Desert refuge?

Pondering whether Mike Price will be back in Pac-10

Allow me to interrupt for a moment our now month-long dialogue on conference expansion to address a hot rumor that's been floating around college football the past couple weeks, one to which Bart Ryder of Tucson, Ariz., alludes when he asks the question: "Will Mike Price be the coach to finally take the Arizona Wildcats to the Rose Bowl?"

The rumor, if you haven't heard it, is that if Arizona suffers its third straight losing season under John Mackovic this fall, athletic director Jim Livengood might replace the embattled coach with his friend of almost 40 years, the man he first hired at Washington State -- Price.

Let's assess this one stage at a time.

First, will this be Mackovic's final season in Tucson? I must say, it's a pretty real possibility.

The sting of last fall's mutiny, in which some 40 players complained to the school president about their coach, is still lingering over the program, with Mackovic adding fuel to the fire earlier this month when he suggested there were alumni and other outside influences involved. I think Livengood realizes he made a bad hire, and another disappointing season -- certainly plausible what with QB Jason Johnson departed and star running back Clarence Farmer suspended indefinitely -- would present an opportunity to make a change.

The next question, then, is would Livengood take a flier on the now notorious Alabama exile? This much is clear: Livengood was Price's most vocal supporter after the strip-club scandal broke, telling the Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review a day before his firing that Price "is the best football coach and one of the best people I have ever known. Hiring him at Alabama was the best decision they have made in 100 years in my opinion."

Pretty strong endorsement.

And while Price is fairly damaged goods right now, time tends to do wonders in these situations. Marv Albert, himself once a national punchline, now calls the NBA playoffs just like old times. George O'Leary is an NFL defensive coordinator. Gary Moeller has done the same. People have been given second (and third, and fourth) chances for far worse transgressions than Price's, and, let's be honest, hiring Price is a lot less risky than an actual rule-breaker like Jim Harrick.

So yes, Price to the Wildcats is a viable option. After all, he's a Pac-10 guy. He's meant to be somewhere he can throw the ball around the yard and have some fun -- no, not that kind of fun -- without people looking at him like he's from another planet.

I won't go so far as to predict a Rose Bowl, but I bet they'd be right back in the mix.

On to some questions, most about you know what ...

Is there any chance when the inevitable seems to occur with the Big East departures that Virginia Tech could be considered for the SEC and perennially weak Vanderbilt leave the conference?
--Gene Schuyler, Alexandria, Va.

Is there a chance? Sure. But it's about as good as my chance of marrying Entertainment Tonight cutie Maria Menounos.

While conference expansion/realignment certainly has its cutthroat nature, you're not going to see anyone go kicking out a charter member of their 70-year-old league anytime soon. Besides, the last thing the scandal-ridden SEC can afford to do right now is lose its lone bastion of academic integrity.

Gene is hardly the first one to make this suggestion, which, like so many others I receive, seems based solely on a notion that leagues make decisions like these based on who has the best chance to go 10-2. It's not that simple. Any new member has to make sense on the institutional level, to which the SEC probably still views Vandy, with its strong academics and ideal location (Nashville), as a better overall fit than Virginia Tech no matter how bad its football team might be.

As an Appalachian State fan, I am wondering if the D-I conferences undergo major upheaval, will it lead to any of the I-AA teams to make the jump to I-A?
--Jason Johnson, Charlotte, N.C.

Actually, I think the movement will be just the opposite, with more teams dropping down to I-AA. The ACC's imminent expansion is just the latest example of the BCS big boys' attempt to further distance themselves from the rest of the pack, making it harder and harder for teams outside those few leagues to remain financially viable. Furthermore, the NCAA recently enacted new standards for I-A membership (stricter attendance requirements, etc.) that could soon strip several low-end schools of that status. The idea among those that championed the legislation is that it's become too easy to move up to I-A (see Buffalo, Troy State, etc., in recent years), and that many of these schools have no business doing so. Once conference realignment and the next BCS structure are settled, look for a massive weeding-out of the I-A ranks to begin.

With it's strong fan base, ties to Big East teams in football and location in the heart of ACC country, I feel East Carolina would be a good fit for the Big East. What's your take?
--Chuck Chance, Rocky Mount, N.C.

It just depends on what kind of approach the Big East takes to its next incarnation. Will it look to attain the same kind of geographic breadth as the ACC or will it stick primarily to the Northeast? Will it go for a small, tight-knit group of seven or eight schools or try to get to 12? My guess is ECU would certainly be in the mix of candidates, but not quite as high on the list as Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis and Central or South Florida.

Do you think Florida can shock a lot of people by winning 10 games this season? I see more positives than negatives with this team. You have to remember, Rex Grossman started a lot in his freshman year, so it isn't that big a deal.
--Jamie Salas, Savannah, Ga.

Well, I wish I could share the same optimism about the Gators' prospects this season, but I don't. First of all, Grossman was a redshirt freshman who'd already gone through two sets of both spring and fall practice. Chris Leak, if that's who you're referring to, will basically have three weeks.

But it's more than that. Last year's Florida team had some serious issues that need to be addressed. For the first time in eons, they lacked playmakers on offense, and the one they did have, Taylor Jacobs, is gone. The young offensive line struggled. The running game was a non-factor. The defense couldn't stop anyone on the ground. I don't doubt Ron Zook can get those areas corrected, but it would have been easier if he had more continuity on his roster. Instead, he has only 11 starters returning, including just four on defense, which is where I expect the Gators to struggle most.

Now, Jamie, if after considering all that you still think Florida can win 10 games this season, I ask you to please share with me whatever you put in your coffee. I'm guessing it would make me feel really happy.

Finally, here's a topic well worth discussing, though this particular viewpoint rubs me the wrong way ...

Hey Stewart, instead of people (Rev. Jackson) railing against the machine and trying to force a minority into EVERY single head-coaching position pro or college, wouldn't it make more sense to train them (minorities) for lower level positions like receiver coach, D-line coach, etc.? That way the more qualified candidates will rise through the ranks and let their resume speak for themselves. Tyrone Willingham was a proven winner and that is why ND had no problem hiring him despite having a history eerily similar to that in Alabama and the SEC. If you're a winner, you'll be hired, but if you rant and rave about racism and make a big stink about it in the media, then you just make people mad and they simply turn a deaf ear, or even go out of their way to defy you (see: Martha Burk and Augusta National). Thoughts?
--Brent, Raleigh, N.C.

Brent: While I agree that Jesse Jackson is hardly qualified to tell a school what coach it should be hiring, to propose that minority coaches go through some sort of remedial training program suggests there's a shortage of qualified candidates out there, which couldn't be farther from the truth. There's hardly a college staff in the country that doesn't have one or more black assistants. That isn't the problem. The problem is this inexplicable hang-up that still exists about making one a head coach.

Sylvester Croom's qualifications may not have been particularly overwhelming (would his name have come up for any job but Alabama?), but how is it that Charlie Strong, after turning South Carolina's defense into one of the best in the SEC, could only manage what was essentially a lateral move to Florida last winter following countless head-coaching rejections? Miami went 24-1 the past two seasons with a black defensive coordinator, Randy Shannon, who's barely gotten a sniff. Taken in this context, you can better appreciate the frustration by many in the black coaching community when someone like Mike Shula is handed one of the most prestigious jobs in the country without near the track record.

Unfortunately, I get the feeling many college athletic directors and influential boosters agree more with Brent.

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.

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