INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Masters of Their Domain
by Ivan Maisel
Posted: Wed December 3, 1997
 Of all the good coaching jobs this season, the best was turned
in not by a head man but by an assistant. Here are the three
best sideline performances.
1. Jim Herrmann. During summer workouts Herrmann, who had been
promoted to defensive coordinator at Michigan after Greg
Mattison left seven months earlier for the same position at
Notre Dame, took the measure of cornerbacks Woodson and Andre
Weathers and shifted to an aggressive scheme. That's why the
Wolverines have the best defense in the nation, which is why
they're the best team in the nation.
2. Bob Toledo. By combining motivational hokum with a tougher
conditioning program, UCLA's second-year coach made the Bruins,
with apologies to Washington State, the best team in the Pac-10.
UCLA's bowl opponent—Syracuse in the Fiesta? Florida State in
the Sugar? Texas A&M in the Cotton?—will find out for itself.
3. Joe Tiller. So Purdue's 8-3 record is inflated because it
didn't have to play Michigan or Ohio State. So it went only 3-3
against teams with winning records. So it beat Michigan State
22-21 on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown and a
missed Spartans field goal to end the game. Tiller, the
Boilermakers' coach, did what no one thought could be done: He
made Purdue exciting and a winner.
Issue date: December 8, 1997
| 
