2021 Football Coaching Carousel

As of today, the following changes:

Randy Edsall OUT at UConn
Clay Helton OUT at USC
Chad Lunsford OUT at Georgia Southern
Ed Orgeron OUT at LSU
Nick Rolovich OUT at Wazzu
Matt Wells OUT at Texas Tech

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The Texas Tech game was rough to watch this weekend

Carson Palmer said USC is considering James Franklin, Matt Campbell, Luke Fickell, and Mike Tomlin. Brett McMurphy also reports they’re looking at Jeff Fisher.

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Tomlin is laughable.

It wouldn’t be a coaching search without Fisher’s name being thrown out there. Granted it’s his alma mater, but zero chance he’s the choice.

All reports indicate Fickell wouldn’t take the USC job if offered and I believe it.

That leaves Campbell and Franklin as the two realistic candidates imo. What would be interesting is if Franklin took the USC job and Penn State came calling on Fickell.

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Yeah these Tomlin to LSU/USC rumors are hilarious.

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Not sure what Big Ten jobs might open up except maybe Nebraska, which means there’s a lower chance of a MAC coach getting snagged up (only two MAC HCs in the past decade have left for jobs outside the Midwest/North, Dave Doeren to NC State and Dave Clawsen to Wake Forest). Of course some of the Big Ten coaches could always leave for bigger jobs themselves and open the door.

What’s even weirder is that this year Nebraska isn’t bad, and Frost may get done in anyway.

UTSA coach Jeff Traylor, expected to be Texas Tech’s prime candidate, is talking about how he’s working with UTSA to ensure he has what he needs to succeed in San Antonio. If Texas Tech can’t pry him away, that would be a devastating blow.

Tbh, if he can get institutional buy in from UTSA, that’s probably a better place to be than Texas Tech.

UTSA has announced a new contract for Jeff Traylor: an extension through 2031 that will pay $2.8 million a year. He will easily be the highest-paid coach while UTSA remains in C-USA, and he will become the highest-paid coach in the AAC once UTSA switches over (since Holgorsen and Fickell, with higher salaries, are departing).

EDIT: UTSA–UTSA!–is now paying its coach more than Shane Beamer makes at South Carolina.

Gary Patterson stepping down at TCU. Wow!

Jerry Kill to be interim.

So the updated list:

Randy Edsall OUT at UConn
Clay Helton OUT at USC
Chad Lunsford OUT at Georgia Southern
Ed Orgeron OUT at LSU
Nick Rolovich OUT at Wazzu
Matt Wells OUT at Texas Tech
Gary Patterson OUT at TCU

Well that’s a name I didn’t think was still coaching. Maybe having less stress as a coordinator helps keep his stress down.

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IIRC, he wasn’t a full time coach, he was in an analyst/advisor role. I believe I remember hearing that they were very close friends (as in best men at each other’s weddings). If Patterson knew this was his last season, he might have just wanted to step down early to give his friend one last chance to put on the headset.

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So Jeff Banks, hired by Texas, left his wife and kids for a stripper named pole assassin. She has a pet monkey she incorporates into her routine. That pet monkey allegedly attacked a trick or treater. What a story.

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ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reporting that Georgia Southern is expected to hire Clay Helton.

The Portland State coach brought the monkey up on yesterday’s Mark Packer show. An hilarious discussion ensued. Coach Barnum had coached with the guy at - of all places where you don’t expect pole dancers with monkeys - Idaho State. The Portland State coach is the one who promised to buy every fan who attended last week’s game a beer. His bar tab ended up being more than $14k. Barnum said the first questions he’d ask Banks are whether the monkey has any eligibility left and can he rush a passer.

I wonder if Miami would ever make an aggressive hire like this…a la someone like Gary Patterson…

Akron’s Tom Arth got the boot last night

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I don’t know about anyone else, but I think Akron would be a great job for Eric Koehler!! :face_with_symbols_over_mouth: :smiling_imp: