31 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

UC fans have a slightly delusional opinion of where Fick may or may not go. I get it. I felt the same way about Charlie Strong at Louisville (and really any coach at Louisville tbh). 

I get it. We all have a little homer in us.

Fick will leave for the first school he believes will advance his career. UC isn’t a destination job and honestly probably never will be. It is what it is…

He’s done well enough at UC to be extremely selective in his next job, but he will have a next job. His wife and children will adjust to the next town just fine…

Just now, gchs_uk9 said:

Cincinnati becomes a much better job once they join the Big 12 just because you're almost assured a playoff berth if you win the league (assuming it expands). However, I don't believe Cincinnati, either as an American or Big 12 member, will have access to be able to pay the type of money an SEC/Big Ten school would pay.

I agree, UC will be a much better job when they join the Big 12.

They’ll still be in a conference on the decline. They’ll still be in a conference begging for respect. They’ll still be in a conference that any coach with higher aspirations would leave in a heartbeat. 

Is it possible Fickell is someone who is not driven by money and greed? What if he wins a national championship at UC? Why would he leave?

3 hours ago, Jumper_Dad said:

Why is she so tied Cincinnati, is that her hometown?

Does this mean Fickell is at UC until he retires or gets fired?

She isn't tied to Cincinnati..she is tied to her family that is a little over an hour away. They had a short list of jobs that he would leave Ohio State to become the head coach at. Cincinnati was at the top of that list because of how close it was to their families.

The Fickell's have never lived outside of Ohio outside of the 1 year Fick spent in New Orleans while playing in the NFL. Unlike a lot of other coaches who are chasing the next big payday, that simply isn't what Luke and his family are about. 

Those who aren't close to the program or follow it will never understand. Fickell will no doubt leave one day. I'm a homer but even I realize a job will come open that he eventually can't pass up. I just don't think LSU is that job. 

Pete Thamel will have the scoop if Fickell has legit interest in the LSU job...that's who you need to pay attention to when it comes to names being thrown out by the national media. 

2 hours ago, MBWC41 said:

This is where I’m at.

UC fans seem to believe that Fick will only leave for OSU. Even with the recent success, UC isn’t a great job simply based on conference affiliation.

If any SEC job opens up, he’ll consider it. He’d consider any high profile job.

I’d wager he’ll move on to greener pastures in the next year or two. It doesn’t matter what his wife thinks. He can make more money at a school that expects to be in the playoffs vs. one who has to beg to be included. 

....Says the SEC fan that has no clue what Fickell has already passed up to stay at UC and how much his wife and family are factored in when it comes to any professional decision he makes.

Texas, USC, West Va, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Baylor, Florida State, NC State, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Boston College, and Rutgers are just a few of the "power 5" programs that Fickell has passed on when approached about their coaching vacancies. 

There's a short list of jobs that he will leave UC for...LSU and the majority of the SEC aren't one of those jobs. 

1 hour ago, TheDeuce said:

UC fans have a slightly delusional opinion of where Fick may or may not go. I get it. I felt the same way about Charlie Strong at Louisville (and really any coach at Louisville tbh). 

Charlie Stong and Luke Fickell shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence considering the character differences between the two....

Charlie Strong had no choice but to leave because of off the field choices and you know that. 

24 minutes ago, Walter said:

Charlie Stong and Luke Fickell shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence considering the character differences between the two....

Charlie Strong had no choice but to leave because of off the field choices and you know that. 

Neither one of those statements is relevant to the point I was making.

UC fans think the only chance Fickell leaves is for OSU or maybe ND. That is a fantasy land. 

 

1 hour ago, MBWC41 said:

I get it. We all have a little homer in us.

Fick will leave for the first school he believes will advance his career. UC isn’t a destination job and honestly probably never will be. It is what it is…

He’s done well enough at UC to be extremely selective in his next job, but he will have a next job. His wife and children will adjust to the next town just fine…

Exactly. 

2 hours ago, DragonFire said:

Despite the mess at FSU - which he had a hand in - there was nothing he could do at A&M that he couldn't do at FSU (and in fact, did).  Didn't stop him from going. 

LSU has three titles in this century - it's been near a century (82 years) since A&M's last.

Wasn't there some issues between Jimbo and the admin towards the end of the run at FSU? Unhappiness may be a reason to leave A&M, but I see none of that right now.

I'd put the Jimbo to LSU odds at about 40 to 1.

Coach O has got to be the first coach to lead an  unranked team to an upset of a top 25 team and get fired the next day.  The timing just doesn't make a lot of sense.  Heck if  you know your firing him at this point in the season might as well have done it before the game.  

Just now, Irish Cat said:

The timing just doesn't make a lot of sense.

The only logic in the timing is that LSU wants to get a jump on the movement in the off-season. 

2 hours ago, MBWC41 said:

I agree, UC will be a much better job when they join the Big 12.

They’ll still be in a conference on the decline. They’ll still be in a conference begging for respect. They’ll still be in a conference that any coach with higher aspirations would leave in a heartbeat. 

A conference on the decline?

The new Big 12 went in to this past weekend with future teams ranked #3, #12, and #19. (Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, BYU)

They head in to this week end with future teams ranked #2, #8, and #20. ( Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Baylor...who beat BYU)

That doesn't sound like a conference that is on the decline. Oklahoma is a big loss but Texas has been overrated and hasn't been relevant nationally since 2009 and 2010. 

A conference that consists of BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Va, Kansas State, and Kansas will consistently be the 3rd or 4th best conference in football and is already one of the top 2 conferences in hoops. 

1 hour ago, TheDeuce said:

Neither one of those statements is relevant to the point I was making.

UC fans think the only chance Fickell leaves is for OSU or maybe ND. That is a fantasy land. 

 

Most UC fans know that there are other jobs that Fick will leave for outside of ND and OSU...Trust me when I say it is a very short list though.

He isn't passing on Bama, Clemson, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Those are obvious. And I think James Franklin leaving Penn State would make a lot of UC fans nervous as well. 

I mentioned him passing on Ole Miss and Mississippi St in the above post, but his name was also at the top of the list for Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina, Vandy, and Auburn as well. 

That's half the SEC that inquired about his interest in their openings and nothing got far enough to make UC fans nervous. Michigan State was the closest he came to leaving and he ended up coming back for $3.4 mil a year and an increased salary pool for his assistants. 

What other jobs are out there that you think he would leave for considering the list that he has already turned down?

5 hours ago, 9068 said:

His buyout at A&M is unbelievable!

I believe that buyout is only if he is fired... if they fire him, he would be owed $95 million.

From USA Today:

His contract also has an added perk: Flexibility. While Fisher would be owed $95 million if Texas A&M fired him without cause, he could leave to take another job and not owe the school a dime.

More names that were mentioned that LSU could try to get involved with:

Lincoln Riley- HC Oklahoma (Long Shot, Obviously)

Matt Campbell - HC Iowa State

Mario Cristobal- HC Oregon

Billy Napier- HC UL-Lafayette

Bill O'Brien- OC Alabama

Steve Sarkisian- HC Texas 

Chris Peterson- Former Boise/Washington HC...has a prior relationship with LSU AD

Jamie Chadwell- HC Coastal Carolina