Top 5 Candidates for the HC position

5,776 Views | 13 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Jacks4460
TallTexan
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I'm doing admin work today, which mainly means a lot of waiting for large files to download, so I thought I'd put some thought into who the Top 5 candidates for SFA HC would be. Ivey has expressed an interest in having the top Mid Major athletic program in the country, which would likely mean significant improvement on the football side of things.

Without further ado:

1. Jeff Traylor: An East Texas Native & fellow Lumberjack, I think Traylor would be a home run hire. He's had experience at UT, SMU, & now Arkansas & is a top notch recruiter. His notoriety amongst East Texas coaches could help us attract a lot of FCS/FBS tweeners who might otherwise pass over SFA. The only con is that we'd need to likely pay him around 400k per year, as he makes in the mid 300s at Arkansas. Worth it IMO.

2: Colby Carthel: Ivey's hired him once & it worked out spectacularly, raising a TAMU-Commerce team to a national championship. Proven that he has what it takes to win, I think he'd be a great option for SFA & would likely be significantly cheaper than Traylor.

3. Curtis Luper: Another Lumberjack, he's currently serving as C0-OC & Running back coach for TCU. He's also worked at Auburn & Oklahoma state & is an Army Vet to boot. He's known to be an excellent recruiter & would be an excellent hire.

4. Will Hall: Currently the University of Memphis Associate HC & Tight Ends coach, Hall has a track record for turning programs around as HC at the D2 level. He could be a solid hire for SFA.

5. Jeff Byrd: Our interim head man. I've been impressed by how Byrd has handled this unexpected transition thus far. I'd have him higher on the list, but coming off a 4-7 season, the deck is stacked against him.

Bonus Names: KC Keeler, Chris Klieman, Mack Brown, & Les Miles. While any of these are incredibly unlikely, I think KC Keeler & Klieman could be targets depending on how much Ivey can raise to help pay the salary of an established coach. One of Klieman's assistant would also be a good target if we're looking to build a top-tier program.

For Mack & Miles, I'd kick the tires just to see how serious they are to get back in coaching. Mack, in particular, has a soft spot in his heart for being loved, if you could pitch a coach like him on the difference he'd make for the university in fundraising & prestige, you might stand a chance. And to be honest, I've included him as much for his fundraising prowess as coaching abilities. It'd take the ultimate sales job though to land either head man.

I know a lot of you guys will rag on Mack & Miles inclusion for sheer moonshot absurdity, but as the first person to make the list, I wanted to include them.

So who would your top 5 be?
cboothe09
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I like yours, but I would probably bump Byrd higher up on that list.
SFA Jack Fanatic
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Personally, I think having Mack and Miles on the list is sheer moonshot absurdity...

Good list, BTW. If Byrd doesn't turn it around, any of the other four would be great gets.
TallTexan
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cboothe09 said:

I like yours, but I would probably bump Byrd higher up on that list.
I just think Byrd has a tough road ahead but he's been impressive so far. The one I went back & forth on was Hall/Luper in the 3rd spot, but went with Hall because I'm not sure how keen to interview again Luper will be.
TallTexan
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edstile said:

Personally, I think having Mack and Miles on the list is sheer moonshot absurdity...

Good list, BTW. If Byrd doesn't turn it around, any of the other four would be great gets.
I know they're unlikely, but I operate under the premise that it never hurts to ask. Both likely think they're still P5 coaches, but nobody is calling for a P5 job anytime soon. SFA would be coaching football for the love of football, not a lot of media or other considerations.

But obviously, they're moonshots, I'm just wanting to kick the tires a bit.
Jacks4460
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I like your list Texan... I feel if Coach Bryd puts together 8-10 wins and makes playoffs then he stays... Carthel's team is the #1 team in the nation Div II... Dont know much about Hall... I think it is down to Byrd for a good seson then Carthel. I dont think Traylor would want to come to SFA I could be wrong.. He is use to all the nice facilities that he has had at his previous stops and we dont have those...
nacluth
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Jacks4460 said:

I like your list Texan... I feel if Coach Bryd puts together 8-10 wins and makes playoffs then he stays...
Ha! I'm really not trying to be too pessimistic about this season, but yes, if he accomplishes this then he is our next contracted head coach. Honestly I think just a winning season gets him another couple of years. A very hard row to hoe however.
Ryan
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TallTexan
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Jacks4460 said:

I like your list Texan... I feel if Coach Bryd puts together 8-10 wins and makes playoffs then he stays... Carthel's team is the #1 team in the nation Div II... Dont know much about Hall... I think it is down to Byrd for a good seson then Carthel. I dont think Traylor would want to come to SFA I could be wrong.. He is use to all the nice facilities that he has had at his previous stops and we dont have those...
Traylor's only a few years removed from those HS facilities & while UT's is likely nicer than us, there getting ready to spend 175 million because they've been passed by for a lot of schools. I think he could be convinced or would atleast take Ivey's call. He's not a coordinator, so I think he might get lucky & get a G5 coordinator job or a lower level FBS HC role(like Texas State level). He could come to Nac & put together an HC resume now.

I agree, Byrd holds his destiny in his hands but he has to roll a boulder uphill.

FWIW, from his hires at Austin Peay & Commerce, Ivey appears to like taking a chance on up & comers who've worked at strong programs in their career.(Up & coming coaches are also probably good for the budget as well). Will be exciting to see whether Byrd keeps the reigns & if not, who the next head man is.
Jacks4460
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Texan you are so right about Byrd being easier on the budget.. I know it is a huge hill to climb this year but if he has our men competing like I have seen so far in fall then he is capable of putting together a 8 win season and playoff appearance. I may be overly optimistic or just dont think about losing.. I will never think about losing..

Traylor would listen and for sure take Ryan's phone call... I think he would just be too much money for what SFA would want to spend unless someone steps up and donates some $$$ Joe Max is already taking care of our BB team they cant ask him for it..
TallTexan
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Byrd has done absolutely everything you want a good HC to do. He's still recruiting. He's making the best of the situation. And this team should have the talent to get wins, but we'll see.

In regards to Traylor, I wonder how tough managing a 4-500k paycheck would be. I'm not sure what our official budget is for football, but another 200k per year seems marginal to me. Then again, i thought I saw the NDSU coach makes 300k,so do you just try to hire him for that price?

I also have concerns about football being good in the first place. Sure, we can manage to be good at both, but it's obvious to everyone that basketball is our winning ticket at the moment. If football is also good, will people still see that basketball has national prestige potential?

I hypothesize that Sam fans are currently dealing with that.

But overall, if we're going to sponsor any sport, I want to win.
SfaFan15
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I would put Will Healy in my top 5. He is the HC at Austin Peay right now, and it might be a bit of a lateral move coming to SFA, but I think he would have higher winning potential at SFA and we could probably give him a decent bump in his pay too. I think he's still to young for any FBS program to take a chance on him.
HitSomeBody
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I like the list. I even think there is nothing wrong with making the phone call to Brown and Miles (if they don't pick up then move on).

I do think Traylor would be difficult not only because of money but because of where he is at in his career. We met him at SMU on a recruiting trip there and he has really bought into Chad Morris and his "family of coaches". In talking to Chad, he wants his coaches to go to bigger and better things if they decide to go. Therefore, being at the top D1 level I think Traylor has goals but they are in the other direction than SFA. After meeting Traylor I can concur that he is a great recruiter. I think he knows that too and will probably use that to move up if possible.

I also believe Byrd has a good shot. He does have a big bolder to push uphill BUT he is not trying to do it by himself and he really has got the boys bought in to being better, faster, more energy, and getting them to believe in themselves. I keep hearing nothing but excitement from the players to show everyone how good they can be.

Jacks4460
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HitSomeBody thank you so much for your input.. Being a former player and son of a THS football coach I like everything I hear. I also talk to some of the players and I am getting the same feeback you are.. When a coach has a team bought in on "Being a TEAM" and doing your job and not letting the dude next to you down then good things happen.. Byrd is still recruiting which I also like and I am telling you Barbay is a keeper 100%.. Coach Byrd is letting his other coaches coach these players up because he knows he cant do it all by himself..
TallTexan
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From everything I've seen with Byrd, even if he wasn't ultimately the HC choice, I'd love to keep him around.

Hitsomebody, that's great insight on Traylor. Even if he's not the ultimate answer, it'd be a prudent call & he could potentially recommend good candidates or assistants for our staff. As an alum, I think he'd be atleast willing to do that.

There's a lot of HS coaching talent out there (Traylor, Morris, & others who've hit the highest levels speak to this) & perhaps we could find the next one of them at an early stage to add to the staff.

I'm just ready for football to get started again. My Lumberjacks & Longhorns are unknown quantities & I want to see if it's been worth the wait.
Jacks4460
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Kevin Atkinson a former Lumberjack player and homecoming king is the HC at Flower Mound Marcus and he is one of the THC coaches who could come in and assemble one hell of a coaching staff and dominate in recruiting. He would also put a solid product on the field and players would be held accountable. They will graduate at a high rate and have fun playing football..He is very very respected in the coaching circles..
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