Say Goodbye to Coach Fran Thread
by awiggo on Nov 5, 2007 2:53 PM CST
in Football
58 comments
It's official. Coach Fran and Texas A&M are talking buyout. This is, of course, not a suprise. However, the timing is a little strange. The Aggies have two regular season games remaining: at Missouri and vs. Texas. And surprisingly, they are already bowl eligible. I guess not even three straight wins would be enough. It remains unclear whether Coach Fran will guide the Aggies the rest of the season.
According to ESPN, Fran could inexplicably take home $8 million! Oh, to be so bad and so rich.
This is a sad day for Longhorn fans. Having Coach Fran in College Station was worth countless laughs and usually a season ending W. Head on over to TexAgs to take it all in.
Names A&M is rumored to be considering: Tommy Tuberville, Auburn; Will Muschamp, Auburn; and Gary Patterson, TCU.
Other names: Mike Price, UTEP and Chris Peterson, Boise State.
And of course a few pipe dreams: Jeff Tedford, Cal and Steve Spurrier, South Carolina.
Whoever they land won't make any difference until they can start winning recruiting battles with OU, Texas, and LSU.
As a Texas fan, who would scare you the most? Would anyone scare you? Post your thoughts and goodbyes here.
--AW--
0 recs |
58 comments
Email
Print
Comments
I'm kind of hoping
they become more competitive. The rivalry has become stale, even with their win last November.
by BrooklynHorn on Nov 5, 2007 2:58 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Re:
Initially, Tuberville scares me the most. I think he can come in and win right away. I can't see Tuberville leaving Alabama-lite for Texas-lite though. He's already got a great job at a great school in the "best" conference in which he won his battle with the AD.
From a long-term and more realistic standpoint, I think Chris Petersen could be their best possible hire. Imagining Jarrod Johnson running that Statue of Liberty play gives me the shakes.
by jc25 on Nov 5, 2007 3:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Buy-Bye Fran
I'm assuming A&M is getting the word out to try and get a jump on the coaching carousel.
Does anyone know why Tubberville's name is being mentioned? Is he rumored to be getting fired? I know there are a ton of big name schools that are going to have coaching vacancies at the end of the year but I wasn't aware Auburn was going to be one of them.
I don't see Auburn to Texas A&M being a step up. Then again, I didn't think Alabama to A&M was a step up either. But I always thought Fran made that move because Bama was being tagged with a ton of NCAA violations.
Regardless, I wonder how many of the Aggie players are standing up for Fran now. What a mess.
by 54b on Nov 5, 2007 3:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Scare!
Gary Patterson scare me the most. He is the type that can steal recruits from us.
Do they think they have a realistic chance at Tommy Tuberville by the way?
Tedford and Spurrier? haha! Dream on, aggs!
by Cyrus on Nov 5, 2007 3:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
That was my initial thought too.
But then I thought about it, and realized a Texas team that played really poorly still took it to TCU. I don't know if he scares me so much after all.
by chief on Nov 5, 2007 5:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Spurier
Spurrier would scare me the most if I thought there was a chance in HELL he would take the job. Of the likely, Patterson scares me. Although A&M has not recruited better than Texas, OU and LSU, they recruit better than TCU. Patterson is a good coach, so even with "leftovers" I think he could turn it around.
by billb on Nov 5, 2007 3:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Tubberville
No, he's not on his way out, unless he opts out. He's got solid job security there, but he may do some posturing to get the administratin there to pony up some extra bucks to keep him around.
Aggie fans want to think they can get a first class hire, but I don't think any big name coach would make a lateral move there. And I don't think someone like Chris Pederson would make his first big upward move to a p[lace like A&M where it'd take a long while to be competitive with OU and UT.
Gary Patterson from TCU or Mike Price from UTEP seems far more likely to me.
by Blitzburgh on Nov 5, 2007 3:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Gary Patterson
I would find it quite comical if Patterson took the job. Settling for Fran's sloppy seconds, not once, but twice. And this time would be a step down, too, because a&m is in nowhere near the shape that TCU was when he took over.
by GoHorns on Nov 5, 2007 3:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Gary Patterson would be
a great hire for ATM, and would scare me the most. But there are other coaches on the hot seat this year, Karl Dorrell of UCLA and Bill Callahan. I think he would take those 2 jobs in a heartbeat over Texas A&M.
by mvplonghorns on Nov 5, 2007 3:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
That's the other factor in this debate
Which other "name-brand" programs will be seeking to fill a vacancy at the end of this season?
by Shake on Nov 5, 2007 3:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
For what it's worth
Got this from an Aggie friend of mine whose father-in-law is a big A&M donor...supposedly the deal is done and Fran is out with a $2 million severence. He couldn't tell me if Fran would be coaching this Saturday though?
Even more interesting, he said the the top 4 replacement prospects are Spurrier, Rich Rodriguez, Tuberville & John Gruden.
Yeah, John Gruden. You think Gruden would bring a nasty defense back to College Station?
With their home field advantage, any coach that could return the Aggie defense to what is was in the late 80's and early 90's gets my vote as scariest.
by 54b on Nov 5, 2007 3:43 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Pesos
How much did that info cost him? $1200?
Do they think Rich Rodriguez will want to go from top dog in the Big Easy to fourth or fifth in the Big 12? He's recruiting quite well in WVU.
Of the non-pipe dreams, I would say Peterson scares me the most. I'm assuming, of course, that he won't get conservative and play like he's got something to lose all of a sudden now that he's at a bigger name place. I don't worry about any of the old-school guys - Mack plans all his games as if we're playing against Notre Dame from the '60s anyway.
by Horn Brain on Nov 5, 2007 4:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
DELUSIONAL aggies
Haha, this is hysterical. Look at this:
Why not Urban Meyer
Or this thread where almost everyone think Tubberville is not good enough for the almighty Aggies:
4 mediocre years with Ole Miss
1 conference championship in 9 years with Auburn.underwhelming.
no thanks.
And check this thread out about Applewhite:
Applewhite
by Cyrus on Nov 5, 2007 3:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
1 title in nine years
That sounds familiar
by FreedomDip on Nov 5, 2007 6:58 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That's hysterical stuff about Applewhite
The aggies must realize their program presents particular problems and will take an experienced and preferable wise coach to knock heads and sort it out. Right now they're talking popularity contest, not realistically appraising their serious needs.
by whills on Nov 5, 2007 7:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Notre Dame
Who's the coach at Notre Dame? Might not he be looking for a job? Two or three weeks ago, I would have suggested the guy at USF, but I'm sure his stock has plummeted. How about the UCF coach? He's done a good job this year (scared us), and A&M would be a step up.
by OBdoc on Nov 5, 2007 3:47 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Bill Belichick
is probably the only coach these days that would make me tremble if he took the job. Of course, he's not a moron, and therefore wouldn't even contemplate it.
Every other coach is going to run headlong into the cold, hard reality that is A&M, College Station, and the Aggie Nation: complete idiocy. The school is based on idiotic traditions, the town is a hotbed of all of things outsiders dislike about Texas, and the fans are, well, Aggies.
Belichick would wave his magic staff around and fix all of those things in half a season, but I'm not so sure anyone else is going to have that easy a time of it.
Bottom line: Tee hee, poor Aggies!
by Kahuna on Nov 5, 2007 4:09 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely
No one on the list would scare me, even Spurrier.
There are certain things about A&M that make it A&M, and I don't think even someone like Spurrier would make that much of a difference (or let me put it this way - not any Coach that's got a name).
But as someone posted above, it would be kinda cool to have a real rivalry going again. I was watching Barry Switzer on the FOX NFL Post Game show yesterday while they were announcing the Top 10 BCS Rankings, and he mentioned that during his time, if he got past Texas and Nebraska he was pretty much good to go for the MNC. These days, our only hurdle we really get fired up about is OU.
by LeftHandedTexan on Nov 5, 2007 4:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Gary Barnett
by patienthornsfan on Nov 5, 2007 4:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
That's about two of a kind.
A fanatic for fanatics.
by whills on Nov 5, 2007 7:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
still to early
Tuberville is being mentioned because he has ties to A&M from back in the RC days. They are hoping he can get them that same kind of talent.
by Mrorange on Nov 5, 2007 5:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
don't know why his name ever comes up
the guy was reveleaed to be an average coach and poor recruiter after all of Dye's bought talent left the school
by Beergut on Nov 5, 2007 5:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
not sure how Tedford is a pipe dream
Please explain that statement.
He'd go from a school that hates football to a school that lives and breathes the game.
He'd be going from California to the mecca state of football, Texas.
A&M would sure as hell pay Tedford more than Cal does, and he wouldn't have to worry about hippies trying to stop a facilities expanion in College Station.
As for other coaching options:
Rich Rod wouldn't have to worry about centering his recruiting around out-of-state kids; he could concentrate on working in-state if he was at A&M, instead of having to lure kids from Florida and Texas to Morgantown.
Also, A&M already runs Rich Rod's offense, admittedly not as well as WVU does (difference between having Pat White versus Stephen McGee).
Rich Rod would also switch A&M to a 33 Stack on defense, which would help against spread teams, and give us a scheme that no one else in the Big 12 runs.
I don't think Chris Peterson is in the cards at all. Not enough of a body of work to look at, and has yet to field a defense at Boise State. I'm leery of WAC coaches.
Gary Patterson is a joke of a coach. I don't want him anywhere near A&M.
by Beergut on Nov 5, 2007 5:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Tedford
Cal and Jeff Tedford were one quarter away from being the top ranked team in the country. A&M is about a decade removed from being relevant on the national stage. A&M has won exactly one bowl game since 1996, hasn't won 10 or more games since 1998 (11), and hasn't finished better than third in the South since 1999.
Sure, Cal is hardly a football mecca and the Aggies could pony up a bunch of money to throw his way, but I really find it hard to believe that Tedford would jump at the chance to try to resurrect a team surrounded by three of the top programs in the country (LSU, OU, and Texas) that has fallen behind Tech as the fourth best team in its division.
by awiggo on Nov 5, 2007 6:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
HAHAHAAHAH
Sorry, I just couldn't stop myself.
He'd be going from California to the mecca state of football, Texas.
California and Texas are both very good high school football states. Texas is not that much better than California. Also, A&M is behind Texas, OU and LSU in recruiting. Cal is only behind USC in recruiting, also Cal is appealing to many out of state recruits.
Let me remind you A&M and college station both suck!
by Cyrus on Nov 5, 2007 7:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
sounds like someone who has never followed
college recruiting
or talked to a college coach about how/why they recruit who they do.
Cal is behind USC and UCLA in-state, Oregon, Arizona, and Arizona State out-of-state.
At A&M, Tedford would only have to worry about texas in-state, OU out-of-state.
If you think Tedford wouldn't listen to A&M, you're dreaming.
by Beergut on Nov 6, 2007 1:25 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Tedford
would scare me the most. i think they might go after Tuberville. Patterson would be a good candidate, though I think they would be leery of another TCU connection.
by FutureMan on Nov 5, 2007 5:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I wonder if A&M would go after a former UT coach
Since they eat, breath, and shit beating us.
by chief on Nov 5, 2007 5:42 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I think they got burned with Bellard.
He was only an assistant at Texas, but he got them up and running. But when the president of A&M lied to him, he left immediately. They didn't seem to be so comfortable with someone with real ethics and Bellard is one coach who does have that in spades.
Hey, I will volunteer them Mackovic and laugh all year long.
by whills on Nov 5, 2007 7:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Never heard that story
what was the lie?
by Wells on Nov 5, 2007 7:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
He hasn't said specifically.
Either publically or privately, but it dealt with either his deal with A&M or between the President and the football program.
I say this from direct quotes from him. He lived here a couple of years and we talked a lot in that time; he considered it privileged information, but he did say they lied and he couldn't abide with liars, and in this case, he had to walk.
He also had some sympathy for Fran during the uproar when he left Alabama; said that the door swings both ways.
by whills on Nov 5, 2007 8:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
A little more info.
Bellard resigned abruptly six games into the '78 season. THere was never any explicit reason given by A&M or Bellard. The Aggies had started 4-0 but then lost to Houston and Baylor. So, there was a mystery as to why it had happened. So, I asked questions once I got comfortable with him.
Here's the wiki link Emory Bellard.
One of the key consequences was that one his recruits for the coming '79 season de-committed. That was Eric Dickerson. So, this was one of those events which would have strange repercussions for the SWC.
Could you see Dickerson at A&M when they were getting pretty good? Ouch. It was bad enough at SMU.
by whills on Nov 5, 2007 8:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Former UT coach
Yes, I think John Mackovic would be a nice fit at A&M.
by OBdoc on Nov 6, 2007 7:35 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
if they get price
they'll be just as bad as they are now. dude's not that great. he can't do very much in a very, very weak c-usa. that being said he'll probably get a long look from them.
tedford is a pipe dream. he's the only one that scares me. i can see him ending up at the next big sec school where a coach starts to circle the drain. he's smart enough to wait to go to a program that's a proven winner.
by mattw on Nov 5, 2007 6:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
rodriguez scares me
because of what he might be able to do with jerrod johnson. But I don't think he'll want to go to College Station.
Otherwise, no one really scares me. In any case they will need someone who has experience turning a program around. Garys Patterson and Barnett come to mind.
by BigTexBD on Nov 5, 2007 6:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Why don't Ags go after Ron Prince?
He knows how to beat Texas with less talent both home and away
And when does LSU Dcoordinator Bo Pellini come into question? Maybe for the Nebraska Job? Perhaps A&M?
by FreedomDip on Nov 5, 2007 7:04 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
You know, Ron Prince does scare me a little.
When KSU gets our number, they tattoo it on our forehead.
by whills on Nov 5, 2007 7:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Prince
If you think about it, he's almost the transparent of Tuberville. He's at a lesser conference school but knows how to fire his team up and win a big game. He's not a big name - yet. When he moves out of Manhattan, where does he go?
If I were an aggie, I would want a coach who knows how to beat my archrival (2-0 vs Texas), may be able to recruit better because of his background and the Ags wouldn't have to play him the next two years
Sounds logical and outlandish all at once. Let's hope the Aggies aren't that smart
by FreedomDip on Nov 5, 2007 8:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
How about Todd Graham
The head coach at Tulsa did a pretty good job of turning Rice around for a season. Then he bolted for Tulsa after signing an extension. Sounds pretty Aggielike to me.
by HornsNation on Nov 5, 2007 7:11 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
he never signed the extension
IIRC, he just agreed to it in principle, and then left. I don't think he ever signed anything, which is why he was able to leave.
by Beergut on Nov 6, 2007 1:34 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Why aren't there any Aggie coaches out there?
Jeez, aside from Kubiak, who slid into his role naturally as Elway's back-up, are there any other aggie coaches out there?
We've got Applewhite, Todd Dodge, Jerry Gray, Bill Bradley and I've read of some more working their way up the pipes.
It just seems odds there's no aggie coaches. Maybe that tells us something about that job.
by whills on Nov 5, 2007 7:42 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
does anyone think
bobby petrino?
you heard it here first!
by mattw on Nov 5, 2007 8:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
No
You heard it here first
by FreedomDip on Nov 5, 2007 8:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
seriously?
things are crap in atlanta...they can wing some cash at him...he can sit on a runway near the school in a lear jet...etc etc.
by mattw on Nov 5, 2007 8:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh he may be looking
for a 1st class ticket out of Atlanta but neither the recruiting climate, atmosphercis, fan base or money at TAMU will tempt him in the least. He's got at least a couple of years left in Atlanta to collect his 5 mil a year and wait on a better opportunity.
by duras on Nov 5, 2007 9:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I just don't see it happenin ...
After only one season. He got stuck with a raw deal. Now he can shop for what he wants there. He doesn't want to walk into somebody else's mess with no QB two years in a row.
by FreedomDip on Nov 5, 2007 9:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
chris peterson scares me...
not in the immediate future if he goes to tamu next year, but in 3-5 years and for the next 20 if he brings the ags to the big boy ranks. any other coach is gone to Notre Dame in 2 years (if Weis makes it that long) if they do good in aggieland.
i'd love the extra competition in the Big Xii, especially since all the North teams take turns teasing their fan base with good seasons only to turn around and drop 8 games including an early season loss to the Winchestertonfieldville College of Mimes and other directional Div II teams.
by bleed burnt orange on Nov 6, 2007 1:29 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Houston Texan coaches
OC Mike Sherman has been thrown out there. Gary Kubiak also but that's just ludicrous. Sherman makes a little more sense though.
by goingforthecorner on Nov 6, 2007 2:51 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Not scared
...of any of the coaches on this list who would actually go there (which narrows it down quite a bit). The bottom line is that they'll always be behind Texas and OU, as long as those programs are in good hands. Say what you want about Mack, but this programs isn't going into 4-7 mode anytime soon a la Mackovic or McWilliams. a&m's fate was sealed when we and OU got a real coach and they have moved steadily into the toilet ever since.
by SaintBevo on Nov 6, 2007 6:04 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
An Aggie Comments on Coaches...
- A&M hasnt been relavent since 2001, not 1900. We are not exactly UCF, so try not to pretend we are and that just giving up football would be smart.
- We have the facilities, recruiting hotbed, fanbase, and dedication to success that will ultimately succeed.
- A&M is generally considered between a Top 7-15 program. This program is postured and in a better position to have more consistent long term success than Cal,WVa,USCar, and AU. Texas is geographically seperated from the SEC and few schools can poach recruits, while in the SEast MANY schools poach recruits.
4a. Tedford is a West Coast guy; he is in play and has been in contact with A&M represenatives.
4b. Tubberville was thought to be in play, but most thought that the salary it would have taken to get him(3mil) plus the buyout(6mil) made it a poor investment. If he left, he wouldnt have to deal with FSU/UF/UGA/TENN/LSU/UA(recruiting), so dont give me OU and Tex will scare him away.
4c. Rich Rod's name has been tossed around, some really like him, some really dont. A&M is in a better position to succeed longterm than WVa(tOSU,PSU,VaTech).
4d. Chris Peterson's name probably resides in the 2nd tier of coaches to be contacted.
4e. Butch Davis's reps have contacted A&M; but A&M may not be as high on him(how he left the Browns is a concern).
4f. Steve Spurrier's reps have contacted A&M, but that is probably general procedure. Im not high Spurrier, I think he has past his prime. Though im sure he would be Brent Zwernerman's favorite choice.
4g. Brian Kelly was/is getting a lot of attention; he would be the name I would watch out for.
4h. Will Muschamp/Bo Pelini, not likely.
4i. Craig Bohls: If all else fails
4j. And My personal Favorite: Coach Rob Chudiznski
by HMFIC04 on Nov 6, 2007 8:06 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Chudzinski is an interesting choice
Some people wanted to contact him in 2002 after we fired Slocum.
by Beergut on Nov 6, 2007 10:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
oh yeah...
all these guys are likely burning up the phone line into college station, just begging for the chance...
Although most of their teams are in far, far, far better shape for the foreseeable future than the aggies are, they'll drop their gigs in a heartbeat and ignore all the other juicy openings to come to aggieland. Where the cupboard is stocked and overflowing with killer recruits, every single one of them inexplicably undervalued by at least two stars. Where the culture is so inviting and irresistible to young urban African-American males. Where the fanbase has realistic expectations and will be utterly supportive regardless of the struggles to rebuild - what am I saying? There's no rebuilding, there's not even reloading, everything is in place for another MNC run, the only thing that's kept them from winning the last, oh, 68 or so is just bad coaching...
I think we need to be realistic here. The ags can't settle for unknowns. And there's nobody really, really deserving of the job since Vince Lombardi passed away. But if they can just get a good media face as the CEO, they can bring in Urban Meyer as offensive coordinator and Bill Belichick as defensive coordinator. Now that's a much more realistic kind of scenario, and something that the aggies could even fill a jizz jar over...
by agent orange on Nov 6, 2007 1:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
In a bizzaro world
Fran would go to Nebraska and Callahan would come to A&M. The only coach that would make me fear A&M is the more evil twin of Bob Stoops or Norm Chow. As a Cal fan I would hate to see Tedford go anywhere, but A&M and him do not seem to be a good fit.
by monolake on Nov 6, 2007 1:04 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Spurrier and Guberville
Why would they want to leave their jobs for A&M? What's so attractive about it? Spurrier is too deep-rooted in the SEC and Tuberville went thru a rough patch several years ago and rectified it by going 13-0. He's in the good graces of the program and has a perennial power. How much money would it take him to leave a great program to go to the mess that is A&M and having an entire state waiting for you to fail?
Fran left the SEC for A&M ... how many others would do it?
by FreedomDip on Nov 6, 2007 5:42 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
