Official Coaching Search Rumor Page

[Globetrotter]

Has there been any rumor about us talking to floridas dc yet or is tgat just speculation at this point?

[Class of 61]

It would seem that Mr. Fickell is NOT going to be a popular choice, if indeed he does get the job... but your comment re: Tressel is even more off line IMO. first of all, I believe he still has a 1-2 yr. "probation" to serve... (Wasn't it originally a 5 yr. sentence?)
And Tressel, while a known name, has been known to skirt the rules even before his OSU stint, while he was at Youngstown.
I'm hoping that Chris Kingston does exactly what he said he would do...Don't rush into hasty decisions...hire the best qualified guy for the job. I don't envy Chris his job right now...While exciting in some ways, if he makes a wrong decision (for FB OR BB), we could be set back more than a few yrs. Yes, the FB program looks to be solid now, but you never know how the chemistry of a new coach and staff blends with the current players.
FWIW, the WR from Shaker Hts. who'd originally verballed to us has now "officially" de-committed and verballed to Cincy. This was in the works prior to the past weekend, but our changes probably greased the skids a bit more.

[Falcon137]

Everything to this point has been a rumor. There have been no confirmed interviews or candidates. Outside of Scheier.

[lookimrory]

I'll say this about Tressel. He's a phenomenal coach and the way the NCAA works, what he did - covering up tattoos, is nothing in comparison to Penn St, USC, or Petrino at Arkansas. He wants to coach in Ohio and if he gets suspended for the first 5 games - so what? He would have his staff in place to coach. USC is on their 3rd coach of the year and they have a chance to win 10 games this year. It's not about the HC, it's about who the HC brings in - recruits and his staff. I'll stick by to what I said. If BG doesn't at least pursue Tressel, that's a stupid move. On the field, recruiting, marketing, you name it.

[lookimrory]

And I'm doubting there even IS going to be a penalty. Penn St is having talks with the NCAA about having their bowl ban lifted. And they are charged with child molestation! Be real. This is a championship winning coach. His big and bad stuff he did pales in comparison to some of the other evils we've all seen around the NCAA.

[MarkL]

Penalty or not, no to Tressel. We do things right here. Clawson is considered one of the good guys in the game for good reason - he is honest, sincere, and doesn't take shortcuts. Tressel, as has been proven, is the opposite. There is no way I could ever approve BG going from one of the good guys to slime who blatantly lied to the NCAA and covered it up.

It's not about the penalty. It's about doing things right.

[mmisbg]

I say this with confidence that it won't happen. However, if Tressel would get hired as our coach, I would seriously consider giving up my season tickets.

[MarkL]

I'll say this about Tressel. He's a phenomenal coach and the way the NCAA works, what he did - covering up tattoos, is nothing in comparison to Penn St, USC, or Petrino at Arkansas. He wants to coach in Ohio and if he gets suspended for the first 5 games - so what? He would have his staff in place to coach. USC is on their 3rd coach of the year and they have a chance to win 10 games this year. It's not about the HC, it's about who the HC brings in - recruits and his staff. I'll stick by to what I said. If BG doesn't at least pursue Tressel, that's a stupid move. On the field, recruiting, marketing, you name it.

He blatantly and knowingly lied to the NCAA about player eligibility and knowingly played ineligible players. It's not about tattoos, which is what Ohio State fans just don't seem to get. It's about lying and covering it up.

Just like with Adam Sandler's stunt double ... not interested. If I'm the AD, I don't even bother calling either of these two.

[Schadenfreude]

He had a show cause of 5 years!!!!!

I didn't realize this when I first brought this up. Yes. We aren't going to touch him, nor should we.

[Flipper]

I couldn't root for a team coached by Tressel...

[hammb]

I would consider giving up my basketball season tickets if we hired Tressel. I would want nothing to do with supporting an athletic department that would willingly hire a multiple offender of MAJOR NCAA rules.

On top of that, have people forgotten that he coaches the most god awful boring, gouge your eyes out with toothpicks version of football?

There are very few things that our athletic department could do that would make me side with dropping football. Embracing Jim Tressel, or his ilk, would be one of them.

[mscarn]

The negatives on Fickell don't seem so bad at second glance.

Perception: He stunk during 2011 and lost the team towards the end.
Positive spin: They played hard against Michigan, he learned his lessons and made rookie mistakes he won't make here.

Perception: Have you seen Ohio State play defense?
Positive spin: The secondary was the primary culprit which wasn't his direct coaching responsibility. The front 7 was very, very young and played well for most of the season, shutting down a pro style offense (Penn State) and a dangerous spread (Indiana).

Perception: Recruiting at Ohio State is easy.
Positive spin: If you're recruiting against the MAC and other Big 10 schools then yes. If you're recruiting against USC, Alabama, Florida and other top tier programs that means you still have to fight hard, sell your benefits and win battles against formidable opponents. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program and just happens to be his biggest strength.

Perception: He's an Ohio State guy.
Positive spin: While annoying, I'm sure he'd put his heart and soul into the job at BG. Urban isn't going anywhere for a while and that might be the only job he'd leave for. Tressel went from I-AA to OSU so hiring a MAC coach with his connections is comparable.

[hammb]

Personally I think Fickell is a mediocre football coach who has coasted up the ranks at OSU because if you are a former Buckeye Columbus loves you (until you don't give them fellatio on national TV, a la Herbstriet).

He had a 1 year audition for the job, and I don't care what "extenuating circumstances" he was under...to do what he did with that team is reason enough for me to run away quickly. Every Buckeye fan I know wants him canned yesterday. Obviously his ability as a DC doesn't necessarily disqualify him as a HC, but we saw him there as well.

I'm sorry I see very little to like about him. He'd be the one candidate that I wouldn't even give an interview to based on his body of work alone.

[mscarn]

So the Columbus folks got him the job because they love him and now they all want him fired? Seems like quite the fickle bunch, so to speak.

When Urban got to OSU he fired everyone except Fickell and Vrable, Fickell's best friend. When the 2012 performance reviews were made public Fickell had the fewest negative comments. I don't think a coach like Meyer would keep him in such an important position merely to placate the fans or for any other non-football reason.

[BGWriter]

Personally I think Fickell is a mediocre football coach who has coasted up the ranks at OSU because if you are a former Buckeye Columbus loves you (until you don't give them fellatio on national TV, a la Herbstriet).

He had a 1 year audition for the job, and I don't care what "extenuating circumstances" he was under...to do what he did with that team is reason enough for me to run away quickly. Every Buckeye fan I know wants him canned yesterday. Obviously his ability as a DC doesn't necessarily disqualify him as a HC, but we saw him there as well.

I'm sorry I see very little to like about him. He'd be the one candidate that I wouldn't even give an interview to based on his body of work alone.

Fickell didn't show the one thing he needed to during that year: leadership. He cowed to a very bad offensive coordinator and played arguably the worst QB in OSU history over Braxton Miller until it was so painfully obvious that he couldn't do it, anymore, and had to change.

Yes, he's a good recruiter. But how good of a coach is he? His area of specialty is linebackers and, right now, that's an area of weakness in the OSU defense and has been for two seasons. They're had too many people end up with injuries, transfers or other issues, and the top talent they've brought in hasn't developed. Is that coaching? I'd say yes.

Oh and by the way...Herbstreit has earned all the ire he gets from Buckeye fans. He says things about Ohio State he wouldn't dare say about other schools, because he feels like he can get away with it. And (in my view) his worst offense was sitting quietly and saying nothing during the Alamo Bowl when the ESPN announcers spent half the game saying Tressel and Geiger should be fired over M. Clarett's allegations -- even before the NCAA had a chance to investigate. And when it was investigated (twice, by the way), none of those allegations were verified. Not one.

I have no problem with announcers being critical of schools, their coaches, their offense or defense (including BG and OSU) but I want them to be consistent in how they deal out their criticisms. If a BG grad were an announcer and ONLY used BG as a whipping post when he went off about poor offenses or said things like he'd never advise any top offensive player to attend BG because of their offense (when he's never said that about any other school before or since), I would take offense. Having worked in media a long, long time, there's such a thing as moderating what you say and at least attempting to appear somewhat subjective -- especially when your job is as an "analyst".

It isn't that hard to do. Clark Kellogg has done tons of Ohio State basketball games through the years, and has made plenty of critical comments about how they've done things, and I don't know of one Ohio State fan who dislikes him. Quite the contrary, in fact. He's the perfect example of how it should be done.