Lots of Turn Downs in Search of Fitz Replacement including Paul Christ according to Article

[samuirocks]

Report: Former Badgers HC Paul Chryst Turned Down Northwestern Job

Paul Chryst, former head coach of Wisconsin Football, recently surfaced as a potential candidate for the Northwestern head coaching position. However, Chryst, currently serving as an offensive analyst for the Texas Longhorns, was among eight candidates who declined the Northwestern job before...

badgernotes.com

 

[techtim72]

Yawn.

 

[Jaguar 88]

He is an offensive analyst, that is all you need to know. He doesn't want the headaches of being a HC anymore, and there might be many in trying to resurrect a power 5 program. Either that or he thinks he will get a bigger gig down the road, but I doubt it.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

He is an offensive analyst, that is all you need to know. He doesn't want the headaches of being a HC anymore, and there might be many in trying to resurrect a power 5 program. Either that or he thinks he will get a bigger gig down the road, but I doubt it.

So many hurdles…even Earle Bruce would have turned NU down.

 

[Jaguar 88]

So many hurdles…even Earle Bruce would have turned NU down.

I never knew that Earle was up for the NU job at the time. Did he turn NU down? He ended up at N Iowa for the 1988 season, but that was a favor for his good friend Eldon Miller, the former OSU basketball coach. He then took the CSU job. The year before he got fired from OSU, he was offered the Arizona HC job and turned it down since OSU was his dream. In hindsight, he should have taken the money and run. He could have turned AZ around, but I think he could have done the same with NU.

 

[phatcat]

My email address is hashtag idontcare

 

[FeralFelidae]

He is an offensive analyst, that is all you need to know. He doesn't want the headaches of being a HC anymore, and there might be many in trying to resurrect a power 5 program. Either that or he thinks he will get a bigger gig down the road, but I doubt it.

Okay, but what about the other seven?

 

[corbi296]

Pretty humbling.

 

[Skunkpilot]

Chryst is a dork. He’s buddies with fitz too. We got our man Braun. He’s young, hungry, humble, and wants to win.

 

[Jaguar 88]

Okay, but what about the other seven?

Coral Spring Cat said it best. Too many hurdles. The administration and school itself seems to be not so enthusiastic about sports, plus the admissions, etc. The school's president and AD came off as a chumps. The kids don't come out for home games, but that is not just a NU thing. When I attended EMU, the home games were packed, even though we were average. Going on more than a couple decades, the games are sparsely attended, even as the program has made somewhat of a comeback. Kids aren't into football all that much. Winning would help a tad, but not too sure it will solve the problem.

 

[zeek55]

I put absolutely 0 trust in an article like this.

I'd imagine feelers may have been put out, but Braun had already won the job by the 10th game.

Highly doubt we got that many specific rejections.

Braun makes way more sense than a lot of possible hires for a variety of reasons: trust of players, quick turnaround with terrific defensive results, 2 years of playing away from RF, etc.

 

[Medill '03]

Report: Former Badgers HC Paul Chryst Turned Down Northwestern Job

Paul Chryst, former head coach of Wisconsin Football, recently surfaced as a potential candidate for the Northwestern head coaching position. However, Chryst, currently serving as an offensive analyst for the Texas Longhorns, was among eight candidates who declined the Northwestern job before...

badgernotes.com

On the bright side, at least they asked many of the right candidates for the job.

 

[drewjin]

Sounds like we dodged a bullet.

 

[WaveJumper]

Not at all surprising, given many of the reasons cited above. But also possible that they got the right candidate after all.

 

[corbi296]

So many hurdles…even Earle Bruce would have turned NU down.

They should have asked Urban Meyer. He certainly would have eagerly taken the job!

 

[NCPurplecat]

Good thing. After Wisconsin and Purdue wins, support for Braun soared. He was brought in for Defense and delivered. Chryst was a logical thought and would have been a decent choice earlier but it ended as well as it could.

 

[Frabjous]

Jesus H. Christ turned down the job, too.

 

[No Chores]

Not at all surprising, given many of the reasons cited above. But also possible that they got the right candidate after all.

Exactly!!

 

[mesacat]

Surprisingly just about all candidates were in successful positions. Why weren't they looking at Group of 5 or FCS coaches and coordinator looking to move up in level. I'm looking at a process to justify hiring Braun. Which way back when many thought that would be the outcome as it was path of least resistance for an Admin wanting to cya.

 

[Williesfan]

Wasn’t Chrystal an abysmal failure at Wisconsin?

 

[IGNORE2]

So many hurdles…even Earle Bruce would have turned NU down.

Guess Braun must not be so smart to have taken such a loser job

 

[curdog]

Report: Former Badgers HC Paul Chryst Turned Down Northwestern Job

Paul Chryst, former head coach of Wisconsin Football, recently surfaced as a potential candidate for the Northwestern head coaching position. However, Chryst, currently serving as an offensive analyst for the Texas Longhorns, was among eight candidates who declined the Northwestern job before...

badgernotes.com

With a competent AD and President, NU is an attractive gig. With the 2 ass clowns in charge currently, no one wants it.

 

[T_Levine]

With a competent AD and President, NU is an attractive gig. With the 2 ass clowns in charge currently, no one wants it.

I think this is the primary concern.

With the new college football conference landscape there will be two groups

About five teams per conference that can with titles and the rest.

Then you have to have administration support regardless.

NU has neither right now and will never have the first.

Coaches can’t control the second but need to ask themselves about the first. They are a competitive lot. But if I’m a coach and care about kids and even my family, Northwestern is an ideal coaching situation. Average 7 wins a year for 20 years. Earn millions of dollars. Impact a generation. If young men. You’re golden.

Go somewhere else where 10 wins every year is expected. Last five years and be shown the door.

Maybe my ego isn’t big enough. But I’ll take NU over the other.

 

[IGNORE2]

With a competent AD and President, NU is an attractive gig. With the 2 ass clowns in charge currently, no one wants it.

Well, weird thing, someone took the job so what are you suggesting about the intelligence of that guy?

 

[hdhntr1]

It

Coral Spring Cat said it best. Too many hurdles. The administration and school itself seems to be not so enthusiastic about sports, plus the admissions, etc. The school's president and AD came off as a chumps. The kids don't come out for home games, but that is not just a NU thing. When I attended EMU, the home games were packed, even though we were average. Going on more than a couple decades, the games are sparsely attended, even as the program has made somewhat of a comeback. Kids aren't into football all that much. Winning would help a tad, but not too sure it will solve the problem.

It was a thing to do back then without so much competition. Now stay home see very game across the country including your own if interested and plenty of other things to do as well

 

[hdhntr1]

Jesus H. Christ turned down the job, too.

Said it was easier to save the world than to save NU Football program

 

[hdhntr1]

I think this is the primary concern.

With the new college football conference landscape there will be two groups

About five teams per conference that can with titles and the rest.

Then you have to have administration support regardless.

NU has neither right now and will never have the first.

Coaches can’t control the second but need to ask themselves about the first. They are a competitive lot. But if I’m a coach and care about kids and even my family, Northwestern is an ideal coaching situation. Average 7 wins a year for 20 years. Earn millions of dollars. Impact a generation. If young men. You’re golden.

Go somewhere else where 10 wins every year is expected. Last five years and be shown the door.

Maybe my ego isn’t big enough. But I’ll take NU over the other.

Problem is it is going to get harder and harder to average that 7 wins

 

[Catslash]

shows how many think coaching for Gragg would be a drag.

 

[FeralFelidae]

shows how many think coaching for Gragg would be a drag.

Nah, you won't even notice if Gragg is there. Coaching for Schill, on the other hand...

 

[corbi296]

Wasn’t Chrystal an abysmal failure at Wisconsin?

do you call a 67-26 record a failure?

 

[curdog]

Well, weird thing, someone took the job so what are you suggesting about the intelligence of that guy?

Man are you obtuse or what. No one who is currently a HC would leave and take the NU job given the current leadership. Of course the guy who was never a HC would take the job!

 

[curdog]

do you call a 67-26 record a failure?

That depends. 67-26 at Ohio st is an epic failure. at NU, you would get a statue.

 

[Vassar69]

He is an offensive analyst, that is all you need to know. He doesn't want the headaches of being a HC anymore, and there might be many in trying to resurrect a power 5 program. Either that or he thinks he will get a bigger gig down the road, but I doubt it.

He’s an analyst because his buyout is offset by any salary he earns as a coach (assistant coaching included). So if he’s only an analyst, he gets his full buyout payments plus any salary from being an analyst.

Jim Leonard is an analyst at Illinois for the exact same reason.

 

[jne381]

Of all the candidates mentioned, I feel better about Braun than any of them.

I like Mike Elko and Lance Leopold, but I think they are going to make the move, they are going to go somewhere with a bit higher profile than NU. However, as I said, I feel better about Braun than any of them.

 

[corbi296]

That depends. 67-26 at Ohio st is an epic failure. at NU, you would get a statue.

I think it is pretty damn good at Wisconsin. Chryst has his shortcomings but I wonder if Wisconsin fans are second guessing the decision to fire him right about now. Wisconsin has looked weaker this year than at any point under Chryst.

 

[corbi296]

Of all the candidates mentioned, I feel better about Braun than any of them.

I like Mike Elko and Lance Leopold, but I think they are going to make the move, they are going to go somewhere with a bit higher profile than NU. However, as I said, I feel better about Braun than any of them.

If Lance Leopold or Dave Clawson wanted the job, I would have drop kicked Braun into Lake Michigan in a split second.

 

[curdog]

If Lance Leopold or Dave Clawson wanted the job, I would have drop kicked Braun into Lake Michigan in a split second.

100%.

 

[zeek55]

If Lance Leopold or Dave Clawson wanted the job, I would have drop kicked Braun into Lake Michigan in a split second.

Not sure I see it with Leipold. He's brought Kansas to basically where Braun has us in year 1 and there's no real evidence he can do it over a long period. He did have 3 good years at Buffalo before that, but as I said I'm not sure the evidence is there that he can make Kansas work.

Though Kansas will have way easier schedules than us with no giants on their schedule so that job is way easier than our job starting next year. And recruiting is way easier at Kansas.

Clawson though has the track record over a long period of years in a similar small private/elite university kind of situation; if he was willing to come, I think he'd be the one guy I'd say "yes" to immediately given what he's achieved at WF. For me, he was always the "best" candidate if we needed a HC.

Either way I think given the stadium situation, I kind of prefer having Braun as a promoted hire to any outsider given he's already had one successful year here and the next 2 are without RF.

 

[corbi296]

Not sure I see it with Leipold. He's brought Kansas to basically where Braun has us in year 1 and there's no real evidence he can do it over a long period. He did have 3 good years at Buffalo before that, but as I said I'm not sure the evidence is there that he can make Kansas work.

Though Kansas will have way easier schedules than us with no giants on their schedule so that job is way easier than our job starting next year. And recruiting is way easier at Kansas.

Clawson though has the track record over a long period of years in a similar small private/elite university kind of situation; if he was willing to come, I think he'd be the one guy I'd say "yes" to immediately given what he's achieved at WF. For me, he was always the "best" candidate if we needed a HC.

Either way I think given the stadium situation, I kind of prefer having Braun as a promoted hire to any outsider given he's already had one successful year here and the next 2 are without RF.

You obviously have not done your homework on Leopold. Leopold is a long time head coach who has turned around programs at every level of college football. He won at Wisconsin Whitewater, Buffalo and now at Kansas. He does it with a great eye for under appreciated talent and an excellent track record of talent development. The turnaround he has engineered at Kansas in such a short period of time is remarkable and I foresee nothing but more upside for that program. He'd be perfect for NU. It's a moot point because he apparently he had no interest but if he had been interested, we would have been foolish not to hire him.

 

[zeek55]

You obviously have not done your homework on Leopold. Leopold is a long time head coach who has turned around programs at every level of college football. He won at Wisconsin Whitewater, Buffalo and now at Kansas. He does it with a great eye for under appreciated talent and an excellent track record of talent development. The turnaround he has engineered at Kansas in such a short period of time is remarkable and I foresee nothing but more upside for that program. He'd be perfect for NU. It's a moot point because he apparently he had no interest but if he had been interested, we would have been foolish not to hire him.

But he took over a Wisconsin-Whitewater team that was in 2 straight D3 National Championship games. Yes he kept them at that level but they had arrived.

Buffalo, yes, he turned that around impressively. And he's off to a good start at Kansas.

But those are short tenures to judge, 3 good seasons at Buffalo and 2 at Kansas; neither of which is anything close to the Northwestern job.

Still don't think he's as obvious as Clawson who's the one guy that has done it for a while at a similar P5 position (small elite P5).

But as you said, this is a moot issue. We had our guy in week 10-11, and I'm skeptical we actually went too far in discussions with other coaches.