Message Replied To ==========
One of the best poasts I've read in a while. I think the mindset TPTB
are shaping is working. I was Anti-Petrino but I'm having to warm up to it.
After putting some pieces together, Phillip's nice piece is really just the tip of the iceberg. The program is a mess--from attitudes to decision-making, both on and off the field. It is going to take more than one person to course correct, but that HC will be heavily influential in the direction the program takes. Moreover, the stakes of the SEC West make it sink or swim, and if you continue to sink, we could easily become Ole Miss and quickly.
We make decisions based not only the facts and context, but also on the alternatives. It's this latter part that I'm struggling with as it really highlights a serious dilemma.
Who is actually capable of delivering a winner on the field (in the next few years) while reshaping the entire culture of the program? I am on the fence about Petrino, because of obvious "baggage" reasons. With Petrino, the question is much different than others--as I am confident he could rebuild the program quite quickly and establish a new culture. The Q is whether he will leave it in shambles once his ego reinflates or will he do things that reflect poorly on our institution? But I keep coming back to the same place--what are the alternatives? It seems that there is a shrinking list of coaches who have the capacity now to handle this, given the depth of the troubles. IMO, Malzahn and Smart have to be eliminated from the start. They have no experience and this requires not only experience but someone with confidence/know how to change the culture. The risk is high as it could lead to not achieving on the field AND not changing the culture. If there was a solid foundation in place, either might be very good choices, but there isn't. O'Brien has done a nice job but there were no expectations this year, and quite honestly, the PSU football team wasn't the problem. Patterson and Peterson have never dealt with issues like this in a league where you HAVE to win and dealt with this level of dysfunction. Not convinced either of their "systems" translate well into the SEC either. Like Malzahn and Smart, Strong, Fedora and Franklin all have potential, but you are going to have to give them a few years to "learn" how to handle this, and the risk of losing ground recruiting (the backbone of a college program) is very high, which then prolongs the recovery. As BVG shows coming from the NFL is no guarantee, and it's clear there is a significant learning curve. Jimbo Fisher seems to have some of the intangibles and tangibles. But would Jimbo want to come here--at THIS time? It's this latter part that seems problematic. This may be his dream job, but under these circumstances, he would be putting his career on the line for it. And if he's having trouble dealing with donors/boosters at FSU, he will at AU. Moreover, I am a bit skeptical of Jimbo, to be honest, just because he will lose Stoops, and I wonder what his team will/would look like without him. Can he bring in other coordinators that can continue the momentum? That's easier said than done.
I'm not saying this leaves us with Petrino; however, it is clear that the alternatives are rather shallow to meet our current circumstances. And there is significant risk either direction--split fanbase and potentially unscrupulous HC vs. some who would have to learn on the job how to rebuild a championship caliber program.
I think we have to understand first the tenuous place the program is currently in, and second, that there is going to be a significant risk with whomever the next HC is. The Q may be quite simple, after all is said and done, are we willing to take on Petrino's baggage to rebuild quickly or are we willing to take on someone without the baggage that may take longer to resurrect the program and culture (esp if they can't recruit to a high level in the short run)?
Given the Saban factor and the high stakes of the SEC West (esp now with A&M), I expect that this is why we could see strong-minded, high-integrity guys like Bo and Pat give Petrino a hard look. Because the more you look at the alternatives, the more it shrinks Petrino's baggage (relative to what he could do with the program). But if you go with Petrino, you bring on that baggage and that's a heavy burden to start with because now you are talking about changing not only the program culture, but the mindset of a fanbase.
==============================
and prepared also not to watch football while he is. If he comes to AU and wins 30 straight games w/o a loss it will still be a blight on our name and a dishonorable decision. It will mean we are not the school I remember. It will mean that we are in the hands of the sort of people who privately smile and approve of that type of person and that type of behavior.
So on the questions of:
Should the public face of Auburn university be someone who: lies to the police. lies to his employer. Lies to his family. Hires an engaged young woman for a made up job so that she can be his trollop.
Put me down for a NO.
