The Cradle of Coaches (Part 2)

Here's part 1 of the Big East Coaches breakdown. On with the countdown:

7. Bob Huggins, West Virginia

Vitals: 13-8 (Big East, 1 year); 616-222 (Overall, 25 years); 22-16 NCAAs

Coach Thuggins is a relative newbie to the Big East brand of basketball, but his Bearcat teams of yore (remember the days of the Metro and Great Midwest Conferences?) would have fit right in. In 23 years, including an early successful stint at Akron, Huggins-led teams won 20 or more games 20 times! His overall record is certainly an impressive body of work, except for the unfortunate history of early round flameouts. Out of 14 Bearcat Big Dance recitals, 10 talented teams perished in the first or second round, plaguing Huggins' legacy which started promising with trips to the Final Four and Elite Eight in his 3rd and 4th seasons in the 'Nati. Now he returns to his alma mater to continue building the tradition that John Bielein started. His teams aren't always the most talented, but they get after the ball and make things difficult for the opposition. Let's just hope that this scene doesn't unfold again on the country roads of West Virginia.

6. Mike Brey, Notre Dame

Vitals: 83-58 (Big East, 7 years); 266-138 (Overall, 12 years); 5-7 NCAAs

Man, I wish the two-time defending Big East Coach of the Year could be higher, especially on the heels of a stirring victory over the Hoyas. But I can't in good conscience bump him ahead of Jimmy B. Yes, ND has won the last 3 games vs. 'Cuse, but in the 9 previous meetings, the Irish were victorious once. Brey is still coming into his own in South Bend, establishing a program that excels with offensive fluidity and a healthy reliance on the long ball. Brey's teams traditionally have lacked a consistent lockdown defense, their Achilles heel come BET and NCAA tourney time. For all of the regular season success ND has enjoyed in the Big East, including one regular season championship, Brey is only 3-8 under the lights of Madison Square Garden in the Big East Tournament. At this point, going deeper into the tournament is essential for the program to reach the next level of success. All but one of the coaches ahead of him has taken a team to the Final Four. He learned at the foot of Coach K for 9 years and knows what that kind of success is built on. His penchant for unearthing diamonds in the rough is evident with the resounding success of Luke "The Mongoose" Harangody, as well as Rob Kurz, Chris Quinn, and Russell Carter. Brey is the ultimate player's coach who doesn't ride his guys too hard and expectations are clear. On top of all of this, Mike Brey is the unofficial founder of the CMOB (Coaches for Mocks On the Bench), a movement that saw it's membership swell to at least 2 in 2005. The mock personifies Brey's class and personable demeanor as a man of the people. In the Mock I Trust.

5. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

Vitals: 342-192 (Big East, 29 years); 771-278 (Overall, 32 years); 40-24 NCAAs

The institution man, Boeheim is a rare breed who married himself to the Orangemen, through good times and bad. Except there haven't really been any "bad" times (well, there was that microphone problem). Boeheim was an overachieving walk-on who became a starter, helping lead the Dave Bing-led Orangemen to the Elite Eight. He joined the bench as an assistant coach in 1972 before taking the reins in 1976, going a ridiculous 100-18 in his first four years on the job. The man has never felt the pangs of a losing season in his 32+ years at Syracuse. He's reached the summit of the basketball world three times, claiming the championship prize in 2003. A stellar 12 combined Big East regular season and tournament championships banners hang in the Carrier Dome. The Big East has bestowed top coach honors three times. He's on his way to his 30th 20-win season. It's no shock that he's the all-time winningest coach in conference history. The man already has a bust in Springfield and the ultimate reward, his home court named after him (Doug still holds out hope that Brey will reach this level of accomplishment. You can help!) Scores of NBA-caliber players harnessed their skills under Boeheim's direction - Pearl Washington, Rony Seikaly, Sherman Douglas, Derrick Coleman, Billy Owens, John Wallace, Lawrence Moten, Etan Thomas, Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick, the "overrated" Gerry McNamara and the illustrious Danny Schayes. His trademark 2-3 matchup zone distinguished Syracuse teams for years. Now, it's growing a little stale. How can a man with this resume fall to 5th? Because this is a snapshot with his recent body of work weighing more heavily on the ranking. In the five seasons since winning the title, 'Cuse made one Sweet 16, two first round exits, and two NIT's. The man has accomplished plenty, but his time is drawing nigh. If Mike Brey comes out of the Carrier Dome with a victory on Jan. 17th, you can bet I'll be swapping their places.

4. John Thompson III, Georgetown

Vitals: 54-23 (Big East, 4 years); 168-78 (Overall, 8 years); 7-5 NCAAs
The successor to his father's powerhouse program, JT3 has quickly asserted himself as a top-notch coach who preaches disciplined defense and the motion offense perfected at Princeton. SI wrote an excellent article on the man finding his way from underneath his father's large shadow. Learning from the Yoda master, Pete Carril, from 1995-2000, Thompson led Princeton to 3 Ivy League titles and two NCAA trips in his four seasons. It's a testament to his coaching prowess that Georgetown has excelled with the same system while Bill Carmody struggles with very little success at Northwestern. Granted, the Hoyas enjoy a higher profile as a basketball school, but Thompson has proven to be a capable teacher of the deliberate style. He wasted no time making a splash in 2004, righting the ship from Craig Esherick's torpedo job. The Hoyas made the Sweet 16 in his second season, giving eventual champs Florida their hardest battle. He followed that up with a BET championship and a run to the Final Four in 2007. The Hoyas dominated the Big East last year, adding a regular season banner before being upset by the tournament's Cinderella, Davidson. Now that JT3 has tasted the sweet nectar of the biggest stage, you can bet he'll have his teams hell bent on returning to that level. He added a major piece for such a run with dominant freshman big man Greg Monroe. JT3 will only get better as his Georgetown roots grow. Get accustomed to the Hoyas churning out quality teams like an Amish butter maid.

3. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut

Vitals: 254-141 (Big East, 21 years); 750-328 (Overall, 35 years); 39-16 NCAAs
Credit belongs to one man for putting Connecticut basketball on the map - James "Montgomery" Calhoun. Starting with his first college job at Northeastern in 1972, he laid the groundwork for his first successful program. 14 seasons later, with 5 NCAA tournament appearances and one NBA All-Star under his belt, he left in 1986 for the opportunity to ply his trade in the best conference. It was a rude awakening, going 9-19, only his fourth losing season in 35 years. It would be the last losing season at UConn. The following year, the Huskies won the NIT. By 1990, UConn had risen to the top of the Big East and advanced to the Elite Eight. Already, Calhoun had transformed an unheard of program in Storrs, CT, and he was just getting started. Since his arrival, Connecticut has won two titles, reached seven Elite Eights, raised a combined 12 Big East regular season and tournament banners, and opened the gates of talent flowing to the NBA. For as much hype as North Carolina and Duke receive, no other school has as many alums currently in the NBA as Calhoun's Connecticut. The list of Calhoun bred professionals reads like an All-Star roster: Reggie Lewis, Cliff Robinson, Donyell Marshall, Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Caron Butler, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Rudy Gay. That's not even half of the players who made the league. For all of the talent that has passed through the door, UConn has underachieved in recent years, not living up to the lofty expectations that come with a dominant program. Since winning the 2004 championship, UConn has lost in the 2nd round, Elite 8 (when they were everyone's proverbial favorite), missed the postseason for the first time since Calhoun's first year in Storrs, and lost in last year's 1st round to San Diego. Calhoun, like Boeheim, is an institution on campus. He's also been elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame. But the end is near for this legend, especially in light of his ongoing cancer treatment. Will the Huskies send him away in style or buckle under the hype again?

2. Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh

Vitals: 66-31 (Big East, 5 years); 131-41 (Overall, 5 years); 6-5 NCAAs

Consider me a Jamie Dixon apologist. I love his style and the way his teams play. I love his fiery disposition, yet he rarely blows a gasket. I love how he does more with the talent on his roster than any other coach in the league, save one. Dixon jumped around assistant coach spots from 1991-1999 before joining Howland's original staff at Pitt, having already shared a bench with Howland at Northern Arizona. In four short years, Howland and Dixon changed the culture of basketball at Pittsburgh, a program with 1 winning season over the 6 previous years. After a transition year, the fruits of their labor were in place as Pitt made the finals of the BET two successive years before winning in 2003, Howland's final year. The fate of the program lay in the hands of a guy who had never been a head coach before. To say he's exceeded expectations is an understatement. Dixon's 105 victories in his first four seasons is the second highest win total ever for a coach to start his career. In five years at the helm, he has won 10 conference games every season, including one regular season and one tournament championship. Regular season consistency is a hallmark of the program, but Pitt truly thrives in the BET, amassing an 11-4 record and playing in the championship game 4 of his 5 years. The biggest feather missing from his cap is guiding the Panthers past the Sweet Sixteen. With their recent ascension to the #1 ranking, this year's team looks primed to accept that challenge.

1. Rick Pitino, Louisville

Vitals: 51-38 (Big East, 5 years); 521-191 (Overall, 22 years); 35-12 NCAAs
If there were a Mount Rushmore of Big East coaches, Pitino wouldn't be on it since his greatest success occurred in Lexington. Yet he's still guided two different Big East schools to the Final Four - the only coach ever to lead three different schools to the sport's promised land. (You may be wondering who my Mt. Rushmore of Big East coaches would be? Without dissecting the numbers, I'd go with Boeheim, Calhoun, Thompson, Sr. and Luigi Carnesecca - the George Washington type figurehead. Apologies to Rollie Masimino as the odd man out). Pitino is the quintessential college coach, having proved that his style isn't conducive to the NBA. His teams make life positively miserable for the opposition with full-court pressure defense. An up-tempo offense spreads the wealth to everyone on the court, epitomizing the adage that the sum is greater than its parts. Try and name 5 players from Pitino's teams with Providence, Kentucky and Louisville who had meaningful careers in the NBA. I'm stuck at Jamal Mashburn, Tony Delk, Ron Mercer and Francisco Garcia. He's unlike Calhoun, who's been blessed with prodigious talent, in that he coaches up hen-picked players to run (and keep running) in his system. A master motivator, he consistently gets his teams to believe in their abilities and accomplish great things. He's only experienced one losing collegiate season out of 22, his 3rd year with Boston University. Providence, of all schools, reached the Final Four in his second year. He bolted to the Knicks and enjoyed success before the allure of restoring to prominence a once proud Kentucky program presented itself. Mind you, this was a program on probation for 2 years. Undaunted, Pitino ripped off 7 seasons of extraordinary success from 1991-1997, never losing more than 7 games. In the six seasons they were eligible for postseason play, the Wildcats reached two Elite Eights and three Final Fours, capturing the crown in 1996. The failed Celtics experiment brought Pitino back to the Big East in 2001, where the Cardinals have won 20+ games six times over seven seasons, including a trip to the 2005 Final Four. Squaring off against Rick Pitino is like playing dice with the devil. The chance to get burned is omnipresent. You know walking out of the locker room that he's the smartest person in the arena and you'll need a monumental effort to pull a victory out. How much longer Pitino will prowl the Louisville sidelines is anyone's guess with his propensity for chasing bigger challenges. But while he's still in the Big East, there isn't a better coach out there.

Georgetown is LEGIT

Color me impressed with Georgetown last night. They completely dominated UConn on the road. I know the consensus was that Georgetown would be rebuilding this year, but I don't see that at all. As far as I'm concerned, Georgetown is still the team to beat in the Big East. They are becoming the Atlanta Braves of the Big East. It doesn't matter who is on their roster. They just reload and win.

Greg Monroe is a stud. I'm pretty sure Jay Bilas would have his babies, but I can see why Bilas loves him. I really like how he plays. I can't believe how polished Monroe is for a true freshman. He shoots well, he passes well, he's an intelligent player, he's 6'10 with big time size, he can move, and he's very unselfish. I thought he was the best player on the floor last night. Why isn't Monroe being discussed as a top 5 NBA pick?? Did he already indicate that he is going to stay at Georgetown for a few years??

The Hoyas also seem to have their usual group of quality wing players and a pretty good point guard in Chris Wright. I really like how Georgetown plays, and John Thompson is an exceptional coach. With their system, they just plug guys in who can play that style.

As for UConn, yesterday only confirms what I have felt about them all year. They are the most overrated team in college basketball and the most overrated team in the Big East by far. I don't even know that UConn is one of the top 5 teams in the Big East this year. They have so many overrated and bad attitude type guys who don't play well as a team, and Hasheem Thabeet is the most overrated player in the league. I don't see it with UConn. I didn't buy into them last year, and I don't really see what the fuss is with them this year. You have to play as a team to win in college basketball, and they have a lot of "me guys."

For now, I'd probably rank Georgetown as the team to beat in the Big East with Pitt nipping at their heels and then teams like Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, UConn, and maybe even West Virginia bunched in behind them. That obviously could change in a hurry, but that's how I'd stack them up for now.

Doug Marrone to the Cuse

First of all, congrats to Doug Marrone on getting the Syracuse job. It sounds like he really wanted the job, so I hope he works out up there. On the positive side, he's got the pedigree with a solid background in college and the pros. He has worked under guys like Phil Fulmer and Jim Donnan and Sean Payton. Not exactly Woody Hayes and Lou Holtz, but not a bad resume. He seems to have a good reputation as a recruiter, and it sounds like he had a real shot at getting the Tennessee job earlier in the year. Plus, it can't hurt that he's an alum who really wanted the job. And it's always good to see a fellow "Doug" out there making a name for himself.

On the other hand, Syracuse just hired yet another coach with no head coaching experience!! Holy cow, that is a YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE risk. An NFL assistant who hasn't been involved in the college game for like 15 years, and hasn't recruited the East Coast in his entire career. Can you say Gregg Robinson Part Deux?? I know Marron played at Syracuse, but you are talking about the mid-80s. It's an entirely different world. I'm not going to pretend to know a thing about Marrone, so maybe he's going to be the real deal and win big at Syracuse. But it seems like Syracuse hired this guy as a last resort because they couldn't lure anyone better to the job. If Marrone works out, it will be because of blind luck.

I feel like I've been ragging on this guy for awhile on this blog now, but this hire seems like another potential Darryl Gross disaster. How does he still have a job as an athletic director??

Darryl Gross had well over a year to get this search done and find the right guy. Heck, he's had 2 years, maybe even three, since anyone with any knowledge of the Syracuse program (even an outsider like me) could see that Gregg Robinson was an absolute disaster who would eventually be fired.

You've got BOILING hot young head coaches like Skip Holtz, Turner Gill, and Al Golden sniffing around your job, and yet you can't land one of them?? How is that even possible?? The Syracuse job is a good job. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the 2-3 best jobs in the Big East. Syracuse has tradition, and they have the fan support to sustain a winner in the Big East. For a guy like Al Golden, the Syracuse job would have been perfect. He's already got all kinds of recruiting pipelines set up in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, etc. Those are the kind of kids that Syracuse needs to get. Golden could have significantly upgraded that program in terms of talent and prestige. A good athletic director could have sold him on that vision and convinced him that Syracuse was a sleeper program that could elevate his stature to a new level.

Skip Holtz speaks for himself. He's already had success at two different places, and he's Lou freaking Holtz's son. Maybe Skip Holtz wouldn't have stayed at Syracuse for 15 years, but he would have won there and restored their program. And if he leaves, big deal. He'll make the job attractive for the next guy.

If it comes out that Syracuse didn't pursue Turner Gill, Darryl Gross should offer his letter of resignation immediately for failing to land him. That guy just won the MAC at Buffalo. BUFFALO!! I honestly didn't even know they had a D-I football program. Gill has built ties in the New York recruiting areas, so he seems like he would have been a natural fit at Syracuse. I don't know, maybe he wasn't interested.

I sort of get the impression that Darryl Gross was afraid of hiring an "up and comer" out of fear that he would eventually leave for a bigger job someday. Man, that is a really dumb way to approach your coaching search as an athletic director. You gotta shoot for the moon and get the best guy even if it's possible that he might leave someday. It's worth it to have a great coach for 4-5 years over a mediocre coach for a decade. And if you have a good athletic director, you can be confident that you'll continue to make good hires to keep the program strong. Xavier basketball is the perfect example. They went from Gillen to Skip Prosser to Thad Matta to Sean Miller, and the program is stronger than ever. It stunk to see Thad Matta leave for Ohio State, but he did enough good things at Xavier (good recruiting, took the team to the Elite Eight, etc) that he left the program in better shape than when he started. Because the program is stronger, it makes the job more attractive for future candidates.

Cincinnati football is also a good example. They hired Dantonio knowing that he'd probably someday try to get a Big 10 job, but Dantonio made that program better and laid the foundation for them to get Brian Kelly. Cincinnati football is and always will be a steppingstone job, but it doesn't mean that it can't be a good program or an attractive job for "up and comer" young coaches.

A school like Syracuse is always going to be in the second-tier of college football programs. They are in the Big East with a 35,000 seat stadium in a bad recruiting region. If Syracuse has a great head coach, there's always a chance that he might leave for a bigger school. But it's absolutely crazy to flinch from taking a great young coach because you are afraid he might leave.

I think that's what happened here. Syracuse went for an alum who "really wanted the job" (where have we heard that before?) instead of going for a proven young head coach who may have left after having some success at Syracuse.

Don't get me wrong, I hope Marron works out at Syracuse. I don't know anything about him, and maybe Darryl Gross really believes that he is going to be a star at Syracuse. I hope he turns them into a consistent Big East winner, recruits well, and restores the luster of Syracuse football. I just think Syracuse is taking a huge leap of faith here. They needed a sure thing (or at least a guy with some track record of success as a head coach in college), and Marrone is far from it.

--- As for the Heisman Award this weekend, put me down for a vote for Timmy Tebow. He won the SEC, it's the toughest conference in football with the toughest defenses, he makes plays, he's the best leader in all of college football, and I'll admit to having a soft spot for his missionary work and all that. I was having a tough time making up my mind until watching that segment on Tebow's missionary work last night on the College Football Awards show. I have to say it was a little dusty in the Riddell household! Guess I'm just a sucker for Tebow and the Tebow family!

Of the three frontrunners, I'd say the one I'm least intrigued by is Sam Bradford. Nothing against the guy (all three of them seem like real good guys and I'm amazed that Bradford is a scratch golfer) and he has put up the best stats, but I guess I'm just tired of seeing system OU qbs winning the Heisman. Josh Heupel, Jason White....blah blah blah. Oklahoma has become the new Houston Cougars with the run n shoot Andre Ware/David Klingler (that name is still a curse word among Bengal fans) offense against these paper defenses of the Big 12. Bradford goes back to throw and there are 4 guys wide open for him to choose from. The Big 12 is like backyard football these days. I think Bradford has had a great year obviously, but I think there are a lot of QBs who could put up huge stats in that offense.

I'd probably put Colt McCoy as my #2 because he carries that team. Texas' offense is completely built around McCoy making plays for them, so it seems like he has done more with less this year (although what does it say about Texas that they have "less" than OU when Texas gets the best recruits out of Texas every year while OU gets the Sean Avery-style "sloppy seconds"??? Bob Stoops is one heckuva coach.)

Doesn't matter though. I'm still voting Tebow. He is the only "Superman" in college football these days, and that's why I think he should win it.
But knowing how these Heisman voters think, Sam Bradford will eek it out to win the Heisman and then throw 4 picks in the Orange Bowl. Just go ahead and mark that down.

---Finally, continuing with the theme of Syracuse sports, I have to laugh at Jim Boeheim's defense of Eric Devendorf after Devendorf was suspended for the year for hitting a woman in the face at a party. Boeheim thinks the suspension is too harsh.

Yo Jim, your point guard HIT A WOMAN IN THE FACE!! He's lucky he didn't get charged with felonious assault. That doesn't constitute a year suspension?? Really??

I have always been a fan of Jimmy Boeheim, but there's no reason to defend Eric Devendorf here. Devendorf is a punk, and the Cuse are better off without him if you ask me.

Around the Nation: Get Off Charlie's Back

Some thoughts from the weekend.

13. Before we get to any of the other major college football stories out there, I wanted to address the reaction to the final minutes of the ND-Navy. After scanning the ND message boards, I have to say that I am stunned at the meltdown from ND fans to this game. People are acting like the Navy game was the final straw for them as supporters of Charlie Weis. Really???

I'll be the first to say that there are good reasons to question Charlie Weis and whether he is the right fit to lead this program back to an elite level. If you are tired of seeing a kick return unit that can't get past the 20 yard line, I can understand why you would question Charlie Weis. If you are wondering why our running game only comes alive when we are playing teams like Navy and Purdue and the 2008 version of Washington, I get that. If you are worried that USC is going to shove us around for 60 minutes and make us look like schoolgirls even though Weis has had four offseasons to develop a physically tough football team, I'm right there with you.

But if you came to some sort of major conclusion about Weis because of some fluky things that happened in the last couple minutes of a game that the Irish were winning handily, I think that's an unfair evaluation. Give Charlie a break on that stuff. I was as frazzled as anyone about the last couple minutes of the game, but it doesn't take away from the fact that we completely dominated Navy for most of the game, that our defense played disciplined and pretty much shut down Navy's attack, and that we imposed our will in the running game. Charlie had our team ready to play, and we had a good gameplan on offense and defense. He deserves credit for putting us in position to win that game.

The stuff at the end of the game was a complete wildcard. It was the equivalent of a college basketball team down by 20 with 3 minutes to go hitting a bunch of threes to make the game interesting. It happens. Navy had several miraculous plays and some major help from the referees to make the game interesting, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that the Irish played well on Saturday.

Personally, I didn't have a problem with the decision to put in the backups when the monsoon rolled in. Our players had been dropping like flies, and Charlie made the call to get the backups in there to protect the starters and to get the backups some playing time. I have no beef with that decision at all. The only adjustment I would like to see in that scenario is that we keep running our normal offense with the backups. Do what we were doing in the fourth quarter. If we score some extra touchdowns, fine by me. You don't need to feel bad about running up the score if you have your backups in. Let the guys go out and do their thing. It is good for team morale. I think Charlie will learn from this game and make some adjustments. No reason to get all bent out of shape about it.

In the big picture, a win over Navy, no matter what the final score is, is meaningless for making a call on the Charlie Weis era. Beating a team with zero major college players on the roster is not a game that we can take much away from in terms of how good of a football team we are. However, Charlie should not be getting this much heat for the result of the Navy game. He put us in position to win, and that's all that I expect out of him on a week to week basis. I don't really care what happened in the final few minutes. We played well for 58 minutes, and that's all that matters to me.

Get off Charlie's back about this game. He has a great chance to keep it going with the running game next week against Syracuse, and then we'll really find out about this team when we head to the LA Colisseum. I have my doubts about how competitive we can be at USC, but I'm not going to get all hot and bothered about Charlie because of the Navy game. He did what he needed to do. I hope the team builds on this and continues to get better.

12. Of all the troubled programs in college football, the one that stands out for me as the worst of the worst is the Florida State Seminoles. I am not normally one to pass judgment on other programs for being "renegades" since all NCAA programs are at least somewhat corrupt (and I have very little high ground as a UC hoops fan and Bob Huggins supporter), but the FSU program is completely out of control. What a bunch of nugs. They look like a freaking prison team out there. Constant suspensions and player misconduct, no discipline, players getting injured celebrating, fights breaking out left and right, and then a postgame meltdown from Parker Posey that was one of the worst displays of sportsmanship I've ever seen in a game. FSU's program has become an abomination. I honestly would be embarrassed to be an FSU fan these days. They are the most classless and undisciplined team in the country.

I think the NCAA needs to step in and deliver some sanctions to FSU or threaten to shut down their program for awhile. There is absolutely no place for their antics in college football. If FSU doesn't get their act together, I really think it's time for them for them to banned from the sport for a year or two.

11. Here is a name I don't want to see on any future Notre Dame coaching searches:

Jeff Tedford

Why is everyone so in love with this guy?? Here is his record year by year at Cal:

2002: 7-5 (4-4)
2003: 8-6 (5-3)
2004: 10-2 (7-1)
2005: 8-4 (4-4)
2006: 10-3 (7-2)
2007: 7-6 (3-6)
2008: 6-3 (4-2)
Overall: 55-29 (33-21)

That's a pretty nice record, but people talk about this guy like he's some sort of miracle worker. He's coaching at Cal. It's a state school in one of the three best talent states in the country. I've watched Cal. They have talent. Marshawn Lynch went there. Desean Jackson was a top 5 recruit. Tedford has done a nice job recruiting, but it's not like he's selecting from a pool of Ivy Leaguers or something. He's winning about 8 games a year with pretty good talent and has a good reputation for developing quarterbacks. Sound familiar?? How is that any different than Charlie Weis?? Don't we already have that same guy on our sideline right now?? If I had a choice between Tedford or an alum like Weis who is familiar with ND and has built recruting ties around the country, I'll take Weis all day.

Plus, I don't want any coaches from the Pac 10 next time around. The next head coach at ND should be from the Midwest, preferably with some ties to Indiana/Illinois/Ohio. Think about all the coaches who have ties to Ohio. Urban Meyer is from Ohio and coached under Earle Bruce at Ohio Staet. Bob Stoops is a product of Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio (the home of the McCarthy brothers). Pete Carroll was an assistant at Ohio State. Nick Saban grew up in Ohio and was the head coach at Toledo. Dantonio is from Ohio. Tressel is from Ohio. Bo Pelini is from Ohio. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

And if you go back at look at ND's history with coaches, two of our greatest coaches ever were Midwestern guys with significant Ohio ties. Lou Holtz - played college ball at Kent State and grew up at the knee of Woody Hayes at Ohio State. And Ara Parseghian grew up in Ohio, went to Miami(Ohio) under Woody, and later had a great tenure as the head coach at Miami.

I know there are some good coaches from the South (Bowden, Mack Brown, Richt, Butch Davis) and that there are coaching trees that have stemmed from places besides the Midwest, but I still think we are better off with a Midwestern guy. ND is in the Midwest. I want the next coach of Notre Dame to be a guy who learned football in this area.

10. Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuke. Watch out America. The Luke Harangody train has picked up even more steam from last year. Can we settle on a nickname for him besides Gody?? The "Mongoose" moniker has been floating out there for awhile. I'm all for it.

Too early to get excited about Luke Zeller?? I feel like he teases us in the nonconference every year. I'd like to see that type of production in conference play.

Gotta love Carl Scott. He is going to be a very good player for us someday.

I am salivating for an ND-UNC final in Maui with Harangody and Hansborough squaring off against each other.

9. This "Sabathia to the Yankees" thing is too good to be true. I like CC and no doubt think he's a great pitcher in his prime, but I would be scared to death to throw $140 million at him. With the mileage on his arm and the stretch drive from last year in Milwaukee, there is substantial risk to signing him. Plus, CC doesn't strike me as a New York guy, and he may decide to put on 50 pounds after signing a long term deal. It may work out for a couple years, but are the Yankees really going to be anywhere close to competing in the next couple years??

Look at that roster. It suddenly got really weak in a very short period of time. Who are the stars in that lineup other than ARod and Jeter (who is declining)?? And their rotation can't carry them either. CC would be a legit ace for them and Joba can be great if healthy, but they aren't beating the Red Sox or the Rays in the next couple years with that team. I don't see CC taking them to the next level, and there is a lot of potential downside to that signing.

I really think the Yankees are headed for a late 80s/early 90s type malaise. For all the fuss about Brian Cashman, how many great young players has he produced since he has been with the Yankees?? Joba, maybe Cano. I can't think of too many other guys. I have never understood why Cashman gets as much hype as he does. Their farm system is nothing special and hasn't been for many years. The quickest way for the Yankees to become great again is to start producing elite young players who can either come up to the big leagues or be traded for young stars (ie- Red Sox trading Hanley for Beckett).

8. The only thing I really could definitively tell from the ND-Navy game is that Armando Allen should be getting the large bulk of the carries. While Robert Hughes came on in the second half when Navy was out of gas, he was lousy in the first half and took us out of a drive with a poor run on a sweep. I like Allen. He fights for yards, he catches the ball, he's got vision, and he hits the hole. It seems like our offense has issues when he's not in the game. If I was Charlie, I would be giving him the ball 75% of the time and then giving the leftovers to Hughes and Aldridge. And it sounds like Cierre Wood is a rich man's Armando Allen. He should be a good fit in our one back offense.

The Floyd and Brian Smith injuries are not going to help for the USC game, so it's time for some other guys to step up. The mark of a quality program is that we have the depth to put in quality players when guys go down. Duval Kamara and Toryan Smith...come on down.

7. Can you imagine how much heat Billy Gillespie must be under in Lexington for losing that game at home to VMI on Friday night?? Yikes. I like Gillespie a lot and think he has the ability to make UK great again based on his history at lesser schools and what he is doing on the recruiting trail, but fans down there are not exactly the most patient folks. If he has another middling year this year and Travis Ford lights a spark into the Oklahoma State Cowboys, there could be quite a bit of clamoring for Travis Ford to come home to Lexington.

6. Now that ND is bowl eligible, where are we going for the bowl game?? It seems like most projections have us in the Gator Bowl, but there is some talk of ND in the Sun Bowl or the Insight Bowl. I would love to get a better read on where we are going because it's getting to be about that time to start making plans for bowl game trips. I am hoping that we end up down in the Gator Bowl. Jacksonville isn't my favorite city, but any chance to get down to Florida during the holiday season to see the Irish is fine by me.

Should be interesting to see who we get matched up against. It is looking more and more likely that Miami (Fl) is going to win the ACC this year. Color me impressed with the Canes this year. I was a doubter, but their defense is really coming alive. The future may actually be bright down in Coral Gables. That upcoming Ohio State-Miami(FL) home and home in 2010-2011 is starting to look VERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY interesting.

The rest of the ACC pecking order seems to change on a weekly basis. ND would be slated to face the #3 team in the ACC, but I can't get a grip on who that team is likely going to be. FSU?? Maryland? BC? Virginia Tech? North Carolina??

While a win over any of those teams is hardly a foregone conclusion (far from it), I would take my chances with any of them. If the Irish get better during the bowl prep and show up ready to play, we would have a chance to win a bowl game.

5. The WEISND week 12 Heisman poll:

5. Tim Tebow
4. Colt McCoy
3. Graham Harrell
2. Sam Bradford
1. Michael Crabtree

I thought about who the best player in the country is right now, and I kept coming back to Michael Crabtree. The guy has 18 touchdown catches. And he's the best player on a top 5 team. If they beat OU and go undefeated, Harrell or Crabtree has to win this award.

4. The scary part of what Florida is doing is that they are incredibly young. Look at their depth chart.

http://florida.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp

Every player on their defense is an underclassmen. Now THAT is a young defense. And most of their offensive personnel is young too. It sounds like some of their guys are going to declare early for the NFL draft, but Florida is absolutely loaded and probably only going to get better as long as Urban Meyer is there. They are a scary football program right now.

Speaking of Florida, how could Tim Tebow even entertain the idea of leaving early to go to the pros?? What position is he planning to play?? Quarterback?? Please. He's not playing quarterback in the NFL. He MIGHT have a shot at safety or fullback or something like that, but he isn't going to be an NFL qb. He certainly isn't going to be drafted as a qb in the early rounds if he goes pro after this year. I expect to see him back in Gainesville next year much to the chagrin of Archie Griffin. He will be right there again for the Heisman trophy.

3. I'll say this about President-elect Barack Obama. Whether or not you agree with his policies, I do agree with him on one thing. As a college football fan, I was thrilled to see him taking a stance on the college football playoff. I couldn't agree more with him. Much like George Bush, Obama is a legit sports fan. That's a good thing for the country, especially when we've had past candidates...cough cough...John Kerry....declaring their love for baseball and then proclaiming a favorite player to be "Manny Ortiz" followed by one of the most pathetic first pitches I've ever seen in my life.

2. Of all the things that have been said about Notre Dame football in the last few years, I think Kirk Herbstreit may have had the most salient point during College Gameday on Saturday. In essence, he stated the truth of where we are as a program. We have AVERAGED 7 wins a year since 1994. That's a 15 year time frame. A very sobering reality of where we stand in the college football world. We have been no different than the BCs, MSUs, and Pitts of the world for a decade and a half. Herbstreit nailed it home when he asked "What did you expect?"

Have our expectations gotten ahead of themselves?? While it's easy to get hot and bothered about Charlie underachieving, the reality is that our program has been mediocre for a long time. The notion that Charlie would be able to produce consistently excellent teams by year four after that long malaise may have been a reach.

What are your expectations for Notre Dame football in the next decade?? Is it national championships?? Do you have the expectation that we should be right there with teams like Florida and Oklahoma?? I've always said that I did have those expectations, but Herbstreit's commentary made me think about it for a bit. Maybe the definition of a successful Notre Dame program has changed. Maybe my standards have become out of line with the reality of where our program is. Maybe a successful Notre Dame program is one that can regularly beat the other regional teams like Michigan/MSU/Purdue/Pitt/BC but doesn't rise to the level of the true "heavyweights" in the South.

Then again, people said these same things about programs like Alabama and Oklahoma once upon a time. Questions like "What did you expect?" when Alabama fans were grumbling about Mike Shula. Bama went through an equally long malaise as Notre Dame has gone through. Oklahoma was down for a long time. The right hire changed those programs almost overnight, and now you don't hear people saying things like "Mike Shula deserved more time."

It's a tough call. I will say that I would be interested to see where our program would be with a guy like Urban Meyer running our program.

1. WEISND power poll -

6. Oklahoma
5. USC
4. Texas
3. Texas Tech
2. Alabama
1. Florida

If the pollsters had any guts, they would vote Florida #1 this week. They are the best team in the country. Period. If the SEC Championship game was next week, Florida would probably be around an 8.5 point favorite or something like that. If they are favored by over a touchdown over the #1 team in the country, why is Florida not #1??

The good news for SEC fans is that the winner of that Florida-Bama game is in, so the polls don't matter at this point.

The real intrigue is going to be between the Big 12. This whole "BCS standings will determine the conference champion" just sounds like an absolute disaster.

What about USC?? Does anyone really think they couldn't beat the other top teams?? With that defense and Pete Carroll and their overall talent, they can beat anyone. Where do they fit in?

Big East Media Day

Since Wednesday was Big East media day, I wanted to post the preseason Big East coaches standings. Interesting stuff.

1. UConn
2. Louisville
3. Pittsburgh
4. Notre Dame
5. Villanova
6. Marquette
7. Georgetown
8. Syracuse
9. West Virginia
10. Providence
11. Cincinnati
12. Rutgers
13. Seton Hall
14. St. John’s
15. DePaul
16. USF

Some quick thoughts:

-- As far as the Irish are concerned, I can live with 4th even though some folks are talking about us as one of the four best teams in America let alone the Big East. I'm pretty comfortable in my skin with Notre Dame basketball, so I'm not going to get all bent out of shape about media perceptions of this program. I know that we are never going to get a lot of preseason hype because we don't LOOK like your typical great basketball team. We start a lot of white guys who don't jump out of the gym or look like great players when you first see them. I get that, so I am not surprised that we are "only" fourth in the polls even though we have been a better team than UConn in the Big East the last couple years. If anything, I'm ok with a little lower ranking because our guys might use it as motivation and play with a chip on their shoulder. ND hoops has done better when we are flying under the radar, so excess preseason hype doesn't really do anything special for us.

And let's be honest, we probably need to get over the hump and make a Sweet 16 or a run to the BET Finals to really cement our reputation in this league to the point where we would be projected in the preseason to win the Big East. The great thing about college basketball is that we will get that opportunity during the season and in the postseason. You prove it on the court in college hoops unlike college football.

ND has a ton of big nonconference and conference games lined up this year, so we are going to get a chance to see how we do against the "heavyweights" of college basketball. Great work by Coach Brey to line up this schedule. We are a veteran team, so this is the perfect year to challenge ourselves. If we do well, we're in line for a top 2 seed. If we don't, then we weren't going to get there anyway with a weak schedule.

-- UConn at #1 is surprising and not surprising. It's not surprising because UConn has been getting a TON of preseason hype and has been ranked as high as #2 in a lot of national polls. However, it's surprising to me simply because I'm not buying this current version of UConn basketball. That's no knock on Jim Calhoun as a basketball coach, and his record of winning championships speaks for itself. But this group of UConn players has been through the ringer for a couple years, and I still haven't seen anything resembling consistent basketball out of them. Hasheem Thabeet is overrated and not as big of a factor in games as he is made out to be, and the same could be said for guys like Jeff Adrien and AJ Price. I'm not ready to buy in on UConn just yet. Calhoun has done it in the past, but I think his "material" this year is not as good as advertised.

-- I raised an eyebrow when I saw Pitt at #3, but then I saw who they still have on their roster. Sam Young is still on the Pitt roster?? Are you kidding me?? How is that even possible?? I feel like he was playing for Pitt in the Ben Howland era. He needs to be called Sam Young 2.0 this year or something like that.

I have all the respect in the world for Pitt basketball, so it's hard for me to dispute a poll that has them as the #3 team in the league. It's not pretty and they will always have some weaknesses (perimeter shooting), but they win games with defense, toughness, and rebounding. They might never win a national title with that type of formula, but it has won them a lot of games and they pretty much own the Big East Tournament. Between Levance Fields, Sam Young, and DeJuan Blair, they have the foundation to be a typical really good Pitt team.

Jamie Dixon is a class act, and I'm glad to have him in the Big East. I'm also glad he's around because Sean Miller wants his job, and he's not going to have a crack at it unless Dixon leaves. I would love to see Sean Miller stay at Xavier forever.

-- For my money, the best team in the Big East this year is Louisville, and I'd probably put them as my #2 team in America behind North Carolina. With Earl Clark, Terrence Williams, Jerry Smith, Ed Sosa, Andre McGee, and this freshman Samardo Samuels guy, they are absolutely LOADED. Throw in Mr. Richard Pitino pacing the sideline, and the Cards are the class of the Big East if you ask me.

-- Possible overrated team: Marquette - I know they have all their best players back (James, McNeal, Matthews, Hayward), but color me nervous about that coaching change. I don't know anything about Buzz Williams and his reputation as a Crean/Gillespie disciple is probably a good sign, but I feel like I have to put them down as the possible overrated team. It can be a good thing for a new coach to have a veteran team, but it might also morph into a situation where guys like James and McNeal are looking to get "theirs" to get to the next level and not going to rally together with Crean no longer around. I'm assuming that they will be a tournament team, but I'm a little leery of the talk about them as a top 10 team.

Sorry Mike, but my other one is Syracuse. Just call me the Debbie Downer of Syracuse basketball, but I've been on this for a couple years. Jim Boeheim is DONE. I know it's blasphemous and I expect some heated words in the commentary, but he has lost his way with the terrible zone defense and the laziness that it breeds. I just don't trust Boeheim anymore, and I think he's wasting a lot of talent. Unless he pulled a Paterno/Bowden in the offseason and turned over the reins of the Xs and Os to an assistant, I'm not on board with the Cuse.

And I'm saying that as someone who has always liked Syracuse basketball and consider Lawrence Moten one of my favorite college basketball players of all time.

-- Most underrated team: Georgetown - Cmon, I know they lost Roy Hibbert and Wallace and others, but Georgetown at seventh??? Where is the respect??? They still have Dajuan Summers and tons of young guards and now they have the #1 big man in the country coming in, Greg Monrore. JTIII is not letting this program fall to seventh in the Big East. I think Gtown will finish minimum in the top 5 in the Big East, and I would not be surprised if they were were one of the best teams in the league by Big East Tournament time.

And I would be doing you readers a disservice if I didn't put in my annual "NEVER COUNT OUT A BOB HUGGINS COACHED TEAM" paragraph into any preseason college basketball discussions. I honestly don't even know who WVU has back, but Huggins is taking that team to the Big Dance this year. Mark it down. Bob Huggins wins college basketball games. That's what he does.

-- How loaded is the Big East this year?? You could make a real good argument that there are 8 Top 25 caliber teams in the Big East this year.

All you ACC or Big Ten or Big 12 fans out there, BRING IT. The Big East is the best basketball conference in the country. I will not give in. Fire away.

-- Here was their All Big East preseason team

2008-09 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

ALL BIG-EAST TEAM
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
AJ Price, UConn
Hasheem Thabeet, UConn
DaJuan Summers, Georgetown
Terrence Williams, Louisville
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame
Sam Young, Pittsburgh
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova

HONORABLE MENTION
Jeff Adrien, UConn
Earl Clark, Louisville
Dominic James, Marquette

Can't really argue with too many of those picks. I'd have to sit down and think about some names that may have been omitted, but I like that list. I think Harangody has a great shot to repeat as Big East Player of the Year

That's all I got for now. Stay tuned for more Big East discussion as we head into the college basketball season.