Siuth Alabama Conducting Head Coach Interviews

MeanGreen61 · January 5, 2008

Off the Muts board.

Bower, Scelfo on list at USA

Jags start search for first football coach Saturday, January 05, 2008

By KIM SHUGARTSports Reporter

Former Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower and former Tulane coach Chris Scelfo have been interviewed by University of South Alabama athletics director Joe Gottfried for the Jaguars' football job.

Gottfried confirmed Friday that Bower and Scelfo were in Mobile earlier this week to discuss the USA job.

"We have been talking to a lot of people and they were the first two we have met with here," Gottfried said. "These were very informal meetings to see what their interests were and their thoughts about the program.

"There was a lot of good dialogue and communication, but it's just the initial stage of the search."

Gottfried also said he is trying to set up a meeting with Mississippi State offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey.

"I have spoken to coach McCorvey on the phone and would like to meet with him," Gottfried said of the former Alabama assistant coach. "We plan on talking with several coaches about the position because we're interested in what they're thinking."

Gottfried added he also has spoken with former Miami Hurricanes national championship coach Larry Coker. Those discussions took place during Coker's visit to Mobile for a 1st-and-10 Club meeting.

Bower spent 17 seasons as the head coach at Southern Miss before he was forced to resign on Nov. 26. He finished his USM career with a 119-83-1 record, making him the second-winningest coach in school history. He won four Conference USA championships and ended his tenure with 14 consecutive winning seasons.

Scelfo was 37-57 in eight years at Tulane, leading the Green Wave to the 2002 Hawaii Bowl. Before taking over the Tulane post, he was an assistant coach at Georgia for three years and at Marshall for six years.

Gottfried said he has been surprised by the number of coaches who have expressed interest in USA's decision to start a football program.

"I've been impressed with the caliber of people who have called about the position, especially because it's a program that's just beginning," Gottfried said. "The position that many of the coaches have held and the experience they've had in college coaching is really impressive.

"The coaching search is progressing and it could move a little faster if we wanted it to, but we're in no rush here. Our target date to fill the position is still the first or second week in February."

The Jaguars will not field a team until the 2009 season. The plan calls for the hiring of a head coach and four or five assistants this year, then beginning the recruiting process. The first players will be signed in February 2009.

greenminer · January 5, 2008

Was it ever disclosed to the public regarding why Bower was forced to resign? I just never understood that one.

StealthEagle84 · January 5, 2008

Was it ever disclosed to the public regarding why Bower was forced to resign? I just never understood that one.

Sounded like the administration at USM wanted change and wanted to in a different direction, something I don't quite get either. Baylor did the same thing with Teaff and look where that got them. Sometimes its best for a program to except what they are and be happy with winning and going to a bowl game every year.

GoMeanGreen1999 · January 5, 2008

Sometimes its best for a program to except what they are and be happy with winning and going to a bowl game every year.

I have heard this argument many times this year, and though I don't necessarily disagree with it, it does beg the question of when does one program or fans "accept who they are" and not shoot for more or better? One could easily make the argument that just as Baylor or Southern Miss should have accepted where they were, that we too should have "accepted" where we were with DD. Maybe it's one of the "in hindsight" or "20/20" deals.

StealthEagle84 · January 5, 2008

I have heard this argument many times this year, and though I don't necessarily disagree with it, it does beg the question of when does one program or fans "accept who they are" and not shoot for more or better? One could easily make the argument that just as Baylor or Southern Miss should have accepted where they were, that we too should have "accepted" where we were with DD. Maybe it's one of the "in hindsight" or "20/20" deals.

You just have to think about it. What level does Southern Miss expect to get to? Do they expect to go undefeated and make to a BCS bowl, like Boise or Hawaii? That takes a magical season, once in a lifetime type of deal. As with Baylor, did they expect to win the conference every other year and compete for a national title? Some people really hate the this cliche, but it is what it is. Baylor will never be UT or A&M but they should be able compete every so often, when the time is right, for a conference championship. They should be able to keep the score close every year and at least compete with the big dawgs, which is how they did under Teaff. Now they can't even stay within three touchdowns of UT. I think USM might look back sometime later and realize they made a huge mistake. Only time will tell though. As for us, I think we will look back and realize how good of a job DD did here. DD was just never able to take it the next step as far beating teams we weren't supposed and getting some OOC wins. No doubt that the program was slipping and we needed a change. I think we'll be A-OK with Dodge and Co. It will just take some time to clean the system.

January 6, 2008

I have heard this argument many times this year, and though I don't necessarily disagree with it, it does beg the question of when does one program or fans "accept who they are" and not shoot for more or better? One could easily make the argument that just as Baylor or Southern Miss should have accepted where they were, that we too should have "accepted" where we were with DD. Maybe it's one of the "in hindsight" or "20/20" deals.

We were'nt at anywhere near where Southern Miss and Baylor were when their coaches were dismissed. I'm not sure what Southern Miss, especially, was thinking. Bower had coached there 17 seasons and had winning records in 15 of them, including the last 14 in a row. He finished with a winning percentage of .598. Grant Teaff played in a much tougher conference and had winning seasons in 12 of the 21 seasons that he coached at Baylor. He finished 23 games above .500 with a winning percentage of .548. He won three SWC championships; Baylor's only two other championships occured in 1922 and 1924. They had gone 50 years without a football championship.

DD, on the other hand, had winning seasons in 3 of his 9 years. He finished 22 games below .500 and had a winning percentage of only .396. Check the all-time coaching records and see how many stick around with that kind of record. Both Bower and Teaff's winning percentage were greater that the winning percentage of their universities whereas Dickey's winning percentage was considerably lower than that of our university (.522 all-time).

Bower really got a raw deal and I have a hunch that it may come back to bite them in the butt unless they can part with some big bucks to increase the HFC'sin salary.