Currently researching Barry Odom. Turned around UNLV’s program in one season and is Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year. Already has experience as a head coach in the SEC, although the results were middling… Not sure what he’s like as a recruiter in Texas. Interesting candidate.
The ship on this sailed a while ago. And I don't mean 2021, NIL, etc. I mean like 1984, Oklahoma v. NCAA. If you want it to be an amateur sport, you can't have professional money flowing into it. The conferences dividing themselves up by budget/resources is just a free market solution to the power vacuum left by the absence of any credible central governing authority. I'm all for players getting compensated what they're worth. If it means my team goes to hell in a handbag because we can't afford good players, I'm fine with it. Change leagues until you find a place you can compete. Nobody is entitled to anything.
I'm glad the players get their piece, been a long time coming. Doesn't mean I have to like how the NIL/Portal has changed the game.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...arry-odom-patterson-jeff-traylor-18521580.php Behind Door No. 1: He knows how to turn around problems. He’s been a winner at just about every stop: junior college, Division II, FCS and FBS. All that’s left in a 30-year coaching career is a Power Five job. There’s plenty of talk in New Orleans, and it’s got nothing to do with Mardi Gras, beignets or crawfish etouffee. Just two years ago, Tulane, the tiny private school located in Uptown, was 2-10. Since then, the Green Wave have gone 23-2 with an American Athletic Conference title and New Year’s Six bowl comeback against USC. They’ll play for a shot at another AAC title on Saturday. With all the success, the 63-year-old’s name has come up for other jobs in recent years. Insiders say he has interest in UH and is willing to sit down and listen after Saturday’s championship game. And unlike some of the other candidates, he is believed to have an affordable buyout. At one of his previous stops, the fan base bemoaned a move to a new a conference and a change in offensive scheme. His response: “Winning. I’ve learned that that kills all ills.” Sound good? Then Willie Fritz is your man. Behind Door No. 2: Just a few blocks off the Las Vegas Strip, this coach has delivered UNLV’s best season in nearly four decades and a spot in the Mountain West championship game. He’s known for his defensive acumen, but his (Runnin’) Rebels rank among the top 25 nationally in scoring offense (35.6) and rushing offense (187.8). Speaking of defense, he was a linebacker at Missouri and later head coach, going 25-25 in four seasons. When he was defensive coordinator at Arkansas, his unit was regularly among the SEC’s best at takeaways. He has a $5 million buyout, so that could be a factor. UH board of regents chairman and megadonor Tilman Fertitta, who is leading the coaching search, should be familiar with the UNLV football program. The school’s football headquarters is named Fertitta Football Complex, thanks to a donation from third cousins and former UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. By the way, this coach is already going to be in town Aug. 31, 2024, for UH’s season opener. Interested? Then Barry Odom is your guy. Behind Door No. 3: He has a statue outside Amon G. Carter Stadium. This coach built a Hall of Fame worthy résumé as the winningest coach in TCU history from 2000-21, going 181-79 with six conference championships and two New Year’s Six bowl victories. Back in 2010, the Horned Frogs went 13-0 and defeated Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl to finish No. 2 in the Associated Press poll. In 2014, TCU went 12-1 and shared the Big 12 championship, just missing a spot in the College Football Playoff. Simply put, this coach has done it at a high level for a long time, something UH decision makers covet. But he experienced a downturn with three underwhelming seasons in Fort Worth, going 14-16, and parted ways with the school. He’s 63, so there are concerns about his willingness to adapt to the changing college landscape with NIL and the transfer portal. “I’m glad I’m 61 and not 41 in dealing with it,” he said a few years ago, according to The Athletic, about all the changes. After leaving TCU, he served as a special assistant to Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and, according to sources, was under consideration to join UH as a defensive analyst at midseason this year. On a recent appearance on the “Matt Mosely Show,” he said he “still has a lot of ballgames left in me.” To borrow a line from his 2020 song — yes, he has an album — “Everybody stop where you’re at, take a step back.” Like what you hear? Then Gary Patterson is the pick. Behind Door No. 4: He has small-town East Texas roots and is popular among Texas high school coaches. What he has done in four years at UTSA — two Conference USA titles and four straight bowl appearances — has made the 55-year-old one of the industry’s rising stars. He reportedly interviewed for the Texas A&M job and met with UH officials for a follow-up interview Tuesday. He would likely have been a candidate had there been openings at Arkansas and Baylor. But does he want to leave San Antonio? Would he be the right fit at Houston? UTSA is working to increase its football budget by $2 million per year to keep him, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Like Fritz, he would be the type of hire who could stabilize and reignite the program. His personality would quickly win over the fan base. He’s also the preferred choice in the UH locker room, with insiders saying many players would favor his hiring. But he won’t come cheap. As part of a 10-year deal he signed in 2021, he has a $7 million buyout. That might be hard to stomach for UH, which must pay $14.8 million to Holgorsen. If money is no issue? Then Jeff Traylor could be the pick.
Kliff Kingsbury, Jeff Traylor, and Gary Patterson are not frontline candidates. One might get the job, but that means UH’s plans did not play out, and the school had to settle. If Pez were going after those guys, they would have been hired by now (or no later than today, Thursday, 11/30). There’s too much happening to wait if you have your guy selected. For one, getting coaches and staff into place is critical. The transfer portal opens on Monday, and a coach needs all the time possible to recruit his new roster before any of them head to the portal. He must also understand his new roster to focus on recruiting the right guys in the portal. In addition, there will only be two official visit weekends left before signing day, and a coach needs time to improve Dana Holgorsen’s disastrous 2024 recruiting. You’d pull the trigger on any of these guys today to give them as much time to get organized and as many people hired in critical roles before it hits the fan on Monday. If they were the guy. None of Kingsbury, Traylor, or Patterson are coaching in a championship game this weekend, so they should be available now. Because the hire has not been made, nor have we seen the coordinated leaks that go out before a hire is made, tells me UH is waiting for someone coaching this weekend. Or, it’s possible they have not identified someone (but that seems unlikely). My thought is that UH brass has decided on their guy and has already had discussions about money, staffing, and timing with his agent, Bryan Harlan. UH is waiting til after Saturday to talk to the coach directly. That coach, Willie Fritz, is likely talking to Harlan 5+ times a day and Pez is in constant contact with him.
I'd way rather have Odom than Fritz. He could coach for another entire lengthy career and still be younger than Frirz is now when he retires... UNLV is one of the worst football programs of all time. They are a historically AWFUL program. They shouldn't be, but they are. He didn't inherit much coming in. The job he's done there has been miraculous. On top of that, he has an overall coaching record of 34-28, which doesn't sound special until you factor in that he's done that at programs that are generally not very good. He had a winning record at Missouri while playing an SEC schedule. He's a coach of the year candidate at freaking UNLV. He's still only 47 years old. You want a football Kelvin Sampson? That guy might be Barry Odom. Strong defense, big time college conference experience, looking to move back up again. He should be on the very shortest of lists.
https://footballscoop.com/news/source-tulane-willing-to-go-big-to-keep-willie-fritz-houston Tulane is willing to pay up to $4.5 million per year to keep head coach Willie Fritz, sources tell FootballScoop. Fritz is a candidate for the open position at Houston. Many within college football view him as Houston's top choice for the job entering the weekend. IRS documents obtained by WVUE-TV revealed Tulane paid Fritz $2.79 million in 2022. He is already the highest-paid American coach according to the USA Today coaches salary database; a $4.5 million salary would place him toward the middle of the pack in the Big 12. Houston paid Dana Holgorsen $4.3 million in 2023. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...ball-gary-patterson-conversation-18525128.php While Willie Fritz remains atop the list for the University of Houston’s vacant football head coaching job, his current employer is preparing to make a counteroffer. Tulane is willing to pay up to $4.5 million per year to keep Fritz, FootballScoop, a popular website that tracks coaching transactions, reported late Thursday. Fritz is considered a top target for the Cougars among a short list of sitting head coaches that includes UNLV’s Barry Odom and UTSA’s Jeff Traylor. Former TCU coach Gary Patterson, whose name had been mentioned as a potential candidate, had a phone conversation with UH earlier this week but is not expected to formally interview for the job, a source confirmed. Meanwhile Thursday, Matt Mosley, host of “The Matt Mosley Show” in Waco, reported that Patterson spoke with UH athletic director Chris Pezman this week but is not considered a serious candidate. Patterson is currently in Tanzania with his wife, Mosley reported. Traylor, who has led UTSA to two conference titles and four straight bowl appearances, has had multiple conversations with UH, including a formal interview on Tuesday, a source said.
https://247sports.com/Article/coach...r-at-houston-other-insider-nuggets-221940025/ The search at Houston has been conducted under the radar, but Tulane’s Willie Fritz has emerged as the frontrunner. Tulane has not been caught off-guard. The school is preparing to offer Fritz a massive contract that could bump his pay from $2.8 million to $4.5 million, reports FootballScoop. Tulane plays SMU in the AAC Championship on Saturday. A win would send Tulane to a New Year’s Six bowl game for a second straight season. Other names to watch are UTSA’s Jeff Traylor and UNLV’s Barry Odom. Traylor previously had discussions with Texas A&M before the school opted for Duke’s Mike Elko after previously reaching a verbal agreement with Kentucky’s Mark Stoops, sources told 247Sports. Former TCU coach Gary Patterson had been pushed to Houston brass by several in the industry, but after a phone conversation with the university, Patterson opted to not formally interview.
I haven't heard Fritz is the guy for sure. Maybe he is - IDK. I will say this about Fritz, Cougar fans will need to be patient. Tulane was not very good the first like 5-6 years he was there. He even almost lost his job there at one point. The bad news is that he is in his 60's.... but the good news is that even if he wins a lot of games at UH, he isn't likely to leave.
