Lots of personal responsibilities have been keeping us away from running down coaching scoop and blogging updates over the last couple of days, but nothing of real note has broken so we haven’t missed much. Regardless, this entry from Dave Glenn does a fantastic job of setting the table and is a must read for everyone.
A few notes:
* We were told earlier in the week that we would be “…shocked at some of the names that have expressed interest in the job. There is tremendous interest out there.” This is great to hear and is supported by many of the names that are starting to bubble to the surface from various reports on the internet.
* At the beginning of this week the news seemed pretty cut and dry – if Bill Cowher says no then Paul Johnson is probably the guy. Was this information correct? If so, then the (lack of) developments of this week will have made perfect sense and many of the names discussed on the internet may have just been plants to keep everyone occupied.
* The need to talk to Cowher and wait for Paul Johnson to finish his season today gave the search a week to ‘get prepared’ for the week as well as take stock in various candidates that deserve strong looks. The weeek was also good for State since Lee Fowler was (again) not prepared for a search based on The Sporting News comments:
I’m told N.C. State didn’t want to fire Chuck Amato. In fact, had he won — or split — the last two games, he likely would have been retained. What’s the point: N.C. State wasn’t prepared to can Amato, which means the search has gotten off to a scrambling start.
* We hear sporadic chatter that NC State and Bill Cowher continue to talk. Who knows? It is pretty clear to everyone that we can’t sit around after this weekend and wait for Cowher to make a decision. If NC State hasn’t hired someone within the next two weeks, then the world will be speculating that Cowher has committed to the Wolfpack and is trying to wait until the end of the season for an announcement. Don’t hold your breath. We are just throwing it out there.
* If Alabama has to go further down their list then expect Paul Johnson to be on their list and NC State will need to look elsewhere if the administration had deemed Johnson as their guy.
* On ESPN’s halftime show on Thursday night, former NC State Head Coach Lou Holtz proposed Norm Chow as the “best fit” for NC State’s job. Interestingly, Mark May then proposed Lou’s son, Skip Holtz, as the best fit for the job. We have already asked why we don’t hear more about Skip in this entry from earlier in the week.
* A lot of fans on the internet – including some authors on SFN – have made a big deal about the fact that NC State is not being contracted with with Chuck Neinas. If you remember Lee Fowler’s statement from Sunday night, he said that we were using a consulting firm; he never said it was Neinas. We were told on Monday that NC State was using a consulting firm based in Atlanta, not Neinas, but we don’t know if a contract exists with the Atlanta firm. Again, we are not saing that Neinas hasn’t been in contact with State.
* Regardless, something is going on behind the scenes related to the consulting firm. SFN has confirmed that this guy truly has a legitimate media source:
Media Source: Fowler disregards Murphy on Wednesday; will not hire Neinas and as of Friday, no firm had been hired…..reportedly, Murphy furious….Virtually no support in Pack nation for Fowler….stay tuned
* Someone asked a good question the other day – is Lee Fowler using the same search firm out of Atlanta that was partially responsible for placing him into his current job at NC State? When Mary Anne Fox hired Fowler on Les Robinson’s recommendation she used an independent search firm to basically validate the decision and serve as an independent ‘screening’ source.
* ESPN’s INsider shared a lot of coaching rumors in this entry yesterday.
Look for Jimbo Fisher, Paul Johnson, David Cutliffe and Larry Coker to get close looks at North Carolina State. UTEP coach Mike Price would be an excellent, excellent hire by either school. Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges should get a look from North Carolina State.
* Strip clubs be damned! If Mike Price is interested in our job then NC State would be well served to look much deeper into this proven winner with a vibrant personality.
* The previously linked TSN article also stated the following:
Expect N.C. State’s search to begin heating up. I heard that Minnesota’s Glen Mason and Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson have expressed interest in the N.C. State job. And, as I’ve said, former Georgia coach Jim Donnan will be a factor, along with LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini and possibly Denver Broncos tight ends coach Tim Brewster, who knows the turf after spending several years on Mack Brown’s North Carolina staff. And don’t forget about East Carolina’s Skip Holtz, who left his calling card by whipping the Wolfpack last weekend. He seems perfect for this gig. Houston Texans assistant Mike Sherman is a wild card here and at Alabama.
* It is weird to see some of those names because seven years ago a hire of Glen Mason or Jim Donnan would have been widely veiwed as a home run.
More later…
