We knew going into the 2020 college football season, one of two things would happen with football coaches and athletic directors. Either football coaches would get a pass, due to all the covid restrictions and lack of spring ball and actual practices. Or, athletic directors would treat this as any other year. If you, your coaches, and your team are not performing at what we think they should, we need to re-evaluate. Especially if this is the head football coaches 3rd, 4th, or 5th year of being with the team, and still struggling. We saw the first domino with that. Coach Will Muschamp was fired back on November 15th 2020, after being with the South Carolina Football team since 2016.
The firing of coach Muschamp game after a 59-42 loss to Ole Miss, recording the teams 3rd straight loss. Coach Muschamp was 28-30, but did have 22 wins in his first 3 years with S.C. This record is behind Coach Steve Spurrier who recorded 28 in his first 3 years with the football program. The Gamecocks finished 4-8 a year ago, and lost 14 of their last 20 games. This type of production does not get the job done in the SEC, if you want to be competitive. Pressure should be on S.C. with schools all around them winning, and winning often. This led to Coach Muschamps dismissal, and now the program will be on the hunt for a new head coach.
This has been topic of discussion, on who will or should take over. This is not a program that might hit top of the list for coaches. Only thing that looks good, is that it is in South Carolina, and that it is in the SEC. Its a place that should get players, but for whatever reason does not. It is a school that I feel wants to be great, and wants to compete, just does not do the things needed to get that done. But, maybe this is the time to do so. Finish the season, and have a clean slate to go get a coach and do the things that are needed to be like the rest of the power 5 winners. That starts with culture.
Liberty Head coach Hugh Freeze, Louisiana Billy Napier, Coastal Carolina Jamey Chadwell, Shane Beamer at Oklahoma, and Tony Elliott from Clemson have been the top names for the position. These are not bad choices for the job by any means. Hugh Freeze would be the one that raises some eyebrows, due to what he was involved with at Ole Miss. I mean, using school money to pay for prostitutes may not be the best thing. But, it seems like he has turned it around at Liberty so far. I feel that he needs to stay there for a few years, and if he does well and continues to turn it around, he will land at a power 5 again. Another name that has been brought up, more than what I thought, his coach Jeff Monken.
At first, Coach Monken's name being brought up for the job was a good thing. Big topic of conversation is when will a coach, outside of Paul Johnson that runs the option, get a bigger Division 1 football job or a power 5 job. Its been talk that the reason the coach Ken's of the world and Coach Monken's do not get a big division 1 job is due to not running a spread offense. We have seen this before, when Coach Ken was interviewing to go to Arizona, until the QB tweeted out that he and players would leave if coach Ken was hired and brought that option offense in. Well, we don't need to go in on how that went for Arizona.
I have said on my podcast, and other podcast, that I am a spread guy. I love the spread, whether it is to run the ball, or chuck it around. But I love offense, any offense. I played and coached the option, and I enjoy watching Army and Navy football. Coach Ken and Coach Monken have proven to be good coaches. But, in todays world, a lot of stock goes into what offense a coach will bring in. Boosters want to see points, and want to see tickets get sold. Seeing teams win with a spread offense, lets them believe that is the only way to win. Seeing Mike Leach teams, Alabama, Clemson all run the spread and win pushes that. Seeing LSU go from a pro style offense to the spread and win the National Championship in 1 years, did not help the case for option coaches.
But, more goes into winning rather than what offense you do, defense, or anything. It comes down to recruiting, building relationships, and getting your players to bye into what you are saying and brining to the table. Coach Ken and Coach Monken do exactly that. With Coach Monken's name being brought up, it would be a good hire for S.C. The Gamecocks program needs more than a spread offense or an option offense to come in a fix what is going on. They needs someone to come in, and build a culture. Coach Monken has done so at Army.
Coach Monken was hired to take over Army in December of 2013, after Army went 3-9. Since he has taken over, his coaching record is currently 47-38. Best season so far was in 2018 when the team finished ranked 22nd in the nation and finished with a 11-2 record. Hearing his speeches', and seeing how hard his players play for him, I would be calling him if I was South Carolina. But, the longer this has been rumored, the more you are seeing push back of even talking to Coach Monken. Seeing fans say how they will stop watching, or going to the games. I am sure there might even be talks from boosters on hiring a Coach Monken with that option offense. Sorry fans, you need to get over it.
Has life being a South Carolina fan been that great that you really think a Coach Monken doesn't deserve a shot? Now, I am a Illini fan, so not saying that my team wins championships. But, from being a coach and fan, I can tell your team has problems outside of offense or defense. It is time to build a culture and establish something. You fans, need check out coach Monken's coaching career. He has coached for Paul Johnson, and learned how to win. Helped each team he has been at win. With Navy and Georgia Southern. Even turning around a struggling Army Football program.
Sorry South Carolina, you are not Alabama and trying to replace Nick Saban. Or Clemson trying to replace Dabo. You do not really get the luxury of being picky on who should take over. I think it is time that coach Monken get's a shot at a bigger program. It is time to really look at the Coach and how they run a program, and build a culture. And then look at what they do x and o wise on the field. That can always be tweaked and adjusted by the coach with their game plans.
Now, true flexbone and true option coaches may not like this next part. I think Coach Monken is not completely married to the flexbone option. If memory serves me right, he had dabbled in Pistol option while his time at Georgia Southern. I feel that would be the route he would go if he got hired at South Carolina. He goes with the kind of players he has, and recruits. At Army, he has very tough and very disciplined players, because they are at Army for a bigger reason than football.
So, dear South Carolina fans, and booster, hire coach Monken. He will bring in very tough players. He will bring in a very tough and very successful culture. He will be able to bring in kids that will bye in and play tough. He will adapt to his players. If he can run a pistol option, and also under center, he will. He will not go full spread, but if he can adapt his option and keep the core principles, he will. That is what a good coach does and he will do that.
Dear boosters, please read the paragraph above. Also, it will take a few years. You need to have Coach Monken's back and support him. This will just make the process go faster. You can not say after 2 years, "oh, we have not won yet, option doesn't work, next!" I promise, if you hire Coach Monken for the coach he is, and not the offense, you will become a tough competitor in the SEC.
South Carolina fans, get over it.
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