Coaching Search Tweets & More

[Rumrunner]

As someone mentioned, Narduzzi whiffed on the Cincy job that went (unexpectedly to most) to Tuberville. Before that his name was floated for the BC job.

Narduzzi's actions indicate he is anxious to get a HC gig. I dare say, he is more anxious to be hired by UCONN than UCONN is to hire him.

He even put his name in for the Akron head coach position, before he withdrew. Now, whether he was serious about that or just wanted his profile to be elevated, I'm not sure, but something tells me that if Narduzzi doesn't get the UCONN job it won't be because UCONN was turned down.

 

[Skiblets]

Why is Lembo in ATL? I read that the Wake AD flew to Muncie, IN to interview Lembo in person?

Irony of all ironies...I'm in Atlanta this week on business. Anyone know where they're meeting? I can go on a stakeout? BTW, Lou Holtz was on my flight here this morning

 

[huskymedic]

Irony of all ironies...I'm in Atlanta this week on business. Anyone know where they're meeting? I can go on a stakeout? BTW, Lou Holtz was on my flight here this morning

 

[huskymedic]

StarPressSports4:53pm via TweetDeck
REPORT: Ball State football coach @Pete_Lembo interviewing with UConn today:tspne.ws/1fe9AX8

 

[Bill Sussman]

Irony of all ironies...I'm in Atlanta this week on business. Anyone know where they're meeting? I can go on a stakeout? BTW, Lou Holtz was on my flight here this morning

You have to be on the lookout. Lace up your sneakers, bring out your binoculars, get a compass. You have to be prepared to leave your luggage behind at the airport.
Good Luck.
Sincerely,
Former tracker of Susan Herbst flights to Chicago

 

[UConn Dan]

Here are some quotes from the press conference:

http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2013/12/09/sports-commentary-12913-searching-for-the-future/

Did someone from the Boneyard author this piece? Or was this the same writer that Tim Fontineault (sp) spoke with at the game?

UCONN is positioned for a potential invitation to the Big Ten. With the academic, research and technology improvements under president Susan Herbst UCONN is on the threshhold of fulfilling the final qualifications for Big Ten membership. The critical linchpin now is football. The infrastructure is in place. What’s needed is a demonstrated committment to football, after years of selling itself as a basketball school in a basketball league. That committment will come at a price.

 

[FDNY99]

As someone mentioned, Narduzzi whiffed on the Cincy job that went (unexpectedly to most) to Tuberville. Before that his name was floated for the BC job.

Narduzzi's actions indicate he is anxious to get a HC gig. I dare say, he is more anxious to be hired by UCONN than UCONN is to hire him.

He even put his name in for the Akron head coach position, before he withdrew. Now, whether he was serious about that or just wanted his profile to be elevated, I'm not sure, but something tells me that if Narduzzi doesn't get the UCONN job it won't be because UCONN was turned down.

I mentioned the Cincy wiff a few times here the last few days Rum...your post is dead on!

 

[metsfan2323]

StarPressSports4:53pm via TweetDeck
REPORT: Ball State football coach @Pete_Lembo interviewing with UConn today:tspne.ws/1fe9AX8

I hope Lembo knocks it out of the park. His record of winning and winning quickly suggests he is probably the safest pick. His offense has been described as one that features short, quick passes which seems familiar.

 

[BlueDogs]

Did someone from the Boneyard author this piece? Or was this the same writer that Tim Fontineault (sp) spoke with at the game?
UCONN is positioned for a potential invitation to the Big Ten. With the academic, research and technology improvements under president Susan Herbst UCONN is on the threshhold of fulfilling the final qualifications for Big Ten membership. The critical linchpin now is football. The infrastructure is in place. What’s needed is a demonstrated committment to football, after years of selling itself as a basketball school in a basketball league. That committment will come at a price.

Please, oh please, let us be in the final throws of B1G membership...like we announce a new coach and move.

 

[junglehusky]

Did someone from the Boneyard author this piece? Or was this the same writer that Tim Fontineault (sp) spoke with at the game?

Read the last line...

With a comment from the sports world, I’m Scott Gray.

 

[UConn Dan]

"With a comment from the sports world, I’m Scott Gray."

WTIC Sports dude.

Saw that... I was just thinking it was oddly placed and longish within the coaching update write-up. And most writers/blogger/reporters would have just said UConn has been vying for an ACC and B1G invite... maybe he knows something? Maybe Tim F. from the Daily Campus also spoke to someone who knows something?

Well anyway, back to Narduzzi, Lembo, Clawson, Hermann, Diaco, Weist, Saban...

 

[jostar1]

Read the last line...
"With a comment from the sports world, I’m Scott Gray."

Yeah, take it with a grain of salt. I doubt he knows anything.

 

[huskymedic]

Saw that... I was just thinking it was oddly placed and longish within the coaching update write-up.

That's just the transcript of his daily morning radio commentary piece. He ends all of his commentary segments on WTIC that way.

 

[UConn Dan]

That's just the transcript of his daily morning radio commentary piece. He ends all of his commentary segments on WTIC that way.

I wasn't questioning the sign-off, but the commentary.

So it was on-air, interesting. Now that explains the verbal diarrhea about UConn being positioned for Big Ten invite. Never mind. AAC-4-Life

 

[2Infinity]

Scott Gray's opinions are generally worthless...very speculative in nature. I sure wouldn't hold my breath on what he's saying. As an example...I'll never forget him suggesting that UConn withdraw from the BE back in the early 80's. That was back before they hired JC. His point was they weren't successful, never were going to be, so why not get out and into a league where they could "compete"...lol His suggested replacement for UConn??? The Hartford Hawks! ...a program on the rise with a bright future...at least that's what Scott Gray said... way back when!

 

[UConnJim]

Scott Gray's opinions are generally worthless...very speculative in nature. I sure wouldn't hold my breath on what he's saying. As an example...I'll never forget him suggesting that UConn withdraw from the BE back in the early 80's. That was back before they hired JC. His point was they weren't successful, never were going to be, so why not get out and into a league where they could "compete"...lol His suggested replacement for UConn??? The Hartford Hawks! ...a program on the rise with a bright future...at least that's what Scott Gray said... way back when!

I think either your memory has faded or Gray must have been joking as Hartford was awful in basketball in the early 80s:

79/80: 6-21
80/81: 9-16
81/82: 8-20
82/83: 9-18
83/84: 12-15
84/85: 7-21
85/86: 12-16

 

[johnhuskies95]

Tom Herman met with a recruit in Georgia last night. Warde's in Atlanta today. FWIW.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Am I the only one a little bit turned off by the fact that this Lembo dude has never coached a day of his life at a BCS school, and has only been a coach of any kind in FBS for a whopping three years?

 

[huskymedic]

Tom Herman met with a recruit in Georgia last night. Warde's in Atlanta today. FWIW.

Mike Bobo and Mark Richt are in Atlanta too...

Skiblets - do you have a photo dossier in case you see someone that looks familiar @ Hooters or the Varsity?

 

[huskymedic]

jacobscourant6:11pm via Web
And here's a bio story on Pete Lembo from Staten Island. Post original url/1ktP2KD

 

[SubbaBub]

I am now sufficiently satisfied that the candidate pool does not consist of the hobos and squatters we saw when Hathaway was running the show. I don't want to hear the remaining feigns, spurns, and sad pleadings of the hiring dance. The next thing I want to hear from the Horde is Warde's announcement. Let the man work.

 

[jostar1]

Saw this on the Wake Forest board:

Ball State bloggers are reporting that we lowballed Lembo and he rejected the offer. It sounds like this is officially the 2nd coaching search in a row that Ron has screwed up?

MfDeacs99 wrote: Lembo's issue is not money. He wants more leeway on recruiting higher risk players Grove got one of these a year. Lembo wants more. Apparently we have not been able to bridge the gap. He is interviewing with uconn today

And clawson does have an offer from Boise state.

I'm still furious about the Bzdelik process, but how can you assume anything yet from this one? "Lowballing" could mean any number of figures. If Lembo wanted what Grobe was making or close to it, even 1.5 million could be construed as "lowballing" We aren't in a position to pay what Grobe was making and quite frankly Lembo doesn't merit that despite how good he looks on paper.

i do know that they wanted to have a presser today to announce a coach (though I did not which one of the two). Sounds like work still needs to be done. Wake is definitely a better job than UCONN and I believe a better job than Boise St. unless these guys have no interest in being here anywhere close to long term. Time to interview Narduzzi, etc

 

[FDNY99]

Saw this on the Wake Forest board:

Ball State bloggers are reporting that we lowballed Lembo and he rejected the offer. It sounds like this is officially the 2nd coaching search in a row that Ron has screwed up?

MfDeacs99 wrote: Lembo's issue is not money. He wants more leeway on recruiting higher risk players Grove got one of these a year. Lembo wants more. Apparently we have not been able to bridge the gap. He is interviewing with uconn today

And clawson does have an offer from Boise state.

I'm still furious about the Bzdelik process, but how can you assume anything yet from this one? "Lowballing" could mean any number of figures. If Lembo wanted what Grobe was making or close to it, even 1.5 million could be construed as "lowballing" We aren't in a position to pay what Grobe was making and quite frankly Lembo doesn't merit that despite how good he looks on paper.

i do know that they wanted to have a presser today to announce a coach (though I did not which one of the two). Sounds like work still needs to be done. Wake is definitely a better job than UCONN and I believe a better job than Boise St. unless these guys have no interest in being here anywhere close to long term. Time to interview Narduzzi, etc

If they don't have the money to pay what Grobe was making ($2.5 Million/Yr) or even $2.0 Million/Yr there is NO WAY they will get Pat Narduzzi if we end up going head to head in a bidding war.

 

[huskymedic]

OverThePylon5:44pm via web
Confirmed to OTP by source in position to know: CPL interviewing with UConn today in Atlanta. Convo with Huskies sole reason for trip.

BenBreinerTSP6:45pm via Web
Pete Lembo declined to comment on coaching search when reached by text. Recruiting in Georgia and NC.

JohnFSilver7:01pm via WordPress.com
Narduzzi contacted, Lembo interviewd?on.sny.tv/IMEnhV

 

[UConn Dan]

I think wake fans are clueless on how much money we can pay. On twitter there were so many of them saying that wake could outpay us. Doubtful

 

[jostar1]

From another Wake Forest board:

word is that Wellman's offer of $1.1 was considered a low-ball offer.
One one hand that is about an $800K raise over what Lembo is currently making but on the flip side of that- Lembo probably wants to make in the neighborhood of $2 mil when he jumps to a major conference (which Wake was not going to pay)
I don't know about anyone else on the board but i have never been rewarded with an $800K raise.......Wellman probably needed to be in the neighborhood of $1.5 guarenteed money to get Lembo and i doubt he is there.
I tend to subscribe to the pigs get fat, hoggs get slughtered mantra myself....
The wild card in all of this is how much money does Wake need to have in order to break ground on the new locker rooms, upgraded weight room, etc. that Wake has said they are going to make happen.
This post was edited by deacons1080 on 12/9/2013 at 1:02 PM

 

[amory]

Dare I say I'm actually impressed with Warde right now. After we got stuck in this bush league conference I never thought I'd say that, but quotes like this:

"The list of potential candidates is an indication that Manuel can attract the best, with Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi expected to be among the first to make the trip to Storrs, as manuel won’t be recruiting by proxy. “I want to see somebody’s face”, he said, “This is not a drive by interview.”

and

“I’m well aware of the jobs that are open”, he said, “And I’m well aware of the other places people might be interested in that are in my pool of candidates. I’m not interested in playing back and forth with people, you have a choice, here’s what I have to offer.”

Are pretty great!

 

[Dooley]

And people think that Wake is a better job than UCONN. They are offering a few pennies over $1M/yr and still needs to raise money to break ground on new facilities. We can offer double the salary and have the facilities already in place.

Just so everyone remembers: friggin' Wake is grandfathered into a P5 conference and we are stuck in AAC purgatory. Unbelievable.

 

[FDNY99]

The one guy Pat Narduzzi needs to take a LONG HARD look at is Clemson DC Brent Venables when deciding whether to take or not take a HC job. My original list of candidates for this job was Narduzzi, Venables, Chad Morris, kick the tires on Kirby Smart...names like that. Brent Venables was once where Narduzzi is as DC at Oklahoma. He pulled out of searches at his Alma mater KSU, Miami and one other school I can't remember while looking for the "perfect" job. Bob Stoops made similar comments to Dantonio about finding the right place for Brent to take his first HC job. Well fast forward almost 4 season now and Venables moved on to Clemson to try and improve his shot at a HC job. While I was high on him originally...after seeing his D wilt in most of Clemsons big games this year he quickly moved off my list. You have to strike out on your own while the iron is hot...or risk becoming the next Brent Venables...that one time hotshot HC prospect who completely missed the HC bus!

 

[BlueDogs]

The more I think about this, the more I wonder why we want HCs out tier 2 schools. Unless its Narduzzi or somebody with legit big time experience at a BCS school, I don't see any benefit in doing anything other than going with the most motivated, proven quantity right in front if our eyes. I'm in for TJ, unless we get somebody remarkable. MAC doesn't cut it.