Rittenberg reports that Wannstedt took himself out of consideration, but that Northwestern is exploring bringing in an experienced coach to serve as special assistant to interim head coach David Braun.
Northwestern looking to hire a special assistant coach
- Thread starter mshelton33
- Start date
Rittenberg reports that Wannstedt took himself out of consideration, but that Northwestern is exploring bringing in an experienced coach to serve as special assistant to interim head coach David Braun.
Pete Thamel has since said that Holtz will not be taking the job. Here's Wannstedt's quote from Rittenberg's ESPN article: "What's the role of this guy? You bring somebody else in that's going to be there every day and be in the press box and involved in the play-calling, you're going to lose the players," Wannstedt said. "The players need to be playing for their head coach. The coaches need to know they're coaching with the head coach, is their guy, or everybody's going to sit on their hands."
Special assistants/analysts aren't a new concept in the game, but the fact that:
1) this would be a full assistant coach, not just an analyst, and
2) based on Wanny and Holtz, this person would likely have head coaching experience - significantly more than Braun, which just undermines Braun.
Difficult situation here...I think Gragg's best move is to let Braun do his thing - sink or swim - and let him bring in another assistant for the season. But nothing I've seen from Gragg tells me his decision making is at the level of a competent VP/AD. Keep meddling.
Let's be honest here: it's statistically likely Braun wins 2 or 3 games, which is an improvement over 1-11, and it's also possible he turns out to be rock solid...I don't know that the disruption and drama of bringing in a more experienced coach to loom in the shadows gets us to a bowl.
1) this would be a full assistant coach, not just an analyst, and
2) based on Wanny and Holtz, this person would likely have head coaching experience - significantly more than Braun, which just undermines Braun.
Difficult situation here...I think Gragg's best move is to let Braun do his thing - sink or swim - and let him bring in another assistant for the season. But nothing I've seen from Gragg tells me his decision making is at the level of a competent VP/AD. Keep meddling.
Let's be honest here: it's statistically likely Braun wins 2 or 3 games, which is an improvement over 1-11, and it's also possible he turns out to be rock solid...I don't know that the disruption and drama of bringing in a more experienced coach to loom in the shadows gets us to a bowl.
The school is so screwed with Gragg. Can’t fire him because of the lawsuits. But also shouldn’t let him keep being AD because he’ll keep making terrible decisions.
The reality is that none of these seasoned coaches with previous head coaching experience is going to want to touch this role with a 10ft pole out of fear that hazing practices that occurred under their watch at past college coaching jobs will be exposed. They don’t want to get caught up in this shit storm. Hazing of the type described in this morning’s Athletic article was/is common practice in college football locker rooms across the country. You won’t find one experienced head coach willing to go near this thing.
Because the school needs him on the same side as them for now.
Sounds like more “great work” from the AD. Why would anyone consider taking that kind of job? And why did they give the job to an FCS assistant who obviously had no idea what he’s doing as the head coach in the Big Ten? Every decision is foolishness on top of foolishness, no matter what needed to get cleaned up in the program.
I honestly don't think Wanny cares if you dig up what his players were doing at Pitt 15 years ago.
But he DOES care about being "the guy" who was supposed to rescue a team from going 2-10 that still goes 2-10. He doesn't need the money so he can afford to make a decision that he doesn't want to look like a loser...especially when he knows Braun would be the guy ultimately making the final decisions, and the management structure could easily turn into an even bigger sh*tshow behind the scenes than we're seeing right now.
The only way I can imagine this season not being a catastrophe is the remaining team rallying around a young coach and against the administration, the media, the haters, etc. Wannstedt’s logic is right. No outsider can save this right now.
Wanny still works in tv and radio and I don’t think he made enough money when he was a coach to say he doesn’t value the income he makes from these roles. If he accepted the position with NU and any hazing was discovered in his past because of the scrutiny anyone associated with NU is bound to get going forward, he could kiss those Tv and Radio jobs good bye. He’d be at risk of being cancelled just like what is happening to FItz. This thing will spread elsewhere and folks are trying to stay as far away from it as possible. Taking this advisory role with NU presents too much downside risk and little upside risk for any viable candidate. It was a dumb idea given the circumstances.
Last edited:
My top choices:
David Cutcliffe
Lovie Smith
Shaw
Jerry Kill
Anyone who can help improve our offense?
David Cutcliffe
Lovie Smith
Shaw
Jerry Kill
Anyone who can help improve our offense?
That was the only hazing penalty with any teeth. I’m assuming it’s still in place. Go Cats Go.
We're still one asst coach short. Is Braun going to be both DC and HC? Seems to me Gragg either finds a HC for this year (probably impossible at this late date) or let Coach Braun hire some help on the defensive side.
Yes they are. Who on this staff has been a head coach? And not overseeing a program judged by the admin to have perpetuated in systemic abuse?
If I'm Braun, I have absolutely no problem with this. I would have enough self-awareness to be able to say... I was already facing a big, new challenge in becoming a DC at Div 1 in the BIG. Now I have to be head coach at this school too. I can admit I need some help and have a lot of learn.
https://footballscoop.com/news/sour...e-addition-to-round-out-brauns-wildcats-staff
This can’t be real, can it??
This can’t be real, can it??
JON looks like a savant compared to this guy’s record last year. Coordinator of the second-worst defense in FCS? Quite the backup plan for Gregg to Wanny and Holtz!
Okay, did a smidge of homework:
Last season at Eastern Washington was apparently bad, but they were 10-3 in 2021 and 5-2 during the pandemic.
Before that, this dude was co-DC at FIU under Butch Davis...where they went 8-5, 9-4, and 6-7 between 2017-2019
I'm not excited by this hire, but I don't hate it under the circumstances - a dude our interim head coach trusts. Let's see what they can do.
Last season at Eastern Washington was apparently bad, but they were 10-3 in 2021 and 5-2 during the pandemic.
Before that, this dude was co-DC at FIU under Butch Davis...where they went 8-5, 9-4, and 6-7 between 2017-2019
I'm not excited by this hire, but I don't hate it under the circumstances - a dude our interim head coach trusts. Let's see what they can do.
I admire your optimism. I feel we MAY beat Howard, but only if the rest of the staff isn't canned and if the roster doesn't drop to 40 guys.
Hard to imagine we could have done better given the circumstances and how close we are to the start of camp.
We could have gotten an XFL or USFL coordinator who is right now sitting around, not coaching, and waiting for next spring. John Chavis for example. Say what you want about him but you can't say he doesn't have experience.
John Chavis (American football) - Wikipedia
Coaching in the pros and coaching in college are two dramatically different things.We could have gotten an XFL or USFL coordinator who is right now sitting around, not coaching, and waiting for next spring. John Chavis for example. Say what you want about him but you can't say he doesn't have experience.
John Chavis (American football) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
To segue back to the origianl point; Skip Holtz would be a great hire here right now. He's going to run a clean program. We may not be National Championship great on the field for now, but I can assure you he won’t allow any of the hazing BS.
For a few years we won't be winning B1G championships, but Holtz and his creative offense can and win some games everyone thinks we should lose. He has shown at Eastern Carolina and La Tech that he can coach a team that can at least stay on the field with the big boys all the time and win many (of course not all) times. No more 1970s losses by 35 plus points. No more losses to teams like Southern Illinois. No more losses to teams like New Hampshire (we lost by double digts for God's sakes!)
And he'll clean house.
Right now we need a clean house and a coach that will have us winning 5-7 games within a couple seasons. Hire him for one recruiting cycle (4 years), and let him do just that and put the program in a position where it's not embarrassing the school. No scandals, and a bowl game within a couple years. That's we need for a little while until we get back on our feet.
But Sean Lewis (former Kent State HC, left that to become Neon Dion' s OC at Colorado) should definitely be interviewed as well.
For a few years we won't be winning B1G championships, but Holtz and his creative offense can and win some games everyone thinks we should lose. He has shown at Eastern Carolina and La Tech that he can coach a team that can at least stay on the field with the big boys all the time and win many (of course not all) times. No more 1970s losses by 35 plus points. No more losses to teams like Southern Illinois. No more losses to teams like New Hampshire (we lost by double digts for God's sakes!)
And he'll clean house.
Right now we need a clean house and a coach that will have us winning 5-7 games within a couple seasons. Hire him for one recruiting cycle (4 years), and let him do just that and put the program in a position where it's not embarrassing the school. No scandals, and a bowl game within a couple years. That's we need for a little while until we get back on our feet.
But Sean Lewis (former Kent State HC, left that to become Neon Dion' s OC at Colorado) should definitely be interviewed as well.
