Coaching Rumors with Bruce Feldman

Welcome to the Solid verbal hell that for me. I'm a man, I'm forty. I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy.

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Edith Steak is that whoo whoom? And Dan and Tye.

Welcome back to the Solid Rouble Boys and Girls. My name is ty Hildenbrandt. That guy over there be incomparable Dan Rubinsteed in the heart of the Midwest, Sir, how are you.

I'm good, especially excited for the show. We have not had this guest on for a long time. You've already seen the title of the show, so you know it's the Athletics Bruce Feldman. I haven't physically, I mean obviously because of COVID, Like you don't see the people that you're used to seeing on the road, and I haven't been on the road obviously, and I don't live in New York, and I would always see media people types coming in for Heisman or whatever meetings.

So it's good to see these guys.

Because we have this video component for our Patreon supporters at verballers dot com, it's good to at least see them on video. So I'm excited to have Bruce on. I'm excited to catch up and this is this is bread and butter time for Bruce, Bruce Feldman the Athletic, so it is. I'm thrilled to have him on, thrilled to pick his brain. And as soon as we finish, Pietz's going in the oven. It's a good little afternoon.

And Bruce's coming on on short notice, which we always appreciate his time. We've known Bruce for as long as we've done this podcast. He's always been more than generous with his time, and as you said, yeah, it is

You?

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Do you know that I have a Bruce Feldman theory that's not the Bruce Feldman body blow theory, but I have side of the body blow theory outside of the body blow theory, which involves betting against a team who played an especially physical team, a pounding running team the week before. I have a theory about guys like Bruce or you know, people like Nicole Auerback or woj with the NBA, or it's Jeff Passen that's Fanci's last AMMLB.

All right, Dan joining us now our longtime friend from the athletic from Fox Sports. It's Bruce Felman. Bruce Dan and I were talking before we hit record here about the last time we had you on. I think it was last year when we did a rewatch of Miami Ohio State.

Do you remember that the game or the podcast the pop both? Yeah?

Both remember the game. I'd like to say, I remember this.

We did to rewatch.

You talked about your experience experience. I think were you on the field for that game?

I was, Yeah, that part, I definitely remember, okay, and I remember thinking, man, I just lost a lot of money in a book event.

That's right?

Want this?

Oh yeah, your book history. We can talk about that, your book history. Like I don't know if this is s I curse level, but ma'am, so you write the Leech book, you write Coach org On and like meat Market obviously was a lot with Coach with that Oorsron as well, and the Miami losing that game because you were with Miami, right, you were with my me that season? Not really okay, So that wasn't k mutiny, I wasn't.

Can Uni was kind of set up differently where a book book agent had reached out to me and thought that was really their idea for it, right. So I a ton of time working on that book project and then they lose to Ohio State the way they do, and I just remember thinking I had like kind of a similar experience on a much smaller scale. I used to freelance from Maxim and I would do some sports stories for them, and there was a there was a

I saw it, yeah, and I remember like, huh, that's interesting.

Then I was like, wait a minute, I have like a Lenox Lewis story that's not going to run now.

That's like seven on the fight. That's I lost it.

And so I remember thinking in that context, I'm like, whoa, I bet you I lost this book deal that's coming because he's lost.

And it turned out they still want to do the book. No.

I mean, they're all good stories, they're all worthy of books. They're all good books. I don't mean to put you down or anything, but it is fascinating.

This, by the way a quick one.

Yeah.

So Seth Wickersham, you guys know who that is, right?

Yeah?

Are you writing about Brian Kelly right now?

Is that this has nothing?

But Seth gets married and yeah where he's from. So I'm there with my wife. I don't even know if we were married at the time, but for a week and I get a phone call about my book which is going to which is me market from basically the guy who's published in the book, and he said, just want to let you know, Glenn, who is my editor, He's going to be fine.

I'm like, okay, that's good.

I don't know why I would be worth concerned that he's going to be fine or not because I didn't know, and he goes, just want to let you know he's going to be fine.

The only thing is he has no short term memory.

I was like, what, So my book is about to go to print and the editor has no short term memory. This sounded like something you'd see on like a soap opera. Yeah, And I was like, how can this be? So I had to fly back to New York and basically sit there with somebody and go through the whole book like for like, I don't know, four days straight.

Wow, Okay, what caused the memory loss?

I think he had a stroke.

Like a great editor, he was a little older, yeah, but I had I've had some weird editing experiences, like the editor of Kane Muni I think left the company like right before it was going to print, so trying out.

Honestly, this is something on me.

It was a very sloppy process, right, And the thing with meat Market was what it was, the the uh flip. The script book with Oseron was supposed to come out like around SEC Media Days in July, and it got back because of the pandemic and the uncertainty. And what's kind of crazy looking back was the publisher who had bought it and this was not this I was just

So oh.

Yeah, that's not ideal. Not ideal.

All right, let's go into more modern I don't know if it's good or bad, but let's go into some more modern stories because this is kind of Bruce Feldman season. Normally, Bruce Felman season is November, December, January. You know, obviously you're extremely plugged in the coaching world. Now this, I mean it almost feels year round. It almost at a

I think it is a new reality.

Much like recruiting, the clock kept on getting early and earlier. I think that's going to happen with coaching carousel stuff. I mean, it's crazy because Clay Helton was fired in early mid September, so long ago that when he was fired, Dave Randa was not really a consideration. He was four and seven as a head coach. Well since then, David Branda is now eight and two this year, and he's

But in the case of that, it's a little more understandable.

But you're going to see some really weird dynamics because you have an early signing period and you honestly have a lot more people who in positions of leadership who are trigger happy.

Is so the random thing is interesting to me.

Right, So he has all this success as a coordinator Utah State, Wisconsin, LSU, he's from the West coast, has a little bit of West Coast experience, but Baylor's not a small place, right, Baylor is not Iowa State in with Matt Campbell's name coming up, and he's obviously ma Campbell's done a terrific job. But Baylor's not a small place. And is there a sense that he wants to be

I think it's too early to tell.

I mean, the things I know about Dave having spent a decent amount of time with him, is he is very thoughtful, and he's the guy who would be a great podcast guest for you guys. I know he us he's a he's a fast guy. Just to be around and listen to him talk, he's you know, he's got a good sense of humor. He's very engaging. He is not the guy who's going to go up in front of a podium and be Jimbo Fisher or be Lane Kiffin,

So does he want to.

Go back quote home, we grew up a Dodgers fan, He's from like the Redlands area. His brother's high school basketball coach there. There's a lot of interesting aspects of that. Or does he want to stay at a place where I'm not sure even the Big twelve. His status has been diminished some with Texas and ou leaving, and I suspect where that becomes reflective will be in the next TV contract. But we're not comparing it necessarily the Big

It's not right.

So it's going to be interesting to see Washington likes and USC likes, Baylor loves him.

I'm fascinated to see.

I wouldn't all be surprised if he stayed, you know, just because of what he's building there. But I also wouldn't be surprised, as you know, for a call southern California guy who went to college at Cal Lutheran or to say no to USC, Now, that'd be that would be a little surprising, I guess.

So one of the things that's been fascinating to me is the perception of USC. I have my own biases as somebody far away and looking at now USC from afar but from southern California went to a PAC twelve school. Obviously that's succeeding right now. What is the viewpoint with USC having you know, the internal hires at ad forever, the internal hires at head coach forever, and is there in the coaching community, in the college football business community,

It's not one thing. It's not uniform. By the way, before I get to this, can I have useity on your podcast?

Whatever you want?

Okay?

So from people who've been at USC, you've coached there, one thing you've heard, and I've heard it more than once, it's USC you have to fuck it up for it not to be great, and they often do right, And I think a lot of that comes back from really bad leadership. It's Pat Hayden, it's certainly Lynn Swan, It's sputtered,

Powerhouse of the of the whole base.

But there are some you know, like it's it's got a you know, a terrific recruiting base. It's not like there's like alignement all over the place here. Well, there's definitely linemen out here, but I think it's like there is a little bit of a challenge there.

I think that goes with it.

The other challenge that you talk to some coaches, and this has come up for a lot because I live out here, and people know I live out here. Among the coaching world. No we'll talk about you know, it's head coach, they're going to make millions and millions of dollars.

It's not them. It's like my tight ends coach.

He makes you know, low six figures, which goes great in most college towns, ye won't go great here in southern California. And so I think that's a consideration for a lot of for a lot of guys. How much support you have Mike Bone who is a known commodity as an AD but just how not just how supportive are they going to be? But are they going to get in the way you know some of that?

I mean, how how supportive is that leadership that's going to be?

So do you think it's a get in line job? Given the current right so you have huge schools that they're competing with right now or presumably could be competing with for these big names, is it a get in line with the names that you're expecting type of job? Or are guys waiting? Are guys thinking, well, rather what to LSU? Oh, maybe Miami will open up, Maybe ASU will open up, Maybe Florida will open up.

Like is USC and themisition making.

I don't think anybody's picking Florida, Miami ASU over over USC that USC would want. Okay, So now Mario Christobal might because he's from there and he coached at Miami, but the other ones I don't think that's case unless it was a different dynamic. In one sense, LSU can sell great fan base support, great home field environment, great great facilities, really really strong recruiting based the other thing

That's great. They also just fired.

One of them who just won a national title less than years ago, and now he's from the state. So the idea that and I've kind of reported this that the rumors about Lincoln Riley going there, that's not happening from what I'm told, But like, if you're Riley and this is not I have not asked him this. This is my read on the situation. Lincoln Riley is at a big time program. He's had a lot of success.

You go to.

LSU, he misses the playoff let's say three times, they're probably going to fire him and he's gonna walk away with a wheelbarrow full of money.

But you know, you run the risk.

In Lincoln's case, you know, he lost to at o'seron and LSU by like forty. If things start to go not great all of a sudden, all that stuff kind of gets brought in as you know, we you know, you didn't hire Nick Saban, you didn't hire this guy who has a national title ring.

Right.

So my point to all that is the pressure at that place is going to be excruciatingly high.

I'm glad you brought up the Lincoln Riley rumors because one of the things that we've heard I think pretty continuously now with regard to this LSU opening, is that the ad at LSU wants to make a quote unquote splash. He's that kind of guy, right. Lincoln Riley was a name. It seems like you don't think that's going to happen. Mel Tucker was another name. It sounds like maybe they're trying to put together an extension for whatever that's worth

That is a good question, you know, like Michigan State, like the person I believe who reported that first, the numbers of what Michigan State's prepared to do to keep mel Tucker.

It's like ten years, ninety fivety five million.

Yeah, crazy is like.

A very well respected education reporter there.

I don't know him, but I know the reputation, so I don't think it's like some random person just throwing stuff out there. But what Michigan's by that, what Michigan State would be doing is they would be making if I'm not saying this is part of what they're doing, but like they would be making Scott Wardwards if he were to somehow get mel Tucker, making that a splash higher kind of thing, because Meltucker's.

Had won season.

Where he's been had a winning season, it's this year it's been terrific. And I like Meltucker.

I think he's I think he's a really good coach.

But that you know, like all of a sudden, it's like I've heard for a month plus that Scott Wooer's confident he can get Jimbo and you know this, and he's going to keep swinging, and all the people like I and m have been adamant, no, he's not going to get Jimbo. And then Jimbo multiple times, but especially this week seemed to really put a stake in it. In the ground I'm not going like, I don't know how he could end up in bat rouge and live it down after what he's.

Said, right, So.

You know, I don't like this is how I kind of look at it so much is timing right? So, I think Matt Campbell is a brilliant coach. I think he's done an amazing job at Iowa State. I think James Franklin is a terrific coach too, did worked wonders at Vandy and has done a really good job at Penn State. Both those guys are not having great years. I mean, Matt Campbell, as we're taping this is six and four. They play at Oklahoma. There's a really good chance that that best will be seven and five. That

I'm of it now.

I know there's going to be some people are going to be like, yeah, can he recruit out here? I think there'll be that same question can you recruit in the SEC? Because it's like, you're not winning four and five star battles? Is what he's built on. He has found really good talent and developed it. But there's the question of can you win those battles? And the the uh kind of under the under the water subtext is can you be really aggressive like they are in the SEC?

Going to go, wait a minute, this guy, this guy's seven and five.

Is that what you're really going to spend, you know, eighty million dollars for nine years on or something like that.

I don't I don't know.

I mean, Scott word Got I give him a ton of credit for getting Chris Peterson out of Boise State, and he got Jimbo out of FSU. Although Jimbo was really as you guys now are starting up.

He was ready there, yeah, yeah, we'll see. I'm fast.

I mean, I'm more curious as to how what LSU is going to announce than I am. I'm not saying I'm not interested in the USC, I am, but just like I'm fascinated by the lsupiece of this let.

Me ask you about James Franklin. You know, I'm a Penn Stater. James Franklin seemingly is in the running for every job all the time. And you know, people will write to us and say, well, it's because he's a good coach. And now the other folks will write in and say, well, it's because he's got a good agent. Right, he just switched agents. But where are you at with Franklin and his stock in the coaching world? Because he is sort of always in the running, He is seemingly

I think based on what he did at Vandy, And I you know, said this a minute ago. I just you know, I don't dismiss that. You know, Vandy was awful before he got there. They got he got them in the top twenty five a couple of years, and then they were resumed being awful after he left. Ty you know this, like Penn State's reputation was in the toilet after all the Sandusky stuff, and then Bill O'Brien

It happened with.

I think what adds to James Franklin's the buzz part. I don't think it's honestly, I don't think anything to do with agent wise.

I think it's this.

I think it comes down to you could see him at usc You could see him at a lot of places. Yes, he's from the Northeast, but he's coached in the SEC. He is a really good recruiter. Like and I'm not saying obviously Texas isn't open now, but it's like you could have seen him at Texas.

I don't need to shock people to see him at Florida.

It was a flirtation.

There was.

There was James Franklin flirtation with Texas. I think from Vandy right way back.

Yeah, yeah, it was a while ago, right, and so look there's NFL teams that were interested in them, so like, nothing would surprise me.

The part that I think is.

Very interesting is the part you said a second ago tie, which is the fans are frustrated, Because I think the fans are frustrated probably on two levels. They're frustrated on you guys, and then look, I'm more guilty of this than anybody, because I do a lot of the coaching search stuff, and and his name and I believe sincerely so is consideration at a lot of big time jobs.

So there's that, and then there's the other part of it, where it's like, well, we're six and four.

All this talk was four, you know, we were beating we're beating Iowa, and then our quarterback gets hurt and we don't have a backup ready in the second half or prepared or whatever, you know, And so I think there's enough frustration with the fan base to go, yeah, this's.

Worth the trouble, you know, I think. So there's some of that.

I think, look, there's a bunch of Penn State folks who didn't like Franklin in the beginning. They really want they really had an affinity for Bill O'Brien. We're sorry to see him go. And I think like that a lot of that faded after they had that game where it's like the block kick against Ohio State and all of a.

Sudden like this, Yeah, I know plenty of people who thought James Franklin was a snake oil salesman, and those are fans, those are people in the media, those are people who are connected to Penn State, and it was always very fascinating to me how quickly that perception changed.

Yeah.

I'm like, a month and a half ago, I was more convinced that he would be the head coach at USC because it seemed to make a lot of sense on a lot of fronts from where I looked at it.

Not as convinced of that at this point.

I mean, it wouldn't surprise me at all if he stayed and they did some kind of long term deal. And right again, it's the timing isn't great. You know, they could I mean, they could be seven and five, right so, but and it's seven and five coming off of last year, which was like, you know, it wasn't just the COVID year. And you don't you have Micah Parsons opting out, you have the best running back in the conference, having a you know, a medically beyond just

So now you have two years of disappointment.

How many more jobs are we talking about big two medium jobs right now? I mean, look, the PAC twelve could look very different. Uh, the SEC could look a little bit different. Obviously, Florida's season has been and kind of a nightmare in terms of expectations and performance. The Big ten seems pretty stable and maybe people will leave. The Big twelve seems pretty stable. But who knows how many more medium to big jobs realistically look like they'll be searching.

I think Florida will. I'd be surprised if you bring Den Mullin back. I mean, that thing has been a disaster this year. You know, he's not a very good recruiter, that has struggled, and now you have him in such a hot seat. I don't know how people are going to buy into that. You know, he fired his defensive coordinator, his offensive line coach.

Those guys were with him for a long time.

It's just so many issues and so like I did a story where I worked with our Florida right with the athletic and talk to a bunch of SEC assistant coaches and coaches. Yeah, and the issues you would hear about why Florida is so underachieving was alarming. Like if I was Scott Strickland the ad there. I'm not saying like I would fire somebody based on what you know, anonymous quotes in a reporter story, but I would look at that and say, does this line up with what

Lose forty to seventeen.

Nobody should lose forty to seventeen to the South Carolina team, you know, and then they barely beat a mediocre FCS team.

That's not even a good one. Yeah, mediocre, yeah.

Four and five.

You know, Like Stu and I joked about this, We're like, man, we watched like three hours of a Samford game. Thank you, Dan Mullin. So I would expect a coaching search there. I just don't know how what he does against Missouri or FSU, no matter how much they could win those games by, would be enough to make them go, yeah, we're we're good, We're happy with the direction of this. Plus his bio, it's like, it's still gonna yeah a million dollars. You fire them now or you fire them

Yeah, I mean, and that's been the story across the sport, right, like what do we see something turning around? Do we see something changing? And it's hard all those stories, by the way, but both the ones talking to the high school coaches in different states and also the assistants talking about what's going on at specific schools, they're really instructive.

Right.

You hear about how a team is or isn't recruiting via the high school coaches in the region, You're like, it's not going to work out, you know. You hear about how USC has or has not recruited. You hear about how Luke Fickle has recruited in Ohio. You're like, Oh, this dude's going to succeed probably wherever he goes because he's so thorough Miami. Is now a job being talked about a school you're intimately familiar with. Is Tyler Van

I think it.

I don't think it's going to be enough to save it if they feel like they can do better on the coaching front, and I think I am. I don't have a great read on that as we're taking this right now.

Okay, okay, Bruce.

The move to part ways with Gary Patterson, I'm assuming it was a difficult decision for TCU given what he's meant to that football program, but obviously the end product has not been there for a few years running, it made sense that they would make the move immediately upon the announcement. It seems like much of the reporting, certainly your own reporting, centered around Sunny Dyke's for a multitude of reasons, is maybe the next guy for TCU. Do you believe he's going to be the guy I do.

I think he makes a lot of sense there. He knows the state really well. He's done a terrific job not that far away. By the way, as you guys know at you with the conference realignment, how it's played out this cycle of it this year, SMU is one of the bigger losers in it as it.

Relates to the AAC.

You know, he was somebody Texas Tech was going to target and then once TCU opened that was a game changer for them. And look, maybe Joey Mcguireltono to be a great hire there. But I think part of that was, hey, Sunny Dikes is now going to focus on that. Maybe Virginia Tech will make a play for him. I know with Babcock the ad, I think he thinks highly of

I think he would probably end up there. And he's worked there before.

He was spent a year or two on Gary Patterson's staff as an analyst after cal I mean, he's a really smart guy.

I think he just to me he would fit really well.

There, and he seems like the obvious choice based on all the reporting. What I find interesting about the Washington opening is that there doesn't seem to be an obvious choice. There's really been a variety of names that have been thrown out from the Matt Campbell's and Dave Randa's, these hot coaching names, to coordinators both passed and present, to smaller school guys, to wild cards. You even threw Chip

Somebody who comes across is very, very measured and buttoned up and genuine. I think that's why I think there's real interest in Matt Campbell and Dave Randa. I think there's some interest in Joe moorehead Sorry, Dan, I know that.

No, it's Mario has done a very good job Mario and I are on a first day basis of his coordinator hires have been very good. It's one of those things where recruiting and coordinator hires there's very little left to complain about. And I have a good amount of faith that as an organ fan, Mario Christaball, as long as he's there, will be exhaustive and hire well so. And I like Joe moorehead I would love for him to be a head coach again.

Yeah, I think those are to me, those are three of the names that jump out at me. I've heard there's some interest in Justin Wilcox. I have a little harder time buying that the ad Jen Cohen would hire Justin Wilcox, just that he's thirteen and twenty four.

In Pac twelve play m cal is a really hard job.

It's gotten a much harder obviously in the pandemic with the restrictions there. But again, you have a coach who's thirteen and twenty four. I get that he coached there and he's well liked, but.

He's also had some issues on offense.

I mean, they weren't on Donovan Washington bad, but they weren't very good. And I think that, to me would be a risky hire given it's not like, you know, he's in the same division, right, and it's not like Col's not an easy job. Col's also not you know, Yukon or UMass either, right. There's a lot of good players you can get there. So that's why I'm not as I am skeptical, like I could see them really looking at him.

I could.

I'd be surprised if she would decide to hire him, you know. So, I mean, this is obviously the Jimmy Lake higher. It went the complete opposite of everybody there expected, including me.

Did you think he'd get more time, by the way, that's not even two years.

Yeah, I thought he would.

And then once the Oregon Week played out the way he did from everybody I talked to there, I mean we were I was in studio.

All day for Fox.

That was our game was the uh was the game when he was on suspension. And you know, I'm thinking about this, I know Jimmy, and it's like I'm basically saying, as soon as the game ends against Arizona State, I'm saying on National TV, you know, I don't expect him to be the coach here much longer, you know, and it's just like I remember, there was a little bit of a surreal moment because you go from like in that chair, I'm working with Acho and then Devin Gardner

I was thinking.

I was like, man, I thought Jimmy Lake was going to be a great addition for them, and it's just the opposite way.

Virginia Tech is an interesting job, right, because it's it's very difficult to pin down in the same way TCU, right, it's so heavily defined by one guy, obviously with Frank Biemer and his success there before, justin Fuente and TCU and Gary Patterson. How good of a job can Virginia Tech be? Is Virginia Tech a school that is investing to compete with not even Clemson, but Florida State, Miami, North Carolina?

Now?

Is that an attractive job to candidates along the East coast in the southeast whatever? What is the current status of that job and what is the interest in it?

I think it's a very attractive job.

There are people in the industry who actually think that is the second best job in the AECCO.

Yeah.

Now, obviously they haven't won national titles like Florida State or Miami. They don't have as much talent around them, but they have a lot of talent in that area. Really good facilities, great home field environment. People in the industry think pretty highly of the ad with Babcock. Look with Babcock, you know, when he was at Cincinnati, he had a plan and ready to go, and he ended

But relative to the rest of the ACC it's a really good job.

Expect names that we've heard for a while as being big names around bigger jobs. Luke Fikel, Matt Campbell, Billy Napier has been a name that's come up a bunch. These are guys who have stuck around places that people have not fair or not expected them to stick around. Do you think we are going to see names finally move or do you think you could see guys holding firm that I just mentioned.

I think that Matt Campbell would. I think there's a good chance for a move. The part that makes me a little more reluctant than I was maybe a couple of weeks ago.

They could be seven and five.

Yeah, you know, like that's not are you cashing out on seven and five? In terms of like some of these ads who get caught up in the optics, I don't know, Like I think Matt Campbell's a really really good coach, but it's a harder sell at seven and five than it is at nine and three, or certainly a ten win season. Billy Napier has been patient. He knows he's got a pretty good situation. I don't know how much longer you kind of hold your cards to

I wouldn't be surprised if he chased Luke Fickle. You know.

Everything I'd heard was like Luke Fickle would have loved it if James Franklin took the USC job and then he can go to Penn State.

So I don't know, they are losing.

A bunch of really good players at Cincinnati, Like there's a time to make a move, because I'm not saying they're going to go from thirteen or fourteen and oh to back to four and eight, but they may not be a top twenty five next year with all the talent they're losing.

You've talked about Mario Christbaul a bit as it relates to a couple of different openings, right SEC openings, the USC opening or an impending USC opening which we thought would happen for a couple of years. Do you get

He probably, I could definitely see it.

I know that he is really high on the teams that he thinks he's going to have in twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three. In terms of what built, I mean he thinks of things inside out, meaning like if I go somewhere, how bad is the offensive line? Because you don't just flip that right away. That is like something that needs to like a garden that needs to be cultivated. And I think he's done that right and he's done that with a lot of the roster.

Not a lot of places, you know, I.

Like to me for USC, Mario Chriswall made a lot of sense in the standpoint of he is now setting the tempo in recruiting on the West Coast. He is preaches and is all about physical football and us he went to the air raid. The part where it didn't make so much sense is I think USC would like to to kind of have a general management role in how the program's run with the coach. And I don't

If you're Miami, you can't. I don't want to say you can't pay him.

I don't know what you know, who's gonna like, is the rock gonna come up and say there's a blank check my old team will I will make it all right. I don't know that you know how that works. But it is home for him, and he knows the potential of it. You know, people can talk about like, oh, well, you know you're gonna get these private planes to go here as assistance or whatever.

I think Mario christa Ball knows enough to go.

Yeah, you get in your cars and you recruit at Miami. You don't need to be flying all over the all over the country to stock a roster. But all those things you said are true. I'd like somebody could. I think I had this conversation with Andy Staples, you know, and I think we had talked for a minute about Florida's situation. I'm like, I don't I don't see Mario leaving Oregon for Florida.

Like Florida, Yeah, that's a state he grew up in.

He didn't grow up in Gainesville though, right, And so like I think for his family, you know, his boys are I want to say, like fifth grade and sixth grade or sixth grade and seventh grade, but they're basically I don't say.

That's all they've known is Eugene. But now they've been there for you know, a little while, and I know what it's like to have kids.

Around that age where you know, you probably don't remember when you were three or four, but you definitely remember when you were six, seven, eight nine, and so there are roots there. Yeah, I if I if, just knowing what I know about what he thinks of how good they're going to be in the next two years, you know, I could definitely see him staying there all.

Right, fair enough.

And then somebody that always seems to come up this time of year, willing up a couple more questions. But there always is a name that comes out of nowhere. Right there's like, wait, Nebraska hired Mike Riley. Wait where did that come from? Are there coaches that seem to be otherwise embedded at places that are listening more intently, especially with the dollars that are being thrown around right now?

You know, I don't know if there's somebody who's like, to me, the Mike Riley thing was like the two moments where I think I heard them are like, what was Mike Riley going there and USC hiring Lynn Swamp you know, yeah, different things, but just where you're like, I can't believe that happened, And there are definitely some you know, I'll be honest, now that I think about it. I was like I was at like a food truck.

When I heard Bronkele Mennenhall was going to Uva.

Yeah, that seemed kind of out of nowhere.

Yeah. I dismissed that.

When somebody tried to tell me, like like a source saying, hey, I'm hearing that, it was like something like that.

I was like, I can't see that, and then it happened.

I don't know, Like you know, I've written about Klanie Satake at byu Is. It's more about this is somebody I would think they're going to look at because of how his teams play, because of his connections in the you know on the West coast.

He knows the PAC twelve.

Well, like, it wouldn't surprise me if somebody tried to lure him out of there by he's not paying him that much from what my man, so like that would be one. I mean, like it wouldn't surprise you know, like some of these other names like Jane Norbel. He's on a lot of people's radar because he's done a really good job at Nevada and he is a good

Are you sitting on anything right now?

I am sitting on my couch.

Are you sitting on any news that you are waiting on?

I'm not necessarily getting confirmed, but you're like, Okay, this is where a school's going this. I mean, this is kind of done. You don't have to tell me, which I'm just curious, like how far out.

We you know?

We knew going into the to the Washington Issue game that Jimmy Lake was done there, right, Like, how do you you know? Like there's a lot of stuff like that. I mean, I think we knew that Justin Fante was getting fired. I'm not sitting on anything, like, I'll be perfectly honest. I don't know exactly how the Miami situation is going to play out, you know, I know a lot of people involved in there. I don't know exactly how it's going to play out. I don't have any

Who's teetering right now? Is a SU teetering? Is U? C l A teetering?

Is anybody teetering like like trying difficult decisions?

Like a s U is a weird one because the A D and the number two a D. Who's who's like overseas football. Those guys are like their hands are in the in the in the cookie jar right now, like they don't want to fire herm. The NCAA justice system is even is more screwed up than it ever is not saying something and you know the vibe somebody explained to me there was it's kind of like they're all whistling by the graveyard at this point.

Yeah, well, UCLA Texas, Texas, Texas.

I don't think Texas can do anything. Okay, it's year one. How many times are you going to hit the reset button?

I hear you. Stupid money means stupid decisions, though I don't.

Know's there's a funny line.

It's like what was the Like I watch a lot of games on Saturdays with Ocho and Chris Peterson, and you know the line about scared money, and because it was I forgot what the play was. And Chris Peterson quietly looked up at Acho, who was like fifteen feet away, and he was like, yeah, stupid money doesn't make money either, and it's like that's you know, that's what seems to be in play in Austin, right, Like they did not waste a lot of time to pull Sark in there and maybe it'll work out.

I mean, you know, I remember working.

On a story where I talked to a bunch of coaches who had either were still in Austin or had been there Tom Herman's staff, and the feeling was, yeah, there were some good players, but it was a lot of overrated recruits that they had gotten there. And so now did I think they could be five and seven? I thought they'd be a little better than that. I

I'm like, you gotta.

You can't just hire somebody, bring in a new staff, and then just pull the plug, even if, like you know, he pulls the plug on some assistance. It's like all of a sudden. Now though, like a lot of that position room. Then you're talking about three or three three new coaches in three years. It's actually more than that because Tom Herman shuffled his staff, like at the end. So you have guys who can have four different position coaches or maybe even.

Coordinators in four years. That's almost recipe for disaster.

Bruce.

One final question for me, speaking of more time, Scott Frost kind of took some folks by surprise that they would retain them. We made the joke on this show that it was more a function of other people maybe saying no in the background. But regardless, he will be returning for the twenty twenty two season. Did that surprise you a little bit?

Like everything there has surprised me in this regard, Like I got that wrong.

Now, maybe Scott Frost.

In twenty twenty two will go ten and two and I'll be like, huh, maybe I was right after all. But like I did not think it was going to go this way. I was, you know, spent you know, spent time in linked in a few times, done their games, and just like the plane has never gotten off the ground. It's just like it's sped down the runway, it's hit icy patches, it's you know, done all this and it just can't get off the ground.

It's like the twenty seven mile runway in one of the Fast movies, Right, it just keeps going in the planes kind of like you're waiting for it and it just never happens.

Yeah, and he is. He has thrown a lot of weight off the plane. Yeah, like you know, it's like Mario got thrown off, Luba got thrown off, like his O line coach.

Like he's now he's receiver transferred.

Yeah, he's on his third he'll be on his third offensive coordinator, and he's an offensive guy. Like they're they're pretty good on defense, Like his defense has done a really good job there. But man, like I I've said this on our podcast, and like I keep feeling like they're going to turn it right, Like I feel like they're going to beat somebody. They're going to beat Iowa. They're you know, like they're going to get it. They're

I like him personally. I got to know him a little bit. I think he's talented.

He has no play he has no playmakers around him, so he often tries to do too much. I'm not saying he is Lamar Jackson. But he is very athletic, and he's a really good player. I do wonder, you know, if he somehow like decides, you know what, I.

Need a fresh start.

I'm going to go be a grad transfer or someplace house or whatever. You know, they've lost a bunch of games close. I feel like without him, you know, they would have lost a lot of games not close.

And I don't know, like I.

Don't know what, you know, what offensive coordinator they bring in or what staff they bring in that really makes it change, because I just feel like the margin for error has been really slight. Like when he got there, he had Stanley Morgan was he was a really good college receiver.

His film was a good player.

And then like those guys left one because he was his time was up. The other one transferred out. And you know, they had one Dale Robinson who was a really good player, but he decided you want to go home to the SEC. And it's just like, you know, when your best player is the transfer from the best skill guys, the transfer from Montana, you know, it just the margin for error is just too small. It's just I don't know, he just has not recruited well enough.

There final question just because it's been the weirdest year in terms of high level quarterbacks. And that's another part of your beat in covering college football, just because guys, we've expected that we're going to be electric and amazing and Heisman worthy, weren't necessarily there. What is a young quarterbacks name for twenty twenty two that you are buying very early stock in as a thing capital t thing.

And I can't do Bryce Young because he's already he's known.

Maybe he couldn't have just gotten a starting job. He might be a backup right now. Obviously ty is hoping you say, like Tyler Buckner or something. But who is who is that name that you're just like, Okay, this is this is a a name that will pop in the next year that hasn't yet.

I think Jackson Dart is really talented at USC. I just don't know who's going to be coaching him, right, and so it's hard to go put all the chips in on that one. You know, like like Buckner is definitely a dynamic athlete. But it's been a like it's unfair to say this because Ian Book was a really good college quarterback.

Yeah, but.

Man, they're like their quarterback play has been largely you know, underwhelming this year, right, So I don't know. Sorry, I'm not helping you on that one, and I'm not going to help you on like pen stay where it's going to be or like I'm just thinking in terms.

Of like who is that guy?

Could say, Oh, there's some wow in him, like I do see a little that in Dart. I have to think more like Anthony Richardson, to me is a remarkable athlete and he could be really special. I don't know exactly, Like everything around there has just been such a such an implosion that whoever comes in there, I think he has a chance to be really special and he should be really special for Dan Mullen, Like I think Emery

Be that guy.

Remember, yeah, what I heard.

And then also you have Sark there, who's been really good with quarterbacks, and you have arguably the most talented running back in the country there to lean on. They have a super speed guy, and if you're worthy outside, that's one to build on. But it hadn't worked out. I mean, I don't know if I'm giving up on Hudson Card at this point, but so I would say some combination of Jackson Dart Anthony Richardson, although both of them are probably gonna have new.

Coaches next year.

That's wild, all right.

Bruce Feldman, the athletic Fox Sports co host of The Audible with Stu Mandel, America's pre eminent college football media shredder, on the Guitar from nineteen ninety five on I don't know when. I don't even know when he Stu was in that band in college.

Look, if there's two things you can find on this tie, One you have to find your George Brett Yep training clip and see if there's actually video Stu playing, you know, with his axe wearing leather pants, somewhere.

I'm like eight minutes away from the Evanston campus, so from the Northwestern campus in Evanston, it's not that far. Maybe there are archived bits of footage of somewhere.

There's a behind the music that was done by some journalism student of STU When when when they're when their van pulled over, parting up a line of little ants.

Yeah, yeah, okay, Bruce, thank you very much for your time.

Everybody was audible. Watchbrus box and hey have a good one.

And pizza is always available to you in the there.

I gotta I gotta go for Deep Dish though.

I love you right why.

Because that is me. I am the biggest Deep Dish pizza fan.

I love that about you that you're specific. But it's okay, what's your place?

I like Luimo, Naughties, like Classic Okay, like Staples.

And I went to I want to say, it's like pea quads.

Pe Quads.

Yeah, I didn't like it as much. It's like it was good, it just wasn't me as Luminalo Natties.

The class I mean, they're all over the place there. That's it's a chain, it's a known thing. It's good it's just I don't know. There's something beautiful about nice thin pizza to me. All right, you got good pizza by you by the way in the South Bay, there's have you heard of folk?

I'm gonna send you a link. I'm gonna send you a link. There's a couple of.

There's a good there was a good pizza place here, Grimaldi's that went out of business.

I'm gonna send you a couple of links. I am. I am way too deep in the game right now.

I will I will try to open your eyes to a couple of plays.

South Bay. Maybe that's like Orange County.

An hour from me.

I'll get you Like El Segundo, how about that?

That's good.

There's actually a good place in El Segundo called Slice and Pint, right that is like that's a it's a cool little spot.

So done.

All right, thank you again for your time, and everybody, go go seek out Bruce. Go seek out his books. They're all terrific and you can't go wrong. Thanks again, Thank you guys.

All right, Dan Bruce Felman, there is been far too long since we had him on the show. But always enlightening.

Yeah, always try and like I really wish that because when I've when I've hung out with Bruce in person, you know, you always get more dirt, you always get more more of the goths. But that's if we could get like Bruce take a couple of shots before coming on the show.

May see. The thing is Bruce holds his alcohol.

Really well, just like you do, so it probably wouldn't affect things, but there is a there is like a thing where it's like, this guy's not leaving. He's got this murky personal situation and that's the stuff. That's the juice that Bruce, of course is far too responsible to ever say into a hot mic. But uh, yeah, it's always it's always nice catching up with Bruce. It's uh, he's been at it for a long time and it shows.

It absolutely does. And we appreciate his generosity with his time. He's come on this show many, many, many times now m M. And yeah, great to have him back. So look, you mentioned for ballers dot com at the top of the show. If you like what we do, going out to our Patreon sign up to be a certified or premium for Baller. Head on out to solid giveaway dot com if you want to enter for a chance to win. He signed RG three mini helmet. It's free to do. There are just a few quick things that we require