I like Shannon Dawson.

BigJack85 said:

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I like Shannon Dawson.

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LOL Dawson made 50k at Southern Miss last year because Kentucky still owed him 1.3 million when they fired him. Presumably he got a salary bump in June when those payments stopped. But USM pays the least in their conference.

That might be a financially prudent route for the Jacks, find a good coach with time left on his previous big money contract and pay him pennies until it runs out while rolling the regular salary into the backend of the contract.

USF did that with Charlie Strong and company.

For example, if we found a fired coach with 2 years left on his contract, we could save 150k for two years and then split that over the remaining 3 to pay him 350k per season. Then, if it's working out, he'd probably be worth 350k for his next contract.

Coach that comes to mind at the moment is Meachem at Kansas,but I'm sure there will be others available too.

Healy would be a fantastic hire. Carthel I'm not so sold on. He wouldn't be able to load up his roster with D1 transfers anymore. Plus you've got the problems he's had with the NCAA, I think there are other better, safer hires.

Wildcat1997 said:

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He wouldn't be able to load up his roster with D1 transfers anymore.

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This is one thing Prison Tech does that makes them as successful as they are..If there are no extreme issues(sexual assault,felonies,etc.) with the kid and he can play why not give him another chance.. Just gotta really vet them well.. Don't know if our acceptance criteria into school is the same as Prison Tech whatever they are doing is working...

My unsolicited two cents: Hoping for Jeff Traylor is a non-starter. I believe he is on a trajectory to a Div. 1A position, probably with a smaller FBS school. But -- as my wife says -- I'm only wrong about 12 times a day...

Blessings to all,
65-Toss-Power-Trap

TallTexan said:

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I know we've mentioned him on prior threads, but thoughts on Shannon Dawson?

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Shannon's success he had at SFA did not follow him to Kentucky. He brought in the air raid specifically in a time when it just getting popular, and the SLC did not know how to stop it. Shannon may just be having bad luck because he's the OC for the worst team in the SEC, but his resume post SFA is not the most impressive.

SFA_03 said:

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TallTexan said:

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I know we've mentioned him on prior threads, but thoughts on Shannon Dawson?

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Shannon's success he had at SFA did not follow him to Kentucky. He brought in the air raid specifically in a time when it just getting popular, and the SLC did not know how to stop it. Shannon may just be having bad luck because he's the OC for the worst team in the SEC, but his resume post SFA is not the most impressive.

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Touche. I thought Southern Miss was better than they're record but they're just above 500 since his hire.

So we finally got back to Texas yesterday & I was talking with my younger brother(a bearkat grad) about football & he had some interesting anecdotal insights that I thought you guys would enjoy. He worked in the AD as a student assistant until he graduated last year.

He was like "you guys should hire Keeler, so we can hire someone better. Essentially the thought around campus is that he's underachieved but would never get fired because he always makes the playoffs. He also said most of the football guys didn't like him. FWIW, he said most on campus loved Hooten and I quote "will a better coach want to come to Sam to have teams play in front of 25 fans and still lose to SFA?"

I'd say mission accomplished on completely demoralizing the Sam basketball fanbase.

He said they'd really like to have Fritz back on the football side, everyone loved him.

We were also talking about attendance & he said that Sam has gotten too good for the fans to show up. That beating SLC teams by 20 isn't an exciting enough game for the fans to show up. I rightly pointed out we commonly lose to SLC teams by 20 and our fans still show up better than anyone in the conference.

He mentioned that Sam put some numbers together a few years back that showed it cost around 15 million to move up to FBS. (Needless to say, they don't have enough fan attendance to meet the minimum requirements at the moment). They're hoping that when realignment roles around that a spot might open up in the Sunbelt.

Speaking of Fritz, how long do you suppose Tulane will keep him around with 5-7 seasons? He's in year 3, but I'd feel a lot more comfortable about them moving on if they were in year 4 or year 5.

But, some of his assistants might be a good fit. The DC & O-line coach looked like they might be particularly good fits for us.

I think it's hilarious that a coach with multiple semifinal appearance's isn't considered "good enough".
Keeler's next stop will be the FBS. No doubt in my kind. I'm really surprised he didn't take the UTEP job.
IF we hired a coach from within the fcs is want us to look at a coach who's either won an fcs title or come really close. That's what Sam did with Keeler and I think we should do it too, if we're going that route. Same if we got a D2 coach. A national title appearance and a plus .500 record should be a minimum for a D2 coach.
Other than that, I think giving a young, energetic coach who's coming from a successful program or was at least successful at what he does(coordinator) should be given a shot.

Or we can hire Kingsbury after he loses the next 7 games in a row while still putting up 49 points per game.

I agree. We need a person familiar with a winning program to help us build a winning culture at SFA.

If I were Ivey, I'd be scouring the staffs at Chattanooga, Richmond, JMU, NDSU, Ark State, Troy, etc to find the next winning ticket.

We'd be ecstatic if we could match Keeler's success because that'd be a huge step forward for our football program. We need winning consistency. If I may, we need our Coach Kasper of football.

Agreed as well. If you look at Sam they went from Fritz to Keeler both coaches that had success and championships at lower levels. Especially Keeler. Personally I would prefer a winner from a D2 program. Someone who can not only recruit kids out of HS but be able to get D1 transfers that want playing time and figure out how to make it all mesh.

I want the program to get back to being relevant in the SL and in in the FCS. The early 90's were fun, like in 1995 when we got to the semi-finals in the playoffs and being at the record setting McNeese game (23.6K fans at Homer Bryce, poor McNeese flag guys they never stood a chance).

That's the route ACU went with their most recent coach & the route that Sam went with Fritz. Colby Carthell is the favorite if we're going to pick a winning D2 coach, IMO. And he's had success right there in Commerce, so we're not taking a shot on a coach from 5 states over.

That said, given our recent resignation, we're probably looking for a coach that's squeaky clean, & Carthell has had some NCAA issues. It looks like he gave a student 300 bucks to cover emergency child care expenses and also loaned a student $400(which he repaid) for rent.

Honestly, for the first one, I know it's an NCAA violation but it actually makes me like the guy more. For the second, just don't do it because the NCAA may find out.

Right now my top 8(in no particular order):
Luper
Traylor
Carthell
Matt Moore-Troy
Joe Cauthen(Ark State)-SFA Alumni
Buster Faulkner(Ark State)
Alex Atkins(Tulane)
Jack Curtis(Tulane)


That's my realistic list, as you all know, there are a few guys I'd love for us to kick the tires on just to see if they show any interest.

Not ready to throw in the towel on Byrd yet, but here is another fun name...

Scott Surratt - Carthage

cboothe09 said:

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Not ready to throw in the towel on Byrd yet, but here is another fun name...

Scott Surratt - Carthage

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I have wondered if he might be a Jeff Traylor starter package. HS to college is risky move though IMO.

Whoever the new guy is, it's my opinion we revamp our entire recruiting.

East Texas might be the single best region for HSFB in Texas...yet the region is disproportionately represented at SFA.

For example, there is a WR and two DL from Longview HIgh that are absolute monsters.

According to recruiting sites they have SLC offers...yet Sfa isn't one of them.

Gotta recommit to ETx.

MasterAxe said:

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Whoever the new guy is, it's my opinion we revamp our entire recruiting.

East Texas might be the single best region for HSFB in Texas...yet the region is disproportionately represented at SFA.

For example, there is a WR and two DL from Longview HIgh that are absolute monsters.

According to recruiting sites they have SLC offers...yet Sfa isn't one of them.

Gotta recommit to ETx.

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Definitely agree. We need to be The School of East Texas, in sports & academics.

I say this as an ACU fan, if ACU can land a coach like the caliber of Dorrel, then surely SFA can. There's no reason why you guys should settle.

TallTexan said:

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cboothe09 said:

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Not ready to throw in the towel on Byrd yet, but here is another fun name...

Scott Surratt - Carthage

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I have wondered if he might be a Jeff Traylor starter package. HS to college is risky move though IMO.

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I think Surratt is better than Traylor...6 rings says a lot...

A big reason Traylor ended up in Austin and got his collegiate start was to secure Kris and DeMarco Boyd, plus his ability to recruit east Texas. I have no doubt Surratt could lock down the region just as well...

Fun fact. Surratt's salary at Carthage is $154,900. Cathel's salary at A&M Commerce is $122,000.

Interesting read:

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/8/22/17590916/texas-a-m-commerce-national-championship-vince-young

Wildcat1997 said:

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I say this as an ACU fan, if ACU can land a coach like the caliber of Dorrel, then surely SFA can. There's no reason why you guys should settle.

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Definitely Agree.

Was making the argument on twitter today that we should recreate the Southwest Conference with Texas & Arkansas conference USA & Sunbelt Schools, plus Sam & SFA. But dang, you guys are nearly at the top of the conference in attendance for football. If SFA & ACU build consistently winning football programs, we'd each average 15k per game.

Sam's average is 6800, lower than the conference average.

I think with our fanbase, who's willing to show up win or lose, rain or shine, we can finally hire someone to build a winning program. We've got all the right ingredients.

I don't disagree on Surratt, I just wish he had some college experience. I think Traylor college year 4 might be better than Surratt on Year 1. But I've never watched a Carthage game in person, so take all that with a grain of salt. Just seems riskier IMO.

cboothe09 said:

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TallTexan said:

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cboothe09 said:

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Not ready to throw in the towel on Byrd yet, but here is another fun name...

Scott Surratt - Carthage

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I have wondered if he might be a Jeff Traylor starter package. HS to college is risky move though IMO.

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I think Surratt is better than Traylor...6 rings says a lot...

A big reason Traylor ended up in Austin and got his collegiate start was to secure Kris and DeMarco Boyd, plus his ability to recruit east Texas. I have no doubt Surratt could lock down the region just as well...

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Before we equate high school titles to D1 success, let me say the name "Todd Dodge". Possibly one of the best Texas high school coaches who completely floundered at UNT with several years to build a winning team. High school coaches have one issue. They don't recruit. At all.

SFA_03 said:

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cboothe09 said:

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TallTexan said:

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cboothe09 said:

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Not ready to throw in the towel on Byrd yet, but here is another fun name...

Scott Surratt - Carthage

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I have wondered if he might be a Jeff Traylor starter package. HS to college is risky move though IMO.

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I think Surratt is better than Traylor...6 rings says a lot...

A big reason Traylor ended up in Austin and got his collegiate start was to secure Kris and DeMarco Boyd, plus his ability to recruit east Texas. I have no doubt Surratt could lock down the region just as well...

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Before we equate high school titles to D1 success, let me say the name "Todd Dodge". Possibly one of the best Texas high school coaches who completely floundered at UNT with several years to build a winning team. High school coaches have one issue. They don't recruit. At all.

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Yep Todd Dodge was who came to mind. And UNT seemed to have ruined him for football. Everyone talked about his offenses when he coached in Dallas, but watching him at Westlake, he seemed to have no offensive philosophy at all. Luckily, his team is usually pretty talented.

I get what you're saying, but I also wouldn't say that HS coaches don't recruit at all...The rumors about Gilmer have gone on for years...

I just know we could get Surratt for a good price, and he held in very high esteem among east Texas coaches. His reputation would be a huge boost when it comes to recruiting.

This isn't me saying he absolutely has to be the next coach, but he is a good name to consider. Carthel is a good option. Whether or not we could get Traylor depends on his career path he is looking to take. SMU was his if he wanted, but he left to stay with Chad Morris. Holding Associate HC title means Morris thinks pretty highly of him too. If Traylor wants to walk on water, then he can walk right across the ag pond to Homer Bryce. If he wants a P5 job, then he is exactly where he needs to be.

Question: At this point, what would it take from Byrd to convince ya'll that he is right for the job?

cboothe09 said:

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I get what you're saying, but I also wouldn't say that HS coaches don't recruit at all...The rumors about Gilmer have gone on for years...

I just know we could get Surratt for a good price, and he held in very high esteem among east Texas coaches. His reputation would be a huge boost when it comes to recruiting.

This isn't me saying he absolutely has to be the next coach, but he is a good name to consider. Carthel is a good option. Whether or not we could get Traylor depends on his career path he is looking to take. SMU was his if he wanted, but he left to stay with Chad Morris. Holding Associate HC title means Morris thinks pretty highly of him too. If Traylor wants to walk on water, then he can walk right across the ag pond to Homer Bryce. If he wants a P5 job, then he is exactly where he needs to be.

Question: At this point, what would it take from Byrd to convince ya'll that he is right for the job?

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I don't doubt that he's an excellent coach. Just a bit riskier than the other options. Might be a great guy for a coordinator role if you hire a hot coach like Traylor who may be on a 4 year plan before he moves up.

I know Dodge didn't work out, but are there any examples of HS coaches to college HC who did work out? I'd be interested to know.

cboothe09 said:

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Question: At this point, what would it take from Byrd to convince ya'll that he is right for the job?

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That's a very interesting question. I think we'd have to beat Sam and probably win 5 games. At the very minimum.

Do we want a coach who's willing to straight up break the rules to win? Lol.

After this past week, I'd agree that he needs to beat Sam and then win 4 other games, one of them being NWST for chief Caddo. A .500 season and 2 rivalry victories would show absolute progress.

Speaking of Surratt.

Lovie Smith might come available.

cboothe09 said:

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Question: At this point, what would it take from Byrd to convince ya'll that he is right for the job?

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I don't know anything about Ivey but a winning season after not having one in 4 seasons certainly makes it hard not to offer him the job. Hes 1-2 now with 7 games remaining. I don't think a 5-5 season gets him the job. While not a losing season its not a winning one either. Maybe a 5-5 season with him winning BotPW and Caddo will give him a 50/50 chance.

It should be interesting.

I wouldn't have a problem if SFA plugged in some D3 program for the open date 11/3/2018 If Byrd gets to 5-5 it is indeed 50/50. 6-4 with a BOTPW win and I'm behind him.

I still agree. 5 wins+the BOTPW. But we have 7 games left. That means we need to beat SHSU, Lamar, NWST, HBU, and then either UCA or McNeese. So we have a rough road for Byrd to reach those 5 wins now.

The more I think about this the more bipolar I get on this topic.

If Byrd can pull off a winning season I think he gets the job. I mean it's a winning season right? That's an improvement over the last several seasons. But ... something to put our thinking caps on about ...

As I have stated before I am new to the Lumberjack Nation. This is my second season being around SFA football so my scope of knowledge is limited. I tried to look at some historical stats on the SFA Football website but the statistics only show this season. Maybe historical stats are listed somewhere but I didn't see them. Historical records are there but not stats. Maybe our resident statistician can help here - SFAXE93


Has the defense improved over his tenure here? I know its a short windows to see through but ... Again, limited on stats. Best I can do is the opponents scoring average
2018 - 38.3 (Byrd over 3 games)
2017 - 29.5 (Byrd over 11 games)
2016 - 38.3 (Williamson over 11 games)
2015 - 32.9 (Williamson over 11 games)
2014 - 28.5 (Gibbs over 13 games)
2013 - 53.8 (Gibbs over 11 games) - I triple checked this one

Without a suite of stats to look at its hard but also ... there are really only two things that matter at the end of 60 minutes - your score and the other teams score. All the other stats are icing on the cake. Sure we would love to see 47 Nikki Wallaces but if they score more points than us then ...

One thing I can predict over the course of the next couple months ... is this topic will be debated a lot

drhuggybear said:

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The more I think about this the more bipolar I get on this topic.

If Byrd can pull off a winning season I think he gets the job. I mean it's a winning season right? That's an improvement over the last several seasons. But ... something to put our thinking caps on about ...

As I have stated before I am new to the Lumberjack Nation. This is my second season being around SFA football so my scope of knowledge is limited. I tried to look at some historical stats on the SFA Football website but the statistics only show this season. Maybe historical stats are listed somewhere but I didn't see them. Historical records are there but not stats. Maybe our resident statistician can help here - SFAXE93


Has the defense improved over his tenure here? I know its a short windows to see through but ... Again, limited on stats. Best I can do is the opponents scoring average
2018 - 38.3 (Byrd over 3 games)
2017 - 29.5 (Byrd over 11 games)
2016 - 38.3 (Williamson over 11 games)
2015 - 32.9 (Williamson over 11 games)
2014 - 28.5 (Gibbs over 13 games)
2013 - 53.8 (Gibbs over 11 games) - I triple checked this one

Without a suite of stats to look at its hard but also ... there are really only two things that matter at the end of 60 minutes - your score and the other teams score. All the other stats are icing on the cake. Sure we would love to see 47 Nikki Wallaces but if they score more points than us then ...

One thing I can predict over the course of the next couple months ... is this topic will be debated a lot

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In 2013 our defense numbers are squewered because Attaway threw 3-4 interceptions per game(check that stat).
The defense in 2017 was actually really solid, but it was on the field A TON. We couldn't score with the current offense, and it really hurt the team.
Last night I kept getting scared because while our defense played well, they were on the field a lot. Yes we won the time of posessiom battle, but we could not score consistently at all. I think defensively, we're fine for the most part. Maybe even keep Byrd in the new regime as a defensive coordinator. We need our offense back. The prolific offense that we had before 2013 plus our defense now would be rediculous. We'd win a natty with that.

I want this.

https://sports.yahoo.com/12-year-old-meet-countrys-unconventional-young-coach-212251713.html

Do it again Ryan Ivey!