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Anyone remember Skip’s first interview when someone shouted out “Beat Florida!” & Holtz responded, “That’s why I’m here.”?? And we can’t even beat Ball State & Temple…
With the current state of the South Florida Football program & Skip Holtz’s fate undecided, I found it fitting to share a few names being thrown around as Head Coach options:
The Top 3: • Stoops • Malzahn • Taggart
Mark Stoops is the current DC for the #1 FSU defense, & Jimbo Fisher speaks about Stoops’ want to become a head coach in the Miami Herald’s article ‘Jimbo Fisher talks about the Coaching Carousel’. Also, an article titled ‘Jimbo Fisher anticipates coaching changes’ on ESPN.com has the following quote from Stoops:
“You’ve got to make sure you take the right job to have an opportunity to win,” Stoops said before the season. “This thing, there’s a lot of things you’ve got to have in place to be successful beyond yourself and your coaches. You better have some support, top to bottom.”
Stoops will announce his acceptance of the SEC HC position for the recently fired Joker Philips at Kentucky. Stoops is said to be taking 2 Coaches from the FSU staff in current DEs Coach D.J. Eliot to become his DC & OC James Coley, whose role will be decided once Neal Brown decides what his roll will be on the adjusted staff.
After missing on Greg Hudson (FSU) last summer as our new DC in lieu of Chris Cosh, I’d hoped Stoops would be our number one target. But, because AD Woolard didn’t pull the trigger on Holtz after the 7th loss of the 2012 season we missed on a HC with this background: Stoops has done stints at Iowa as a graduate assistant, South Florida (DB) in 1996 under then HC Jim Leavitt, Wyoming (DB), Houston (Co-DC), Miami (DB), Arizona (DC & DB), & since 2009 he has been the Florida State DC & DB coach.
Gus Malzahn is the Head Coach of Arkansas State & has led the Red Wolves to a 7-3 record so far in 2012. Malzahn is most known for being the Offensive Coordinator for Auburn for the 2010 National Championship led by Cam Newton. Malzahn won the Broyles Award in 2010 as college footballs top assistant coach. His current Sun Belt Conference salary is only $850k, making him very affordable. Malzahn runs a no huddle offense, including the Wildcat. Malzahn has coached at Arkansas, Tulsa, Auburn, & Arkansas State.
Willie Taggart is the Head Coach of Western Kentucky & has led the Hilltoppers’ to a 2012 record of 6-3. Taggart was a QB for WKU in college, which led to him becoming an assistant coach under HC Jack Harbaugh’s Hilltoppers’. Taggart was the OC for the Hilltoppers’ 2002 D1-AA National Championship. Next, Taggart spent 2007-2009 as Stanford’s RB coach under HC Jim Harbaugh, where he developed Doak Walker Award winner Toby Gerhart (Minnesota Vikings). In 2010 Taggart became the WKU HC & is considered a top-coaching prospect for the numerous HC availabilities in several conferences. Taggart has a lot of options, so we will have to wait & see what job offers come his way. I believe the odds of us pulling Taggart are on the rise after the chatter of current Louisville HC Charlie Strong meeting with Auburn.
The real question is will Holtz get the boot? Are there other HC options? Thoughts on other coaches & the likelihood of Holtz actually being ousted? 5-7 in 2011 & now the WORST RECORD IN USF HISTORY in 2012 currently at 3-8 (previous 2004 C-USA 4-7) with a rising Pitt Panthers team still to come this Saturday…..
Share your comments, anger, & information below on the #FireSkipHoltz saga.
by Matthew Manuri
Publisher & Editor, SoFloBulls.com | @Mcknurkle
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