Home Athletics Where do we go from here?

Where do we go from here?

530

Yesterday, I attended my first game at Reser since Oregon State/Stanford of the 2015 season. Not much has changed in those 2 years. The “Fall 2016” banner remains on top of the Valley Football Center. The stands were about half full/empty. The chainsaw/cow sound effect showed up every 3rd down. The sideline for the visiting team continues to stand in the shade while the home team stands in the direct sunlight all game long.

Despite all of those things, I actually had a good time at the game. It was also both of my kid’s first games, and they had fun as well(they were more attracted to oregon and the duck before yesterday, but now they love Benny) OSU was competitive and the crowd, despite being small, was actually pretty loud at times and remained engaged throughout the game. It helped me realize that we’re really not that far from making a trip to Reser an attractive way for people to spend their Saturday. Imagining the enthusiasm that I saw yesterday, in a stadium that is actually more than 75% full seemed like a realistic expectation if the team can remain competitive in their next few games.

So what happens next? Does Cory Hall have what it takes to keep the team engaged and competitive against Stanford/Cal/Arizona/Asu/Oregon? Or, was this his best shot at capturing lightning in a bottle after the team was ditched by Coach Andersen?
If Cory Hall is successful, do the Beavs give him another year (or more) or do they then hire a new coach and return us to the land of perpetual “rebuilding”? Rebuilding to me just feels more like an excuse to live in state of low expectations. We’ve been there for long enough. I can only hope that we can harness the energy of yesterday finally build a little momentum around the football program. Otherwise, I’m afraid we’re stuck in groundhog day and we’re going to be looking forward to “Fall 2016” for another year. Go Beavs?

530 COMMENTS

  1. The team will stay engaged, and play better than before Colorado…

    Hall is not likely the long term answer. Perhaps DC could be a reward to retain him and provide continuity for existing commits/recruits. Isn’t he effective at recruiting?

    Reser needs completion, it looks like something somebody started and walked away from more than something on its way towards a cohesive, architectual vision. but I can’t see the economic argument for it.

    The banner, the game day stuff, all of that is going to require new hires at OSU. This AD staff just can’t put it together, or even realize they can’t.

      • I typically sit on the new side, with a view of the old grandstands. Yesterday, I sat on the old side down close to the field, looking up at the newer side. Much different perspective. The newer side still looks great, in my opinion. In addition, the sound system is much clearer from across the field.
        Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going to see the old side rebuilt in my lifetime, so your comment makes sense. We just quit halfway through the project

        • The new side is fine, but the old side, the odd gap in the corner where the two don’t meet…the differing slopes of the new and old sides…the concrete bunker that is the terrace….I think a horseshoe with a new side without as many of the new side’s amenities might be cost effective and at least make it look more cohesive.

          Most important is the on-field game play. However, I think it will take even more than well-played, consistently competitive football to make the economic argument for updating the rest of it.

          I keep trying to think of ways to multi-purpose it and make a better case for upgrade. Is the current (and future?) growth of soccer something that might help? I don’t see much emphasis in OSU’s soccer teams or much effort in featuring them. Is there an opportunity for some kind of league tournaments to start developing a complimentary soccer culture there?

        • The economics of a Reser expansion are just not feasible in my opinion. I bet costs are double what they were back in Raising Reser days. All the money has to come from donations – not likely to get taxpayer dollars.

          If it has to happen, OSU needs to think about a 2 or 3-stage expansion. And bigger isn’t necessarily better. It would be better to have a 45,000 seat stadium that is 90% full or more, than a 55,000 stadium that has large empty sections.

          One thing that Reser has that is nice, but unnecessary are the stadium seats in the upper deck. Bleachers would’ve been better there.

          Fortunately on TV, cameras get the “good side” of the stadium.

  2. How would Seth Collins work as a CB? Rangy, fast, aggressive… He’d have a prototypical NFL type body if he could play that position. Most likely he’d get flagged on every play. Still an interesting thought, though.

  3. I think we can be competitive the rest of the way. Our D is currently set up to at least be competitive against Stanford’s run game, and the other teams all seem beatable. The remaining defenses are weak enough for us to put up some points if we play the way we did last night.

    • “Our D is currently set up to at least be competitive against Stanford’s run game”

      Philip Lindsay rushed for 185 yards yesterday and averaged 6.6 yards per carry. Oregon St currently ranks 111th out of 130 FBS teams in rushing defense. That isn’t competitive and it’s downright embarrassing. I don’t know what team you’ve been watching but statistics do not back up your opinion.

      Stanford will run through, around and over the Beaver defense.

      • but with a Thursday night audience – not sure who’s broadcasting….but it will make some wish for that traditional, Beaver, Saturday afternoon anonymity….

        • Something about ifs and buts, candy and nuts……………

          4.1 YPC is pedestrian? That’s averaging a first down every 3 carries. Ridiculous assessment. But if you are happy with what you’ve seen on the defensive side of the ball this year, eat it up.

          This defense is garbage. Against the run and pass. Statistics back up that claim.

          • Yes, 4.1 YPC is pedestrian. It’s average for a defense and below average for an individual RB.

            I’m not saying our front 7 are world beaters, but they’re good enough to keep us in a game.

          • And having a 4.1 YPC average doesn’t mean every carry goes for 4.1 yards. There are plenty of 3 and outs in a data set like that.

          • OMFG! Are you seriously going to defend 4.1 YPC? Ok, I’ll bite on your stupid analogy. Let’s just say that OSU gives up 3 yards per carry on first and second down runs. That leaves 3rd and 4. Do you have any idea how the Beavs are statistically against 3rd down conversions? I’ll just leave you the link to find it on your own since you refuse to believe FACTS.

            http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/701/p3.

            This defense is garbage. In 3 attempts you still have ZERO valid argument. Not even a good effort. Keep trying though. This is fun.

          • 4.1 YPC would be good enough for 63rd in FBS, almost exactly the median. I’m not sure how you can interpret that as anything other than average or mediocre.

  4. If Cory Hall is successful, do the Beavs give him another year (or more) or do they then hire a new coach and return us to the land of perpetual “rebuilding”?

    1. No
    2. Yes

    Send this entire staff packing and hit the reset button.

    • It’s best for everyone to clear the board. Players need new coaches to work with. Coaches have shown themselves to be subpar. They weren’t in the same page recruiting.

      I’d be real hesitant to hire alumni as the head coach too. Rarely does that work out.

      • If we want to throw away this entire recruiting class then definitely clean house. I’d prefer to keep anybody who can recruit worth a shit though, which seems to include Cory Hall.

        But if the hire is Beau Baldwin, it may not matter, he was recruiting Spencer Petras, which is the only guy I think I really like in this class.

    • It’s hard to say at this point. If the team has really made a turnaround and continues to improve in every phase until the end of the year it would be hard to just shit can the whole thing and start over.

      I suppose it would depend on who they get real bites from in the interim. If a legit, proven P5 winner looks to be a realistic get, then they almost have to jump on it.

      I think the tie breaker will come down to recruiting. If recruiting takes a sudden uptick and Hall turns out to be a closer then that adds another dimension to the decision. Young. Black. NFL roots. Enthusiastic. He has a lot of the qualities that some have been wanting.

      One way to find out I suppose.

      • We still have half of a season to make the call, but there’s a decent chance that GA was the problem all along. He could have been a massive dildo to the players and the coaches to the point of them feeling like any decision they make will be wrong, which will always lead to detachment and apathy.

        Our sample size is miniscule. But we saw the end of last year. We saw this year’s disjointed shit show. We saw last weekend’s 180° offensive turn around. That tells me that there are coaches on this staff that knew exactly what the game plan should be but either weren’t being listened to or were so beat down by their boss that they no longer gave a fuck.

        I guess we’ll see.

    • If the beavers play like they did yesterday the rest of the way, and I’m ad, I’m keeping Hall. At a minimum he’d be the dc, with a big pay raise, and say, beau baldwin head coach.

      I personally would really like to keep Telly Lockett on board as well. Maybe beau Baldwin as head coach, coach hall as D.C.,and hire Brent Brennan to be oc with Telly staying at running backs coach. And I would hire the absolute best oline coach in the country

  5. I think this is the week Barnes has more than a 10 minute conversation with Beau. What kind of commitment will Beau want from the administration as far as the true dedication and support they will provide to field a winning team that consistently wins 7-8 games every year and occasionally can get 9+?

    Beau would get immediately that 1 million for the locker room frozen on Gary, but how much more?
    Best for the program if all the existing coaches go with the lone exception of Cory Hall who is a good recruiter, motivator and should be able to help Beau settle in and help the program in its reset next year.

  6. The sideline for the visiting team continues to stand in the shade while the home team stands in the direct sunlight all game long.

    What’s the logic of this?

    • Maybe because they wanted the student section behind the players? Hasn’t that how its always been? Otherwise the Beavers stand in front of the septuagenarians?

      I agree, put the opposing team in the heat. This silly set up was pointed out years ago…Beavs, in the sun….sometimes in all black…

      Put the home team where it can always hear and enjoy the shade when necessary, and put the opposing team in front of the student section.

    • More cood days than warm during the season. More often then not we play later games. Beavers side gets the sun longer, hence it is warmer, opposite side gets cold faster. After sweating then standing around I would rather be warmer than cold. But the students may be a factor also, that’s always been the student section sense at least the 60s. Would be bad news to seat students behind the opposing team.

    • When Erickson was in on the stadium designs he wanted the student section behind the players to help pump them up. There was a press conference all those years ago when he said this, though I’m sure it would be hard to find via youtube now.

    • If the Beavs switched sidelines they student section would have to move. It’s a rule, maybe a Pac 12 one, that you cannot have the student section behind the away team.

  7. The nice thing is, Hall has enough time, against decent level competition, to do some proving. It wouldn’t be fools gold like the UA and UO wins last season. A young, enthusiastic black coach who can fire up the Twitter machine once a week or so is not a bad idea. The question would be coordinators. Also, would the administrators just figure it is an easy enough decision, and then not bother to invest in facilities.

    I like Beau Baldwin a lot more now than when Riley left. I know a lot of people don’t like Nemec, but he made a good case for Baldwin, that he brings an exciting offensive identity that could attract recruits. Also, seems like he could negotiate some demands on facility upgrades before taking the job.

    • If you really want a former FCS coach whose O on this level actually works, at least go for Joe Moorhead.

      Or if you want the person responsible for EWU’s O, go for Aaron Best.

  8. I think that if Gary would have left right after the Minnesota game, and Coach Hall gets put in place, we still get our butts kicked by Washington, Washington State, and USC… And then even if we play a not very good Colorado down to the wire I don’t really see the same coach Hall enthusiasm at this point.

      • Someone taught it to him. You can’t ignore that he did not have that accuracy at one time.

        You can argue that the two passes shown are a poor indication of accuracy. On the first he just lofts it, and a WR just jogs underneath it. Accuracy was not displayed other than he doesn’t overthrow people. His sideline accuracy has improved. While he throws it as far as can, he’s not throwing it a yard out of bounds or a yard to the post.

        Don’t remove those throws from his total, because they are a part of the whole. But do remove them to imagine what his remaining 21 passes tell you about accuracy and risk.

        Also, he was a terrible 3rd quarter QB here. Has he increased his second half efficiency?

        • He has learned to minimize second half mistakes. So i’m assuming there is at least a bump in efficiency from not making mistakes. But has he become a QB who can finally adjust at halftime?

    • I’ll only say this: in those clips McMaryon look faster, more elusive, and has a better arm (both strength and accuracy) than Garretson. Which suggests that the perhaps the bigger mistake Andersen et al made was not in starting Luton over McMaryon this year, but starting Garretson over McMaryon LAST year.

      • It was noted at the time and since (i.e. that GA started the wrong QB three years in a row). Apparently 4 if you trust Wisconsin fans’ take.

      • Conspiracy theory I thought of the other night trying to make sense of this Andersen Debacle:

        What if he was sitting back watching the days highlights after getting his ass handed to him during a winnable USC game, and across comes Iowa State upsetting Oklahoma. The 2nd QB he ran out of town, Kyle Kempf leads the Cyclones to victory.

        Reflecting on LRD being good enough to play for Florida, McM tearing it up for Fresno, and now Kempf beating OK he realized he completely shot himself in the foot and ran off 3 QB’s better then anything he has on the roster. Then he think about how badly he botched his coordinator hires, and realizes he’s made so many wrong turns since getting to Corvallis he no longer deserves to be here. Calls his boss Sunday and says the team would be better off without him.

        • LDR isn’t really good enough to play for Florida. He would never play if they had any real QBs… or if their not good QBs didn’t get hurt.

          The same was true of Kempt on the team he’s on now. He was 3rd string to start the year. He would have been 2nd string if their top QB was healthy. But he’s doing well as a game manager. I tend to believe ISU is platooning the QBs well, and that makes a difference. We’ll see how they do in two weeks.

          And MM hasn’t really done anything of note against any decent competition. He would probably be playing for us if he was committed to the team. But he’s not, and he isn’t.

          The coordinators are a mess, but I think Clune is possibly hamstrung by youth and depth issues. Clune leading this D next year shows huge improvement, imo. But it’s not a him thing. It’s just a learning curve. I’m also not going to blame Hall for the same things in his position group.

          • I also feel Clune is fine. He isn’t a game changer, but he isn’t the problem. However, if you aren’t a game changing DC in college then you better be a hell of a recruiter, which he doesn’t appear to be.

            Manase will be missed as will Failgua. Aside from those 2 departing this D has the potential to be extremely salty next year.

            OL, RB’s, Receivers, we have them all. Really the only positions of need are QB and OC.

            Team is so close in a lot of areas, and with so much experience in youth. If the new head honcho can get decent to good QB play, it’ll be a solid ball club.

          • QB doesn’t even have to be the playmaker if the O is competent and the D works. Utah has been getting by on this formula for a decade now.

            Interesting development in Nebby. Many think if MR can get to 7 wins, he stays for another year due to money. They apparently don’t think Moos will make that decision, can him and damn the follow-up.

            But there are a couple names floating around that fans might want other than Frost. I guess many in their fan base are wary of his O and experience working in their parochial world.

            One I see was floated by someone who said they didn’t want someone with an OSU mentality. That name was Mendenhall. I chuckled at the ignorance. Someone later pointed out that Bronco coached under MR for a while. That also got a chuckle.

            The more serious name many of them throw out is Whittingham.

          • So coach Hall seems to have the proper identity in mind for this team. He knows who his players are, and has demanded his coordinators play to the teams strengths. Same shit we’ve been asking for the last 2 years.

            He’s energetic, passionate, and the players love him. Good recruiter. Good person with a great smile, who looks like he can sell the program (7 on 7 coaches tweeting support.)

            If he could get a couple of good coordinators in place, who’s to say he can’t be the one to steer this ship. Do we over state the value of the CEO of these football programs? Isn’t it really the coordinators and position coaches that make these teams work?

            If Hall has the right vision, I say give him the keys for a year and see what he can do. If he can generate the excitement, hold onto Petras and add a couple of recruits I’d be happy rolling the dice.

            I’m sure this isn’t going to be a popular opinion as everyone, but to me football isn’t rocket science like everyone seems to try to make it. Instincts can’t really be taught and are probably as important as anything. I think GAs flaw was questionable instincts, but coach Hall just might have some.

      • Imagine if Marcus was put at QB freshman year and Seth was realized for his WR talent… That’s one thing i think is underrated on this team. When healthy, Seth seems like he has potential to be a >average wide out in the pac-12.

    • it’s funny reading Riley’s comments. The sense of relief he evinces is palpable in the text I saw. The problem is, he thinks Moos is an old buddy, but Moos is the most critical thinking AD in college sports and isn’t the second coming of Bob DeCarolis that Riley thinks he is.

      • Moos isn’t a critical thinker. He’s a big picture guy. The complaints about the debt he mounted at Wazzu go beyond just amassing it. His original plan to go wide and shallow for sustainable giving fell flat because he is so poor at critically managing logistics.

        • As Angry himself once noted, you can never have the last word in a conversation with Jack, but I’ll offer these few items to document Moos’ thinking ability: (1) he told Mike Bellotti his offense was stale and he needed to get someone in to help (read: Chip Kelly); (2) at WSU the football team was dead in the water and he determined that if you’re going to compete in the Pac -12 you have be bold in your hiring decisions (read: Mike Leach). (3) and perhaps most importantly, anyone who is willing to stand up to Phil Knight’s meddling is at least an honorable person if not a smart one.

  9. Angry, despite your hatred against it the chainsaw is going to stay. It’s been going on for 20+ years now. It’s as ingrained as keys, foghorns and cowbells.

    • angry’s over there.

      And it hasn’t been consistent for 20 years. It has been implemented poorly. It led to a bunch of meth-hillbillies cranking it. It has nothing to do with a Beaver. It spawned foam chainsaws that looked like people were giving you the bird.

      But it does have to do with a part of our economy that was once larger before automation and off-shoring pummeled it.

      • the biggest problem with the chainsaw is the injudicious use of the sound track. Anyone with a sense for the game would know when it’s appropriate, and when it’s not. An example of the latter: Beavs down by 4 scores and the opponent is at 3rd and 2 near mid-field.

          • I’ve been around chainsaws all my life and the sound track doesn’t bother me at all

            Now using it at the wrong times, yea I get that.

        • That situation is when you use the two-man crosscut saw sound effect…

          Maybe in those situations its not the chainsaw sound effect you hear, but an OSU lawn maintenance guy using a weed whacker outside the stadium…that’s another problem with it…the opposing team: “Oh no. Not the chainsaw/weedwhacker/leaf blower. Are we going to be asked to do chores?”

          Love the observation that it sounds like a cow in labor/pain…goddamned OSU can’t get out of its own way….

        • Yes… late in the 4th quarter when there’s nobody in the stands… and the TV audience starts to wonder why OSU allows the cleaning crew to start work when a game is still going.

        • AND how about letting it idle? Giver ‘er a few revs now and again to encourage the crowd instead of just walking over any potential crowd noise with the long, drawn out cow bawl?

    • Just because its been around a long time doesn’t mean its not ridiculous.

      It sounds like something a high school team would have done in the 80’s. It needs to go. Frankly, its embarrassing.

    • “It was about establishing the run, getting back to the basics of who we were and how we left off last season,” Hall said.”The way the offense performed and ran the ball — it’s who we are. It’s our identity.”

      What is this madness????

    • Hall, the happy warrior?

      “We want to win the day, but we also want to enjoy the day,” he said. “I want this to be fun for our coaches and our players. That’s my approach. I wake up every day and I’m thankful I have another day to do a job that a lot of people would love to do. I’m going to make the most of it, and I want everyone around me to feel that way, too.”

    • “Justin Gardner, a 6-2, 155-pound freshman who is redshirting, “reminds people around here of (ex-OSU All-American) Dennis Weathersby,” Hall said. “The kid is long and fast and his hips are fluid. He’s very smooth.””

      What the what?!? 155 lbs?!? Wow. Hope that’s a typo. If not, he’ll get to enjoy the training table a lot…

      I wonder if Hall could make it as DC. He is complimentary of both McLovin and Fred Flintstone, but it’s not difficult to imagine those guys looking for work after the season and a new HC.

      • According to the official roster, he’s 156.

        Plenty of kids have a growth spurt late in HS. I’d be concerned if he’s still under 170 in a year. He’s redshirting this year, so who cares?

        At least he has a real major.

        • Yeah, I’m not being down on him. Just amazed at his weight at that height…he’ll put on the weight no problem. And get to enjoy it too.

    • I’d be curious to see what Moran can do.

      Honestly if you are building a team using the offense we say yesterday (which is what I’d like to see even with a new coach) you don’t need a super accurate passer, just one that can throw a good deep ball and find open receivers.

    • Doesn’t Blount realize this year is his best chance to see the field as a QB. Unless he’s working on changing his throwing motion to speed up his release, I don’t see how he will be in the plans of the next coach.

      • If he’s not in the plans of the next coach, he can go somewhere else like D2 and get a ship. If he plays it right, he could be granted a medical hardship for last season and have another three or so years to get a degree on someone else’s dime.

  10. So there’s been an older guy that sits ahead of me for the past 15 years. He’s been coming to games for at least 15 more than that. When the 4th quarter started on Saturday we both pointed out the team jumping around, dancing and getting pumped up. We haven’t seen that since the Erickson days. It was great to see that happening again and I’d hope even if we change head coaches, Hall will stay on in some leadership capacity to keep that going

  11. What did you guys think of Joe Maddon of the Cubs last night?

    Thought going to Davis was such an obvious move there, and he didn’t do it because he likes to tinker and make unorthodox moves so he looks like a genius (if they work). When they don’t, he gets exposed as the average nerdy tinkerer that he is.

    It’s funny how people view authority. When people say the manager, coach, Riley, GA, doctor, lawyer, policeman, et al all know best simply because they’ve made it into a prestigious job. No.

    Maddon is now up there with Buck Showalter and Grady Little for worst pitching calls of all time.

    • Horrible decision. If you’re going to lose, at least lose with your best reliever. I’m happy though as I’m rooting for a LA/HOU WS.

    • While probably not the best decision to bring in Lackey since he pitched the previous night, if you weren’t paying attention the Cubs burned thru their bullpen in games 4 and 5 of the NLDS. Then had to turn around and make a cross country flight and play less than 48 hours later. Go look at the number of pitches thrown by those guys last week. Cubs started the LCS already behind the 8-ball while the Dodgers were resting comfortably and setting up their rotation.

      This isn’t like the regular season where you can call someone up to make a spot start or change up your bullpen.

      Lastly, no starting pitcher has lasted longer than 5 innings against the Dodgers in the post season. If you watch them, they are being patient at the plate and driving up their opponents starters pitch count to get into their bullpen. It really hasn’t mattered who Maddon has rolled out there this post season. The Cubs bullpen is a mess and is a big reason why they won’t repeat.

      • As long as Riley or jax don’t become coaches. Don’t need jax calling 19 year old kids “pussies” for not wanting to play for a loon… a loon like jax.. jax???? Hey pussy, are you GA??

        • Pussies for quitting because they have entitlement issues.

          You sound like you’ve taken your participation trophy and run home to mommy a couple times in your life.

        • Look, little bubba.

          I come from a world where at 19, let alone 21, if you complain when you felt entitled, you got to clean toilets for a month. You didn’t get to run away. You didn’t get to give up on your team. You were lucky your superiors did that and didn’t dock your pay because you were just a dour little pissant complaining about doing exactly what you signed up to do.

          So the next time you want to pick one of these boring little dumbass fights with me, remember that I will not budge an inch for the self-entitled sports brats of this world. I’m happy to think of them otherwise, making rational decisions and such. But if you stupids are going to force me to think of them in terms of spoiled children, then I’m going to carry out that thought you began.

    • What has he done in his career besides hiring GA and Matt Wells at USU and Stallings/Narduzzi at Pitt?

      He doesn’t seem to have brought a lot of on field success anywhere. Is he a good fundraiser? Does he know how to nail the equalizer on a chainsaw sample?

  12. Thinking about this GA stuff still…
    He seems to have a decent about of true respect from his coach peers.
    But we now know that he totally shit the bed as a HC / CEO.

    So, Gary Andersen : great coach, shitty leader?
    Is that how we file this one away?

  13. Hunaglu could have made a couple of plays in the 4th quarter also, just sayin’. I seem to recall one where Montez seriously faked him out. Manase plays hard, but I miss the days when the Beavs had LB’s who were actually faster than the opposing QB’s.

  14. Was told by a player today that Evan Simon is on the way out from Oregon State. Someone wants to pay him better. Several coaches are weighing their options since the writings on the wall for when the season ends and a new regime takes control of the team. The players liked Simon, so it will be tough to see him go.

    • It doesn’t seem like his work paid any dividends. The team might have posted better lifting numbers but it didn’t show on the field.

    • I’m not sure it’s a good thing when the players like the strength and conditioning coach. Maybe they need someone more like Taggart’s crazy guy down south with the Devry degree to whip them into shape.

  15. Noticed on Twitter that Beau Baldwin was followed by some OSU admins, players and also follows some of the same including 4 star QB commit Petras. Alot of these follows each way appear to be in the last week. Sure hope Barnes can bring Beau to Oregon State and think this is a good sign that there are multiple follows in both directions.

    • Twitter changed up how they display follows, as far as recent vs less recent. If you’re using the app, it just shows your most common followers first.
      If you use a browser to view followers, then the most recent are towards the top.

      If you go here, you’ll see the actual most recent followers, but no OSU people are anywhere near the top (a few common recruits are in the list, but that would make sense)
      https://mobile.twitter.com/CoachBBaldwin/following
      https://mobile.twitter.com/CoachBBaldwin/followers

    • How would this even work if OSU hired him mid-season? Hall gets demoted and Baldwin comes in? That seems chaotic. If he is option #1, and we wait on him, then he might be be available in December. So, I guess go get him if he’s the pick.

      • It’s moot, because I don’t see any evidence that there’s any connection to Baldwin at this point. Also, that’s not “bendbeaver” who posted that, at least i dont think it’s the same handle.

        But…I think ideally you sacrifice this season if it makes hiring your #1 target ASAP. I just dont think that we’re going to make that transition until after the civil war game

        • I think you are right. Barnes wants to hire a search firm and all that blah blah blah. It will take a while plus I think all the positive media over Hall will give him the rest of the season as an audition.

      • No coach who has a job is going to leave midseason. The standard is to leave after the reg season. There may be an informal agreement before but is only announced after.

        Barnes is first going to vet candidates through the search firm. They’ll send feelers out to coaches handlers. Then pare down the list from there.

        Hopefully venables is the choice.

  16. Talk of Mason Moran at practice as backup QB. That would be an interesting development. Or perhaps it’s an indication of how slim the pickins are right now. Maybe this is part of the Gary Andersen/George Costanza philosophy where we do the quarterback opposite of everything GA wanted to do.

      • The move has to do mostly with redshirt status. They want to maintain Willard’s redshirt and they want Blount to burn his, but it’s been implied Blount doesnt want to waste his since the year is almost over. So, they have Moran, since he has already redshirted.
        Cory Hall mentioned in a recent interview he needs to have a conversation with Blount about the situation.

      • At the OSU spring game 2 years ago, Moran looked great. My dad and I walked away impressed. Then came a bunch of reports about how he was really bad, and he was first buried on the depth chart and then transferred to QB.

        So who knows. Spring ball is a pretty limited test. But in that game, he ran the option very effectively. Was accurate and hit receivers in stride. Seems conceivable that the staff could have been wrong on him.

          • Yeah I’m just trying not to overreact to a small sample size. He was highly recruited at S/WR, not so much at QB.

            So did GA and co. find a hidden gem at QB, and then fail to recognize it when he got here, or did they recruit a poor QB prospect and accurately make that assessment? The latter seems more likely.

          • With GA it would be getting a good QB then deciding to make him a safety. Because if he was a poor QB he would have started from game 1.

  17. Rueck with a ridiculous extension. Through 2027. Honestly I would have given him the Riley clause. For every year he makes the tourney, it adds one more year with higher bonuses for how far they make it.

    • In general, yes, we all need incentives. In this case, I like it. Dude is a legendary coach who loves his location and job. He’s proven himself on a high enough level for long enough to earn that and give me confidence he won’t slack off now that he’s locked up. Doesn’t fit his personality (meticulous, etc, unlike Riley who wasn’t detail oriented). I think this is just to keep other programs away. It’s not like the Riley situation were we wanted other programs to steal him…

  18. JoeBeaver show played an interview of McGiven today. He is a difficult listen and I’m not sure I believe half of what he says.

    He sort of side stepped any notion that the game plan or play calls were any different for CU.
    McGiven said all of the trick plays were in the playbook all along, and they spent too much time trying to get all of the backs carries early in the season.

    I’m still not sure I heard him correct. Or whether he is just blowing smoke and no one challenges it.

    Maybe one of you guys can find it. I think it was early in the first hour today.

  19. 2016 Spring Scrimmage stats:
    http://www.osubeavers.com/news/2016/4/9/210877598.aspx?path=football

    Notes:
    -I went to this game and came away pretty impressed with then-freshman Moran.
    -Comfortable running the option and looked pretty accurate. Hit receivers in stride.
    -He, along with Garretson, “started” the scrimmage over 3M, so…there’s another name for you angry

    In the spring game the week after, Moran and 3M both got pretty limited reps and both looked pretty bad. And mostly it was the Garretson show. We’ve never really seen Moran on the field (as a QB) since. Maybe there’s something there though…

    • I’d like to see what Moran can do. Hopefully he sees some action if the team is in a blow out.

      I don’t see Blount as being anything more than a back up and don’t mind buying his redshirt but would rather see Moran and see if he can play himself into the competition for the 2018 job. I’d like a truly open competition (that hopefully includes Petras).

  20. If Moran enjoys similar success to the QB’s Kevin has forced out, he’s going to come in in relief against Stanford and lead us to victory.

        • Hmm, it might work if he got some young coordinators and groomed one to take over after a few years. Not a lot of old guys around anymore, K-states coach (Snyder?) Seems to make it work.

        • The negative recruiting wouldn’t matter if it was well known that there was a succession plan. Joe Moglia is currently doing that at Coastal Carolina.

          That said, Erickson is no longer a known commodity to this generation of recruits, and he’s not a high energy guy. I don’t think he really brings anything to the table other than experience in managing a program. Even that has surely changed in the last 15 years.

          But I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of keeping on Hall for his energy and continuity of philosophy while bringing in someone experienced that can teach him how to lead an organization this size. Rather than setting ourselves back 2-3 years with another system change, that would allow us to simply build on what we already have.

      • I would hate seeing all the late hit/unnecessary roughness penalties again. Also, last time he was here I worried about a NCAA infraction. He always seemed to play it close.

        • I don’t like cheap shots but this team needs some attitude. I’d be fine with the occasional penalty for getting in an opponents face or cocky celebrations.

          that said, no interest in Erickson as anything more than a consultant (and even that would probably only be if Smith gets the gig).

        • The most loose, feared, dominant defense we have ever seen at OSU. I’ll take penalties to help intimidate opponents. But for now I like the “pain” approach. Make the other team know they played a hard game the next day. Coach Hall for the rest of the season and see how it turns out.

    • Yes. I doubt he’d provide the necessary energy for recruiting.

      Also, I think its a bad practice to take back people who left voluntarily. Just say, “Thanks, but not interested.”

      p.s. he liked the Luton signing. : )

  21. I’ve been to lots of great games at Reser, sitting on either side of the stadium and even up in very top corner seat. It hardly matters if its full or not. The Thursday night USC game with quizz was as good a college atmosphere as you could have.The energy from the opening kickoff buzz never came down the entire first half, a whole stadium at top energy for an entire half. Then you have the students spilling out of the stands 2 minutes early and basically standing with the players as we fight to hold on to the win, just a sea of bodies pulsing with energy. There is no question you can have a great football atmosphere at Reser even with the ability to leave the stadium at halftime and not come back till 8 min gone in the 3rd like about 30% seemed to do. Bankers inability to adjust to the new offenses of the Chip Kelly era really took some steam out of the fan base, that feeling that the opposition merely jog their QB around the edge on 3rd down makes it hard to really get up for the chainsaw. But most home games during the 00s were a thing to be a part of .

    • It’s all public. If you voted in a poll, I think you’ll automatically be notified of the final results tonight.These polls were for 24 hours. I think what you see for results currently will be pretty close to what the final results will be though

  22. Scanned Canzano’s article on “OSU Should Look at Scott Frost.” It’s mostly an overly long argument about the obvious fact that OSU shouldn’t bring back Riley when he’s canned. He specifically mentions Baldwin, J Smith, and Frost as names that should be interviewed. Apparently Frost WAS contacted after Riley left, and said he’d “think about it” when asked if he would be interested in an interview.

    Canzano also is of the view that while OSU’s facilities are improved (weight room, VFC) they are not keeping pace with the conference and we’re about to find out if the job is more attractive than it was a few years ago.

    • That kind of stale thinking is why we have that kind of stale thinking attached to this program.

      I won’t argue about fixing the west side. But I will argue that it needs to be fixed from a revenue and functionality standpoint, not esthetics. Esthetics is a dumb excuse for a game that needs a field and a locker room. But using the facilities is pretty bad. And you know retro-fitting that box over the years just hasn’t been doing things right.

      Someone mentioned a month or so back that a rebuild would take more than an off-season to complete, making it logistically hard if not a non-starter due to projected lost revenues. It made sense because the sub-structure for the east side was built during the previous year.

      Is there some kind of workaround that can be done so that a new bank of boxes (where the real revenue is generated) and roof structure/small second deck can be built?

      Can we do something like span the west side with a cable-staid deck housing all that? Then we could treat the grandstand and excavation/facilities as a separate project. It wouldn’t be a mirror look, but it could match the style and be a similar shape in the end. The tech and amenities in the boxes are what should sell it on the revenue side.

      • Interesting idea in your last paragraph. Is there an example you could link?

        I agree it wouldn’t have to be a mirror of the new side, just related.

          • That’s just for the roof, I believe. But the thought is that they do this for bridges, so having a load like a bank of boxes is doable if not cost prohibitive.

          • I suppose you just tear it all down and rebuild the two pieces simultaneously. But it was my understanding that the prep work necessary for a mirror build needed to be done during warmer months, and the footprint would require removal of that side so that it would only be partially rebuilt once the season began again.

            If the design incorporated suspension of the upper deck structure, that prep work would be in the form of towers on either end of the existing stands.

            It’s just some weird idea that popped into my head while I was watching some show about bridges around the world. It probably costs 10X what a normal build that size would cost.

      • Unfortunately, with all the empty seats the workaround could be to move fans to the end zone and East side while they work on the West side. Or could they play at Providence Park for a season? That could be interesting for Portland area fans.

  23. FWIW, national press! S-I’s “best and worst of mid-season awards:”

    “Biggest Flop: Oregon State

    The Beavers weren’t supposed to win the Pac-12, but they weren’t (SIC) supposed to be this bad, either. Head coach Gary Andersen bailed after an abysmal start that began with a blowout loss at Colorado State, a close win over FCS Portland State four straight losses by no fewer than 28 points.”

    https://www.si.com/college-football/2017/10/18/midseason-awards-best-players-teams-coaches

    Despite the lower expectations for OSU, OSU’s flop apparently not as big a flop as FSU starting out ranked #5 in some pre-season awards, now standing at 2-3 with a #109 YPG offense… ?

    Most pleasant surprise:

    “3. UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton. An unheralded Hawaiian quarterback prospect has blossomed into a star under the direction of Knights coach Scott Frost. Sound familiar? Frost was a Chip Kelly assistant for the Marcus Mariota years at Oregon. Now he has the Knights sizzling, averaging 50.6 points per game. Milton has a 15–2 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and only Baker Mayfield has a higher QB rating. ”

    Weirdest:

    “3. Gary Andersen walking away from Oregon State, leaving his buyout of just under $13 million on the table.”

    Lots of items in this list indirectly related to OSU….potential coaches, Fresno State’s Tedford and their improving offense….

    • Whoa!

      Fresno’s O improved since playing Bama and UW?

      Florida State O is bad. Florida O is bad. It’s weird out there this year.

      Not many of your poll names are very interesting, btw. Bloomcounty and Lake are worth talking to their agents. I’m up in the air about Candle. Did he just take over a good program left by Campbell (who looks interesting)? Or is he another legit Kehres legacy?

      I don’t know who Albert Klein is. The only Albert I know of is the DC at Miami.

      The Chipster… UCLA’s going to make a run at him. It would be a decent fit in terms of never having to recruit. I don’t know how much he would love having to make social appearances with the LA crowd. I can see him going to BC and making hay in the ACC.

      • If I were the Chipster, I would go be the head coach at Hawai’i. Expectations are low. Talent pool is sufficient for his scheme. Sunsets are nice.

      • Candle needs 4 years to prove himself. He’s still drafting off Campbell’s success.

        Bloomgren isn’t getting the attention he deserves.

        The pieces are in place for a solid run game. Find someone with an OL background that believes in running the ball and go from there.

      • The poll names mostly came from other readers who sent them to me and i just threw all of the names out there, mostly to see where peoples’ heads are.
        Chip is my #1 swing for the fences name (have been told by some of my followers that OSU has already contacted Chip, btw)
        Klein is fake. Put him out there to see if people were just blindly voting without actually researching who they were voting for. Turns out that is actually happening because a ton of people have voted for him (He’s Henry Winkler’s character in the Waterboy)

    • Nebby fan thinks the rumor from his agent is that he’ll be shopped around for $5-7m with what openings are coming.

      Only the second coming of Saban deserves that kind of coin.

  24. Seth ping pong ball saga:

    -floated as mobile qb maybe like Chuckie Keaton
    -was not great qb
    -was transffering out
    -Decided to stay and became WR
    -Showed glimpses of potential at WR
    -Then was on death bed at end of second season with swelling brain
    -Cheated death and returned to WR
    -Made awesome catch against Colorado
    -Out indefinitely with undisclosed illness

  25. New criteria for head coach: has to be willing to keep TJ Woods on. Here is where running games have ranked nationally in yards per carry behind his offensive lines:

    2011 USU: 2
    2012 USU: 5
    2013 Wisc: 2
    2014 Wisc: 2
    2015 OSU: 40
    2016 OSU: 28
    2017 OSU: currently 53

    And in sacks allowed

    2011 USU: 34
    2012 USU: 30
    2013 Wisc: 14
    2014 Wisc: 10
    2015 OSU: 32
    2016 OSU: 52
    2017 OSU: currently 27

    • Yeah, I don’t understand the hatred for anyone accept for McGiven.

      I like the majority of the staff. McGiven needs to kick rocks though.

      IMO: many of the OL woes we’ve had (which there really haven’t been many) could be attributed to play calling as well.

      Getting away from our strengths to be too cute.

      Let hoss’s loose!

      • How about DL? We haven’t had any standout performers there under this regime, and there was this year’s sack drought.

        LB is a tough one to gauge. We have a lot of young talent, but Bright and Hungalu seem hit or miss to me. Willis seems to be solid; I never see him make huge mistakes, but you don’t see him making many game-changing plays either.

        The whole defense is a question mark for me. Clune has a decent track record, but his units here haven’t been good enough to carry enough when the offense underperforms.

        • A new coach will want his own coordinators. The positional coaches can interview to keep their jobs. Hall will get preferential treatment and probably keep his raise or bump it a little more. I also think Phillips and Lockette are more than competent with their groups.

          I like what Woods has done in terms of establishing power sets. We should use them more and blah blah blah, but we really have to see who the next coach is before we can pretend anyone will fit. I can’t see any of the Utah crew wanting to hang around after this year.

          • Why shouldn’t the Utah guys stay if they’re wanted? It’s not like they’re going to be following GA anywhere, and they’re all either GA or Matt Wells groupies.

          • “It’s not like they’re going to be following GA anywhere”

            most of the “utah” guys should follow him……..to the unemployment line.

    • I say keep Hall and TJ Woods, but let everyone else go. I haven’t been all that impressed with Lockette at this point. We’ve been better at ball control, except 1 game this season; but they haven’t been able to get involved in the passing game as much. Grant it, the latter is on scheme and QB’s dumping the ball off to them. I say we cut bait unless the next offense is a power run based offense, let them all go.

  26. What will be the starting hoops lineup?

    My guess:

    Tinkle
    Eubanks
    S Thompson
    Jaquori McG
    Berger

    Will Berger really start? I believe he started on the Spain trip.

    Who will be the point guard?

    • It’ll be this

      PF – Eubanks
      SF – Tinkle
      G – S Thompson
      G – E Thompson
      G – McLoughlin

      All three guards can bring the ball up the court. But McLoughlin looks to be the primary ball handler.

      Bench will be:
      Manuel
      Reichle
      Hollins
      Big G
      Berger

      Kone looks a ways away from playing
      Sanders is a practice body
      Stacy might get some looks in the non conf but won’t see much action in conference play.
      Xavier Smith – practice body
      N’Diaye – Likely won’t play this year. Injuries have just killed his career. Hope he’s getting a good degree.
      Isaac Barnes – end of the bench

      And if you haven’t seen Ethan Thompson, you won’t be able to tell him apart from Stevie Jr.

  27. I know this is crazy but here me out: we can all agree that the offensive & defensive coordinators have been trash up until last game. The offense looked much better & the defense looked about the same as before anderpants quit. What if if was Said Anderpants fucking up the offense, telling mcgiven to do it his way not the way mcgiven wanted to do it. So he was forced into trying this crappy offense and all the bad qb stuff. I want a s bigger sample of him without Andersen before I say he’s horrible. Just a thought….

    • I had the same thought. It flies in the face of the “I don’t know about the offense” comments that GA made but so many things about this situation don’t make sense.

    • That’s my assumption, now. I think Andersen thought his and his team’s big boy pants were significantly bigger than they actually were. Seemed like he was assuming an improvement to being a bowl team, and was thinking about how to get to 8+ wins, and that that would require a shift in offensive philosophy and a QB to do it. He was wrong about pretty much all of that.

      As with Hall, it will be nice for the Kevins to have a chance to prove themselves in the 2nd half of the season. Clune might actually be the bigger issue. The defense was bad until Andersen got involved.

      • He had the personnel in place at the beginning of the season. He talked a lot about running a power spread. He spoke about the receivers in terms of big pass plays to help the run because you need to keep the D honest. He talked a lot about Nall ball and running power… from the spread.

        And then someone called 50 pass plays in game one.

  28. Barnes, in answering Eggers on the future of Hall, not too shy about letting folks know he wears big boy pants, says:

    “I will tell you unequivocably, I will be an incredible advocate for Cory Hall,” Barnes said. “And that will mean a lot.”
    I (Eggers) took that to mean that, to whoever Barnes hired after a “national search,” he would strongly suggest that the head coach retain Hall on his staff.

    http://portlandtribune.com/pt/12-sports/375831-260761-is-cory-hall-a-candidate-for-osu-coach

  29. What’s been going on with OSU’s DT play? Depth limited by injuries? Seems like a quiet group. I was expecting more from Aydon this year?

    • Best I can tell the dude is too fat to play more than a handful of downs…pretty disappointing as it seems when he’s in, he does some decent disruption.

    • Golly.

      You mean the source who threw GA under the bus for throwing McGiven under the bus is trying to make himself look like he was never in control?

      I suppose we should just fire someone who is so weak they just take hundreds of thousands of dollars to do nothing.

      • I know it’s easy to pile on the quitter. It’s a natural instinct… except for those white knights around here who love them some Fresno. But McGiven should take a page out of Mike Leach’s handbook:

        “I take full responsibility for what happened today. And by I, I mean the players on this team. They sucked today and didn’t do anything the way I wanted them to do anything. They’re horrible. They had heads full of mushy undefeatedness, and I hate them.”

    • “DHR is the search firm used in the hiring for AD and coaching positions for schools such as Colorado State, Fresno State, San Jose State, Kansas and Syracuse.”

      “The company’s fees for a candidate, or candidates, for the Oregon State job “shall not exceed $200,000,” as per a contract it signed on Monday.”

      Ugh, schools they have searched for are meh. and shall not exceed $200,000, why limit it like that. It makes it sound like we got the silver package, which includes Frank, the handi-capable janitor to lead the search team.

      • I don’t know, most of the hires by those schools have led to turnarounds. Syracuse and Fresno State are way better off than they were a few years ago and Bobo seems like a good hire at CSU.

        Both Syracuse and CSU hides guys from outside their regions, which means the searches were truly national.

        • According the guy that hired Babers at Syracuse, current MN AD Mark Coyle, he did not use a search firm. Perhaps the search firm identified him for the AD position at Cuse.
          They are a crutch.

          “I’ve done these three searches, and I’ve never used a search firm,” first-year Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle said Friday.
          O
          Those searches would be Coyle’s hiring of football coaches Dino Babers at Syracuse, Bryan Harsin at Boise State and now Fleck at Minnesota.

          In one season at Syracuse, Babers’ won-lost record is 4-8. In three seasons at Boise State, Harsin is 31-9. In four seasons at Western Michigan, Fleck was 30-22, including 13-1 and a Cotton Bowl loss to Wisconsin this season.

          Coyle said he figures every athletics director has a short list of candidates on hand if replacement is needed.

          • Babers has shown huge improvement in his second year at Syracuse. They’ve already won as many games as they did last year and beat Clemson.

      • Might want to add Pitt x 2, Purdue, and Stanford to that list.

        “Sugiyama, in his 14th year with DHR, identified Barnes as a candidate when he was named athletic director at Pittsburgh in 2015. DHR was the search firm used by Purdue last year when it hired Jeff Brohm as football coach and by Stanford when it hired Jim Harbaugh. The company also placed Heather Lyke as Barnes’ success at Pitt.”

      • Maybe I’m cheap but $200k for doing a search that is to easy and to obvious seems like a lot of money. Come on, we have already provided a good list of candidates. The $200k is so Barnes can place the blame on the 3rd party if it goes south. This search firm better do it due diligence for that kind of money. Background checks, making sure there is no cocaine snorting womanizing going on might make it worth it. But I have a feeling Barnes will have a list that is about same of our handed to him as he hands over the $200k.

        • Search firm also gauge interest and I believe can contact a candidate or their agent when the school may not be allowed to due to contracts.

          You need to vet the list. A search firm makes sense for that.

          • Sometimes the “vetting” process leaves much to be desired. Sometimes you hire a drunk serial sexual harasser with a well known history if you actually check on it.

        • It is a lot of money but in most industries a search firms fee is about 10% of the annual salary for the position being filled.

          • Too much. Kannell said he’d do it for $25k. They questioned how hard is it to come up with a list of possible names and then reach out to their agents to gauge their interest. They also thought it was a little shady how the search firm that placed Barnes at Pitt was now being hired by Barnes.

          • Pitt fan was upset because Barnes hired the search firm of the former AD at UW when Barnes was an asst AD there, and he hired a hoops coach who was hired by that same former UW AD when he was the AD at Vandy.

            Tbh, I’d be upset if we hired Kevin Stallings too.

  30. I listened to the Cory Hall podcast yesterday and I am impressed with the guy. But my fear is there just isn’t the D1 coaching level experience yet. I think he will make a great HC one day because of his style and fortitude.

    Personally I wouldn’t mind bringing in an older seasoned vet for about 4 years with the mindset that this vet mentor Hall for the position. I know this will never happen in this realm of business mentor ship isn’t whats important, winning is. But I wouldn’t mind Les Miles coming in and showing Hall how it is done and then hand him the keys as he rides off into the sunset.

  31. Apparently 2018 OSU verbal pledge Andy Koch is no longer “Hall-in”
    Has removed all Oregon State related pics and info from his twitter acct.

  32. Not sure everybody’s on the same page in this hiring process:

    “Sugiyama says he isn’t sure how many candidates he will recommend to Oregon State.

    “I let the marketplace dictate the search,” he says. “Once we find our person, the search is over.”

    The “marketplace” being coaches in the salary range OSU can afford/will pay I presume? GA’s salary or close to it? Who does that likely include?

    Barnes says, however, that he, along with school president Ed Ray, will make the final decision on the coaching hire, taking DHR’s recommendations into consideration. ”

    “I’ll also seek advice from some people on campus and other folks before reaching a decision,” Barnes says. ”

    This is fine, but who are they – Casey, Rueck, other coaches? Deans? Food service providers? Custodial staff? Donors? What is their role and weight? Does OSU have criteria these individuals will use? Why not be clear about who they are?

    Barnes says there is no time line in which the school will name a new football coach, but hopes a hire will be made as soon as possible after the Nov. 25 Civil War game. The national letter-of-intent signing date has been moved up this year, from the first week in February to Dec. 20.

    “We’ll want to strike very quickly — literally, as the season ends,” Barnes says. ”

    So there’s no timeline, but the timeline is November 26? Is this soon enough given the new signing date? Could OSU hire a new coach sooner – to be able to communicate a direction to recruits – and expect the “dead men walking” on the current staff to perform? I’m guessing the coordinators will likely be gone, some position coaches retained.

    • Barnes is just being non-committal about the date because it’s never guaranteed the guy you want will be free exactly when you want him. Better to wait a few months to get the right coach than to rush hiring the wrong guy. Any coach that really wants the job will understand the recruiting schedule well enough to not screw himself over.

      He’s also being coy about who he’s consulting with on the decision because he’s going to be making some anonymous posts on AB to test the waters.

    • You’re overthinking everything.

      The marketplace will be where demand meets supply. We have a top limit for pay. Anyone who ends up on the list the search firm forms who is willing to work at OSU and is willing to be paid anything under that limit will make the second cut. Assessing their real value and removing those who are too firm on an unrealistic amount would be the next cut.

      There are a lot of different people on the campus. There are a lot of people involved with the campus who are not on campus. We’ll call them all a culture. Having the culture help to form a consensus is just good policy.

      Barnes wants to have a list in hand with negotiable numbers by the final week. He will then call his number one and work on a potential hire. Maybe he has to talk to two or three to get his hire. Maybe he doesn’t. The speed with which it happens will tell us a little about that.

      Who knows? Maybe his number one insists that he wants to coach in a bowl game or something, but he’s a for sure hire. That would suck to have to wait. But if it’s the best for us, it is what it is. I have a feeling he wants the next coach to be able to take advantage of the early signing period. And coaches will likely forgo a bowl for being able to carry some recruits to the new school.

      • That last part would be because you don’t want a kid to commit sight unseen. A couple weeks of official visits should be the goal for any new hire.

      • Re: the marketplace, that’s about what I figured. Regarding “the culture,” I agree it’s good policy, but there could be more transparency about who it is and why. “The culture” at OSU is often underwhelming so I think it would be interesting to see who it is. Transparency is responsible given this is the highest paid job at a state university, and maybe it would provide insight into how Barnes’ is or isn’t changing the culture.

    • “who are they – Casey, Rueck, other coaches? Deans? Food service providers? Custodial staff? Donors? What is their role and weight? Does OSU have criteria these individuals will use? Why not be clear about who they are?”

      It would be interesting and fun to create – I guess they would be focus groups – from interested custodial staff and food service providers, keep the results under wraps and compare with final lists and the ultimate choice of the “professionals.”

  33. My initial reaction to 200k for a search firm is “overpaid”/wasted money.

    If they nail the right hire, it’s worth it, I guess? But the AD should have a list of top available coaches. I can see paying 50k for the search firm. Not 200k.

    • It’s not unreasonable. Executive search firm typically charge 20% of a person’s salary. This fee would be for someone making 1 million a year. The ad should have a list, the search firm is going to be the one poking around into the candidates background to make sure there’s nothing that disqualifies a candidate. They can do this at scale vs the university doing it themselves. Barnes wants an immediate hire after the season.

      Think about it, Barnes is about to hire someone and guarantee them millions of dollars and likely only knowing them for a few days or weeks. The search firm should give some insurance from the fiasco some schools had when their chosen candidate turned out to have major skeletons. Ex. George O’Leary.

      • I don’t care what executive search firms pay in the corporate world. This is a small college town that constantly cries “we’re broke” + amateur sports…too much.

        I’m not against a search firm. I’m against the price. 200k is too much. 50k is fine. And for that 200k there is no guarantee they will do work. They might pick a name off Bleacher Report and give the okay. If you want something done right, you do it yourself. I view this is lazy and go give an illusion that OSU is trying hard with this hire. As someone else noted, Barnes now has a built in excuse if it goes South….

        I’m sure there are many up and coming search firms that would have done the same work for 50k.

      • We did the Exec. search thing at Minnesota a few years back for our AD. They somehow missed the fact that Norwood Teague was a known drunk and had several claims of sexual harassment against him. There can be serious conflict of interest concerns with these agencies.
        BTW: Some posters on Gopher sites were able to find out crap about him and predicted his spectacular demise. They did for free.

    • You are spot on. See my previous post.

      Hell, just have Danny Moran do his standard background check for a six pack and Dutch Bro’s gift card.

    • The $200k is the maximum amount the contract allows the firm to be paid (not to exceed). Sounds like a time and materials contract, where the firm will charge for the hours and resources they use in the search. If so, could be anywhere from $0-200k.

    • Looking at the recent history and turnover of college football coaches is nailing the right hire more luck or skill? Houston is a great example of getting it right – Briles, Sumlin, and Tom Hermann, but that seems to be the exception aside from the deep pocketed programs.

      • Definitely think there’s some ‘luck’ involved, especially the younger you go with your coach. Another reason not to spend money on a search firm.

        The perk of the old guys is you know what you’re going to get (so long as they haven’t mentally checked out)…

  34. This podcast is good: https://soundcloud.com/dam-podcast/did-andersen-go-britney-spears

    I know there was some talk above.

    Why won’t Angie spill the beans? GA is gone, so stop hinting at things and just say what was going on behind the scenes.

    McGiven is now a genius and all the bad play calling was GA meddling? GA told the team he was fired, and later they learned he quit? GA recruited Luton and forced Moran (McGiven recruit) to be a S?

    It’s hard to sort the truth when these people won’t cite any sources or facts.

    If what they are saying is true, then the GA era has a totally different feeling to it. Until now I had no hard feelings toward the guy.

    • Agree, have to take it with a grain of salt. But, what they are saying makes sense compared to what we see on the field, Andersen’s comments in the preseason, and Moran’s position switches. It really reinforces your criticism of Andersen for his QB handling.

      It also made me rethink my harsh criticism of the coordinators, or at least McGiven. If he was being steamrolled by Andersen, then Andersen’s comments the first half of the season on the coaches were severely throwing them under the bus. Clune still seems like a question mark, IMO. And recruiting is a major concern.

      Watching the trajectory of the offense over the rest of the season should provide a good indicator on who was calling the shots on offense, and who should be retained.

      • I hope Moran turns into something serviceable. Dude had wheels for a QB. If he can throw at just a decent clip of like 58% he’d be a real option for next year. What I saw on film, regarding throwing, wasn’t promising, but his legs are the real deal.

        GA is such a head case…I can’t see him ever being hired again unless it’s at Utah (maybe a coordinator?) or Utah State.

    • For $9.95 a month she’ll answer all your questions in the Lodge. I think it took me 6 years to realize insider info was not being shared with chumps like me.

    • Just for fun…

      When did GA have time to tell the team anything between his meeting with Barnes and their meeting with the coaches, immediately followed by a meeting (with Barnes and Hall present) with the players?

      And since McGiven was being given a short ride (according to sources), why did Barnes attend all those practices, watch those games, listen to what GA said publicly and decide to place Hall in the interim position?

      • Hall mentioned on a podcast with Nigel Burton last week, that GA met with the team first, without the other coaches present, and then Hall/Barnes and the assistants met with the team. Not sure where Barnes was during both meetings though.

        The night before is when Barnes and GA handed over the Interim role to Hall, but I’m not sure when the assitants were notified of the changes.

        • None of that is what Barnes said in his press conference… with Hall sitting next to him. I may have the timing wrong. Barnes and GA may have met with the team first, then Hall was introduced to the team as the interim. I can see it working that way.

          There’s no way any AD allows an exiting employee unsupervised access to anyone for this very reason. Barnes controls the narrative from the point it was created, when the decision was made. Not doing so would be asking for this kind of scuttlbutt, not that it isn’t going to happen when the well’s already poisoned.

          • What did Barnes say that is different?
            Night before- Inform Hall that GA is leaving and Hall will become Interim HC
            Morning of: GA (with Barnes) meets with players to announce he’s leaving the team. Short meeting with no specifics ragarding pay or reason.
            After that: Hall and assistants(with Barnes) meet with team.

            On the radio interview, they asked Hall what GA said to the team before he left, but Hall didn’t know because he said he wasn’t in the room until the very end of GA’s time, at which point he was brought into the meeting room.

            I have to assume Barnes was present for everything, but also just have to assume that GA didn’t say much and the team just made their own assumptions about why GA was leaving.

            That all seems reasonably believable

          • I can completely see the kids just paraphrasing everything, and it just turns into a game of pass it on. Hearsay turning into malevolent suppositions which contradict almost everything else, though? That takes a lack of integrity.

            At least discuss how everything was finely orchestrated by GA so that everyone was on the same page to a tee, a page completely different than the one being discussed. Talk about how all these people who get executive level pay were so bullied by someone not here anymore that he brilliantly led them to do and say things they didn’t want to do or say… for years on end.

    • It sounds like BS to me, unless GA is a total and complete liar. Hard to believe when almost every single person who knows him says he’s honest to a fault. Even recruits say GA gives them the 100% honest truth. A rarity in the ugly recruiting game.

      I mean: we have 1+ years of interviews of GA saying he wants to be a 60/40 run to pass team. And then every single question he diverts to ask the OC as he doesn’t micro mange them. And then the “private” texts that Canzano had…

      Sounds like some CYA rumors being floated with McGivith fighting for his/a job.

      Hell, GA probably even told McSucketh to go ahead and throw him under the bus. GA’s kids are all grown, and he’s made many millions over the years. Could probably retire comfortably. McGiven has a young family, and I’m sure GA would want him to get another job quickly.

      Angie doesn’t care about the truth. She only cares about subscriptions.

  35. I’m usually against the search firm thing but this time I’m for it. Here’s why: the current athletic department administration has had a very tough year along many fronts. A lot of stuff has went down this year that has been unprecedented before in this school,, including the GA thing, but some other major stuff. That is why the search firm needs to be brought in to help them out. Things are a bit chaotic and I think this gives them some breathing room.

  36. McGiven has a lot of things against him at this point. GA thew him under the bus. GA used his press conferences to vent about his OC/DC and staff. Texts from Canzano may confirm those frustrations. McGiven’s track record of 4+ qbs per season as an OC becomes a concern.
    Expectations of a 60/40 run pass offense never materialized and then was rationalozed away as the season slipped away after the Minnesota game.
    McGiven would have some leash still in my book based on the last 2 Civil War games, but he flat out lied about the Hodgins situation and not playing him against UW. I don’t buy the 2 wr vs 3 wr sets as enough of an answer, when they used 3 wr sets anyway.
    I think McGiven is the classic slacker who only rises to the occasion when his job is obviously on the line. I don’t like his track record as an OC and I think he is the definition of a guy promoted one level beyond what he can handle. If he were a dynamite recruiter and could manage qbs great, he might have some redeeming qualities. I wonder if the grad assistants were putting together game plans while the coaches were coasting with an easy gig, all aware of how Riley coasted for so long.
    But at this point, I’d like to see Dave Baldwin just run the whole thing again without GA behind him. Give Baldwin the reigns for the duration and see what happens with Moran and Garretson power running combined with the zone read/short passing and deep shots

  37. Canzano talked with Barnes today and major things “happening” in regards to Reser. Is this legit or is Barnes putting it out there to raise the profile during the search?

    • They talked a little about it in that podcast Angry posted above. Basically putting together a 10 year feasibility plan for the athletic dept. But maybe there is more to it than that.

    • They talked about it a little on that dam podcast last night. I like the idea of coupling the Reser project with an additional structure which could be usable year round. Angie and Sprague mentioned a dorm alongside Reser being a possibility.
      Sounds good to me. That would be an interesting place to live if I were an athlete. Seems like a good selling point that would make OSU stand out from other programs. Imaging having a view of the field from your room? Your friends and family could be partying in your room while you play on Saturday. I’m curious how big of a dorm they even need at OSU? Seems like they just build 3 or 4 new ones

      • Build a stadium similar to “The Quiditch World Cup” from Harry Potter? You can watch practice from your dorm room, you have suit boxes that have beds, you have regular seating on a balcony for each room. Only problem is regulating drinking and proximity to the field.

  38. Canzano is a deadbeat writer who just tries to stir up things by being contrary to what way the wind blows. I don’t think anything he says is newsworthy or trustworthy. He isn’t an objective journalist, but rather a prejudiced moralist of opportunity. Using his lame talk show to push his own lazy articles that pander to duck fans by brow beating beaver fans, or stirring up duck fans by picking and choosing events to turn the tables and poke at the Nike franchise in Eugene.

    If anything is actually happening on Reser, I’ll look for more statements apart from the bald moralist of portlandia.

  39. Search firm to Barnes: “Good news, we came in under budget. OSU had the right guy lined up 3 years ago until GA happened. We would have advised against Andersen but DeCarolis did not hire us. I mean did you see that 59-0 shallacking in the Big Ten title game?”

    Bill: $199, 750

    Recommendation: Beau Baldwin

    • Great.

      Then we can go from the 100th best O in FBS to whatever Cal is… something like 110th best.

      Might as well just promote McGiven.

      • I would take a look at Aaron Best for OC. Just like Craig Bohl doesn’t look so good without Chris Klieman on the sideline with him, I’m starting to think the real genius stayed behind.

        • Those are both interesting. Do you dismiss the idea that they are simply capitalizing on what the previous coach built? Isn’t that the argument against Harsin, Candle, and Norvell as well?

          Does Beau Baldwin=Chris Petersen, Craig Bohl in terms of building a program that is sustained after he leaves? (Apart from how Cal’s offense looks 6 games into the season with a 1st year starting qb.)

          • Don’t get too hopped up on Bohl building much at NDSU. He did guide them through promotion and had great success while there. Perhaps he is as good as he is without Klieman, who many in Fargo think is much better than Hazelton was.

            But their promotion only worked out well because the football culture there is just amazing. The only reason Bohl got the job was because Babich had the second losing season for the program since 1963. The first guy (Kjelbertson) was replaced by Jim Wacker. You have a losing season there, you get fired.

            Come to think of it… maybe we should pay NDSU $200k to do a coaching search for us.

          • Bohl took a good NDSU program and made it great. He’s done a good job turning Wyoming around, too. I’m not sure how you can claim he doesn’t look as good there when he just won the MWC last year. He’s also found 3 NFL QB’s in the last 7 or 8 years. That’s an incredible accomplishment being at NDSU and Wyoming.

          • He took a great program and continued its greatness to once known, but not forgotten levels. Credit where it’s due, he won three consecutive championships. They’ve gone 46-5 since.

            He wouldn’t have been hired there if he wasn’t a great coach. Good coaches get fired there. Great coaches go on to be bad coaches at Wisconsin, TCU, Minnesota or New England. He might be the first to break through that barrier. Time will tell.

        • Beau would probably strongly consider Best for his OC at OSU. They keep in touch. If Beau could go to a Pac-12 school for an OC position to get more conference exposure and a better path to a Pac-12 HC job then so could Best. Would not surprise me if he offered Best the OC position. Would be a good hire. Cory Hall could get consideration as DC or atleast remain on staff as a head recruiter and perhaps Associate Head Coach title.

        • So now that they’re 64 after playing such powerhouses as OSU, ASU, Cal, CU, Montana, Fresno and Rutgers… you’re saying they’ll revert to 77?

          Or are you saying Cal may get to the low 90s in a couple years?

          • I’m saying that everybody knows that when a new staff inherits a team of someone else’s players recruited for a different scheme their offensive ranking 5 games in to their first season is as good as it will ever get.

            At least that’s what some super smart guy told me once. But that may have been his opinion, stated as fact.

          • As good as it gets?

            How about not as good as ours?

            That’s all that needs to be pointed out. It’s not opinion. You should try to change the argument to be one about scoring O, not total O. But then I would point out this and that stat that showed how a very talented D is doing well for them this year. They will probably suffer a downturn next year.

            As stated weeks ago, EWU had good runs when they had good QBs (and a lucky OT fumble in the snow on a red field). Baldwin’s O wasn’t all that great when he was the OC at EWU. Wulff’s O was about the same before his. It’s only when Best has been OC that they’ve really won anything. Even then, it’s had to be concurrent with great QB play… great, not competent.

            The reason it’s somewhat working at Cal right now is because their D is stacked and run by competent D coaches. They have pretty much the same O issues we have, except they have better QB and TE depth.

            It’s not that hard to see if you just look at the numbers for a bit.

        • … constantly… without ever saying anything concrete. Yay. He was a pretty good FCS coach. So was Joe Moorhead. Moorhead’s O took a pathetic PSU team from middling to championship caliber. Craig Bohl was much better than both of them. He seems to be doing fairly well on this level, comparatively. Chris Klieman is better. But you’re stuck on a guy who can’t get a decent group of talent to play better than OSU’s O has played thus far. And he’s had an easier schedule to manage to look worse.

          If you’re going to tell me that OSU’s O has been good, then I’m vastly overestimating your evaluation skills. Good coaches can have bad situations. Baldwin is not in one, and his O is not inspiring much more in the way of greatness than McGiven’s O.

          • I must admit I am impressed with what Scott Frost has done, no matter that he took over a very good program. His CFU is just clocking teams with coaches boldly listed here. If we can’t pay for him, so be it. But don’t take your list of names that have been embarrassed by Frost’s team and pretend we won’t be similarly embarrassed by that level team almost always.

  40. Imo currently it’s all about MONEY and who can be hired that will do a reasonable job for the LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY.

    Personally I’d prefer a younger coach that’s on his way up rather than an older coach who more than likely is at least semi burnt out and doesn’t have that fire in his gut any more.

    I’d like to see OSU spend the money saved on 1) paying down the debt 2) improving the facilities and 3) putting up money for top notch assistant coaches.

    It’s my opinion that OSU has to get its debt situation under control (paid down as much as possible) before it spends big bucks for coaches and imo $2.xM is big bucks.

    One of these days the economy is going to collapse, probably resulting in a depression and if that happens the schools with manageable debt are going to be able to weather the storm much better than the schools that in debt up to their ears.

    • All schools are going to suffer in hard economic times. Almost all programs get subsidized.

      It’s hard to see osu ever becoming a self sustaining department. But their debt load isn’t unmanageable.

      They get roughly 7 million from the school a year or nearly 10% of rev.
      Seems like a lot but it’s on the low side compared to other athletic depts. A school like Rutgers got 28 million in 2015.

      The best way to better the dept finances are via donations. If Barnes can convince people to become reliable donors, it will go a long way to support the dept financial future.

    • One of these days the economy is going to collapse

      I used to think that, but between tech (drones, cloud, block chain, apps, etc), green energy, flipping houses, and legalizing drugs/drug tourism we’re probably going to avoid it for a while.

    • -I don’t think a $1M/year difference in a contract is an unreasonable burden for the AD. Total AD ticket revenue is $10-2M, so at this point, a successful coach should be able to make up that $1M difference compared to an unsuccessful hire who is $1M/yr cheaper.

      -Reported debt service expense for OSU in 2017 is $8.7M. It depends on how that debt is structured, but with a revenue of something like $75M, the debt load would seem to be a little high, but manageable.

      The AD’s losses are being covered by university subsidies right now (about $7M). For a school the size of OSU, the marketing budget is around $13-14M, so one way to look at it is that the school is relying on the AD for 1/3 of their total marketing spend.

      In the event that subsidy goes away, belts will definitely have to be tightened. I’m not sure how they can quickly cut $7M from the budget, though. The total support staff can’t be making that much, and annual donations are only in the $10-12M range, so you can’t expect donors to cover the difference.

      In the background of all this is the fact that the sports bubble is going to eventually pop and OSU’s revenue is going to drop.That’s another possible $12-15M hit from loss of TV/licensing revenue.

      -They’re not going to improve the facilities AND pay down the debt, unless they can somehow favorably restructure the debt. I think the best we could hope for would be a debt-neutral facility project with “creative” funding.

      Helpful information on the topic:
      http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2015/05/oregon_state_beavers_athletic_1.html
      http://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/
      http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/05/24/college-hotline-pac-12-schools-project-massive-fy17-debt-service-payments-were-talking-nine-figures-folks/

    • Agree. Next coach, short of Les Miles needs to be younger. Beau Baldwin is 45 years old and that should be at the higher end of the age range we are targeting. I’d put that range at 38-46. Thus why this will be Oregon State’s last chance to get Beau. Would be very bad for OSU to go with anyone age 48-50+ and certainly not that Statesman Jounal list where half the guys are 60+. Horrible to even consider. Someone like Beau is setup for 7 years as their career finds its peak. Much smarter plan for an energized leader that OSU desperately needs.

    • I hope Cory Hall does well enough to be hired, at least for a 1-year contract. He could be paid less, although not insultingly so, and with good coordinators have a successful or at least vastly improved season.

      OSU has lucked out twice; not having to pay Riley’s or Andersen’s departure fees. The thought of paying – especially some name past their sell-by date – multiple millions to coach seems inappropriate.

  41. OSU should host a bowl game to raise more capital, once the west side is completed. Something like “Fred Meyer’s Heart of the Valley Bowl”. The trophy could be huge filled with hazelnuts lmao

  42. I tinkered with the spam protection today. Those of you whom have had to fill out the form frequently should get relief with this new method.

    Some of you might have to fill it out once so I can add you to the whitelist.

    • Just a rumor floated by Dennis Dodd. More normal than here–won’t fire/demote Nussmeier, so both can go for all they care. Their O obviously isn’t going anywhere, and they’re bad at making adjustments.

      But McElwain doesn’t have the excuse that he doesn’t know anything about the O.

      So I guess the inference would be that Florida is just too much of a hassle, and he should go back West where the expectations aren’t as high and there’s no stress on a coach to do well… thus stressing him into leaving his current job, where he just isn’t getting it done.

  43. Also from Football Scoop, in the “you thought the Beavs DL was in bad shape” file: Occidental College was down to ONE healthy D lineman. That was before they called off the remainder of the season.

    Also, before the season was called off, the school received a Title IX complaint that, “Director of Athletics Jaime Hoffman and the department of athletics hold an anti-male bias that has compromised the football team and its players’ reputation.”

    http://footballscoop.com/news/occidental-college-forfeits-season-due-lack-players/

  44. Meh, who cares about that type of speculation, what perks my interest is maybe the Beavs can fill that home game request of D-3 RPI and put a stop to their never ending road losing streak!

  45. Good article on requirements for a HC, Fanbase & University:

    https://247sports.com/college/oregon-state/Article/Oregon-State-Coaching-Search-Requirements-for-the-coach-fanbase–109156874/Amp

    Some nice insight on tying incentives/any conceivable extension to multiple requirements like back to back 7 win seasons/bowls and over 40K average attendance.

    I’d say if you average above 42K at all Pac-12 home games and win 4 Pac-12 home games then that gets a coach a positive year. Two consecutive of these years and you get a 1 year extension. A 9+ win season in the year following a season with a bowl is minimum required fot any 2 year extension which should be absolute maximum allowed even if we make the CFP. Things simply change too quick in college football to have a coach coasting because of past incentives.

    Ideally start with a 4 year deal and DO NOT go above 5. They have to earn it on the field and by attracting butts in seats to get more.

    Article really highlights how OSU keeps getting into bad contracts where it seems like every new one is the first time they have done this. Oregon State needs to reward reaching higher milestones but have the base contract more lackluster if you don’t. Then a coach will realize he will get MUCH MORE by performing and will dam sure give his best.

    Tie these incentives with a younger coach under 48 who is happy to make 2 million instead of 1.3 million because he digs for his best and OSU will be in much better position to require and sustain success in its flagship sports program.

    • Who is Peter Osborne? He didn’t even get Norvell’s name right.
      3 mil for a HC? I don’t think so. I’d rather give Hall the job and use that money on a staff than give anyone on that list 3 mil. Maybe Frost…but he will have zero interest in the job.

    • Good luck finding a worthwhile head coach who agrees to take a 4 year deal. Ain’t happening. So we’re going back to the low expectation mentality it appears… Pay less and wish for the best. How about paying the right guy a fair salary and expecting succes?

      • Who’s the right guy? Who is worth 3.5 mil, like that article mentions? Nobody I’ve seen mentioned except maybe Chip. Frost would probably command a premium. Neither dude will want the job.

        So who is available, we want, they want the job, and is worth 3 mil?

        That’s why I say just go with Baldwin if he has interest. Seems like a better coach than GA, who we were giving 2.5 mil…

        • I was referring more to the 4 year deal comment. I’d take Beau for 1.5mm all day long. If somebody falls in our lap worthy of 3.0, then pay it and don’t be scared because GA burned us. But I don’t foresee that guy unless the McElwain rumor has legs.

    • Yikes!

      1. Bunk followed by blabbity blab
      2. Assistants can do this. But coffee is for closers.
      3. Elite what? There once was a parade of great O-linemen coming to Corvallis. 2008 was the last great collection. You would have to go back three years to discover whose O was getting a lack of new blood to take their place. Such a defeatist attitude.
      4. Fit has always trumped name. Duh.
      5. Whatever. Nobody respects a superior who isn’t paid as a superior. And let’s go back to the part about coaches who want to be in Corvallis. Pay is what makes a lot of them want that.

      The rest is just a loose composite of any given blog about any given school. And that list is ridiculous. Replace Frost (why is he on here?) with Smith, and we have a whole bunch of blech.

      I don’t suppose we could rehash the term “nation” attached to everything? It’s nonsensical and borrowed. When I hear beaver nation, I think of wardrobe malfunctions.

  46. Has anyone mentioned to Barnes that it would be helpful for any future caoching staff to avoid getting curbstomped by OSU Buckeyes right out of the gate next year?
    Barnes: “Any takers on a 68-10 beatdown for your inaugural game as our new coach?”

    • See above…go cheaper on a HC if it means getting out of that game.

      B. Baldwin can probably be had for 1.5 mil. Hall (if he proves himself the next few games) probably for 1 mil. Both would be fine, then assemble a staff of great recruiters and get out of the Ohio State game with the savings.

          • What does he win?

            BDC was asked by tOSU to play a one off for a sizable chunk. He ran it by Bikey for approval, and he got the okay.

            tOSU was scrambling at the time because they needed to re-plan future seasons for the extra conference game. I believe next year will be the first time in a long long time tOSU doesn’t play a non-P5 school.

      • If OSU doesn’t get Beau than Hall moves up my favorites quick. He is better than most names being floated at a significantly lower price. Ideally OSU could get Beau and keep Cory. Would also be fine with Frost after Beau but Mr. Freeze seems unlikely. Am open to interview Norvell. He fits certain criteria if Barnes can’t seal the deal with Baldwin.

          • Personally, what swayed me on Norvell was the Arizona St offense with Norvell vs after him leaving. He’s continued that success at Memphis. Also, multiple ASU assistants followed Norvell from ASU to Memphis. Graham is a jerk, but they must believe in Norvell to step down from power 5 ASU to go to Memphis. The problem is Norvell may be out of our league by season end. I see Ole Miss, Auburn, and Arkansas going after him if those jobs open.

          • Zero interest in Norvell.
            I don’t follow ASU, but their offense might suck because they’re young (or some other reason completely unrelated to Novell). If they do suck. I don’t watch them.

    • tOSU has shit the bed in early games under Meyer more often then not against mediocre teams. They will be breaking in a new QB who is a freshman this year. Plus losing 9 starters on both sides of the ball and maybe a few Jr’s. Their 3 deep chart has a lot of freshmen in it. I’m not saying we win, but making it a game is very possible.

    • I’m not sure why we’re being wusses about this game now. If anything, the new coach will get to coach with zero expectations. He will also have something to motivate him and his team from day one, game one and season one onward.

      GA was whining about what Riley allowed back when he thought this year would be decent, and next year would start off with that game.

      Might as well play it now. Maybe the team responds well and plays the rest of the season at a higher level.

      • I don’t understand how the game against the Buckeyes, could be considered anything but a low risk opportunity. Somehow win, you’re the talk of the nation, play well and you get a few positive seconds on ESPN, get blown out and it’s par for the course and everyone forgets about it in less than a week. I don’t think it’s the same comparison as to Riley’s teams who had talent and laid eggs on the road when they had a chance to increase their national cache.

  47. B. Baldwin does seem like the best option that we can actually land.
    I’m not really excited about any of these coaches, but he’s probably the most interesting. I think he can be had for 1.5 mil. Think he’s making like 550k at Cal.

    I say hire him for 1.5, use the savings to get out of Ohio State, buy a great staff of coordinators and recruiters, and then call it a day.

    I don’t see any coach worth 3 mil, so better to go cheap/young/unproven. Baldwin has the right career arch: HC at a lower school, OC in the PAC, etc, and the price would be right.

    • cheap/young/unproven…….you been reading Eggers?
      He tosses Pat Casey’s brothers hat into the ring in today’s column:

      “…let’s throw out the name of Chris Casey — Pat’s older brother — as a potential candidate for the vacant OSU head football position.

      Before Casey arrived at Aloha High in 2004, the perennial Metro League-doormat Warriors had won 17 games in the previous 14 seasons. It took him six years to coach them to the 2010 Class 6A championship.

      Casey built the George Fox program out of scratch when the NCAA Division III school reinstituted football after a 45-year hiatus. George Fox went from 0-9 to 4-5 to 5-4 in his first three seasons. Now the 19th-ranked Bruins (5-1) are headed for a Northwest Conference showdown with No. 7 Linfield (4-1) Saturday at McMinnville.

      The Beavers could do much worse than hiring Chris Casey to run their football operation.”

    • If we’re gonna hire on the cheap than yeah I’d say Baldwin. Another guy that could potentially be had is Troy Calhoun at Air Force. He’s only 51, making 900K per year and has had success there, 8 winning seasons out of 10. But do we really want to go that route again? We saw it already in the 90’s and it sucked shit. Just blindly throwing another dart at the dartboard here.

      • He’s never actually won anything that matters, though. His winning percentage at AF is the same as Riley’s here. Sure he’s handicapped by the academy, but a decade of merely being above average surely does things to someone’s psyche and expectations.

        I want someone that knows what it takes to win.

    • You can forget about getting out of the tOSU game. That’s a paycheck that OSU will gladly keep even if it means getting embarrassed on national television. Again.

  48. I’m not sold on anyone yet, Dennis Errickson and Les Miles get my attention but they aren’t spring chickens. I love Hall’s energy, vibe and how he does the interviews but no real HC experience. He could be the real deal or he could need a few more years as a coordinator before making the jump to HC. I dunno…

  49. Has anyone here ever felt like little bother to Oregon? Canzano put out another column today about OSU being little bro. I have never once felt inferior to a duck grad and it pisses me off how the media creates this false narrative. Not a scientific poll by any means, but just curious if any Beavs have an inferiority complex Oregon.

  50. Why all of this talk tonight about hiring on the cheap?
    Gary Andersen was slated to make right around $3M per year between now and 2021, so obviously we have the budget to afford someone in that range. Maybe you get lucky and find that rising star for less, but I’d rather use what we’re budgeted to spend in order to attract the best candidate possible.

    I do think Brandon Sprague’s wish of poaching Dino Babers from Syracuse is realistic, and he would make an intriguing fit. It’s hard to say what he makes at Syracuse because thry are a private school, but the most common estimate I see is around $2M.

    His E. Illinois teams won their conference in 2012/2013, then at Bowling Green his team won their division in 2014/2015. Then moved to Syracuse in 2016, only going 4-8, but this year they’ve started out 4-3 including that win over Clemson.

    45-27 overall record as a head coach.
    He also has West Coast times from previous gigs as an assistant.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dino_Babers

  51. Yeah, I’m not a fan of hiring on the cheap either. Get the best guy you can get, and then pay them what they’re worth.

    On-field performance is a huge revenue lever. A coaching whiff is enormously costly, and that cost will spread out over 5+ years. That kind of money dwarfs paying a HC $3M vs $2M vs $1M. Find the best guy and pay them. If that means paying $3M for a guy in whom you have 80% confidence vs $1M for 75% confidence, do it.

    • Yes, you get what you pay for. It’s not like the guys in this business don’t know what is expected, you either win or you’re out. Even coordinators and position coaches understand that.

      • Beavs didn’t get what they paid for in GA. Without his strange exit and the low odds of him relieving the university of his contract, OSU could have been in a bad sport for years. Got lucky.

        Think reason Angry and others see allignment in the next coach costing less is beacuse most seem to prefer we go younger with the next hire. Once some schools like Cal get a younger coach it usually starts a gradual but steady reset within the conference of other schools not wanting to be seen as old. They then in 2 or 3 years tops often end up with a younger coach as well. OSU is usally behind the curve in this, has the stigma as “old” in its approach and usually suffers for it in recruiting.

        Thus why if OSU hires anyone over 47 now they are being foolish as in a matter of a couple years will have one of the older coaches as many other teams are getting reset back to younger coaches. This will happen with the next several Pac-12 hires.

        Baldwin is at higher end of range of what is best for OSU but at the exact right time in his career at at the right time to rebuild OSU with a good perception in conference and nationally for 5+ years. He can be had for 1.5 million or just a tad more. Other younger coaches with promise could cost even less but provide the energy and optics OSU needs of a reset and upcoming program ready to build into a winner.

        These older coaches are a double-edged sword, in the vast majority of cases, as they not only cost much more but OSU probably gets less as a coach in his 50s who isn’t Les Miles will hurt the prrception of OSU and we won’t be upcoming, but going the failed Ed Ray approach of thinking a guy who has hit 50 is somehow better coach material when they just make the program less atrractive to recruits, aren’t as relatable to players or next generation fans it is important for OSU to attract and just coast more for the same results with these drawbacks that hurt perception and keep OSU in a similar rut.

        Besides Chip Kelly noone seems worthy of 3+ million and besides Frost don’t see many candidates at all in 2 million range who would do better than Beau or provide the image OSU needs which is Baldwin or younger. Calhoun would be worse, McElwain isn’t worth 3.4+ million and OSU has not given us any reason to believe they could land a Kelly or even Miles. There are some bad names you could stupidly give 2.5+ million to but OSU will be worse off with most of them. That’s the failed GA formula and Beavs need to do something different.

        Younger is the smarter way to go. Get just ahead of the curve now with someone like Baldwin. In 2-3 years we will be middle of the Pac in regards to age of our coach as other schools are going to be resetting. Hire anyone older than Beau and in a few years we will have one of the oldest coaches again with our recruiting profile not very attractive.

        • The reason to hire Beau is he has PNW ties, the correct career arc of FCS HC, FBS OC, in interviews as HC at EWU he had a lot of fire, and can be had cheap. Seems this cheap thing is scaring people off. Why pay $600 for an iphone when I can pay $100 for some generic that does the same exact things?

          People get hung up on names and give them value, whether brands or people.

          I think we’re in a lucky situation where Baldwin is not only cheap, but probably as good as the others being mentioned. I don’t love Baldwin, btw…I don’t love any of these candidates.

          • However, people are willing to pay too much for no functionality in his case.

            Once he gets acclimated to this level, we can talk. He’s not anywhere near there now.

    • I like Hall, but not sure he’s going to do enough in a few games to convince people.

      There’s the stigma of hiring the intern coach, too.

      And then there’s that annoying thing where he says, “these boys” over and over…cringe worthy!

  52. My guess is if Frost actually came to OSU it would be for a deal that averaged over 3 million a year. Even then don’t think it ever happens as Nebby is there for 3.7 million a year if he wants it.

    Frost could produce but so could someone like Baldwin ready for a 1st P5 head coach opportunity and at much less of a pricetag.

    Baldwin, Hall, maybe J Smith are more in line with direction Beavs should go.

  53. I like the Dino Babers guy that NiceBeaver mentions. Doesn’t seem realistic or like a good fit (no recruiting ties and a blunt personality that might not sit well with donors or media), but I’d be okay with him.

      • He’s from Hawaii, his daughter lives there, he just bought his house there.
        Has coached up and down the west coast and in texas during his career. He even said in his introductory press conference at Syracuse that this was the first time he’s ever been to New York, except the time he played buffalo.
        Maybe Syracuse matches, but make them match then. Their previous head coach was paid less than $1.5M, and Babers current salary is supposedly in the $2M range. Make him an offer he can’t refuse and let Syracuse match, if they think he’s worth it.If you think he’d be the best guy for the job, you at least have to take a shot rather than be scared at the prospect of another team outbidding you, possibly.

        • I love that he’s an Art Briles offense disciple and a QB guru. I wasn’t aware of the west coast ties. That would be a home run hire if they could sway him to leave with the momentum he has built at Syracuse.

    • I’d be delighted with a blunt personality – Riley lulled us w his nice guy stuff and Andersen persuaded us for a time with his goofy rhetoric.

  54. Just to clarify on the cheap thing: I’m not saying go cheap just to go cheap, but rather go cheap because there are guys who can be had in that price range who would probably be just as good as the 3mil+ guys. It’s diminishing returns. Paying 3 mil for a 5% better coach (mentioned above, no idea how you’d quantify this) is just stupid. Much better taking that extra 1.5 mil and hiring a great staff of recruiters and putting all that savings into recruiting budget, recruiting coordinators, facilities, etc. 1.5 mil invested in those things will pay off much better than 5% [in a HC].

    • I don’t get the anti-Baldwin thing either. His resume seems impressive to me for someone coming up through the FCS ranks. Do people have inside information on him or something? He was a HC of an elite FCS program, doesn’t that count? I like it better than someone who has just been an OC/DC. I’m not saying he has to be the candidate, but there would be no shame in landing him.

      • It’s mostly the lackluster performance of Cal’s offense so far.

        I don’t think he would be terrible, he just wouldn’t be an exciting hire at this point. I would be convinced if his assistant picks looked good.

          • I don’t think there’s hard evidence on him at this level either way. I’d just like to see his offense outside the bottom quartile in the nation.

          • Cal is going bowling this year. Big step up from the last place in Pac-12 all the pundits predicted. If Barnes does his job right though Beau won’t coach their Bowl Game and will get going at Oregon State.

            Hopefully Leach doesn’t leave WSU or their fans will want Beau as much as OSU does and increase his price. I believe Leach stays which works in OSU’s favor.

            Would like to see OSU structure a 5 year deal with Beau with incentives for winning. Like you get quite a bit more by winning than losing. GA knew he’d be paid same regardless.

            Do a 1.5 mil base salary with opportunities to get to 1.8 and even 2 mil with enough winning. Could do it where every Pac-12 win over 2 wins adds 100K. Win 5 Pac-12 games and you are guaranteed 1.8 million. That would be a 7 or 8 win season and far better than anything GA could do for much less. 6 Pac-12 wins, which would be a 8 or 9 win season and Holiday Bowl or Alamo Bowl and you are guaranteed 1.9 million. Tack on another 75K for winning a bowl below the Holiday Bowl and 100K for Holiday Bowl or above. So say a good 8-9 win season, with 6 Pac-12 wins, where Beavs win Holiday or Alamo Bowl, Beau earns 2 million.

            For a Rose Bowl appearance add 150K and add 300K for a Rose Bowl win. So if Beau had 7 Pac-12 wins and 10 overall and it was enough to make Rose Bowl but we lost, he would make 2.15 million and 2.3 million if we actually won a Rose Bowl.

            Let the wins be 90% of the rewards and put extensions in the back of your mind until you are at the final couple years of the deal and can assess.

            All this would probably need a slight escalator. Maybe first year you could get away with a 1.4 million base and increase it only 50K a year. Then in Year 3 of a 5 year deal he has the 1.5 million base and in the 5th year a 1.6 million base. In that case the example above with a 1.5 base would be the average over a 5 year deal. Something like this that actually pays much more for winning Pac-12 games versus losing them is key.

            Will be very interested to see how Cal and Beau do against Khalil Tate and Arizona tonight at 5pm on Pac-12 Network. Expecting a score like 35-30 one way or the other. Arizona is getting production from Tate so should be a good game with both offenses having to produce.

      • I was meh on Baldwin until I looked at the names being thrown around…

        Mike Norvell? That Flordia dude who can’t even win at FL and costs 5 mil!? Meh!

        • We all thought GA was a splash hire and it turned out to be Fool’s Gold. I’m sort of ambivalent at this point, I think anyone would be an upgrade over GA and his staff of mostly dysfunctional numbnuts. I’m even curious to see if Hall can truly do anything. I think the Stanford game is his one real test to show something more than the expected blow out. He has a bye week to prepare, can he change the trajectory, by either winner or playing Tree tough?

          • I’m ambivalent, too, except for the fact these salaries being discussed are nuts, and I don’t want us to overpay. Even with GA at 2.5 that buyout was too large for us.

          • I would pay maximum-plus for someone like Chip Kelly and that’s about it (I understand his interest is most likely a fantasy). Les Miles is another bat shit crazy like GA. I would run the other way. You do it like every other fair to middling Power 5 program………..you find a successful non-Power 5 coach, an elite FCS HC or a hot OC/DC and roll the dice.

          • You do it like every other fair to middling Power 5 program………..you find a successful non-Power 5 coach, an elite FCS HC or a hot OC/DC and roll the dice.

            All of this except the FCS head coach is correct. Really bad non-P5 teams take chances on FCS head coaches. Fair to middling FBS teams do not do this. Hiring an FCS head coach would be admitting that we think of ourselves as a bad non-P5 team.

      • It’s about the same, except they didn’t falter on hoops for 20 years like we did. Ames is a great town. Just imagine Corvallis with no ocean or mountains nearby. You do pretty much get a straight shot at Omaha, KC, Chicago and the twin cities from there.

        • I’ve heard Ames is a charming city/town. Lots of technology start-ups and UI has some outstanding curricula – dermatology in their medical school and writing in liberal arts, for example.

          • Wrong school. The med school is in Iowa City at the U of Iowa, which is very much like Corvallis.
            Iowa State has a nice campus, but that is about it, unless your idea of scenery is looking at a Barilla Pasta plant.

      • Kempt 4 rushes for 32 yards. I like game managers that win and can throw a td pass or two when needed. Lanning had 14 tackles and 1 qbh, and 5 yards rushing on 3 att.

        • Lanning is a stud. You can just tell the team gets up for him.

          One of those runs set up their first TD. I thought at first they were having success because they were platooning QBs. Then I looked into it and found out about how the team just loves to play with Lanning. It’s Joel this and Joel that. Kempt is just the guy who plays QB most of the time.

          The kid’s like Urlacher was at UNM.

          Kempt is fine. I always liked his skill set. But let’s not make him out to be anything more than he is. He’s not making mistakes, and that keeps him on the field.

    • 2nd time I’ve posted this, but I do recall when KK left – he had a photo on his twitter account of his mom and the packed car. He seemed sad. I fear the Beavs are going to take a long time to get over Andersen’s bravado decisions to clean house. The only benefit is a negative example to, not just OSU, but coaches everywhere when they take over a program with leftover rosters..

      • Sorry, but this narrative is just bunk.

        None of the QBs who left have been any better than the QBs who stayed when compared against like competition. Kempt has been serviceable, but he’s not the leader on that ISU team Lanning is the man there. MM hasn’t done anything special. He still can’t make certain passes, which is likely why Tedford doesn’t call those plays… ever. LDR is a deep bencher on an O that is far worse than ours.

        Am I missing some other QB whose mediocre performance against nobody in particular (save Kempt against Okie) somehow makes this narrative true?

  55. OT: my family is coming up to visit this weekend, so I’m going to be taking them around and out of commission starting now. If the alter-admins want to create a new thread go for it. See you guys Monday!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here