HC Candidate/Rumors/Info Thread

[ibeattetris]

Go to CBS Sports and read Tom Fornelli's article regarding Alabama. He states that Alabama's offense has not been up to par since O'Brien has become the Offensive Coordinator.

9th ranked offense according to FPI efficiency.

Going into the LSU game ranked 8th in OFEI and 10th in overall ppd

I guess if people want to complain and say Bama should be better than just top 10, that’s fine. The offense is really not been Alabama’s issue though. UGA held UT to 6 points and Bama’s defense looked like wet paper.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

9th ranked offense according to FPI efficiency.

Going into the LSU game ranked 8th in OFEI and 10th in overall ppd

I guess if people want to complain and say Bama should be better than just top 10, that’s fine. The offense is really not been Alabama’s issue though. UGA held UT to 6 points and Bama’s defense looked like wet paper.

They are ranked 8th in Offensive FEI. Edit to note, that it does not include LSU game.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

Let's talk about Bill O'Brien.

In 2012 he took over at Penn State for Paterno without knowing the extent of the penalties. When they were announced they were harsh, forty lost ships over four years. He then saw a mass exodus of most his best players and starters. They were down to 65 scholarship players and, yet, still went 8-4 that year. For his work, BOB was Big10, ESPN, and Bear Brant National Coach of the year. (Yeah, he sucks) He followed that season with an almost as impressive 7-5 season.

The next year he took over for a Houston Texans team that was coming off a 2-14 season. In his first season, he went 9-7 to barely miss the playoffs. He then proceeded to win his division four out of the next five years with the lone bad season when he lost both JJ Watt and DeShawn Watson to season ending injuries. They went 1-8 after both were lost for the year (2-10 after losing JJ)

Coming into the 2020 season, he was given a huge extension and the GM role. Yes, he did a horrible job as GM and was fired after only four games, but to suggest he is a bad coach is plain wrong. He has won in extremely challenging circumstances at both the college and NFL level. There is zero doubt in my mind that he could very successful at Tech

Good argument.

 

[Deleted member 6494]

How does that opinion refute anything I wrote or speak to his ability to win at Tech?

You are biased in O'Brien's favor; is it because of a true belief in his abilities, or are you a friend of his. Tom Fornelli has given his opinion which may be as good as yours; his was a record of Alabama's record prior to O'Brien and Alabama's record with O'Brien. It is just a piece of information with other's opinions that O'Brien is a mediocre candidate.

 

[WreckinGT]

Alabama's offense is still really good. They aren't quite super elite anymore because they lost two elite WR's and didn't replace them with guys of nearly the same caliber.

 

[Bennett]

Alabama's offense is still really good. They aren't quite super elite anymore because they lost two elite WR's and didn't replace them with guys of nearly the same caliber.

And their oline is nothing like what they used to be. They used to take games over in the 4th quarter. Now those guys are going Athens

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

Bless your heart!

You can have your stupid one-liners but his record as PSU is decent in two years and was meh with the Texans over several years. He's also very meh as Alabama's OC and seems to be as likable as a hemmorhoid too. But you do you I guess.

 

[Deleted member 6494]

They are ranked 8th in Offensive FEI. Edit to note, that it does not include LSU game.

Starting last year, Alabama has not been as dominant as the previous years; they have had some close games in both years that they could have easily lost, plus the ones they lost. Does this prove it was O'Briens fault? No, but some of the Alabama fans have not been happy with O'Brien's offensive production, and it has to be compared with previous years.

 

[ibeattetris]

You are biased in O'Brien's favor; is it because of a true belief in his abilities, or are you a friend of his. Tom Fornelli has given his opinion which may be as good as yours; his was a record of Alabama's record prior to O'Brien and Alabama's record with O'Brien. It is just a piece of information with other's opinions that O'Brien is a mediocre candidate.

Alabama had the number two offense last year and is top ten this year. This fornelli guy just seems wrong

 

[whitegoldsphinx]

You are biased in O'Brien's favor; is it because of a true belief in his abilities, or are you a friend of his. Tom Fornelli has given his opinion which may be as good as yours; his was a record of Alabama's record prior to O'Brien and Alabama's record with O'Brien. It is just a piece of information with other's opinions that O'Brien is a mediocre candidate.

He made a detailed post based on data saying why BOB is one of the coaches he likes as a candidate. And you just accused him of nepotism because your opinion differs.

 

[GoJacketsInRaleigh]

Alabama's offense is still really good. They aren't quite super elite anymore because they lost two elite WR's and didn't replace them with guys of nearly the same caliber.

We aren't getting the players that alabama currently has. Do you think BOB could take lesser talent than he already works with and win with it?

 

[whitegoldsphinx]

We aren't getting the players that alabama currently has. Do you think BOB could take lesser talent than he already works with and win with it?

We're not likely to recruit, play, or win at the same level as Alabama no matter who we hire.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

You are biased in O'Brien's favor; is it because of a true belief in his abilities, or are you a friend of his. Tom Fornelli has given his opinion which may be as good as yours; his was a record of Alabama's record prior to O'Brien and Alabama's record with O'Brien. It is just a piece of information with other's opinions that O'Brien is a mediocre candidate.

LOL! I have already been told that I am a Chadwell fan boy. Now, I am biased towards O'Brien and a friend of his. Um, OK.

In the last two drafts they have lost four WRs. Three in the first round and the fourth in the second round. The guys they recruited to replace them have not been as good as they were. Instead they have relied on Gibbs and the other running backs as receivers. Still, they are ranked 8th in offensive efficiency. But let's say you are somewhat correct in that he is not as good an OC as Sarkesian or Kiffin, who cares? We are not hiring him to be an OC, but a head coach. His record at Penn State and with the Texans as a Head Coach (not a GM) speaks for itself.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

You can have your stupid one-liners but his record as PSU is decent in two years and was meh with the Texans over several years. He's also very meh as Alabama's OC and seems to be as likable as a hemmorhoid too. But you do you I guess.

Bless your heart!

 

[85Escape]

We're not likely to recruit play, or win at the same level as Alabama no matter who we hire.

True, and in all honesty neither would 90% of the CFB teams out there. I think there are somewhere around a dozen programs that could have a run like Bama's no matter who was coaching there. For most of the others, even it they could get there they'd never sustain it because one of the dozen schools with all the resources will poach that coach before he won his second natty.

 

[slugboy]

This probably sums up Alabama fan opinion on their OCs: https://rolltidewire.usatoday.com/l...ive-coordinators-under-nick-saban-at-alabama/

I’d probably put Kiffin at the top of that list, and move Bill O’Brien up a few notches. Most of the OCs moved to the NFL or a HC spot.

Almost all of them had leading Heisman candidates or winners, even if they were just OC for one year. It would be nice if that translated to their new gig, but it doesn’t seem to.

Kirby Smart seems to have learned a lot under Saban; not all of his assistants did.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

Starting last year, Alabama has not been as dominant as the previous years; they have had some close games in both years that they could have easily lost, plus the ones they lost. Does this prove it was O'Briens fault? No, but some of the Alabama fans have not been happy with O'Brien's offensive production, and it has to be compared with previous years.

Yeah, that drop-off from 2nd to 8th is significant. He is the worst. It also has nothing to do with trying to install a new offense while having to replace a significant number of starters including four of the best WRs to come out of college football over the past two years.

 

[WreckinGT]

I love the notion that the 2021 Alabama offense was a disappointing step back. They finished 2nd in efficiency and put up 500+ yards and 41 points against one of the best defenses in the history of college football. Talk about high standards.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

As to BOB, he is not a candidate I am excited about, but he is considered by most to be a very good coach. His two years at PSU netted him a CoY award which was hard earned. Taking over that program when he did and maintaining a winning record was great coaching. His record in the NFL is pretty good as well. In his 6.25 seasons, he had 5 winning seasons and made the playoffs 4 times. As an OC, other than his two years at Dook under CTR, his offenses have been ranked 6th and 13th (so far).

I concede that he appears to be a very capable coach, and likely would be a great candidate here. I think there are some concerns about him as a recruiter, but with the right staff that could be mitigated. All in all, while he's not in my top tier of preferred candidates, he's not a coach I'd have trouble getting behind either.

 

[leatherneckjacket]

Alabama Offensive FEI Rankings

2022: 8th - BOB
2021: 2nd - BOB
2020: 1st - Sark
2019: 2nd - Sark
2018: 2nd - Locksley
2017: 8th - Daboll
2016: 8th - Kiffin
2015: 20th - Kiffin
2014: 4th - Kiffin

I am not sure how anyone can argue that BOB is a mediocre coach based on this while also completely disregarding his success at Penn State and with Texans as a Head Coach.