If I had to guess. Applewhite will come in at $1.25MM - $1.4MM in annual salary with a very large assistant budget. UH has learned its lesson on going cheap with assistants.
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Major is quite capable of finding a good DC.
Herman started at $1.7M I thought. Doubt we pay him less than what we started him at.
I think Herman was at $1.35MM starting, then incentives took him higher by the end of the year.
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And googling around you’re right. 1.35m + incentives.
Well s***.
Well, that’s how it goes. Orlando has been classy and nothing but professional the past few weeks. I’m not mad at him.
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Can’t say I blame him. Just wish he was going anywhere other than Austin.
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That’s disappointing. Understandable but will have to root against him as soon as he puts on the burnt orange.
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This all but ensures that Herman will be successful. Without CTO I think Herman would struggle. I hope that there is some way that we can change his mind.
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Or he could take up a HC position elsewhere. He’s “ready.”
Gibbs was pretty good and the B12 offenses ate him up. Charlie Strong has always been a strong D mind and they ate him up too. This could be a career flat liner for Orlando as well. Time will tell.
I think personnel like the Jack Boys and some of the solid Levine defensive recruits (ERob, Taylor etc) had as much to do with the execution of defense these past 3 years, proof being the injury games like Navy where the D got wiped.
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All UH’s best wins for the last two seasons was because of Orlando’s outstanding D. Not because of the O.
If you watch college FB you will see that there are way more young quality OC’s than DC’s. You will also note that the best College FB teams have quality D’s and are playing in the play-off.
Tempe had a boring O but played in the 1st and 2nd AAC Championship game and won the second. Clemson, Washington, OSU and of course Alabama have outstanding D’s.
So will UT send UH a thank-you note after they play in their first college FB playoff and win it all. Not because of the exciting O of Herman but the super D that Orlando will create with all those 4 and 5 star players he will be able to recruit. Will be interesting to see if UH can hold onto that 4 star LB recruit. I expect to see Chauvison(?) and one or two outstanding DL from the Houston area going to sign with UT. Why not. Orlando coached a D that shut down Louisville, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Florida St. while coaching up a 5 star FR and calling D sets to help him become an AA in his first year. (Yes Oliver is exceptional athlete, but with an exceptional DC he becomes the best DT in all of college FB.)
The UH selection committee sends their best to UT FB and hopes they remember UH when Orlando’s D and Herman’s safe O wins it all.
So get ready for average to poor D and good O. It has been a very long time since UH had a D that could shut down an undefeated BIG12 Championship team along with a Heisman finalist at QB. Thanks coach Orlando, it was fun while it lasted.
Good point. Someone had mentioned about Craig Naivar stepping up to DC if CTo leaves. I think that would be interesting and possibly a good hire if CMA can get to him before Herman does.
Neither operates in a vacuum. It took both to win the games we won.
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Pretty sure Herman already got to him. Naivar is gone after the bowl game.
Ed Oliver is likely (and understandably) bummed out about Orlando (potentially) leaving, too, but hopefully, not too bummed out.
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Oliver will be good; he was on board with Major as well. We were going to lose either if the other was hired.
Still, Gibbs was able to do well with this defense before he left; a lot of the wins during the Levine era were due to the defense as well. Defense has a lot to do with personnel and then coaching them up. We have the right players and Applewhite will hopefully find another DC that can use them correctly.
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Hey @pray10: You called it (the hire). 
Great thoughts. But I have a sincere question: how do you know how good Applewhite’s Texas connections are? I hope it’s true that he’s got deep connections, but I was wondering what your thoughts were.