Chicago writer fantasies about Ron Zook’s replacement
Ron Zook’s fate all but sealed in Champaign, the question now turns to who Illinois should pursue to take his place. And while candidates such as former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach and current Houston coach Kevin Sumlin have been tossed around of late, I have two bigger names that Thomas should seriously consider if Illinois is indeed serious about establishing a championship-caliber football program.
And they’re Petersen & Patterson. As in, Chris and Gary, the respective head coaches of No. 10 Boise State and No. 19 Texas Christian, and two of the hottest names in all the college game.
Now, before you scoff at the notion of either man bolting Boise or Fort Worth for Champaign, hear me out. Because, it really shouldn’t be such a far-fetched idea – not at all if Illinois is willing to pony up the cash and pay.
This week, USA Today released an analysis of football coaching salaries in which it found that the average pay for major-college is $1.47 million. However, in the six conferences with automatic Bowl Championship Series bids – including, of course, the Big Ten – the average salary is $2.125 million.
So, while Zook’s salary may be above average nationally, it’s well below average on a major-conference scale – not unlike the Illinois football program itself. And, like most things in life – except for Alfonso Soriano – you do get what you pay for.
So, with the start of a new era at Illinois with a new athletic director, why shouldn’t the Illini finally pay big for a great coach?
After all, that’s how you build a great program.
Meanwhile, the 47-year-old Peterson – who is merely 69-6 as Boise State’s head coach – had his five-year contract fattened by the university in October. According to published reports, Petersen’s total compensation this year will be $1.5 million. That amount will then increase by $100,000 every subsequent year to $1.9 million in 2015. His buyout clause is valued at $650,000.
Petersen, meanwhile, might finally be ready for a new challenge, a big pay raise and an opportunity to coach in the Big Ten – rather than watch his Broncos join a ridiculously far-flung and increasingly fragile Big East, as has been rumored.
Leave it for some idiot from Chicago not to do his work and believe Coach Pete isn’t about money. But even if he was how much would you need to be paid to live in one of the most high crime high taxes area’s in these United States, how much more would you need to be paid to deal with a media who thinks they would make better coaches then you and who see’s their job as being one of tearing down programs rather then build them up. How much mor emoney would he need to make up for the much high living expense and lessen quality of life, how much more money would be requier to put his child through the change of care? Nope when you consider what Coach is paid along with the increase quality of life bennefits he might be the highest paid coach and all the land and by all means he should be.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again Coach Pete has a chance at soemthing that very few have ever had, only the likes of Bo, Fritz, Woody, Newt and Bear have achived legacy greatness. I might also remind the good folks of Boise Bo never won a National title but walking the campus of U of M you’d never know that.
TU , turns focus to Houston
EL PASO, Texas – Bill Blankenship sent the message to his Tulsa football players shortly after a 57-28 win at UTEP.
“What you have been wanting to do, we can do it now,” Blankenship said.
“It” is focus on Friday’s showdown Conference USA game with Houston. The survivor of the 11 a.m. contest will host the Dec. 3 league championship game.
“I won’t lie. Houston has been on our mind because we know that’s the road to the conference championship,” Watts said. “We know it’s a big game. It’s senior night and a lot of our guys will be playing with emotion.
“We just have to keep our heads up and focused.”
Perhaps it’s fitting that the two teams with the best league records since 2005 alignment will meet with something important on the line. Tulsa and Houston share 40-15 records in league play over the past seven seasons, tops in the conference.
Saturday’s result wasn’t important for either team in the grand scheme of things. Friday’s Houston-TU game always was going to have the same impact.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/TU/article.aspx?subjectid=94&articleid=20111120_94_B9_CUTLIN19649
For get Black Friday evey member of Bronco Nation will be front and center Friday morning as a Tulsa victory would all but assure Boise a BCS bowl.
TU defense improves under Guy’s old-school approach
Bill Blankenship isn’t surprised that his University of Tulsa football team bought in almost completely to a new defensive scheme this season.
The Golden Hurricane had a good salesman in its switch from a three-man front to the 4-3 scheme.
Defensive coordinator Brent Guy is a 4-3 disciple. He learned the system from masters as a player at Oklahoma State more than a quarter-century ago, and has used it at almost every stop in a 25-year coaching career.
The 51-year-old Guy is a self-described “old-school coach with a dry, sort of country sense of humor about life that I try to apply to football in a general sort of way.”
He also has the knack for communicating athletically with gifted young men seeking a sense of direction.
“He can relate to our age and how we are, but he also brings that hard edge that young people need sometimes,” strong safety Dexter McCoil said.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/TU/article.aspx?subjectid=94&articleid=20111117_94_B1_CUTLIN601176&allcom=1&r=1012
No doubt Tulsa’s defense will be the most physical Houston has seen as well as the quickest.
If there is one thing Boise State has learned from last years game against Nevada was the lack of competition leading up to that game hurt us, if there is one shining difference between Tulsa and Houston it’s just that Tulsa has run withthe big boys and taken their big hits they know what game speed looks like. Vegas odd’s makers have this a 3 point game favoring Houston take the points bet the house.
I’ve thought long and hard about this video when I first saw it I thought hum must be one of those artistic bloggers couldn’t possibly be a true blue Boise State guy , I mean who would denigrate a player and their team for a few thousand hit’s on their youtube account? Certainly not me! After looking over the guys vid’s one quickly discovers this is his only one in regards to Boise State football. The rest of his work appeals to cat people and seem to highlight his strange obsession with cats.
It’s one thing if a guy is putting positive stuff out there and then has a grip, it’s a whole other thing to be some cat person who claims to be a Boise State fan to do such work, when watching the other crap on his page I didn’t see one single Boise State memento unlike his Boise Kicker video.
I classify this guy as a fraud and if he really does live in Boise he should be shunned and outcasted.
For your Morning viewing pleasure.
There will be an Wyoming post later today
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