Which FCS schools made the best HC hires?

[Pwns]

At least, on paper? Here are the list of the 2009-2010 hires a brief bit about their last coaching jobs.

Bethune-Cookman Brian Jenkins (Rutgers WR coach, ULL RB coach and special teams coach before that)
Bucknell Joe Susan (Rutgers Assistant Coach)
Cornell Kent Austin (Ole Miss OC for past two seasons)
Georgia Southern Jeff Monken (Georgia Tech A-backs coach, long-time assistant to Paul Johnson)
Miss Valley St Karl Morgan (spent last five seasons as defensive coordinator at North Alabama)
Montana Robin Pflugrad (Montana receivers coach, also various assistant coaching jobs in Pac-10)
Murray State Chris Hatcher (GSU coach for three seasons, also successful Coach at Valdosta State)
Nicholls State Charlie Stubbs (Central Missouri Offensive Coordinator, OC at various BCS schools)
Portland State Nigel Burton (Assistant Coaching jobs at Nevada, Oregon State, and PSU)
Princeton Bob Surace (Position Coach with Cincinnati Bengals)
Richmond Latrell Scott (receivers coach at Richmond, Virginia, and Tennessee)
St. Francis Chris Villarial (OC for Saint Francis for just one season)
Sam Houston State Willie Fritz (did great turnaround at JUCO Blinn College, Central Missouri’s winningest coach, also SHSU assistant)
Southern Stump Mitchell (ex-Morgan State coach, also worked various NFL assistant coaching jobs)
Tennessee State Rod Reed (previously DC and assistant coach for TSU)
Valparaiso Dale Carlson (ex-head coach of NAIA Ohio-Dominican, turned program around after a few years)
Western Illinois Mark Hendrickson (WIU OC under previous WIU coach)
Winston-Salem St Connell Maynor (OC of DII Fayetteville State team)
Youngstown State Eric Wolford (South Carolina offensive line coach)

My top 5:
5. Kent Austin - I like what he did at Ole Miss. Houston Nutt IMO has gotten a lot of credit for things that he has done. And I think he is a good fit for Cornell.
4. Chris Hatcher - Face it - Sam Baker threw him in a burning kitchen and asked to make a 10-layer cake. He just wasn't a good fit but the guy is energetic, charismatic, and a good recruiter and could turn Murray State around.
3. Jeff Monken - Homer pick? Maybe. But the guy was Paul Johnson's right-hand man since he was at GSU in the late 90s. Also has plenty of experience at GSU and with recruiting in the area. Having PJ in Atlanta helps recruiting as much as it hurts it. He's the guy that should have replaced PJ at GSU, and I think (hope) his tenure at GSU will show that.
2. Charlie Stubbs - A guy that made a good turnaround at an NAIA program. Sounds like a goreat fit for a struggling PFL team, with no disrespect intended for the PFL.
1. Willie Fritz - Central Missouri's winningest Coach, and also an amazing turnaround at Blinn College. IMO Also has experience coaching at SHSU. IMO he seems to be the perfect guy to get SHSU back on track. Why did no one give him a HC job sooner?

[AZGrizFan]

Montana.

/thread

[dbackjon]

Montana.

/thread

Typical Griz arrogance...

Top 5 in no order:

Bucknell Joe Susan (Rutgers Assistant Coach)
Georgia Southern Jeff Monken (Georgia Tech A-backs coach, long-time assistant to Paul Johnson)
Murray State Chris Hatcher (GSU coach for three seasons, also successful Coach at Valdosta State)
Portland State Nigel Burton (Assistant Coaching jobs at Nevada, Oregon State, and PSU)
Youngstown State Eric Wolford (South Carolina offensive line coach)

[DetroitFlyer]

Mark my words, Chris Villarial will be the absolete cream of this crop.

[SUUTbird]

2. Charlie Stubbs - A guy that made a good turnaround at an NAIA program. Sounds like a great fit for a struggling PFL team, with no disrespect intended for the PFL.

Um isnt Nicholls State part of the Southland Conference not the PFL?

[JALMOND]

Don't know anything about those hires outside the Big Sky (I've heard of Mitchell, but not because of his coaching). I think we got a good one in Burton but only time will tell. Pflugrad at Montana means the Griz will probably not skip a beat. I would have liked either Burton or Pflugrad at Portland State.

[JALMOND]

2. Charlie Stubbs - A guy that made a good turnaround at an NAIA program. Sounds like a great fit for a struggling PFL team, with no disrespect intended for the PFL.

Um isnt Nicholls State part of the Southland Conference not the PFL?

One of only a few errors I think Pwns has made in all the years I've seen his posts. I think he was referring to the Valpo coach.

[Pwns]

Yeah I was talking about the Valpo guy. I think he's a good hire for that school.

[GoRacer1]

I think time will show Hatcher at Murray will be the most succesful. Monken at GSU and Susan at Bucknell also should do very well. Not just because of the coach, the situation they are entering has alot to do with it.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

I think time will show Hatcher at Murray will be the most succesful. Monken at GSU and Susan at Bucknell also should do very well. Not just because of the coach, the situation they are entering has alot to do with it.

Hey, welcome to the board Racer!

[guinzone]

Eric Wolford is a top 5 pick right now. His recruiting class, in just 5 weeks, is one of the best in the FCS ranks. Already brought in a 4-star and a 3-star kids out of HS and may add another 4-star recruit this summer out of a military prep school. Hard to say how he'll coach, but his recruiting is fabulous.

[GoRacer1]

I think time will show Hatcher at Murray will be the most succesful. Monken at GSU and Susan at Bucknell also should do very well. Not just because of the coach, the situation they are entering has alot to do with it.

Hey, welcome to the board Racer!

Thanks.

[AZGrizFan]

Montana.

/thread

Typical Griz arrogance...

You need some sensitivity training.

[SuperHornet]

Not really familiar with the other situations, but my top 3:

1. Nigel Burton -- Straight-up homer pick for my old teammate.

2. Chris Hatcher -- Great coaching history.

3. Robin Pflugrad -- Nice continuity pick, and a guy who should have been an HC ages ago.

SuperHornet's top guy waiting in the wings:

Mike Canales, new OC at North Texas, the best offensive mind in football.

[tampajag]

I won't rank him anywhere just yet, but Stump Mitchell has alredy done a great job of changing the mindset of the team and fans at Southern. Only time will tell how he does.

[SuperHornet]

I won't rank him anywhere just yet, but Stump Mitchell has alredy done a great job of changing the mindset of the team and fans at Southern. Only time will tell how he does.

Speaking of the Bayou Classic, what the cr@p happened with Richardson, and why is Doug no longer @ Grambling?

[tampajag]

I won't rank him anywhere just yet, but Stump Mitchell has alredy done a great job of changing the mindset of the team and fans at Southern. Only time will tell how he does.

Speaking of the Bayou Classic, what the cr@p happened with Richardson, and why is Doug no longer @ Grambling?

Long stories short @ Southern the program took a downturn a few years ago with bad recruiting classes and lack of discipline. @ Grambling Doug left for the position he currently holds with the Tampa Bay Bucs. I don't really think he was going to be a Grambling longterm.

[SuperHornet]

Thanks, jag. I'm really disappointed in Doug. EVERY football HC job should be entered as if it were one's last job with the intent to stay until retirement. ESPECIALLY when following someone who was there for pretty much forever.

[CatMom]

2. Charlie Stubbs - A guy that made a good turnaround at an NAIA program. Sounds like a great fit for a struggling PFL team, with no disrespect intended for the PFL.

Um isnt Nicholls State part of the Southland Conference not the PFL?

umm.....yes!

If you're speaking about turning a program around, as opposed to continuity, I'm looking at Nicholls and SAM. SAM has consistently had good players but coaching has sucked of late. I think they will surprise. Nicholls has been going in a better direction and a new coach, with their current crop of talent, could also tighten the SLC more than last year.
Course, there could also be a settling in period for both coaches and I could turn out to be full of shit about this

[JMUpurplehazed]

20+ years ago James Madison interviewed but did not offer a coach named Frank Beamer...that could be one of the worst ever FCS non-hires

[Silenoz]

20+ years ago James Madison interviewed but did not offer a coach named Frank Beamer...that could be one of the worst ever FCS non-hires

We turned down Mike Holmgren

[canyoncat]

20+ years ago James Madison interviewed but did not offer a coach named Frank Beamer...that could be one of the worst ever FCS non-hires

We turned down Mike Holmgren

MSU: Fired Sonny Lubick and turned down Joe Tiller and instead hired Earl the Pearl Solemenson (sp)

[bpcats]

I don't know about the coaches outside of Big Sky but I think that both Portland State and Montana made some good hires.

Burton at Portland State seems to be a very good recruiter out of the gate and I expect the Vikings to be more physical on offense as they get away from their wide open attack.

Pflugrad - High energy guy that did a great job of hiring some really good assistants. I think their dline coach was on Portland State's staff, then Webers, then Montana's. Former Griz and NFL Lineman Scot Gregg will be helping coach oline, and probably the best hire is Breske for defensive coordinator who brings a blitz happy philosophy to the Griz that won them their last national championship. Griz program is a machine and should be easy to maintain.

Pflugrad has already added to the Cat-Griz rivalry during recruiting and pro days.

[grizband]

This thread will be fun to revisit in January...but I am excited about Montana's new coach.

[Stubbins]

Hard to say right now...if every coach worked out, no one would ever be fired! That being said...I think in 3 years, the people who thought some Montana fans were crazy for being happy Bobby moved on, are going to find out why. Pflu is going to be a very, very successful coach. Great mind, great program, and very, very good staff, which may be the most important.