Wacky Week In The Coaching Search

[Jeremy]

Wacky Week In The Coaching Search
CycloneFanatic.com
Jeremy Lind

I think it's safe to say that the past week has been the craziest and wackiest week any of us have ever seen in a search for a new Head Coach. where are we and what do we know? Here is the latest analysis...

Only one thing is known right now and that's that nothing is known, not by ANYBODY in the media, period. While we all have sources pointing us in certain directions, nothing is truly known, NOTHING. The Des Moines Register, KCCI, The SprtingNews, ESPN, the other websites and myself are all digging for clues but we are all coming up empty time and time again. I'll probably be the only one to admit it but that's the honest truth.

The only thing that is clear amongst almost all sources is that ISU has some additional meetings with at least one candidate this weekend. What will be talked about in those meetings? We can only guess at this point but it's clear ISU has singled in on a candidate or two that they feel would bring all the necessarily attributes to Ames that they deem necessary to succeed. Rumors and speculation point to Brian Kelly being the main target but that raises even more questions than it answers.

If ISU really has singled in on Kelly, why would there still be a ton of rumors speculating that Kelly may take the MSU job? That uncertainty doesn't make sense when you remember that ISU notified the previous group of high-profile candidates that they are no longer possibilities. One would assume ISU has their guy figured out if they went to such lengths to tell some that they aren't under further consideration. So where does that leave us?

Well, it leaves us where we probably should be, in the dark. Jamie Pollard, regardless of your opinion of him, is a very smart and quiet person that understands the politics of College Athletics probably better than anybody. There isn't any higher profile duty of an AD than replacing a Head Coach of a major program. Pollard understands that and knows that this is his one chance to have a huge impact on the actual level of success that the football program achieves going forward. AD's can do a lot but rarely can they actually influence the level of success a program achieves, this is one of those rarities they love and hate. This is what AD's are immortalized by, for good or bad.

I for one trust Pollard's choice but I understand a lot is at stake. Here's to more rumors and speculation over the next week...

[GM4ISU]

Jeremy you are a hard worker thank you hope we know soon

[Psyclone Brian]

As always Jeremy, thanx 4 all your time & leg-work.

[CycloneSA1911]

Jeremy-

Great post, well written. Thank you!

[letsgostate]

Thanks Jeremy...this is a VERY tough one for Jamie Pollard. Normally, when a coach is fired a program has bottomed out and EVERYONE is behind getting someone new. That gives the AD and new coach some badly needed breathing room to get to a winning season. That is not the case at Iowa State. As we've all seen by polls on this site (which is made up of diehard ISU fans) there is a definate split on whether McCarney should have been let go. That makes the search that much more difficult. If a new coach is a "big time" choice, or of star quality, the fans will give that person more time to build a program. However, if the new coach is perceived to be at most equal or lower in stature than McCarney AND HAS TWO YEARS OF SUB 500 records, both the coach and AD will be on the hot seat. Mac fans will say I told you so, and others will remember the "good old days under Mac." So this is not an easy position to be in for Jamie Pollard. I work in the Public Relations field, and I can tell you, this can be very positive or very difficult depending on the choice and their record. I don't agree with the adage Perception is reality, but in the coaching field, many times it is. Fan perception of this choice is very important for Iowa State.

[SlyCy]

I think we're going to have a get Jeremy a padded cell for when this is all over......I might need one too. Hang in there Jeremy!!

[ISUFan22]

End the mayhem...hire Bill Parcells!

[loboclone]

The "Tuna" LOL LOL-I need more rumors,my source said, names of coaches like the Tuna and Ditka!. I need more insanity, like where is the ISU plane????? crap from the MSU fan site and OH my.........I'm going back to the van down by the river................

[Wesley]

Hope we did not tell him we would pay $1.75m First Year without a lot of performance clauses.

[thunderdave]

Originally Posted by Wesley

Hope we did not tell him we would pay $1.75m First Year without a lot of performance clauses.

Totally agree, we need to see some results in Ames before we throw the whole checkbook at him.