Dear Sixpack....

[DowntownDawg]

....calm the #$#+ down. You are starting to look just like the OM spirit in the days after Cutcliffe. We will not get Petersen, or Patterson, or Riley (he grew up in Corvallis, Oregon and has a great program where he is, give me a break). You are starting to bite on every anonymous poster's "inside info." Don't be dumbasses. At the end of the day, there is about a 10% chance of the stars lining up on Tuberville. Outside of that, we could get Tommy Bowden, Dooley, and maybe, MAYBE, Skip Holtz. It is what it is, and I've said it for a long time. We'll either get somebody very unproven or a retread. We're not going to even get a hot coordinator at a top 10 program.

And I know where I stand. If we can't get Tubbs (again, unlikely) sign me up for Tommy Bowden. 72-45 at Clemson. His worst season was 6-6. 3 nine win seasons, and never finished below .500 in the conference or otherwise. There is no way you take Dooley or Holtz over him. Plus, he could be here within the week and wrap up this recruiting class because he is known for his recruiting.

 

[DowntownDawg]

....calm the #$#+ down. You are starting to look just like the OM spirit in the days after Cutcliffe. We will not get Petersen, or Patterson, or Riley (he grew up in Corvallis, Oregon and has a great program where he is, give me a break). You are starting to bite on every anonymous poster's "inside info." Don't be dumbasses. At the end of the day, there is about a 10% chance of the stars lining up on Tuberville. Outside of that, we could get Tommy Bowden, Dooley, and maybe, MAYBE, Skip Holtz. It is what it is, and I've said it for a long time. We'll either get somebody very unproven or a retread. We're not going to even get a hot coordinator at a top 10 program.

And I know where I stand. If we can't get Tubbs (again, unlikely) sign me up for Tommy Bowden. 72-45 at Clemson. His worst season was 6-6. 3 nine win seasons, and never finished below .500 in the conference or otherwise. There is no way you take Dooley or Holtz over him. Plus, he could be here within the week and wrap up this recruiting class because he is known for his recruiting.

 

[rugbdawg]

We have better facilities, more money, and a better recruiting base. We can at least double his salary. We would get a legitimate QB transfer as well.

Seriously, the best you think we can do is Tommy Bowden or Dooley?

 

[War Machine Dawg]

If there was ever a year for us to make a splash hire, this is it. Most of the big boys are set. The only other SEC opening is already filled. Clemson has filled their vacancy. Ditto Kansas State. If Notre Dame is waiting a week to meet with Weis as ESPN is reporting, that likely means he's staying. If they were firing him, they'd do it now for the sake of recruiting. Washington is the only other "big" opening, and they appear to be down to the final two. That means if they hire Kelly or their other candidate (forget his name), we have the next best opening and our pick of Patterson, Graham, Mullen, Strong, Gill, etc. Just damn.

 

[DowntownDawg]

...it is. Or you can hire Hatcher or some D1AA or DII coach. I personally think we need somebody that doesn't need 3 years to figure out how to be a head coach. We need to start recruiting and winning yesterday.

 

[TR.sixpack]

Thank God, you and the rest of the woe-is-us-we-have-to-hire-the-first-retread-that-returns-our-phonecall crowd aren't running the search. Let's let all those "pipe dream" coaches turn down $2-2.5 million dollars before we fall back on the retread/unproven coaches. Byrne has proven he doesn't do conventional wisdom.

 

[NutherT]

Let's assume we have the resources to pay $2.5m/year due to Mr. Seal's generosity. Let's assume Greg Byrne is a badass.

Now, look at it this way. As far as attractiveness of the MSU job goes, we are on the level of Kentucky, Iowa State, Oregon State, Illinois, Kansas State, etc.

Here's what you have to ask yourself: If any of those schools had a vacancy, $2.5 large, and a go-getter as an athletic director, could they lure one of the nation's top up and coming coaches? Maybe if the stars aligned.

I had hope for Petersen because of his relationship with Byrne, but if that indeed falls through, I think the 2nd tier of Gill, Dooley, Bowden, Tuberville, etc. is far more realistic. Now, we may not have to pay those folks $2.5 million a year to get them here, but that's what we're looking at unless Byrne pulls off a minor miracle.</p>

 

[rugbdawg]

coach that hasn't just recently been fired AND publicly ridiculed by his players.

 

[Shmuley]

Please forgive me if I refuse to knock back your LT quality salt peder. I'll wait for Byrne to either bring it or not. I'm going to let the guy have his shot. I refuse to ascribe LT behavior to this guy and assume he can't sell MState, like LT couldn't, until he proves he can't deliver.

 

[Stormrider81]

It didn't take Mark Richt 3 years. It didn't take Tubbs 3 years to figure it out, and he had major sanctions. Ole Miss and State hired position coaches that were unqualified for the position of head coach in O and Croom, and that's why they were so incompetent. Now, I'd rather have an experienced head coach, but I'd rather not settle for a retread at this point, particularly Fulmer, who couldn't do much with #1 recruiting classes this decade. If we hired the right assistant coach, he could come right in and hit the ground running.

 

[Hundpfundfels]

Yeah i guess since we are state we just give up on trying to get a decent name coach. Lets get a SWAC allstar with 12-12 career record or guy who couldnt win more than 8 games in the acc with stud talent. %+$$ it we're state lets just not even try im sure there are some good junior college coaches we might could convince to come to starkville. posts like this make me hate the majority of our fanbase.

 

[DowntownDawg]

....Patterson - Turned down his alma mater. His name gets brought up all the time. He hasn't left and it is unlikely he would leave for Mississippi State.
Graham - Maybe. Definitely worth a try.
Mullen - He is the offensive coordinator for one of the top offenses in the country. He knows he can stick around for another year or two and get a much better job.
Strong - Has a white wife I believe, and turned us down last time. Maybe he would come now, who knows?
Gill - I would take him, but I just don't see it happening for some reason. He's a long way from Vegas right now, and he's had one winning season in the MAC.

Just wait and see. Bowden turned down Arkansas last year. He is the most proven coach out there and we could have him tomorrow. Is he my top choice? Nope. But I would definitely take him over Dooley, Fulmer, etc. But I tried to tell you folks Saturday Petersen wasn't coming. It's embarrassing when the fan base starts throwing all these ridiculous names out there (i.e. OM in 2004) and you end up with Ed freaking Orgeron. Just be realistic is all I'm saying.

 

[DowntownDawg]

...I get so sick of the "Dan Marino was spotted" posts. It makes the whole fanbase look like idiots.

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

...then proceed to tell us "who we can't get" as if you were coach34.

You have no idea who we can, & can not, get.

Your insight into this thing is as valid as mine, or arrowdawgs, or even KurtRambises.

Speaking of calming down: Right before Croom was hired, somebody here was swearing up & down Jimbo Fisher is on the plane to Starkville. And he kept posting it.

My point being, if you think it's out of hand now, you ain't seen nothing yet.

 

[3millersandi]

Strong - Has a white wife I believe, and turned us down last time. Maybe he would come now, who knows?

It's embarrassing when the fan base starts throwing all these ridiculous names out there (i.e. OM in 2004) and you end up with Ed freaking Orgeron. Just be realistic is all I'm saying.

Once again, for the umpteenth time, Croom and only Croom was interviewed. Strong never got an interview so he had no opportunity to turn us down. White wife? What the hell does that have to do with his coaching abilities?

I despise being told how to think. Embarrassing? What's embarrassing is always, and I mean always, using UM for a comparison. Think big. It works better.

 

[DowntownDawg]

...pipe dream coach out there. Some of the we'll say they are interested and drag out the process to get a raise, and then promptly stay where they are. Then we'll hit January 1 with no coach and no recruits. You find a good fit and bring them in. We don't have forever.

 

[Stormrider81]

and the chancellor and AD travelling around begging people to take the job. Considering that we hired a middle man, I'd say Byrne understands how to avoid the embarassment that Boone and Khayat brought to Ole Miss in 2004.

Does it always have to be extremes? We hire an assistant and it takes him 3 years to learn how to be head coach, and now if we dream big (I don't believe Peterson will come, but no harm in wishing) then we will end up with an Orgeron type. We seem to have an AD that knows what he is doing. I'll reserve judgement on Byrne until he makes the hire and we'll see how it turns out, but so far he has done everything right.

 

[Stormrider81]

We have a middle man that is contacting candidates. Our AD will only be talking to people geniunely interested in the job. This will not be like Ole Miss' search in 2004 or Bama's search in 2006 prior to throwing wads of cash at Saban. If these pipe dreams aren't interested then we won't be offering them the job.

 

[DowntownDawg]

....I hope our AD is more level headed than the people on this (or any) message board. And I do think that if we hire any assistant, there will be some type of learning curve. Hopefully, it won't be three years. But right now, I don't feel like we have two years the way our program has been the past decade. Let's face it. We need a Jackie hire. We need somebody to come in and inject some life into this thing right now and get some momentum. We dicked around long enough with Croom. And I definitely have faith that Byrne will get the best person that we can get. What pisses me off is the "Well, I'm done with MSU football forever" if we here X posts. Bunch of pussies.

If we hire Bowden, then he is the best we could get, and people need to accept that. This is where the C34 theory comes into play. Always wanting to fire somebody thinking we can go out and get Vince Lombardi, and when that doens't happen, everybody cries about it. There is no doubt that Croom needed to go. But I'm just trying to caution folks about making asses of themselves and getting all disappointed when it's not Petersen or somebody great that walks through that door.

 

[Stormrider81]

One of those is particularly known for hyperbole.</p>

 

[DowntownDawg]

....a prospective pipe dream can't lead on a search firm for financial gain? What if they tell the search firm "I might be interested." How does the middleman prevent any of that from going on?

 

[DowntownDawg]

....we will see. But let's resolve right now not to have a bunch of bellyaching when it's not Petersen. Byrne will get the best he can get.

 

[Shmuley]

You can come back around and crow "I told you so!" if Byrne gets Orgeroned. But if Byrne badasses this thing, you have to come take your bufu like the woman you are. How about that?

 

[DowntownDawg]

...I am sheep enough right now to say that whoever Byrne introduces was just about the best we can do. And if that is Petersen, hallelujah. If it's Dooley, well let's get to work (Those are my two extremes). I am trying to tell all you "Bobby Petrino is coming to Ole Miss. Done Deal." people to settle down and be freaking realistic. I don't know what Byrne is capable of, but I've seen enough to have faith that he'll get the best we can get. And you will be one of the main ones crying about it if your candidate is not picked.

 

[Stormrider81]

These guys are well respected. They know what they are doing. If they hand over a list of candidates that are interested and it turns out that some of them have pulled the wool over the eyes of the firm, then I would imagine the client would be none too pleased and word would get out. In other words, these guys are no Pete Boone or Mal Moore.

 

[Shmuley]

Who is it? Name him. Right now.

 

[DowntownDawg]

...and I don't care. I'm sure you have people you like and people you don't like. Just like everybody else.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

Shmuley's Top Five:
1. Brian Kelly
2. Chris Petersen
3. Gary Patterson
4. Dan Mullen
5. Mike Riley

 

[BriantheDawg]

Do tell.

 

[DowntownDawg]

....but it might to those that will be paying his salary. That's typically not a popular thing in Mississippi, especially among those of the old school.

 

[Shmuley]

DowntownYogiku

 

[DowntownDawg]

*

 

[DowntownDawg]

...that I do not want Fulmer at all.

 

[TR.sixpack]

[No message]

 

[Shmuley]

and have typically found your posts, at least, interesting. I just take issue with your premature attempt to pour **** on this coaching search. For all of its faults, we're still talking about an SEC program that can pay top 25 money. We should be able to get a proven HC.

 

[BriantheDawg]

You really think we wouldn't hire someone because of an interracial marriage? That is the most ludicrous thing I've read on here in, maybe ever. That is messed up. I generally agree with your stance on things but this line of thinking is asinine.

/still shaking head

 

[DowntownDawg]

...**** on it. I am simply saying don't go overboard and don't be all disappointed if it's not somebody great. We might get somebody great. I hope we do. All I am saying is A) Let's not look like idiots with a bunch of "Steve Spurrier was seen at Old Waverly Posts" and B) let's not all start crying and resolve never to order season tickets again if we don't get the person at the top of our list.

That is all I am saying.

 

[DowntownDawg]

...it certainly wouldn't affect my decision. But again, you are generally talking about older gentlemen. I agree that it is ridiculous. I think the bigger factor is that he turned us down last time.

 

[Shmuley]

for the most part. But I believe the founders of this fair little website might take issue with your suggestion. We may as well shut down the pack as follow your advice. This place exists for unfettered rumor mongering and **** shooting.

We will all be living with Byrne's work product soon enough. I'm going to enjoy the rumors, even the hopelessly far-fetched ones, until its over.

 

[OEMDawg]

I don't think anyone is going to be genuinely upset or shocked that we don't get Petersen. On the other hand, we are 2 days removed from Crooms resignation and we've got goddam negative, buzzkill idiots like yourself who do nothing but post over and over and over again how we WILL NOT get so and so because we are poor ol MSU. Shut the 17 up already, dubmass.