Relationships are vital in recruiting
While identifying candidates for staff jobs, coaches also must sustain recruiting relationships that had been forged by the departed assistants.
OSU defensive coordinator Tim Beckman left to become the head coach at Toledo. Cowboy assistants Curtis Luper (running backs) and Trooper Taylor (co-offensive coordinator, receivers) were hired at Auburn.
TU co-offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, whose Arkansas recruiting connections were instrumental in bringing offensive difference-makers Charles Clay, A.J. Whitmore and Slick Shelley to the Golden Hurricane program, also has moved to Auburn.
Talent evaluation and recruiting are a year-round endeavor, and January represents the final and most important chapter of the process.
"You don't want to lose coaches, but it hasn't hurt us because all of our guys develop relationships with recruits," Graham said. "If we're recruiting an offensive player, three or four of our offensive coaches will have been involved in that player's recruiting.
"We haven't lost one (recruit)" because of Malzahn's departure, Graham said, "and I don't anticipate that we will."
National signing day - the first date on which recruits may sign letters of intent - is Feb. 4.
Malzahn formerly was high school head coach in Springdale, Ark. Without him to recruit in Arkansas, Graham has adjusted by assigning quarterbacks coach and special-teams coordinator Bill Blankenship to work the Fayetteville area and wide receivers coach Mike Norvell to visit prospects in the Little Rock area.
At OSU, every coach now is involved in recruiting travel. The NCAA allows a maximum number of seven coaches to be on the road, and the Cowboys currently have seven coaches (including Gundy). Last week, Gundy made two trips to Texas.
Since the Dec. 30 Holiday Bowl loss to Oregon, in an effort to fortify existing relationships, OSU coaches have visited the home of each recruit who has announced a commitment to the Cowboy program. The coaches also have visited about 20 prospects who remain undecided.
To cover areas that had been the territory of Luper and Taylor, the roles of Cowboy offensive line coach Joe Wickline and tight ends coach Doug Meacham were expanded to include Dallas-Fort Worth and north Texas.
Gundy did not respond to an interview request for this article. A source close to the OSU program predicted that Wickline and Meacham will fare well with Dallas-Fort Worth recruits.
"I don't see any drop-off. Joe Wickline and Meacham are animals in recruiting," the source said. "Wickline is a machine."
Copyright (c) 2009, World Publishing Co
Tebow captures Maxwell as top all-around player
LAKE BUENA VISTA - How big is Tim Tebow? Put it this way: A little girl outside of the Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney's Boardwalk on Thursday night pleaded for Mickey Mouse to move along, so she could see the Gator quarterback, as he strolled the red carpet.
Finally, a security guard had to come and take Tebow away and into Thursday night's Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show, as he kept signing autographs.
Fans began chanting, "One more year, one more year," in hopes that he will play his senior season at Florida rather than leave for the NFL.
Tebow didn't disappoint his fans when the awards were handed out. In fact, he continued to make history - winning the Maxwell Award for the second year in a row. He is only the second player to win the award twice. Johnny Lattner of Notre Dame won in 1952 and 1953.
Tebow also received the Disney Spirit Award, a special honor given annually to college football's most inspirational figure. Tebow, who became the first sophomore to win the Heisman last year and was a freshman on the 2006 national title team, called the Spirit Award more important to him than any award or championship he has won.
"This means a lot, especially for me, it means more than winning the Heisman or those other awards because it's about what I do off the field,'' Tebow said.
He works in the Philippines during his time away from football at an orphanage run by his father, Bob, and makes numerous visits to prisons and other facilities to discuss his religious beliefs and encourage others.
"I am the most proud of how he treats people,'' said the elder Tebow.
Tim Tebow said being a role model is not a choice.
"There are so many athletes today that say, 'I'm not a role model, I'm not a role model,' and they make so many excuses,'' he said. "Well, whether you like it or not, you are a role model. You're either a good one or a bad one, and unfortunately most of them are bad role models today.
"For me, I just want to be a good role model, like (Gator quarterback and 1996 Heisman winner) Danny Wuerffel was for me and several other guys that I looked up to. I want to be someone that kids can look up to in today's society.''
Winning the Maxwell can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how you look at it. Tebow will be in New York on Saturday night as one of three Heisman finalists.
Before Tebow captured the Heisman in 2007, the last seven winners of the Maxwell didn't go on to win the Heisman.
The seven Heisman winners with no Maxwell Award to go with it were Troy Smith (Ohio State), Reggie Bush (USC), Matt Leinart (USC), Jason White (Oklahoma), Carson Palmer (USC), Eric Crouch (Nebraska), Chris Weinke (FSU).
Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, who many feel is Tebow's top competition for the Heisman, won the Davey O'Brien Award for the nation's top quarterback.
There have been six Heisman winners who played in a national championship game in the last decade. The only one to win the game was Leinert in 2004.
Florida and Oklahoma will meet Jan. 8 in Miami for the national title.
Florida State's Graham Gano claimed the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top placekicker.
"Shoot, since I've been kicking, I've been wanting to get the opportunity to win this. It's exciting for me and my family and my friends,'' said Gano, the only Division I kicker with more than three field goals of 50 yards or more. He made 24 of 25 field-goal attempts.
Gator linebacker Brandon Spikes was also honored, as a member of the Walter Camp All-America first team.
FSU coach Bobby Bowden was also honored with the NCFAA Contributions to College Football Award. He was introduced by his wife, Ann.
(c)2009 David Jones, news-press.com sports bureau.
Pickering's Smith anchors Tech's tough run defense
SHREVEPORT -- D'Anthony Smith is a big man with an even bigger heart.
In fact, you could call "Boo," as he's known by his teammates and the Louisiana Tech coaching staff, the heart and soul of a Tech run defense that is giving up less than 100 yards per game this season.
"Boo is the kind of kid that everyone wants to be around," Tech defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh said. "He is a great statement for our program."
Born in Berlin when his now retired father was an officer in the U.S. Army, the 6-foot-2, 302-pound Smith grew up in Pickering and became a mainstay in Tech's defensive line almost from the day he arrived on campus.
Although he was part of a 3-10 season in 2006 when Tech had one of the worst defenses in Division 1A, Smith has thrived under defensive coordinator Tommy Spangler's defensive scheme designed to stop the run first.
"Our motto is that you stop the run and then you earn the right to rush the passer," said Brumbaugh, in his first season at Tech. "We know if we can force you to throw, we can pin our ears back and come after you."
While the Bulldogs haven't been consistent in getting quarterback pressure, they have ranked near the top of the WAC all season in run defense. Tech is 11th in the country against the run allowing only 99.7 yards per game, the best mark by a Tech team since it joined moved to the top division of college football in 1989.
It was also an improvement of more than 125 yards from two years ago when the Bulldogs ranked dead last in the country.
A lot of that can be attributed to the leadership of Smith, a junior who has been forced to set an example for a mostly young Tech defensive line.
"It's cool seeing all the young guys step up and produce by following the leadership of Boo," said redshirt freshman Matt Broha. "We fed off each other. Every game we studied film and we learned."
Brumbaugh said that one of the things that sets Smith apart is something he picked up from his father's military background.
"I saw his dad recently and told him he did a great job with D'Anthony," Brumbaugh said. "Not only is he a good person, he listens really well. You don't have to tell him anything twice.
"He's a great athlete, but he doesn't act like it. A lot of guys with his ability think they know everything, so they're very difficult to teach. That's not the case with Boo. He wants to get better, so he's willing to try things we suggest."
With so many youngsters playing around him, Smith knew he would have to be a leader from Tech's opening game against Mississippi State.
And he feels getting a bowl berth is the fitting capstone for his junior season.
"This is a great accomplishment for our team," he said. "Every day you see an improvement in this program and that's a great feeling."
Copyright (c)2008 The Town Talk
Quit whining, Cyclones
Item: Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard blasts Gene Chizik for taking the Auburn football job, saying Chizik assured him he would stay with the Cyclones.
Comment: Does this remind anyone of a couple of years ago when Kansas State officials bellyached about Bob Huggins' abrupt departure to take the West Virginia job? Quit whining, hire a coach, and get on with your life.
Item: Kansas junior guard Mario Little breaks a bone in his left hand during practice and will miss two to four weeks after sitting out the entire month of November with a stress fracture in his left leg.
Comment: Well, at least the right side of Little's body appears to be holding up nicely.
Item: Six Big 12 Conference women's basketball teams are ranked in last week's AP college poll - Texas A&M (4), Texas (5), Oklahoma (6), Baylor (7) Oklahoma State (22) and Kansas State (23).
Comment: Poor Kansas. The Jayhawks have won seven of nine and can't even climb into the Others Receiving Votes category.
Item: By scoring 702 points in its 13 games, Oklahoma becomes the first football team to cross the 700-point barrier since Minnesota amassed 725 points in 13 games in 1904.
Comment: If you think NCAA teams schedule too many cupcakes today, take note of the fact the '04 Minnesota team flattened Grinnell, 146-0, and flogged Twin Cities Central High, 107-0.
Item: Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, who turned 82 on Sunday, agrees to a three-year contract extension.
Comment: No doubt Paterno hopes his new pact isn't the equivalent of a lifetime contract.
Item: Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins creates a new position and hires Nicole Corcoran, press secretary for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, to become his chief of staff.
Comment: Perkins, who may be surrounded by the most bloated bureaucracy in college athletics, has essentially hired someone to tell people who want to talk to him to call Jim Marchiony instead.
Item: Carl Peterson's 20-year tenure as general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs ends with the announcement he will step down at the end of the season.
Comment: Twenty years is an eternity for a GM in the NFL, so give the guy some credit. Peterson's biggest mistake? Underestimating the role Will Shields, Willie Roaf and Casey Wiegmann played in Larry Johnson's success.
Item: The Chiefs plan to use $10 million generated from the sale of state tax credits to help build a $13.5 million indoor training facility on the campus of Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mo.
Comment: If the Chiefs keep losing, they may be able to accommodate their fan base at Mo Western's 6,000-seat Spratt Stadium.
Item: Larry Keating, KU's senior associate athletic director, has been listed by the Newark Star-Ledger as a possible candidate for the AD opening at Rutgers.
Comment: The Rutgers job pays about 400 grand a year, or about double what Keating makes here. Then again, the cost of living in New Jersey is about twice what it is in Lawrence.
(c) Copyright 2008 The Lawrence Journal-World
Georgia is looking ahead
Athens -- Michael Moore just needs to look at Mohamed Massaquoi's stats to figure out what his future could be with Georgia.
Ditto for Kris Durham.
And, the same goes for Tavarres King.
It's those three who will be vying to replace 57 catches. And it is those three who will have the opportunity to play opposite A.J. Green, the latter being the main reason Massaquoi achieved the former number.
"Somebody is going to have to step up," Moore said. "A.J., he definitely gets a lot of double coverage, especially after the midpoint of the season, so that frees up a lot for everybody."
That wasn't too hard to figure out, and Georgia's pass offense -- something that had been a series of frustrations and dropped balls -- finally spread the wealth in 2008. Massaquoi had a career-high 57 catches. His total from the previous two years combined had been 62.
Moore also set a career high with 23. In two previous years Moore totaled five catches.
Green, the SEC freshman of the year, had 55 catches.
"You look at Mohamed, he has been our go-to guy for the last two, three years and we really only had one guy, and when we had two guys, it just opened it all up," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. "A.J. is going to get the attention, and that's going to open up the other guys to make plays."
Now it's just a matter of figuring out which of those guys will make the play. Massaquoi has exhausted his eligibility. Moore, Durham and King appear to be the next three options.
"Those guys play opposite of where A.J. plays and have a chance of taking some heat off him," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "Whoever it is, he's going to have some opportunities to make some plays."
Who it will be is anybody's guess. But there is a case to be made for all three.
First, take Moore. The fourth-year junior has more time in the program than the other two. Moore also has had more difficulty than the other two.
Before this season, Moore was known more for his drops than his receptions. One in particular, against South Carolina last season, haunted him for the better part of the year.
But this year, Moore didn't drop a pass.
"The thing that helped me out was mental toughness," Moore said. "Third down I was thinking, 'The ball is coming to me. The ball is coming to me.' Sophomore season when I made a catch, I might have confidence, but if I dropped one, everything went down.
"Now I just go out there expecting to make plays instead of hoping to make plays."
Next up is Durham. People have been betting on the ball to come to Durham for several years. The lanky 6-foot-5 receiver has shown all the tools and has been in the program for three seasons.
But injuries have hampered his development. This year an ankle injury pushed him out of two games. A broken hand kept him on the sideline against Georgia Tech.
"He was having a good year until he got dinged up," Stafford said. "He is a tough guy. It's just stuff you can't play through. Whenever he has had a chance, he's played through it. I think if he has a chance to get healthy, he's going to be there."
Finally, there is King. The rising sophomore is the X-factor in this mix. No one is quite sure what King can do yet because he hasn't had a chance to do it.
"I feel like I am coming along and learning the game," King said. "I watched Mo a lot. And he said, 'This is your show next year.' That's what he said."
King might have the longest road to go to make it his show. He played in four games in 2008. He needs more experience, as well as confidence.
"That's what happens when you get here," King said.
"You see the guys flying around the ball with speed and strength, and it takes shots at your confidence. You've got to take a step back and observe more and do the right things."
King put on 22 pounds to prepare himself for when he gets his shot and for when he takes a shot.
"There are some big shoes to fill," King said.
Now they just have to figure out whose feet fit.
CAPITAL ONE BOWL
> Who: Georgia vs. Michigan State
> When; where: 1 p.m. Jan. 1; Orlando
> TV; radio: ABC; 750 AM
Copyright(c) 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tide have plan to defend UF
TUSCALOOSA - The Florida Gators have a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who runs like a bulldozer and is the most efficient passer in the Southeastern Conference.
They've got a running back in Jeff Demps who was fast enough to sprint in the Olympic Trials, and another, Chris Rainey, who averages eight yards a carry. They have game-breaking receivers and a stout offensive line to make it all work.
So how, exactly, does No. 1 Alabama plan to defend against Florida coach Urban Meyer's hybrid spread-option offense in Saturday's Southeastern Conference Championship Game?
Simple.
"We've just got to focus on stopping the run and making it one-dimensional," Tide defensive lineman Bobby Greenwood said. "Everyone shoots their gaps, we'll be just fine, just like any other ballgame."
The approach is simple, but carrying out the plan won't be easy.
"They have a lot of weapons," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. "They have a lot of speed. They have a very good concept, and they are well coached."
Florida ranks third nationally in scoring offense at more than 46 points per game. The Gators are much better at rushing, where they rank 10th at more than 237 yards per game, than passing, where the Gators are 61st.
Beyond the numbers, however, is an offense that can be flat-out scary. The Gators haven't scored less than 40 points in a game since early October.
"They are just explosive," Alabama defensive back Javier Arenas said. "That's why they are so good."
Added linebacker Cory Reamer, "They've got a lot of dimensions. They can hurt you in a lot of different ways."
The dimension Alabama must be most concerned with is quarterback Tim Tebow. He accounted for a college-football record 55 touchdowns last season and has 37 so far this year. He breaks down defenses with his ability to run between the tackles, drawing defenders to crowd the line and opening up easy passing lanes that he exploits with his left arm.
"Obviously the quarterback is a unique player, in terms of his ability to throw the ball and be a very good runner," Saban said, "and that always creates one more blocker and one more thing that you have to defend."
Alabama will try to limit Tebow as a runner and force him to pass.
"He's unique in his own way," linebacker Rolando McClain said, "but we are going to do our part to try to slow him down."
That may require a different approach than the Tide used against Auburn's Kodi Burns, another running quarterback, but one who couldn't match Tebow's ability.
"He's kind of a running back playing quarterback," defensive back Kareem Jackson said. "That's going to present a challenge for us, but we're up to the task.
"You know if he doesn't find anybody open he's going to take off with it. We're probably going to have somebody spying on him or something."
Alabama may indeed deploy a shadow, assigning a linebacker or safety to track Tebow's every move, or may use other methods.
"Surely our plan will be different," Reamer hinted. "We'll just look at what they do and adjust accordingly."
Saban said no offense Alabama has faced so far is exactly like Florida's, but that Meyer's offense isn't completely different.
"We have seen some parts of what they do throughout the year, so we have some frame of reference of what they do," Saban said.
Safety Rashad Johnson likened Florida's attack to the gimmick offense Ole Miss tried with little success.
"Kind of like the 'Wildcat' offense, you've got to make sure that the guys who are supposed to play inside stay inside, and not over-pursue or run out of there on the reverse or the guy he's faking it to," Johnson said. "If you do and they hit a crease, that's a 60- or 70-yard run right there.
"You've got to be disciplined on defense. You've got to go out and try to do everything right. You've got to stay focused the entire game."
As good as Florida's offense is, Alabama's defense has been equally successful. The Tide ranks third nationally in total defense, second in run defense and 20th in pass defense.
"We say no big plays is the biggest way of winning games," Johnson said.
Alabama gave up 30 points to Georgia, but LSU is the only other opponent to score three touchdowns against the Tide. Alabama defenders do not quake in fear at Florida's attack.
Said Reamer, "How we've gotten after everybody so far, we're not going to slow down at all. They've got a very talented offense that can easily put up that many points.
"So far, through the season, we haven't allowed anybody to put that much up on us. It's really our goal to make sure that they don't."
Copyright (c) 2008 Gatorsports.com - All rights reserved
Clemson official: Swinney to stay on as coach
COLUMBIA, S.C. Interim coach Dabo Swinney will become Clemson's permanent coach, according to a school official close to the football program.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity Monday morning because an official announcement has yet to be made.
Athletic director Terry Don Phillips was expected to introduce Swinney as head coach later Monday.
Swinney took over as interim coach Oct. 13 when Tommy Bowden resigned.
The Tigers won four of their final five games under Swinney to become bowl eligible. The clincher came Saturday when Clemson defeated rival South Carolina 31-14.
Phillips had traveled the country interviewing candidates the past month, including soon-to-be Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin and coordinators like Bud Foster of Virginia Tech and Brent Venables of Oklahoma. Turns out, Clemson's best choice was a building away from Phillips' office.
The two met Sunday for a formal interview.
Phillips was all smiles Saturday afternoon after Clemson's victory, watching Swinney get carried off the field by his players. Phillips declined to discuss Swinney's future then, saying he wanted Saturday to be about Clemson's coaches and players and what they had accomplished under difficult circumstances.
A big reason was Swinney.
William Christopher Swinney was born in Birmingham, Ala., and got his nickname because an older brother had trouble pronouncing "that boy." Swinney walked on to the Crimson Tide football team and eventually earned a scholarship and a national championship ring with coach Gene Stallings' 1992 squad.
"I could tell there was something special about Dabo as far as being a coach," Stallings said last week when he visited Clemson's practice.
Swinney stuck with Stallings' staff and stayed at Alabama through 2000.
He was selling real estate in early 2003 when Bowden, once his Alabama position coach, called him about a Clemson opening. Swinney has been the Tigers' receivers coach and one of the team's top recruiters - he lured star runner C.J. Spiller out of Florida's backyard - until becoming head coach at Bowden's suggestion to Phillips in October.
Among Swinney's first moves was firing offensive coordinator Rob Spence, almost as big a lightning rod for fans' displeasure as Bowden, and taking over the playcalling.
Swinney started a "Tiger Walk" through the parking lot to the stadium before games so players could feel the support of Clemson's faithful.
He opened practice to students and, sometimes, canceled workouts to take the players to a children's hospital to lift patients' spirits.
Swinney, 39, was folksy and charming, comparing Clemson's problems to a poorly tuned car that just needed a little TLC.
Swinney's biggest move was rediscovering playmakers like quarterback Cullen Harper, receiver Aaron Kelly, and the "Thunder and Lightning" runners of James Davis and Spiller.
Harper was banged up and ineffective in September before getting benched by Bowden right before the change. Swinney put the ball back in the senior's hands, and he responded with seven of his 11 TD passes the last six games.
Kelly, a senior, was much more effective the second half of the year. Davis and Spiller have combined for 10 scores the last six games.
The Tigers needed a finishing flourish to keep playing past November. The win over South Carolina, Clemson's third in a row, got that done. Swinney and the team await their bowl destination, something few figured possible when the interim coach nervously met the media his first night on the job.
The pick is sure to be popular with the players, who had hoped he'd return.
"I feel like he's turned this program around in some great ways and he has a bright future here," safety Michael Hamlin said Saturday.
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