The St. Petersberg Times reports that University of South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe, the Big East Rookie of the Year in 2006, was arrested and received a misdemeanor charge of selling alcohol to a minor on April 19th at the Bull Ring Sports Bar, an off campus USF-themed sports bar where Grothe apparently works as a bartender. Grothe reportedly served two beers to an 18-year old that was working for the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. The article indicates that Grothe will likely receive a very minimal legal punishment (probably communtiy service and probation) and the arrest would not lead to significant disciplinary action from the USF head coach Jim Leavitt.

A few things strike me here:

First, Grothe should not receive any significant discipline from the USF program. At just 20-years old, Grothe is probably the biggest celebrity on the USF campus. He is a college kid, likely trying to have a good time doing something many college kids do, by working at a bar to make a few easy bucks. Yes, he obviously exhibited poor judgement in failing to ask for identification from a bar patron. He should quietly admit responsibilty and apologize for acting improperly, pay his fines, and do his community service in order to make things right with the legal system. He should apologize to his teammates for putting the USF program in the news for reasons other than football and run his laps or stairs without complaint. And, he should certainly use better judgement in the future when it comes to his offseason employment–working in a bar is probably not going to lead to anything good for a star quarterback in college.

Second, we get these gems from head coach Jim Leavitt:

“I had heard something happened, but I didn’t know what, “ Leavitt said Friday when asked about the arrest. “He’s not working there anymore.” Asked if he had known Grothe was working there before the incident, Leavitt said he did not, and when asked if anyone at USF knew, he said “(I’m) unsure. But somebody is supposed to.”

Leavitt’s team is receiving national attention for its improvements and will likely be on the cusp of the top 25 to begin the 2007. They will play the program’s two biggest home games ever, against West Virginia and Louisville, and will have an opportunity to appear in a BCS bowl with wins. So, how, on Earth, do you not know that your starting quarterback is spending his evenings working at a USF-themed sports bar? Quite frankly, Leavitt is lucky that this situation with Grothe is the worst thing that happened. Imagine if some drunken boosters decide to give your starting quarterback a hefty tip and the NCAA catches wind of it (ask Rhett Bomar if boosters are ever tempted to “help out” star players while they are working). And, saying that you do not, but “someone is supposed to” know where players are employed does not really demonstrate that buck stops here mentality that most great leaders possess. The head coach of a football program is supposed to act as a CEO and Leavitt, with more than ten-years under his belt as the USF head coach, appears to have a serious disconnect with what his marquee player is doing on a day-to-day basis. If this happened to an SEC or Big 10 school and its head coach made comments like this, he would be publically skewered by the media and the NCAA would be looking into what else they were “unsure” of, regarding their players’ offseason employment.

Third, I am not a big proponent of paying NCAA athletes and I certainly appreciate that the players are receiving the opportunity to receive a great education and a college degree, but maybe it is time to allow a fair stipend to these kids, so they do not have to worry about making money when they should be concentrating on school and football. I recognize that the NCAA does not have a bottomless pit of money, but is it to much to ask for the pot to be shared with the folks that are playing in the games that sell tickets and provide the television revenue? I’m not asking for enough to buy an Escalade or trips to Vegas here, but how about a little something so a kid can take a date out?

Anyway, I am sure that Matt Grothe will be the one running steps this week. Leavitt and the NCAA should have to run along with him.

For many Penn State fans this week has been a tense one. Most who follow the football program know that an off-campus fight occurred earlier this month which involved quite a few football players. There were rumors that it could be upwards of 15 to 17 players involved in this fight.

Run Up The Score has been keeping a good eye on this story, so check there for all of the rumors. But now I give you the facts, charges handed down from the State College Police Dept.

Starting Free Safety Anthony Scirrotto is charged with burglary, criminal trespassing, two counts of criminal solicitation, simple assault, and harassment. Defensive lineman Chris baker is charged with burglary, criminal trespassing, simple assault, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and harassment. CB Justin King is charged with criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, and harassment. LB Jerome Hayes is charged with criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, and harassment. CB Lydell Sargeant is charged with criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, and harassment. LB Tyrell Sales is charged with criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, and harassment.

As far as suspensions, that is up to Joe Paterno plus no one has heard from the University’s Judicial Board. If I were to guess Sales, King, Sargeant, and Hayes will probably miss a game. While the other two could miss more. This is only a speculation and could only occur if these players are found guilty.

For the past two weeks, I have been fortunate enough to represent my favorite NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in a 32-person mock draft over at Front Office Football Central. With each team represented by their own general manager, the draft had a strong dose of realism, with each GM working for their own best interests.

We had a handful of trades, including a big one between the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers, a few head-scratchers, some highly regarded prospects sliding, and, overall, a good time rebuilding our respective franchises.

First Round:
1 Oakland Raiders - WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
2 Detroit Lions - QB JaMarcus Russell, LSU
3 Cleveland Browns OT Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT Amobi Okoye, Louisville
5 Green Bay Packers (from AZ) RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
6 Washington Redskins FS Laron Landry, LSU
7 Minnesota Vikings DE Gaines Adams, Clemson
8 Atlanta Falcons OT Levi Brown, Penn State
9 Miami Dolphins QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
10 Carolina (from HOU) LB Patrick Willis, Ole Miss
11 San Francisco 49ers DE Adam Carriker, Nebraska
12 Buffalo Bills DT Alan Branch, Michigan
13 St. Louis Rams DE Jamaal Anderson, Arkansas
14 Houston Texans DB Leon Hall, Michigan
15 Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Paul Posluszny, Penn State
16 Arizona Cardinals (From GB) OT Joe Staley, Central Michigan
17 Jacksonville Jaguars WR Ted Ginn Jr, Ohio State
18 Cincinnati Bengals FS Reggie Nelson, Florida
19 Tennessee Titans WR Robert Meachem, Tennessee
20 New York Giants OLB Lawrence Timmons, Florida State University
21 Denver Broncos LB Jon Beason, Miami
22 Dallas Cowboys CB Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh
23 Kansas City Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe, LSU
24 New England Patriots RB Marshawn Lynch, Cal
25 New York Jets CB Aaron Ross, Texas
26 Philadelphia Eagles S Michael Griffin, Texas
27 New Orleans Saints DT Justin Harrell, Tennessee
28 New England Patriots S Brandon Meriweather, Miami
29 Baltimore Ravens OG Justin Blalock, Texas
30 San Diego Chargers WR Dwayne Jarrett, USC
31 Chicago Bears OT Tony Ugoh, Arkansas
32 Arizona Cardinals (From IND) DE Anthony Spencer, Purdue

Second Round:
33. Oakland TE Greg Olsen, Miami
34. Detroit CB Chris Houston, Arkansas
35. Tampa Bay DE Jarvis Moss, Florida
36. Cleveland OG Ben Grubbs, Auburn
37. Chicago WR Sydney Rice, South Carolina
38. Indianapolis WR Anthony Gonzalez, Ohio State
39. Atlanta DE Charles Johnson, Georiga
40. San Francisco (from Miami) - ILB, David Harris, Michigan
41. Minnesota - DE, Lamarr Woodley, Michigan
42. Miami (from San Francisco) - CB, Daymeion Hughes, California
43. Buffalo - FB, Brian Leonard, Rutgers
44. Atlanta - CB, Marcus McCauley, Fresno State
45. Carolina - C, Ryan Kalil, USC
46. Pittsburgh - DE, Quentin Moses, Georgia
47. Arizona (from Green Bay) - DT, Tank Tyler, NC State
48. Jacksonville - S, Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech
49. Cincinnati - DE, Ikaika Alama-Francis, Hawaii
50. Tennessee - CB, Eric Wright, UNLV
51. New York Giants - OT,Ryan Harris, Notre Dame
52. St. Louis QB Drew Stanton, Michigan State
53. Dallas WR Steve Smith, USC
54. Kansas City Aaron Sears, Tennessee
55. Seattle TE Zach Miller, Arizona State
56. Denver DE Tim Crowder, Texas
57. Philadelphia DT Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State
58. New Orleans S/CB Eric Weddle, Utah
59. New York Jets DE Victor Abiamiri, Notre Dame
60. Miami (from New England) DT Ray McDonald, Florida
61. Baltimore LB Brandon Siller, Florida
62. San Diego LB H.B. Blades, Pittsburgh
63. New York Jets (from Chicago) OT James Marten, Boston College
64. Tampa Bay (from Indianapolis) WR Aundrae Allison, East Carolina

Third Round:
65. Oakland QB Trent Edwards, Stanford
66. Detroit LB Buster Davis, Florida State
67. Cleveland RB Antonio Pittman, Ohio State
68. Tampa Bay RB Lorenzo Booker, Florida State
69. Arizona OT Alan Barbre, Missouri Southern State
70. Denver (from Washington)WR Jason Hill, Washington State
71. Miami OT Doug Free, Northern Illinois
72. Minnesota DB Tanard Jackson, Syracuse
73. Houston WR David Clowney, Virginia Tech
74. Buffalo TE Matt Spaeth, Minnesota
75. Atlanta RB Kenny Irons, Auburn
76. San Francisco WR Craig Davis, LSU
77. Pittsburgh RB Michael Bush, Louisville
78. Green Bay S Sabby Piscitelli, Oregon State
79. Jacksonville OG Manuel Ramirez, Texas Tech
80. Tennessee RB Chris Henry, Arizona
81. New York Giants K Mason Crosby, Colorado
82. St. Louis RB Brandon Jackson, Nebraska
83. Houston (From Carolina) OT Marshal Yanda, Iowa
84. Kansas City CB Fred Bennett, South Carolina
85. Seattle OG Andy Allman, Pittsburgh
86. Denver S Josh Gattis, Wake Forest
87. Dallas C Samson Satele, Hawaii
88. New Orleans CB Josh Wilson, Maryland
89. New York Jets NT Paul Soliai, Utah
90. Philadelphia LB Justin Durant, Hampton
91. New England DB Jonathan Wade, Tennesse
92. Buffalo (from Baltimore) QB Troy Smith, Ohio State
93. San Diego DL Brandon Mebane, California
94. Chicago OG Josh Beekman, Boston College
95. Indianapolis LB Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma
96. San Diego (compensatory) DB Gerald Alexander, Boise State
97. San Francisco (compensatory) LB Stephan Nicholes, South Florida
98. Indianapolis (compensatory) DT Jay Alford, Penn State
99. Oakland RB Tony Hunt, Penn State

Trades:
*Green Bay acquires pick 1(5) from Arizona in exchange for 1(16), 2(47), 4(112), and their 2008 3rd round choice.
*Carolina acquires pick 1(10) from Houston in exchange for 1(14), 2(83), and 6(191).
*Arizona acquires pick 1(32) from Indianapolis in exchange for 2(38) and 4(105).
*San Francisco acquires pick 2(40) from Miami in exchange for 2(42) and 6(181).

Please feel free to leave feedback in the comments section. We would love to receive team grades, if anyone is up for it.

I got to attend the Penn State Blue & White game last weekend. Happy Valley, a place usually colored in Blue and White, was transformed into a haven of Maroon and Orange to honor, tribute, and morn with the Virginia Tech community. The student “S Zone” was transformed into a VT, the cheerleaders dawned the colors of the Hokies as did most of the record crowd of 71,000 that was in attendance. Today’s YouTubesday is the ceremony before the game.

Everyone’s favorite former Razorback quarterback has finally made a decision on a school after his failed overthrow of the Houston Nutt regime last year. The LA Times is reporting that the Mustain Train will come to a complete stop in Southern California. Pete Carroll has done another outstanding job convincing another Blue Chip athlete that he has room and playing time for him with the Trojans. I wonder if he told him he could be the next Matt Leinart?

Now Mitch’s Mom Mitch will be able to garner other 5 star recruits who are not seeing playing time with the Trojans and complain to Carroll about it. At Arkansas he did not have the weight of all the “stars” to convince the adminstration that they should choose him over Nutt, but USC is full of them on their roster. Either way, Mustain will have to sit out the 2007 season and will most likely battle Mark Sanchez and Aaron Corp or a plethra of other star QB’s that will commit to USC this fall for playing time.

In this age of fast paced recruiting, a coach will find anyway to drop a line to a recruit, whether it be a hand written letter or a text message to ask how the he is doing today. Text messaging is a quick way to say hi, keep their school fresh in the recruits mind, and at the same time skirt the NCAA’s limitations on contact with recruits. Well an NCAA committee (I believe the one that suggested the change and then rechange of the clock rule) has come to a conclusion that it is a good idea to ban the use of text messaging for recruiting purposes. This is not an official rule yet, but it is on its way to being one.

This week, the organization’s Division I Management Council approved the proposal, submitted by members of the Ivy league, and forwarded it to the Division I Board of Directors for consideration at their April 26 meeting in Indianapolis.

This will come to a shock to some coaches like Pete Carroll, who on signing day tried to persuade Marvin Austin to USC by telling him Joe McKnight was in going to spurn LSU for the Trojans. But to old timers like Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno, this will have no impact because as JoePa once said; he doesn’t even know how to download a jar of peanut butter.

My question is this to the NCAA: How can an organization who has problems enforcing boosters giving benefits to players illegally expect to police something like this text message ban? Will they ask each coach, assistant coach, and recruiting coordinator to turn in their cell phone bills each month. Then proceed to check ever number that was text messaged during that month. This seems like beating your head against a brick wall. I hope that the NCAA thinks this ban and how to enforce it through before making it a rule, or a year later we will hear about them reversing this rule just like the ever so dreaded clock changes.

Apparently, Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt is not enjoying the offseason. So far, he has seen two of his highest profile players quit the team (including former prized recruit quarterback Mitch Mustain) because they felt they were mislead while being recruited, taken some flak for reportedly lobbying for both the vacant Alabama job and the open North Carolina State job, his athletic director (Frank Broyles) has announced he will be retiring at the end of 2007, he has been accused of having an extramarital affair with local television anchor Donna Bragg, and now some Razorbacks’ fans have used the Freedom of Information Act to sift through Nutt’s phone records.

Among the more interesting findings: Over 1,000 text messages sent to Ms. Bragg and several calls to Raleigh, NC-based phone numbers during the time period of North Carolina State’s coaching vacancy.

Nutt apparently has had enough, so today he fired back, releasing the following open letter through the Arkansas Athletic Department:

HOUSTON NUTT OPEN LETTER

Recently, unfounded gossip and allegations regarding my private life have occurred on Internet message boards and have been reported by various media outlets. I would like to address those matters directly with the Razorback family.

The speculation and rumors that I have had an inappropriate relationship with Donna Bragg are unfounded and false. Let me be unequivocally clear that the relationship between Ms. Bragg and me is that of a friend and colleague in the community. Any allegation or suggestion that our professional and personal friendship or involvement goes beyond that is false, careless, and purposefully vindictive.

It goes without saying that my wife, Diana, has been deeply hurt by the unfounded allegations. Naturally, she is very disappointed that anyone would even consider for a moment that the malicious rumors are true. Diana’s recent communication was her way of expressing her frustrations and showing her support for me during a very trying, emotional time. While she regrets her language may have offended some people, I am confident that fans and the people of Arkansas understand her deep frustration with lies and innuendoes that affect our family.

It is unfortunate that my cell phone records have been combined with unsubstantiated rumors, speculation, and destructive gossip in an effort to create an appearance that the outrageous allegations are somehow based in fact. No matter how many unfounded rumors are initiated by piecing together time lines and phone numbers, the truth remains that I have not had an inappropriate relationship with Ms. Bragg.

Some have raised questions about the number of text messages and phone calls reflected in my cell phone records. Text messaging is one of my primary modes of communication on a daily basis. Often times, a text message consists of a single word, a quick thought or simply a thank you to a well-wisher. Those who know me would not be surprised by the number of text messages in my phone records. I regret, however, that, for people who do not know me, the number of text messages may have created false impressions and questions concerning my private life.

When these rumors first arose, I wanted to obtain the content of my text messages and share them with the public because I have nothing to hide. At my request, my personal attorney attempted to find out if the contents of the text messages sent and received from my phone were available from the telephone company. I was disappointed to learn that the records were unavailable.

My communications with Ms. Bragg have concerned her work as a professional fundraiser for a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services to the developmentally disabled, her insights regarding the media, words of condolence and support regarding the loss of my mother-in-law after her battle with cancer, and information relating to her close friend who was diagnosed with cancer. I have learned a valuable lesson through this experience: for some individuals, misguided perceptions are more important than the facts.

It also is important that all Razorback fans know that I did not seek the coaching positions indicated in recent media reports and remain deeply committed to the University of Arkansas. It is true that many coaches receive inquiries throughout the year and inquiries have come to me in recent months without solicitation on my part.

I also have gone on record a number of times about the timing of my knowledge of Teresa Prewett’s inappropriate e-mail to Mitch Mustain. Once again, for the record, I had no prior knowledge of that e-mail and promptly reprimanded Ms. Prewett when I learned of the correspondence. I have respect for Mitch Mustain and wish him the very best in the future.

Most importantly, I want to express my thanks and gratitude to the Razorback fans throughout the State of Arkansas and across the country for their support and encouragement in the past and in the future. My staff and I remain committed to our players, our fans, and the Razorback program’s tradition of excellence and success. With the conclusion of a strong and successful spring practice, we are looking forward to the start of football season next fall with great excitement.

I also want to express my love, appreciation and thanks to my wife, Diana, and to my children for their support and encouragement. My family and I believe in the Razorback fans and in the University of Arkansas, and we believe in the future of the Razorback program.

Only 4 1/2 months until football season!

Many Penn State fans remember that picture with pure joy while Maryland fans saw it as a classless act by a high school kid who 20 months earlier made a verbal commitment to their Terps. Now we are a little over a year from that day and Antonio Logan El might be going back to Maryland, with his tail between his legs.

Logan El’s first year at Penn State was filled with as much drama as a week’s worth of Days Of Our Lives. He came into camp and the rumors started to circulate that he wasn’t in shape, but many within the team said it was just a problem with his asthma medication. At the end of the season he took a leave of absence from the team to be with an ailing relative. It is nice to see a kid put his family first, and realize that the college football world will still be here when life settles down. Logan El came back to the team around the time frame where Penn State started spring ball, but before he could rejoin the team Coach Paterno wanted Logan El to work out a bit on his own with the strength trainer before starting practice with the team. That makes sense doesn’t it?

Most would think yes, but not Antonio. He was mad that he was asked to do this work and that became the straw that broke the camel’s back in his opinion. Next thing Nittany Lion fans knew is that Paterno was saying in so many words that Logan El’s days as a Nittany Lion were over. So how does this happen? How does someone with such promise just lose the drive to play football?

In my opinion, recruiting Offensive Lineman is the hardest position to project for the collegian level. A high school lineman can look dominate just because he has matured faster and is just plain bigger than his competition. That allows the lineman to push his opponents around, but when he gets to a level where his competition is the same size as he is, that is when you find out what the lineman is really about.

For Logan El, he just didn’t have the drive to take his athletic size and ability to the next level. There is nothing wrong with that, some people are not cut out for college football. It is not easy to play football and carry a full load of classes, but to do it with the lack of respect that he did, is not something he should be proud of. People do make mistakes, but I think the biggest mistake would be if Ralph Friedgen allowed Logan El to play on his team. So Fridge, listen to Mike Farrell and myself and cut your losses. Let Logan El find another team to latch onto.

It wasn’t always all cheers for the Florida Gators when they played in National Title game. Nebraska laid a 62-24 whipping on the Gators in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl. Frazier garnered his third straight National Title Game MVP Award. He finished with 199 yards and 2 TDs on the ground, and another 105 yards and a TD through the air. The highlight of the game was a 75 yard run by Frazier with multiple broken tackles as the third quarter ended. Here is a video of that run.

Twenty-three Division 1-A teams made head coaching changes this past offseason. As we get toward the end of Spring football, I thought it might be fun to grade all of schools on their new hires. This will be far from an exact science, but the goal here will be to measure the new coaches against their predecessors to see what effect they can be expected to have on the present and future of their respective programs. With that in mind, a grade of “A” would indicate that I expect the new coach to significantly improve their program, a grade of “C” would indicate that the coach will likely maintain the program pretty well and provide a similar level of success, while a grade of “F” means that the school will probably regress under the new regime. Today, we will take a look at the first four schools, alphabetically, that made changes this past offseason.

Air Force (replaced the retiring Fisher DeBerry with former Denver Broncos Assistant Coach Troy Calhoun) — Coach DeBerry had a legendary career as the head coach at Air Force and retired as the academy’s most winningest coach with a career record of 169-107. In these days of big money and bigger conferences, it is hard to imagine a service academy head coach doing much better than DeBerry. With all that said, DeBerry had made some significant P.R. slipups in recent seasons and he is 68-years old. So, when we compare the two men, we have to look at present-day DeBerry versus present-day Troy Calhoun. Glancing over Coach Calhoun’s resume, we can see that he is of fine pedigree: former Air Force quarterback (under DeBerry), working as a collegiate assistant at Ohio University, Air Force, and Wake Forest, and then serving in a number of capacities (including assistant to the head coach) at the NFL level with the Denver Broncos under Mike Shanahan. An additional plus, in my opinion, is his age, 38-years old, should provide him the energy level, hunger, and desire to maximize the program he inherits. I give Air Force a “B+” for this hire, as it is difficult for me to imagine them finding a candidate that realistically fills their needs in such a strong way.

Alabama (replaced the fired Mike Shula with former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Nick Saban) – Mike Shula probably did not know it at the time, but he was, for all intents and purposes, a caretaker or loyal soldier for the school he attended as a player. Coach Shula took over a program that had grown into an embarrassment: the team he took over had been penalized with limited scholarships (from 2001-2005) for violations the team committed under former head coach Mike DuBose, lost Coach Dennis Franchione (in what most feel was, at best, a lateral move) to Texas A&M after just two seasons at Alabama, and then Franchione’s successor, Mike Price, was forced out in a very-well publicized scandal before ever coaching a game. Shula took over the program, with limited scholarships, in 2003 and was ousted before really having an opportunity to put his fingerprints on the program. He pretty much fell on the sword for his school. It appeared as if Alabama would again become an object of ridicule, as they whiffed on Saban and West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez during a lengthy period of time without a head coach, before Saban had a change of heart as the NFL season ended. Whatever. The Crimson Tide got who they wanted, a head coach with major conference (and SEC and NFL, to boot) experience and a national championship to his name, a charasmatic figurehead with the ability to schmooze with the best of them, and above all else, a big name. Alabama needed to hit a homerun with this hire, after seemingly firing Shula without an immediate successor in place, and Saban fits the bill. The expectations will be immediately become very high, but I give Alabama an “A-”, with the only knocks against Saban being that he is not one to stay in one place for long (never spending more than five seasons at one place during his 30+ year coaching career) and, at 55-years old, there could be some question as to how much gas he has left in the tank to “retool,” if not rebuild, this proud program.

Arizona State (replaced the fired Dirk Koetter with former Idaho Head Coach Dennis Erickson) — The change at Arizona State will be one of the more intriguing scenarios to watch over the next several seasons. In Koetter, they basically had what every mid-tier BCS conference school looks for in a head coach: he had youth (he came to ASU as a 41-year old in 2001), he had experience (he built the Boise State program from virtually scratch and had a 26-10 record in his three seasons there), and he was steadily improving a program that had always had the “potential” label attached to it (a 40-34 record with three consecutive bowl appearances and four in the past five years). And then, 2006 happened. Last season, Koetter was “lucky” enough to return two experienced, quality quarterbacks in sophomore Rudy Carpenter and senior Sam Keller. When Koetter chose Keller as the starter following training camp, Carpenter reportedly threatened to transfer and some of his offensive players approached him about changing his mind, which he did 48-hours later when he named Carpenter the starter. Keller later transferred to Nebraska, Arizona State took a step backwards with a 7-5 regular season record, and Koetter’s promising career at Arizona State ended with an unceremonious loss to Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl. Looking to improve the situation, the Sundevils hired former head coach Dennis Erickson, the Ted McGinley of football coaching. Erickson has some good coaching qualities, in that he is experienced (college head coaching jobs at Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, University of Miami, Oregon State, and Idaho again AND NFL head coaching jobs with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers), two National Championships (’89 and ‘91 with Miami), and NFL ties (always handy to use when recruiting). He also has some major deficiencies in that he, like Saban, does not stay in one place for long, and that he will be 60-years old at the start of the 2007 season (an ongoing theme here is that there are not a lot of 55+ year old coaches that have had success rebuilding football programs–it is more of a young man’s game). But, the big red flag here is that was at the helm when Miami got busted for paying players, failing to properly institute a drug-testing plan, lost 31 scholarships over a two-year period, nearly got the “death penalty” for “losing institutional control over the program” in the mid-90s. So, to recap here, we have a program that was moving in the right direction but had not gotten over the hump yet (re: good, but not good enough), that is taken over by a coach whose career is in its twilight (re: quick fix), that has a history of committing major rules violations in order to win. I think Koetter, who is now employed as the offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars, ends up the big winner in this deal–he will cut his teeth in the NFL, enjoy the big severance he got from ASU, and probably return as a college head coach in a year or two. Arizona State will likely push into top 2-3 of the Pac-10 for a few seasons before a.) Erickson retires from football or b.) Arizona State ends up with the NCAA breathing down their necks for improper actions. I give Arizona State an “F” on the Erickson hire. I think that, even though it would have been an unpopular move in the short term, keeping Koetter would have been the smart long-term answer. Yes, Koetter badly mishandled the Keller-Carpenter controversy and the team did backslide a bit in 2006, but consider where the program could be, at its best, five years from now under 48-year old Dirk Koetter versus 60-year old Dennis Erickson.

Army (replaced the retired Bobby Ross with Army Offensive Line Coach Stan Brock) — I touched on this move earlier in the year, so I won’t spend a ton of time on it today. As we all know, Ross was classy and had been very successful throughout his career, both in the NCAA and in the NFL. Like the Air Force comparison, we are not comparing Stan Brock to Bobby Ross during Ross’s prime. Bobby Ross is 70-years old and it seemed apparent that he was having a pretty tough time getting the most out of the program at Army. Stan Brock has a respectable resume, as he spent 15-years as a player in the NFL, was a head coach in the AFL for three seasons, and served the past three seasons as an assistant under Ross. At 48-years old, Brock will be able to bring a higher level of energy to the USMA players and, I suspect, he may be better able to relate to 18-23 year olds than the 70-year old Ross. Ross is a class act and had an excellent career, but I think Stan Brock will be able to provide a long-term gameplan for the Army program and be there to see it through successfully. As with Air Force, there are limits (funding, recruiting, exposure, etc.) to the Army head coaching job, so taking that into consideration, the only negatives that I see in Brock are that his experience is pretty limited, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, and that, despite his NFL career achievements, he does not bring the same name recogntion as a Bobby Ross. Still, I like the Stan Brock move and I think he will almost certainly be able to improve a pretty down-trodden program, so I give Army a “B” with this hire.

Next time, we will take a look at Boston College, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Florida Internation, and Idaho.

Please feel free to leave your questions and/or comments.