Speaker 1: Welcome to the solid verbal holl that for me.
Speaker 2: I'm a man, I'm forty.
Speaker 1: I've heard so many players say, well, I want to
Speaker 1: be happy.
Speaker 2: You want to be happy for a day?
Speaker 1: Edo state is that?
Speaker 2: Woo woof? And then and tie, welcome back to the
Speaker 2: solid Rebel boys and girls. My name is Ty hilden Brandt.
Speaker 2: You will hear from Dan Rubinstein momentarily. This is another
Speaker 2: excerpt from College Football Thursdays. It's the live show we
Speaker 2: do every Thursday evening five pm East two pm west
Speaker 2: Over on Spotify. An ultimate show of College Football Thursdays.
Speaker 2: Next week's going to be our last look. It's the
Speaker 2: end of the season. Everything reaches its natural conclusion. So
Speaker 2: if you weren't able to make it this week, if
Speaker 2: you haven't been able to make it throughout the course
Speaker 2: of the season, hopefully next week your last shot to
Speaker 2: do so to join in live, to jump up on
Speaker 2: stage with us, to take part in all of the festivities.
Speaker 2: In the excerpt you're bout to hear. We went through
Speaker 2: coaching hires. We gave them grades A through F. It's
Speaker 2: a simple exercise, but not one that we've had an
Speaker 2: opportunity to do on the normal public podcast as of late,
Speaker 2: so stick around for the next ten to fifteen minutes
Speaker 2: or so. Here what we have to say about the
Speaker 2: new coaching hires. Weigh in as always solivrable at gmail
Speaker 2: dot com or across any of our social media platforms.
Speaker 2: If you weren't able to make it this week, hopefully next.
Speaker 2: In the meantime, enjoy the clip, have a good weekend.
Speaker 2: We'll catch you on the flip side.
Speaker 1: The coaching US.
Speaker 2: I brought back the dinosaur Dan. It's been a while.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know what that is.
Speaker 2: It's some sort of beast, mythological beast.
Speaker 1: We've gotten a Patosaurus getting worked up over Luke Fickle
Speaker 1: to Wisconsin.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So look, a lot of movement in
Speaker 2: the coaching world. It did not stop this week. The
Speaker 2: news broke just a few days ago about Jeff now
Speaker 2: on the move going to Louisville. Before that, we had
Speaker 2: Dion Sanders. We also it's got Sadderfield just sort of
Speaker 2: lurking in the weeds there and deciding that he is
Speaker 2: going to leave his post at Louisville to move on
Speaker 2: over to Cincinnati. I thought maybe we could talk through
Speaker 2: a couple of these We haven't had a chance to
Speaker 2: do it on this show, to go through some of
Speaker 2: these hires and break them out. You know, it's it's
Speaker 2: a simple exercise. It's one that you'll see every big
Speaker 2: website do. They don't have the flare of the solid
Speaker 2: verbal of course, so why don't we do it as well?
Speaker 2: A through f Dan? All right, what was your what
Speaker 2: was your high school GPA? On the spot? Just let
Speaker 2: me know right now. Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 1: I don't I I just want to know how accurate
Speaker 1: you are at evaluating things. If you are rock solid,
Speaker 1: then I think I trust your g I think I.
Speaker 2: Think with the AP credits, I was above a four. Oh, whoa,
Speaker 2: I think I think I'd have to get Mama age
Speaker 2: to confirm I believe I was above a four.
Speaker 1: Oh, that was like a three seven.
Speaker 2: But listen, with the AP stuff, it's kind of like cheating.
Speaker 2: Those are bonus points, So I'm not that smart. Really, Okay,
Speaker 2: how would you grade out this? Dion Sanders to Colorado?
Speaker 1: Oh buddy, this is the big one, right, yeah, this
Speaker 1: is this is obviously the highest of profile hires I
Speaker 1: would give. Dion Sanders and the Colorado marriage of sorts
Speaker 1: are given a B. Plus. I'm sort of shrugging B plus.
Speaker 1: I see the upside. I know a lot of people
Speaker 1: are rushing, you know. I saw that Bruce Feldman, very
Speaker 1: very bright, obviously very involved in coaching in that world,
Speaker 1: uh said it was the move Colorado needed to make
Speaker 1: to give the program much needed zazz and juice after
Speaker 1: you know, their third coach in a matter of what
Speaker 1: four years something like that. So I'm gonna say, yeah,
Speaker 1: say B plus because I see the upside, and I
Speaker 1: appreciate the swing in terms of expectations and in terms
Speaker 1: of proven track record at you know, the HBCU level
Speaker 1: is just it's not super well funded. It's just a
Speaker 1: smaller place. I'm gonna say B plus because of the
Speaker 1: swing element.
Speaker 2: I mean, I think it's there is forgive me here
Speaker 2: for drawing an awkward comparison, there is a bit of
Speaker 2: parallel between Dion Sanders that hire and the Hugh Freeze
Speaker 2: to Auburn higher a little bit.
Speaker 1: I don't know a little bit.
Speaker 2: Here's where I mean. It's a very very very specific reason.
Speaker 2: In both cases it's sort of a swing, right. In
Speaker 2: both cases, it's sort of a swing. I give the
Speaker 2: swing at Colorado in a I like the move for Dion,
Speaker 2: and I agree with Bruce. It is a move they
Speaker 2: had to make. He was there, he was apparently interested,
Speaker 2: and it is a way to make a program instantly relevant,
Speaker 2: instantly relevant after years of being a bottom dweller. So
Speaker 2: I appreciate that Dion comes with his own amount of
Speaker 2: baggage and obviously not as much of a track record
Speaker 2: when it comes to coaching at the major Power five level,
Speaker 2: But I like the move. The Hugh Freeze one, to
Speaker 2: me is an F. I give this an F because
Speaker 2: you know the baggage mostly it's bad. Sure, he's a
Speaker 2: winning coach on some level, but I just I've said
Speaker 2: it on our show time and again, I don't I
Speaker 2: don't understand why you want to take that risk if
Speaker 2: you're Auburn, given where you come from. You know, it's
Speaker 2: one thing if you're Colorado and you haven't won, but
Speaker 2: you've been, you know, relatively a docile program, you haven't
Speaker 2: had that controversy. Auburn's always controversial. If you're an Auburn fan,
Speaker 2: you don't want more controversy. You don't need that, So
Speaker 2: why hire Hugh Freeze? That's an F for me. I'm
Speaker 2: right there with you, what do you think about Luke
Speaker 2: Fickle at Wisconsin, Because I think the instant sentiment was,
Speaker 2: this is a no brainer. It's an a plus, and
Speaker 2: Luke Fickle has been a good coach Cincinnati. Luke Fickle
Speaker 2: is obviously familiar with the big ten footprint. It had
Speaker 2: been rumored for a while that maybe he considered Notre
Speaker 2: d Am. Obviously consider a state. We hadn't heard a
Speaker 2: whole lot about Wisconsin, but it makes sense for a
Speaker 2: variety of reasons. The other thing that I haven't heard
Speaker 2: many people talk about Luke Fickle's got like a huge
Speaker 2: family of six kids. So if he's going to move anywhere,
Speaker 2: it has to be you would expect reasonably close to
Speaker 2: where he was because that, I mean, you have two kids.
Speaker 2: You can speak to what that's like moving a family.
Speaker 1: So if you're moving somebody, if you're moving a giant
Speaker 1: family from Cincinnati to Madison, you might as well move
Speaker 1: them to Seattle, right. Moving is moving.
Speaker 2: But I hear what you're saying. I think this is
Speaker 2: again another a for me. This is a move that
Speaker 2: I like Jim Leonard. I liked who they had before,
Speaker 2: just on an interim basis, I like that story but
Speaker 2: this is about winning football games now, and Luke Fickle's
Speaker 2: done a lot more of that than Jim Leonard, So
Speaker 2: this one for me is an a So yeah.
Speaker 1: So the totality where obviously the Luke Fickle experience at
Speaker 1: Cincinnati was nothing short of excellent, but now we have
Speaker 1: a little bit more in terms of additional information. So
Speaker 1: he's not able to keep Jim Leonard on staff, who
Speaker 1: had considered staying on staff just because of his love
Speaker 1: for Wisconsin obviously his alma mater. So that's something to
Speaker 1: be taken in in terms of what Luke Fickle is
Speaker 1: or is not able to do in terms of continuity,
Speaker 1: not necessarily his fault. Phil Longo's an interesting higher. He's
Speaker 1: been very good at North Carolina. A balanced offense we
Speaker 1: saw a couple of years ago, and they were able
Speaker 1: to run the hell out of the ball with Sam
Speaker 1: Howell still at quarterback this year, obviously, the development of
Speaker 1: Drake may has been outstanding. I would say I think
Speaker 1: he's the most promising young quarterback in the sport. But
Speaker 1: it's different. It's a little bit different from the ethos
Speaker 1: of Wisconsin offensive football, which I'm fine with evolving, but
Speaker 1: I just don't know what that transition looks like with
Speaker 1: how strongly they've recruited to a very specific kind of system,
Speaker 1: you know, under center. Even when they line up on
Speaker 1: her shotgun, it was a lot of just straight power
Speaker 1: and not a lot of concentration on the pass game,
Speaker 1: which is what ultimately got Paul Christ into some trouble
Speaker 1: his inability to adapt and evolve. So I think I'm
Speaker 1: largely in favor of the moves thus far. For Luke Fickle,
Speaker 1: I'm gonna say AA minus No.
Speaker 2: The two that I know you have a problem with
Speaker 2: are Scott Saderfield just sort of slinking his way out
Speaker 2: heading over to Cincinnati from Louisville, and the Trent Dilfer Hire.
Speaker 1: I'd much rather have Scott Saderfield than Trent Dilfer.
Speaker 2: But yeah, the Trent Dilfer Hire at UAB. Of the
Speaker 2: list that I've got here, UAB is clearly the smallest program,
Speaker 2: but it is notable because I hired Trent Dilfer. Now
Speaker 2: people know Trent Dilfer. He's got a name. He's been
Speaker 2: involved for a good long time in coaching, would be
Speaker 2: college quarterbacks through the camp circuit and whatnot. But dude,
Speaker 2: as a high school coach until like three weeks ago,
Speaker 2: and I believe you told me earlier today he hired
Speaker 2: his high school defensive coordinator as well.
Speaker 1: Yeah, who had connections to a lad eleven. So here's
Speaker 1: the issue with me about Trent dilfer. So when you
Speaker 1: have Luke Fikele hired it Withisconsin, when you have Matt
Speaker 1: Ruhle hired at Nebraska, when you have Jeff Brahm at Louisville,
Speaker 1: these guys, even Brent Key at Georgia Tech, these guys
Speaker 1: on the college level, coming from the college level, they
Speaker 1: have something in common that they get hired and you
Speaker 1: can immediately see them reveal their rolodex to the world.
Speaker 1: We're like, here are this guy's coaching connections. These are
Speaker 1: proven assistants who want to follow this guy to this
Speaker 1: new place, who believe in him enough to uproot their
Speaker 1: families and their families lives to travel across the country.
Speaker 1: Here's what Trent Dilfherd does not have in any sort
Speaker 1: of meaningful way. If you look at the hires he's
Speaker 1: made a rolodex. He just doesn't. And so that to
Speaker 1: me is the issue, is that which upcoming coach looks
Speaker 1: at Trent Dilfher and here's Trent Delpher's vision in plan
Speaker 1: for UAB and says, Yep, that's the move for me.
Speaker 1: That's where I'm going. I'm going to UAB and I honestly,
Speaker 1: I think early on and we can bring him up
Speaker 1: next or soon is Kenny Dillingham.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was gonna bring him up next.
Speaker 1: His assistant hires have not been impressed at all, and
Speaker 1: so it's like he's hiring an analyst from TCU to
Speaker 1: help things on offense. He hired a defensive line coach
Speaker 1: that he you know, I think went to school with
Speaker 1: and was a high school coach in Arizona. He was
Speaker 1: an XFL coach a year or two ago, and now
Speaker 1: this past year he was at Idaho State. I understand
Speaker 1: that Arizona State might be a little bit radioactive at
Speaker 1: the moment. But when you see somebody go to a
Speaker 1: school and within a week an offensive coordinator or a
Speaker 1: defensive coordinator, and it's a big school, and that hire
Speaker 1: isn't somebody you've heard of or you're like this guy
Speaker 1: immediately when you hear his name, like oh man, everybody
Speaker 1: on the D two level said this is the next
Speaker 1: big thing. If you don't hear that, that should scare
Speaker 1: you a little bit. If you're an ASU fan.
Speaker 2: We've got some hard disagrees with you in the chat.
Speaker 2: We've got some hard disagrees.
Speaker 1: So into dilfer into Kenny Dillingham.
Speaker 2: Apparently Kenny Dillingham and his hires.
Speaker 1: Kenny Dillingham is hiring to win an Arizona High school
Speaker 1: football championship.
Speaker 2: Right now, raise your hands, raise your hands. We will
Speaker 2: open up the floor here in just a little bit.
Speaker 2: We will open up the floor to talk about all things.
Speaker 2: There aren't games to pick. Allelujah. We're through the woods
Speaker 2: on that front. Yes, no TI versus the world tonight,
Speaker 2: which means we've got time to talk about coaches.
Speaker 1: You can't embarrass yourself.
Speaker 2: I know, I know. We could do soccer bets if
Speaker 2: you want to, but.
Speaker 1: Oh god, just bet on Brazil, right, that's the movie.
Speaker 2: It's just always bet on Brazil. Yeah. Yeah, Well we'll
Speaker 2: get into much much more here. The final name that
Speaker 2: I wanted to list out Matt Rule. You know, my
Speaker 2: problem this time of year, just to pull back the
Speaker 2: full kimono here, is that I love I love all
Speaker 2: the all the hires, you know, with the exception of
Speaker 2: Dilfer and Sadderfield, but and Freeze. I guess maybe I
Speaker 2: don't love them all, but by and large, on average,
Speaker 2: we've been doing this fifteen years. I like every hire
Speaker 2: until proven otherwise, and so I have a hard time
Speaker 2: giving out anything short of an A or above an F.
Speaker 2: For me, it's always very black and white. The Matt
Speaker 2: Rule higher. I actually will sort of break my own
Speaker 2: rule here, no pun intended. I like the move. I
Speaker 2: like the coach. I think he's got a good track
Speaker 2: record of what he brings to the table for Nebraska
Speaker 2: is exactly what they need. They need somebody who's going
Speaker 2: to teach him how not to shoot themselves in the foot,
Speaker 2: and Matt Rule's pretty good at doing that. My issue
Speaker 2: with Matt Ruhle and you know exactly where I'm gonna
Speaker 2: go next. I honestly believe that when James Franklin decides
Speaker 2: he's had enough of Penn State, that Matt Rule's going
Speaker 2: to be the coach in State College. Sure, And on
Speaker 2: how long it takes to get there, it might be
Speaker 2: three years, might be five years, might be a full
Speaker 2: eight years. I don't know, but I do not believe
Speaker 2: he is long for Lincoln, Nebraska. I just don't buy it.
Speaker 2: And you know I've been wrong many times before.
Speaker 1: Dreams change, Right, Nebraska is a huge program, and if
Speaker 1: you can succeed at a huge program, you look at
Speaker 1: other huge programs a little bit less. In nineteen ninety three,
Speaker 1: I wanted to marry Kathy Ireland. My dream's changed, actually, Kathy,
Speaker 1: get at me at Dan Rubinstee.
Speaker 2: Okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 1: No. I if Matt Rule is winning Big tensimpionships in Nebraska,
Speaker 1: he's not going to leave Nebraska for Penn State. Now
Speaker 1: that's a big if. He just hired I think a
Speaker 1: high quality defensive coordinator, and speaking of hiring assistants, so
Speaker 1: he hires Tony White away from Syracuse. He hires Marcus
Speaker 1: Saderfield away from South Carolina. And I think this is
Speaker 1: a low key reality to get used to. And now,
Speaker 1: obviously South Carolina's in the SEC. But Nebraska has buyout money, right, Yeah,
Speaker 1: Big ten offers the opportunity to its schools, given this
Speaker 1: new contract and given all the money pouring into these places,
Speaker 1: you can buy out coaches like they did for Scott Frost,
Speaker 1: where they just said screw it is an extra five
Speaker 1: million right, We're going to make this decision early, or
Speaker 1: go to Syracuse and say here you go and throw
Speaker 1: money at their face for their defensive coordinator. Go to
Speaker 1: South Carolina throw money at their face for their offensive coordinator.
Speaker 1: So Nebraska's in a good situation, and obviously Matt Rule
Speaker 1: contractually was offered a good amount for his assistant pool.
Speaker 1: But no, I think they're spending wisely, especially with Tony White,
Speaker 1: who I think is an up and coming, promising defensive
Speaker 1: coordinator who I'm sure Arizona State went after him given
Speaker 1: his ties, even you know he coached the Arizona State before.
Speaker 1: But presumably a SU doesn't have that kind of buyout
Speaker 1: cash