Luke Fickell

[Dr Z]

On Campus interview at Pitt

Hmmm, an interesting take:

As I said yesterday - and Steve Pederson as much said Wednesday - this process is on a much faster track than before and so it goes without saying that the interview process has begun with two coaches being interviewed for the job. And what is interesting is at least one of these interviews took place on campus, which tells me that the administration really isn't going to fool around this time and is really pushing to get this resolved quickly.

Think about it - last time they had a search firm identify candidates, then they had all of these secret meeting places across the country and that process dragged out - not the case right now.

At any rate, from what I can gather so far, the first two candidates to interview are Paul Chryst and Luke Fickell.

Like I said before, looking at both those resumes, Akron HC job would not be the next step. This job makes more sense. Wonder if JD expressed interest?

[The Hip Zip]

My crystal ball tells me that Christobal gets the nod.

[johnnyzip84]

My crystal ball tells me that Christobal gets the nod.

Nice

[GP1]

looking at both those resumes, Akron HC job would not be the next step.

Well said. Akron isn't going to be a place for a guy who was head coach at OSU for a season to come, regardless of the circumstances. Typically, the MAC/Akron is a good fit for someone who is a long time assistant/short time coordinator to break in. Or, a guy like Winters or Kelly who did their time in lower divisions.

Nobody wants to hear it, but the Akron job would have been a step down for Fick. Last season was his chance to audition for a CUSA job. Given the cards he was dealt, he did a pretty good job. At the rate Pitt is going, they might just be CUSA quality if they don't watch out. Pitt is a step up for Fick and a good opportunity. If he proves himself, he could always go back to OSU in a few years when UM has had enough.

[Zipmeister]

looking at both those resumes, Akron HC job would not be the next step.

Well said. Akron isn't going to be a place for a guy who was head coach at OSU for a season to come, regardless of the circumstances. Typically, the MAC/Akron is a good fit for someone who is a long time assistant/short time coordinator to break in. Or, a guy like Winters or Kelly who did their time in lower divisions.

Nobody wants to hear it, but the Akron job would have been a step down for Fick. Last season was his chance to audition for a CUSA job. Given the cards he was dealt, he did a pretty good job. At the rate Pitt is going, they might just be CUSA quality if they don't watch out. Pitt is a step up for Fick and a good opportunity. If he proves himself, he could always go back to OSU in a few years when UM has had enough.

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

[GP1]

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

I coined the phrase, "The Graveyard of Coaches" a couple of years ago. Not exactly true today, but it was then. Dennison never sniffed even a 1AA job....Faust, enough said....Ownes, Ashland. It deserved the phrase. Howevere, Brookhart and now Coach I are in D-1A programs. No longer the graveyard in my mind, but still not the best of career choices.

[g-mann17]

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

I coined the phrase, "The Graveyard of Coaches" a couple of years ago. Not exactly true today, but it was then. Dennison never sniffed even a 1AA job....Faust, enough said....Ownes, Ashland. It deserved the phrase. Howevere, Brookhart and now Coach I are in D-1A programs. No longer the graveyard in my mind, but still not the best of career choices.

The funeral home of coaches? You either end up in the ground or go about your life with just a little bit of emotional distress and some time missing.

[ZipRoo]

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

I coined the phrase, "The Graveyard of Coaches" a couple of years ago. Not exactly true today, but it was then. Dennison never sniffed even a 1AA job....Faust, enough said....Ownes, Ashland. It deserved the phrase. Howevere, Brookhart and now Coach I are in D-1A programs. No longer the graveyard in my mind, but still not the best of career choices.

I believe Dennison could've had lots of D-II jobs, and even some D-1 jobs, after he was "promoted" to UA athletic director. At his age, though, I think his career from that point may have followed exactly the path he wanted.

As an addendum question: If Luke Fickell still had interest in the UA job, how many here would rather give him the job over Winters?

[Doug Snyder]

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

I coined the phrase, "The Graveyard of Coaches" a couple of years ago. Not exactly true today, but it was then. Dennison never sniffed even a 1AA job....Faust, enough said....Ownes, Ashland. It deserved the phrase. Howevere, Brookhart and now Coach I are in D-1A programs. No longer the graveyard in my mind, but still not the best of career choices.

http://buckeyefansonly.com/woody/ See paragraph 7. I did not think you were that old. But if you say you coined the phrase...who am I to say you are fibbing.

[Dr Z]

If Luke Fickell still had interest in the UA job, how many here would rather give him the job over Winters?

Given the choice between those two, that's a tough one. I think Luke is getting good advice, so I don't see him coming here. I've seen Luke coach a few games this year, I have never seen PW function as a HC. If you put a gun to my head and said I had to hire one, I would take Paul because of the experience. I fear Luke would be in over his head here. Luke will require a lot of help if he becomes a HC right now. He had everything in place when he took over at Columbus St. This job is going to require someone who has more experience.

[GP1]

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

I coined the phrase, "The Graveyard of Coaches" a couple of years ago. Not exactly true today, but it was then. Dennison never sniffed even a 1AA job....Faust, enough said....Ownes, Ashland. It deserved the phrase. Howevere, Brookhart and now Coach I are in D-1A programs. No longer the graveyard in my mind, but still not the best of career choices.

The funeral home of coaches?

I don't know if their careers are dead or not. Coaching at Akron can be like people moving to Florida. Not dead, but close. They don't call Florida "God's Waiting Room" for nothing.

[skip-zip]

looking at both those resumes, Akron HC job would not be the next step.

Well said. Akron isn't going to be a place for a guy who was head coach at OSU for a season to come, regardless of the circumstances. Typically, the MAC/Akron is a good fit for someone who is a long time assistant/short time coordinator to break in. Or, a guy like Winters or Kelly who did their time in lower divisions.

Nobody wants to hear it, but the Akron job would have been a step down for Fick. Last season was his chance to audition for a CUSA job. Given the cards he was dealt, he did a pretty good job. At the rate Pitt is going, they might just be CUSA quality if they don't watch out. Pitt is a step up for Fick and a good opportunity. If he proves himself, he could always go back to OSU in a few years when UM has had enough.

Come on. Not only did he look lost, but he also failed to identify who clearly was his top QB until mid-season. A few suspensions still left them with more talent than most teams they faced this year, yet he "led" that talent to a 6-6 record. He almost lost to a MAC team, almost lost to Indiana, got blown out by a bad Miami team, and showed what he accomplished during the course of the season by finishing the season with 3 consecutive losses, including Purdue. They plummeted from a #17 ranking to not getting a single Top-25 vote during the course of his run as coach.

If this was an "audition", it certainly didn't go well, to say the least.

[GP1]

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

I coined the phrase, "The Graveyard of Coaches" a couple of years ago. Not exactly true today, but it was then. Dennison never sniffed even a 1AA job....Faust, enough said....Ownes, Ashland. It deserved the phrase. Howevere, Brookhart and now Coach I are in D-1A programs. No longer the graveyard in my mind, but still not the best of career choices.

http://buckeyefansonly.com/woody/ See paragraph 5. I did not think you were that old. But if you say you coined the phase...who am I to say you are fibbing.

I'm missing something...

[Doug Snyder]

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

I coined the phrase, "The Graveyard of Coaches" a couple of years ago. Not exactly true today, but it was then. Dennison never sniffed even a 1AA job....Faust, enough said....Ownes, Ashland. It deserved the phrase. Howevere, Brookhart and now Coach I are in D-1A programs. No longer the graveyard in my mind, but still not the best of career choices.

http://buckeyefansonly.com/woody/ See paragraph 5. I did not think you were that old. But if you say you coined the phase...who am I to say you are fibbing.

I'm missing something...

oops paragraph 7

[Blue & Gold]

looking at both those resumes, Akron HC job would not be the next step.

Well said. Akron isn't going to be a place for a guy who was head coach at OSU for a season to come, regardless of the circumstances. Typically, the MAC/Akron is a good fit for someone who is a long time assistant/short time coordinator to break in. Or, a guy like Winters or Kelly who did their time in lower divisions.

Nobody wants to hear it, but the Akron job would have been a step down for Fick. Last season was his chance to audition for a CUSA job. Given the cards he was dealt, he did a pretty good job. At the rate Pitt is going, they might just be CUSA quality if they don't watch out. Pitt is a step up for Fick and a good opportunity. If he proves himself, he could always go back to OSU in a few years when UM has had enough.

Since we entered D1, the HC position at Akron has been a springboard to a lower division or out of coaching altogether.

Springboard? More like a diving board.

[Blue & Gold]

As an addendum question: If Luke Fickell still had interest in the UA job, how many here would rather give him the job over Winters?

No! PW all the way. I want an offensive-minded HC. Secondly, PW is used to working with less/smaller budget. LF is used to a bloated budget & a gluttony of talent @ Columbus State. He'd be shell shocked here. Contrarily, PW would be in heaven.

[GP1]

Come on. Not only did he look lost, but he also failed to identify who clearly was his top QB until mid-season. A few suspensions still left them with more talent than most teams they faced this year, yet he "led" that talent to a 6-6 record. He almost lost to a MAC team, almost lost to Indiana, got blown out by a bad Miami team, and showed what he accomplished during the course of the season by finishing the season with 3 consecutive losses, including Purdue. They plummeted from a #17 ranking to not getting a single Top-25 vote during the course of his run as coach.

If this was an "audition", it certainly didn't go well, to say the least.

How did he look lost?

The suspensions didn't hurt Luke, Pryor going to the NFL did. Pryor makes OSU three games better last year. This is a good chance to move the conversation to the Zips. If the next coach does not get a QB who can be successful in his offense, we will see more of the same from the Zips.

[GP1]

LF is used to a bloated budget & a gluttony of talent @ Columbus State. He'd be shell shocked here. Contrarily, PW would be in heaven.

Exactly. It is easy to win at OSU. One 1AA school, two MAC schools should equal three wins. They have five teams in the Big Ten that are terrible and they should have a 95% chance of winning with Faust coaching them. They have two other teams they should have an 80% chance of winning against. Two other games are up in the air. Under normal circumstances (last season was not normal), OSU should lose no more than three games.

It is hard as Hell to win at Akron. There is nobody lower than the MAC so he would have to play two bcs teams, one 1AA team and a nonBCS team. Starting the season every year with 3-4 loses is terrible for any program, let alone one with a tradition of failure.

[Blue & Gold]

How did he look lost?

The suspensions didn't hurt Luke, Pryor going to the NFL did. Pryor makes OSU three games better last year. This is a good chance to move the conversation to the Zips. If the next coach does not get a QB who can be successful in his offense, we will see more of the same from the Zips.

I think both Nicely & Moore would look better in a PW spread than in the iCoach pro-set. Especially Moore, I suppose, with his mobility.

[Dr Z]

Especially Moore, I suppose, with his mobility.

Most immobile mobile QB I have ever watched. Please tell me what makes a QB "mobile." I think Vick, Cunningham, Tebow, Edelman...even somebody like Ben. Moving to make positive things happen. I never really seen anything positive happen.

[Blue & Gold]

Especially Moore, I suppose, with his mobility.

Most immobile mobile QB I have ever watched. Please tell me what makes a QB "mobile." I think Vick, Cunningham, Tebow, Edelman...even somebody like Ben. Moving to make positive things happen. I never really seen anything positive happen.

Mobile relative to Nicely, I suppose. Of course my grandma is mobile relative to Nicely.

[ZachTheZip]

Narduzzi also interviewed for the Pitt job.

[Dave in Green]

Narduzzi also interviewed for the Pitt job.

Odd that Paul Zeise, the Pitt football beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, knew nothing this afternoon of a Narduzzi interview even though he seems to have details of others being interviewed for the job.

Help wanted: Pitt opens coaching interviews with Fickell, Cristobal

[ZachTheZip]

Narduzzi also interviewed for the Pitt job.

Odd that Paul Zeise, the Pitt football beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, knew nothing this afternoon of a Narduzzi interview even though he seems to have details of others being interviewed for the job.

Help wanted: Pitt opens coaching interviews with Fickell, Cristobal

That was written before footballscoop.com (which I'm sure was his "source") posted an update saying that Narduzzi and Mario Cristobal also interviewed later this afternoon.

[Dave in Green]

Zeise appears to have his own sources, as he mentions NIU's Dave Doeren who FootballScoop does not mention. Zeise and FootballScoop also disagree on what day Chryst is being interviewed.