Thoughts on potential candidates to replace Jake Spavital

B

Baseballnut

Active member
As far as budget comparisons, if you want to compare ours to other schools make you include the fact that our facility operations budget is included in our athletic budget. Almost all other schools facility operations budget is under the operations budget for the school. Ours has been like this for years.
 
SWTRefugee

SWTRefugee

M&G Gift Contributor
I detest consultants (McKenzie, et. al) but would TXST benefit from hiring one to gain insight on how to hire a coach after such a string of failures and to learn how to make itself marketable to a new coach? Post-Wacker it seems like Fran 1.0 and Baliff have been the only decent hires we’ve made.
 
LT Spider

LT Spider

Active member
LTK5H said:
I'd take this guy in a heartbeat

✅ Head Coach experience
✅ Current Unit is #2 in FBS
✅ Current Team is ranked #7
❌ Coached in Texas
✅ Has 9 Texans on Unit's 2-deep

Jim Knowles - Defensive Coordinator - Football Coaches - Oklahoma State University Athletics

Fourth Year at OSU | 34th Year Overall Cornell, 1987 • With more than 30 years of college coaching experience, Jim Knowles joined the Oklahoma State coaching
okstate.com okstate.com
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I would be good with this. That red x doesn’t really do him justice on the Texas scene because OSU is so active in recruiting here.

I have been advocating for a head coach that’s very experienced and ready to ride off into the sunset for many reasons. But I would take a coordinator with this level of experience as well. Not my first choice, but he’s done a great job there.
 
DrumCat

DrumCat

Active member
SWTRefugee said:
I detest consultants (McKenzie, et. al) but would TXST benefit from hiring one to gain insight on how to hire a coach after such a string of failures and to learn how to make itself marketable to a new coach? Post-Wacker it seems like Fran 1.0 and Baliff have been the only decent hires we’ve made.
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That just sounds like putting real expensive lipstick on a pig. However many tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars could be much better spent on actually improving the program, rather than finding ways to make other people think we've improved the program.
 
LTK5H

LTK5H

M&G Gift Contributor
M&G Collective Member
LT Spider said:
I would be good with this. That red x doesn’t really do him justice on the Texas scene because OSU is so active in recruiting here.
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Yup - that's why I added the Texans on D in the next line...honestly a little surprised to see only 9 on the 2 deep, and only a couple of starters. Their roster is much more geographically diverse than even just a couple of years ago. Still, 47 Texans on the overall roster.
 
SWTRefugee

SWTRefugee

M&G Gift Contributor
LTK5H said:
Yup - that's why I added the Texans on D in the next line...honestly a little surprised to see only 9 on the 2 deep, and only a couple of starters. Their roster is much more geographically diverse than even just a couple of years ago. Still, 47 Texans on the overall roster.
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When Switzer was at OU, disenchanted Tejas fans referred to OU as UT-Norman. Maybe OSU has become UT-Stillwater!
 
T

TxSt1992

Active member
Well, just went through the entire thread to get a list of names. So far we have the following candidates* that are still in play:

Scott Surratt - HC Carthage HS - Would make a great OC, Assistant HC, no college experience would make him a high risk, high reward pick. Also not sure if he wants to make the jump to college. That said, 15 years as a HS HC, 125-24 record, 8 championships, 6 other trips to playoffs.

Jim Knowles -DC - Another year or two like this one and he'll have a P5 position available to him. Not sure we could afford him.

Eric Morris - UIW HC /Former OC-Texas Tech - One of our best, most realistic options. UIW has been a horrible football program for most of their 8 year history prior to EM taking over. Now the Cardinals are FCS playoff bound for 2nd time in 4 years. Has had one losing season his stint there. Also has plenty of FBS experience with being OC at Texas Tech for 5 years. Absolute homerun hire IMO. Defense needs to improve immensely however.

Colby Carthel - SFA HC - Again one of our best most, realistic options. SFA was horrible prior to Carthel getting there and now are playoff bound 3 years later. Has had only one losing season his entire coaching career (2019/1st year at SFA). Playing UIW in San Antonio this coming Saturday, I might go there just to check it out. With Sam Houston moving on to FBS, look for SFA to really start taking over FCS soon.

Jason Washington - MSU Assistant Coach - High risk, high reward type of hire. Love his personality, and would certainly improve recruiting at HS level. Lack of even coordinator experience after 16-17 years of coaching at college level is a huge red flag however. Would love to have him back here as a DC which would make him a shoe-in for next round of coaching changes. Not sure how possible that is however.

Tom Herman - Ex HC at UT - IMO would be a winner, but would be a controversial hire.

Kendall Briles - OC at U of Arkansas - Arkansas saw massive improvement, not sure otherwise. KB should be in for a P5 position in the next 2-3 years. SEC coordinators out earn most G5 HCs (looked it up KB earns $1 million/year). Not sure if would be a realistic option.

Brian Bohannon - Kennesaw State U/Georgia - Triple option HC. It would all depend on how many Texas HS still run the triple option, my guess not many.

David Bailif - Current A&M-Commerce HC/ Ex-HC TXST - Not sure if there's interest on either side.

K.C. Keeler - Sam Houston HC - Would be a homerun hire, not sure if interested since SHSU is moving up to FBS.

Matt Wells - Former Texas Tech HC - good HC but never recruited well at Tech and I doubt he would do better at TXST.

Gary Patterson - Former HC at TCU - I have a feeling he was burned out at TCU. Maybe after a few years off, to get his groove back. Right now I wouldn't expect him to do a great job at TXST aside from his obvious coaching talent.

Jerry Kill - Interim HC at TCU/ Former HC U of Minnesota - health issues. His time as interim HC proves he still has it however.

Jim Leavitt - Current DC at SMU/ Former HC at South Florida - Tons of experience in coaching. Would be a great hire IMO, with that said SMU defense is average at best.

Jeff Grimes - Current OC at Baylor - Will get a P5 job soon IMO. We may not be able to afford him. Would make a great hire otherwise.

Willy Korn - Current OC at Coastal Carolina -Would make a great hire for Coastal or another school in the Carolinas. for TXST? I don't think so.

*Just for fun since there's about a 90% chance Spav still here next year.
 
GMAN

GMAN

Active member
IF... (and I doubt it) we have a HC vacancy at the end of the season, I think these are the three best realistic options:

Eric Morris - UIW HC /Former OC-Texas Tech

Colby Carthel - SFA HC

Jim Knowles -DC -OSU

I have a feeling that Spav stays on, his brother and A LOT of his staff are gone and he gets one more year....
 
T

TxSt1992

Active member
Mpf43 said:
I would be very happy with that if he also gave up playcalling duties.
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This is number one. If he could at least do that I'd be ok with him coming back. The defense has its own issues but its a joy to watch when compared to the offense.
 
M

Mpf43

Active member
Agree. I keep wanting exactly what frost is doing at nebraska. He is looking for a new oc who will bring in a different style offense and he is giving up play calling duties. He (or possibly not his decision) has recognized his offense was not working and is making drastic changes in a last effort to save his job.
 
V

vp98

Active member
Enjoy the list but because of our dumpster fire only two or three are realistic. People like Patterson will get interest from P5 teams and Herman is now in the NFL where nobody cares about how much of a scumbag you are. Would love to give Morris a call. Would probably be my top realistic candidate
 
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