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2021 Football Coaching Carousel

I often wonder where wake hoops would be if we had just let prosser go to Pittsburgh and hire a young hot coach who would have inherited Chris Paul his first year.
 
Did you have someone in particular in mind at the time?
 
I agree with this. I get the sense that Dave and his family are content but that he would leave for the right opportunity. I've always thought he was too talented and ambitious to finish his career at Wake. I love the guy but won't fault him a bit if he gets a great chance to move on and takes it.

But realistically there are only a few landing spots for that "great chance" like a Notre Dame.

In the ACC you have Clemson but nowhere else makes sense. Ga Tech and UVA might have been options in the past but neither of those programs are substantial step ups now from Wake.

Big 10? Michigan makes sense but they are not known for their patience in Ann Arbor and Clawson's MO is to suck for a couple of years before he gets things rolling.

Pac 12? Stanford could be a potential landing spot. Maybe UW? Cal? UCLA? Again... how patient will these schools be with multiple 2 or 3 win seasons?

I get it's popular for many (including our own fans and alums) to dog the long term prospects of the Wake football program based on past history. But this is a Power 5 job with very little job pressure that pays relatively well.
 
By my count, Clawson has never lived/had a job west of Knoxville, TN. What makes y'all think he'd start now? He has family in North Carolina, and other ties keeping him here. A Pac-12 job most likely doesn't interest him.
 
i don't know what motivates clawson, but i believe his kids are out of the house now. i think unlike some of our other former coaches, my guess is winston-salem isn't the place he wants to retire -- can't imagine him turning down an opportunity at a place like USC.
 
Clawson can be patient. He's set at WF for as long as he wants to stay. If a job opens that appeals to him geographically, financially and/or provides a clear path to a Natty, like ever other decision he makes, he will make the smart choice. His stock will be high after this season, but he's built a program. WF will be good again next year and likely for as long as he is here.
 
Maybe I'm just naïve, but I think Clawson is too good of a fit at Wake to be all that worried about him leaving. I'm also assuming that we aren't absolute morons and continue to pay reasonably for his services. In that case, Stanford is about the only place that would concern me. Success also works in our favor. Clawson has demonstrated that Wake can be the best football program in NC. Hopefully we take another step forward this year.
 
Here are the conditions that, IMO, would need to be met for Clawon to leave:

It would have to be a P5 job or ND. We can assume all ACC jobs are off the table because they would be lateral moves, at best, and Clemson isn't hiring him.

ND isn't happening unless Clawson wins multiple conference titles. Kelly isn't going anywhere anytime soon and he has reset expectations for that program to be higher than hiring away Wake's coach unless we have become a legit power.

Needs to be a program with more potential to win big than Wake at present.

Needs to be a program that can pay more than Wake.

The program would need to be shitty in the present. As good of a coach as Clawson is, he's not getting hired by Penn State if Franklin bolts to USC. His biggest selling point is that he is a turn around artist and a program that is already humming will hire a bigger name.

It would need to be a program that would tolerate a few awful seasons while Clawson sets up shop.

Based on this, the only programs that would make sense to me are Stanford and Cal. Neither of these jobs are probably going to be available this year. Cal's not looking too hot this year, but Wilcox will probably need one more awful year after 2021 for them to fire him. It'll probably take a lot for Stanford to fire Shaw. If he has a bad 2021 and 2022, then maybe they look to make a move, but I don't know if it's a burn it all down kind of move which makes a clear case for hiring Clawson.

Clawson is the type of coach that Nebraska probably needs, but that job is incredibly toxic and it would be TN redux for him.

That's the best I can think of looking at the current state of the P5 and the conditions I think need to be met. I don't really see a job that makes sense for both parties opening up in the next few years.
 
Here are the conditions that, IMO, would need to be met for Clawon to leave:

It would have to be a P5 job or ND. We can assume all ACC jobs are off the table because they would be lateral moves, at best, and Clemson isn't hiring him.

ND isn't happening unless Clawson wins multiple conference titles. Kelly isn't going anywhere anytime soon and he has reset expectations for that program to be higher than hiring away Wake's coach unless we have become a legit power.

Needs to be a program with more potential to win big than Wake at present.

Needs to be a program that can pay more than Wake.

The program would need to be shitty in the present. As good of a coach as Clawson is, he's not getting hired by Penn State if Franklin bolts to USC. His biggest selling point is that he is a turn around artist and a program that is already humming will hire a bigger name.

It would need to be a program that would tolerate a few awful seasons while Clawson sets up shop.

Based on this, the only programs that would make sense to me are Stanford and Cal. Neither of these jobs are probably going to be available this year. Cal's not looking too hot this year, but Wilcox will probably need one more awful year after 2021 for them to fire him. It'll probably take a lot for Stanford to fire Shaw. If he has a bad 2021 and 2022, then maybe they look to make a move, but I don't know if it's a burn it all down kind of move which makes a clear case for hiring Clawson.

Clawson is the type of coach that Nebraska probably needs, but that job is incredibly toxic and it would be TN redux for him.

That's the best I can think of looking at the current state of the P5 and the conditions I think need to be met. I don't really see a job that makes sense for both parties opening up in the next few years.

Nebraska does need him and at this point, they would have to be patient if he would even listen to an offer. Frost will probably be canned this year but Neb financially speaking, will have to pay a ton to make that happen.

I still can't see him leaving Lincoln and all that shitty weather.
 
But realistically there are only a few landing spots for that "great chance" like a Notre Dame.

In the ACC you have Clemson but nowhere else makes sense. Ga Tech and UVA might have been options in the past but neither of those programs are substantial step ups now from Wake.

Big 10? Michigan makes sense but they are not known for their patience in Ann Arbor and Clawson's MO is to suck for a couple of years before he gets things rolling.

Pac 12? Stanford could be a potential landing spot. Maybe UW? Cal? UCLA? Again... how patient will these schools be with multiple 2 or 3 win seasons?

I get it's popular for many (including our own fans and alums) to dog the long term prospects of the Wake football program based on past history. But this is a Power 5 job with very little job pressure that pays relatively well.

All good points and don't disagree, though a bit over the top to call speculation about Clawson's future job options "dogging" the program.

I just think Clawson's the kind of guy who will keep an ear to the ground, like any reasonable person would. If schools like ND, Michigan, Stanford, etc. come calling, he'll listen, if only because he'll feel he owes it to himself and his family. He's an ambitious guy or he'd still be coaching at BGSU.
 
All good points and don't disagree, though a bit over the top to call speculation about Clawson's future job options "dogging" the program.

I just think Clawson's the kind of guy who will keep an ear to the ground, like any reasonable person would. If schools like ND, Michigan, Stanford, etc. come calling, he'll listen, if only because he'll feel he owes it to himself and his family. He's an ambitious guy or he'd still be coaching at BGSU.

If nothing else, he'll listen to the lesser programs and see if they are a fit for any of his assoc. coaches.
 
All good points and don't disagree, though a bit over the top to call speculation about Clawson's future job options "dogging" the program.

I just think Clawson's the kind of guy who will keep an ear to the ground, like any reasonable person would. If schools like ND, Michigan, Stanford, etc. come calling, he'll listen, if only because he'll feel he owes it to himself and his family. He's an ambitious guy or he'd still be coaching at BGSU.

I think that the main thing that would cause him to leave Wake would be if he determines that he can't win a National Championship here, like if we go 12-0 or 11-1 and get left out of the CFP, then I think he would look to move on to a place where that wouldn't happen.
 
I just hope our fanbase can get to the point where we can have some success without worry about losing our coach.
 
I think that the main thing that would cause him to leave Wake would be if he determines that he can't win a National Championship here, like if we go 12-0 or 11-1 and get left out of the CFP, then I think he would look to move on to a place where that wouldn't happen.

I can get on board with the idea that a 12-0 or 11-1 season with an ACC championship could cause him to leave, but not because we miss out on the playoff.

Hypothetically, if we went 12-0 or 11-1 and miss the playoff and Clawson left for another program that has less risk of that happening then he'll still need a 12-0 or 11-1 season there to make it in. The point is that in this hypothetical Clawson would need two undefeated or one loss seasons anyway. If Wake stacks up two of those seasons there's no way we're left out twice. The first one can be written off, but I don't think it would happen twice. The fact that no undefeated P5 champ has been left out backs this up.

What worries me more about a one loss or undefeated season is that it opens the door to the big time programs that are already in good shape. If Clawson puts up such a season this year then the Penn States, Michigans, Iowas, and Auburns of the CFB world can justify the hire to their fans and boosters should those gigs open up. I still don't think this is super likely, but I also don't think we go undefeated.
 
I just hope our fanbase can get to the point where we can have some success without worry about losing our coach.

The risk of coaches leaving for what they perceive to be better opportunities is a concern at all but the very best programs, and even then they are concerned by the prospect of the coach leaving for pro sports.
 
The risk of coaches leaving for what they perceive to be better opportunities is a concern at all but the very best programs, and even then they are concerned by the prospect of the coach leaving for pro sports.

Yup. Unless you fall backwards into a Gary Patterson or Kirk Ferentz it will always be a concern.
 
Here are the conditions that, IMO, would need to be met for Clawon to leave:

It would have to be a P5 job or ND. We can assume all ACC jobs are off the table because they would be lateral moves, at best, and Clemson isn't hiring him.

ND isn't happening unless Clawson wins multiple conference titles. Kelly isn't going anywhere anytime soon and he has reset expectations for that program to be higher than hiring away Wake's coach unless we have become a legit power.

Needs to be a program with more potential to win big than Wake at present.

Needs to be a program that can pay more than Wake.

The program would need to be shitty in the present. As good of a coach as Clawson is, he's not getting hired by Penn State if Franklin bolts to USC. His biggest selling point is that he is a turn around artist and a program that is already humming will hire a bigger name.

It would need to be a program that would tolerate a few awful seasons while Clawson sets up shop.

Based on this, the only programs that would make sense to me are Stanford and Cal. Neither of these jobs are probably going to be available this year. Cal's not looking too hot this year, but Wilcox will probably need one more awful year after 2021 for them to fire him. It'll probably take a lot for Stanford to fire Shaw. If he has a bad 2021 and 2022, then maybe they look to make a move, but I don't know if it's a burn it all down kind of move which makes a clear case for hiring Clawson.

Clawson is the type of coach that Nebraska probably needs, but that job is incredibly toxic and it would be TN redux for him.

That's the best I can think of looking at the current state of the P5 and the conditions I think need to be met. I don't really see a job that makes sense for both parties opening up in the next few years.

FWIW, Stanford has more money than just about any school in the country. Cal is not in the same category. They have never paid big bucks to either their football or basketball coach. Their current coach Justin Wilcox makes $1.9 million a year. Less than Clawson.
 
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