Have our AD’s been that good to select 3 of the last 4 coaches. Go out and get a good coach and let him bring in good asst coaches and we will be ok. It is getting old but it’s never been easy being a coog.
Herman’s blueprint was the best we’ve had in 40 years. Every time this happens, I hear the same refrain of “Just hire a good yadda yadda”… Briles never won a big game at UH and his defenses were swiss cheese. Sumlin’s defenses were terrible until his last year. Levine was a disaster from day 1.
It’s not plug and play.
The loss of Herman is huge and is going to be hard to replicate.
Briles is a piece of crap but he did win a conference championship so technically he did win a big game.
Scumlin won some big games as well but I’ve got zero love lost on that guy.
By big game I mean Louisville type games.
While it may hurt to lose CTH, he did not succeed alone. He also had great assistants to work for him, great Levine recruits that matured, a talented and resilient Greg Ward Jr., and the administration’s commitment to pay more than other G5 programs. (Let’s also not forget a fan base that showed up to help win some really close games. )
I am optimistic that if the administration continues the commitment to pay top money, not just for the Head Coach position, but for the assistants too, we have an excellent chance to be successful.
Greg Ward was the main reason why UH won big for the last two years.
Yep, assistants are key.
That would be a worry if we do hire Orlando as we don’t know his network or who he could pull. His coaching stops before Houston are UCONN, FIU, & Utah State so no P5 level coaching stops and no good offenses.
How much of the current staff is he able to keep? Would Applewhite be willing to stay on? How much influence has he had on recruiting? Would be a big risk giving him his first head job at this moment in time.
Best case scenario would be to pull a current P5 coach and try to keep Orlando on as D.C. With a raise.
Sumlin and Keenum went on the road and beat #5 Oklahoma State. I liked the last coach we had, but it is easier to beat top opponents when a non conference game. Beating top ranked in conference opponents will be the ultimate test. The old coach did a great job and some good things, but we can and will flourish without him.
How is it easier?
Agreed, he alone bailed the team out quite a few times.
Orlando will either be UH’s head coach or he will be UT’s DC at $1+ million/year.
How is it easier?
I would look no further than the losses. We lost to conference opponents that were motivated to play us. Navy, UConn, SMU, and Memphis were all motivated to beat us. In order for anything big to happen in college football you usually have to win your conference first. I think the SEC is overrated this year, and the Big 12 is down, but when you play multiple tough games within the conference it gets tough to keep winning those. We whooped Florida State last year. No doubt about that. However, if we had to play them in season during a conference matchup, I think it could have been a very different story. When teams beat us (SMU, and Navy) they stormed the field. Why? because it was a big conference game for them. Those wins by Us (Houston) were huge, and I think the old coach had us relishing the underdog role. Look at the rivalries that matter in conference match ups. How many times do you see a rival who is having a bad year play really well against a conference foe (rival) It just makes a difference. Not only that, if we played Oklahoma as conference foe, play them year and in year out, we don’t beat them every time. The lure of the one David and Goliath game is gone. Just my opinion,
Fair enough. I was just trying to understand your logic there and you make a very valid argument. I agree, the conference games are more important.