Candidate Dave Clawson Mentioned on footballscoop

falconstein · Post by **falconstein** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:52 am

I agree that it is very nice to hear other names in the mix but the recent resume of this particular prospect stinks and should not be overlooked. Tennessee's offense is ranked 115 out of 119 D1 schools. I'm no Vols fan but if I was, this stat would make me livid because their defense was ranked #4. Maybe one of the football analysts on here can explain how a team can have such a wide disparity on each side of the ball. Seems amazing to me... wouldn't be surprised if it was somehow historic.

Besides, I see zero ties to Ohio in the few articles I have read. Perhaps that shouldn't necessarily be a requirement but it makes me wonder about him being a good fit. I'm sure many alumni and boosters would feel the same making the situation hard to sell by our AD.

I hope more news about the hiring progress will be revealed very soon.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:09 am

falconstein wrote:I agree that it is very nice to hear other names in the mix but the recent resume of this particular prospect stinks and should not be overlooked. Tennessee's offense is ranked 115 out of 119 D1 schools. I'm no Vols fan but if I was, this stat would make me livid because their defense was ranked #4. Maybe one of the football analysts on here can explain how a team can have such a wide disparity on each side of the ball. Seems amazing to me... wouldn't be surprised if it was somehow historic.

So what? Judging potential Head Coach candidates on their success/failure as coordinators is asinine. The jobs are completely different. Coordinators are often times made to look good or bad by the players they have. That's one of the reasons why so many of them fail.

He has success as a head coach at two different stops (albeit below the 1A level). His offenses at those stops were very good (again still below the 1A level, but football is football).

I didn't watch a lot of Tennessee this year, but I know they were starting a new QB this year after 4 year starter Ainge graduated. I also know it was their very first year in Clawson's system. Along the same lines those were the players Clawson was given, not players that he had scouted/recruited over the years.

Urban Meyer was the WRs coach on a Notre Dame team that was primarily rushing in his tenure there. I don't know as though he actually coached a guy that had even 700 yards receiving. His final year there the leading WR had 323 yards. Was that because he was a bad coach?

I don't know where this notion that a bad coordinator makes a bad head coach comes from, but it's every bit as false as the notion that a good coordinator makes a good head coach. They are different jobs and require different skills/attributes to succeed. Here is a guy that has had really good success at multiple head coaching stops, and both of their fanbases really like the guy. One bad season in Tennessee and we're going to dismiss him as a candidate? If we want to say he doesn't have enough local ties, then I suppose that could be a reasonable excuse to not hire him, but from what I've read I like this guy a hell of a lot more than the other names that have been mentioned.

Zig · Post by **Zig** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:44 am

falconstein wrote: Besides, I see zero ties to Ohio in the few articles I have read. Perhaps that shouldn't necessarily be a requirement but it makes me wonder about him being a good fit. I'm sure many alumni and boosters would feel the same making the situation hard to sell by our AD.

This is the one thing I'm worried about for Clawson. He seems to have lots of experience in the East, but not much, if any, in Ohio.

Still, I'd take him over some of the other names mentioned around here.

falconstein · Post by **falconstein** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 9:49 am

from what I've read I like this guy a hell of a lot more than the other names that have been mentioned.

I completely agree with that part and if he were to be hired I'll give him a very long multi-year honeymoon. But don't shoot me for being justifiably concerned at this time. If he continues to be a prospect, I'm sure that you will have many opportunities to reuse your assistant/head coach success/failure retort because his recent resume will be highly publicized just like Brandon's win loss record has been.

I'm greatly relieved that we are making a coaching change, BTW.

Peace hammb, peace...