Tag: Jimbo Fisher

College Football News ranks SEC head coaches: Where’s Kirby Smart?

College Football News ranked the top SEC head coaches. Where is Georgia football’s Kirby Smart?

Pete Fiutak of College Football News recently released a list ranking the SEC head coaches heading into the 2020 season.

Checking in at No. 3 on the list is Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who trails only Nick Saban (1) and Ed Orgeron (2).

At No. 4 is Dan Mullen and at No. 5 is Gus Malzahn.

As much as I’d love for Smart to be in that No. 2 spot, I do not disagree with Fiutak here.

Smart’s time will come, and within the next five years he may very well occupy that No. 1 spot.

For now, he’s sitting at No. 3 on Fiutak’s list, likely right on the verge of taking over that No. 2 ranking. As long as he keeps winning the SEC East, beating rivals and putting his team in striking distance for the College Football Playoff…he’ll be considered a top-five coach in America.

Orgeron or Smart at No. 2 was likely a somewhat difficult decision. Fiutak went with Coach O since he accomplished something Kirby hasn’t yet, a national championship.

I’ve heard it all – “Anyone could win with that roster.”

Sure, Smart probably would have won it with that roster LSU had last year. But, at the end of the day, he didn’t have that roster. No other way around it.

Also, how can you not love Coach O?

As for Saban, there’s no arguing that one.

WATCH: High school student does impeccable impressions of SEC coaches

This might be the best Gus Malzahn impression I have ever seen.

I’m certain that most of us have our own impressions of Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and his sideline antics, but this might be the best one I have seen yet.

Jaxon Padlo, a student at Jemison High School in Alabama, posted his impressions of the Tigers coach along with Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp, Dan Mullen and Jimbo Fisher to the memorable tune of the SEC on CBS theme.

We give him credit: the Malzahn one is spot on!

Jay Graham receives six-month recruiting penalty

Jay Graham receives six-month recruiting penalty.

KNOXVILLE – The NCAA announced Thursday that Texas A&M violated recruiting and countable athletically related activity rules between January 2018 and February 2019, according to an agreement released by the Division I Committee on Infractions.

Aggies’ head coach Jimbo Fisher also violated NCAA responsibility rules.

Jimbo Fisher
Photo by Dan Harralson

Newly-hired Tennessee running backs coach Jay Graham, who then worked for Fisher at Texas A&M, was also named as a violator. He has received a six-month show-cause penalty that goes through Dec. 31. Graham will not be able to take part in off-campus recruiting activities.

“During the process of hiring Coach Jay Graham, we were made aware of the circumstances at his previous institution, and we vetted it thoroughly in accordance with NCAA and SEC bylaws,” Tennessee athletics said in a statement. “We established and maintain extremely high confidence in Coach Graham’s commitment to compliance and are proud to have him on our staff.”

Jay Graham
Photo by Dan Harralson

Hand caught in the cookie jar, Texas A&M football faces NCAA penalties

The NCAA announced on Thursday that the Texas A&M coaching staff violated recruiting rules.

The Longhorns and Aggies may not be rivals on the field anymore, but they certainly battle with each other on the recruiting trail. Continue reading “Hand caught in the cookie jar, Texas A&M football faces NCAA penalties”

The Sporting News Ranks All FBS College Coaches

How high is Brian Kelly on The Sporting News best college football coaches list? Very high. Find out right here!

As we’ve plowed through the sports-less spring and into the summer we’ve discussed a ton of various things and debated several lists here at Fighting Irish Wire.

Plenty of outlets have offered their rankings of the best current head coaches FBS college football, most of which have Brian Kelly in the top ten.

Bill Bender of The Sporting News released his head coaches ranking this week and to the surprise of nobody that has been paying attention, Brian Kelly is listed in the top ten, this time checking in sixth.

Here’s what Bender says of Kelly, who he moves up one spot compared to last year’s rankings:

There was a point when Kelly looked on the way out of South Bend, but he’s refurbished the program with success. The Irish are 33-6 the past three seasons and have a Playoff appearance. Kelly has Notre Dame in the postseason conversation in November on a yearly basis, and the chase for that elusive national championship continues. – Bill Bender of The Sporting News

The only five coaches to rank ahead of Kelly in this list are easy to name: Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, Ed Orgeron, Lincoln Riley and Kirby Smart.

Of those, Saban, Swinney and Orgeron have national title’s to their names while Riley and Smart have each made the College Football Playoff, like Kelly in 2018.

Immediately after Kelly come Ryan Day of Ohio State who I’d guess is ranked in the top five a year from now, Dan Mullen of Florida who has raised the expectations in Gainsville to sky-high this fall, James Franklin who nearly led Penn State to the CFP in 2016 and Jimbo Fisher who won it all with Florida State in 2013 but hasn’t reached the same heights since taking the Texas A&M job two years ago.

I don’t have a real problem with any of the list. It’s nice to see someone not throw endless bouquets at Jim Harbaugh’s feet as he checks in 11.

Mack Brown’s rise from 24 to 14 is also interesting as I had that being a brutal hire for North Carolina in my mind, but it has looked nothing short of great just over a year in.

Ranking SEC head coaches heading into 2020 CFB season

We ranked all the SEC head coaches, from Georgia football’s Kirby Smart, to Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, to Florida’s Dan Mullen.

The SEC is loaded with head coaching talent as we head into the 2020 college football season.

You have your usuals – Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Gus Malzahn, Ed Orgeron, etc.

But then you have your familiar, or in some cases not-so-familiar, yet new faces: Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach, Sam Pittman, Eli Drinkwitz.

Ranking the SEC head coaches heading into the 2020 season is as hard as it’s ever been, and that’s because of all these new hirings. But it’s also because Jeremy Pruitt waited until October to start winning games in Tennessee last year. It’s because Ed Orgeron took a loaded roster and won a national title. Because Gus Malzahn and Auburn always have the talent but can’t seem to win the big ones. Or because, despite a 4-8 season, Will Muschamp was able to knock off Kirby Smart and Georgia.

Related: 2020 Georgia schedule with game-by-game score predictions

With all of this taken into consideration, here’s our SEC head coaching power rankings for the 2020 college football season:

14. Sam Pittman, Arkansas

I would have loved to get Pittman into a higher spot on this list, but what is there to go off of? His last head coaching job came in 1992 and 1993 when he led Hutchinson Community College to an 11–9–1 record over two seasons.

I am 100% rooting for Pittman to succeed in his first season as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. It won’t be easy, and this is a team that will likely finish with at least five losses for the first few years, but that’s not necessarily a terrible thing as long as they play hard.

Arkansas may not field the most talented teams in the SEC, but if there’s one thing I’m certain of it’s that the former UGA O-Line coach will make sure his guys fight harder than anybody.

13. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri

Drinkwitz gets the No. 13 spot because of what he was able to do at App State last year. In his first season as a head coach, he led the Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a Sun Belt championship.

But that’s not the SEC. It’s going to be a rocky road ahead for Drinkwitz, as Mizzou will definitely not be one of the more talented teams in the league for a few years.

12. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt

I often find myself rooting for Vanderbilt and Mason.

He took over at Vandy when James Franklin left for Penn State, and though it’s been tough at times, you get the feeling that Commodore fans actually look forward to their seasons.

11. Will Muschamp, South Carolina

If Muschamp had not beaten Georgia last year, he maybe would not even be on this list at all.

But he won and that probably saved his job. He coaches up a good defense, but South Carolina will need to crank up its recruiting efforts if it wants to start contending in the SEC East. Another season with no bowl game may put an end to Muschamp’s head coaching career with the Gamecocks.

10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Kiffin is a good football coach, there’s no denying that. No. 10 is pretty low for an offensive genius like him. But this conference is simply loaded.

Kiffin did a great job at Florida Atlantic, but I still need to see him win consistently at a Power 5 school.

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The Athletic ranks CFB’s best coaches – Is Kirby Smart too low?

The Athletic ranked the best coaches in college football, but did they rank Georgia football’s Kirby Smart too low?

This week, Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman of The Athletic ranked college football’s top coaches.

Kirby Smart checked in relatively high on both lists, but is he high enough?

Here are the two lists.

Stewart Mandel:

1. Nick Saban (Alabama) and Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU

4. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

5. Kirby Smart, Georgia

6. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

7. James Franklin, Penn State

8. Dan Mullen, Florida

9. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin

10. Bill Clark, UAB

Bruce Feldman:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama

2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

3. James Franklin, Penn State

4. Ed Orgeron, LSU

5. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

6. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

7. Kirby Smart, Georgia

8. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

9. Kyle Whittingham, Utah

10. Scott Satterfield, Louisville

Let’s discuss:

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Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Texas Bowl Texas A&M and Oklahoma State NCAA football matchup, with NCAA football betting odds, picks and best bets.

With bowl season well underway, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl gets its turn in the spotlight on Friday, Dec. 27. The Texas A&M Aggies (7-5) face the Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-4) from NRG Stadium in Houston. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. ET.

We analyze the Oklahoma State-Texas A&M odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M: Three things you need to know

1. Bowl success is common for both head coaches. Mike Gundy has led Oklahoma State to three straight bowl victories and seven in their last nine. The Aggies’ Jimbo Fisher is 6-2 in bowl games.

2. Oklahoma State RB Chuba Hubbard leads the nation with 1,936 rushing yards and is tied for third with 21 rushing touchdowns.

3. Both teams average 30 or more points a game and both allow more than 22 per game.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 3:25 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Texas A&M 37, Oklahoma State 34

Moneyline (ML)

Texas A&M beat all of its inferior opponents, with all five losses coming against teams ranked no worse than No. 8 at the time. Hence the Aggies sit as the heavy favorites at -264. That makes the Cowboys at +205 an intriguing option. While I believe the Aggies will win outright, I expect a close game — close enough that taking a shot at more than doubling your money with Oklahoma State may be worth a small bet.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Oklahoma State returns a profit of $20.50.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Texas A&M is favored at -6.5 (-125) and is 7-5 ATS this season. But Oklahoma State has been even better, going 9-3 ATS. With two offenses that can score points and defenses that will give up points, this should be back-and-forth. I think that makes the Aggies winning by at least a touchdown too tall an order. Take the COWBOYS +6.5 (+105).

Over/Under (O/U)

The total is set at 53.5 points — a touchdown lower than the average total in Oklahoma State games, but a point higher than the average Texas A&M total. While neither team consistently hit the over in their games this season (Texas A&M games went over the total only four times and Oklahoma State’s games did five times), this is bound to be a high-scoring game. Last year’s Texas Bowl was a 45-38 thriller. Hit the OVER 53.5 (-115) in this matchup.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Top-10 highest paid college football coaches

Who is the highest paid coach in college football?

College athletics is a multibillion dollar industry with huge amounts of money falling into the pockets of just about everyone involved — except the players actually participating.

Coaches’ salaries continue to climb, the base amounts are approaching eight figures and the bonus opportunities now written into contracts seem endless. Through the 2019 conference championship weekend, head coaches at FBS public schools have earned nearly $9.5 million in bonuses so far, according to USA TODAY Sports.

For example, LSU coach Ed Orgeron has already earned $1.05 million in bonuses on top of his $4 million annual salary. By beating Georgia in the SEC championship game, he earned $425,000 in bonuses: $200,000 for the Tigers winning the conference championship and another $225,000 for the team making it to the College Football Playoff.

And there’s even more money on the table if he continues winning. He’ll receive $150,000 for winning a playoff semifinal game — LSU plays Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl — and could get $500,000 with a national championship.

Also, because so many coaches are employed by public universities, the highest paid public employee in 39 states is either a college football or basketball coach, according to ESPN.

But how much is that exactly? Here’s a breakdown of the top-10 highest paid college football coaches in 2019, according to USA TODAY Sports‘ salary database.

Note: School pay includes base salary, as well as other school-related sources of income, and all buyout data is as of December 1, 2019.

1. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

School pay: $9,255,000
Maximum bonus: $1,125,000
School buyout: $50,000,000

2. Nick Saban, Alabama

School pay: $8,707,000
Maximum bonus: $1,100,000
School buyout: $34,100,000

3. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

School pay: $7,504,000
Maximum bonus: $1,325,000
School buyout: $11,687,500

4. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

School pay: $7,500,000
Maximum bonus: $1,500,000
School buyout: $60,625,000

5. Kirby Smart, Georgia

School pay: $6,703,600
Maximum bonus: $1,150,000
School buyout: $24,239,584

6. Gus Malzahn, Auburn

School pay: $6,800,000
Maximum bonus: $1,400,000
School buyout: $27,050,000

7. Tom Herman, Texas

School pay: $6,750,000
Maximum bonus: $725,000
School buyout: $20,416,667

8. Jeff Brohm, Purdue

School pay: $6,600,000
Maximum bonus: $1,290,000
School buyout: $27,650,000

9. Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

School pay: $6,384,462
Maximum bonus: $950,000
School buyout: $21,013,333

10. Dan Mullen, Florida

School pay: $6,070,000
Maximum bonus: $925,000
School buyout: $12,000,000

For more information about college football coaches’ salaries and contracts for the 130 FBS schools, visit USA TODAY Sports’ 2019 NCAAF Coaches Salaries database.

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Georgia football injury report ahead of UGA vs Tech game

Take a look at Georgia footballs injury status prior to UGA’s final game of their regular season before LSU at Georgia Tech.

Georgia defeated the Texas A&M Aggies this Saturday in a cold and rainy matchup by a final score of 19-13.  A win is a win, but man wouldn’t it be nice to close some teams out strong?

The Dawgs didn’t look bad in the first half, nearly covering the 13-point spread they were given prior to the game. It was the 2nd half that made Bulldog fans scratch their heads.

The Aggies outscored Georgia 10-6 in the 2nd half.  That is a pretty bad look for a No. 4 team, but give credit to a hard-fought, Jimbo Fisher coached team.

Now the Dawgs have just one more opponent left before facing LSU in the SEC Championship game, and that is Georgia Tech.

With LSU looming, the Dawgs will look to be as healthy as possible for that game.

Here is a look at the injured Bulldogs heading into week 14 at Tech.

Full injury report:

Probable: DB Eric Stokes

Stokes left the Texas A&M game just before halftime after he got a little dinged up on a hit.  Kirby Smart did not seem concerned about the matter.  Expect Stokes to be ready to go.

Probable: DB Tyson Campbell

Campbell has been playing through a toe injury for the past couple of weeks but is cleared to play against Tech.

Probable: OL Cade Mays

Mays has been nursing an ankle injury since the Missouri game.  He dressed against A&M but was very limited, as is expected next week in order to save him for LSU.

Questionable: WR Trey Blount

Blount is listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury.

Questionable: WR Lawrence Cager

Cager has been battling a left shoulder injury nearly the entire season.  Even missing a number of games, Cager is still the Dawgs leader in receptions and receiving yards.  Expect Cager to get minimal time if any to rest him up for the SEC Championship game vs LSU.

OUT: WR Tommy Bush

Bush has been recovering from a sports hernia and will likely be out for the year.

OUT: DT Tramel Walthour

Walthour is battling a lower-body injury and has no timetable for his return.

OUT: OL Owen Condon

Condon has been battling a lower-body injury all year and Saturday was seen in a sling.  Should likely be out for season.

OUT: OL Justin Shaffer

Shaffer was in a neck brace for the A&M game and has no timetable for his return.

OUT: QB D’Wan Mathis

Freshman quarterback D’wan Mathis is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his brain this offseason.  There is no current timetable for Mathis’ return.