Todd Monken is moving to the Tampa Bay Bucs to be their OC. Was pretty obvious he wasn't going to be at USM beyond this year, and the opening week game next season in Lexington becomes less threatening. I wasn't as worried as some in the first place, but this should appease even more.
S. Miss Coach Leaves
- Thread starter anon_7tbtqcx308nxh
- Start date
Pretty crappy thing to do to a program.
And let's hope UK can elevate its program instead of hoping others fall apart.
I don't necessarily see it as crappy. Gran and Hinshaw just left UC to go to UK; coaches do this. However, it is kind of odd to go from college head coach to become NFL coordinator. I don't know if that's really a step up, or even a lateral type move.
Don't think it's crappy for a coach to make a career move he deems best. Especially at Southern Miss who will struggle given their affiliation. Coaches do it all the time.
And i'll take every advantage our team can get given we have so many built in disadvantages in the SEC.
I agree with @Pike 96
I'm all for UK improving as a program... But I can't once recall fans of other programs complaining that UK sucked when they beat us. They all accepted their wins just fine. I don't see why taking advantages and lucky breaks when they present themselves is a bad thing.
I'm all for UK improving as a program... But I can't once recall fans of other programs complaining that UK sucked when they beat us. They all accepted their wins just fine. I don't see why taking advantages and lucky breaks when they present themselves is a bad thing.
He was only making $700,000 as a HC. I'm sure he'll make more as an NFL OC. Also, he's leaving Hattiesburg for Tampa and he wanted to get back to the NFL.
This doesn't make our opener any easier. This is a winning bowl team with a returning nucleus, and this game will be their offseason focus. If you don't think it's still a serious challenge to play this team when we will be breaking in an inexperienced quarterback, a new defensive line, a couple of new linebackers, and a new punter, you are kidding yourself.
It's easier in the fact that we were already going to go into the game with inexperienced QB's, a new defensive line, a couple of new linebackers, and a new punter. Now we are doing all of that against a team without the superb coach and a team that will likely have to learn a new system. Serious challenge, maybe. As serious as it was before? Doubtful.
Of course Monken can take another job, free country and all that drama. Still's crappy for So Miss. And the Gran/Hinshaw argument holds no water. They took their jobs weeks ago, not 10 days before NSD.
And as long as the attitude is "I hope everybody sucks worse than us" UK will never build a successful program.
And as long as the attitude is "I hope everybody sucks worse than us" UK will never build a successful program.
I think it would have been worse to wait until after NSD. It at least gives the recruit a choice, even if it is late in the process. It is worse to deceive the kid than to force the institution to find a replacement.
Many of their best recruits are JUCOs that have already signed and now are stuck. What next? Harbaugh to the Falcons? LOL
As I was going down the list of team recruiting rankings the other day I noticed how low S. Miss was and thought that must be deflating after a good season they had. Would be tough to get up each day and hit the road begging kids to come your way that way.
I like the idea of UK's superior players hearing all offseason the above. I'll take the over.
After years of "steadiness" under Jeff Bower the Golden Eagles will now be looking at their 4th HC since 2011. Ellis Johnson was a bust but Fedora and Monken both built the program up only to take better gigs after 4 and 3 year stays in Hattiesburg. They apparently have a solid core returning from this year's 9-5 team but will obviously have a new staff in place. I've been down there several times. They are good football fans down there and will likely find a competent replacement for Monken.
Peace
Peace
To barrow a line from Saban: let's not take them to lightly, they'll go through our *** like ISH through a tin horn!![poop]
In retrospect, we didn't have a coach eitherNot to be a buzz killer ... But.... We lost to a Pitt team a few years back that didn't even have a coach...
So excuse me if I don't get all sassy on the news
Good chance USM's former OC, who just left in December for Arizona State, could return as the Golden Eagles new HC in January. Chip Lindsey is the guys name.
I had to check/forgotten that this was the game Mike Hartline was suspended for public intoxication.....
Think it was weeks later news dropped that it was his girlfriend (po'd) called COPs .....
I don't agree. The picture at quarterback deteriorated with the 2 transfers after our season ended. Our quarterback situation is worse than most people think. And while you hope Southern Miss is slowed down by having to learn a new system, you neglected to mention that Kentucky's offense will also have to learn a new system. Southern Miss will hire a capable coaching replacement, and they will be ready for this game. It's every bit as tough of an opener as LA Lafayette was. Probably tougher, because Southern Miss doesn't have as much attrition due to graduation as LA Lafayette did.
Last edited:
From the top:
1. We were already going into the game handicapped with a new offensive system and a piss poor QB situation.
2. Now S. Miss has a handicap as well.
3. I never said anything about UK having to learn anything because that was implied with the whole, "we were already handicapped" argument I made.
I never said it wouldn't be as much of a challenge as ULL. S. Miss is still a solid team but now they have a handicap as well. The scenario we're in is favorable to us going into the game handicapped while they retain all their coaches and systems from before.
But
But you did say that next year's opener is now less of a problem for us than it was before Todd Monken left. My point was that I didn't agree. And I still don't. That game is a huge trap for Kentucky.
Okay. Have it both ways. I doubt either of us will be comfortable that day.
You never know how a coaching change will turn out. Southern Miss won 12 games in 2011, lost Larry Fedora to UNC, hired well respected Ellis Johnson, and went 0-12 in 2012. Imagine going from 12 wins to 12 losses in consecutive seasons. Since they are not too far removed from that, the coaching change will have their fans on edge, to be sure. Probably a big plus for UK, but who knows.
Jeremy Pruitt, FSU and UGA's ex DC and Bama's new DC interviewed for the head job today. He would be a homerun hire for Southern Miss, I would have been excited if he was named our head coach. Bama will probably offer him more to stay on as DC, but he wants to be a head coach sooner rather than later so it might not matter. He is a very good coach, and kids love playing for him.