Could they possibly come after Sterling Gilbert? Who would want to follow that **** show. How about the Pirate?
If I was Charlie I would be very concerned. I doubt that Baylor would go for SG. However they have to be looking at Montgomery at Tulsa which, if hired, would leave Tulsa looking. They definitely would go after SG. Phil Bennett has a proven track record of not being able to be a HC. Briles will be nuclear for a season or two so Kindall Briles will also be looking. Surely Baylor knows not to look there as that would mean Art Briles would be HC in the background.
They will have to go for a "character guy" similar to what Penn State did with Bill O'Brien. They will not be able to make a big splash hire as those candidates will want nothing to do with them. The link to Texas High School coaches is something they will want to maintain. Because it is early summer, they will be limited on who they can lure. So while Gilbert is certainly a candidate, he is not 100% proven yet. If I was running the search committee, I would start interviews with Chad Morris.
Bennett failed miserably at SMU, but he is a good position coach. I think that Baylor will ****-can the whole staff, or hire a new coach that will. as stated above the stench is on all of them now. I hope Briles and his spawn, Kendall, never see a sideline at any level again.
I am not too worried about Sterling. Baylor is going to be in a whirlwind for a while. It may lose current players, is very likely to lose recruits, and is likely to lose some position coaches who are looking for more security. At Texas, he is about to be a well paid OC for a national program on the rise. Better to play that role for a while and build a resume and reputation you can parlay into a better HC gig than taking over Baylor while it is in turmoil.
Concern now is that all coaches in the Briles coaching tree being contaminated by association. (Reference to SG's comments on Briles when hired by Texas.)
Wonder how long it will take for NCAA to determine penalties if any apply to Baylor. The next coach will want to know what he is walking in on or , if a lesser name, might not care in order to get a chance to be a HC at a D1 level college.
I hear where you are coming from. My hope is that Coach Strong is as true to his 5 core values as he appears to be (given the dismissals I think he is). And, as a result, the culture at Texas is different and that ALL coaches know such conduct will not be tolerated. If nothing else, this should be a wake up call to all coaches.
I have posted this before (I think) but I hope the statements in this article still ring true for MY UNIVERSITY http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...as_and_university_of_new_hampshire_offer.html
Baylor really has to be looking at this season as interim. They need someone they can bring in with minimal issues, someone who will keep the ship pointed in the right direction, say all the right things and someone who has some sort of moral authority. But they have to know that if they want a home run hire, it's probably not going to happen until the NCAA mess is cleared up, and that is going to take a while. There is no chance they hire anyone externally of any substance between now and July, and frankly would you want a brand new coach coming August? High-profile alum who is willing to be a caretaker unless he just sets the world on fire. Someone who has some vested interest in cleaning up the program before and above anything else, and getting it back where it needs to be. So yeah... Singletary seems like a pretty good choice for that.
There's little doubt Baylor will distance themselves as far from Briles as possible. Which includes Gilbert and others who coached under him. Since staff members were also implicated in the report, it proves he can influence the coaches below. What did SG do at his first UT press conference? Strongly praise and thank Art Briles. If it's leaked SG is a candidate, I'd imagine that clip will surface. This hire will focus on a reputation for solid morals and zero connection to Briles.
Baylor's best choice would be Mike Leach, but they will NEVER hire a Mormon. If you call any of the past administrators or board members with a recommendation, the first thing you will hear is, "Is he Baptist". At this point, one of their best choices could indeed be Charlie Weatherbe. He was at The Naval Academy until he was fired by Chuckie Gladchuk, which should be a ringing endorsement for any coach.
I really cannot think of another coach that would be better for them from a PR standpoint than Singletary.
Phil, I think that Mike Singletary is a great human being, but not a coach to right the ship. Baylor needs to try to sustain success to remain relevant. I can't see Singletary being able to do that. Moondog is right - Cumbie or possibly Longo
Whoever gets the nod, is going to have a mess to rectify, a culture to change, and a fan base with too high expectations to fend off. Wouldn't want to walk into that cesspool for no amount of money.
I'd assume NCAA sanctions will follow. Regardless of Baylor taking their own delayed action, the report proves they were knowingly breaking rules for years prior to action. We all know the NCAA is toothless but this scandal seems too clear-cut, well-publicized, and hot button issue for them not to penalize.
The only way the culture will change is if the Regents/President/AD AND the Head Coach are on the same page and are publicly supporting one another by making strongly worded statements about the type of players they are willing to recruit or accept as transfers. Then they have to stick to it. But they can fend the fans off MAYBE if they are all on the same page.
If Baylor is not serious about fixing the issue, then they'll do what you're suggesting. There is no way you can bring a first-time head coach into a system that has deep-rooted, deep-seeded discipline problems. That can't happen. If you're Baylor, your priority should not be "get someone in who can keep winning without a dropoff." You had better get someone who you know will be in control of the program, including the assistants. If they really want to fix this, as I said before, they need someone to come in and clean house and get things running ethically. THEN they can worry about bringing in a hot-shot football mind. Now isn't the time for that. And has been said, why anyone would commit to come coach at Baylor right now with all the uncertainty is beyond me. And you can't bring in someone in August. You have to have someone in ASAP. That means someone who's loyal to Baylor and is willing to take the risk of coming in no matter what the NCAA does to the program.
Please note where I said "from a PR standpoint". Right now, IMO, Baylor needs a "great human being" as their HC more than they need one who wins ballgames. That is the "righting of the ship" that I think is most important at this time.
