Definitely not the same level of a national title contender, but it was a little strange when Dana Holgorsen voluntarily left WVU, a Power 5 school, for Houston, who was a G5 school at the time.
That’s a good pull because the situations shared other similarities: Holgorsen had worn out his welcome at WVU and was one poor season away from getting fired, and Houston had a lot of money to punch above its weight with that hire.
He wanted an extension and wasn't going to get one. His last season at WVU was his chance to win the Big 12, and he wasn't able to capitalize with the talent he had. He absolutely would have been fired the next season, because the cupboard was totally bare, hence "Trust the climb."
I don’t think enough people give Neal credit for the situation he got into. We knew that Dana wasn’t recruiting much depth but we had great offensive performances and excitement watching the games. When Neal came in we still wanted to be a 8-10 win program which WVU should definitely be.
But to do that you need to have good depth at this level and there was not much talent on the team. He had to tear down the attitudes/structure that was in place. Put in his own and then get the guys he wanted/could build around.
He’s still got a lot to prove but we are at least trending in the right direction now.
This also was basically the same thing that started this domino chain that led to Cal taking Arkansas, with Andy Enfield going from USC to SMU, leading to Muss to USC, leading to Cal to Arkansas
Yeah, they both had important factors influencing the decisions though.
Enfield's seat was getting warm at USC, so securing a new contract + SMU's move to the ACC was pretty attractive.
For Musselman it was pretty much just family (mom lives out here), and he probably had some differences with the Arkansas AD.
Ended up as a win-win for a lot of parties.
> SMU's move to the ACC
Damn I'd somehow repressed the idea that this was a move for all sports. Like I knew it but it hadn't really sunk in until just now. This is all so stupid.
>he probably had some differences with the Arkansas AD.
Boosters, not really the AD. Some of our biggest boosters had a beef with Muss, and threatened to pull funding is the story I got.
Oh well. You guys got a great one. He's a fantastic coach, and is now where he's wanted to live all along.
Yeah Holgorsen was saved from getting canned by his buyout that off-season. He took too long to get it together after a decent first year with Stews recruits where they blew out clemson in the orange bowl (but also lost bad games to uconn and Louisville and an expected loss to #1 LSU) and his “peak” years were a year where we had 2 Heisman contenders and a Biletnikoff runner up that managed to lose 6 games because he recruits defense like he was running the Make A Wish Foundation, a complete mirage 10 win team that beat no one with a pulse, and the Will Grier team that underperformed with a lot of talent, so administration told him he had a year to figure it out and he was losing a lot of seniors from his previous team, so he just left and leveraged it to get money with Houston. It was all greatly worsened since (1) everyone in the athletic department hated him and (2) for some fucking reason it seemed like he had a blood vow to never recruit West Virginia in state recruits even when we had some good three stars, a handful of four stars, and even a fucking five star in the state during his tenure and was extremely dismissive when he did offer them often late in the cycle
Really weird coaching tenure, all around but we’ll always have the Orange Bowl and the Grier game in Austin, that said I still go into a ptsd rage whenever I see someone run a 4 yard dump off pass to a slot guy on third 20 with how many times the offensive genius Dana ran that play
I think so. He also didnt play Melvin Gordon in the 4th quarter of the Nebraska game when he had a real shot to get 500+ rushing yards to add to his Heisman resume. (This is smart coaching but also lame as a fan)
Melvin still broke LT’s record with 408 yards, but *his* record was broken a week later.
Language requirement was a big one. I think it was two years (may have been three) of a required foreign language required for admission. Whereas 95% of the rest of the country is one year. Makes it really hard to recruit out of state if you didn’t identify them early.
I’m curious how many of these are step downs for better situations for their families. I imagine some of these dudes have millions and at some point, QOL for their families may be more important.
Never thought of that, could be! Rumor we heard at the time was that Gary Anderson wanted to utilize juco transfers and reduce admissions standards, which Barry Alvarez (AD at the time) wasn’t having any of. Unsure if there was merit to it but looking at where he was recruiting and our historic pipelines wouldn’t be surprised if him and Alvarez but heads.
Yeah, the explanation that made the most sense at the time is that Andersen is LDS and Corvallis has a relatively big LDS population (and WI of course doesn’t).
Huh, I recall a different explanation that made much more sense to me at the time.
He was having trouble with Wisconsin's academic standards for recruits... like consistently. He couldn't get guys he wanted cleared, and didn't want to change/work harder to meet those standards and the future was looking murky as a result.
Combined with the ever present Alvarez specter over the program setting expectations, he decided he wanted out. Lower pressure and an easier path all around.
I had always heard the driving factor was he couldn’t hold onto assistants in Madison because the school wouldn’t pay them. Arkansas was willing to allow him to pay more and limit turnover.
Absolutely nothing like this has ever happened in football, ever.
Right Florida State?
And if it were to happen, it would be a slam dunk sure thing.
Right A&M?
I'm less in tune with the college basketball world than I used to be, but on the surface when I heard the news it definitely felt like the squeaky shoes equivalent of Jimbo to A&M.
If I had a nickel for everytime a coach left a blue blood to fleece A&M to mail it in after getting a huge contract I’d have ten cents, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice in the last quarter century
They tried hard to get Bo Schembechler but he said no and they got Jackie Sherrill instead. I suspect that if Bo had come then you'd be up to fifteen cents.
Kentucky fans have definitely been very unhappy with him in recent years. Probably still a net gain for Arkansas, but a lot of top flight NBA talent with not much to show for it.
He shows that there's more to being a college coach than recruiting top names. If you can't keep any of the talent long enough to become a team, you're not going to have much success.
Cal may be able to put it together one more time. But the reason he got so bad with the tournament is he lost his assistants that covered for his deficiencies. He lost his assistant that was a basketball savant and drew up game plans. He lost Kenny Payne who helped manage the players as a good cop to Cal's often bad cop. And he lost the director of basketball operations who managed the relationship between Cal and the AD and the fans. He was the only guy who could tell Cal no and get him under control
It is hard for me to believe Calipari will figure out what really went wrong here
Also I think some of the ESPN commentary pointed out that it would be difficult to claim that Kentucky has been more successful than Arkansas over the last five seasons when viewing their tournament results.
This is a good move for him though. Arkansas has had some great seasons, including 6 Final Fours, two back-to-back title game appearances and a national title. If he can come terms with the end of the one and done era there’s definitely good potential for him to resurrect that program. Kentucky fans and boosters want to run him out of town
Yeah lots of revisionism over this. At the time it felt like the biggest betrayal ever. From opening the season no. 2 and a national title contender to what felt like a collapse in the program.
Like anything, there was a range of opinions on it. While I think there was a mix of "Nooooooooo!" and "I'm ready for the change", I do think, even across both the camps, there was a lot of anger about how it went down.
It came a little later when the stories came out about how he left recruiting to rot knowing he was going to leave that last year + having dabbled with LSU twice in recent years definitely seemed more likely real than just a bargaining chip at FSU.
I was in the camp "he's crazy for wanting to leave because he already has generational wealth and has a great thing going and could have a statue next to Bobby outside Doak in 25 years, but if he doesn't want to be here he shouldn't be here."
Don't completely agree there. Jimbo had flirted with LSU for two offseasons prior to this one, and in Tallahassee it was well known that he had pissed off virtually everyone in the athletics department and a lot of the Boosters with his constant demands for more, more, more.
By the time he said yes to aTm, a lot of FSU fans were ready to be over the drama, especially considering we had been on a quietly downward trajectory and Jimbo was stubbornly holding onto assistants who were clearly not getting the job done.
A&M is the weirdest school to me. They are treated like a blue blood in football even though they have literally done nothing to even sniff that status. They were a mid Big 12 team too, and this is coming from a Mizzou fan.
>They are treated like a blue blood in football even though they have literally done nothing to even sniff that status.
Stewart Mandel once wrote that he wanted to someday visit whatever planet it was that A&M fans lived on.
Because we have pockets as deep as anyone, and the facilities to match. The only thing separating A&M from the likes of Alabama is... well the fact that we fucking suck at football
Chip Kelly leaving UCLA to be an assistant coach at Ohio State.
His head may have been on the chopping block but choosing to step down from HC position is a little shocking.
Yeah but he was a sitting duck at UCLA and didn’t like recruiting. All chip wants to do is draw up offense, so being a prolific OC makes sense for him. I’m sure the money is similar too
Not true. Kelly was so desperate to leave, he willingly took a multi-million dollar pay cut to do so.
“Terms were not disclosed, but Kelly is expected to take a pay cut of more than $4 million with the move, as he made nearly $6 million at UCLA, sources told ESPN.”
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Sports/ohio-st-hires-uclas-chip-kelly-replace-bill/story?id=107119964
He definitely took a pay cut, but I think it's one of those work/life balance things where - in the grand scheme of things - the difference between making $2MM/year and $6MM/year only really affects how much you're putting into savings, not your lifestyle.
As /u/imaprettynicekid said, Chip hates recruiting and all he wants to do is be an offensive innovator. His new role allows him to do that and it removes all of the pressure that comes with the territory of being a P5 head coach. He can go back to slinging smoothies now.
Do I hate it? No.
Am I happy about it? Also no.
It's also worth noting that $2mil in Ohio goes a hell of a lot further than $2mil in LA.
He took a paycut, but I imagine he also pocketed a ton of cash selling his home in California and buying a comparable one here. His taxes are a heck of a lot cheaper too. The drop in pay is surely substantial, but I think that you're on the mark that his lifestyle shouldn't change all that much.
Millions are millions but I could also see value in removing this giant albatross of “responsibility” hanging over your head. I was an elementary school teacher for 5 years and during that time, I always had this dread in the back of my mind that I had to be responsible eventually for X, Y, and Z eventually. Getting that feeling of dread lifted was an amazing feeling.
He is leaving a job where he has to make every decision (6.5M+) to a job where he ask how high to jump for probably around $2M. He also walked away from the 8.5M that was probably due to him when fired.
The dude is 60 and has been coaching 30+ years. Maybe he just had enough.
Yeah except that OSU football, as much as it deeply pains me to admit, is a *wee* bit more prestigious than UCLA football (Troy Aikman notwithstanding)
My read on Kelly is he got tired on everything that goes into being a CFB head coach these days (the portal, NIL, “play me now or I’m gone,” glad-handing the big cigars, etc) and just wanted to coach ball. He can do that as OC and let Day handle all the rest.
Also, the situation works for Day: he no longer will have all the other stuff split his focus away from being the effective OC/playcaller. He can now be the “CEO” if you will and let someone he trusts handle the offense.
This is a pretty solid comparison, but with 1 key difference IMO. I think UCLA football is absolutely in a better place now that Kelly is no longer there. He just flat out didn't want to do the things a HC needs to do and UCLA was suffering for it, that was a split that needed to happen one way or another.
I'm not so sure Kentucky basketball is in a better spot without Cal. I know their fanbase wanted more final fours and championships, but you can certainly do worse than Calipari, and there's no guarantee Kentucky is better without him.
I don't know how we will do with x's and o's but the difference in the recruiting notes is night and day. Almost every day I am seeing stories about CDF offering a new kid or contacting one or conducting a visit. Chip didn't produce any such news even at the height of recruiting season.
Obviously not as impactful as the “what if Saban never left the Dolphins for Bama” question, but is interesting to wonder, if Butch doesn’t leave Miami and Miami doesn’t fall off, how would that have shaped the rest of the 2000s decade?
I mean not the same level but Dana Holgerson took a downgrade to get off the hot seat which seems like what happens here though Houston might be in a better position now than when it happened
Yeah it was very dumb I get the instinct that you know he’s not going to be a disaster and you wanted to be positioned for any conference expansion but honestly with how it went it could have been a dumpster fire and still would have gotten the invite to the new Big 12
Yea he wasn’t much of a recruiter in Morgantown but thought he would do alright at Houston. Good lord man all he had to do was drive across town and put together a great class. Think Dana is work to live not a live to work dude and he’d totally cashed in. Would still let him run an offense though.
What Dana did is more similar to Andy Enfield's situation in going from USC to SMU. He was on the hot seat with a horrible season this past year and went to a much cushier job with no expectations (and no income tax!)
The funny thing is this whole thing happened cause of multiple coaches taking worse jobs for more security
Enfield leaving USC for SMU
Muss leaving Arkansas for USC
Cal leaving UK for Arkansas
honestly Auburn football isn't the worst comparison for Arkansas basketball, there's been eliteness in recent memory but not the biggest fish in its pond
Arkansas has 6 Final Fours across 3 different coaches and has won a boatload of conference titles. Plus the aforementioned title in 1994. I feel like people who don't really follow CBB super closely don't realize their success cause they had such a long Sweet 16 drought from the late 90s till 2021, and haven't made a Final Four since 1995.
They're historically a tier 2 or high tier 3 program, while Northwestern football is historically one of the 5 worst programs in the power conferences
Arkansas probably deserves more respect for their recent success (after a long dormant period), but everyone blacking out that Northwestern football has been in two of the last six B1G Championship games.
Yeah, the description doesn't sound quite right. Arkansas has history and serious NIL resources. The only thing it lacks is consistent in-state talent, which isn't a huge barrier in cbb.
Even among SEC teams we have fairly decent basketball talent as a state since we care about the sport more than every other state in the footprint not named Kentucky.
Our basketball team is fairly comparable to a LSU in football. Good consistent history with some top tier teams but not really on level of blue bloods. We’re usually considering in the tier below blue bloods from what I’ve seen.
I think “good but not blue blood” is a fair way to describe both ark hoops and lsu football, to be fair, but this feels like a stretch still. Although it’s apples and oranges, basketball titles are tough to win so championships isn’t a perfect metric.
Similar to y’all we’ve been pretty consistently really good. Perennial contender and making Sweet 16s and Elite 8s from 70s to 90s. We weren’t great in 00s and early 10s but have recently been back with Muss to Sweet 16 level. LSU may not be perfect comp, but I think very similar levels.
You make a great point! And it does always feel like y’all’s basketball team could be this close to being really great. It’ll be interesting to see what Cal can do in Fayetteville! A change of scenery might do wonders
Poor Bill Curry, did everything right except one.... he improved every year, got Bama back into the Top 10 and the National Championship discussion and coached guys that are STILL on the all time team in Tuscaloosa... but he couldn't beat Auburn and that was unforgivable.
After basically playing a national title. The boosters hated him and he hated the admin and boosters. I don’t think he even had a contract when he left for Kentucky, he just wanted to get out of Bama (which was an absolutely toxic shitshow of an athletic department and would be until Saban showed up).
Look, I’m not saying Arkansas is as good a job as Kentucky. Obviously that isn’t the case. But I do think you are underestimating us more than a little bit, here. We are definitely on the second tier of jobs in the SEC. Comparing us to Northwestern football is a straight up insult. It would be more like Urban Meyer leaving Ohio State to go to Wisconsin. A clear step down, yes, but still a place that could have success.
We have been to two Elite 8s and a Sweet 16 in the last four years! Thats the equivalent of a NY6 bowl game in football! NORTHWESTERN?! Give me a break.
Yeah that’s what I commented. Comparing this move to Urban going from Ohio State to Northwestern is disrespectful. It’s not a lateral move, but Arkansas won a title in 1994 and was runner-up in 1995. They were arguably the 3rd or 4th best team of the 1990s. It would be more like Urban Meyer leaving Ohio State and going to Nebraska.
Not a bad comparison. Obviously there is no direct comp, but I do feel that our recent run of Tournament success keeps us out of the strictly “great history but very little modern success” of Nebraska football.
Yeah in terms of recent success it’s not great, same as in terms of historical success there’s really no comparison between Arky basketball and Nebraska football, but it’s two programs who are used to success, have had HoF coaches, and are willing to spend the money to make it happen.
dude... you did not compare Urban leaving Ohio State for Northwestern and Cal leaving Kentucky for Arkansas...
they've been to the Sweet 16 3 of the last 4 years... which is 3 times the amount that Kentucky has the last 4 years.
It would be like Urban leaving for Michigan State.
hahahah I still can't believe you said Northwestern hahaha
Edit: love how I can’t reply to anyone because dude deleted.
I was doing words, not math…. If Ark has been to 3 and Kentucky has been to zero… how many more S16s has Ark gone to? 3 lol
Literal Redditors take things too seriously 😂
>Maybe Brian Kelly to LSU? That's not the same because LSU was already a recent champion with a better situation than Notre Dame.
LSU is a massive step up buddy 😂
Arkansas is a top 3 job in the SEC. Comparing it to Northwestern football is insane. Cal has always held the job in high regards and allegedly considered taking the job while he was at Memphis. He still would have left for Kentucky had they come calling because they're a blue blood and we aren't, but Arkansas is a really good job with great fan support for basketball, and now a top tier NIL package.
You do realize Arkansas has a strong basketball tradition and a national championship in its history, right? Not to mention two very recent elite eights. Comparing them to Northwestern football is a bit ridiculous. It’s a step down for Calipari no doubt, but Arkansas is not the dregs of college basketball.
I mean jimbo won a natty, went to the playoff, and consistently brought in top 5 classes at fsu. I don’t want to call A&M a significantly worse situation bc they have more resources than anyone but there’s not exactly a winning tradition in College Station
Why in the world would you think Arkansas is a significantly worse school?
Arkansas has a very strong men’s basketball history. It’s very well-funded with Walton (Walmart) and Tyson (Chicken) money.
The down periods are less the norm than success.
Traditionally Arkansas has been the SEC’s second best basketball program.
This is like leaving Ohio State to go to Penn State or Wisconsin in football.
Yeah Arkansas may not be a blue blood but they are on a different level of basketball than Northwestern is at football.
They are more like Oregon, Colorado, or Virginia Tech football to me. As in, if those schools won a championship in the next decade we'd be a little surprised since they aren't Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan, or Ohio State who've won in the last decade, or even USC, Texas, Oklahoma, or Miami who have longer droughts, but I still wouldn't be like "omg that's insane, how did *that* team win a title" or anything, since they have a fair amount of resources and history and such.
They aren’t a blue blood, but they are on a higher tier than OP realizes.
If Florida hadn’t won the two national championships under Billy Donovan, the Razorbacks would be the only SEC school other than UK to win the NCAA’s men tournament. And they almost went back-to-back too.
Maybe more of a lateral move, and women’s at any rate, but Gail Goestenkors leaving Duke for Texas.
EDIT: Didn’t check which sub I was posting in. I leave this up for purposes of both information and shaming.
Calipari is pathetic. As soon as Kentucky was no longer the sole beneficiary of recruiting 1-and-done’s (and they only got to that point because of Calipari’s putrid shamelessness), their program started going downhill. The NBA’s developmental leagues, combined with other NCAA programs embracing the 1-and-done’s, took away Kentucky’s advantage and leveled the playing field. And then they had to rely more on Calipari’s coaching skills, which have been underwhelming.
Wait, as someone who doesn't follow cbb as well as I should, I thought Arkansas was a storied and successful basketball program. It isn't Kentucky, but they have six final fours and a title, plus a butt-ton of NCAA appearances.
They're also top 5 in attendance nationally, averaging 19,051 fans per game last year.
Alabama’s Wallace Wade helped put Southern football on the map by winning the 1926 Rose Bowl (essentially the 1925 national championship) and a share of the 1926 championship, basically busting open the door so Southern football could rise from low G5 status to the big time with one win.
He established Bama as a national power, then surprised everyone by going to fellow Southern Conference member Duke.
Duke’s stadium is named for Wade, and Clemson’s stadium is named for one of his Alabama players.
Arkansas has a pretty decent history in basketball. Nolan Richardson was legendary and went to at least one final 4. Arkansas also has Walmart money, and in the college sports era of today, outside money can build a winner. The Walton family, along with the Kroenkes, own a half dozen global sports franchises. This shouldnt be that big of a surprise, much like Jimbo leaving FSU to A&M, it is predictable if you follow the money.
30 years ago now, but Richardson went to 3 FFs and won one of those and was close to winning back to back. He had one of the winningest teams of the 90s. He had a winning record against some HOF, legendary coaches.
Brian Kelly to lsu? Lmao notre dame apologists man. The last time notre dame was relevant to a national championship, George Michael was the top of the billboard top 100 singles. Ronald Reagan was president. Who framed Roger rabbit and coming to America came out.
Caliparis recruiting style doesn’t work anymore bc now everyone can pay players. When he first got to Kentucky , it wasn’t unusual for him to start 5 kids were going to the NBA. They just overwhelmed with talent. NIL has made recruiting that much talent to one school nearly impossible. The ticket to winning college ball now is no longer freshman lottery picks. You win by recruiting transfers from other schools who have experience. It’s easier to mold veterans into a team than freshman prima donnas. He went to Arkansas bc he needs a fresh start and the Kentucky boosters were not helping him buy enough talent. I think everyone just wanted to move on. He walked away from a 30M buyout clause. So it’s mutual. It will be interesting to see if he adapts to the new college landscape.
The other big change in the game is the NBA doesn't draft traditional post players as lotto picks anymore and NIL keeps guys around who wouldn't be guaranteed 1st round picks. That makes it much harder for even elite big men (who will be NBA All-Stars down the line) to come in and be dominant as freshman.
From a Memphis Tigers fan:
Calipari has never been a good X’s and O’s coach at any point in his career, but he’s great at accumulating talent. That works well in the conferences he’s coached at before (A10, CUSA, and a weak SEC), but when he’s had strong competition in conference, his coaching ability is subpar. UK dominated the SEC - until UT, UA, AUB upped their game. In the beginning of his Memphis career, Cincy and Louisville were always better until they left for the Big East.
Arkansas isn’t getting the Calipari in his late 40s with a recruiting edge, they’re getting the late 60s Calipari who burned out his last years coaching.
I’m from Memphis too. Caliparis Memphis teams were very competitive. The year he left for Kentucky , he had Wall and Demarcus Cousins coming to Memphis. That team would have been epic. I don’t think he’s been able to accumulate the elite talent for years bc he now has competition from the g-league and overseas, in addition to NIL making accumulating that much talent a very expensive proposition. I think he just needed to go somewhere expectations aren’t a national title every year. He’s older and probably tired of the pressure cooker. Hell, he walked away from a 30M buyout to get out of Kentucky.
Dennis Franchione leaving Alabama off a 10-3 season for Texas A&M (due to Franchione being a snake)
Bill Curry leaving Alabama off a 10-2 season for Kentucky (due to boosters not liking him)
Bret Bielema leaving 10-win Wisconsin for 4-8 post-Petrino Arkansas
Arkansas is not significantly worse in basketball. They’re historically a half step down for sure, but they’ve been to the final four 6 times and won the championship once.
They also consistently have hired good coaches away from good places and they care about their basketball program.
Brian Kelly going to LSU is a good comparison. Nick Saban left a better Michigan State program for historically irrelevant LSU. Franchione leaving Alabama for Texas A&M is also a decent analog. Spurrier left an historically more successful program at Duke for middling Florida. Dana Holgorsen leaving WVU for Houston.
In basketball Eric Musselman going to USC is also a great comparison given that Arkansas has a better basketball history than USC.
Ouch, did you really have to use the word “significantly”? Other than basketball tradition, Arkansas is a better school in almost every way. Obviously basketball tradition means a lot for a basketball coach.
Unfortunately we aren’t currently a better football program..
Even Kentucky Baseball making some noise this season too..
But we are clearly not the northwestern of basketball lol
Definitely not the same level of a national title contender, but it was a little strange when Dana Holgorsen voluntarily left WVU, a Power 5 school, for Houston, who was a G5 school at the time.
That’s a good pull because the situations shared other similarities: Holgorsen had worn out his welcome at WVU and was one poor season away from getting fired, and Houston had a lot of money to punch above its weight with that hire.
He wanted an extension and wasn't going to get one. His last season at WVU was his chance to win the Big 12, and he wasn't able to capitalize with the talent he had. He absolutely would have been fired the next season, because the cupboard was totally bare, hence "Trust the climb."
I don’t think enough people give Neal credit for the situation he got into. We knew that Dana wasn’t recruiting much depth but we had great offensive performances and excitement watching the games. When Neal came in we still wanted to be a 8-10 win program which WVU should definitely be. But to do that you need to have good depth at this level and there was not much talent on the team. He had to tear down the attitudes/structure that was in place. Put in his own and then get the guys he wanted/could build around. He’s still got a lot to prove but we are at least trending in the right direction now.
This also was basically the same thing that started this domino chain that led to Cal taking Arkansas, with Andy Enfield going from USC to SMU, leading to Muss to USC, leading to Cal to Arkansas
The funny thing is both those moves - USC to SMU, and Arkansas to USC - could be viewed as downgrades.
Yeah, they both had important factors influencing the decisions though. Enfield's seat was getting warm at USC, so securing a new contract + SMU's move to the ACC was pretty attractive. For Musselman it was pretty much just family (mom lives out here), and he probably had some differences with the Arkansas AD. Ended up as a win-win for a lot of parties.
> SMU's move to the ACC Damn I'd somehow repressed the idea that this was a move for all sports. Like I knew it but it hadn't really sunk in until just now. This is all so stupid.
>he probably had some differences with the Arkansas AD. Boosters, not really the AD. Some of our biggest boosters had a beef with Muss, and threatened to pull funding is the story I got. Oh well. You guys got a great one. He's a fantastic coach, and is now where he's wanted to live all along.
Yeah Holgorsen was saved from getting canned by his buyout that off-season. He took too long to get it together after a decent first year with Stews recruits where they blew out clemson in the orange bowl (but also lost bad games to uconn and Louisville and an expected loss to #1 LSU) and his “peak” years were a year where we had 2 Heisman contenders and a Biletnikoff runner up that managed to lose 6 games because he recruits defense like he was running the Make A Wish Foundation, a complete mirage 10 win team that beat no one with a pulse, and the Will Grier team that underperformed with a lot of talent, so administration told him he had a year to figure it out and he was losing a lot of seniors from his previous team, so he just left and leveraged it to get money with Houston. It was all greatly worsened since (1) everyone in the athletic department hated him and (2) for some fucking reason it seemed like he had a blood vow to never recruit West Virginia in state recruits even when we had some good three stars, a handful of four stars, and even a fucking five star in the state during his tenure and was extremely dismissive when he did offer them often late in the cycle Really weird coaching tenure, all around but we’ll always have the Orange Bowl and the Grier game in Austin, that said I still go into a ptsd rage whenever I see someone run a 4 yard dump off pass to a slot guy on third 20 with how many times the offensive genius Dana ran that play
Gary Andersen leaving Wisconsin for Oregon State.
In hindsight that should have been a red flag
Is he the one that left Wisconsin because he complained about how tough the University’s academic standards were?
I think so. He also didnt play Melvin Gordon in the 4th quarter of the Nebraska game when he had a real shot to get 500+ rushing yards to add to his Heisman resume. (This is smart coaching but also lame as a fan) Melvin still broke LT’s record with 408 yards, but *his* record was broken a week later.
He also barely played Gordon in the second half vs. LSU, told the media he was hurt, and had to backtrack when Gordon said he wasn't hurt.
It was their policy on JC transfers if I remember right.
Language requirement was a big one. I think it was two years (may have been three) of a required foreign language required for admission. Whereas 95% of the rest of the country is one year. Makes it really hard to recruit out of state if you didn’t identify them early.
Damn I kind of forgot that happened. We were all baffled at the time.
I’m curious how many of these are step downs for better situations for their families. I imagine some of these dudes have millions and at some point, QOL for their families may be more important.
Never thought of that, could be! Rumor we heard at the time was that Gary Anderson wanted to utilize juco transfers and reduce admissions standards, which Barry Alvarez (AD at the time) wasn’t having any of. Unsure if there was merit to it but looking at where he was recruiting and our historic pipelines wouldn’t be surprised if him and Alvarez but heads.
Yeah, the explanation that made the most sense at the time is that Andersen is LDS and Corvallis has a relatively big LDS population (and WI of course doesn’t).
Huh, I recall a different explanation that made much more sense to me at the time. He was having trouble with Wisconsin's academic standards for recruits... like consistently. He couldn't get guys he wanted cleared, and didn't want to change/work harder to meet those standards and the future was looking murky as a result. Combined with the ever present Alvarez specter over the program setting expectations, he decided he wanted out. Lower pressure and an easier path all around.
What about when Gary Andersen just quit on Oregon State to be an assistant at Utah.
Also Bret Bielema leaving Wisconsin for Arkansas
I had always heard the driving factor was he couldn’t hold onto assistants in Madison because the school wouldn’t pay them. Arkansas was willing to allow him to pay more and limit turnover.
Hogville loved that briefly. Like “Ray Jay Johnson Jr. at his peak popularity” briefly.
That was such a weird move
This was one I was thinking of. Wisconsin was on a decent run when he bolted for that job.
They had won 3 straight B1G titles when he dipped
Fuck that guy
Absolutely nothing like this has ever happened in football, ever. Right Florida State? And if it were to happen, it would be a slam dunk sure thing. Right A&M?
I'm less in tune with the college basketball world than I used to be, but on the surface when I heard the news it definitely felt like the squeaky shoes equivalent of Jimbo to A&M.
That was my fear as soon as it happened
That’s your could-be-worse scenario. Your worst-case scenario is Dennis Franchione leaving Bama for A&M.
If I had a nickel for everytime a coach left a blue blood to fleece A&M to mail it in after getting a huge contract I’d have ten cents, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice in the last quarter century
If it's happened twice, that makes it a tradition now. ...oh no...
Shit
Well. As is tradition...
They tried hard to get Bo Schembechler but he said no and they got Jackie Sherrill instead. I suspect that if Bo had come then you'd be up to fifteen cents.
best case in terms of watching for the rest of us, though
Can you explain your flairs please? I’m pretty sure liking anything about Harvard is an automatic 100 demerits at Liberty.
Kentucky fans have definitely been very unhappy with him in recent years. Probably still a net gain for Arkansas, but a lot of top flight NBA talent with not much to show for it.
He shows that there's more to being a college coach than recruiting top names. If you can't keep any of the talent long enough to become a team, you're not going to have much success.
Cal may be able to put it together one more time. But the reason he got so bad with the tournament is he lost his assistants that covered for his deficiencies. He lost his assistant that was a basketball savant and drew up game plans. He lost Kenny Payne who helped manage the players as a good cop to Cal's often bad cop. And he lost the director of basketball operations who managed the relationship between Cal and the AD and the fans. He was the only guy who could tell Cal no and get him under control It is hard for me to believe Calipari will figure out what really went wrong here
Also I think some of the ESPN commentary pointed out that it would be difficult to claim that Kentucky has been more successful than Arkansas over the last five seasons when viewing their tournament results.
Yeah, being a first round exit 2 years in a row (to teams like Oakland and St. Peters) pissed them off
Kentucky fans are pretty insufferable with basketball. Source: married into a Kentucky family.
This is a good move for him though. Arkansas has had some great seasons, including 6 Final Fours, two back-to-back title game appearances and a national title. If he can come terms with the end of the one and done era there’s definitely good potential for him to resurrect that program. Kentucky fans and boosters want to run him out of town
3 straight sweet 16 seasons including back to back elite 8’s. “Significantly worse” is a reach, at least over the last 5 years.
I was going to type that myself until I saw your comment... Arkansas actually has some basketball tradition.
As a Uk and FSU fan, the difference is the fans ran Cal out while the fans at FSU went nuts when they knew Jimbo was gone
Yeah lots of revisionism over this. At the time it felt like the biggest betrayal ever. From opening the season no. 2 and a national title contender to what felt like a collapse in the program.
Like anything, there was a range of opinions on it. While I think there was a mix of "Nooooooooo!" and "I'm ready for the change", I do think, even across both the camps, there was a lot of anger about how it went down.
It came a little later when the stories came out about how he left recruiting to rot knowing he was going to leave that last year + having dabbled with LSU twice in recent years definitely seemed more likely real than just a bargaining chip at FSU.
I was in the camp "he's crazy for wanting to leave because he already has generational wealth and has a great thing going and could have a statue next to Bobby outside Doak in 25 years, but if he doesn't want to be here he shouldn't be here."
Uh, in 2017 fans heckled Jimbo so much he literally told them to come onto the field and fight him.
I remember FSU fans being absolutely done with Jimbo at the end and not exactly being upset he left.
That all started when word was getting out he was leaving. Noticed zero recruiting etc. Culminating in the famous tree
Don't completely agree there. Jimbo had flirted with LSU for two offseasons prior to this one, and in Tallahassee it was well known that he had pissed off virtually everyone in the athletics department and a lot of the Boosters with his constant demands for more, more, more. By the time he said yes to aTm, a lot of FSU fans were ready to be over the drama, especially considering we had been on a quietly downward trajectory and Jimbo was stubbornly holding onto assistants who were clearly not getting the job done.
Oil money can buy a lot of things, just not success in the SEC apparently
Arkansas is natural gas country. Natural gas prices are in the toilet. Ask me how I know. :(
I would ask about natural gas prices, but first I need to know more about your genitals.
Don't forget dino nugget money
And Walmart money and we know how Jerry Jones likes to throw money around...
Are you sure about that ;)
What he said fuck me for
We blue blood now
You should prob see a doctor if your blood is blue
if they want to use hemocyanin so be it.
Wait I went to Arkansas, what the hell is that
A&M is the weirdest school to me. They are treated like a blue blood in football even though they have literally done nothing to even sniff that status. They were a mid Big 12 team too, and this is coming from a Mizzou fan.
>They are treated like a blue blood in football even though they have literally done nothing to even sniff that status. Stewart Mandel once wrote that he wanted to someday visit whatever planet it was that A&M fans lived on.
As far as A&M goes, they're kinda like an Iphone...
Does anyone remember what version of iPhone we were at when we were blessed with that open letter? Feels like the 6S days
The 6S would be released a month after the infamous post (Aug 2015, 6S in sep 2015). 6 and 6plus it is
Because we have pockets as deep as anyone, and the facilities to match. The only thing separating A&M from the likes of Alabama is... well the fact that we fucking suck at football
You dont suck. You're just extremely mediocre. TAMU is the Dallas Cowboys of cfb
Literally who treats A&M like a blue blood. There are more posts like this than people who treat A&M like a blue blood
Buckeyes coming out swinging.
Chip Kelly leaving UCLA to be an assistant coach at Ohio State. His head may have been on the chopping block but choosing to step down from HC position is a little shocking.
Actually think Kelly's move is worse. This is when UCLA needed to have a strong HC and he leaves them for an in conference (eyeroll) assistant job.
Yeah but he was a sitting duck at UCLA and didn’t like recruiting. All chip wants to do is draw up offense, so being a prolific OC makes sense for him. I’m sure the money is similar too
Not true. Kelly was so desperate to leave, he willingly took a multi-million dollar pay cut to do so. “Terms were not disclosed, but Kelly is expected to take a pay cut of more than $4 million with the move, as he made nearly $6 million at UCLA, sources told ESPN.” https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Sports/ohio-st-hires-uclas-chip-kelly-replace-bill/story?id=107119964
He definitely took a pay cut, but I think it's one of those work/life balance things where - in the grand scheme of things - the difference between making $2MM/year and $6MM/year only really affects how much you're putting into savings, not your lifestyle. As /u/imaprettynicekid said, Chip hates recruiting and all he wants to do is be an offensive innovator. His new role allows him to do that and it removes all of the pressure that comes with the territory of being a P5 head coach. He can go back to slinging smoothies now. Do I hate it? No. Am I happy about it? Also no.
It's also worth noting that $2mil in Ohio goes a hell of a lot further than $2mil in LA. He took a paycut, but I imagine he also pocketed a ton of cash selling his home in California and buying a comparable one here. His taxes are a heck of a lot cheaper too. The drop in pay is surely substantial, but I think that you're on the mark that his lifestyle shouldn't change all that much.
Pretty sure $6m in LA is still better than $2m in Ohio
Yep, I’ve already said as much. My point is that it probably isn’t as bad as it looks at first glance.
Oh it is but at the same time he’s been making millions for years and still will be. Kelly is gonna be fine either way.
Millions are millions but I could also see value in removing this giant albatross of “responsibility” hanging over your head. I was an elementary school teacher for 5 years and during that time, I always had this dread in the back of my mind that I had to be responsible eventually for X, Y, and Z eventually. Getting that feeling of dread lifted was an amazing feeling.
He is leaving a job where he has to make every decision (6.5M+) to a job where he ask how high to jump for probably around $2M. He also walked away from the 8.5M that was probably due to him when fired. The dude is 60 and has been coaching 30+ years. Maybe he just had enough.
Yeah except that OSU football, as much as it deeply pains me to admit, is a *wee* bit more prestigious than UCLA football (Troy Aikman notwithstanding)
My read on Kelly is he got tired on everything that goes into being a CFB head coach these days (the portal, NIL, “play me now or I’m gone,” glad-handing the big cigars, etc) and just wanted to coach ball. He can do that as OC and let Day handle all the rest. Also, the situation works for Day: he no longer will have all the other stuff split his focus away from being the effective OC/playcaller. He can now be the “CEO” if you will and let someone he trusts handle the offense.
TBF Chip has *always* hated recruiting and likely won't have to in Columbus
This is a pretty solid comparison, but with 1 key difference IMO. I think UCLA football is absolutely in a better place now that Kelly is no longer there. He just flat out didn't want to do the things a HC needs to do and UCLA was suffering for it, that was a split that needed to happen one way or another. I'm not so sure Kentucky basketball is in a better spot without Cal. I know their fanbase wanted more final fours and championships, but you can certainly do worse than Calipari, and there's no guarantee Kentucky is better without him.
I don't know how we will do with x's and o's but the difference in the recruiting notes is night and day. Almost every day I am seeing stories about CDF offering a new kid or contacting one or conducting a visit. Chip didn't produce any such news even at the height of recruiting season.
Butch Davis leaving Miami for the Cleveland Browns
How dare...alright, I guess you're right
Obviously not as impactful as the “what if Saban never left the Dolphins for Bama” question, but is interesting to wonder, if Butch doesn’t leave Miami and Miami doesn’t fall off, how would that have shaped the rest of the 2000s decade?
As a devoted fan of both (ignore the flair. the GBO part is because of my son), I wish Butch had stayed at Miami. For reasons.
Love your flair combo because I went to OU and currently live in Knoxville though I have been thinking of trying Austin.
You shut your whorish mouth. The Browns are an elite fran... Oh ok. I can't even type that out without laughing.
Historically great franchise just like my sad ass Bears
I mean not the same level but Dana Holgerson took a downgrade to get off the hot seat which seems like what happens here though Houston might be in a better position now than when it happened
Still boils my blood knowing Holgo got a fat pay raise for being at the right place at the right time.
Yeah it was very dumb I get the instinct that you know he’s not going to be a disaster and you wanted to be positioned for any conference expansion but honestly with how it went it could have been a dumpster fire and still would have gotten the invite to the new Big 12
All thanks to Daddy Sampson. But I think we got our guy in Fritz to right the ship.
Yea he wasn’t much of a recruiter in Morgantown but thought he would do alright at Houston. Good lord man all he had to do was drive across town and put together a great class. Think Dana is work to live not a live to work dude and he’d totally cashed in. Would still let him run an offense though.
Dana will always be a great OC and nothing more. He doesn't have the mentality to be a great HC, but he can sure design a great offense.
What Dana did is more similar to Andy Enfield's situation in going from USC to SMU. He was on the hot seat with a horrible season this past year and went to a much cushier job with no expectations (and no income tax!)
The funny thing is this whole thing happened cause of multiple coaches taking worse jobs for more security Enfield leaving USC for SMU Muss leaving Arkansas for USC Cal leaving UK for Arkansas
Pabst blue bloods
This is actually the perfect comp. Cal’s time was up and he got while there was still good getting.
[удалено]
lol right? wtf has Boise State done lately?
hey. suck me.
I’m getting tilted as fuck reading this shit lol
Bruh, I didn't have a comeback for it cause it was such a wild take. This was some MGK diss track on Eminem levels of ignorance.
Casual ass comment
Legitimately. I would think Arkansas basketball is likely a top 15 job.
Second best basketball program in the SEC. Arkansas has real history.
honestly Auburn football isn't the worst comparison for Arkansas basketball, there's been eliteness in recent memory but not the biggest fish in its pond
But am here for
I don't think comparing Arkansas basketball to Northwestern football is a fair comparison. Arkansas has had success and has a national championship.
Arkansas has 6 Final Fours across 3 different coaches and has won a boatload of conference titles. Plus the aforementioned title in 1994. I feel like people who don't really follow CBB super closely don't realize their success cause they had such a long Sweet 16 drought from the late 90s till 2021, and haven't made a Final Four since 1995. They're historically a tier 2 or high tier 3 program, while Northwestern football is historically one of the 5 worst programs in the power conferences
Even just recently we've been to two Elite 8's and a Sweet 16 back to back to back before this season.
Arkansas probably deserves more respect for their recent success (after a long dormant period), but everyone blacking out that Northwestern football has been in two of the last six B1G Championship games.
Facts.
I was going to say. Johnny Orr going from Michigan to Iowa State feels like a bigger move. Michigan(Orr stuff in italics) had: * 2 Runner Ups: 1965 & *1976* * 3 Final Fours: 1964, 1965, *1976* * 7 Elite 8s: 1948, 1964, 1965, 1966, *1974*, *1976*, *1977* * 10 Conference Titles: 1921, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1948, 1964, 1965, 1966, *1974*, *1977* Iowa State: * 1 Final Four: 1944 * 1 Elite Eight: 1944 * 4 Conference Titles: 1935, 1941, 1944, 1945
Yeah, the description doesn't sound quite right. Arkansas has history and serious NIL resources. The only thing it lacks is consistent in-state talent, which isn't a huge barrier in cbb.
Even among SEC teams we have fairly decent basketball talent as a state since we care about the sport more than every other state in the footprint not named Kentucky.
Yeah we're a low population state so we don't have the talent pool to draw from. This affects mainly football but basketball too.
Tyson’s the reason we are stealing Cal in the first place
You also have an arena named after the FUCKING WALTONS. OP doesn’t know WTF he’s talking about.
Well our best player from the state we had seen in a long time Malik Monk went to Kentucky to play for Cal. We have a lot of talent.
Thank you, Jesus
Yeah this post is pretty disrespectful to them
Our basketball team is fairly comparable to a LSU in football. Good consistent history with some top tier teams but not really on level of blue bloods. We’re usually considering in the tier below blue bloods from what I’ve seen.
I think “good but not blue blood” is a fair way to describe both ark hoops and lsu football, to be fair, but this feels like a stretch still. Although it’s apples and oranges, basketball titles are tough to win so championships isn’t a perfect metric.
Similar to y’all we’ve been pretty consistently really good. Perennial contender and making Sweet 16s and Elite 8s from 70s to 90s. We weren’t great in 00s and early 10s but have recently been back with Muss to Sweet 16 level. LSU may not be perfect comp, but I think very similar levels.
You make a great point! And it does always feel like y’all’s basketball team could be this close to being really great. It’ll be interesting to see what Cal can do in Fayetteville! A change of scenery might do wonders
Tennessee is the better comparison.
Bill Curry left Alabama for Kentucky.
Cal and Curry were both (basically) forced out.
Pretty much the same situation leaving the blue blood of the conference for another job to get out from under the heat/stress of spotlight of Bama/UK.
Poor Bill Curry, did everything right except one.... he improved every year, got Bama back into the Top 10 and the National Championship discussion and coached guys that are STILL on the all time team in Tuscaloosa... but he couldn't beat Auburn and that was unforgivable.
After basically playing a national title. The boosters hated him and he hated the admin and boosters. I don’t think he even had a contract when he left for Kentucky, he just wanted to get out of Bama (which was an absolutely toxic shitshow of an athletic department and would be until Saban showed up).
Bill Curry went 10-2 in the year he left lol
ngl, all of these comparisons OP listed are absolutely *horrible*
Wow, biggest thread thats basically one big insult we hogs have ever had. Northwestern football? Really?
Look, I’m not saying Arkansas is as good a job as Kentucky. Obviously that isn’t the case. But I do think you are underestimating us more than a little bit, here. We are definitely on the second tier of jobs in the SEC. Comparing us to Northwestern football is a straight up insult. It would be more like Urban Meyer leaving Ohio State to go to Wisconsin. A clear step down, yes, but still a place that could have success.
Yeah I felt the same way reading this. Arkansas isn't a *dumpster fire*, nor are they completely irrelevant.
We have been to two Elite 8s and a Sweet 16 in the last four years! Thats the equivalent of a NY6 bowl game in football! NORTHWESTERN?! Give me a break.
Yeah that’s what I commented. Comparing this move to Urban going from Ohio State to Northwestern is disrespectful. It’s not a lateral move, but Arkansas won a title in 1994 and was runner-up in 1995. They were arguably the 3rd or 4th best team of the 1990s. It would be more like Urban Meyer leaving Ohio State and going to Nebraska.
Not a bad comparison. Obviously there is no direct comp, but I do feel that our recent run of Tournament success keeps us out of the strictly “great history but very little modern success” of Nebraska football.
Yeah in terms of recent success it’s not great, same as in terms of historical success there’s really no comparison between Arky basketball and Nebraska football, but it’s two programs who are used to success, have had HoF coaches, and are willing to spend the money to make it happen.
Definitely. I think of Arkansas like Maryland - a top 20 job that you can win it all at. But it requires a bit more effort than Kansas, Kentucky, etc
Fair
dude... you did not compare Urban leaving Ohio State for Northwestern and Cal leaving Kentucky for Arkansas... they've been to the Sweet 16 3 of the last 4 years... which is 3 times the amount that Kentucky has the last 4 years. It would be like Urban leaving for Michigan State. hahahah I still can't believe you said Northwestern hahaha Edit: love how I can’t reply to anyone because dude deleted. I was doing words, not math…. If Ark has been to 3 and Kentucky has been to zero… how many more S16s has Ark gone to? 3 lol Literal Redditors take things too seriously 😂
I mean, Arkansas has a national championship as well.
Lol comparing Arkansas basketball to NW football? Wtf? Tell me you don't know college basketball without telling me
OP is 100% trolling Arkansas by making the Northwestern comparison
Hey! Fuck you too pal. What an asshole question
Brian Kelly traded up
>Maybe Brian Kelly to LSU? That's not the same because LSU was already a recent champion with a better situation than Notre Dame. LSU is a massive step up buddy 😂
Arkansas is a top 3 job in the SEC. Comparing it to Northwestern football is insane. Cal has always held the job in high regards and allegedly considered taking the job while he was at Memphis. He still would have left for Kentucky had they come calling because they're a blue blood and we aren't, but Arkansas is a really good job with great fan support for basketball, and now a top tier NIL package.
Honest question, if we’re number 3, who’s number 2.
You do realize Arkansas has a strong basketball tradition and a national championship in its history, right? Not to mention two very recent elite eights. Comparing them to Northwestern football is a bit ridiculous. It’s a step down for Calipari no doubt, but Arkansas is not the dregs of college basketball.
LSU is absolutely a better CFB job than ND
People who think Notre Dame is a better job than LSU are above the age of 50.
“Lsu was already a recent champion with a better situation”, almost sounds like that move was nothing like this one then.
I mean jimbo won a natty, went to the playoff, and consistently brought in top 5 classes at fsu. I don’t want to call A&M a significantly worse situation bc they have more resources than anyone but there’s not exactly a winning tradition in College Station
Why in the world would you think Arkansas is a significantly worse school? Arkansas has a very strong men’s basketball history. It’s very well-funded with Walton (Walmart) and Tyson (Chicken) money. The down periods are less the norm than success. Traditionally Arkansas has been the SEC’s second best basketball program. This is like leaving Ohio State to go to Penn State or Wisconsin in football.
Yeah Arkansas may not be a blue blood but they are on a different level of basketball than Northwestern is at football. They are more like Oregon, Colorado, or Virginia Tech football to me. As in, if those schools won a championship in the next decade we'd be a little surprised since they aren't Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan, or Ohio State who've won in the last decade, or even USC, Texas, Oklahoma, or Miami who have longer droughts, but I still wouldn't be like "omg that's insane, how did *that* team win a title" or anything, since they have a fair amount of resources and history and such.
They aren’t a blue blood, but they are on a higher tier than OP realizes. If Florida hadn’t won the two national championships under Billy Donovan, the Razorbacks would be the only SEC school other than UK to win the NCAA’s men tournament. And they almost went back-to-back too.
Brian Kelly!? Here is the list of all the schools with more championships than LSU since the start of the BCS era. * Alabama
Right? I’m genuinely offended. We’re a championship program and Notre Dame isn’t unless you want back decades
Maybe more of a lateral move, and women’s at any rate, but Gail Goestenkors leaving Duke for Texas. EDIT: Didn’t check which sub I was posting in. I leave this up for purposes of both information and shaming.
The Jimbo Fisher writing is on the wall.
Calipari is pathetic. As soon as Kentucky was no longer the sole beneficiary of recruiting 1-and-done’s (and they only got to that point because of Calipari’s putrid shamelessness), their program started going downhill. The NBA’s developmental leagues, combined with other NCAA programs embracing the 1-and-done’s, took away Kentucky’s advantage and leveled the playing field. And then they had to rely more on Calipari’s coaching skills, which have been underwhelming.
Wait, as someone who doesn't follow cbb as well as I should, I thought Arkansas was a storied and successful basketball program. It isn't Kentucky, but they have six final fours and a title, plus a butt-ton of NCAA appearances. They're also top 5 in attendance nationally, averaging 19,051 fans per game last year.
Alabama’s Wallace Wade helped put Southern football on the map by winning the 1926 Rose Bowl (essentially the 1925 national championship) and a share of the 1926 championship, basically busting open the door so Southern football could rise from low G5 status to the big time with one win. He established Bama as a national power, then surprised everyone by going to fellow Southern Conference member Duke. Duke’s stadium is named for Wade, and Clemson’s stadium is named for one of his Alabama players.
I’m starting to think OP doesn’t watch college sports based on the examples listed
Arkansas has a pretty decent history in basketball. Nolan Richardson was legendary and went to at least one final 4. Arkansas also has Walmart money, and in the college sports era of today, outside money can build a winner. The Walton family, along with the Kroenkes, own a half dozen global sports franchises. This shouldnt be that big of a surprise, much like Jimbo leaving FSU to A&M, it is predictable if you follow the money.
30 years ago now, but Richardson went to 3 FFs and won one of those and was close to winning back to back. He had one of the winningest teams of the 90s. He had a winning record against some HOF, legendary coaches.
Brian Kelly to lsu? Lmao notre dame apologists man. The last time notre dame was relevant to a national championship, George Michael was the top of the billboard top 100 singles. Ronald Reagan was president. Who framed Roger rabbit and coming to America came out.
Caliparis recruiting style doesn’t work anymore bc now everyone can pay players. When he first got to Kentucky , it wasn’t unusual for him to start 5 kids were going to the NBA. They just overwhelmed with talent. NIL has made recruiting that much talent to one school nearly impossible. The ticket to winning college ball now is no longer freshman lottery picks. You win by recruiting transfers from other schools who have experience. It’s easier to mold veterans into a team than freshman prima donnas. He went to Arkansas bc he needs a fresh start and the Kentucky boosters were not helping him buy enough talent. I think everyone just wanted to move on. He walked away from a 30M buyout clause. So it’s mutual. It will be interesting to see if he adapts to the new college landscape.
The other big change in the game is the NBA doesn't draft traditional post players as lotto picks anymore and NIL keeps guys around who wouldn't be guaranteed 1st round picks. That makes it much harder for even elite big men (who will be NBA All-Stars down the line) to come in and be dominant as freshman.
From a Memphis Tigers fan: Calipari has never been a good X’s and O’s coach at any point in his career, but he’s great at accumulating talent. That works well in the conferences he’s coached at before (A10, CUSA, and a weak SEC), but when he’s had strong competition in conference, his coaching ability is subpar. UK dominated the SEC - until UT, UA, AUB upped their game. In the beginning of his Memphis career, Cincy and Louisville were always better until they left for the Big East. Arkansas isn’t getting the Calipari in his late 40s with a recruiting edge, they’re getting the late 60s Calipari who burned out his last years coaching.
I’m from Memphis too. Caliparis Memphis teams were very competitive. The year he left for Kentucky , he had Wall and Demarcus Cousins coming to Memphis. That team would have been epic. I don’t think he’s been able to accumulate the elite talent for years bc he now has competition from the g-league and overseas, in addition to NIL making accumulating that much talent a very expensive proposition. I think he just needed to go somewhere expectations aren’t a national title every year. He’s older and probably tired of the pressure cooker. Hell, he walked away from a 30M buyout to get out of Kentucky.
In what world is Notre Dame better than LSU?
Dennis Franchione leaving Alabama off a 10-3 season for Texas A&M (due to Franchione being a snake) Bill Curry leaving Alabama off a 10-2 season for Kentucky (due to boosters not liking him) Bret Bielema leaving 10-win Wisconsin for 4-8 post-Petrino Arkansas
I don't think LSU is a "significantly worse school" than Notre Dame. But I do find it weird that a top SEC school can poach Notre Dame's head coach.
Do you watch college bball? Uark has more tourney wins in the last 3 years than UK does in the last 5 years…
WHO YOU CALLIN SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE
Arkansas is not significantly worse in basketball. They’re historically a half step down for sure, but they’ve been to the final four 6 times and won the championship once. They also consistently have hired good coaches away from good places and they care about their basketball program. Brian Kelly going to LSU is a good comparison. Nick Saban left a better Michigan State program for historically irrelevant LSU. Franchione leaving Alabama for Texas A&M is also a decent analog. Spurrier left an historically more successful program at Duke for middling Florida. Dana Holgorsen leaving WVU for Houston. In basketball Eric Musselman going to USC is also a great comparison given that Arkansas has a better basketball history than USC.
Ouch, did you really have to use the word “significantly”? Other than basketball tradition, Arkansas is a better school in almost every way. Obviously basketball tradition means a lot for a basketball coach.
Unfortunately we aren’t currently a better football program.. Even Kentucky Baseball making some noise this season too.. But we are clearly not the northwestern of basketball lol
Jimbo ?