By Jimmy Hyams
When the NCAA enacted early football signing dates in December, I was on board.
I thought it was a way for recruits who KNEW where they wanted to sign to not only secure a scholarship, but allow schools to reduce their recruiting pool.
But, as in some cases, there have been an unintended consequence.
And it is a powerful one.
Because of the early signing date, some athletic directors have fired coaches earlier than they might have beforehand. And they’re scrambling to hire a new coach before the early signing period, which is Dec. 20-22 this year.
And with those firings, you’re finding more schools competing for the same coaches.
It has created a tsunami affect regarding the coaching carousel.
And it has led to a bevy of questions. Will Florida hire Chip Kelly? If not, will Tennessee hire Kelly? Or does Kelly prefer UCLA? If UT can’t get Kelly, will it hire Dan Mullen? Or will Mullen go to Texas A&M if that job opens? Is Greg Schiano a viable candidate at Tennessee? Will Justin Fuente stay put due to his $6 million buyout? Will a $9.4 million buyout make it hard for anyone to hire Matt Campbell at Iowa State? Does Scott Frost go to Florida or Nebraska or Tennessee or stay at Central Florida?
We could go on and on.
But here are a few things we believe that has or will happen.
I do not believe UT offered a job to Kelly.
Tennessee did not fly a contingent of athletic director John Currie and several high-powered boosters to Tampa to interview Jon Gruden last Thursday, as was often reported. And I do not believe Gruden will be hired as UT’s next coach. I wouldn’t be surprised if Currie didn’t mind the focus on Gruden so Currie could pursue other candidates.
I do not believe Lane Kiffin is in play in part because I don’t think Currie supported hiring Kiffin at UT in 2009.
Mullen, Frost, Schiano Mike Norvell and Chad Morris are under consideration by Currie, but I don’t know if any have been interviewed. And I think Norvell and Morris have fallen down the totem poll. The list under consideration is NOT limited to those names, but those are the names I have heard most prominently.
I believe the SEC office would not object if an SEC team hired Kelly despite his 18-month show cause when he got Oregon on probation.
Contrary to what we said earlier, I think the Tennessee hire will come rather quickly, perhaps as soon as Tuesday. Knowing Currie, I believe he has vetted his candidates and will conduct whatever interviews are needed in rapid fire. So don’t be surprised if a coach is in place within the next week.
I believe Peyton Manning’s input will carry a lot of weight, perhaps more than booster Jimmy Haslam or Phillip Fulmer, the former UT coach and advisor to the UT president.
I have heard conflicting stories from sources regarding UT’s interest in David Cutcliffe. At this time, I don’t think UT has officially contacted Cutcliffe and I don’t think he is in play. But as we all know in coaching searches, things are fluid.
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