{"id":3191,"date":"2015-12-31T17:09:30","date_gmt":"2015-12-31T22:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gridironstuds.com\/blog\/?p=3191"},"modified":"2015-12-31T17:09:30","modified_gmt":"2015-12-31T22:09:30","slug":"in-this-climate-a-coach-needs-to-graduate-with-his-heisman-qb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/in-this-climate-a-coach-needs-to-graduate-with-his-heisman-qb\/","title":{"rendered":"In This Climate, A Coach Needs to Graduate With His Heisman QB"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By: Chad Wilson – Editor GridironStuds Blog<\/strong>
\nFollow Me On Twitter: @GridironStuds<\/strong><\/p>\n

When he stepped away from the game following the 201o season, \u00a0former University of Florida football coach Urban Meyer was widely criticized by the Gator faithful for making up a reason to leave. \u00a0Feelings aside, \u00a0there’s no denying that Urban Meyer is a very successful football coach and you don’t get to this point without knowing a little something.<\/p>\n

2010 was also Tim Tebow’s final one in Gainesville. \u00a0Tebow did everything you could do in college football including win a Heisman and a national championship. \u00a0In fact, \u00a0Tebow garnered two rings and multiple trips to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. \u00a0For anyone who was paying attention, \u00a0it was quite clear that there was only one Tim Tebow and not likely that there would be another one any time soon. \u00a0As much as recruiting talent and developing it, \u00a0knowing when to walk away from a job and find the\u00a0next place to go has as much to do with your success as the previous two attributes mentioned. \u00a0Now one must take Meyer at face value when he says he was experiencing health issues and needed to go but whether intentional or coincidental, \u00a0Meyer’s move out of Gainesville with Tebow is a shrewd move other coaches would do well to follow.<\/p>\n

Gone are the days where you are allowed to coach 20 years at the same program. \u00a0Fan bases and athletic directors don’t let you reach the mountain top and slide back down. \u00a0Once a coach reaches nirvana, \u00a0he better be staying there or his time to walk the plank will come rather quickly. \u00a0Just ask Les Miles. \u00a0To avoid the pink slip, \u00a0coaches must adequately assess the reasons for their success and be honest about who they are.<\/p>\n

Over the last 10 years it has seemed to me that when a coach is blessed to have recruited and developed a very special talent at quarterback and reaches the pinnacle of success, \u00a0he better start penning his exit strategy. \u00a0No one is denying that it takes a strong ego to succeed as a college football coach. \u00a0However, \u00a0that ego has to be put on pause when examining this situation. \u00a0Ego will tell you that if you developed one Heisman Trophy winner then you can develop another. \u00a0I’m not saying it’s impossible but I am saying it’s highly unlikely. \u00a0When your QB takes you on the wild ride to the Downtown Athletic Club and then the confetti parade in January, \u00a0it’s best to exit the stage with him when his eligibility is up ala Urban Meyer.<\/p>\n

Let’s take a trip through recent history shall we? \u00a0I use the last 10 years because that’s the period of time in which I think the coaching situation in college football has made the most changes. \u00a0Over the last decade, \u00a0coaches have become more mobile either by their choice or by the choice of those who employed them.<\/p>\n

Vince Went Down But Mack Stuck Around<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anyone watching Vince Young run around the Rose Bowl turf vs. USC like he was in the backyard with his baby cousins, \u00a0had to know that he was a one of a kind talent. \u00a0Many would argue that Young should have been the Heisman winner for the 2005 season but nevertheless, \u00a0if there was any doubt, \u00a0Vincent showed it vs. USC in the title game and brought Texas their first national title in 35 years. \u00a0Obviously comfortable where he was, \u00a0Mack Brown remained as Texas’ coach beyond Young and did enjoy some subsequent success. \u00a0Brown even led the Longhorns to another BCS title game vs. Alabama in 2009 but came up short vs. Nick Saban. \u00a0Four double digit win season would follow but Mack was constantly compared to the 2005 season. \u00a0The narrative was constantly “he can’t do it without Vince Young”. \u00a0Suddenly the double digit wins gave way to a rash of mediocrity and an eventual exit from Austin for Brown. \u00a0I can’t help but wonder what Brown would have done had he left Texas for another program with the smell of success on his breath in 2006.<\/p>\n

Cam & Gene Were Really Mean<\/strong><\/p>\n

Talk about that one moment in time. \u00a0Before Cam Newton stepped on the Auburn University campus, \u00a0Gene Chizik’s Tigers were an 8-5 football team. \u00a0However, \u00a0for the one magical 2010 season with Newton at the controls, \u00a0Auburn was the toast of college football. \u00a0Much like Vince Young, \u00a0Newton combined a dazzling combo of precision passing with undeniable QB runs to befuddle defensive coordinators and madden opposing fan bases. \u00a0Newton was and continues to be sub-human as he is built like a DE and moves like a DB. \u00a0Even the most novice football fan could clearly see that Newton was the straw that stirred the drink for the Tigers. \u00a0Auburn rode the Cam train for the rare double of Heisman Trophy and national championship. \u00a0I am not sure what job offers came Gene Chizik’s way during or after that 2010 season but he would have been well served to take one of them. \u00a0Cam was one of a kind and getting past Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide and the assortment of other college football heavyweights without your AK-47 at QB was a monumental task. \u00a0As Cam left, \u00a0so did Auburn’s prominence. \u00a0Ironically, \u00a0the year after Cam left, \u00a0Auburn went right back to 8-5 and then turned on their head to 3-9 two years later before Chizik was tossed out like expired potato salad.<\/p>\n

No Johnny No Football<\/strong><\/p>\n

We all took the magical ride with Johnny Manziel in 2012 didn’t we? \u00a0Captured by his risky playing style and equally carless lifestyle, \u00a0Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies rocketed to college consciousness. \u00a0With Manziel at the controls, \u00a0Texas A&M did things their fans never thought they would be able to do. \u00a0One of those things was beat the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide as they did in Manziel’s first season as the starter. \u00a0Manziel was so good that he caused Saban to try to get the hurry up offense outlawed and when he couldn’t, he started implementing elements of the offense into his program. \u00a0Manziel would win the Heisman Trophy in 2012 and return in 2013 for his junior season. \u00a0A&M, \u00a0once again, \u00a0was a pain in people’s rear end but not as good as the year before. \u00a0Nevertheless, \u00a0Manziel led the Aggies to a dazzling comeback in the bowl game vs. Duke to win 52-48. \u00a0Anyone watching had to see that the reason the Aggies won, \u00a0was Johnny football. \u00a0Sumlin was a hot prospect for open coaching jobs after 2013 season but turned down the offers. \u00a0I could see him thinking that it was more about his system since he had great success in Houston but had he taken a closer look he would have realized that Manziel was a one of a kind at a program that would always be behind the 8-ball. \u00a0In his second year post Manziel, \u00a0Sumlin is on the hot seat and needs to win next year or could get pink slipped. \u00a0Boy was that fast.<\/p>\n

Of course there are outliers. \u00a0Bob Stoops has\u00a0managed to stay in double digit win territory after Sam Bradford won the Heisman in 2008 and Oklahoma played for the title vs. LSU. \u00a0Art Briles has kept Baylor relevant since Robert Griffin III climbed the stairs in Superman socks to hoist the Heisman in 2011. \u00a0Bradford is not what I would describe as a one of a kind of QB. \u00a0Don’t get me wrong, \u00a0as a Sooner he was outstanding but you don’t look at Bradford and put him in the Young, Newton, Manziel category. \u00a0RGIII would fall closer to that type of a one of a kind QB and Briles deserves credit for continuing to move forward his offensive system and program.<\/p>\n

What should be interesting to us all is what’s going on in Tallahassee and what will happen at Clemson after this 2015 season. \u00a0In more ways than one, \u00a0Jameis Winston was a very unique, special and talented quarterback. \u00a0The likelihood of another Jameis Winston entering college football and falling into the hands of the Florida St. Seminoles once again would be low. \u00a0Florida St. reached the mountain top in Winston’s 2nd season as he won the Heisman and the Noles won the title. One season later, with Winston still at the controls, \u00a0Florida St. was beaten soundly in the inaugural college football playoffs first round by Oregon. \u00a0Two years later, the Seminoles suffered two regular season losses and ended the 2015 season with a loss to the Houston Cougars from the AAC. \u00a0Jimbo Fisher’s Seminoles were a 2-3 loss team prior to Winston’s arrival. \u00a0One year after Winston’s departure, \u00a0the Noles dropped three games. \u00a0While three losses may have been ok prior to 2013, \u00a0now that FSU fans have seen the view from the top, \u00a0losing two to three games will stir up the faithful. \u00a0Perhaps Jimbo knows this as he flirted with bolting for Baton Rogue during the season but withdrew his interest and got Les Miles unstrapped from the electric chair. \u00a0One is only left to wonder if like Brown, Chizik and Sumlin before him, not walking off the stage with his one of a kind Heisman winner will hurt Jimbo Fisher’s career.<\/p>\n

Chip Kelly had more reasons than just his QB leaving to exit Oregon (research his NCAA sanctions) but I am of the opinion that Kelly would have departed from Oregon without NCAA pressure when his three year starter and Heisman Trophy winning QB, Marcus Mariota\u00a0made his way out of town. \u00a0Though he failed in Philadelphia, \u00a0Kelly would be highly sought after in the college ranks if he wanted to make that move simply because he did not hang on in Oregon to experience the decline that comes when your special guy behind center is no longer there.<\/p>\n

So who’s up next? \u00a0We’ve watched Dabo Swiney dance and quote his way through the 2015 season. \u00a0You can’t deny his infectious nature and ability to coach. \u00a0However, \u00a0before DeShaun Watson’s arrival at QB, \u00a0Clemson was that team that would win just enough to end up in a big game and then get taken behind the woodshed. \u00a0With Watson, \u00a0Clemson has avoided the very term named after them “Clemsoning”. \u00a0Now, \u00a0all seasons after Watson will be compared to the time he was dressed in Orange. \u00a0It will no longer be acceptable to lose 51-14 at home to Florida St. in a big ACC game or fall 70-33 in the Orange Bowl to West Virginia. \u00a0While I don’t expect Clemson to fall back to those levels, \u00a0I am saying that just losing those games will be enough for the fans to get riled up, \u00a0the administration to get active and for Swiney to get axed as the Tigers’ head coach. \u00a0Stay tuned y’all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Chad Wilson – Editor GridironStuds Blog Follow Me On Twitter: @GridironStuds When he stepped away from the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[613,744,152,853,852,746,854,856,855],"class_list":["post-3191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-cam-newton","tag-clemson-tigers","tag-college-football","tag-florida-state-football","tag-jameis-winston","tag-johnny-manziel","tag-lsu-football","tag-texas-football","tag-vince-young"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3191\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}