Who turned down the NU job, according to Jim O’Donnell of the Daily Herald

[NUCat320]

There’s a thread about Paul Chryst, but JOD’s original column names all the names, none of which are surprising.

Jim O'Donnell: Long football line just said "no" before Northwestern settled on David Braun

ONE WEEKEND AGO, David Braun and Northwestern stunned Wisconsin 24-10 at Camp Randall Stadium to move to 5-5 in 2023. On The Enchanted Lakefront, the sighs of relief could be heard from the office of...

www.dailyherald.com

Mike Elko, Duke
Lance Leipold, Kansas
Clawson, Wake
Mike Kafka
Tommy Rees
Troy Calhoun, Air Force
Paul Chryst, meagerly employed
Willie Fritz, Tulane

Bronco Mendenhall, currently unemployed, did *not* say no, but NU chose Braun over him.

JOD is a bit of a whack job, and Gragg previously said his reporting was false, but this list is a) what we would’ve expected and b) mostly guys who are currently in a better situation than a two-years-on-the-road nomadic team.

There’s also a bit at the end about Fitz getting a $50 invoice for an unreturned key fob.

It’s possible Fitz is the source for much of this, but that’s a guess. The other papers no longer prioritize covering NU, even a little. And Teddy G is no longer available as Phillips’ toadie-in-chief.

 

[NJCat]

All of the jobs held by current head coaches above are at worst a lateral move, except for perhaps Air Force which has a unique position as a service academy. One could argue that academic restrictions make the NU job less appealing than any of those jobs. Not surprising in the least that none of these coaches would leave a situation which they have built into a success for a lateral move to NU. I get that the search committee were aiming high but the odds of a successful hire in their strategy were very low.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Says more about Shill and Ggarg than anything

 

[NUCat320]

Says more about Shill and Ggarg than anything

Also, the search firm, or the parameters they were given.

 

[NUFan0207]

The biggest deterrent to the job has nothing to do with Schill and Gragg. It is the academic restrictions on recruiting. That is inflexible regardless of who is president or AD. Don’t get me wrong, I think Gragg and Schill have been terrible and that they should be dismissed. But I think the job’s overall lack of appeal is not their fault. It is at an institutional level.

 

[nu greek]

Schill, Gragg, Hagerty and BOT President Barris need to be jettisoned into Academic Eternal Outer Space with all the Junk up there!!!

 

[phatcat]

The biggest deterrent to the job has nothing to do with Schill and Gragg. It is the academic restrictions on recruiting. That is inflexible regardless of who is president or AD. Don’t get me wrong, I think Gragg and Schill have been terrible and that they should be dismissed. But I think the job’s overall lack of appeal is not their fault. It is at an institutional level.

The stink of the scandal and lack of a stadium are equal deterrents, especially to recruiting

 

[zeek55]

2 years without a home field is a very tough thing to sell any quality coach on...

Even forgetting the Fitz situation for a second, how many coaches would want to jump into a situation with a stadium rebuild like that?

It's why I'm really glad that we had Braun step up like this, a guy that already had 1 successful season and has won the trust of the players has a big step up for handling the next 2 seasons.

Braun will get a minimum of 2 or 3 more seasons to run the team. After we move into the new stadium, that's when he can get a fair evaluation.

 

[Catreporter]

Tough times could be ahead. No home field for two years and Michigan and Ohio State back-to-back on next year's schedule in addition to the elite new teams added for 24 and 25. Really glad we made a bowl this year. Braun is an underdog who will be easy to root for.

 

[epicbret]

Fritz has said he's not leaving Tulane in general

 

[FrancisSearle75]

Fritz has said he's not leaving Tulane in general

Says he's not leaving Tulane........until he does. He just hasn't gotten the right offer yet.

 

[Vassar69]

Fritz has said he's not leaving Tulane in general

Waiting on A&M

 

[kaTNap]

Waiting on A&M

Not satisfying Aggie fans dreams of an NC and getting let go in 5 years would be a helluva way to end a fine career.

 

[Vassar69]

Not satisfying Aggie fans dreams of an NC and getting let go in 5 years would be a helluva way to end a fine career.

Jimbo got 10 years/$95M fully guaranteed. They’re paying him $75M to go away, and every penny is guaranteed and none of it offsets if he takes a new job.

I’d let the wrestling coach **** me on the 50 yard line in front of a full stadium for that contract. And Fritz would too!

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Not satisfying Aggie fans dreams of an NC and getting let go in 5 years would be a helluva way to end a fine career.

His retirement fund would balloon even if the wins didn’t .

 

[epicbret]

Says he's not leaving Tulane........until he does. He just hasn't gotten the right offer yet.

Yes I understand how coaches tend to be

 

[Medill '03]

There’s a thread about Paul Chryst, but JOD’s original column names all the names, none of which are surprising.

Jim O'Donnell: Long football line just said "no" before Northwestern settled on David Braun

ONE WEEKEND AGO, David Braun and Northwestern stunned Wisconsin 24-10 at Camp Randall Stadium to move to 5-5 in 2023. On The Enchanted Lakefront, the sighs of relief could be heard from the office of...

www.dailyherald.com

Mike Elko, Duke
Lance Leipold, Kansas
Clawson, Wake
Mike Kafka
Tommy Rees
Troy Calhoun, Air Force
Paul Chryst, meagerly employed
Willie Fritz, Tulane

Bronco Mendenhall, currently unemployed, did *not* say no, but NU chose Braun over him.

JOD is a bit of a whack job, and Gragg previously said his reporting was false, but this list is a) what we would’ve expected and b) mostly guys who are currently in a better situation than a two-years-on-the-road nomadic team.

There’s also a bit at the end about Fitz getting a $50 invoice for an unreturned key fob.

It’s possible Fitz is the source for much of this, but that’s a guess. The other papers no longer prioritize covering NU, even a little. And Teddy G is no longer available as Phillips’ toadie-in-chief.

The column sure read like Fitz was the source.

 

[kaTNap]

Jimbo got 10 years/$95M fully guaranteed. They’re paying him $75M to go away, and every penny is guaranteed and none of it offsets if he takes a new job.

I’d let the wrestling coach **** me on the 50 yard line in front of a full stadium for that contract. And Fritz would too!

That's ... an insane amount of money to spend for one NY6 bowl appearance and a bunch of 2nd and 3rd tier bowl games.

 

[zeek55]

That's ... an insane amount of money to spend for one NY6 bowl appearance and a bunch of 2nd and 3rd tier bowl games.

That's the issue moving forward. Everyone in the Big Ten/SEC will have crazy money to throw around but only a handful of schools can actually match the expected results.

By the standards that Texas A&M expects, only like 2 of their past 20-25 seasons have been successful. But they're paying as if they can expect top 10 teams every year. Nothing in their history suggests that's a reasonable expectation.

The SEC has like 6-8 programs that are above them in the pecking order: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and maybe Tennessee or Auburn as well (or at worst those last 2 are on the same level).

Big Ten is going to be the same way in the coming years. Going to be tough to finish in the top 4-6 with the top football schools all expecting to be there annually.

 

[Darren72]

I think you guys are reading way too much into this list. Putting Braun aside, nothing wrong with starting with so-called dream/top-tier candidates. If they couldn’t get any of them, there certainly would’ve been other names. Just because they haven’t been leaked, doesn’t mean the list doesn’t exist.

 

[zeek55]

I think you guys are reading way too much into this list. Putting Braun aside, nothing wrong with starting with so-called dream/top-tier candidates. If they couldn’t get any of them, there certainly would’ve been other names. Just because they haven’t been leaked, doesn’t mean the list doesn’t exist.

The list exists for sure, but I'm just skeptical on how far along any of these discussions may have gone or if they even reached the point of being turned down by candidates.

We hired Braun after the 10th game, it's really rare for schools to be far along with hiring discussions with active coaches 3 weeks before the season ends. To me, Braun won the job before any alternative could be considered.

Just feels like an author that wanted to put this out there to make the program look like it got rejected by a bunch of candidates.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

The list exists for sure, but I'm just skeptical on how far along any of these discussions may have gone or if they even reached the point of being turned down by candidates.

We hired Braun after the 10th game, it's really rare for schools to be far along with hiring discussions with active coaches 3 weeks before the season ends. To me, Braun won the job before any alternative could be considered.

Just feels like an author that wanted to put this out there to make the program look like it got rejected by a bunch of candidates.

Your hypothesis is simply not true. NU absolutely did its due diligence reaching out to the right group of candidates. The contact was done directly and/or through back channels. The desired candidates did their due diligence in return…major concerns arose regarding admissions requirements, transfer process and NIL. For some, these concerns were non-starters, others progressed a bit farther but ultimately were deal breakers. You’re also kidding yourself if you don’t think every one of those candidates (or their representatives) reached out to Fitz in some way to get his take on the administration and the job in general. NU was given a gift in David Braun…we’d be stuck with the Bronco Mendenhall’s of the world if Braun hadn’t attained such unexpected success.

 

[zeek55]

Your hypothesis is simply not true. NU absolutely did its due diligence reaching out to the right group of candidates. The contact was done directly and/or through back channels. The desired candidates did their due diligence in return…major concerns arose regarding admissions requirements, transfer process and NIL. For some, these concerns were non-starters, others progressed a bit farther but ultimately were deal breakers. You’re also kidding yourself if you don’t think every one of those candidates (or their representatives) reached out to Fitz in some way to get his take on the administration and the job in general. NU was given a gift in David Braun…we’d be stuck with the Bronco Mendenhall’s of the world if Braun hadn’t attained such unexpected success.

All those are fair and I think the timing of the situation made hiring any quality outside candidate extremely difficult barring throwing $10 million/yr at candidates that simply aren't worth that.

2 years of running a nomad situation + Fitz situation made it extremely difficult.

I just find it difficult to believe that we reached the step of offering the job to outside candidates. There was literally no need to when Braun had 5 wins through 10 games.

This is the rare case where an interim coach won the job on merit before a full hiring process could occur.

Due diligence and the like were absolutely done, but I'm going to remain skeptical on articles that phrase it as if we hired our 10th choice after 9 rejections.

 

[corbi296]

That's ... an insane amount of money to spend for one NY6 bowl appearance and a bunch of 2nd and 3rd tier bowl games.

About the same amount of money Tucker got at MSU and they got even less for it.

 

[corbi296]

Your hypothesis is simply not true. NU absolutely did its due diligence reaching out to the right group of candidates. The contact was done directly and/or through back channels. The desired candidates did their due diligence in return…major concerns arose regarding admissions requirements, transfer process and NIL. For some, these concerns were non-starters, others progressed a bit farther but ultimately were deal breakers. You’re also kidding yourself if you don’t think every one of those candidates (or their representatives) reached out to Fitz in some way to get his take on the administration and the job in general. NU was given a gift in David Braun…we’d be stuck with the Bronco Mendenhall’s of the world if Braun hadn’t attained such unexpected success.

I completely agree except for the Mendenhall part. Did I miss something? I always thought of him as a pretty good coach.

 

[corbi296]

All those are fair and I think the timing of the situation made hiring any quality outside candidate extremely difficult barring throwing $10 million/yr at candidates that simply aren't worth that.

2 years of running a nomad situation + Fitz situation made it extremely difficult.

I just find it difficult to believe that we reached the step of offering the job to outside candidates. There was literally no need to when Braun had 5 wins through 10 games.

This is the rare case where an interim coach won the job on merit before a full hiring process could occur.

Due diligence and the like were absolutely done, but I'm going to remain skeptical on articles that phrase it as if we hired our 10th choice after 9 rejections.

Come on, you cannot seriously be arguing that NU should have turned down some of the guys on that list if they were interested in favor of Braun? I am grateful we lucked into a situation where we had a guy like Braun as an fall back option but he is a very unproven commodity who has benefitted from a unique set of circumstances to become a Head Coach let alone a Big Ten Head Coach. No way he is a head coach at any other D1 next year.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I completely agree except for the Mendenhall part. Did I miss something? I always thought of him as a pretty good coach.

Thought his talents were unique to BYU; failed at UVA; unemployed; not a culture fit at NU. I’ve heard overly zealous on the religious front too. 🤷‍♂️

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

All those are fair and I think the timing of the situation made hiring any quality outside candidate extremely difficult barring throwing $10 million/yr at candidates that simply aren't worth that.

2 years of running a nomad situation + Fitz situation made it extremely difficult.

I just find it difficult to believe that we reached the step of offering the job to outside candidates. There was literally no need to when Braun had 5 wins through 10 games.

This is the rare case where an interim coach won the job on merit before a full hiring process could occur.

Due diligence and the like were absolutely done, but I'm going to remain skeptical on articles that phrase it as if we hired our 10th choice after 9 rejections.

The top 9 wouldn’t even come to the table for an interview. We never got to our second ten as Braun bailed out the search committee from an embarrassing situation.

 

[corbi296]

Thought his talents were unique to BYU; failed at UVA; unemployed; not a culture fit at NU. I’ve heard overly zealous on the religious front too. 🤷‍♂️

Ok, I remember his tenure at UVA as more positive than you do. Didn’t he resign after a successful season? The religious aspect I could totally see.

 

[NUCat320]

The top 9 wouldn’t even come to the table for an interview. We never got to our second ten as Braun bailed out the search committee from an embarrassing situation.

There was no reason that Schill, Gragg, or the search firm should have expected any of the targets to take what is basically a lateral move* to a two-year nomadic program that’s already tough to recruit to.

(*Kafka is not a lateral but he’s an NFL guy. Rees was reasonable and perhaps the most likely, but he’s at Nick Saban finishing school and will get a bigger jon soon. Mendenhall and Chryst would have been a step up from their un/limited employment.)

Braun bailed them out, but, geez, a pretty unobtainable list.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

There was no reason that Schill, Gragg, or the search firm should have expected any of the targets to take what is basically a lateral move* to a two-year nomadic program that’s already tough to recruit to.

(*Kafka is not a lateral but he’s an NFL guy. Rees was reasonable and perhaps the most likely, but he’s at Nick Saban finishing school and will get a bigger jon soon. Mendenhall and Chryst would have been a step up from their un/limited employment.)

Braun bailed them out, but, geez, a pretty unobtainable list.

The list should not be unobtainable. NU has a seat at the table for a spot in the Big 2 of college football. If it is unobtainable it is only because of Bozo, Cookie and the circus jugglers running the big top.

 

[NUCat320]

The list should not be unobtainable. NU has a seat at the table for a spot in the Big 2 of college football. If it is unobtainable it is only because of Bozo, Cookie and the circus jugglers running the big top.

1. Academic restrictions
2. Two years as nomads
3. Braun’s presence makes it real hard, because he’s already done the job well.

It’s always tough to find success at NU, and the list of programs willing to pay more for these types will be significant. Is TxAM at 50% more a better job? Yeah, probably.

It’s Bozo, Cooky (look it up), and all those trustees juggling knives and stabbing each other in the back in addition to the structural and stadium-related challenges.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

The list should not be unobtainable. NU has a seat at the table for a spot in the Big 2 of college football. If it is unobtainable it is only because of Bozo, Cookie and the circus jugglers running the big top.

It was 100% the right list. The incompetent leadership and the inherent obstacles already in place made those on the list unobtainable.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

1. Academic restrictions
2. Two years as nomads
3. Braun’s presence makes it real hard, because he’s already done the job well.

It’s always tough to find success at NU, and the list of programs willing to pay more for these types will be significant. Is TxAM at 50% more a better job? Yeah, probably.

It’s Bozo, Cooky (look it up), and all those trustees juggling knives and stabbing each other in the back in addition to the structural and stadium-related challenges.

We aren’t talking about Nick Saban, Dabo, or Kirby Smart coming over. We are talking about Coacjes that aren’t coaching in the Big 2. Admission restrictions are within control of jugglers. Stadium is a short term deal. Braun would have to be sacrificed if Bozo and Cooky ( thanks for the spelling correction) brought in a Leopold. Having said that, I hope Braun knocks out of the park as this is all moot speculation now.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

It was 100% the right list. The incompetent leadership and the inherent obstacles already in place made those on the list unobtainable.

Yes

 

[Hungry Jack]

The biggest deterrent to the job has nothing to do with Schill and Gragg. It is the academic restrictions on recruiting. That is inflexible regardless of who is president or AD. Don’t get me wrong, I think Gragg and Schill have been terrible and that they should be dismissed. But I think the job’s overall lack of appeal is not their fault. It is at an institutional level.

The President could revise Admissions policy if it was a priority.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

The President could revise Admissions policy if it was a priority.

Eh. He ultimately answers to the Board of Trustees and not all of those members are exactly “athletics friendly.”

 

[NUFan0207]

The BOT would remove the President about ten minutes after the President tried to force the provost to change admissions standards, likely after the provost resigned. This just isn’t what the University wants. We can either accept that or not, but it won’t change.

For all the problems with Schill and Gragg, the academics/transfer/NIL issues are way more of an obstacle to hiring a coach than their incompetence/disinterest and the sour ending with Fitz. Most coaches don’t want to deal with (and think they can’t deal with) those kind of restrictions on obtaining talent. Part of the admiration for Fitz in the industry was that he dealt with institutional issues most of them couldn’t imagine.

The other issue here that I have wondered about is salary. The fact they are paying Braun towards the bottom of the scale may be no accident (I have no inside knowledge). They are taking on some debt for the stadium, which the faculty is outraged by, they may have a payout to Fitz and the former players coming and related legal fees (I’m not handicapping the outcome of those cases, just saying you have to prepare, and there are related insurance issues). All of that is to say that they may have been willing to pay a bit more, but nobody over there is sad about where they ended up from a salary standpoint.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

The BOT would remove the President about ten minutes after the President tried to force the provost to change admissions standards, likely after the provost resigned. This just isn’t what the University wants. We can either accept that or not, but it won’t change.

For all the problems with Schill and Gragg, the academics/transfer/NIL issues are way more of an obstacle to hiring a coach than their incompetence/disinterest and the sour ending with Fitz. Most coaches don’t want to deal with (and think they can’t deal with) those kind of restrictions on obtaining talent. Part of the admiration for Fitz in the industry was that he dealt with institutional issues most of them couldn’t imagine.

The other issue here that I have wondered about is salary. The fact they are paying Braun towards the bottom of the scale may be no accident (I have no inside knowledge). They are taking on some debt for the stadium, which the faculty is outraged by, they may have a payout to Fitz and the former players coming and related legal fees (I’m not handicapping the outcome of those cases, just saying you have to prepare, and there are related insurance issues). All of that is to say that they may have been willing to pay a bit more, but nobody over there is sad about where they ended up from a salary standpoint.

It’s not even necessarily that coaches “don’t want to deal with” NU’s admissions/academic issues. It’s that they literally don’t have to at any other job save for one.

 

[IGNORE2]

The top 9 wouldn’t even come to the table for an interview. We never got to our second ten as Braun bailed out the search committee from an embarrassing situation.

You talking all the losing seasons that had been piling up?