Indiana's Terry Hoeppner is among SIOC's choices for Coach of the Year. Who's on your list?
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SIOC has spent plenty of time ragging on the John L. Smiths and Larry Cokers of the world, but today we’re going to salute under-the-radar coaches who have done a solid job this year. Our top two choices are:
Terry Hoeppner, Indiana: Chances are that NCAA Coach of the Year honors will go to Jim Tressell and Lloyd Carr, who have both done a marvelous job with the nation's top two teams. But did anyone think Indiana -- I repeat ... Indiana -- would be a force in the Big Ten? The 5-4 Hoosiers need one victory to qualify for a bowl game. Did we mention that Hoeppner missed time early in the season for additional surgery on a brain tumor that he was diagnosed with at the end of last season?
Ralph Friedgen, Maryland: The 400-pound Refrigerator has led the Terrapins to a 6-2 record in the ACC – and a higher division ranking than heavyweights Florida State, Miami, N.C. State and Clemson. Furthermore, we like the way Friedgen isn't afraid to call out his assistants, as he did to special teams coordinator Ray Rychleski on Saturday for choosing to play into the wind in the fourth quarter against Florida State instead of dealing with it in the third. "The wind died down in the third quarter and like someone turned a switch on in the fourth quarter, it went up pretty high," Friedgen told the Baltimore Sun after the game. "I told Ray [yesterday that] he made the wrong decision, and that's my prerogative as a head coach."
Who do you think deserves praise for a coaching job well done?
What about Bob Stoops ? No Bohmar, got hosed in Oregon, AD gone for the year ??????? Still they are poised to go 10-2 and should have ended up 11-1 !!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, I assume this means head coaches and I think Fulmer's done a good job of leading Tennessee back from oblivion, but David Cutcliffe has showed why the Manning family swears by him.
As a long time Michigan fan, let me tell you that the award should NOT go to Lloyd Carr. I love the Wolverines and what they have done this year, but it is still painfully obvious that they don't have the leadership or play calling to blow out the teams they should. A perfect example would be the Penn State game where the Nittany Lions were completely outmatched, yet somehow hung around for the whole game. If Carr was the "Coach of the Year" I should not be afraid of Indiana in a couple of weeks...but for some reason I am. However, he has done a better job of getting them ready for the big games such as Notre Dame, but Notre Dame might be worse than half of the Big Ten anyway.
I think a lot of credit is due to Boston College's Tom O'Brien this year, who has his team one long pass away from undefeated. After losing, arguably, its two best players when Will Blackmon and Mathias Kiwanuka were drafted, BC is on top of the ACC and looking good. O'Brien is a solid coach, an underrated recruiter, and as high-character as a coach can be. It's time for some credit to go his way.
Terry Hoeppner is the winner - hands down. Coming back from mid-season brain surgery and coaching INDIANA up to 5th in the Big Ten with a bunch of freshman and sophomores is unbelievable. I never would have thought Indiana would escape the bottom three of the Big Ten.
Brett Bielema of Univ. of Wisconsin. He is a first year head coach (most wins by a rookie coach in UW history) who just might take a VERY young and inexperienced team to a 11 - 1 record and a Jan. 1 bowl game.
While not a major conference, Ohio University's Frank Solich has done a sensational job in his second year. The Bobcats are in serious MAC East contention.
No doubt about it - Greg Schiano of Rutgers. He's put the State University of New Jersey on the college football map for the first time in ages! They're excited about football in Jersey and he's been the architect of this amazing reconstruction.
Mack Brown. Stud RS freshman QB, tons of injuries on D, taking everyone's best shot, losing 2 all-time greats (VY and Huff) and currently signing up the nation's best class for next year.
The guy from Wisconsin has done a good job with a team that was expected to finish in the middle or below in the Big 10. Only knock is the Badgers haven't beaten a good team. I'd say Bret Bielema is deserving of some consideration. A lot of it, in fact.
Houston Nutt: After two-non bowl seasons, his Hogs will be in the SEC title game barring a meltdown in the upcoming weeks. No one thought the Razorbacks would be in this position. The Razorbacks have won 7 straight, and sit alone atop the SEC with a flawless conference record.
Jeff Tedford should easily be voted Coach of the Year. He took over a flailing 1-10 California in 2002 and has brought them back as a national powerhouse. When Cal returns to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1958 Jeff Tedford will have completed one of the most miraculous college football program revivals in history!
Spurrier is great. He is outmatched in virtually every game, athletically, but finds a way to keep his team close. Against Auburn he drew up a perfect fake screen and had a receiver streaking down the middle for the tying score. The pass was dropped. The coach can't catch it for him too. Against Tennessee the ole ball coach drew up a play that gave the Gamecocks the lead, and a Volunteer wasn't even on the same side of the field! When receivers are that wide open it is a sign of great offensive coaching. Meanwhile he has kept the Gamecocks respectable with a wide receiver playing quarterback, and his entire secondary from last year gone to the NFL. I'm a Notre Dame fan, but I can praise a great offensive mind like Spurrier's. Without him, they might be sub .500. With him, they were poised to knock off top tier teams like Auburn and Tennessee and are going to be bowl eligible. This is his finest effort as a coach with the least amount of talent he has had in some time.
Are you kidding me? Coach Schiano for Rutgers University. They have been no names in College Football since they played the first game ever against Princeton. Schiano has people talking and their 8-0 records has them climbing the rankings.
Bobby Petrino at Louisville has done a great job building that program. Despite losing Michael Bush in game 1, and Brian Brohm for a month, they've kept on winning. The winner of Thursday's game, if they win out, should get a shot at the OSU-Michigan winner for the title.
The above blogs are all good suggestions, except one.
Stoops? Please. Listen, Oklahoma fans: First, you LOST to Oregon (get over it you babies--my 5 year old doesn't cry this long about losing). Second, you got a first class beatdown from Texas. Third, the head of a program that failed to teach Bohmar about basic NCAA rules has to accept at least some responsibility for the incident. Fourth, we've seen Stoops' prowess in National Title games--the USC blowout was an embarrassment. AD has been out for what, two games? Wow! Can't believe you beat Colorado without him. If Oklahoma had lost 5 games this year, people would be calling for Stoops' head on a plate. Just ask Lloyd Carr. I'll be surprised if you don't lose at least 3, playing A&M and Tech in the next two weeks, and 4 is a definite possibility. And, that's just the regular season. I'm not saying Stoops a bad coach, he's done a great job with the program overall. Some years, he has been coach of the year. But if you seriously think he is the coach of the year this year, you need to get a grip on reality. Mostly, hearing Sooner fans whine about a bad call 2 months ago makes me want to puke.
Has to be Hoeppner. Not even mentioning the brain surgery and the losses he experienced in the past year (friend Randy Walker, his long time mentor, his pupil Big Ben's accident and I think even the death of his father), his team was 2-3 after losing to 1-AA Southern Illinois and UConn and then steamrolled by Wiscy at home, ouch. He then proceeded to guide them to wins at Illinois, against Iowa, and kicked the crap out of MSU. Aside from bringing winning to Bloomington, he is also dedicated to developing tough, smart, disciplined players and promoting Indiana University. The vibe in Bloomington could not be stronger or happier. Win lose or draw, bowl game or not, this season has been a tremendous success for IU and Hoeppner.
How about a coach who lost his starting QB, lost the best running back in the nation, lost 2 starting o-lineman, had a game stolen from his team, and still has his team positioned for a New Years day bowl...Bob Stoops. Unfortunately this award always goes to the coach of the best team, kind of like the heisman, not best player in college, the best player on the best team, but consideing the obstacles OU has had to overcome this year, I think Stoops has done a great job.
I would have to cast a vote for Bret Bielema of Wisconsin. Although he didn't enter the job with a bare cupboard (thank you Alvarez!), Bielema has done an amazing job with offensive schemes to open up the offense while staying true to the bread and butter of Wisconsin Football: running the rock. PJ Hill anyone? Although a defensive coach for the majority of his career, he's thrust a redshirt freshman into the national spotlight to contend for the nation's best player, while at the same time, allowing john stocco to put up very respectable numbers through the air to receivers that had caught 3 balls before this year...COMBINED! Couple that with the fact that they made Michigan earn their victory in Ann Arbor when everyone's favorite golden helmets were so bad at home against the wolverines, they couldn't pass third period french. The best teams beat the teams they're supposed to and Wisconsin has done that. It's just a shame that they get no respect even though they were the only team so far to play michigan tough this year.
Jeff Tedford: Talk about sturdy. This coach has turned a program around from 1-10 to a BCS contender. And what makes Tedford amazing is that Cal isn't a one-hit wonder like Utah 2 years ago, or Fresno St. years back or even a WVA which really hasn't proven themselves in years past. Cal has now been in the top ten for awhile in each of the last 3 seasons and has had a winning record for all of Tedford's years. Did i mention this is Tedford's first head coaching job. Year in and year out Cal has had the most balanced offense in the country. Runningbacks and quarterbacks thrive under coach Tedford and he has injected spirit for Cal football that hasn't been in Berkeley since the Free Speech Movement (and that spirit was for something else)
Hard not to list Lloyd Carr, sure he's got lots of talent every year but he was really under fire coming into this season and he's done a great job, especially getting wins over Penn State and Iowa, without Manningham.
Bob Stoops has to be in everybodies top 5 list. Right before the season starts his quarterback gets kicked off the team, they put in a guy who was at receiver the year before, then they get robbed by oregons officials, and then they lose Adrian Peterson... I still think they are gonna win they rest of the games this year and finish with a 10-2* record
I'm a Buckeye fan, but Tressel has already proven he's the greatest - no need to rub it in. This year, I'd have to say Rodriguez at West Virginia or Hoeppner at Indiana deserve it...actually, they both do.
If Stoops were the coach of the year he would have figured out how to beat Oregon even after the bad calls. He also should have kept a closer eye on Bohmar and not lost him....that is....a true coach of the year would be able to instill the kind of respect for the game, and the team for that matter, necessary so that players don't make such decisions. A good coach also trains players regarding good and bad decisions on the field. Diving into the end zone the way Peterson did was stupid.
"Michigan Fan" Being on the other end of the rivalry I have a strong feeling that Carr is taking a page out of Jim Tressel's book. Blowouts are not characteristic of Tressel Ball. The difference is Smith making his case for the Heisman. The problem is it puts all that you have out there for all of your future opponents to see. Normal Tressel Ball is keeping things close, saving the good stuff for the big games. This is what I think Carr is doing. Considering that LC is on the loosing end against OSU and knowing that no matter your record, this game means everything for job security in the Big 2, it may not be a bad thing. Carr, I bet, is playing Tressel Ball, with many surprises in store for the Bucks. That is also precisely what I fear most.
Dennis Franchione will deserve serious consideration - if Texas A&M can win at least two of its next three games. If they lose all three, he'll be back on the hot seat next year.
Rich Rodriguez should not be considered for coach of the year, nor should WVU get into the national title game. With a joke of a schedule, their perfect record means nothing! Go out and schedule a real non conf opponent (i.e., NOT Marshall, Eastern Washington, East Carolina, etc). The BCS should not reward a team for playing a bunch of nobodys.
I believe the award should go to jim tressel. He lost nine starters on defense, there top reciever, best center in the game, and has come back better then last year. 2nd place would go to hoeppner of indiana, in the past most high school teams would have beaten indiana, now there a contender.
While we may not win the national championship, Frank "The Tank" Solich has done an amazing job at OU! I mean we're going to have a winning season and we lead the MAC East.
My nomination is Doug Martin of Kent State University. Okay, the Flashes lost to Ohio University last week (let's give some love to Solich, too), but the team is 5-3 and in contention this year after 1-10 last year. Go Kent!!!!
Shciano from Rutgers and Grobe from Wake both have to be in the mix with the enixplicable turnarounds for their teams this season, but I think that Bilemma from Wisconsin and Indy's head coach both make a strong case. Throw Tressel and Carr out the window. Their success has more to do with recruiting than what really counts as a head coach. They have done nothing remarkable.
I'd have to also nominate Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson...of course he'll probably receive more national attention next year when the Commodores gain an additional year of valuable experience for the majority of the starters and become even more dangerous.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Jim Tressel from Ohio State. Not only does he have the top team in the country, I am impressed each week with the class of his players and the respect they have for every team out there. He runs a tight ship and he has done amazing things for Ohio State's football program and the University as a whole. Say what you will about former OSU players and teams, but this year's Buckeye squad is a class act...thanks to Tressel.
Bret Bielema from Wisconsin. first year head coach has the badgers with an 8-1 record and they could very well finish the season 11-1..he should be coach of the year
Bronco Mendenhall in his 2nd year at BYU has turned them back into one of, if not the best NON-BCS team again. No he's not LaVell Edwards but he is doing a lot of similar things in Provo. BYU had 3 straight losing season prior to his arrival. After going 6-6 with a close game with Cal in the Vegas Bowl he's got the Cougars off to a 6-2 (extremely close to 8-0) start and will most likely go 10-2 heading into the Vegas Bowl.
As a Tennessee fan, I'm a bit biased, but even if I wasn't, facts are still facts. Last year, Tennessee was, in short, pathetic. Nothing worked, regardless of who we were playing that week. It was the most depressing season in the last 15 years for a UT fan. This year, UT is a top 10 team with a legitmate shot at a BCS bowl. That's a monsterous turn-around for this team. Coach Fulmer and his staff have completely amazed the fans and for that, I say thank you. GO VOLS!
Terry Hoeppner is certainly the most courageous and deserving of the honor. Fulmer of Tennessee has done a clinic on how to stop a great program from falling apart. A few of the ACC coaches should give him a call.
Chan Gailey, he made the tough decision to hand over the play calling and has made Reggie Ball a better QB. As a result, GT probably will be the ACC champions and be playing in the Orange Bowl in January. Yes, Grobe has had a good year in the ACC, but Wake will come up short, and I have little respect for either Bowden, not hard to win when your school has an automatic acceptence policy for football players.
Mike Gundy (Okla State). Worst program in the Big12 last year. Currently has Texas working overtime trying to figure out how to stop their Triple Headed Monster offense.
I think that coach of the year should go to Houston Nutt. He has turned around a team that was 4-7 last year to 7-1 this year. They are ranked for the first time in three years at 12 and are on a roll since their win against then-#2 Auburn. Nutt has turned the Razorbacks around.
Coach Schiano at Rutgers is very deserving, but the honors should go to Jeff Tedford at Cal. It still astonishes me that Cal is a ranked team, and has been for years under Tedford's leadership. Memorial Stadium is set to get a major renovation and is now filled to near capacity for home games. There is a real rivalry with USC now, which is pretty incredible given the Golden Bears history over a forty year period. This was a program that could very easily have folded up the tent at the end of the 90s and now gets top ranked recruits every year with still below par facilities for a major university. The loss to Tennessee at the start of the year was tough, but look at what has transpired since that rough beginning. Jeff Tedford deserves the honors!
Houston Nutt. Astonishing year: the Razorbacks are comfortably in the top-20, have beaten 'Bama and Auburn, and he's recruited the top QB in the country. No coach is more important to his college than Nutt.
Bill Doba, Washington State. He took a lot of heat for last year's 4-8 season, but this year has the Cougs ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2003.
Wake Forest's coach, Jim Grobe, presently has his team tied for the lead in their division of the ACC and an overall record of 7-1. All this without his starting QB & RB and being picked last in the ACC preseason!
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