The COLUMBUS (GA) LEDGER-ENQUIRER ten-huts, as five college football coaches will be making a special trip to visit recruits - of the Armed Forces.
Georgia’s Mark Richt, Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville, Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis, Miami’s Randy Shannon, and Yale’s Jack Siedlecki will be meeting & greeting with troops stationed in the Middle East.
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WAKE’S GROBE 3RD STRAIGHT COACH TO CALL OFF HOGS: After going through a pair of orange Tigers for their head coaching job, Arkansas was zeroing in on a Demon Deacon. Now the Razorbacks are just back at ground zero.
The NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MORNING NEWS reports that Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe decided to stay in Winston-Salem, rather than flee for Fayetteville.It’s the 2nd ACC coach this week to say no to the Hogs - as Tommy Bowden re-upped with Clemson - and the 3rd coach overall to take himself out of the Razorbacks’ running - as Tommy Tuberville chose to stick with Auburn.
What’s with all the rejection? It’s not like any new coach would have to deal with any ridiculous situations.RAZORBACK EXPATS tries to explain the latest spurning, with their five reasons why Grobe didn’t take the job:
For example, Reason #2: “Was promised that his name would be displayed on banners all over the state…then he found out what that meant.”
ARKANSAS GETTING COACHES PAID ALL OVER THE PLACE: First we reported last week that Tommy Tuberville was tangoing with Arkansas about its football coaching vacancy, and now Tommy Bowden of Clemson has held his school hostage received a contract extension after the Razorbacks expressed interest in his services.
This is yet another example of a coachless mid-level BCS program pretending to be big time and getting out over its skis in the types of coaches that it pursues. Arkansas isn’t going to lure a big name unless there is some sort of pox attached (Franchione) so the Hogs may as well do their homework and search out a top coach from a lower level school (Peterson) or a respected assistant at a major program (Cutcliffe).
And then there’s always Mark Mangino, but since Bojangles hasn’t franchised the Northwest Arkansas region just yet, we doubt that’ll happen:
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL WINNER GETS 1ST TASTE AT HOGS JOB: As folks in Fayetteville hold out hope for Tommy Tuberville trucking on over, Arkansas officials have turned their eye to another Tommy - by the name of Bowden:
The COLUMBIA (SC) STATE reports that the Razorbacks have contacted the Clemson coach about their vacant coaching spot. Bowden has three years left on his current contract, but is in talks with the ACC school about a possible extension.Neither Bowden nor Clemson AD Terry Don Phillips had returned comment about Arkansas’ offer. When asked last Sunday about his future with the Tigers, Tommy replied, “I’ll stay as long as they want me.”
Bowden’s next game is the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on December 31 - ironically enough against Tuberville and his Auburn squad. Wonder how many tickets have already been snatched up by Fayetteville & Little Rock suits.It’s debatable which orange-hewed school will come out victorious in Atlanta, but with delicious chicken sandwiches all about, everyone’s a winner!
As long as they’re not playing on Sunday.
TOMMY LIKES POSSUM RARE, WITH A SIDE OF SPARE TIRE: As we suspected, the numerous Arkansas main media reports that Tommy Tuberville had agreed to take over the Razorback football program were bogus, and probably planted by wishful thinkers in the Hogs’ athletic department.
Today the BIRMINGHAM NEWS reports that Tuberville has made no such commit to Arkansas (at least according to Auburn AD Jay Jacobs) BUT has been unavailable for live comment this week because of a pre-scheduled hunting trip to … Arkansas.Excerpt: “The coach is in Arkansas on a previously planned hunting trip and is scheduled to return to Auburn today.”
We’d like any person outside of Joplin, MO., who has taken a “planned hunting trip” to Arkansas that didn’t involve a roadkill roadside snack to please contact us at 1-866-PIG****.
And we had no idea that Tuberville was in such dire financial straits. Anyone who needs to spend a week in Arkansas rooting out wild boar in order to get a raise really needs to consider another line of work. But we suppose it could be worse - at least he didn’t have to do it with Bob Knight.
TUBERVILLE RUMORED TO BE RAZORBACKS’ NEXT COACH: Arkansas didn’t have to go far to nab its next football coach. They didn’t even have to leave the conference:
KNWA-TV reports that Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville will become the next Razorbacks coach. Sources are telling the station that the Tigers’ coach will soon be leaving one SEC school for another.Ex-Hogs coach Houston Nutt just did the same thing, when he left Fayetteville and quickly took the Ole Miss job.
ARKANSAS SPORTS 360 further reports that an official announcement may not come until Saturday, as Tuberville is hammering out details of his contract.So, Tommy’s now off to Fayetteville, and Houston’s already landed in Oxford, where Tuberville had previously coached. Does this mean Ed Orgeron is headed to the Plains, thus completing the coaching circle?
AGGIES NAB EX-PACKERS COACH, TUBERVILLE STAYS PUT: Auburn fans can rest easy, as their head coach won’t be taking the next train to College Station.
