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Wisconsin's (Presumed) Coaching Search

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Ripcord

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Aug 30, 2016
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a couple of thoughts/questions here.

First, I think it is a foregone conclusion that Fickell will be gone shortly after Thanksgiving. I see 3-9 as their best record in all likelihood, and they will not tolerate that kind of losing.

One questions is, does anybody have any thoughts on to what extent, if at all, Barry Alvarez is still involved with the program? He must be 75 years old and we don't really know his health status. I have not heard a thing about him or seen him shown on TV in a long time, so you have to wonder. I realize that he called the shots there for a long time, but with their recent decline, I have to think he is less and less influential.

Secondly, as far as their coaching search, I read on other sites that Matt Campbell would be interested. No idea what level of truth there is to that, but it almost makes more sense than Campbell being interested in Penn State. Just seems like too much pressure at PSU.
 
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Jonesy5960

Jonesy5960

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Ripcord said:
a couple of thoughts/questions here.

First, I think it is a foregone conclusion that Fickell will be gone shortly after Thanksgiving. I see 3-9 as their best record in all likelihood, and they will not tolerate that kind of losing.

One questions is, does anybody have any thoughts on to what extent, if at all, Barry Alvarez is still involved with the program? He must be 75 years old and we don't really know his health status. I have not heard a thing about him or seen him shown on TV in a long time, so you have to wonder. I realize that he called the shots there for a long time, but with their recent decline, I have to think he is less and less influential.

Secondly, as far as their coaching search, I read on other sites that Matt Campbell would be interested. No idea what level of truth there is to that, but it almost makes more sense than Campbell being interested in Penn State. Just seems like too much pressure at PSU.
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I think Campbell gets a call from both Wisconsin and PSU.
 
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hawkdave007

hawkdave007

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Dec 10, 2003
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Ripcord said:
a couple of thoughts/questions here.

First, I think it is a foregone conclusion that Fickell will be gone shortly after Thanksgiving. I see 3-9 as their best record in all likelihood, and they will not tolerate that kind of losing.

One questions is, does anybody have any thoughts on to what extent, if at all, Barry Alvarez is still involved with the program? He must be 75 years old and we don't really know his health status. I have not heard a thing about him or seen him shown on TV in a long time, so you have to wonder. I realize that he called the shots there for a long time, but with their recent decline, I have to think he is less and less influential.

Secondly, as far as their coaching search, I read on other sites that Matt Campbell would be interested. No idea what level of truth there is to that, but it almost makes more sense than Campbell being interested in Penn State. Just seems like too much pressure at PSU.
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Regarding Alvarez: it depends who you ask. I think the consensus is that he hand-picked McIntosh and still holds a good amount of influence over the football program. A good number of booster still consider him to be "Saint Barry", so that gives him some indirect political control over the program. McIntosh is taking a lot of heat right now so he'll need Barry to give him some cover if he's going to be around to pick the next head football coach. But Barry is getting some flack up there right now too ever since the McIntosh debacle and since he called the fans "spoiled" after they chanted "fire Fickell" at one of the games, so perhaps his influence is running out.

Regarding Campbell and the whole Wisconsin vs Iowa State job comparison: while the Wisconsin job is better on paper, it's only better for the right coach with the right personality.

At Iowa State, Campbell and the culture he built *is* the entire program - they are essentially "the Fighting Campbells", and as soon as he leaves, they go back to being a nothing burger FBS program.

Whereas at Wisconsin, Madison/Alvarez/Ron Dayne/3x90s Rose Bowls is the culture there, and any coach not named Alvarez is just a "caretaker" who "better not screw it up".

In short: Wisconsin is weird football culture and a weird job. It's basically the Nebraska job with slightly lower expectations and pay, but better looking scenery.

I think Campbell has a much better thing going on at Iowa State than he would at Wisconsin, and if they do come calling he should use the opening as a means to score a pay raise from Jamie Pollard, but leave it at that.
 
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OnlyTheObscure

OnlyTheObscure

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Wisconsin is like Iowa job. The new coach will need to be a hell of a lot better than anybody from their past to make the playoff in this new era.
 
H

HerkyFan

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Jonesy5960 said:
If he can win at ISU, he can win anywhere. PSU has 10x the resources.
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I get that he has won at isu but are the decision makers at PSU going to see him as the answer for what Franklin couldn’t do? I don’t get the impression that one 11 win season is a reason to hire him at PSU. Has Campbell shown he can win games against Top 5 teams and win a national championship? That is who PSU is looking to hire. I don’t see Campbell’s record at isu as something PSU would look at unless they have 4-6 others say no.
 
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The Big Z

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HerkyFan said:
I get that he has won at isu but are the decision makers at PSU going to see him as the answer for what Franklin couldn’t do? I don’t get the impression that one 11 win season is a reason to hire him at PSU. Has Campbell shown he can win games against Top 5 teams and win a national championship? That is who PSU is looking to hire. I don’t see Campbell’s record at isu as something PSU would look at unless they have 4-6 others say no.
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Well they’re supposedly looking at Rhule has he done any of that? And how many available coaches have?
 
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Burgers

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When asking “why would he leave [x] for [y]?” what most of us fans fail to consider is ego.

Campbell can stay at Iowa State for life and be an Iowa State legend. But it is nearly impossible for him to win a national championship there. He’d at least have a chance at Penn State.

I have no idea how big Campbell’s ego is. Or perhaps his ego is more suited to being the big fish in a small pond. If I were him, I’d stay at Iowa State, but we all have different personalities.
 
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Hawk_4shur

Hawk_4shur

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Burgers said:
When asking “why would he leave [x] for [y]?” what most of us fans fail to consider is ego.

Campbell can stay at Iowa State for life and be an Iowa State legend. But it is nearly impossible for him to win a national championship there. He’d at least have a chance at Penn State.

I have no idea how big Campbell’s ego is. Or perhaps his ego is more suited to being the big fish in a small pond. If I were him, I’d stay at Iowa State, but we all have different personalities.
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Successful football coaches are a rare breed. They spend their lives asking players to do more, to reach for higher goals. This attitude males hard for a coach to "settle", when a better opportunity is available.

If he goes to PSU, I don't think it will be for money. ISU will do everything they can to match PSU money if they can. If he leaves it will be for the challenge/opportunity at PSU.
 
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NWHawk33

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I don't see Campbell to Wisconsin. Like it or not he has won at ISU and clearly is a program and culture builder. Him leaving for anything other than a blue blood is kind of pointless.

He has a built a program to be a contender in a mostly even conference. He leaves that to go to Wisconsin for what? To build them to be just as good as Iowa again and then still finish behind Oregon, OhSt, Mich, PennSt, USC 90% of the time?
 
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squeezebox_1

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Blackleaf40 said:
The question to be asked is why they would want Rhule there? His record against ranked teams is abysmal.

I think there's a cautionary tale in hiring alums expecting awesome results aka Scott Frost.
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The difference is a proven coach. Harbaugh took Michigan back to blue blood levels. Gundy did quite well for a while. Kirby Smart is arguably the best coach in football. The list goes on, however, I don't think Rhule is at that level. He hasn't proven ****, can't win the big game, and has had high level recruits at Debby.
 
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WeBeHerkin

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Blackleaf40 said:
The question to be asked is why they would want Rhule there? His record against ranked teams is abysmal.

I think there's a cautionary tale in hiring alums expecting awesome results aka Scott Frost.
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Because he is buddies with the AD. He is a Penn State guy. He played there, etc etc
 
Jonesy5960

Jonesy5960

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stanzithemanzi said:
It's a better job, but I think less stability and probably harder to make the college football playoff at Wisconsin than at Iowa State.
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They were in the playoff last year and were a preseason favorite to win it all this year. They are way better positioned to make noise in the CFP than ISU will ever be.
 
OnlyTheObscure

OnlyTheObscure

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Jonesy5960 said:
They were in the playoff last year and were a preseason favorite to win it all this year. They are way better positioned to make noise in the CFP than ISU will ever be.
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I agree. But I think ISU is in a better position than Wisky to make the playoff. ISU just needs to win a sub level conference. Wisky would need to run the gauntlet in the Big Ten.
 
Max Rebo

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NWHawk33 said:
Is the Jim Leonhard bridge burned? That seems like an obvious hire to fix the defense. He then hires a halfway decent OC and I can see a quick turnaround there.
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With the current Wisconsin AD, I don't think there's any way Leonhard would go back. But there has also been speculation that the AD will be out, too.

Perhaps the discussion ought to be whether or not Jamie Pollard, a Wisconsin native, would leave his post at ISU for a similar position at Wisky.
 
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WeBeHerkin

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Max Rebo said:
With the current Wisconsin AD, I don't think there's any way Leonhard would go back. But there has also been speculation that the AD will be out, too.

Perhaps the discussion ought to be whether or not Jamie Pollard, a Wisconsin native, would leave his post at ISU for a similar position at Wisky.
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Jamie has to be close to being done done.
 
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