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?
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?