OT: Lincoln Riley

[18IsTheMan]

Haven't really kept up with SoCal at all this year, since I have no reason to. Just saw where they are 3-4 (1-4). First year started out exciting enough with an 11-3 (8-1) record. That dropped to 8-5 (5-4) last year. Only one of their losses was to a team currently ranked.

Just saw an article today listing 5 candidates to replace Riley. The fans seem to be over the Riley era.

Along with several other coaches this year, namely Mike Norvell, his buyout of $80 million (estimated since So Cal is a private institution) likely keeps him safe.

I read an article yesterday, but can't find it now, listing 5 or 6 coaches who would probably be fired, if not for their buyouts. Norvell, Riley and Stoops are the ones I can recall.

 

[will110]

Haven't really kept up with SoCal at all this year, since I have no reason to. Just saw where they are 3-4 (1-4). First year started out exciting enough with an 11-3 (8-1) record. That dropped to 8-5 (5-4) last year. Only one of their losses was to a team currently ranked.

Just saw an article today listing 5 candidates to replace Riley. The fans seem to be over the Riley era.

Along with several other coaches this year, namely Mike Norvell, his buyout of $80 million (estimated since So Cal is a private institution) likely keeps him safe.

I read an article yesterday, but can't find it now, listing 5 or 6 coaches who would probably be fired, if not for their buyouts. Norvell, Riley and Stoops are the ones I can recall.

I wouldn't be shocked if Stoops leaves for another job, even if it's a job that would appear lesser than Kentucky. I can see parallels with Calipari in Stoops. I guess the main question is would anyone want him?

 

[18IsTheMan]

I wouldn't be shocked if Stoops leaves for another job, even if it's a job that would appear lesser than Kentucky. I can see parallels with Calipari in Stoops. I guess the main question is would anyone want him?

I don't really see the unrest with UK fans. Are they down this year? Yeah. But it's UK. It's not like they've fallen off a cliff from their usual standards.

If I'm him, there's no way I leave. He's the 9th highest paid coach in the nation. Ain't nobody else giving him that kind of money. Not close.

Maybe if Lincoln gets canned, we can hire him as OC. Give him the chance to rehab his reputation in the premier football conference. And think of the story lines with Garrett at Clemson and Lincoln here.

 

[RUMMENIGGE]

Southern California should not lose to Minnesota and Maryland. Maybe Riley should relocate to the Big 12, ACC or AAC.

Why did Bryan Harsin have a short leash, but Freeze has all the time in the world at Auburn

Quickly and quietly, Temple needs to replace their football coach.

Napier is not out of the woods yet.

 

[will110]

I don't really see the unrest with UK fans. Are they down this year? Yeah. But it's UK. It's not like they've fallen off a cliff from their usual standards.

If I'm him, there's no way I leave. He's the 9th highest paid coach in the nation. Ain't nobody else giving him that kind of money. Not close.

Maybe if Lincoln gets canned, we can hire him as OC. Give him the chance to rehab his reputation in the premier football conference. And think of the story lines with Garrett at Clemson and Lincoln here.

We know he was already looking to leave last year, though. He burned a lot of goodwill with his flirtation with A&M.

I don't think the fan base has turned on him like they had with Calipari, but it easily could depending on how UK finishes the season. Getting crushed by Florida and losing to Vanderbilt is not a good way to engender optimism.

I read their message board some after our win against them and they were not happy at all. I imagine that's gotten a bit worse with how things have gone so far.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Southern California should not lose to Minnesota and Maryland. Maybe Riley should relocate to the Big 12, ACC or AAC.

Why did Bryan Harsin have a short leash, but Freeze has all the time in the world at Auburn

Quickly and quietly, Temple needs to replace their football coach.

Napier is not out of the woods yet.

Ah, yes, Freeze was one of the other coaches mentioned.

Is anyone really surprised by the results? Never really understood why some in our fan were clamoring for him. He cheated his ever loving tail off at Ole Miss to make them pretty good. His singular greatest accomplishment was beating Saban twice (which is how it's always worded...not that he beat Alabama...he beat Nick Saban).

I just didn't see him finding great success now he wouldn't have the cheating advantage he had his first go-round.

Interesting comparison to Harsin, though. First year records were identical. So far, Freeze's second year very closely mirrors Harsin's. It seemed Auburn wanted to get rid of Harsin almost a soon as he signed his contract.

 

[RUMMENIGGE]

I don't really see the unrest with UK fans. Are they down this year? Yeah. But it's UK. It's not like they've fallen off a cliff from their usual standards.

If I'm him, there's no way I leave. He's the 9th highest paid coach in the nation. Ain't nobody else giving him that kind of money. Not close.

Maybe if Lincoln gets canned, we can hire him as OC. Give him the chance to rehab his reputation in the premier football conference. And think of the story lines with Garrett at Clemson and Lincoln here.

A lot of ruckus in Lexington after Kentucky loss to Vanderbilt.

 

[18IsTheMan]

We know he was already looking to leave last year, though. He burned a lot of goodwill with his flirtation with A&M.

I don't think the fan base has turned on him like they had with Calipari, but it easily could depending on how UK finishes the season. Getting crushed by Florida and losing to Vanderbilt is not a good way to engender optimism.

I read their message board some after our win against them and they were not happy at all. I imagine that's gotten a bit worse with how things have gone so far.

Yeah, A&M would have been a significant step up, though. After get shot down there, he likely knows UK is the best he's ever gonna do.

As far as the fans, I just see it contextually. Kentucky fans, of all teams, feel like they are above having a down year or two?

 

[Piscis]

A lot of ruckus in Lexington after Kentucky loss to Vanderbilt.

I was in Louisville for a wedding when they lost to us. There was a lot of ruckus after that game. Their fans were most unhappy.

 

[will110]

Yeah, A&M would have been a significant step up, though. After get shot down there, he likely knows UK is the best he's ever gonna do.

As far as the fans, I just see it contextually. Kentucky fans, of all teams, feel like they are above having a down year or two?

I didn't say it was rational, just that it's happening. Kentucky expected a strong season and they're not getting it. I perused their On3 board a moment ago and found this poll result. Obviously it's not a huge response overall, but fans paying money for insider content are likely going to be "real" fans who closely follow the program.

 

[18IsTheMan]

A lot of ruckus in Lexington after Kentucky loss to Vanderbilt.

Oh, yeah, I know they're unhappy. But, I mean, Vandy did also beat Alabama. They aren't a garbage team. I know it looks bad on paper to lose to Vandy, but they're a solid team this year.

To my point above, though, it's funny that UK fans have an inflated view of their program's standing. Prior to Stoops (and excluding a brief 4-year stretch under Rich Brooks), UK was just an every once in a while bowl team. Stoops has taken them to 8 in a row. Prior to their current streak, their previous 8 bowl appearances covered a span of 17 years (1993-2010) Now they've been to 8 in 8 years. They might miss one this y ear and their fans are like "This is unacceptable! We're the University of freaking Kentucky!"

As it is, they've got Auburn, Murray State and Louisville on the schedule, so they may still eke out 6 wins and a bowl.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I didn't say it was rational, just that it's happening. Kentucky expected a strong season and they're not getting it. I perused their On3 board a moment ago and found this poll result. Obviously it's not a huge response overall, but fans paying money for insider content are likely going to be "real" fans who closely follow the program.

View attachment 676967

Well, they went in on Vandagriff, which is where most of the preseason optimism was founded. He's just not nearly as good as folks thought he might be.

 

[will110]

Oh, yeah, I know they're unhappy. But, I mean, Vandy did also beat Alabama. They aren't a garbage team. I know it looks bad on paper to lose to Vandy, but they're a solid team this year.

To my point above, though, it's funny that UK fans have an inflated view of their program's standing. Prior to Stoops (and excluding a brief 4-year stretch under Rich Brooks), UK was just an every once in a while bowl team. Stoops has taken them to 8 in a row. Prior to their current streak, their previous 8 bowl appearances covered a span of 17 years (1993-2010) Now they've been to 8 in 8 years. They might miss one this y ear and their fans are like "This is unacceptable! We're the University of freaking Kentucky!"

As it is, they've got Auburn, Murray State and Louisville on the schedule, so they may still eke out 6 wins and a bowl.

Plenty of Carolina fans saying the same thing about Beamer and 6 wins!

 

[Piscis]

Yeah, A&M would have been a significant step up, though. After get shot down there, he likely knows UK is the best he's ever gonna do.

As far as the fans, I just see it contextually. Kentucky fans, of all teams, feel like they are above having a down year or two?

The UK fans I know would be fine with 7-8 win seasons and a bowl trip every year and a 9 or 10 win season thrown in as a bonus every decade or so. They feel like Stoops is being paid enough that 6 wins isn't enough. They are all first and foremost basketball fans but they don't want their football team to be embarrassing. They don't get upset when they lose to a team they see as historically better than they are i.e. UF, UGA, UT, Bama but they hate losing to a team like Carolina that they view as sort of their football equal. The loss to Vandy really struck a nerve. Vandy was always their "sure thing" as far as a conference win. The losses to us and Vandy have made them question whether or not Stoops is mailing it in now that he is getting the big bucks.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Plenty of Carolina fans saying the same thing about Beamer and 6 wins!

Difference is, we're a school that, presumably, is a football first, second, third, fourth and fifth school. Football is peripheral at UK, in the big picture.

 

[Piscis]

Well, they went in on Vandagriff, which is where most of the preseason optimism was founded. He's just not nearly as good as folks thought he might be.

Vandagriff is the classic private Christian school 5 star. He put up gaudy numbers against very weak competition. He left UGA because he could see he wasn't ever going to play any meaningful snaps.

 

[Piscis]

Difference is, we're a school that, presumably, is a football first, second, third, fourth and fifth school. Football is peripheral at UK, in the big picture.

According to a lot of folks around here, Carolina is a women's basketball school first and foremost.

 

[18IsTheMan]

According to a lot of folks around here, Carolina is a women's basketball school first and foremost.

Well, I knew that comment would generate this response, lol (way to derail my own thread). Nobody actually thinks that, though. Is it the sport at which we are the most successful? Yes. So in that sense, yes, we're a girl's basketball school.

However, I flat-out guarantee if you polled the entire Gamecock fan base with the simple question "If you could pick one sport in which to be a perennial contender, which would it be?" football would be the overwhelming choice. No question. Hands down. Not saying we don't have girl's basketball fans in the fan base and for some in our fan base, that's their favorite sport. But football is the sport the daunting majority of our fan base wants to be successful in.

 

[RUMMENIGGE]

I was in Louisville for a wedding when they lost to us. There was a lot of ruckus after that game. Their fans were most unhappy.

In my opinion the loss to Vanderbilt was worse than South Carolina. Kentucky just previously played and won at Oxford against Mississippi. Then the team had a bye week to heal some injuries and to clean up some mistakes on the field and keep developing depth. They had a really good crowd for the Vanderbilt game that they usually would not have and they blew it.

Wildcat fans was likely infuriated when Kentucky was four inches from the goal line and ending up going backwards and getting zero points. (laughing at missed field goal).

 

[HI Cock1]

Riley to replace Loggains as OC.

You heard it here first.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Riley to replace Loggains as OC.

You heard it here first.

Uhhh, see post #3, pal! haha

 

[SouthernBelly]

Well, I knew that comment would generate this response, lol (way to derail my own thread). Nobody actually thinks that, though. Is it the sport at which we are the most successful? Yes. So in that sense, yes, we're a girl's basketball school.

However, I flat-out guarantee if you polled the entire Gamecock fan base with the simple question "If you could pick one sport in which to be a perennial contender, which would it be?" football would be the overwhelming choice. No question. Hands down. Not saying we don't have girl's basketball fans in the fan base and for some in our fan base, that's their favorite sport. But football is the sport the daunting majority of our fan base wants to be successful in.

Self-destruction...nice. This reply also based off what Piscis said.

Objectively the way to look at what sport is a school's sport is a combination of fan interest in the sport aside from "your team" and the level of accomplishment of that sport at a school. I agree football is the sport most desired to see greatness in for the Gamecock faithful, but most of the folks on this board (it seems) see the reality there. Women's basketball in general isn't that popular, there's a lot of media push behind making it more popular and there has been for a long time. But most people, including women, are not big fans of it (consider that the WNBA would not be around if it were not for NBA subsidies). Success has garnered attention for Gamecock fans but if they weren't successful very few would care. So the interest there primarily comes from success and not because most people are big fans of the sport itself.

South Carolina is a baseball school. People rarely call it that but it is. Plenty of success over several decades and multiple coaches. Plenty of fan interest. As a sport college baseball will never top football and in most places basketball is the favorite sport, but it's plenty popular here.

 

[will110]

Difference is, we're a school that, presumably, is a football first, second, third, fourth and fifth school. Football is peripheral at UK, in the big picture.

We're a mediocre football school that also has been worse than mediocre in basketball for most of our history. Kentucky is an incredible basketball school with a mediocre football program.

South Carolina and Kentucky are pretty similar programs historically speaking.

Winsipedia - South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Kentucky Wildcats football series history

Winsipedia - Database and infographics of South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Kentucky Wildcats football series history and all-time records, national championships, conference championships, bowl games, wins, bowl record, All-Americans, Heisman winners, and NFL Draft picks

www.winsipedia.com

 

[will110]

Well, I knew that comment would generate this response, lol (way to derail my own thread). Nobody actually thinks that, though. Is it the sport at which we are the most successful? Yes. So in that sense, yes, we're a girl's basketball school.

However, I flat-out guarantee if you polled the entire Gamecock fan base with the simple question "If you could pick one sport in which to be a perennial contender, which would it be?" football would be the overwhelming choice. No question. Hands down. Not saying we don't have girl's basketball fans in the fan base and for some in our fan base, that's their favorite sport. But football is the sport the daunting majority of our fan base wants to be successful in.

I would bet a majority of Kentucky fans would take football success over basketball success as well. Just look at attendance numbers!

 

[will110]

Self-destruction...nice. This reply also based off what Piscis said.

Objectively the way to look at what sport is a school's sport is a combination of fan interest in the sport aside from "your team" and the level of accomplishment of that sport at a school. I agree football is the sport most desired to see greatness in for the Gamecock faithful, but most of the folks on this board (it seems) see the reality there. Women's basketball in general isn't that popular, there's a lot of media push behind making it more popular and there has been for a long time. But most people, including women, are not big fans of it (consider that the WNBA would not be around if it were not for NBA subsidies). Success has garnered attention for Gamecock fans but if they weren't successful very few would care. So the interest there primarily comes from success and not because most people are big fans of the sport itself.

South Carolina is a baseball school. People rarely call it that but it is. Plenty of success over several decades and multiple coaches. Plenty of fan interest. As a sport college baseball will never top football and in most places basketball is the favorite sport, but it's plenty popular here.

Continuing the thread derailment...

From a success standpoint, yes, South Carolina is a baseball school. There is strong fan interest, especially when compared to other baseball programs. However, I don't see how a sport where attendance is never over 8500 can be the most important sport for a school.

Fan interest in baseball when compared to football, men's basketball, and even women's basketball is far less.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I would bet a majority of Kentucky fans would take football success over basketball success as well. Just look at attendance numbers!

Well, Rupp capacity is only 23,000 or so.

By that rationale, Duke football is more important to their fanbase than basketball, and we all know that ain't true. In any universe.

 

[will110]

Well, Rupp capacity is only 23,000 or so.

By that rationale, Duke football is more important to their fanbase than basketball, and we all know that ain't true. In any universe.

Duke's arena is tiny, but it's not like their football team has great attendance. They averaged 34,124 for football last year. Kentucky averaged 60,939.

I'm not saying attendance is the only measure of fan support, but it is an important one.

 

[Gamecock72]

I don't really see the unrest with UK fans. Are they down this year? Yeah. But it's UK. It's not like they've fallen off a cliff from their usual standards.

If I'm him, there's no way I leave. He's the 9th highest paid coach in the nation. Ain't nobody else giving him that kind of money. Not close.

Maybe if Lincoln gets canned, we can hire him as OC. Give him the chance to rehab his reputation in the premier football conference. And think of the story lines with Garrett at Clemson and Lincoln here.

I do not see Lincoln taking a college OC job. I believe he still has enough interest from teams that he could easily get another HC job at one of the open jobs that will be out there this off-season. It is not like he has not had a pretty good HC career for the most part. Sure he might be hitting some hard times at Southern call, but when is the last time any coach has not struggled there? Two of their past failed HCs are pretty successful SEC coaches now.

I also believe if he did take an OC job it would be in the NFL and not college.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Duke's arena is tiny, but it's not like their football team has great attendance. They averaged 34,124 for football last year. Kentucky averaged 60,939.

I'm not saying attendance is the only measure of fan support, but it is an important one.

UK football average attendance 1999: 67,756

UK football average attendance 2022: 61,139

Seems attendance has gotten worse though the program has gotten better.

 

[18IsTheMan]

I do not see Lincoln taking a college OC job. I believe he still has enough interest from teams that he could easily get another HC job at one of the open jobs that will be out there this off-season. It is not like he has not had a pretty good HC career for the most part. Sure he might be hitting some hard times at Southern call, but when is the last time any coach has not struggled there? Two of their past failed HCs are pretty successful SEC coaches now.

I also believe if he did take an OC job it would be in the NFL and not college.

Yes, that was only in jest. Obviously, he would not take an OC job here, or most anywhere in college most likely. IF he did, it would be at a title contender, like Lane did.

 

[SouthernBelly]

Continuing the thread derailment...

From a success standpoint, yes, South Carolina is a baseball school. There is strong fan interest, especially when compared to other baseball programs. However, I don't see how a sport where attendance is never over 8500 can be the most important sport for a school.

Fan interest in baseball when compared to football, men's basketball, and even women's basketball is far less.

I think Founders Park only holds about 8,000 so you're not getting 8500 for a single game. I guess by that metric you'd have to by total attendance relative to stadium/arena size. I don't care to look that up personally. It's worth noting the baseball stadium has been able to sell naming rights. I do not know if that has become common for college baseball, but when it happened at South Carolina it wasn't.

 

[Gamecock72]

Stoops pissed off a lot of Kentucky fans when played with leaving them last year for another job and apparently was ready to take the other job only to have them hire another coach instead. At least that is what I have read. Over on their 24/7 board, there are a lot of fans who seem to want him gone. I have not looked on the On3 site, I do not have an insider subscription on there like I do on 24/7.

 

[Gamecock72]

Yes, that was only in jest. Obviously, he would not take an OC job here, or most anywhere in college most likely. IF he did, it would be at a title contender, like Lane did.

Yep, but unlike Lane, he has had more successful years as a college HC than what Lane had when he was canned from Southern Cal. Lane really needed that time working under Saban to grow up some. He is a tremendously better coach for it also. I really do not see Lincoln really needing more time as an OC learning to be a better HC like Lane did.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Stoops pissed off a lot of Kentucky fans when played with leaving them last year for another job and apparently was ready to take the other job only to have them hire another coach instead. At least that is what I have read. Over on their 24/7 board, there are a lot of fans who seem to want him gone. I have not looked on the On3 site, I do not have an insider subscription on there like I do on 24/7.

I hope they get their way.

 

[will110]

I think Founders Park only holds about 8,000 so you're not getting 8500 for a single game. I guess by that metric you'd have to by total attendance relative to stadium/arena size. I don't care to look that up personally. It's worth noting the baseball stadium has been able to sell naming rights. I do not know if that has become common for college baseball, but when it happened at South Carolina it wasn't.

8242 is the Founders Park capacity. (I had to look it up.)

I definitely don't disagree that baseball is really important to South Carolina. I just don't think it can be considered more important than football.

 

[KingWard]

When that Riley boy bolted for Southern Cal, I laid off all the talk about him being afraid to compete in the SEC. I see now that those asserting that had a point. He ain't doing too good in a meat and potatoes league. The SEC wouldn't have been any easier for him.

 

[18IsTheMan]

When that Riley boy bolted for Southern Cal, I laid off all the talk about him being afraid to compete in the SEC. I see now that those asserting that had a point. He ain't doing too good in a meat and potatoes league. The SEC wouldn't have been any easier for him.

When it was announced they were moving, someone wrote an article and asked something to the effect "What's Lincoln Riley going to be thinking when Southern Cal is losing at Rutgers in a Friday night game?" That hasn't happened, but losing @ MD has to be pretty humbling for the SoCal razzle dazzle.

 

[KingWard]

When it was announced they were moving, someone wrote an article and asked something to the effect "What's Lincoln Riley going to be thinking when Southern Cal is losing at Rutgers in a Friday night game?" That hasn't happened, but losing @ MD has to be pretty humbling for the SoCal razzle dazzle.

That boy's failing, and he's failing at a legacy school in a recruiting hotbed. Not good.

 

[Gamecock72]

That boy's failing, and he's failing at a legacy school in a recruiting hotbed. Not good.

When was the last time they were a contending team? Might be a legacy school but they have not played like one for a very long time. Most of today's kids played were probably not even born the last time they were relevant.

 

[Piscis]

That boy's failing, and he's failing at a legacy school in a recruiting hotbed. Not good.

Nebraska is a legacy school too and look how they are doing. The same could have been said about Texas until NIL came along and their money made them relevant again.

Riley should have stayed at OU.