Does the AD need to be hired first before a coach?

Vanillalite

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Does the AD hire need to be first? Does the football coach need to be picked by the next AD or do we get who we can get now even if we don’t have an AD in place yet?
 

link3945

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No, it's not necessary. Interim AD and president can make the hire if necessary. You'd obviously prefer to get the AD in place first, but it's not a requirement.
 
Augusta_Jacket

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The likelihood of us hiring a coach before the end of the season is low, as we will most likely be gunning for a coach not willing to leave his team before the end of the regular season. We will probably land on a new AD and hire that person in the next month or so.
 
Techster

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4shotB said:
Technically you are correct. But I think it has a negative effect on your AD candidate pool.
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This. ADs become ADs because they want to make big hires that stamps their tenure. Head football coach is the biggest hire an AD makes. It's why Bobinski was desperate enough to tank CPJ's funding so he could hire his own guy.

You hire a coach before you hire an AD, and that sends a message that the AD is just a figurehead at GT, and not the captain of the ship. IMO, it would be a strategic blunder to hire a HC before getting input from the new AD.
 
Vespidae

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Vanillalite said:
Does the AD hire need to be first? Does the football coach need to be picked by the next AD or do we get who we can get now even if we don’t have an AD in place yet?
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Technically no. The GTAA can establish a search committee and create a slate of candidates and choose from that. That's how Auburn did it. The President let the boosters force out Malzahn and right before getting Kevin Steele to take the job, he announced a search committee which slowed the whole process down. Steel's chances evaporated by the minute.

I think a search committee makes sense. The last search was limited to 2-3 candidates and no serious long-term thought was put into it. IMO.
 
John R

John R

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4shotB said:
Technically you are correct. But I think it has a negative effect on your AD candidate pool.
Click to expand...
Game theory: As stated above, hire the coach first and you not only cut your AD pool considerably, but you also give the new AD a permanent excuse as to why the future team may not be doing so well at any given moment.
You should always hire the new AD first, making him accountable for the entire program going forward. A new broom always sweeps clean - which is a cliche for a reason.
 

RamblinRed

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The other issue is that hiring a HC is more difficult if you don't already have the AD in place.
The AD is the HC's boss. Not many people want to walk into a situation where they do not know who their boss is and how that relationship is going to work.
 
Fatmike91

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I would make a hire like Deion if there is a way prior to naming an AD. If the new AD didn't like that then maybe this isn't the time/place for that AD.

But, I wouldn't make a more ordinary hire. I'd bring in an AD and let them own it.

/
 
slugboy

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g0lftime

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Go after the AD that has the best chance of hiring the HC you want. Get a person with experience and FB knowledge of who are the best HC candidates out there that would want to work for that AD.
 
Techster

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slugboy said:
I'm not saying this list is accurate, or that Thamel even talked to anyone, but it's a better list than many of us would come up with.

Allen Greene could start tomorrow (Auburn cut him loose in August): https://nypost.com/2022/08/26/allen-greene-stepping-away-from-role-as-auburn-athletic-director/. It depends on whether you think he checks all the boxes here, and if you think that he can hire a good coach--many people don't like his Harsin hire.
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He had the foresight to hire Leipold at Buffalo. Leipold is starting to turn the Kansas program around, and is being mentioned for the Nebraska job (and possibly the Wisconsin job).

Auburn athletic department is an absolute poop show. I wouldn't read too much into his time there...in fact, it's probably a badge of honor to get out of there.
 
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