okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
I could picture Mr. Saban hiring him and putting him in one of those "coaching recovery" tracks where he is some sort of "defensive consultant" for $50k per year (that way Illinois still has to keep paying him).
Go Get Lovie Smith As An Assistant Right Now...
- Thread starter Fryowa
- Start date
I could picture Mr. Saban hiring him and putting him in one of those "coaching recovery" tracks where he is some sort of "defensive consultant" for $50k per year (that way Illinois still has to keep paying him).
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Good point. We see that all the time, especially with the high-profile programs. I still think his heart is in the NFL, though, and he's highly thought of as a DC.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
I watch fewer than 5 NFL games per annum, so don't quote me on this, but the NFL seems to be drastically different now than it was when Lovie was in it. If I had a DC opening, I would be leery of Lovie at this point. I'd want to see a year as DB coach or something.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I'm sure his absence would be something a GM would factor in, but from what I've seen the respect level remains quite high for Lovie, especially on the defensive side.
Also, for what it's worth, there is significant pressure across the league right now to have coaches of color at the HC and coordinator positions. Not implying at all that identity should be a factor, but the climate is what it is right now.
pythagoras
Well-Known Member
LOL If by different you mean more college like schemes at times. It's still football.
Fryowa
Administrator
Illinois is a unrecruitable school. Dick Saban couldn't win there.
Lovie has DC written all over him but I'm not a fan of him being our HC.
What about Jim Caldwell does he have any interest in coaching college? Kinda thought he might fit at Illinois... Jon Miller was throwing out Fleck for it. That seems nuts to me. He wouldn't want it and if he did why would Illinois want him? Knowing that Fleck woulda been leaving MN in a few short yrs why do that when he'll just leave there even if he were to do well
What about Jim Caldwell does he have any interest in coaching college? Kinda thought he might fit at Illinois... Jon Miller was throwing out Fleck for it. That seems nuts to me. He wouldn't want it and if he did why would Illinois want him? Knowing that Fleck woulda been leaving MN in a few short yrs why do that when he'll just leave there even if he were to do well
MattinColumbus
Well-Known Member
Not sure that makes any sense. Illinois isn’t a step up from Minny.
Exactly... His thoughts on it are he thinks Fleck is a 'builder' not a lifer someplace. He thinks he'd want the challenge of it all. I don't see it though. IL and MN are too similar to me in that you don't take one to leave it for another with no other ties involved.
To me that's risking career suicide. Because now he's built up is name and reputation right? He's gotten MN to double digit wins and respectable. He's got enough brownies built up he can stay there for awhile and suffer some down yrs. If he were to go to IL and fail what would he do then? He'd have a tough time getting another gig as good as either of those. By doing what he's done at MN he can and should be picky. If he's going to leave there he'd want to take a step up. Be it TX, USC, UCLA, ND, Michigan, Auburn gigs like that.
He seems like a midwest guy but when the $ starts creeping up north of 5 mil. (he's making 4 mil now) and warmer weather with better recruiting bases those things can entice a guy. His next move will be interesting where and when he does it.
It's not as bad as Illinois, but recruiting at Iowa is tough too. To be successful at Iowa, you have to find a fair amount of hidden gems and "coach them up". Lovie has not demonstrated that he can take lower level recruits and make them better, IMO.
kameltoez102
Well-Known Member
I like Lovie but I think he is too old for HC. How about a recruiter/scout or consultant if he would be willing. Maybe he wants to slow down a little who knows. I would reach out though and see what his vision is
HawkeyezBull
Well-Known Member
Really?? What has he won as a coach. Lovie is one of the most overrated coaches of all time. He made a lot of money off of one Superbowl run and look at the coordinators he hired at Illinois. It was based on skin pigmentation and talent, and look where that got them. A lot of those coordinators were in way over their heads.
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
As a head coach, he averaged 9 wins per season in Chicago and flopped in TB. As an assistant, he coached TB's linebackers back when they had Derrick Brooks, etc. He and Dungy developed the Tampa 2 defense. He also was DC for the Rams when they won the Super Bowl (17.1 ppg). I'd take him in some capacity.
HawkeyezBull
Well-Known Member
You mean Monte Kiffin developed the Tampa 2 right cause that is who developed the defense. Again I'll stand by my comments he has been substantially below average outside of 1 year which is the only reason his total track record with the Bears looks decent. He has been an abject failure everywhere else. Not sure why Iowa fans always are all in on settling for coaches like this, the only place I would want to see Lovie is on my rivals' staff.
SmokeTownHawk
Well-Known Member
It's not like Iowa's D needs that much help unless it's for someone to recruit even higher-level talent. Parker and his staff have it going. Other than as a "consultant" I don't know what Lovie would have to offer, and even then, why?
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
No, I mean Dungy and Smith developed the Tampa 2 using multiple looks and using it as a bend but don't break defense. Kiffin tweaked it/perfected it by using smaller faster DB's and used safety-like guys as LB's in passing situations, almost like a 4-2-5. Kiffin made a name for himself by perfecting it, but he didn't develop it.
Below average except for 1 year? He lost another NFC championship game by a touchdown and he had 4 ten-win seasons.
Seth Wallace has been mentioned as a head coaching candidate in multiple places. He's our LB coach and ass't DC. Love was a LB coach and DC. We could do worse. Other than his age, I'd take him in a heartbeat.
Motigerhawk
Well-Known Member
Would/could Saban win at Illinois?
What an interesting idea. Alabam is a blue blood, but they were way down when he took over. I wonder if he would have the same success at a school like Illinois.
What an interesting idea. Alabam is a blue blood, but they were way down when he took over. I wonder if he would have the same success at a school like Illinois.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Today, probably not. Mr. Saban is getting up there. But he took over a moribund MSU program after Perles ran it into the ground and by the end of his tenure had guys like Plaxico Burress and TJ Duckett on the roster and got them into the top 10.
Correct and also what position do you give him to coach? Co-defensive coordinator- I dont think that is needed, Phil Parker would not put up a stink but really not needed. Phil has shown he has grown in his ability to to get out of the base 4-3 with only a 4 man rush by going Raider, by blitzing more and with full blitzes, by using the Cash and spying on running QBs.
You could have Lovie on staff if the rules allowed it as a well paid Defensive Strategist and QA type coach but offering this job is fine , a noble gesture, but I doubt he would go for it.
Lovie can get NFL jobs if he wants to work and I sure hope he has saved his ton of dough
