutt chose Kent Austin over Freeze as his OC, so Freeze took the HC job at Lambuth University. In two seasons at Lambuth, he compiled a 20-5 record and the school’s first NAIA playoff appearance in 11 years.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In 2010, he took over as the offensive coordinator at Arkansas State, where Freeze was able to increase the Red Wolves’ scoring offense by nearly 40%, rated 42nd nationally from an average of 88thin the previous eight years. But the Red Wolves finished with a subpar 4-8 mark because, although they scored 30 points per game, their defense allowed 31 points per game. Freeze was elevated to HC in 2011, and he hired Dave Wommack, previously from Arkansas and Georgia Tech as his DC. Troy and FIU were favored to win the Sun Belt in 2011, but the conference will be won by one of two upstart coaches, Freeze or the next coach on this list.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Mark Hudspeth (HC @ ULL)Age 42</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The award for the best HC performance at the 2011 mid-season mark goes to Mark Hudspeth. Athlon’s College Footballpreseason magazine quoted an unnamed opposing Sun Belt Conference assistant coach thusly: “I hope Mark Hudspeth knows what he’s doing. He is taking over one of the worst teams in the nation.” Hudspeth is 6-2 in Lafayette; one of his losses came to a Top 5 team. Hudspeth spent the 2009 and 2010 season at Mississippi State, where he helped turn around a football program that had only one winning season in a nine-year span. Hudspeth is missed in Starkville in 2011. </span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</span></p><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Prior to his appointment at Mississippi State, Hudspeth spent seven seasons as the head coach at North Alabama, where he was known for his high-powered spread offenses. In his last 47 games at UNA (including playoffs), Hudspeth only lost to 3 schools. Not only was attendance vastly increased in Florence, the team grade-point-average was raised a full point to 2.76 - the highest team GPA in school history. Hudspeth was the offensive coordinator at Delta State when the Statesmen won the National Championship in 2000; his offense broke 21 school records, 12 Gulf South Conference records, and six NCAA Division II records that year in Cleveland. His offense scored more than 60 points in the national title game. Hudspeth is from Louisville, MS and played at Delta State as a starting safety and quarterback in consecutive years. Hudspeth knows offense and knows his way around the Magnolia state.</span></p></div>

</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">) Age 42</span><div><p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 13px; text-align: left; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; padding-top: 0.4em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></span></p></div></div>

 

[RebelBruiser]

Hudspeth has a little more college level experience obviously, but both are around the same age, and both have had success wherever they go and made whatever team they joined better at the area they coached.

Both are from Mississippi originally. Both have recruiting contacts in the area, though I think Hudspeth may have a little more in Mississippi.

Both are innovators. Both understand the importance of both sides of the ball. Both have proven they can turn things around at a program quickly.

I'd be happy with either one if we were to hire them, and I am pretty sure both of them are among our finalists being interviewed.

 

[NorthMsDawg]

Hudspeth has a little more college level experience obviously, but both are around the same age, and both have had success wherever they go and made whatever team they joined better at the area they coached.

Both are from Mississippi originally. Both have recruiting contacts in the area, though I think Hudspeth may have a little more in Mississippi.

Both are innovators. Both understand the importance of both sides of the ball. Both have proven they can turn things around at a program quickly.

I'd be happy with either one if we were to hire them, and I am pretty sure both of them are among our finalists being interviewed.

On the surface they look very similar but head coaching experience and ties to Mississippi high schools and Junior Colleges has to go to Hudspeth. But with Freeze already having been at Ole Miss and the Memphis support that he should have behind him could be the equalizer. If they are indeed the finalists and it comes down to the interview process, then whichever presents the best plan for getting Ole Miss back on track may be the deciding factor.

Since rumors are encouraged on message boards, I heard that Hud met with Archie in Baton Rouge already.

 

[OMlawdog]

Neither has a strong resume yet, but what they each have done at ASU and ULL is damn near amazing.

More importantly they both get it. Football isn't hard right now to figure out for the middle class. By middle class I mean teams that aren't USC, Okla, UGA, LSU, AL, OSU, FSU, FL and TX. Which means you have to recruit to your system and you have take advantage of a certain offensive system the way Ga Tech, Okla State, Oregon, AU and Houston do.

Trying to recruit good players and get them in your system and try and line up and play smash mouth football when you don't have the athletes is just silly, look at Tenn, Florida, UCLA, and Kentucky. They all run pro style offenses for the most part and they don't have the athletes for it, and unless they are playing crap opponents they can't score points.

At this point in college football, offenses come down to the coaches and their ability to prepare their players to fit their system. Having a good offense doesn't come down to great athletes it comes down to having a good system and good coaching. Now having a good defense almost always comes down to having great players.Very rarely can a defense cover up for a lack of talent, and its also very difficult to screw up talent. Hell Nix threw up back to back top 20 defenses in the country, so as I said, its all about the players.

Good coaches figure this out. Hud and Freeze both get it. Coaches like Nutt, Dooley, and to some extent Richt don't get it. </p>

 

[RebelBruiser]

They aren't the only finalists, but I'm pretty sure both of them are among the finalists. I'm saying this based off of bits and pieces of information I have. After the process is over, you may hear more about who the finalists actually were and what led to the decision.

 

[NorthMsDawg]

fwiw

 

[cdjay]

He has been a winner everywhere he's been. With him last year we had an offense, this year???? He's young, brings no baggage, would be the best recruiter in MS, and would excite the fan base. Plus he would be the perfect "counter" to DM. Freeze is a good coach, but probably has some baggage from his days at UM and Orgeron.

 

[triton28]

It was pretty easy seeing this coming, but convincing you fine folks----different story

 

[Griffdawg]

for all of the reasons listed in this thread. He's been a winner everywhere he's been, has a great offensive mind, and has recruiting ties within the state. The write-up is right on the money when it says that he is sorely missed in Starkville.Our offense was much better last year than this year even taking into account the graduation hits to our OL. We need him back in Vegas. I would trade him for Mullen straight up right now if I'm being honest.