ksimpsc
Pretty much a regular
Here are some notes from intel gathered today...
-I don’t think there’s an official frontrunner for the position and there won’t be for a while as USC is gathering information, forming a search consultation committee, reaching out to a search committee (expected to be Eastman & Beaudine out of the Dallas area), contacting candidates through third parties, etc. That process will take some time. That being said, the process has indeed begun.
-I will say that I agree with the Vegas odds on the position in terms of “best odds right now” and think Kirby Smart is the “early favorite” to land the job. Smart has been eyeing the position for several years now and several significant “behind-the-scenes” players at South Carolina are promoting his candidacy based on the staff he could build, his reputation as a sterling recruiter and his experience in the SEC.
-A contact within the University of Houston football program believes that there’s only a “very slim chance” that Cougars head coach Tom Herman would have interest in the South Carolina job and leave UofH after just one season. The opening at Southern California could be enough to get him to bolt after a year should the Trojans decide he’s their guy, but USC’s rich history (it’s the best job in the Pac-12 and one of the best in the country) and Herman’s ties to the Los Angeles area make it a possibility.
-Three separate contacts raved about Memphis head coach Justin Fuente today. Both were familiar with him during his time at TCU and his current gig. “If (South Carolina) hires Justin Fuente, they will win the SEC Championship” was one of the quotes. The other: “South Carolina needs to hire the best football coach and that guy is one of the best in the country.”A third source within the TCU program... “During his time (here), he was known as the offensive version of Gary Patterson. He is very intense and meticulous. It was well-known he was running the show on offense and there was a big void when he left (of course, TCU ended up adding its current co-offensive coordinators before last season and it trended back up). If he could hit the ground running recruiting, it would be hard to get a much better ball coach. Give him three years and he will likely be rolling.”
Also of note- the same search firm that USC is likely to consult is the one that landed Fuente at Memphis (per USA Today).
-There are reports that former South Carolina assistant and current Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia could be a candidate for the job. Bisaccia has an excellent reputation and ties to the Gamecocks program. He’s not a name I’ve personally heard a whole lot about behind the scenes from USC directly, but he’s a guy to keep an eye on nonetheless.
-A contact on another SEC staff said this today about the South Carolina job... “It’s a goldmine if (the new staff) works it in recruiting.”
-I don’t think there’s an official frontrunner for the position and there won’t be for a while as USC is gathering information, forming a search consultation committee, reaching out to a search committee (expected to be Eastman & Beaudine out of the Dallas area), contacting candidates through third parties, etc. That process will take some time. That being said, the process has indeed begun.
-I will say that I agree with the Vegas odds on the position in terms of “best odds right now” and think Kirby Smart is the “early favorite” to land the job. Smart has been eyeing the position for several years now and several significant “behind-the-scenes” players at South Carolina are promoting his candidacy based on the staff he could build, his reputation as a sterling recruiter and his experience in the SEC.
-A contact within the University of Houston football program believes that there’s only a “very slim chance” that Cougars head coach Tom Herman would have interest in the South Carolina job and leave UofH after just one season. The opening at Southern California could be enough to get him to bolt after a year should the Trojans decide he’s their guy, but USC’s rich history (it’s the best job in the Pac-12 and one of the best in the country) and Herman’s ties to the Los Angeles area make it a possibility.
-Three separate contacts raved about Memphis head coach Justin Fuente today. Both were familiar with him during his time at TCU and his current gig. “If (South Carolina) hires Justin Fuente, they will win the SEC Championship” was one of the quotes. The other: “South Carolina needs to hire the best football coach and that guy is one of the best in the country.”A third source within the TCU program... “During his time (here), he was known as the offensive version of Gary Patterson. He is very intense and meticulous. It was well-known he was running the show on offense and there was a big void when he left (of course, TCU ended up adding its current co-offensive coordinators before last season and it trended back up). If he could hit the ground running recruiting, it would be hard to get a much better ball coach. Give him three years and he will likely be rolling.”
Also of note- the same search firm that USC is likely to consult is the one that landed Fuente at Memphis (per USA Today).
-There are reports that former South Carolina assistant and current Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia could be a candidate for the job. Bisaccia has an excellent reputation and ties to the Gamecocks program. He’s not a name I’ve personally heard a whole lot about behind the scenes from USC directly, but he’s a guy to keep an eye on nonetheless.
-A contact on another SEC staff said this today about the South Carolina job... “It’s a goldmine if (the new staff) works it in recruiting.”
