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The website COACHES HOT SEAT came out with their final 2007 rankings. And the guy with the toastiest buns was Washington’s Tyrone Willingham:
Another disappointing season in Seattle - and a 11-25 record in 3 years - has Ty taking top honors. And Husky fans aren’t too comfortable being #1 in that category. One benevolent booster even promised to give his alma mater $100,000 - on the condition they bid Tyrone toodle-oo.
The BELLINGHAM HERALD reports that multi-millionaire Ed Hansen also placed a $100,000 bounty of athletic director Todd Turner’s head. He further pledges, “I do not intend to contribute any further funds to the athletic department as long as these two gentlemen are employed by the University.”
Seems that someone’s been taking notes from Ken Kendrick. So, it would seem a bit strange that a coach supposedly in such hot water would be given some kind of job security.
As usual, Scott Wolf of the L.A. DAILY NEWS has the best perspective on USC football news. Wolf reports today that Pete Carroll “spoke to the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday about their vacant head-coaching position.“ This despite Carroll “denying any contact with the Falcons.”
Wolf also notes several sources saying that “Carroll spoke to the Falcons on Wednesday by phone from his vacation house in Haleiwa, Hawaii. Sources said the Falcons did not offer him the job.”
Much more interesting (and amusing for that matter) are comments Wolf recorded Carroll saying before the Rose Bowl - in which he essentially trashed the quality of the Falcons head coaching position.
Anyone who has been to downtown Little Rock, Ark. after dark knows how delightful and welcoming it can be. So it’s no wonder that Darren McFadden spent yesterday evening there, apparently singing his heart out at a place called “Ernie Biggs piano bar” (name soon to inspire Simpsons episode).
Unfortunately though, some of the folks in that fine establishment apparently caught this year’s Cotton Bowl, as the ASSOCIATED PRESS reports McFadden was handcuffed outside the bar by police after being involved in a “pretty rowdy scene”.
Now if only he could’ve done the same for the Hogs’ defense on Jan. 1.
ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli reports that apparently Arthur Blank is undaunted by his most previous experience in hiring a head coach. Blank was burned by Bobby Petrino last month, when the former university ace spurned the Birds after coaching only 13 game. Now the Falcons are back on the hunt for a head man, and Pasquarelli reports their short list includes USC’s Pete Carroll.
Unlike Petrino though, Carroll does have significant NFL head coaching experience. And based on the events of the past 24 hours, the timing may be finally right for the Trojans coach to take a long, hard look at an exit strategy.
But Pasquarelli reports that there could be some hangups in the Falcons’ pursuit of Carroll.
Dan Cash of WKZO-AM in Detroit tips us off that Rich Rodriguez’s official arrival in Ann Arbor has led to three Wolverine departures:
QB Ryan Mallett and WRs Mario Manningham & Adrian Arrington are no longer part of the Michigan squad, as confirmed by the new coach during Tuesday’s basketball game against Indiana.
Rodriguez believes the two receivers will try their luck with the NFL draft, and says he wishes them well. But when asked about the freshman signal-caller, who was rumored to transfer anyway, Rich was a little more short: “I don’t care. He’s not playing for Michigan. I’m concerned with who’s playing for Michigan.”
Well, someone’s a little snippy. But you might forgive Coach Rod for snapping like that, since West Virginia fans won’t forgive him for leaving. And that’s making it tough for his family back in the Mountaineer State.
Running roughshod over Ball State was enough to convince Ray Rice to make a play for the NFL:
(“So long, suckers!”)
SCARLETKNIGHTS.COM reports that the International Bowl victory marked the last collegiate game for Rice, as the Rutgers RB will forgo his senior season and declare for the 2008 Draft.
Rice states, “I felt the time is right to pursue the opportunity to play at the next level,” but thanked coach Greg Schiano and the Rutgers community for their “tremendous support“.
There wasn’t much left for Ray to pursue in Piscataway anyway, after setting 13 school records in his Scarlet Knights career - such as becoming the first Rutgers & Big East Conference player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.
And if for some reason the NFL doesn’t pan out, Rice can always come back to Toronto as an employee of the Argonauts.
With another college football season down the drain, SPORTS BUSINESS DAILY gets an update on the annual argument for playoffs.
(U. of Georgia president Michael Adams tells one of his famous fish stories)
University of Georgia president Michael Adams has sent a letter to NCAA head honcho Myles Brand advocating an 8-team playoff. In the plan, the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls would serve as quarterfinal contests on New Year’s Day, with the semifinals the following week and the title game the week after.
We wonder if Adams would be pitching this idea if it was his 2-loss Bulldogs at the Superdome last night instead of 2-loss LSU. Although he says the chances of his idea succeeding are “50-50″, other school leaders don’t share his optimism.
