Herman only signed two classes and one was a transition class after he spent early January coaching in the CFP. It’s hard to blame in recruiting issues on him other than the fact that he left so quickly and he stole some of our 2017 recruits. Because of the signing day move to December, Applewhite had 3 classes with one transition class.
I remember Applewhite saying something at the first signing day party around them not really having a strategy to recruiting under Herman while he was there. Applewhite said he was focused on changing that. I don’t remember specifics but it was something like that. I guess that strategy didn’t quite work out.
No, I don’t really blame anyone specifically. Herman’s first class was going to be problematic because of the change and late start. It’s interesting that Levine’s last group was his lowest rated, yet it included 14 players who started or contributed in a meaningful way. It seems many of the transfers Applewhite brought in were injured or not helpful. Hopefully Holgorsen will have better luck with that.
You just need to look at the quality transfers coming to UH to see players want to play for CDH, and the key word is play. Most will see the field right away if not start.
I’m excited about who we’re bringing in, but I also was excited about Chambers, Owens, Anderson, Watkins, Carr, Singleton, etc. I think Carmouche is going to start making his presence felt in a big way this year. UH is uniquely situated to benefit from transfers, so I hope we continue to go after them. But few are sure things anymore than recruits are. Given injuries really none of them are.
Herman was spending his time recruiting the 2017 class with eyes of taking most of them with him when he left. Applewhite was able to salvage Bryson Smith who Herman wanted badly, but Herman got most of the others that he had room for while some other guys ended up taking other offers.
It honestly might have been better for us if he had taken the South Carolina job after 2015. Probably wouldn’t have hired Applewhite as the pool of candidates available would have been much better: Mike Norvell, Willie Fritz, Seth Litrell. Only problem is we may lose some of that great 2016 signing class and we may not beat OU and Louisville (or win the Peach Bowl in 2015).
I respectfully disagree. As much as I hated the way the rest of the 2016 season played out, I’d much rather have had the success we had with TH, as short-lived as it was. Besides beating some stout competition, his tenure revitalized the program immensely, way more than anyone could have predicted. I’d take that over the perceived stability and who knows if the other guys you mentioned would have stuck around given the same success. That 2016 team is still mentioned as a true possible CFP contender had TH focused on winning instead of Austin. (I am saying that knowing people agree/disagree on that point, so please, don’t want to start that debate…My point is that because of the success earlier that season, we are still the example the conversation)
Things happen for a reason.
Totally agree about Herman. He was an ass but he knows how to coach. Equally important, he’s shown how to assemble a high quality staff capable of coaching kids up. He didn’t even know Orlando but plucked him from USU after seeing what he did there with limited talent. With Applewhite the writing was on the wall after he hired and fired his first year OC then turned around and hired a horrible DC.
So far I’m encouraged with CDH’s hires on both sides of the ball, as well as the recruits he’s Bri going in to fill specific needs. And he’s right, you can’t win a championship without a strong defense.
Yeah that’s a good point. Applewhite was considered the heir-apparent by a lot of folks in the state who weren’t UH fans while many UH fans didn’t understand him getting the job. I remember checking the list of college hires that year, and he was seemingly as solid a choice as anyone else at a G5. It was kind of like the year Levine was hired. There just weren’t a lot of top coordinators or smaller school head coaches on the market, at least not ones that hadn’t been hired by Purdue and so on. After hiring a new coach about every three years I came to the conclusion that UH had to find a means to develop some kind of continuity. I saw what Boise and TCU had done by hiring within and keeping a good thing going and thought that could be the way to go for us. It’s not as if Chris Peterson or Gary Patterson were considered homerun hires when they were chosen. Of course I didn’t dream we’d be able to hire a successful Big 12 coach who actually wanted to be here.
Ehh … A coach’s personality or “swagger” has little to do with winning, IMO. I can think of few people more reserved or who had less swagger than Bill Snyder, yet I’m not sure he wasn’t the best coach in college football the past 20 years. In a conference with Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska (for most years), etc. he won two Big 12 championships, four divisional titles, and was named conference coach of the year three times at Kansas State. If you’re my age or close to it you know that Kansas State before Snyder was to college football sort of what Idaho, Rice, or New Mexico State has been the last 20 or so years. Having said that I also think Holgorsen will do very well here.
Well when your coaching budget is more than doubled from what your predecessor worked with, is it any surprise?!?
It makes me wonder if Applewhite was a place holder until Tilman could get his guy, i.e. Holgerson. I am starting to think more and more Applewhite was never given the financial resources or support needed to really succeed for that very reason. Part of me thinks that Applewhite, himself, knew it and was just hoping to do well enough to leverage another job out of it.
I don’t see Applewhite doing any better with a bigger budget. I never heard about anybody he wanted but couldn’t get. He was a first time head coach, DH is in a much different position, and demands more money.
His budget isn’t really double. It increased a good bit but not double. The $4.5M assistant budget reported for Holgs included support staff. The $2.3M assistant budget brought up for Major included only his on the field staff. He had another $1M or so in support staff.
As for not enough support, he was given a similar budget as Herman. He was also given more money last year to keep Briles and Clements. I’m guessing they were going to let him spend on a new DC too before it all unraveled on him.
