Okay, that's hyperbole. There are actually more than two choices. But the way I see it, there are two potential new head coaches at UH that could just be tremendous hires, and I really can't think of anyone who matches these two as a candidate. We need to hire a great coach and create some buzz. Both would do that.
Herman is clearly one. We've covered him pretty extensively. To hit the high points . . . well, there's a new one. He won the Broyles Award for the nation's best assistant coach. That's not too shabby. I think this is the speech he gave as one of the finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnXZdITeMK0
He's at one of the bluest-blooded of the blueblood programs. He's arguably the best QB assistant coach in the country. He's extremely bright and competent. He coached for 10 years in Texas, two of those in Houston and four pretty much in Greater Houston. Also coached in the Big 12 for two years and recruited Texas from Iowa State. The demotion or possibly firing of Bush today would seemingly end any suspense about him being named OC. So it's hard not to think of him as a tape-measure homerun hire.
The other guy who intrigues me greatly and to whom I MIGHT turn if there were some kind of problems with Herman AND I could negotiate a HUGE buyout would be Lane Kiffin. The guy was OC at USC when he was like 29 years old. He was head coach of the Raiders in his early 30s. He didn't really fail at USC. He won 10 games and the South Division his 2nd year. He had a winning record in '12 and '13 when he was fired, but USC had been hit with the loss of 30 scholarships three years before. That's a huge blow. And if Herman isn't the "QB whisperer," Kiffin may be. The first-year starter at Alabama led the SEC in passing efficiency and was 8th nationally. Anyway, if you want to make the biggest splash possible and hear UH about 20 times on national TV over the next month, hire him. And I have no doubt he'd win big. He is, of course, risky, and that's why Herman is my first choice. But you do wonder if working with Saban hasn't been just what the doctor ordered for him. If it were Kiffin, negotiate a huge buyout and get ready for a lot of PR and a lot of winning football.
http://alabama.247sports.com/Bolt/Video-Lane-Kiffins-speech-at-the-Broyles-Award-ceremony-33718011
Herman is clearly one. We've covered him pretty extensively. To hit the high points . . . well, there's a new one. He won the Broyles Award for the nation's best assistant coach. That's not too shabby. I think this is the speech he gave as one of the finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnXZdITeMK0
He's at one of the bluest-blooded of the blueblood programs. He's arguably the best QB assistant coach in the country. He's extremely bright and competent. He coached for 10 years in Texas, two of those in Houston and four pretty much in Greater Houston. Also coached in the Big 12 for two years and recruited Texas from Iowa State. The demotion or possibly firing of Bush today would seemingly end any suspense about him being named OC. So it's hard not to think of him as a tape-measure homerun hire.
The other guy who intrigues me greatly and to whom I MIGHT turn if there were some kind of problems with Herman AND I could negotiate a HUGE buyout would be Lane Kiffin. The guy was OC at USC when he was like 29 years old. He was head coach of the Raiders in his early 30s. He didn't really fail at USC. He won 10 games and the South Division his 2nd year. He had a winning record in '12 and '13 when he was fired, but USC had been hit with the loss of 30 scholarships three years before. That's a huge blow. And if Herman isn't the "QB whisperer," Kiffin may be. The first-year starter at Alabama led the SEC in passing efficiency and was 8th nationally. Anyway, if you want to make the biggest splash possible and hear UH about 20 times on national TV over the next month, hire him. And I have no doubt he'd win big. He is, of course, risky, and that's why Herman is my first choice. But you do wonder if working with Saban hasn't been just what the doctor ordered for him. If it were Kiffin, negotiate a huge buyout and get ready for a lot of PR and a lot of winning football.
http://alabama.247sports.com/Bolt/Video-Lane-Kiffins-speech-at-the-Broyles-Award-ceremony-33718011
