USC may target Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin in its head coaching search. (Spruce DerdenâUS PRESSWIRE)
With the college season winding down, the talk is about conference championships, the BCS, bowl games and individual awards.
But with the end of the regular football season there is another season that takes place every year about this time—the annual shuffle of head coaches. The schools that have been losing are looking for a new man who can turn their program around. For the schools that have been winning, it is a time to worry about holding on to their own coaches.
When schools go looking for a new coach there is the natural reaction to look in two diverse directions — at established head coaches, but many of them are reluctant to leave a winning situation and take on a losing program with the idea of turning it around. Then there are top-flight assistants and coordinators who are seemingly waiting for the opportunity to become a head man.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is the poster-boy for coordinators-in-waiting. His name comes up regularly when people talk about coordinators who are ready to be head coaches. But being ready football-wise to be a head coach does not necessarily mean he is ready to jump from his situation as Nick Saban’s defensive genius. Smart has the credentials. He was the 2009 winner of the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in college football.
The 2011 defense led the nation in all five major categories, including total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, passing defense and pass efficiency defense. One of Smart’s players was Dont’a Hightower, who was a finalist for the Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy, Butkus Award and Bednarik Award.
Last season the Tide led the nation in total defense, scoring defense and rush defense while ranking seventh in pass defense and pass efficiency defense.
Smart may top the list of SEC assistants who could become head coaches but he’s not the only one. LSU’s offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Arkansas defensive line coach Charlie Partridge and defensive coordinators Chris Ash of Arkansas and DJ Durkin of Florida are also poised and ready to be head coaches. LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson, defensive backs coach George Barlow of Vanderbilt and Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo are also all head coaching candidates.
There is one and there could be two high-profile jobs open this season. USC is looking for a permanent coach and it was thought for a while that it was a foregone conclusion that Texas would be open as well. There could be another big-name job available if Bo Pelini doesn’t survive at Nebraska.
Those are three of the biggest names programs but there will be as many as 20 or 25 smaller profile jobs open that have to be filled such as Illinois, Virginia and possibly Mississippi State if Dan Mullen’s tenure in Starkville comes to an end.
Those SEC assistants will be prominently mentioned but there is another place to look for a new coach and that is the current established head coaches who are doing good jobs at their current positions but may be open to listening to offers for more money — or for a new challenge.
Two of those coaches are in the Southeastern Conference.
Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin and Vanderbilt’s James Franklin are the names that rise to the surface, not because their current employers want to get rid of them but because they have done such a good job that a high-profile program might be interested in throwing a bunch of cash at them.
Franklin’s Commodores have a big game this weekend with Tennessee, which is the only thing on his mind. He sounds like a man planning to be at Vanderbilt for a long time, which would certainly please all Vanderbilt fans.
“It is all about perception for us. We talk about the kids that are in high school, they have seen Vanderbilt be successful — that is big for our program,” said Franklin. “To get people excited about our campus and excited about our program really helps in a lot of different ways.”
It’s the same with Sumlin, whose name has been mentioned most recently in regard to the opening at USC. He’s consumed presently with this weekend’s game at LSU.
“(Current LSU linebacker) Darian Claiborne couldn’t even walk the last time we went to Tiger Stadium. It’s a big deal for us. Our guys are excited to go to a venue like that. It’s a matchup of two top-20 teams,” said Sumlin. “The 2:30 game represents the significance of the game. We’re looking forward to playing. They’re a program with tremendous pride and tradition. It’ll take a really good effort from all three phases for us to go in there and win. I think we’re as healthy as we’ve been all season. We’ve got a lot of energy. It’s going to take a lot, but right now I think we’re in a position where our guys know what they’re doing. We’re looking forward to playing.”
If the SEC can hang on to these coaches for another year, it might be a miracle. The question is if somebody goes, who will it be?
