Arkansas To Hire Wake Forest Coach

[SUMG]

This looks pretty certain, but who knows:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3143465

[NT80]

This looks pretty certain, but who knows:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3143465

I wonder how much pull that private Razorback Foundation has with the selection? They paid $1.2 million of Nutt's $1.5 million salary, so you would think they would have to give the OK on any new guy too.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Yes, it appears to most of the mods on the Hog message boards that he will sign with us tomorrow. Of course, he can always change his mind before tomorrow, but I think this is a great hire. If you can take Wake Forrest to a BCS game, you are doing something right. Wanted to see Gus as the OC, but not sure how much Grobe will bring in terms of coaches.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I wonder how much pull that private Razorback Foundation has with the selection? They paid $1.2 million of Nutt's $1.5 million salary, so you would think they would have to give the OK on any new guy too.

There is actually a power struggle going on up there. Apparently there were three boosters (Jerry JOnes being one of them) that wanted to fit the $6 million buyout of Tuberville's Auburn contract, but John White nixed it. The BOT is apprently trying to get John White gone himself, which would be good. The Razorback Foundation wanted Gus to be brought back, but White nixed that one also, at least bringing him back as the head guy. Apparently Grobe is the one that both sides agreed upon. Bowden was offered the job, but the BOT and the Foundation nixed that hire. Until Broyles is gone in January, and they remove White, it will be a cluster at the top for a while.

Up until this week, the existing Hog coaches (many of whom were going with Nutt, but had stayed on to coach the bowl game) were actively recruiting already committed Arkansas recruits to Ole Miss while still being paid by the University: http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/12/.../120307hall.txt

[GoMeanGreen1999]

He will be apparently staying at Wake Forrest according to news reports today.

[SUMG]

I don't get schools like Arkansas and Michigan. They both ran off perfectly good coaches. And now Arkansas is trying to hire Grobe....and he jilts them. Michigan is now courting a guy at Ball State, who has a 22-36 record.

And I realize that Carr retired, but I think the crap he went through, after their bad start....lead to him getting out early.

Not saying that Carr and Nutt aren't replaceable, but if you're going to make life so miserable for them that they leave...at least have a GREAT replacement lined up.

[eulessismore]

I don't get schools like Arkansas and Michigan. They both ran off perfectly good coaches. And now Arkansas is trying to hire Grobe....and he jilts them. Michigan is now courting a guy at Ball State, who has a 22-36 record.

And I realize that Carr retired, but I think the crap he went through, after their bad start....lead to him getting out early.

Not saying that Carr and Nutt aren't replaceable, but if you're going to make life so miserable for them that they leave...at least have a GREAT replacement lined up.

You have made some good points, SUMG. The Arkansas and Michigan actions should raise questions about the wisdom of running off existing coaches with good records, at least until those schools have hired new coaches with even better records. This reinforces a thought that I'd been having concerning fans calling for the firing of coaches or assistants; who do you propose to replace them.

By the way, I have mentioned here before that Wake Forest has done well in football under Jim Grobe. They might provide a model for UNT in other undertakings, such as:

1. Designing their stadium in such a way as to be "intimidating" to visiting teams.

2. Encouraging attendance at WFU football games by Salem College, a private women's college across town.

3. Allowing Salem College students to participate in marching band at Wake Forest.

4. Allowing cross registration by Salem College in degree programs at WFU which are not available at that smaller school.

I do not know the extent to which UNT and TWU engage in cross-registration for academic programs (I know there is some), but I've never heard much about intercampus exchanges for athletic and other nonacademic purposes. What I would really like to see is UNT and TWU combining to create joint graduate and professional programs, so as to create some combined legislative clout (something which we seem to be lacking in Austin these days).

[Quoner]

Isn't Wake's enrollment only around 4-6K?

[CMJ]

Isn't Wake's enrollment only around 4-6K?

Somewhere around that...maybe 7K. Pretty small though, that's for sure.

[eulessismore]

Isn't Wake's enrollment only around 4-6K?

It's 6,739 for 2006-2007. Here's a link:

Wake Forest Quick Facts

[Quoner]

Thank you both!

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I don't get schools like Arkansas and Michigan. They both ran off perfectly good coaches. And now Arkansas is trying to hire Grobe....and he jilts them. Michigan is now courting a guy at Ball State, who has a 22-36 record.

And I realize that Carr retired, but I think the crap he went through, after their bad start....lead to him getting out early.

Not saying that Carr and Nutt aren't replaceable, but if you're going to make life so miserable for them that they leave...at least have a GREAT replacement lined up.

You would think, but then again this is John White running the show as the Chancellor - trying to do the AD's job. But there were many many boosters pulling their support until they made a move from Nutt. Much like the situation that we had here with DD, only it just has happened that it comes after two winning seasons with Nutt (most where done with him two years ago). A lot of people look at the Hogs and wonder why they were getting rid of Nutt when it looked like he was pretty good for the Hogs, just as much of the outsiders looked at the Eagles when we got rid of DD.

[JesseMartin]

I thought Carr was thinking about retiring last year but came back this year to try to get a championship...or is that just what the media was saying?!

[NCMeanGreen]

I thought Carr was thinking about retiring last year but came back this year to try to get a championship...or is that just what the media was saying?!

No, I believe you are correct. As I recall, he was definetly contemplating retirement after last season but changed his mind. He must have thought with the returning players that with Mike Hart et al returning that they stood a pretty good chance of doing something big.

Well the did, actually...just not what they had in mind!!!

[greenminer]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I love watching WVU play. That offense is so fun to watch.

How is their stadium intimidating?

Also, if we want to throw around stadium ideas, I think the Big12 championship was played in Arrowhead? Garsh that facility was gorgeous on TV. 'twould be nice to have something similar in our own backyard. I never cared for the angular look. Something more rounded like a bowl.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

No, I believe you are correct. As I recall, he was definetly contemplating retirement after last season but changed his mind. He must have thought with the returning players that with Mike Hart et al returning that they stood a pretty good chance of doing something big.

Well the did, actually...just not what they had in mind!!!

You are exactly right, if you looked at his contract you would notice that if he became the associate AD after this year (a stipulation put in place after last year) he would recieve a pretty hefty bonus and be guranteed a job for the rest of his life. Also after last year he negotiated a 2 year contract for all of his assistants with a gurantee that they would be back next year or recieve a nice buyout.

Basically after last year he negotiated his contract to set him up for retierment after this year.

[Eagle1855]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I love watching WVU play. That offense is so fun to watch.

How is their stadium intimidating?

Also, if we want to throw around stadium ideas, I think the Big12 championship was played in Arrowhead? Garsh that facility was gorgeous on TV. 'twould be nice to have something similar in our own backyard. I never cared for the angular look. Something more rounded like a bowl.

this year it was played in the Alamo Dome.

And I too love watching WVU play. Their stadium supposedly gets pretty loud, though I can't speak from personal experience.

Back to the topic at hand, this would be a good hire for Arkansas. I have to wonder, with all the success some of these non-trad powers have had (Kansas, Mizzou, WVU, etc), why leave Wake? I mean, if Kansas could have played for it all... why not Wake?

[greenminer]

this year it was played in the Alamo Dome.

And I too love watching WVU play. Their stadium supposedly gets pretty loud, though I can't speak from personal experience.

Back to the topic at hand, this would be a good hire for Arkansas. I have to wonder, with all the success some of these non-trad powers have had (Kansas, Mizzou, WVU, etc), why leave Wake? I mean, if Kansas could have played for it all... why not Wake?

I stand corrected. The Big XII championship was in San Antonio (WITH RETSO'S SIGN).

I was thinking of the Mizz-Kansas game the week before.