After a 1-10 season is Cedar City, Demario Warren is now done at Southern Utah. He had been the head coach in Cedar City for six seasons after Ed Lamb left to be the Assistant Head Coach at BYU. Warren spent 14 years at SUU.
This is no surprise. It was clear the program is heading in the wrong direction. The Thunderbirds were 1-10 this year. SUU is leaving the Big Sky Conference for the Western Athletic Conference next season and the new conference isn't much easier. The WAC is also the home of the other school in the Southern part of Utah, namely the newly named Utah Tech, who will likely be the Thunderbird's new primary rival.
As far as who could replace Warren, there are some good options. FCS programs in Utah do best when they get a coach who is already familiar with the state and the challenges of recruiting here and already has a relationship with the high school coaches. This is what Weber State did by hiring Jay Hill who was an assistant at Utah.
In considering who might coach at Cedar City, a coordinator at a power-5 school like Utah is making north of 1 million. Other assistants are likely making anywhere between 100,000 and 200,000. The head coach at an FCS school likely makes around 250,000. Ed Lamb, when he left Cedar City to be the assistant head coach at BYU, who is not yet a power-5 program, likely left a 200,000 salary behind for likely no more than 300,000--but this is my guess. (BYU does not publicize their staff's salary. They are a private institution and are not required to disclose it.) Jay Hill at Weber State earns a reported 275,000 per year, about 90,000 is paid by sponsors.
An FCS program likely has a pool that includes the following coaches:
-Non-coordinator assistants from Power-5 schools.
-FBS coordinators and assistants
-Coordinators from other FCS schools
-Head coaches from Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior colleges
-Former head coaches from any level
-High school coaches
In naming names, keep in mind that I do not have any inside information and have no idea who the administration at Southern Utah has in mind. This is simply my opinion. Here are my options.
Frank Maile who was the interim coach at Utah State and now an assistant at Boise State. I think he did a good job as the interim coach and a person who deserves a chance to be a head coach. Frank Maile would likely leave Boise for Cedar City for even money. According to sources in Boise, Maile's Salary is 260,000.
Colton Swan or Jim Harding who are assistants at Utah. Swan was once the defensive coordinator at Weber State. Sharrieff Shaw is the special teams coordinator, the same position Jay Hill had before he left Utah for Weber State. Shaw may have to take a pay cut to go to Southern Utah. Defense coordinator Morgan Scalley is likely still the head coach in waiting and is still being groomed to take over for Kyle Whittingham when he retires . Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig would likely take a cut in pay to be the head coach in Cedar City. Neither Scalley or Ludwig would consider coaching at the FCS level.
Fesi Sitake who is now the passing game coordinator at BYU. Ilaisa Tuiaki, who is the defensive coordinator at BYU and SUU alum former SUU head guy Ed Lamb are probably names who people think will be considered. Both would take a considerable pay cut to coach in Cedar City. Sitake is probably the top Cougar assistant who would coach at SUU. Other assistants who would probably take the head job in Cedar City are Tight Ends coach Steve Clark or linebackers coach Kevin Clune.
Matt Hammer, Grant Duff or Joe Dale from Weber State. Hammer is the offensive coordinator while Duff and Dale are the co-defensive coordinators.
If I was SUU athletic director, Debbie Corum, this is who I would consider:
Frank Maile
Colton Swan
Jim Harding
Fesi Sitake
Steve Clark
Matt Hammer
Grant Duff
Joe Dale
No comments:
Post a Comment