FC: Virginia Tech boots Fuente. Negotiates lower buyout too.
- Thread starter Midnighter
- Start date
Could have waited a few weeks, and saved even more money. What's a few million.
College Football World Reacts To Justin Fuente News (msn.com)
College Football World Reacts To Justin Fuente News (msn.com)
Does that prevent a 'mutual parting of ways'? If so, what does that entail? My guess is VT said, look - we can wait a few weeks and you'll get less money, or you can play nice now and we'll split the difference on your buyout. But, why even do that?
When do the Franklin to VT rumors start?
Awful fit. Va Tech requires flawless recruiting, development and execution to be successful.
USC and Washington are the best fits for Franklin IMO. The Pac 12 is basically there for the taking for the right program; Washington has shown it can consistently do well too. Oregon is the only program in the way for the most part (if and until USC gets their sh*t together); could work, but not sure they will pay what it would take (unless Fumi wants to get back to the Pacific NW).
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Kids in college today should devote all their efforts towards somehow breaking into college football coaching. Then bust their balls ascending the ladder. Get a head coaching gig four five years at around $4.6 mill a year. Then screw the pooch and get a $9 mill buy out and sail off into the sunset. Hell after that you can still make a bundle as an analyst on TV explaining what the guys that presently have your old job are doing wrong. Seems more lucrative then Science, Law or Medicine.
Franklin needs a "gas guzzler" program to succeed. I think USC is clearly that program in the PAC12. He can recruit raw talent at scale and not worry about development efficiency. Washington and Oregon require more in terms of development efficiency and execution, IMO. He could succeed at those programs, but USC is a juicy golf ball sitting high up on a tee.
VT is a school who has 1 excellent season to their name. A handful of okay years. And all their success is directly tied to one coach. Boise State has a better pedigree.
Fuente is another in the line of minor success at a group of 5 school who can't recruit nor out coach anybody at the big boy level.
If you aren't dominating at the lower school, it's a waste to put these guys at the big schools. It's a different universe.
Get a coordinator. An NFL guy. A guy who's winning at fcs or lower. 10-3 at Memphis doesn't equate to 11-1 at VT.
Fuente is another in the line of minor success at a group of 5 school who can't recruit nor out coach anybody at the big boy level.
If you aren't dominating at the lower school, it's a waste to put these guys at the big schools. It's a different universe.
Get a coordinator. An NFL guy. A guy who's winning at fcs or lower. 10-3 at Memphis doesn't equate to 11-1 at VT.
Good points. We are seeing that unless you hit the perfect storm at a traditional power (recruiting base, booster/AD funding, super staff that develops and strategizes at a high level), it requires near perfection to take a tier 2/3 program to the CFP or a big conference title. That can be done for a season or two (see PSU), but is super hard to sustain long term.
I think Dabo Swinney is the example that stands out recently and we'll ultimately see how Clemson's fortunes play out in the next few years. Another year or two like this one and the shine will be off of that program, though they're clearly the big fish in the ACC at present. It really underlines the importance of QB recruiting and development. That can easily swing 2-3 losses in a season.
and its that exact reason why I'm not a Campbell guy.
Imagine if OSU had fell off after Tressel or Meyer.
That's what Clemson got. FSU went from national title to mediocrity in near record time.
Campbell's best bet is to ride out the OU departure. Pull off an undefeated season in that league after. See how you get treated.
This is also why momentum and trajectory are so important in today's game. A coach/program either:
- Makes the jump in 5 years and maintains it (Bama under Saban, OU under Stoops/Riley, OSU under Urbs/Day) or
- Makes the jump in 5 years and fades (FSU under Jimbo, LSU under Ed O, Clemson and UGA TBD) or
- Fails to make the jump and sputters out (USC recently, Texas recently, Florida recently)
Its totally out of whack. Its bureaucratic, if you exceed expectations your pay goes up 50%, if you meet expectations, your pay goes up 30%, if you don't meet expectations, your pay goes down 10%, if you really don't meet expectations, you are asked to leave but we pay you 75-100% of your salary for the remaining years on your contract as severance while you hit the beach.
The expected value of a college football coaching career is through the roof. And it's 100% out of whack, but the market (i.e., university athletic departments) will pay it! That's the fundamental issue.
Don't blame coaches and aspiring coaches. Universities are spending themselves insolvent to put an entertaining product on the field. It has to stop somewhere, but the coaches who are already "in" are set.
Yeah, and when looking at the increasing costs for students to go to these schools, coupled with a devaluing diploma and massive debt, totally makes sense to pay the old ball coach $20 million to go away. It's a joke, college football is going to be unrecognizable in 5 years. I heard Franklin talk about his "365 day a year" commitments to football, everyone has to be invested and committed. You know, I don't disagree, I keep going back to this point that at some point you either move all the chips to the center of the table and go try to win championships at ALL costs, or just stop playing the game and go back to being a tremendous academic intuition that services the students.....not fans and bloated administrators. I just don't think half measures are going to sustain. Be Alabama or just be a college.
I don’t think he was a very good recruiter especially in VA. I have talked to several coaches and they all said the same thing. He is arrogant a foul mouth and the recruits were turned off
Franklin has "Coached" his way right out of the SC gig, sounds like Aranda is the current front runner..
I am not sure it is really less money. Had they waited to 12/15 he would have received what he is receiving now, so he just gets a few more weeks off without having to worry.
If I had to do it all over again, that's exactly what I would do!
Oh, understood. I was more making a general “fit” comment about him in the PAC12. Franklin isn’t going anywhere unless he walks away from his contract.
Of course he is, what are his options? Can't believe he is at the top of SC or LSU boards anymore, guess he could probably get Tech or something like that is he truly wanted out.
Not so sure. Snoop Dog is getting older, and I’m not so sure he’s going to be help recruit candidates while on the sidelines during USC games. Everyone keeps acting like USC is the best possible coaching position in the world. I’m not so sure that’s the case.
Not sure he is even at the top of their list, but a damn good job if you could get it..
Location, location, location. That brings elite recruiting potential, huge booster dollars in LA and a ton of media and NIL exposure.
USC doesn’t bring in the sheer dollars PSU does, but it doesn’t have to.
Then why have they been average for much of the last 30 years outside of a cheating aided Pete Carroll run?
Agreed. I feel like it’s the LA-based media making USC sound better than it is because they’re lazy and they have to write something about the local teams. Probably all journalists that are the B-teamers not covering LA’s professional sports teams.
Just look at USC’s recruiting rankings even when they weren’t doing well. They are in an elite group of schools who can actually get a #1 class (Bama, Clemson, Texas, OSU, LSU, Georgia, maybe Oklahoma are the others). The right coach will have that program contending in very short order.
You could say that about a lot of traditional power programs. Texas and Penn State also come to mind. Both had runs of string form, but have been average for much of the last 30 years.