Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Seems like interims way to go
SEC teams have had plenty of interim football coaches since the conference expanded in 1992, but never has there been a season like this one for short-term change at the top.
There were 14 SEC interim coaches from 1992 through 2016 at nine different schools — including twice for Joe Kines — but never more than two in the same season.
The SEC has outdone itself this season with three interim coaches in Matt Luke at Ole Miss, Randy Shannon at Florida and Brady Hoke at Tennessee to bring the total to 17 since 1992.
Even by the SEC’s pressure-cooker standards, three interim coaches in the same season seems a bit excessive.
Then again, “It Just Means More” is the SEC’s official slogan.
“You have those expectations,” said LSU Coach Ed Orgeron, who replaced Les Miles on an interim basis for the final eight games last season and was retained as as the Tigers’ coach. “You know that coming into it. You’re supposed to win.
“You’re given all the tools in the SEC to win. It’s a tough conference.
“That’s why every day is so important and every game is so important. Every minute is so valuable.”
Orgeron is among eight of the SEC’s 17 interim coaches since 1992 to have Arkansas ties. He was a graduate assistant strength coach for the Razorbacks in 1986 and 1987.
Kines was the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville’s interim coach during the final 10 games of the 1992 season after Jack Crowe was fired and served as Alabama’s interim coach for the 2006 Independence Bowl between Mike Shula’s firing and Nick Saban’s hiring.
Joe Lee Dunn, Ole Miss’ interim coach in 1994, replaced Kines as Arkansas’ defensive coordinator in 1995 before moving on to Mississippi State.
Charlie Strong, a Batesville native who played at the University of Central Arkansas, was Florida’s interim coach for the 2004 Peach Bowl after Ron Zook was fired.
Reggie Herring was promoted from defensive coordinator to interim coach for the Razorbacks for the Cotton Bowl to cap the 2007 season after Houston Nutt resigned under pressure.
John L. Smith served as Arkansas’ interim coach for the entire 2012 season after Bobby Petrino’s firing and Jim Chaney — the Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014 — took over as Tennessee’s interim coach for the final game in 2012 after Derek Dooley was fired.
Shannon was Arkansas’ linebackers coach in 2013 and 2014 before going to Florida to be the linebackers coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator this season, then became interim coach after Jim McElwain’s firing. Orgeron, who went 6-2 last season and is 7-3 this season, is the only SEC interim coach since 1992 who was retained as the team’s head coach. He said being a native of Louisiana and having the backing of LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva and school President King Alexander was important for him.
“I had their support from the get-go, and i was told I was going to get a chance,” Orgeron said of replacing Myles beyond last season. “The players rallied around us and we won some games. Things happened at the end.
“I may not have been the No. 1 candidate, but it all fell into the right place, and I’m so fortunate to be the head coach at LSU.”
Orgeron will be facing Hoke on Saturday when LSU plays at Tennessee.
So what is his advice for an interim coach?
“Go hard, man. It’s your team,” Orgeron said. It’s your team for you don’t know how long, so Coach them hard the way you want to and get them to play together.
“Be yourself and do things your way and have fun doing it. Get them to play with energy and fire and do what you want to do as a head coach and enjoy every minute of it.”
Arkansas and Florida are the only SEC teams to have three interim coaches since 1992.
Tim DeRuyter served as Texas A&M’s interim coach for the 2011 Texas Bowl after Mike Sherman’s firing, but that was the Aggies’ final game as a Big 12 Conference member before joining the SEC with Kevin Sumlin taking over as coach.
Back to SEC?
Louisville Coach Bobby Petrino, who led Arkansas to a 34-17 record in four seasons from 2008 through 2011 before being fired for off-the-field issues, is being mentioned as a candidate for the Tennessee job.
Petrino never has coached anywhere longer than four consecutive seasons, and this is his fourth season in his second stint at Louisville, so he may figure it’s time to move again.
Naturally, Petrino isn’t saying that.
“I don’t really worry about it,” Petrino told reporters this week about speculation he may take another job. “I’ve just got to focus on what I can do.
“I don’t get up in the morning, turn on talk radio. I just come here, and we get in that room and we try to get a first down. Try to find out what’s going on on third and 1.
“That’s how we spend the day. I can’t worry about it. I think it’s something that, you just come in and focus on the task at hand.”
Louisville fired Tom Jurich as athletic director earlier this year, which dropped Petrino’s buyout from $8 million to $4 million.
“I love our football team,” Petrino said. “I love the university. I love the city of Louisville.
“We’ve made plans to stay here and spend the rest of our career here.”
Gus campaigns
Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn, who in 2010 as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator won the Broyles Award presented to the nation’s top assistant coach, said his defensive coordinator Kevin Steele should be among the five finalists for this year’s Broyles Award.
The award, created by former Arkansas linebacker David Bazzel and named in honor of Frank Broyles, the Razorbacks’ legendary coach and athletic director.
“He needs to be in the finalists,” Malzahn said of Steele. “There’s no doubt about that.”
The Tigers’ defense was especially stout against Georgia last week, holding the Bulldogs to 230 yards in totally offense, including 46 rushing.
“It’s a group effort,” Steele said. “The players play. Coaches don’t play.
“Any award that comes, it’s the players. So my deal is whatever award that the group gets, they deserve it.”
Auburn is ninth nationally in total defense (229.5 yards per game) and 11th in scoring defense (16.9 points per game) against a schedule that so far has included four teams in the College Football Playoff poll in No. 2 Clemson, No. 7 Georgia, No. 16 Mississippi State and No. 20 LSU.
The Tigers play No. 1 Alabama next week after facing Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.
Let Gus talk
Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn isn’t known for saying controversial things, but after doing an interview with CBS immediately after the Tigers’ beat Georgia 40-17, he was overheard telling someone on the field, “We whipped the dog crap out of them, didn’t we?”
Georgia Coach Kirby Smart was asked during his news conference Monday about what Malzahn said.
“I’ll be honest with you, I think when you perform the way they did on the field, you earn the right to say really whatever you want,” Smart said. “I don’t get into what Gus says, and he probably doesn’t get into what I say.”
If Auburn beats Alabama, Smart and the Bulldogs will get another shot at the Tigers in the SEC Championship Game.
Dean of the East
With the firing of Butch Jones as Tennessee’s coach, Kentucky’s Mark Stoops is now the longest-turned coach in the SEC.
Stoops and Jones both came into the SEC in 2013 along with Arkansas’ Bret Bielema and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn.
Stoops was surprised at his Monday news conference when told he’s now the SEC East’s dean of coaches.
“Is that right?” Stoops said. “That’s scary. I don’t get shocked in here too often.”
Stoops is 28-33 at Kentucky, but 14-9 since 2016, including 7-3 this season.
When the Wildcats beat Vanderbilt 44-21 last week, a year automatically was added to Stoops’ contract, extending it through the 2022 season.
Stoops has a clause in this contract stating that if Kentucky gets to seven victories, his contract is rolled over and he earns a $250,000 bonus.
If Kentucky ever wins 10 games under Stoops — a figure the Wildcats have reached just once since 1951 when they went 10-1 in 1977 under Fran Curci — the extension is two years.
Stoops’ salary this season is $3.75 million, but it will gradually increase up to $5 million by 2022.
Two-minute drill
Texas A&M junior receiver Christian Kirk got his sixth career punt return for a touchdown when he had a 90-yarder against New Mexico last week. He’s tied for second in SEC career punt return touchdowns with Kentucky’s Derek Abney, who returned six form 2000-2003. Alabama’s Javier Arenas has an SEC-best with seven from 2006-2009.
Missouri has joined Tennessee in 1988 and South Carolina in 1992 as the only SEC teams to lose five consecutive games, then win four in a row.
Tennessee has lost its most recent game against the SEC’s other 13 teams.
Sophomore Benny Snell has become SEC’s career leader in rushing touchdowns with 28 after he had three against Vanderbilt last week. The record had been shared by Sonny Collins and Moe Williams with 26.
Texas A&M redshirt freshman quarterback Nick Starkel passed for 416 yards in the first half of the Aggies’ 5514 victory over New Mexico.