Monday Morning QB - Coaching Awards

The final installment of this season’s column reviews the year in coaching, while also casting an eye toward the bowl games and 2009.

By Matthew Zemek
 


Part One: Standard-Issue BCS Conference Awards and Designations

ACC Coach of the Year: Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech. Jeff Jagodzinski at Boston College, Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech, and David Cutcliffe at Duke all merited serious consideration, but Johnson’s immediate ability to ring up big numbers with his triple-option offense—especially against former nemesis Georgia in Athens—proved that his restoration of the Navy program wasn’t an isolated act. The man knows how to instill discipline into a locker room.

Best ACC coaching job you heard little to nothing about this season: Tom O’Brien, N.C. State. Cutcliffe would also deserve a long look in this category, but O’Brien’s ability to keep his team upbeat after a 2-6 start, and rally the Wolfpack to a 6-6 mark and a bowl bid, speaks volumes about the former Boston College boss. O’Brien might not be able to win a conference championship, but his teams always manage to attain a reasonable level of success. His run in Raleigh is proving to be no exception.

ACC coach with the most to prove in his team’s bowl game: Dabo Swinney, Clemson. The Gator Bowl is a pretty nice prize for a 7-5 club that barely qualified for any bowl at all. Up against a decent opponent—and not playing in a rivalry game where it’s easy to fire up the boys—we’ll really see what Swinney’s made of on national television.

Big East Coach of the Year: Brian Kelly, Cincinnati. Not exactly the hardest choice in the world. Kelly is a definite blackboard talent who has what all great coaches possess: an ability to insist on—and receive—excellence from his players on a consistent basis. It’s surprising that Kelly stayed in Cincy, but the Bearcats will greatly profit from his extended tenure.

Best Big East coaching job you heard little to nothing about: Greg Schiano, Rutgers. Dave Wannstedt deserves a place in this debate, but the nation heard so little about Rutgers because the Scarlet Knights—a 1-5 train wreck after the first half of their season—fell completely off the radar. Schiano does have some issues to deal with at the state university of New Jersey; the football program has not been monitored very closely, leading to very excessive expenditures at the school. On the field, however, it’s impossible to deny that Schiano did some heavy lifting come mid-October, and he’s to be commended as a football mind for helping his team to gain another bowl bid.

Big East coach with the most to prove in his team’s bowl game: Wannstedt, Pittsburgh. Wannstedt has quieted (not silenced, but quieted) a lot of his critics with a 9-3 regular season. If he can beat Mike Riley and Oregon State in the Sun Bowl, he’ll have his best non-conference win of the year and set up a big 2009 in the Steel City. A loss will only bring about some grumbling in the offseason.

Big Ten Coach of the Year: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern. Mark Dantonio of Michigan State deserves honorable mention, as does Joe Paterno of Penn State, but in what was a down year for the conference, it’s still remarkable that the Wildcats won nine games, and would have had 10 if not for a two-point loss at Indiana. The reason why Fitzgerald, one of the youngest coaches in a BCS conference (he and Steve Sarkisian could swap some stories in the coming months), deserves the nod over his Big Ten peers is that Northwestern lost star running back Tyrell Sutton for an extended period of time. For the Purple People to absorb that blow and still prevail (remember, too, that quarterback C.J. Bacher wasn’t fully healthy in the second half of this season) suggests that Fitzgerald provided both the tactics and motivational skills needed to put his team over the top.

Best Big Ten coaching job you heard little to nothing about: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa. Through Nov. 1, this was a 5-4 team having an entirely mediocre season. Even after the huge win against Penn State on Nov. 8, the cameras didn’t remain focused on this emergence in Iowa City. On Nov. 22, when the rest of America was watching Oklahoma destroy Texas Tech to create a BCS firestorm, the Hawkeyes—on the Big Ten Network, not ESPN or the Deuce—crushed Minnesota 55-0 to win Floyd of Rosedale… and finish at 8-4. Do not bet against this team in its bowl game against South Carolina.

Big Ten coach with the most to prove in his team’s bowl game: Dantonio, Michigan State. No, Jim Tressel doesn’t have anything to prove… at least, he shouldn’t have to somehow justify himself for past bowl losses. The Big Ten program that really has to answer the critics is Michigan State, owner of a lovely 9-3 record… and victim of a 94-25 combined score in its two really big games against Penn State and Ohio State. Yes, MSU is making real progress under Tressel’s former assistant, but a decisive loss to Georgia in the Capital One Bowl will show that this year’s positive developments were more a product of a Big Ten decline than a huge transformation in East Lansing.

Pac-10 Coach of the Year: Mike Riley, Oregon State. Pete Carroll did his usual great job, but Riley is the man who pulled off something special in this conference. First of all, he beat Carroll and knocked USC (essentially) out of the national title conversation. Secondly, he faced a big challenge with a Beaver bunch that was young on the offensive line, lacking in overwhelming speed, and ravaged by injuries at quarterback. Yet, Riley still turned this squad into a smart and savvy Saturday machine that came within one victory of going to the Rose Bowl. The dream died against Oregon, but a 7-2 league record can’t take away from the sensational season produced in Corvallis.

Best Pac-10 coaching job you heard little to nothing about: Mike Bellotti, Oregon. One year after losing Dennis Dixon in November and seeing his team’s Rose Bowl and national title hopes go up in smoke, Bellotti had to deal with more injuries under center in 2008, as Nate Costa went down before Opening Day, and Justin Roper followed Costa to the infirmary at the end of September. Jeremiah Masoli became the trigger man for the Ducks’ offense. Bellotti and offensive guru Chip Kelly had a lot of teaching to do, and they evidently succeeded.

After a few early-season losses took them out of the Pac-10 race, the Ducks bounced back behind their quick study under center. Masoli came of age in the home stretch of the season, as Oregon roared to the finish line with a 9-3 record, 7-2 in the Pac. The Ducks—by knocking Oregon State out of Pasadena—will now receive the league’s second-best bowl bid, a date in the Holiday Bowl against Oklahoma State. It bears repeating (if you read last week’s Weekly Affirmation) that Bellotti has won more Pac-10 (formerly Pac-8) games than anyone not named Terry Donahue or Don James. This year put the proof in the pudding.

Pac-10 coach with the most to prove in his team’s bowl game: Mike Stoops, Arizona. Yes, Stoops beat Arizona State to give the Wildcats their first winning season since 1998, but that was just step one. In order to really open some eyes and elevate the status of the U of A program, Stoops needs to—at the very least—get his team to be extremely competitive against heavy favorite BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. After all the losses the Mountain West Conference has dealt to the Pac-10 in 2008, it will be important for Arizona to come up with a strong showing in Sin City.

SEC Coach of the Year: Nick Saban, Alabama. At roughly this time last year, the MMQ told Bama fans to avoid worrying about the home loss to Louisiana-Monroe, which was nothing more than the sign of a team that-- frustrated by its inability to perform better--lost its will to compete. Things were going to get better in Tuscaloosa, and it was just a matter of time before Saban—a national title winner at LSU—got the Tide rolling. With that said, few thought the resurrection would occur as rapidly as it did. Bama played a big-time game against Florida on Saturday, a 60-minute spectacular so sweet that it has to rank as one of the three best games of the year alongside the Big 12 South classics pitting Texas against Oklahoma (the 45-35 Longhorn win in Dallas) and Texas Tech (the 39-33 Red Raider win on “Harrell-to-Crabtree” with one second left in regulation).

Best SEC coaching job you heard little to nothing about: Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt. Yes, Vandy lost six of its last seven games to tumble to a .500 mark after a 5-0 start. Yes, a poor bowl matchup (against Boston College) means that the Commodores are likely to lose a majority of their 13 games in 2008. Yet, with all that being acknowledged, it’s still a monumental achievement to get this program to a bowl game… with subpar quarterbacks and a general lack of skill position talent. The glass-half-empty view is that Vandy should have beaten Duke and Mississippi State at the very least. The glass-half-full view is, “If you were a Vandy fan and were told that you’d have a 6-6 record and a bowl bid before the season started, you darn sure would have accepted such a proposition on the spot, no questions asked.” Rich Brooks deserves honorable mention here for getting an Andre Woodson-less Kentucky team back to a bowl.

SEC coach with the most to prove in his team’s bowl game: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina. Spurrier has to wonder why he hasn’t been able to land a “golden child quarterback” during his stay in Columbia. A “golden child quarterback” can be otherwise defined as a signal caller with an innate sense of how to play the position, a natural leader whose gut instincts are rarely wrong. This kind of player came to Spurrier at Florida, and it had three names: (Shane) Matthews, (Danny) Wuerffel, and (Rex) Grossman. Because he had quarterbacks who could properly receive, respond to, and apply his pointed criticisms, Spurrier saw his blackboard genius—still evident on many occasions these days—spill out into full flower at Florida. At South Carolina, he’s yet to find that “anointed one” under center. When his Gamecocks take the field in their bowl game, Spurrier will need to see Stephen Garcia play big, and give an indication that Carolina has corralled a confident captain at quarterback. A big Outback Bowl outing will give the Gamecocks the push they need in their attempt to buck the odds and somehow fight through Georgia and Florida in the SEC East. They won’t be able to climb the ladder (a difficult task to begin with) if Spurrier doesn’t find a top-notch quarterback.

Big 12 Coach of the Year: Mike Leach, Texas Tech. Bob Stoops and Mack Brown are unquestioned coaching superstars, but Leach finally brought his team to the proverbial next level this season. Doing great deeds in Lubbock despite the presence of formidable opposition, and against the backdrop of ample skepticism (skepticism provided by this particular columnist), has validated Leach’s coaching methods to a considerable degree. In a fairer world, this Tech would be able to replace another Tech (Virginia) in a BCS bowl. As it is, an 11-1 campaign is sweet success for one of college football’s genuine originals.

Best Big 12 coaching job you heard little to nothing about: Bo Pelini, Nebraska. Mark Mangino of Kansas merits consideration here, but Pelini—by beating Kansas and claiming second place in the Big 12 North—quietly fashioned an 8-4 season out of the rubble the Husker program had become. Yes, Nebraska stands miles away from the Big 12 South’s best teams, but this was certainly a forward-moving season in Lincoln, and that was no sure-fire thing when the season began.

Big 12 coach with the most to prove in his team’s bowl game: Vacated award, which is another way of emphatically saying, “No, the answer is not Bob Stoops!” If the Oklahoma coach has to prove himself after winning three straight conference titles, four of the past five, and six in this calendar decade, we have a very warped sense of perspective in MMQ-Ville. Much like Jim Tressel at Ohio State, Stoops has won so consistently over the past several years that he doesn’t have to justify himself in front of the college football community.

Part Two: Targeted Observations

On Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe: This coach still rules the roost in terms of making the most out of the least. Such a distinction doesn’t get (and shouldn’t be) revoked in a heartbeat. However, it would be advisable for Grobe to bring about a better, more efficient offense in 2009 after a veteran unit led by senior quarterback Riley Skinner could never get going this season.

On South Florida’s Jim Leavitt: With Rutgers and West Virginia graduating senior quarterbacks, next year becomes USF’s chance to make a run for the conference title. Can the Bulls avoid the October swoon that has so consistently defined them in recent years? Can this program discover elusive consistency and not crumble at the first sign of adversity? Leavitt has overachieved in Tampa, but if he wants to make a big splash in the Sunshine State, his window of opportunity is closing.

On West Virginia’s Bill Stewart: No Pat White next season. America will see what this warm and generous human being can do (or not) as a head coach.

On Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema: Barry Alvarez’s hand-picked successor has done a superb job in Madison, but this year marked an abrupt departure for the boss Badger. A bad 2009, and questions will rightly begin to surface in Camp Randall Stadium.

On Illinois’ Ron Zook: Everyone loved him and enjoyed his rise to prominence after the run to the Rose Bowl. Now, after a train wreck in 2008, the Zooker needs to decide how he wants to be remembered as a head coach. Will 2007 be a conspicuous aberration on his resume, or a sign of future achievements? Rich Rodriguez will receive the klieg-light-glare treatment next season, but Zook will also have to deal with a sizeable amount of scrutiny.

On Cal’s Jeff Tedford: Yes, it remains that Mike Bellotti’s former colleague has done a solid overall job in Berkeley. Yet, the Bears are substantially upgrading their facilities, which means the bigwigs in the Bay Area are expecting a more substantial return on their investment. Tedford, aside of one magical 2004 season, has done precious little to justify a heightened national standing. One of these years, he has to break through, or else a lot of money will be wasted in Strawberry Canyon.

On new Washington coach Steve Sarkisian: Based on an assessment of his career at USC, the head Husky’s greatest strength is his ability to trust the talent of his players. In Los Angeles, Sarkisian’s ultimate weakness—a lack of imagination—also proved to be a significant asset. USC offenses could look bland and predictable at times, but a reliance on billy-basic execution actually served the Trojans well, because their natural playmaking ability didn’t require fancy gadgets or cute wrinkles. Sarkisian’s style was good for winning games and conference championships, but it did prevent USC from ringing up bigger numbers (and BCS style points) on a more consistent basis. You can’t knock Sarkisian’s winning percentage as an offensive coordinator, even though a case could be made that Sark didn’t deliver maximum production from his offenses in L.A. At Washington, we’ll see if a dramatically reduced talent level lifts or lowers Sarkisian’s status in the coaching community.

On Georgia’s Mark Richt: 9-3 is never a horrible year, but a failure to at least beat Georgia Tech at home did diminish the Dawgs’ 2008 season. Richt is still the best man to hit Athens since Vince Dooley, but it’s worth noting that dynamic running offenses give him and defensive coordinator Willie Martinez problems. Just look at the 2006 Sugar Bowl against West Virginia, and this year’s Georgia Tech game. Richt is getting the most out of his offense. It’s on defense where UGA’s outstanding head coach needs to brush up a little bit.

On LSU’s Les Miles: Word is the national champion coach is looking for ex-Syracuse boss Greg Robinson to be his new defensive coordinator. With that move—or something similar if the Robinson deal falls through—a lot of 2008’s problems will go away. The Hat just needs to make sure Gary Crowton and Jarrett Lee do a lot of film study before late August of 2009.

Part Three: The Best In the Business, by Conference and Other Categories

Note: Every conference has an all-time legend who would clearly surpass other active coaches based on his overall record of achievement. The categories below are not intended to account for all-time credentials, and are instead designed to measure performance over the past several years, a decade at the very most. The “best coach at this moment” category is not an automatic repeat of any “coach of the year” award. Rather, the category’s purpose is to define coaches who have either found or regained their stride, more so than others in the business.

The best coach in the ACC, given a mix of both longevity in the profession and current form: Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech.

The best coach in the ACC at this moment: Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech.

The best in the Big East, given longevity and current form: Jim Leavitt, South Florida, if the distinction should be given at all (that’s debatable).

The best in the Big East at this moment: Kelly, Cincinnati.

The best in the Big Ten, given longevity and current form: Jim Tressel, Ohio State.

The best in the Big Ten at this moment: Paterno, Penn State. Fitzgerald had the best year, but JoePa achieved on the highest level. This is why there’s a difference between “coach of the year” and “best coach at the moment,” as defined here.

The best in the Pac-10, given longevity and current form: Pete Carroll, USC.

The best in the Pac-10 at this moment: Mike Riley, Oregon State, and Mike Bellotti, Oregon, tie.

The best in the SEC, given longevity and current form: Nick Saban, Alabama and LSU. (Without LSU, there’s no longevity in the equation.)

The best in the SEC at this moment: Urban Meyer, Florida. With a win over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game, Meyer would eclipse Saban in terms of national titles, despite a lack of longevity in his conference. Now that he has a second SEC title in his pocket, Meyer has already caught Georgia’s Mark Richt on a larger scale. It’s probably not going to be very long before Urban’s legend grows exponentially. For now, he gets this slot and not Saban’s place. It’s a bit of nitpicking, but life can be like that sometimes.

The best in the Big 12, given longevity and current form: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma.

The best in the Big 12 at the moment: Mack Brown, Texas, and Mike Leach, Texas Tech, tie.

The best non-BCS conference coaches: 1) Chris Petersen, Boise State. 2) Gary Patterson, TCU. 3) Kyle Whittingham, Utah. 4) Larry Blakeney, Troy. 5) Turner Gill, Buffalo. 6) Al Golden, Temple. 7) Brady Hoke, Ball State. 8) Ken Niumatalolo, Navy. 9) Skip Holtz, East Carolina. 10) Bronco Mendenhall, BYU.

The best BCS conference coaches this decade: 1) Pete Carroll, USC. 2) Bob Stoops, Oklahoma. 3) Jim Tressel, Ohio State. 4) Nick Saban, Alabama/LSU. 5) Urban Meyer, Florida. 6) Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech. 7) Mack Brown, Texas. 8) Mark Richt, Georgia. 9) Lloyd Carr, Michigan (retired). 10) Mike Bellotti, Oregon.