New Coach Option

[biker7766]

I posted this on the paid board, but was curious to reach out to more people and hear their thoughts.

Amid the endless Greg Schiano threads, I notice many people who say they don't want Greg, but want somebody else. When challenged on other viable options, they simply fail to come up with a realistic answer. While I wouldn't be upset if Greg came back to Rutgers in any way, or if a guy like Butch Jones was hired, I wouldn't mind. Names like Lance Leipold and Phil Longo just don't do it for me. I know that everyone wants a proven, successful P5 head coach, and everyone wants someone who is a dynamic recruiter and runs an electric offense.
The only person to me that checks off all of those boxes is Joe Moorhead from Mississippi State. Joe is the best option for Rutgers football.

Joe Moorhead started off his coaching career at Fordham, turning their program around from a 1-10 season, to 6-5 the next year. In the 4 years he coached at Fordham, he compiled a record of 38-13, and went to the FCS Playoffs 3 times.

Fast forward to his next stop, Penn State. Joe was the OC/QB coach at Penn State for the 2016 and 2017 season. During James Franklin's first two years as head coach (and prior to Moorhead's arrival), the Penn State offense averaged 335.3 yards per game in 2014 and 348.4 yards per game in 2015. While learning Moorhead's offensive system during 2016, offensive output at Penn State improved to 432.6 yards per game.

On August 24, 2017, Moorhead was named the No. 1 rising assistant in college football by Sports Illustrated and Yahoo.

At Penn State, Moorhead had a hand in raking in the 20th ranked recruiting class in 2016, the 15th best class in 2017, and the 6th best class in 2018.

Moorhead is known as helping his offenses thrive with the personnel that he is handed, and is known for being more player oriented than system oriented.

Following his successful tenure as the Penn State OC, Moorhead was hired as the head coach of Mississippi State in 2018 after Dan Mullens left to go to Florida. In his first season as Bulldogs' head coach, Moorhead lead the team to an 8-5 record (bowl loss to Iowa), with signature wins over No. 8 Auburn, No. 16 Texas A&M, and at Ole Miss. Mississippi State currently has a 2-1 record in 2019.

The best part about hiring Joe Moorhead is that, HE HAS NO BUYOUT! That's right, $0. He just recently got a contract extension with the school, paying him a salary of $3.05 million a year, which is a number that Rutgers should at the very least match for their next head coach. If we offer $3.5m-4m, I think we would have a serious shot at getting him to leave Starkville.

Moorhead has all of the tools to be successful at Rutgers, and I think his offense combined with his recruiting would be dynamite for this school. Would like to hear your thoughts.

 

[Knight Shift]

I would never say no to More Head.

 

[RU4Real]

Moorhead is a solid candidate. He was a solid candidate 4 years ago.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Moorhead is a great option. The price tag is the biggest issue. It will probably take $4M to make it happen (IF he is interested). I do not think the university and donors would pony up that much for him.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

I posted this on the paid board, but was curious to reach out to more people and hear their thoughts.

Amid the endless Greg Schiano threads, I notice many people who say they don't want Greg, but want somebody else. When challenged on other viable options, they simply fail to come up with a realistic answer. While I wouldn't be upset if Greg came back to Rutgers in any way, or if a guy like Butch Jones was hired, I wouldn't mind. Names like Lance Leipold and Phil Longo just don't do it for me. I know that everyone wants a proven, successful P5 head coach, and everyone wants someone who is a dynamic recruiter and runs an electric offense.
The only person to me that checks off all of those boxes is Joe Moorhead from Mississippi State. Joe is the best option for Rutgers football.

Joe Moorhead started off his coaching career at Fordham, turning their program around from a 1-10 season, to 6-5 the next year. In the 4 years he coached at Fordham, he compiled a record of 38-13, and went to the FCS Playoffs 3 times.

Fast forward to his next stop, Penn State. Joe was the OC/QB coach at Penn State for the 2016 and 2017 season. During James Franklin's first two years as head coach (and prior to Moorhead's arrival), the Penn State offense averaged 335.3 yards per game in 2014 and 348.4 yards per game in 2015. While learning Moorhead's offensive system during 2016, offensive output at Penn State improved to 432.6 yards per game.

On August 24, 2017, Moorhead was named the No. 1 rising assistant in college football by Sports Illustrated and Yahoo.

At Penn State, Moorhead had a hand in raking in the 20th ranked recruiting class in 2016, the 15th best class in 2017, and the 6th best class in 2018.

Moorhead is known as helping his offenses thrive with the personnel that he is handed, and is known for being more player oriented than system oriented.

Following his successful tenure as the Penn State OC, Moorhead was hired as the head coach of Mississippi State in 2018 after Dan Mullens left to go to Florida. In his first season as Bulldogs' head coach, Moorhead lead the team to an 8-5 record (bowl loss to Iowa), with signature wins over No. 8 Auburn, No. 16 Texas A&M, and at Ole Miss. Mississippi State currently has a 2-1 record in 2019.

The best part about hiring Joe Moorhead is that, HE HAS NO BUYOUT! That's right, $0. He just recently got a contract extension with the school, paying him a salary of $3.05 million a year, which is a number that Rutgers should at the very least match for their next head coach. If we offer $3.5m-4m, I think we would have a serious shot at getting him to leave Starkville.

Moorhead has all of the tools to be successful at Rutgers, and I think his offense combined with his recruiting would be dynamite for this school. Would like to hear your thoughts.

He's been talked about here before and I know his initial contract had no buyout like Matt Luke as well at Ole Miss. I couldn't find anything after the new contract was written other than salary. Got a link saying there's no buyout in the new deal as well?

He's a perfectly fine candidate and he hired a solid DC in Bob Shoop..who did well at PSU but not so much at Tenn with Jones but he's doing well again at Miss. State.

It's still hard to think a P5 coach would come here and probably can't outbid Miss. State if they really want him but because he's from this area it's not completely out of the realm of reality that he could pull a Gary Andersen Wisconsin to Oregon State type move.

 

[newell138]

I think the only draw to leave MSU to come to RU is that he is from PA and played/coached at Fordham, otherwise, why leave a solid program with good support to do a rebuild? The money we offer won't be much more than what he is getting and who's to say MSU doesn't give him a raise if he shows interest.

 

[Shelby65]

The way I see it, a P5 coach will move to another P5 either for a boatload of more $$ or an easier conference/division. Rutgers doesn't provide either, not even for SEC West coaches, so I highly doubt we attract another P5 coach. We'd be looking at mid major HCs (likely) and P5 Coordinators.

 

[KevH]

I would never say no to More Head.

Who would?? That's it! It's done. We all want More Head! He's clearly the only unanimous choice out there.

 

[scarletrat]

Moorhead is my ideal choice...provided RU ponies up for him and assistants...north of $4M for him...something like a 5 year/$20M contract...though, we may later hear, like Mullen, RU was "in it" but couldn't cough up or was unwilling to dole out what is needed for assistants, thus fell through.

I suppose we may have a better shot if Moorhead has the same agent as Hobbs.

 

[Knight Shift]

Who would?? That's it! It's done. We all want More Head! He's clearly the only unanimous choice out there.

Should we start a chant at the next home game "We want More Head"?

 

[biker7766]

I think the only draw to leave MSU to come to RU is that he is from PA and played/coached at Fordham, otherwise, why leave a solid program with good support to do a rebuild? The money we offer won't be much more than what he is getting and who's to say MSU doesn't give him a raise if he shows interest.

I've heard that Starkville, MS is a god awful place to live. For our sake, would be awesome if he was interested in moving back to the Northeast. I also think if we pony up the $4M, he'd be ours for the taking.

 

[RU4Real]

Should we start a chant at the next home game "We want More Head"?

MOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

HEADDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!

 

[RU from Jersey_rivals]

I just don't see any P5 head coach coming to RU for any reason unless RU can pay top dollar(we know that ain't happening). So if you are looking for someone with head coaching experience then it will be from a non power 5 school or 1AA. I just think you have to look at those other options before you fall back to GS. GS certainly would not be a bad choice, but I really believe you need to look at some offensive minded coach as that is direction the game has gone.

 

[FRA10Thunderbolt]

I just don't see any P5 head coach coming to RU for any reason unless RU can pay top dollar(we know that ain't happening). So if you are looking for someone with head coaching experience then it will be from a non power 5 school or 1AA. I just think you have to look at those other options before you fall back to GS. GS certainly would not be a bad choice, but I really believe you need to look at some offensive minded coach as that is direction the game has gone.

In others words Lance Leipold!

 

[RU from Jersey_rivals]

In others words Lance Leipold!

He is certainly worth a look.

 

[scarletrider]

The bulldogs are in the SEC so it is at best a lateral conference move.
$3mil in Mississippi is like $4mil or more here in NJ so it is hardly a pay raise.

would be a tough sell.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

With the money saved on a buyout we could afford him

 

[Knight Shift]

The bulldogs are in the SEC so it is at best a lateral conference move.
$3mil in Mississippi is like $4mil or more here in NJ so it is hardly a pay raise.

would be a tough sell.

Once you are making $3million, living in Mississippi or NJ does not matter. And when you make $3million, you generally want to leave Mississippi.

 

[Pils86]

He sounds great but I think the only way we would get him if he wanted to get back to the northeast and we can come up with $5 million per year. It is certainly worth making contact but I think he is a very big reach for us.

 

[zappaa]

Leave Mississippi State for a beat up program with no depth... keep waiting

 

[mildone_rivals]

MOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

HEADDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!

This idea alone has me really hoping we hire him. I mean, winning football games is nice and all. But the prospect of a stadium full of people screaming out a "more head" chant represents the perfect culmination of my lifetime wasted drunkenly trading sexual inyourendo with cute women at bars.

We have to make this happen.

 

[BlockR]

so hes going to leave his current position to come to RU...why?
Because cheap RU is going to offer him 5.5 Mill?
Never Happen.

 

[Knight Shift]

This idea alone has me really hoping we hire him. I mean, winning football games is nice and all. But the prospect of a stadium full of people screaming out a "more head" chant represents the perfect culmination of my lifetime wasted drunkenly trading sexual inyourendo with cute women at bars.

We have to make this happen.

Fly a banner plane over their stadium at their next home game.

 

[OldManRiver1]

Once you are making $3million, living in Mississippi or NJ does not matter. And when you make $3million, you generally want to leave Mississippi.

What is that Mississippi $3m translate to in NJ $'s?....$6-7m

 

[Knight Shift]

What is that Mississippi $3m translate to in NJ $'s?....$6-7m

I don't know where you get that from.
Let's assume a decent executive house in Mississippi is $500,000, with 20% down, that's a monthly payment of $1891/month or $22,692/year for a mortgage.

Let's say a decent house in NJ in proximity to Rutgers is $1,500,000, with 20% down that's a monthly payment of $5674, or $68,000/year.

That's a difference of less than $50,000/year. In my experience living in a several other states (NC, IN, OH) there are a lot of local taxes, very high costs for car registration and you usually pay for private trash collection. On top of that, the schools in Mississippi are apparently not very good. Private school for each kid can cost $20,000/year or more. The property taxes in NJ will be higher.

However, this myth that a person making $3million in Mississippi translates to $6-7 million in NJ does not seem to make sense, unless I am missing something.

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

As has been alluded to after a certain point there’s a diminishing returns of salary against cost of living....quality of life etc matters too.

As I said above the only way Moorhead is plausible is based on geography not salary. We’re not outbidding MissSt at least not appreciably, especially if they want him. Andersen was making 2.3M at Wisconsin he made 2.45M at Oregon State ...do you think that was the difference? The only way it’s in the realm of reality is if he or his family has a hankering to come back to the northeast not because of money....cause Miss St can match or better anything we’d realistically offer.

 

[Knight Shift]

As has been alluded to after a certain point there’s a diminishing returns of salary against cost of living....quality of life etc matters too.

As I said above the only way Moorhead is plausible is based on geography not salary. We’re not outbidding MissSt at least not appreciably, especially if they want him. Andersen was making 2.3M at Wisconsin he made 2.45M at Oregon State ...do you think that was the difference? The only way it’s in the realm of reality is if he or his family has a hankering to come back to the northeast not because of money....cause Miss St can match or better anything we’d realistically offer.

Andersen is a bad example. Wasn't he the same guy who resigned and would not take a buyout because he saw his HC tenure as a failure?

 

[rutgersguy1_rivals]

Andersen is a bad example. Wasn't he the same guy who resigned and would not take a buyout because he saw his HC tenure as a failure?

Yea he left like 12M on the table when he left Oregon State. But why is it a bad example...would you think anyone would leave Wisconsin for Oregon State? I think more familiar geography was at least part of the reason and that's only play we'd have in getting someone like Moorhead.

 

[Knight Shift]

Yea he left like 12M on the table when he left Oregon State. But why is it a bad example...would you think anyone would leave Wisconsin for Oregon State? I think more familiar geography was at least part of the reason and that's only play we'd have in getting someone like Moorhead.

On that part I agree. But he may just not be wired to care about money. I know people like that who are comfortable where they are at financially, and would take the same or even less money to gain access to a better location. The only thing with moving to RU is the reputation the job has as a career graveyard for coaches. Someone like Moorhead would have to possess a high amount of confidence in his abilities to turn this around. He did this at Fordham:
"Inheriting a 1–10 team, the Rams had the second largest turnaround in FCS in 2012 (6–5). The Rams opened the 2013 season with ten consecutive wins, the best start in Fordham's history."
And he looks like he has a high degree of confidence:

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Plus... endless Moorhead memes!

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

GS is better choice. If not now, than never again. By the time he's done.. Due to success or failure, we' d be getting more from B1G and could better afford the next version of a Morehead.

 

[MADHAT1]

GS is better choice. If not now, than never again. By the time he's done.. Due to success or failure, we' d be getting more from B1G and could better afford the next version of a Morehead.

I like Greg and wouldn't be opposed to him being hired.
But give me a choice between Moorhead and Schiano and I'd take Joe ASAP.
Moorhead was a winner at a lower level and has
coached in the Tri State area making connections with HS programs that will be vital in bringing in the recruits like I feel Schiano could.
The difference is Joe probably is a better gameday coach and has a good chance to
be a builder of programs because of his are connections, HC experience and knowing what it takes to succeed by coaching in strong SEC conference .
He also probably understands what it takes to rebuild a program from being at Penn St, even if he wasn't part of that rebuild.
Discussions about what BOB and Franklin did to move on from the sanctions had to come up, giving him a good idea what he would need to do to make RU FB into a winning team from being a program that's going nowhere but down.

Schiano should be on the list of the better candidates that would come to Rutgers.
But Moorhead would be on the list of who would best if Rutgers could get him.
Schiano , no matter how much I respect what he did, doesn't deserve to be on that one , even if he did a magnificent job the first time in building a winning team at Rutgers

 

[ScarletCrimson]

Mrs. Moorhead, is that you?

 

[MADHAT1]

Mrs. Moorhead, is that you?

 

[miketd1]

 

[graystork]

Why would he give up his job at Miss State? He has more resources, a supportive administration, a successful program in arguably the best conference in the country. Is our BOG willing to outbid Miss State for this guy? Agreed he seems like a decent hire, but the issue is he's in a much better place now, why would he move?

 

[RU_DIO]

On that part I agree. But he may just not be wired to care about money. I know people like that who are comfortable where they are at financially, and would take the same or even less money to gain access to a better location. The only thing with moving to RU is the reputation the job has as a career graveyard for coaches. Someone like Moorhead would have to possess a high amount of confidence in his abilities to turn this around. He did this at Fordham:
"Inheriting a 1–10 team, the Rams had the second largest turnaround in FCS in 2012 (6–5). The Rams opened the 2013 season with ten consecutive wins, the best start in Fordham's history."
And he looks like he has a high degree of confidence:

He looks like he's saying, "Give me More Head"

 

[sherrane]

I don't know where you get that from.
Let's assume a decent executive house in Mississippi is $500,000, with 20% down, that's a monthly payment of $1891/month or $22,692/year for a mortgage.

Let's say a decent house in NJ in proximity to Rutgers is $1,500,000, with 20% down that's a monthly payment of $5674, or $68,000/year.

That's a difference of less than $50,000/year. In my experience living in a several other states (NC, IN, OH) there are a lot of local taxes, very high costs for car registration and you usually pay for private trash collection. On top of that, the schools in Mississippi are apparently not very good. Private school for each kid can cost $20,000/year or more. The property taxes in NJ will be higher.

However, this myth that a person making $3million in Mississippi translates to $6-7 million in NJ does not seem to make sense, unless I am missing something.

The cost of living is about 27% less in Mississippi than NJ. They also have a 5% max state income tax compared to 9% (8.97) in NJ.

 

[RUJohnny99]

What is that Mississippi $3m translate to in NJ $'s?....$6-7m

It's pretty much the same difference between living like a 0.3%er and a 0.45%er. Except he can't get good ethnic food anywhere down there.

 

[OldManRiver1]

He looks like he's saying, "Give me More Head"

Nah...that looks like a "I just got some" look