Dan Mullen would be a good hire. I'd add McElwain who just "retired" from CMU to play AD,
2025 Head Football Coach
- Thread starter Rebelious1
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Based on what's rumored Purdue offered Odom it looks like they are making an investment. NIL may not be great but Purdue has a massive endowment. There's money there.
Their buyout is less than 6 months of his annual salary at Purdue. They can handle it.
They do. But those things can change as well. Boosters, administration changes, etc.
Purdue athletic revenue about 124 million. Indiana 140 million.
Purdue President or AD said they recognize the landscape changing and are committed to improving football. Throwing 6 million at Odom seems like it's not just lip service. Whether that's the right call don't know. It's not like Purdue doesn't have money though.
Definitely a tough job there's no question. But Brohm got Purdue top 25 just a few years ago so they can be competitive.
Purdue compared to its conference peers is not good, everyone in that conference has money. Purdue just doesn’t spend enough in NIL to make a dent. That’s why they are a one win team.
Look at the schedule they have next season, they aren’t going to win more than 3-4 games. It’s going to be tough sledding for Odom, but this decision was about the bag not football. It’s not just me saying it, there’s Mizzou fans and Arkansas fans scratching their heads at this move because Purdue is that bad.
Look at the schedule they have next season, they aren’t going to win more than 3-4 games. It’s going to be tough sledding for Odom, but this decision was about the bag not football. It’s not just me saying it, there’s Mizzou fans and Arkansas fans scratching their heads at this move because Purdue is that bad.
There's no doubt it's a tough job.
But Purdue has resources. Whether they actually are going to truly go all in or not is another question.
I don't know. I don't blame a dude one bit for taking that bag. He'll either turn things around which won't be easy. Or he fails and walks away with 20 million in his pocket. Sits around a year or two gets a coordinator job or another G5 gives him a call.
As bad a job as Purdue might be we were that job for years.
I just don't think coaches view jobs the same way we do. Bobby Hauck was incredibly successful at Montana. Made decent money. Was in FCS title game three times. Could atayed at Montana forever. . Took over a UNLV program that was bottom of FBS. Coaches take jobs for money but there's a certain amount of hubris as well. They all think they have the right plan to make a school succeed. None of them take a job thinking I can't wait to set my career back 5 years.
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I'd be surprised if UNLV got anywhere near Pat Fitzgerald with all the stuff at Northwestern.
Rich Rodriguez would be an interesting hire. And UNLV could up his current pay. But would he be interested in 'moving up' to another G5 job?
Rolovich...I wouldn't hate it by any means but it feels like such an easy way out almost lazy hire for some reason.
Chryst had some really nice years at Wisconsin. Kinda went South towards the end. But overall would be a solid hire.
Skip Holtz I'd pass.
Dan Mullen I think really doubtful but unlike Rolovich this feels like a a hire with effort behind it. Resume and SEC ties would be an easy sell to keep fan base energized. Would love the hire but feels unlikely.
Kingsbury seems doubtful no? In the midst of an NFL season chasing a playoff spot. Would he leave for a G5 HC gig? Could we pay him enough? Definitely would be an exciting hire..
Charles Huff just took the Southern Miss job.
Chuck Martin I'd pass, think I'd rather go Jason Candle Toledo coach over Martin. A lot of middling results for Martin with a couple ok years.
Definitely some realistic candidates.
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Mullen would be a home run hire for Harper.
Easy sell to fan base.
Easy sell to boosters.
Would show actual commitment to keeping UNLV relevant.
Could put together solid staff.
What about Bryan Harsin who did a great job at Boise State for about 7 seasons that went to Auburn as the head coach where it was a total fail, but Auburn is a really tough job with a program that has tasted success, but has a hard time keeping up with the cream of the SEC recently. He has great connections out west with his past at BSU, and could be a legit coach for consideration. Currently he is living off his money from Auburn, but the big danger is that if UNLV hired him and an opening came at BSU, he would likely leave unless the pay is far better than BSU.
He's been mentioned and absolutely would take him in a heartbeat.
I don’t know if I would go near Fitzgerald until the lawsuits (40 of them, not including his) are settled.
How is the buyout so bad, especially after extending him this past offseason? The standard these days is that the buyout is the value of the remaining base contract. 3 mil ain't that. Huge misfire there.
What if this was the only increase that Odom would agree to? Isn't this better than the lesser amount on the initial contract?
Odom declined to discuss and extend during the bye week. It takes two sides to agree.
Well if his side was adamant about keeping the buyout low, then that is the first red flag. Also the search for his replacement should have started a year ago.
It is a negotiating tactic that we succumbed way too much. Especially given the industry standard. We should have at least got 1/2 of the previous contract value. Don't extend him at all if the buyout is pennies, especially since the extension didn't even give him a raise. It accomplished nothing, other than netting what maybe another mil?
Agree. Like I said yesterday, maybe Harper got lucky landing Odom and isn't the power AD we think he is. That buyout should be a big sticking point to any contract knowing they were at a minimum talking to other jobs last year. Then you wait until the last minute to pull together 3.5 million from boosters? Why wasn't that on the table earlier. It's insane to think we waited to pass a hat around till the rumors of "narrowing in" started flying..
There is some smoke to that theory. But, he has done some good things other than hiring Odom.
Rolling with CKK makes financial sense, especially given that he knew that he was going to have to pony up for a football contract, Barry or otherwise this offseason. At least last year Kevin outperformed his contract value at least within conference. He was smart to not extend him, but firing him was something he also couldn't afford to do.
The buyout is embarassing, but if that was what Odom really wanted, then right then and there you knew he was looking to get out ASAP. Which is fine, if you know that going in. And TBH, I think he could have. If Odom got hired elsewhere, that means he had meaningful success here, and UNLV is a program that desperately needs that right now, even if it is only for a couple of years.
The money was to retain was there earlier than yesterday. It wasn’t a last second scraping together …
Odom knew what he was doing. He did not want to pay a significant price on a buyout that would limit his options. He got passed over in several jobs, Arizona, UCF etc.
It sounds like he wanted the UCF job simply because of the conference, Big12 and he’s very familiar with it. Got passed over and immediately went to Purdue after UCF fell through. This guy had one foot out the door.
I think we made out better with the Totz buyout from Iowa State, which tells you all you need to know.
Rolling with CKK is fine. They’ve already massacred all goodwill with the fans so more damage can be done other than continued hemorrhaging of money. People aren’t on pins and needles waiting for a firing, people don’t care anymore. That’s what complete neglect will do, at some point, you strangled the life out of the heart.
Well done female ADs.
Firing a coach after the best season in 10 years is tough to do. Especially knowing that football is driving the bus.
But an option now is hiring one of the coordinators for relatively cheap and spending some money for a Bball coach too. Couldn't do that last year.
If we go big on an established football HC this season, then he has a decision to make. I would guess he would offer a cheap extension to CKK or try to get a different cheap coach. No buyout, so that is good.
If we offered 4 mil, he may have passed on some of these other jobs not the other way around.
My gut says to just hire Marion!
I know some THINK that is a step backwards, but Utah & Boise both hired within when the coach, that turned their programs around, left (Meyer & Hawkins). Look at both those programs since. They both carried on the success.
I know some THINK that is a step backwards, but Utah & Boise both hired within when the coach, that turned their programs around, left (Meyer & Hawkins). Look at both those programs since. They both carried on the success.
Arkansas was going to be his next stop. That is why he never signed on the dotted line during the season. Purdue was forced to pay extra$$ to grab him. IF Arkansas falters next year he would of ran to them in a heartbeat. Without question. I would think that UNLV tried to extend him around the time we hit the ranking either the first time or for sure the second.
If we go coordinator, hiring from within seems to work better than hiring an outside coordinator. It would also free up money for a b-ball coach.
But we have to really believe in the guy.
Many Boise State fans were actually happy when he left. Not sure if they would go back to him. He had too many 3-4 loss seasons for them. I think he did a good job at Boise but he wasn’t Chris Petersen great and their fan base is too spoiled.
I would be okay with a Harsin hire. It looks like he’s taking the Cal OC job so he wants back in the game and we could afford him now.
I'm not sure it's a step backwards. As long as it's one of our coordinators who are well known by Harper. If he thinks they can do the job then I'd go for it. Within a winning program there is something to be said for continuity. If we can hold the recruiting class and get some good transfers into a winning program we will be okay.
Yeah.....Purdue is just his next step to where he wants to be and has been, in the SEC as a HC. It won't be a long term job for him.
Maybe, maybe not. Look at the buyout. If it is full value then I don't know if Arkansas is willing to pay an extra 25+ million if Pittman retires.
If the buyout is low like it was here, then you are probably right.
Let me put it this way, do you think UCF was offering over 6 mil? I don't think so.
Seeing fan rumblings that Harper didn't try. I know that's not the case. But is it true he didn't discuss another extension with Odom until last week?
It is a very bad idea to go cheap on football now. In my not so humble and uninformed opinion
, you have a 3 to 4 year window to try to get into the Big 12. Going cheap hurts both perception and results and negates what UNLV recently accomplished. If you go with Marion or a big name assistant coach with Western ties, you may offer less than Odom but with a large (relative) buyout. Then, double or triple assistant salaries to compensate for his lack of experience and contacts.
No, I agree they were never offering that amount. I do think UCF was more attractive because it’s in a rich recruiting environment and it’s in the Big12. It’s an easier job and I think Odom/Marion would have been successful there.
Purdue is just a head scratcher. Lots of Mizzou and Arkansas fans are puzzled by this because it’s going to take a Herculean effort to make any kind of noise in that conference.
It makes more money, it is in a better conference that just got 4 teams into the playoff, and their heated rival which has also been a punching bag just got in.
Maybe they finally decided to wake TF up and actually put some money and effort into football. That is what they are saying they would do, and this move helps confirm that move.
Last year, I would agree with you 100%. But seeing Indiana, who was our example as a place you can't win, just defy the odds changed my mind 100%
