“wickerman’s fence of leathery tyres, and the cook’s gone bad”

Today’s Topic:  I know there aren’t a lot of black coaches…guess what….so do they

Mood Music:  Kerosene Hat by Cracker

If I have to listen to another dumbass media member profess their outrage at the unfairness of College Football because of the lack of African-American Head Coaches, I think I’m gonna track down Ty Willingham, swing him around by the balls and see if I can take out Charles Barkley, Spencer Tillman, and Dennis Dodd at one fell swoop.

I thought we were progressing?  I thought that white people might actually get a minor blow on the race card since our Country elected an African-American president.  Just a little….Mr. Jackson?  Mr. Tillman?  Anyone?

I guess not, huh.

I’ll tell you my opinion on why there aren’t more African-American Head Coaches in College Football…..because the guys that get a chance can’t keep a damn job.  Seriously.  Please tell me a black man that’s actually excelled as a Head Coach at a Major University.

Ok, so your argument is that they haven’t had the opportunity.  Well, yeah, yeah they have.  I understand that there are significantly more white coaches…..I understand that they get the lion’s share of opportunities when jobs come up….what’s your point?  How many black assistant coaches are there in College Football right now?  I can name a few that are deserving of a Head Coaching opportunity, but even those guys probably don’t deserve a shot at a major University yet.  Charlie Strong has been a phenomenal DC at South Carolina and Florida, yet he got passed over for the Miss. St. job by the OC at Florida, Dan Mullen.  Was that racist?  If that’s how you wanna see it, then sure.  My opinion is that most successful Head Coaches started out as Offensive Coordinators….not Defensive Coordinators.  That doesn’t mean that DCs can’t be successful as HCs (see Bob Stoops and …… ok, see Bob Stoops).  That’s just a fact.  Generally, the more successful Coaches were previous OCs.  

Rodney Garner, an unbelievably great man, great recruiter, and great coach at the University of Georgia was considered for the coaching job at Auburn.  Do I think he deserves a shot to be a Head Coach?  Absolutely.  Do I think his first shot should be at a program the size of Auburn?  Absolutely not. 

Speaking of the Auburn job……this is the reason that I decided to come out of my winter slumber.  Charles Barkley (a former alum) stated that the Tigers’ hiring of Gene Chizik was racist.  He felt like Buffalo (yes, I said Buffalo) Head Coach, Turner Gill (a black man) was more deserving of the Auburn job.  Now, I may not be privvy to all the inside information that circulates around the College Football world, but here are a few things I do know:

1) Chizik was DC at Auburn from 02-04 (they went 13-0 in 04)

2) Chizik was DC at Texas from 05-06 (they won the NC in 05)

3) that’s a pretty good track record (even though he was a DC)

4) Chizik was 5-19 as the Head Coach at Iowa St. (the Big 12)

5) Turner Gill has a record of 15-22 in 3 Seasons at Buffalo (the MAC)…he was 7-17 in his first 2 years

Someone please explain to me how that makes his resume more enticing than Chizik’s, which is Barkley’s argument.  I’m sorry Charles, I’m not sure how a lifetime assistant coach who in 3 seasons at a MAC school led them to a 15-22 record equates to superiority.  In fact, other than the DC aspect of Chizik, I don’t really think there’s a comparison.  I’m not saying it’s a good hire for Auburn (hell, I love it because of the aforementioned DC as HC point), but neither would be Turner Gill.

Ty Willingham, Sylvester Croom, and Ron Prince all got fired because they weren’t getting the job done.  Period.  It’s not because College Football is racist (Jim Donnan got fired from Georgia and averaged around 8 wins in his tenure..he also never lost a bowl game……Tommy Tuberville averaged 8.5 wins over 10 seasons at Auburn and he got canned), it’s not a Southern thing (Croom was at Mississippi St., Prince at Kansas St., and Willingham at Washington….I’d say that covers a wide range of countryside).

It’s business…..and more and more…..the business of College Football is to win.  That’s it.  There’s no freaking agenda.  Charlie Strong and Turner Gill weren’t overlooked because their wives are white, and I’m sure they’ll get their shot at some point in the near future.  I sure hope so, Strong’s defenses have given UGA hell.

Oh yeah, good luck to Mike Locksley (new Head Coach at New Mexico..he was the OC at Illinois from 05-08….and, oh yeah….he’s black)

I’ll talk at you all again later.

“here come ole’ Kerosene Hat, with his ear flaps waxed, a-courtin’ his girl…come clatterin’ here, on your old cloven skates with that devilish spoon”

“it’s the hap-happiest season of all”

Today’s Topic:  College Football Bowl Season is upon us

Mood Music:  It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams

Here we go folks.  The Bowl Season is here and I’m getting fired up about some of the matchups:

Clemson vs. Nebraska is a game that I’m really excited about watching.  Pelini vs. Swinney.  Or as I like to think of it…..a probably successful future head coach vs. the worst choice for a Head Coach in years (well, Auburn’s choice of Head Coach might rival Clemson’s) 

Don’t forget about Utah/Bama…..Ole Miss/Texas Tech……UNC/WVA…….Ohio St./Texas……Penn St./USC……and the game in which I wish a bomb would drop on the stadium…..Oklahoma/UF (not really, but I wouldn’t lose any sleep if Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops suddenly disappeared at some point in the near future…forever)

Let me know what games you all are looking forward to, and I’m gonna give my picks for a few as it gets a little closer to the weekend.

Thanks for hanging in there.  I’ll get back in the groove soon. 

I’ll talk at you all later.

“there’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories”