re: The Official Coaching Search Thread- updates in OP

Not my first choice, but I can get on board with it if he brings a kick arse staff with him.

The rant sure is fun right now

I'm very, very much against this hire. I can't even rationalize it to feel better about.

Let the writers write what they want about "redemption" and "maybe he has figured it out," but this is the opposite direction of where we needed to go, from a purely objective standpoint.

Give the fanbase and players someone to be excited about. Don't give us a guy we just watched go down in flames at a program where it is very easy to win. How can this be good for morale?

Sure, maybe he can assemble a staff that works - but that's a big maybe. It's a huge risk at a time when our program is very shaky. He couldn't do it in four years at Florida, and I don't believe he'll be able to do it here.

IMO, Tanner has failed big time if we actually hire Muschamp.

I think Boom will be a good coach, congrats if he is the guy. He knows his stuff, just walked into a horrible situation post-Meyer at UF. Just like Kirby at UGA, the OC hire will be the most important component of their success.

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If Muschamp gets your D going and a reasonable offense, your fans will be excited.

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Of course, I was referring more to this offseason. Morale is low for the Gamecocks, and we need a resurgence and rejuvenation.

I know Muschamp will bring us a stout D and great recruits. If he brings in a good staff, we'll be excited. If we're winning, his energy will be infectious.

But these are big IFs. My biggest fear is that his first season at SC is decent, and we all buy into it, but then the same problems he had at Florida arise (inability to sustain a good staff/QB) and we start to fall again in 2017. I just can't fathom watching our program fail even more, and that's what I'm nervous about.

Probably thinking too far ahead, but I just would prefer a coach who brings more of an unknown than a lot of questions. That's why I was on board for Riley.

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What kind of connections does a 32 year old kid have that has never been in the SEC have to assemble a staff? Who would he assemble for a defensive staff?

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This, of course, is a legitimate concern with him. However, we know what we're getting with a 32 year old: someone who will require time to get on his feet. We're not expecting a Tom Herman, though I think there are some telling parallels between them. He has a lot of Texas connections, and he is highly respected for what he has done at Oklahoma. Word is that Riley and Kerry Cooks are close, and I'm not sure of other names in particular that he could bring, but we have the money to pay for an upper tier DC. He would also have the time to assemble it correctly, and bring a new look to the South Carolina program.

The feeling is different with Muschamp. He was in a similar situation at Florida that Riley would be in with us, except Riley could operate without the overbearing expectations of a prestigious program. Muschamp had four years to get the formula of how to win at least 9 games at Florida (FLORIDA) right, and he couldn't do it.

We're not going to be overbearing, but Gamecock fans will be very vocal if Muschamp goes two seasons without being in contention for the East.

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There is no arguing that Muschamp's offenses at Florida were God awful, like hard to watch awful, but you've got to think he'll learn from it.

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We're expecting that Muschamp has learned what it means to be a good HC in the whole 13 months that he has been fired from Florida. He worked under Malzahn who has raised a lot of questions from Auburn fans this year, so it's not like he got to study from an established and brilliant (yet) coach. We're going to be patient, but Muschamp will get less patience than Riley would. If he hires an OC that doesn't pan out in his first year, the natural reaction would be that we're just getting more of the same from Muschamp, and I would just prefer to not be in that situation of nervous uncertainty.

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If we hire Muschamp, he's going to give us 110% because this is his last chance.

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No doubt. That's a good quality about Muschamp, but I think our program is too fragile right now to take a gamble on a coach who is on his last chance. It's very concerning. I would prefer to take Muschamp after he's at least had a couple decent seasons at a mid-level job, but we're not. We're taking him after he was fired from a program far better than ours, and our recruiting prowess has taken a hit. It just brings very uneasy feelings.

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That's a good quality about Muschamp, but I think our program is too fragile right now to take a gamble on a coach who is on his last chance.

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But that fragility also cuts both ways. Herman likely stepped away from the opportunity here because he saw the shape that things were in. He wasn't going to roll the dice on us when/if his goal is to takeover tOSU or UT.

In many ways, Muschamp and USC need each other. The fans need his energy, commitment, and desperation. He needs the opportunity at redemption, which in turn will make him very loyal if things work out well. He knows what the program is capable of more than any candidate NOT named Elliott or Beamer.

He's a risk, no doubt. But taking this job is a risk for him, too.

I know he's only been out of Florida for a bit, but I guess I'm thinking of myself as an example. I was young when I got my first real job, but it was after a lot of school. Coming in, I was wowed with what they put on the table, but soon learned that everything wasn't quite what I thought. The next job I went to, I knew what I needed, what I didn't, what fights I should fight and which ones to let go. I understood the importance of staffing and relationships--how to be an effective manager and still, I try at least, being personable.

It's one of those things, I think, that you don't know what you don't know. Some head coaches are lucky and kind of fall into greatness, but most have to learn on the job what does and doesn't work. I'm praying that Muschamp now understands why he failed at Florida, what he would do differently, and can apply those lessons at USC.

Ask me 6 weeks ago who I wanted, he wouldn't have been near the top of the list, but the landscape changes. Personally, I still think there are a few candidates out there I would consider strongly over Muschamp, but it's just as a fan and not behind the scenes.

JMO but this is a shite hire.
We are not a powerful enough program to succeed with "the first one to score 9 wins".
shite that didnt even work at florida.


Dabo is going to play up the unstable rage-aholic angle and eat us alive on the recruiting trail.
If he keeps elliot and / or Jr i might go catatonic.

My only hope is that his price tag is low enough that we can put together a dream team staff.