Football is out of hand, my friends - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Dec 1, 2004

Football is out of hand, my friends

Date: Dec 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: College football is out of hand
"I just received a news item indicating that Ole Miss football coach Dave Cutliff has been fired. For what its worth, this was Cutliff's first losing season in six years. He is the only coach in Ole Miss history to win at least seven games in his first 5 years. Yes, my friends, college football is out of hand. "

Cutliffe is 44-29 in six seasons at Ole Miss. What do you who live and breathe football want, blood?

Date: Dec 1, 2004

one report coming out is that the AD wanted him to fire some assistant coaches and he wouldn't. so he gets fired.

Date: Dec 1, 2004

if he wouldn't fire his assistants on demand, good for him. one crappy season shouldn't get you fired, otherwise thames would have been gone two seasons ago.

Date: Dec 1, 2004

Playing devil's advocate, with Ole Miss now looking for a new head coach, what if.................

Jeff Bower was contacted by Ole Miss officials to consider the position?????????????????????

Date: Dec 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Green Hornet
"Playing devil's advocate, with Ole Miss now looking for a new head coach, what if.................
Jeff Bower was contacted by Ole Miss officials to consider the position?????????????????????"

I'd say, "Godspeed, John Glenn" - he should do what's best for himself and his family. At least Khayat probably doesn't throw tantrums.

Date: Dec 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: stinky cheese man
"one report coming out is that the AD wanted him to fire some assistant coaches and he wouldn't. so he gets fired."

So he gets fired AND the assistants get fired, too. Either way, the assistants (or some of them) were doomed. Sadly, that's just the nature of the coaching business. My understanding of IHL-institution coaching contracts is that only the head coach has a multi-year agreement (therefore Cutcliffe will receive some sort of buyout), but I think the assistants' contracts are for one year only. I suspect Cutcliffe will leave with at least a cool million.

Date: Dec 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Googler
" . . . I suspect Cutcliffe will leave with at least a cool million. "

One more thing. I don't know if coaches have a choice on participating in the state retirement system, but if Cutcliffe has been contributing to the state retirement system during his six years at OM, he is vested and eventually can draw retirement benefits.

Date: Dec 1, 2004

I don't want to be an apologist for the Ole Miss administration, but Cutcliffe's situation is a bit more complex than an overall record which is inflated by three cream puffs a year like Arkansas State. He inherited some good players from his predecessor (Auburn's Tommy Tuberville) and did reasonably well at first. His best record came with three years of Eli Manning, the NFL's first draft choice this year, at quarterback. Even when Ole Miss was winning, the opposition often scored 30+ points. This year was the first year with no Manning and all Cutcliffe recruits. They had a sorry record (4-7?) and lost to Memphis and Wyoming as well as lots of SEC teams. He totally failed to adequately evaluate the quarterback situation this fall, and after five or six years they still didn't have good running backs or good defenders.

Cutcliffe appears to be a poor recruiter and doesn't build good defenses, areas that are heavily dependent on good assistants. The future didn't look promising, and it's reported that he wouldn't sack his assistants. The athletic director (a former Ole Miss player from the Archie Manning era and a successful banking executive) didn't have much choice at that point.

Date: Dec 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Flash Gordon
"I don't want to be an apologist for the Ole Miss administration, but Cutcliffe's situation is a bit more complex than an overall record which is inflated by three cream puffs a year like Arkansas State. He inherited some good players from his predecessor (Auburn's Tommy Tuberville) and did reasonably well at first. His best record came with three years of Eli Manning, the NFL's first draft choice this year, at quarterback. Even when Ole Miss was winning, the opposition often scored 30+ points. This year was the first year with no Manning and all Cutcliffe recruits. They had a sorry record (4-7?) and lost to Memphis and Wyoming as well as lots of SEC teams. He totally failed to adequately evaluate the quarterback situation this fall, and after five or six years they still didn't have good running backs or good defenders. Cutcliffe appears to be a poor recruiter and doesn't build good defenses, areas that are heavily dependent on good assistants. The future didn't look promising, and it's reported that he wouldn't sack his assistants. The athletic director (a former Ole Miss player from the Archie Manning era and a successful banking executive) didn't have much choice at that point."

If winning is the goal then a 44-29 record in six seasons is not bad. Doesn't the AD, not the coach, set up the schedule? The head coach can't be faulted for having a few cream puffs on the schedule.

Date: Dec 1, 2004

Some good Southern Miss football news...

Today, Jeff Bower was named Conference USA's Coach of the Decade. Just a few minutes ago in a ceremony at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson (televised on ETV), senior linebacker Michael Boley was awarded the 2004 Conerly Trophy, presented to Mississippi's best collegiate player as voted by the state's print and broadcast media.

Mr. Boley was well spoken and he didn't use the phrase "world-class" a single time.

Date: Dec 1, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: AD
"If winning is the goal then a 44-29 record in six seasons is not bad. Doesn't the AD, not the coach, set up the schedule? The head coach can't be faulted for having a few cream puffs on the schedule."

Agreed. All the SEC schools play easy non-conference games because the conference schedule is so brutal. Cutcliffe's conference record was about 50-50, and that includes the Eli Manning years. Winning in the conference is the goal, and all the evidence pointed to Cutcliffe not being able to do that. Given that Ole Miss plays Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, and Mississippi State every year and teams like Tennessee, Georgia and Florida periodically, the next guy may not do well either. The glory years at Ole Miss were at a time when they had the pick of the best talent in Mississippi. Those days are long gone.

Date: Dec 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Flash Gordon
" Agreed. All the SEC schools play easy non-conference games because the conference schedule is so brutal. Cutcliffe's conference record was about 50-50, and that includes the Eli Manning years. Winning in the conference is the goal, and all the evidence pointed to Cutcliffe not being able to do that. Given that Ole Miss plays Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, and Mississippi State every year and teams like Tennessee, Georgia and Florida periodically, the next guy may not do well either. The glory years at Ole Miss were at a time when they had the pick of the best talent in Mississippi. Those days are long gone."

Flash, you were more correct in your earlier post. The Ole Miss situation is very complex. It's true that all SEC teams play "some" easy non-conference teams, but most play a good non-conference team or 2 each year. Ole Miss has been notorious among SEC bretheren for not ever really doing so. The closest they ever came during the Cutcliffe years was a home-and-home arrangement with Texas Tech --- and they lost both. It's true he's 44-26 in six years, but if you take away the 2003 season, you take away almost 25% of those 44 wins and subtract only 3 of the 23 losses. Consider also, as you alluded to earlier, that about 1/3 of the 44 wins came against Arkansas State-caliber opponents, and you're not looking at much.

The rub of it all, though, is that Ole Miss is deluded about what kind of coach they can get. Word has it that they're high on someone's defensive line coach. Doesn't sound too promising.

Date: Dec 2, 2004

didn't cut recruit both of the manning boys (tenn/ole miss) i would say he is a fair recruiter

as far as one player making the team(or winning games in this case) you go with what you have...

wasn't auburn on the verge of firing their coach last year?? now playing for sec championship a year later....

pete boone can talk all he wants to about changing the direction of program, bottom line pete wanted to run the progam and he wants to bring in his own man........know anybody else like this

Date: Dec 2, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Lo
" Ole Miss is deluded about what kind of coach they can get. "

I suspect this is a common delusion around these parts, too. Get on eagletalk and look at all the folks who are calling for Bower's head because he "can't take us to the next level" --whatever that means.

I am not a fan of Bower -- simply because he was shown in prominent attendance at the pro-SFT counter-rally last spring. But he has been able to win at USM with marginal talent and minimal support.

Date: Dec 6, 2004

Today the University of Southern California head basketball coach Henry Bibby was fired today just 4 games into the season. Once again the athletic tail has wagged the academic dog.

Date: Dec 6, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Basketball is out of hands, my friends
"Today the University of Southern California head basketball coach Henry Bibby was fired today just 4 games into the season. Once again the athletic tail has wagged the academic dog."

Firing him is not the problem. Doing it only 4 games into the season is questionable to say the least.