Where did I say we have ever hired a search committee. Doesn’t mean you can’t. I’m done arguing with you. I’ll get back to you at the end of the season and you can tell me what you think happened.
Either stop dressing like Herb Tarlek from WKRP in Cincinnati or go apply for his job. Or don't stop dressing like him and go apply for his job.
Comparing UF to Alabama right now has to be a joke. The Board of Trustees needs to hire someone who knows what is going on. It needs to be external too. Hopefully a new AD, but hiring former AD(s) as consultants would be something. Surely the boosters aren't going to let them waste more of their money on a Scott Stricklin hire
Football is the last thing Fuchs wants to deal with. He justifiably expects others to deal with that. I suspect most university presidents, at a school that has a separate athletic association, feel the same way. Fuchs is an interim. We'll see who takes his place.
You said wait until we hire a new president and AD until hiring a new coach. I was on a search committee for a UF dean. That took 18 months. Fuchs said in August he would like to be out in a year. Fuchs steps up, presidential search ensues - The Independent Florida Alligator Highly unlikely. This is likely to be the usual 18 month search. So we likely get a new president at the earliest in late fall of 2025 or spring 2026 and then we need to fire our AD and hire a new AD. who then needs to hire a coach. If the new president fires SS in early 2026, does that new AD fire Napier or give him a season? Is there a coach tee’d up, because if not, you are 2 years down the road. With Napier. Look, I think SS should have been fired after the women’s basketball fiasco (and his poor hiring record). I don’t want him making this hire either, but three things make the risk worthwhile. First, nil alums have more power than ever b/c of withholding funds. Whether that is good/bad is likely case dependent but if you think SS is bad, it’s likely positive. Second, Napier is so bad that the carnage of him staying is unprecedented. Finally, UF is a vacuum of leadership and predicting when or who we hire as president is impossible, as is if they fire SS.
Getting back to the OP. If I were SS, here's what i would do. First off, i would operate on the assumption I will still be here. I'm sure he is getting input from the boosters and others about direction. First is obvious I would be doing research as to parameters for new coach.. Next coming up with a list (you would think this is already done). My list would be based upon parameters.. confident, recruiting ability, ability to hold people accountable, ability to attract quality assistants, demonstrated success at a high level (establish a winning culture), willingness to start players regardless of seniority. I would not factor in saving the recruiting class at the expense of a quality coach. Anyone we hire may bring in their recruits (30 day window TP) from their current situation. I would want a coach who would embrace the challenges he would face. If D doesn't improve against UCF, I would sit down with CBN and make him (if possible) to cull the coaches 'immediately' who aren't performing. My timing for the termination would obviously be based upon the commitment of monies for settling of contracts, new coaches, and NIL. Assuming all our interested, #1 on my list would be Lane, if the money is there and he wants it. Others i would contact and put a feeler out to are Stoops ( i think he is probably in Mullen mode but he may really want it as he hit his ceiling at KY and maybe he is driven for an NC), Venables just because i really like him. (who knows, I know he has a long history at Ok but maybe his family is tired of it), Ryan Day.. Longshot but it seems he is wearing out his welcome in Ohio., Urban Meyer.. (just to flesh him out and see). On the basis no one of the initial list is interested, secondary candidates (who don't meet all of the initial criteria) would be Golesh, Chadwell, Bill Obrien, scour the NFL, in no particular order. If we can't get a quality candidate, the money people aren't ready to commit the money, and CBN doesn't totally crap the bed rest of the season, I would throw the bank at a quality OC and DC for another year and make CBN hire them (if possible) for a year. Maybe you can get a Joe Brady or someone like that. These guys are all mercenaries and they may do it for the right price. As an aside, people who i have no interest in for various reason (who have been mentioned by others), are Franklin, Freeze, Cignetti, Malzahn.. Just my ideas.
At this time SS is the AD. The AD will have a major role in our coaching outcome going forward. SS must act under the assumption he will continue to be the AD, whether he is or isn't in the future. He will not fire CBN without a plan to replace him. None of us know Stricklin's future with Florida. I think this OP's thread is based upon the more important questions which are if, when, how and with whom CBN gets replaced.. if you were Stricklin
If he keeps BN for another season, he can kiss that job goodbye. If he cans BN at the end of the season, his job is still tenuous, at best. He has been a poor, reactive rather than proactive AD that has struggled at hiring head coaches and apparently has little awareness of the temperature of the room in regards to the rank and file fanbase.
i agree with all you said, however that doesn't answer the question of what you would do if you are SS.
Obviously if he has any thought of keeping his job (or even wants to) he would take option 2 and pray it works out. My guess is he's out of here either because he's shown the door or is actively searching for the next opportunity.
My guess is SS remains here at least for another year until admin gets settled. I don't know what SS will do, I only know what i think i would do with CBN if i was in his precarious position.
