Coaching Search 2007 (sorry kind of long)

[Olhickory]

I've read several threads from today stating we can't get a big time coach to come here.  I was trying to remember back to 07 and the coaching search we conducted. 

In January 2007, the U of A announced the "resignation" of Paw-paw.  John White and Paw-Paw promised there would be no coaching changes in any sport until the new AD was hired.  The thought was that no coach worth anything would want to take a job when he had NO IDEA who his boss would be in 6 months. 

In February 2007 it was leaked that if Arkansas didn't make the NCAA, Stan Heath would be terminated.

In March 2007, Arkansas won 5 straight games and made it to the SEC championship game.  They got an at large bid to the NCAA tourney.

10 days after getting beat by USC, Stan Heath was fired.  It was leaked from the BAC that Heath was fired because Paw-Paw and Billy Clyde had come to terms on a deal to coach the Razorbacks.

Days after this announcement, it came to light that Paw-paw never talked to Billy Clyde; Instead, he based the firing of Stan Heath on a conversation he had with Doc Sadler in which Sadler thought Billy Clyde might be interested in the Arkansas job.

At this point, all other coaching candidates knew two things.  Not only would they be working for a lame duck athletic director, but also they were AT BEST the schools second choice.

Paw-Paw tried to gauge Bill Self's interest in the job, but Self said something along the lines of "you approached one of my assistants (Billy Clyde) before you approached me.  Thanks but no thanks."

At this point Paw-Paw was getting very nervous.  He had the Masters golf tournament coming up and he wasn't going to miss it.

The next step was Paw-Paw threw a lot of money at calipari.  Calipari, who knew he was AT BEST the third choice at Arkansas, knew that we had a lame duck athletic director, knew he was high up on Kentucky's wish list of Donovan turned them down, and knew if he stayed at Memphis, he would have Derrick Rose and a good chance at a final four said the Arkansas job is a great one but the timing is wrong.

Paw-Paw was very nervous at this time,  the Masters was getting very close.  He went with Jimmy Dykes to the Final Four and was going to bring back a coach regardless.  He hired Dana Altman who had NEVER set foot on the UofA campus.

At his press conference, Altman looked like a man that had been punched in the gut.  He looked really bad when Paw-Paw got up before hand and said, "You talk about up-tempo basketball.  Thats what Dana Altman plays."

24 hours after being hired as head basketball coach, Altman decided to go back to Nebraska.  Paw-Paw is in Georgia at the Masters so John White takes over.

John White throws a ton of money at a search committee that basically said, I think John Pelphrey will take the job and not leave town the next day.

Pelphrey is then introduced as the new basketball coach after Paw-Paw gets back from the Masters.

I still like Pelphrey and he definitely deserves another year.  But I think Arkansas could get a big time coach if they had competent people in the administration (which they seem to have).  To say Arkansas couldn't get a big time coach based on the above mess is unfair.  Nothing could be as screwed up as that search was.  Also, didn't Andy Katz write an article last month saying the SEC could only be great if Arkansas and Kentucky were great.  He said something to the effect that we were the only two schools that placed importance on basketball.  I hope pel wins a national championship here, but I do think we'll have better options when we look for another coach (whenever that might be)

[razorbackfan]

When you say better options name them...Calipari, Self, Gillepsie, Lon Kruger we already went after. I mean name me an established winner that will leave their school & come to Arkansas...

[Olhickory]

I don't know where you work, but would you leave your job now and go work for another company when you had no idea who your boss and immediate supervisor was going to be in 6 months?  Unless you were totally miserable or were getting a much, much better salary, the answer is NO.  Thus, big-time coaches wouldn't consider us when we had a lame duck athletic director.  Not only do you not know who your boss is going to be, but also AD's are notorious for wanting "their own guy."  Again, it leaves me speechless that people assume no one wants this job based on the gross negligence of the previous administration which I tried to outline above.

As to whom we might get, I have no idea.  But I can tell you this:  After Auburn beat us 9-7 at home back in October 2007, I would have said you were high on drugs if you thought there was a remote chance that Atlanta's Bobby Petrino would be our head coach in about 2 months.

[heathtits]

All I know is things would have gone much differently if Long had handled that hire.

[HawgAdvocate]

Big time coaches don't need to worry about who the AD or Chancellor may be. If they're big time coaches, they'll win regardless of who's over their heads.

And the fact that they're getting hired before a new AD is in place should tell them they're of higher importance. Why? Because they're big time coaches. We offered Cal $4 million per year. You think he gave a damn about who the AD was going to be, and that was the reason he didn't leave his Final Four team for a rebuilding project in the region? Yeah, right.

Petrino was the exception, not the rule. Proven college coaches don't normally deal with star pro players owning network news by going to prison unexpectedly, other star players publiclly rebelling in the locker room, and choosing to leave their pro team midseason in their very first pro season to the utter collapse of the franchise around you.

But when that (or something similar) happens in the NBA, please keep your eyes open and let us know.

[chiefsfan]

All I know is things would have gone much differently if Long had handled that hire.

and how do we know this?  Long was about to hire Reggie Herring, had Petrino not fallen into his lap

[Olhickory]

Big time coaches don't need to worry about who the AD or Chancellor may be. If they're big time coaches, they'll win regardless of who's over their heads.

And the fact that they're getting hired before a new AD is in place should tell them they're of higher importance. Why? Because they're big time coaches. We offered Cal $4 million per year. You think he gave a damn about who the AD was going to be, and that was the reason he didn't leave his Final Four team for a rebuilding project in the region? Yeah, right.

Petrino was the exception, not the rule. Proven college coaches don't normally deal with star pro players owning network news by going to prison unexpectedly, other star players publiclly rebelling in the locker room, and choosing to leave their pro team midseason in their very first pro season to the utter collapse of the franchise around you.

But when that (or something similar) happens in the NBA, please keep your eyes open and let us know.

If you read my thread above, you'll see I think Calipari turned us down for many reasons not just our Lame Duck AD.  I believe his eye was on the Kentucky job, and he thought it was his to get was his main reason.

I disagree about coaches not caring who there AD's are.  Nolan cared his AD was PAW-PAW.  Bobby knight cared negatively about his IU AD and positively about his TTech AD.  I know Roy Williams was from North Carolina, but it was thought that the final straw that pushed him to UNC was a poor relationship with the KU AD.

AD's are the boss of college coaches.  They have either direct control or a lot of input into firing the coach.  Also, AD's control most of the money and determine where it gets spent (facilities, upgrades, recruiting trips, technology) unless private boosters give you the money specifically for a project.  Working for an AD you don't like can create discourse,  Don't think for one second that didn't have something to do with most coaches decision. 

Bobby Petrino didn't want out of Atlanta half as bad as he wanted the Arkansas job.  He could tried to get the Michigan, West Virginia, UCLA, Texas A&M job.  He also could have waited to see if Mad Hatter went to Ann Arbor and tried for the LSU job.  But he wanted to come to Arkansas.  Listen to an interview with a sports agent that was on with Shawn Arnell a few months ago.  He talks how Petrino's dream was getting the Arkansas job.  I think this is a great place to live and we can get great coaching candidates to come here.  But please next time:

No Search committees
No publicly announcing your number 1 target
No person that has Jimmy Sexton as their agent
Let Long secretly find us a great hire.

[WhenPigsFly]

You're giving Long a lot of credit. 

Our football coach search was actually similar to the basketball scenario you just described.  We were turned down lots of times, and Grobe was almost the Altman of the situation.  The difference was, Petrino, who I think is an elite coach, wanted out of Atlanta badly, and Arkansas was looking and willing to  pay.

The next choice may have been Kiffin, who is really an unproven commodity.  We were very, very, VERY fortunate to land Petrino.

[Beaverfever]

and how do we know this?  Long was about to hire Reggie Herring, had Petrino not fallen into his lap

I don't believe that for a second.  It is widely accepted that Will Muschamp was signed sealed and delivered to Fayetteville until BP came into the picture, which in my opinion would have been a great hire.

[PorkRyan]

and how do we know this?  Long was about to hire Reggie Herring, had Petrino not fallen into his lap

If by Reggie Herring you mean Will Muschamp, you are correct.

[Oliver]

and how do we know this?  Long was about to hire Reggie Herring, had Petrino not fallen into his lap

That's a load of horses$%#.  Muschamp was said to have been offered the job and was willing to accept the morning of the Petrino hire.  As you know Muschamp is now in line to take over the job at Texas!  I'd take Petrino any day of the week over Muschamp but Muschamp would have been a big time hire as well.  Having an AD now that knows how to use the internet would definitely show if there was another coaching search.

[JayhawkHog]

Kansas hired Self w/ an interim AD.  So I don't think it was the AD situation. 

[rzrbackrob]

I'm not as confident that Long will hire a slam dunk great coach. His last hire fell in his lap. That said, I have enjoyed the professionalism Long has brought to the job.

[WMHawgfan]

That's a load of horses$%#.  Muschamp was said to have been offered the job and was willing to accept the morning of the Petrino hire.  As you know Muschamp is now in line to take over the job at Texas!  I'd take Petrino any day of the week over Muschamp but Muschamp would have been a big time hire as well.  Having an AD now that knows how to use the internet would definitely show if there was another coaching search.

Yeah but he offered it to tommy bowden and jim grobe before turning to muschamp. It's kind of a wash if you ask me. We got very lucky to have BP fall into our laps.

Calipari did not come because he knows what he has at memphis. He knows with his recruiting, he has a cakewalk thru conference play and pretty much a locked up 1-3 seed every year. He knows if he keeps getting a high seed he will eventually get the championship. He is getting paid very well at memphis and his job is easy.

The rest of the big names I don't think will come if we offer them. If or when we lose Pel we will be looking at coaches who are not huge names but successful coaches none the less. Jamie Dixon, Mark Few, the guy from Butler etc.

[donewithdale]

I've read several threads from today stating we can't get a big time coach to come here.  I was trying to remember back to 07 and the coaching search we conducted. 

Can't?  I wouldn't say 'can't'.  But I am on record as saying I think our fan base is delusional and has a much higher self worth about how good our job is vs reality based on something that ended over a decade ago and because we have a large arena.

[Oliver]

Yeah but he offered it to tommy bowden and jim grobe before turning to muschamp. It's kind of a wash if you ask me. We got very lucky to have BP fall into our laps.

Calipari did not come because he knows what he has at memphis. He knows with his recruiting, he has a cakewalk thru conference play and pretty much a locked up 1-3 seed every year. He knows if he keeps getting a high seed he will eventually get the championship. He is getting paid very well at memphis and his job is easy.

The rest of the big names I don't think will come if we offer them. If or when we lose Pel we will be looking at coaches who are not huge names but successful coaches none the less. Jamie Dixon, Mark Few, the guy from Butler etc.

Grobe is a good coach.  The only name that disgusted me during the football coach hiring was Tommy Bowden.  Everyone else would have been an upgrade from Nutt. 

As for a basketball coach, we wouldn't HAVE to hire a big name coach.  You can hire a good up and coming coach if you know what you are doing.  I have a feeling we have people in charge of our athletic department that do know what they are doing now.

[12247]

Sutton came to Arkansas from Creghton, Richardson from Tulsa.  Neither were big time can't miss coaches when they showed up.  Both were considered up and comers just like Pel.  On the other hand, Nutt had nothing but being a homer to qualify him to be a Hog coach.  The horse crap around here about how great our BB HC job is just that, horse crap.  We are in a football conference and on the edge of that.  We haven't been good since 1995, nearly 14 years.  Recruits have to trust the memory of us old timers to realize we were ever very good.  I've heard we were a great team sometime back in the 20's or 30's or sometime.  My memory of that is like current recruits memory of the late 70's, 80's and early 90's.  We have a very good coach considering who and what we are.  In football, we did get lucky with Petrino.  I think Petrino had a fluid situation at Altanta and finally broke about the time we needed a coach.  If you remember, he had to ask twice to be interviewed.  We were once again, looking at second tier coaches, coaches who wouldn't make another season where they were and trying and failing to hire them.  Grobe was the best of the lot and really he hadn't done enough to be considered a b

[Oliver]

Sutton came to Arkansas from Creghton, Richardson from Tulsa.  Neither were big time can't miss coaches when they showed up.  Both were considered up and comers just like Pel.  On the other hand, Nutt had nothing but being a homer to qualify him to be a Hog coach.  The horse crap around here about how great our BB HC job is just that, horse crap.  We are in a football conference and on the edge of that.  We haven't been good since 1995, nearly 14 years.  Recruits have to trust the memory of us old timers to realize we were ever very good.  I've heard we were a great team sometime back in the 20's or 30's or sometime.  My memory of that is like current recruits memory of the late 70's, 80's and early 90's.  We have a very good coach considering who and what we are.  In football, we did get lucky with Petrino.  I think Petrino had a fluid situation at Altanta and finally broke about the time we needed a coach.  If you remember, he had to ask twice to be interviewed.  We were once again, looking at second tier coaches, coaches who wouldn't make another season where they were and trying and failing to hire them.  Grobe was the best of the lot and really he hadn't done enough to be considered a b

None of the coaches we were considering for our football job were considered 2nd rate except for maybe Tommy Bowden.

[12247]

Second rate and second tier are 2 different things.

[Oliver]

Will Muschamp on paper would have been about the equivolent to Jack Crowe.

That thing you said about the current administration not knowing what they are doing is just something to expect when you decide to roll the dice on a change.  There is no way to know exactly what you are doing on an unproven coaching hire.

Will Muschamp = Jack Crowe??  WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

[razorbackfan]

None of the coaches we were considering for our football job were considered 2nd rate except for maybe Tommy Bowden.

Grobe is 28-36 in 8 years in the ACC, with only 2 winning seasons...Bowden was 43-32 in the same conference...Explain to me again who was 2nd rate & who wasn't??? I mean if you cant win in the ACC in football then how in the heck can you win in the SEC?

[HawgAdvocate]

Will Muschamp = Jack Crowe??  WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

As much as I'd like to agree with you, we won't know until Muschamp makes the leap to HC.

I believe that's why he said "on paper."

Two of Texas' prior DCs (Robinson and Chizik) have so far been failures as HCs. Right?

[donewithdale]

Muschamp just needs to maintain a pulse and he'll win at Texas.  No job is easier.  Only OU comes close to being able to compete in recruiting so most every game he'll have a huge talent and depth advantage. 

Back to the topic, I'm waiting to hear what would make a coach like Dixon want to leave a Big East program like Pitt for us?

[Oliver]

As much as I'd like to agree with you, we won't know until Muschamp makes the leap to HC.

I believe that's why he said "on paper."

Two of Texas' prior DCs (Robinson and Chizik) have so far been failures as HCs. Right?

While I'm far from claiming Muschamp a guaranteed successful head coach, comparing him to Jack Crowe is ludicrous.  Jack Crowe was never given an offer to take over for one of the most successful coaches at one of the most successful programs in college football.

[Oliver]

Muschamp just needs to maintain a pulse and he'll win at Texas.  No job is easier.  Only OU comes close to being able to compete in recruiting so most every game he'll have a huge talent and depth advantage. 

Back to the topic, I'm waiting to hear what would make a coach like Dixon want to leave a Big East program like Pitt for us?

I'm waiting to hear what wouldn't make him leave Pitt for us.

[Oliver]

Grobe is 28-36 in 8 years in the ACC, with only 2 winning seasons...Bowden was 43-32 in the same conference...Explain to me again who was 2nd rate & who wasn't??? I mean if you cant win in the ACC in football then how in the heck can you win in the SEC?

At WAKE FORREST!!!!!  WAKE FORREST!!  Did you even know they had a football team before Jim Grobe came along?

Tommy Bowden was the Houston Nutt of the ACC.

[WMHawgfan]

Muschamp just needs to maintain a pulse and he'll win at Texas.  No job is easier.  Only OU comes close to being able to compete in recruiting so most every game he'll have a huge talent and depth advantage. 

Back to the topic, I'm waiting to hear what would make a coach like Dixon want to leave a Big East program like Pitt for us?

don't think anyone said he would leave. He may or he may not. I do believe that he would be a coach that we would make a run at though. Long has ties to Pittsburgh and I could be wrong but I believe Dixon was his hire there.

[donewithdale]

I'm waiting to hear what wouldn't make him leave Pitt for us.

He has a top 10 -15 program right now at Pitt. Currently team ranked #4.

He is much closer to more recruits.  He is in the best basketball conference with the most national coverage especially considering the Big East's media markets.  His arena is newer and probably nicer than BWA so we hold no advantage there.  And he doesn't have to worry about an impatient fan base like he would here.  If Pel is fired it means there is still a rebuilding job here yet our fans don't want to wait for that to happen.  Why leave a yearly NCAAT program and a top 10 ranked team for instability and impatience?

One thing we could offer is much weaker competition.  And secondly possibly a pay raise if Long can somehow find the money.

[razorbackfan]

At WAKE FORREST!!!!!  WAKE FORREST!!  Did you even know they had a football team before Jim Grobe came along?

Tommy Bowden was the Houston Nutt of the ACC.

But he qualifies as first rate for you? A losing record at Wake Forest or wherever = first rate?

[HawgAdvocate]

While I'm far from claiming Muschamp a guaranteed successful head coach, comparing him to Jack Crowe is ludicrous.  Jack Crowe was never given an offer to take over for one of the most successful coaches at one of the most successful programs in college football.

Texas may regret making such a bold decision as well. We'll have to wait and see. Obviously Auburn, nor any other school that needed a head coach prior to him going to Texas, thought enough of Muschamp to think he was ready.

[donewithdale]

But he qualifies as first rate for you? A losing record at Wake Forest or wherever = first rate?

You have to go back to 1937-50 for a Wake Forest coach to have a winning record there.  Grobe's predecessor was 26-63.  He has won 11, 9 and 8 games in the last 3 seasons at frankin' Wake.  He is an excellent coach but is probably suited for a small private school like Wake.

[HawgAdvocate]

I'm waiting to hear what wouldn't make him leave Pitt for us.

He has a top 10 -15 program right now at Pitt. Currently team ranked #4.

He is much closer to more recruits.  He is in the best basketball conference with the most national coverage especially considering the Big East's media markets.  His arena is newer and probably nicer than BWA so we hold no advantage there.  And he doesn't have to worry about an impatient fan base like he would here.  If Pel is fired it means there is still a rebuilding job here yet our fans don't want to wait for that to happen.  Why leave a yearly NCAAT program and a top 10 ranked team for instability and impatience?

One thing we could offer is much weaker competition.  And secondly possibly a pay raise if Long can somehow find the money.

When I was there I read that 66% of the entire US population lives within 8 hours of Niagra Falls. Now I don't know how accurate that is, but there's a huge concentration of people in the NE. When you've already got a top 10 program in that area, in a major city, why in hades would you leave for a rebuilding job across the country when money isn't an obvious difference?

[donewithdale]

When I was there I read that 66% of the entire US population lives within 8 hours of Niagra Falls. Now I don't know how accurate that is, but there's a huge concentration of people in the NE. When you've already got a top 10 program in that area, in a major city, why in hades would you leave for a rebuilding job across the country when money isn't an obvious difference?

Their roster is almost exlusively northeast and east coast.  NYC, Baltimore, Jersey, Pittsburgh, Philly and an Indiana and  a Houston.  I don't think our fans realize if the state does not produce top level talent then our program is going to struggle to be elite.  And our best player now is an Ark kid yet we are still struggling to just compete.

[Oliver]

He has a top 10 -15 program right now at Pitt. Currently team ranked #4.

He is much closer to more recruits.  He is in the best basketball conference with the most national coverage especially considering the Big East's media markets.  His arena is newer and probably nicer than BWA so we hold no advantage there.  And he doesn't have to worry about an impatient fan base like he would here.  If Pel is fired it means there is still a rebuilding job here yet our fans don't want to wait for that to happen.  Why leave a yearly NCAAT program and a top 10 ranked team for instability and impatience?

One thing we could offer is much weaker competition.  And secondly possibly a pay raise if Long can somehow find the money.

The only thing I disagree with is the portrayal of our fanbase as just impatient.  While I won't argue that many of us (including myself) are impatient, there is no way that Pitt fans can meet the passion of our fans when we are successful.  That's always the case when you are THE SHOW.  At Pitt, you are second tier to so many other professional teams.  Otherwise, I agree with you on your reasoning.  Just because the negatives outweight the positives, doesn't mean we know what is important to Jamie Dixon and doesn't mean it wouldn't be worth trying to obtain him should our coaching position have an opening again one day.  Writing him off before trying is ridiculous.

[Oliver]

Texas may regret making such a bold decision as well. We'll have to wait and see. Obviously Auburn, nor any other school that needed a head coach prior to him going to Texas, thought enough of Muschamp to think he was ready.

Yet he consistently had some of the best defenses in the SEC.  And once he got the exposure at Texas, every program was salivating over him...hence Texas offering him the head coaching job in waiting.  Otherwise, he would currently be at one of the many schools that needed a head coach...probably back at Auburn.

[Oliver]

But he qualifies as first rate for you? A losing record at Wake Forest or wherever = first rate?

I didn't call him first rate...but he certainly was an upgrade over Houston Nutt and that's the whole goal of hiring a new coach...to improve upon your last coach.

[HawgAdvocate]

Yet he consistently had some of the best defenses in the SEC.  And once he got the exposure at Texas, every program was salivating over him...hence Texas offering him the head coaching job in waiting.  Otherwise, he would currently be at one of the many schools that needed a head coach...probably back at Auburn.

Joe Kines had some of the most dominating defenses in the SEC. As did Joe Lee Dunn. As does Charlie Strong. Great head coaches? No record I can see.

Just because Texas designates a guy as the next head coach, which is the recent trend for quite a few schools, doesn't guarantee greatness. It sure isn't working that well for Florida St., and they've had head coach-designate Jimbo Fisher on staff running things for a few years now.

It was only after Saban further enhanced his resume at Bama did his pupil Muschamp look so much more enticing, as have most of Belichick's crew in NE has over the past five years (McDaniel, Pioli, Weiss, Crennel, Mangini) as are some of Bill Parcell's guys (Todd Halley most recently).

Don't anoint Muschamp Crown Prince of College Football until he earns it.

[Oliver]

Joe Kines had some of the most dominating defenses in the SEC. As did Joe Lee Dunn. As does Charlie Strong. Great head coaches? No record I can see.

Just because Texas designates a guy as the next head coach, which is the recent trend for quite a few schools, doesn't guarantee greatness. It sure isn't working that well for Florida St., and they've had head coach-designate Jimbo Fisher on staff running things for a few years now.

It was only after Saban further enhanced his resume at Bama did his pupil Muschamp look so much more enticing, as have most of Belichick's crew in NE has over the past five years (McDaniel, Pioli, Weiss, Crennel, Mangini) as are some of Bill Parcell's guys (Todd Halley most recently).

Don't anoint Muschamp Crown Prince of College Football until he earns it.

You can't annoit any coach a guaranteed success at any school.  Even the most successful, proven, big name coaches like Spurrier haven't been able to reproduce the same success at South Carolina.  We could really spend all day giving examples of great coordinators that succeeding as head coaches and great coordinators that failed as head coaches. 

My point is this.  Muschamp was/is one of the most sought after coordinators in the country.  He was not only considering coaching our football program, he was going to take the job before Petrino wanted the job.  That shows me that WELL RESPECTED and BIG TIME Coordinators were considering our program.

This is certainly different than saying had we not got Petrino we would have been stuck with another Joe Kines.  I'm sick of the woe-is-me, we can't get anybody to come to coach our school type thinking.  IT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

[HeathWimp]

If you read my thread above, you'll see I think Calipari turned us down for many reasons not just our Lame Duck AD.  I believe his eye was on the Kentucky job, and he thought it was his to get was his main reason.

I disagree about coaches not caring who there AD's are.  Nolan cared his AD was PAW-PAW.  Bobby knight cared negatively about his IU AD and positively about his TTech AD.  I know Roy Williams was from North Carolina, but it was thought that the final straw that pushed him to UNC was a poor relationship with the KU AD.

AD's are the boss of college coaches.  They have either direct control or a lot of input into firing the coach.  Also, AD's control most of the money and determine where it gets spent (facilities, upgrades, recruiting trips, technology) unless private boosters give you the money specifically for a project.  Working for an AD you don't like can create discourse,  Don't think for one second that didn't have something to do with most coaches decision. 

Bobby Petrino didn't want out of Atlanta half as bad as he wanted the Arkansas job.  He could tried to get the Michigan, West Virginia, UCLA, Texas A&M job.  He also could have waited to see if Mad Hatter went to Ann Arbor and tried for the LSU job.  But he wanted to come to Arkansas.  Listen to an interview with a sports agent that was on with Shawn Arnell a few months ago.  He talks how Petrino's dream was getting the Arkansas job.  I think this is a great place to live and we can get great coaching candidates to come here.  But please next time:

No Search committees
No publicly announcing your number 1 target
No person that has Jimmy Sexton as their agent
Let Long secretly find us a great hire.

The jury is still out on Long.  He was **extremely** lucky to land Petrino.  I don't think that Petrino ever had any intrinsic desire to come here.  It just happened to work out for him - he was desperate to get out of Atlanta, and we were desparate to land a coach.  I'm not saying that he can't or isn't happy here, or that he won't do great things, but I think it is naive to believe that he "had his heart set" on Arkansas.

[Tomhog™]

Wow, what a derail.  I thought we were dicussing basketball coaches?