You can sit there and dissect coaching moves every which way but you really never know what the true reason for guys leaving are.
I had a chance to personally speak with Kevin Kane, Klint Kubiak, and Reggie Mitchell shortly after they decided to take other jobs. Most of it was off the record. It was very difficult on all of them to leave. Kane left a place where he played and where his family is. Family happened to be the reason Kubiak went to Denver. And at 55 years old Mitchell wanted a chance to win and get a pay raise because you never know if that chance will come along again being an assistant at Kansas.
If Calvin Thibodeaux is offered the Oklahoma job he won't pass it up. If he does in a way I would say he's foolish to do so. At Oklahoma they just played in the championship playoffs of college football. He will get a pay raise and get to coach at one of the nation's elite programs. Oh and by the way he played at Oklahoma. He still talks to several of the guys he played with. If he gets the job offer there really is no way he can turn it down.
I have been told OU first interviewed a couple guys that are currently out of work but are quality d-line coaches. Then there was a coach from the ACC they talked to and two more from SEC schools. A source told me OU is tired of losing defensive line coaches. Their goal this time around isn't to find the guy with the most glitzy resume but someone who will be more loyal and stay with the program.
Unfortunately this has been the perfect storm for KU football assistants. The right jobs for many assistants happened to come up all within months of each other. It wouldn't look as bad if a couple came up this year and a couple more next year. It is hitting all at once.
Every coach to this point, and those who are still interviewing have left for what any coach in the profession would consider better situations. They aren't lateral moves by any stretch.
Now let's get back to KU. Because in the end that's what this is all about, not assistants who have left. Beaty has shown at least once that he can put a solid staff together. If he didn't then not all of his assistants would be getting calls from good football schools to take new jobs. But there is a burden on him now to hire two and possibly three more assistants. This time it will be a little different. Because a lot of coaches have now settled into their jobs and are just weeks away from starting spring ball. It is much more difficult to lure coaches right now as opposed to December and January when there are a lot more openings.
The positive news is Beaty has shown the ability to hire good coaches that people want to hire away. So he has a track record of being able to show he can do it. I think Bradford is a really good hire and I had the chance to talk to him. I think Jason Phillips is a good hire. He recruits Houston and is already offering recruits in that area. He's coached for some smart head coaches.
Now it becomes a timing issue. Spring football opens in 15 days. That doesn't give you a lot of time to find coaches, get them into Lawrence, and teach them your schemes. That's the only part that concerns me is the coaching pool at this time of the year. Coaches leave all the time. But usually it is before mid February. It all just happens to be hitting at one time.
I had a chance to personally speak with Kevin Kane, Klint Kubiak, and Reggie Mitchell shortly after they decided to take other jobs. Most of it was off the record. It was very difficult on all of them to leave. Kane left a place where he played and where his family is. Family happened to be the reason Kubiak went to Denver. And at 55 years old Mitchell wanted a chance to win and get a pay raise because you never know if that chance will come along again being an assistant at Kansas.
If Calvin Thibodeaux is offered the Oklahoma job he won't pass it up. If he does in a way I would say he's foolish to do so. At Oklahoma they just played in the championship playoffs of college football. He will get a pay raise and get to coach at one of the nation's elite programs. Oh and by the way he played at Oklahoma. He still talks to several of the guys he played with. If he gets the job offer there really is no way he can turn it down.
I have been told OU first interviewed a couple guys that are currently out of work but are quality d-line coaches. Then there was a coach from the ACC they talked to and two more from SEC schools. A source told me OU is tired of losing defensive line coaches. Their goal this time around isn't to find the guy with the most glitzy resume but someone who will be more loyal and stay with the program.
Unfortunately this has been the perfect storm for KU football assistants. The right jobs for many assistants happened to come up all within months of each other. It wouldn't look as bad if a couple came up this year and a couple more next year. It is hitting all at once.
Every coach to this point, and those who are still interviewing have left for what any coach in the profession would consider better situations. They aren't lateral moves by any stretch.
Now let's get back to KU. Because in the end that's what this is all about, not assistants who have left. Beaty has shown at least once that he can put a solid staff together. If he didn't then not all of his assistants would be getting calls from good football schools to take new jobs. But there is a burden on him now to hire two and possibly three more assistants. This time it will be a little different. Because a lot of coaches have now settled into their jobs and are just weeks away from starting spring ball. It is much more difficult to lure coaches right now as opposed to December and January when there are a lot more openings.
The positive news is Beaty has shown the ability to hire good coaches that people want to hire away. So he has a track record of being able to show he can do it. I think Bradford is a really good hire and I had the chance to talk to him. I think Jason Phillips is a good hire. He recruits Houston and is already offering recruits in that area. He's coached for some smart head coaches.
Now it becomes a timing issue. Spring football opens in 15 days. That doesn't give you a lot of time to find coaches, get them into Lawrence, and teach them your schemes. That's the only part that concerns me is the coaching pool at this time of the year. Coaches leave all the time. But usually it is before mid February. It all just happens to be hitting at one time.
