Saturday, December 11, 2010

Destination Viewing Tonight

I've been working on this post for some time, and thinking about it for even longer. I know Vanderbilt fans are euphoric over the potential that Gus Malzahn will become the Commodores next Head Coach, and maybe we should be. A contract for 7 years, approaching $3 million a year for a head coach, is an unquestionable commitment by the university to the football program. Malzahn's talent as offensive mind is well established, but no one seems to be asking the question: is he the right fit for Vanderbilt? That question is asked without agenda or preconception. Frankly, I don't know the answer. That's why I'm asking the question.

While I agree that Vanderbilt's academic standards are neither an excuse nor an explanation for the program's perpetual struggles, to talk about Vanderbilt like its every other school in the SEC is simply wrong. In making a renewed commitment to success on the football field, it's important for Vanderbilt not to lose sight of who and what it is. Perhaps its fitting then that about the same time we can except word to leak out on who our next coach will be, the final installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Documentary Series, Pony Excess, will premiere. Pony Excess tells the story of the Mighty Mustangs, a program that won 3 National Championships in 4 years, who went on to be the only school in NCAA history to receive the "death penalty." I don't know about you, but that's what I'll be watching tonight.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

If gus comes, there is a 4 star qb who commited to auburn who stated he commmited becuase of gus. could he be here next year?

DIMON KENDRICK-HOLMES said...

We explore that question over at Moral Victory!

http://moral-victory.blogspot.com/2010/12/would-kiehl-frazier-follow-gus-malzahn.html

Stanimal said...

Who says that Malzahn is going to bend the rules if he's hired? I know that we're very concerned about our academic standing and taking the high road, but I also don't think that hiring him necessarily equates to abandoning that stance.

I've come to the conclusion that this is the right guy. He flat out knows offense, can pull in some solid assistants, and perhaps more importantly, can give us a nice recruiting boost simply by virtue of saying that he turned Cam Newton into a heisman winner. Its the right move if Vandy wants to be serious about football, and I don't think we should balk at that because of something where we have no indication or evidence that it will happen.

DIMON KENDRICK-HOLMES said...

I agree with you, Stanimal, and I think Malzahn is a high character guy in addition to being a great coach.

Anonymous said...

I'm getting worried. I would be EXTREMELY excited if Malzahn came to Vandy, but it still doesn't seem like that strong of a possibility. Will the fan base's growing (potential) excitement cause a huge let-down if Malzahn says no? A letdown that might take away any potential excitement or momentum from our eventual hire, even if he is a good candidate?

Bobby O'Shea said...

Ordinarily, I'd say that no news is bad news. The longer someone has to think about whether to take a 7-year, $3 million dollar a year contract, the more they are trying to come up with reasons NOT to take a job. However, the fact that Malzahn's QB appears poised to claim the Heisman Trophy means Commodore fans probably shouldn't read too much into the silence.

I do think that if we don't hear something soon after the award is announced, it begins to look more and more like he'll pass.

Your other question about a "let down," is certainly a far one. Franklin knows he isn't Vanderbilt's first choice and fans will certainly be let down if the program has to go with their back-up plan. However, I think there is an argument to be made that whomever the Commodore coach ends up being, Vanderbilt fans can be confident the administration is committed to building a winning program.

Seamus O'Toole said...

Agree with Stanimal on this one. His point that we have little basis to think that Malzahn bends the rules is amplified by the fact that Auburn appears to be making it through one of the most intense episodes of media, NCAA, and FBI scrutiny without a trace of wrongdoing. But to the extent there are concerns about academic standards and so forth, I'm not sure how Franklin is necessarily a better fit for Vanderbilt. I think the academic thing was one of the plus-factors people were focusing on with Randy Shannon and Greg Roman and the service academy guys, but I haven't heard it said as much in relation to either of the top two. Regardless of that, based on what I have read and heard about both of these guys, seems like they would both be excellent choices.