Saturday, December 8, 2007

What If Questions on Arkansas Razorback Coach Search

Hang with me and read this through to the end and then tell me if it doesnt make a little sense.
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What if Jeff Long and John White had never taken a run at Tommy Tuberville, Tommy Bowden, Butch Davis, Jim Grobe or now Bobby Petrino.

What would the fans have said.

What if on November 26th, the day Houston Nutt resigned, or the next day when Reggie Herring was given a vote of confidence to be the Interim Coach for the bowl game, Jeff Long and John White would have announced that Reggie Herring or Gus Malzahn was to become the next coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

What would the fans have said.

Do you think the fans would have immediately began to sing the praises of Jeff Long or John White. No, I believe the fickle fanatic fans of the Arkansas Razorbacks would have immediately been calling the talk shows such as DriveTime Sports with Randy Rainwater and Rick Schaeffer and the complaints would have been strong.

"Why did we not go after a big name head coach" they would say.

Or the fans would have been calling "103.7 the Buzz "Show with No Name" and complaining to Tommy Smith and David Bazzle

"University administration is a bunch of idiots for not searching out a big name."

Or the Midday show the Zone with Justin Acri, Pat Bradley and Joe Franklin would receive calls from its crazy fans screaming:

"The University of Arkansas has lost its mind - why not at least try for a big name coach"

So, did you ever wonder why in the wave of first names that surfaced for interviews was Gus Malzahn. Did you ever think that maybe Jeff Long and John White are smarter than we thought they were.

Maybe they realized in the beginning that getting a big name was needed but almost an impossibility. Maybe they felt in the beginning that the idea of getting an established head coach was what the University needed but that it might be a big task to accomplish.

Maybe in the beginning they considered that either direction they went - the fickled fanatic fans of Arkansas Razorbacks were going to give them heck in the media and on Internet chat boards.

If they tried for big name coaches and failed - the criticism would come alive. If they went straight to the backup of a Gus Malzahn or a Reggie Herring - the criticism would come alive.

Maybe they have told Gus Malzahn or Reggie Herring. We love you, we think you would be a great head coach and we would like to give you a chance, but here is what we have to do to hopefully have the fan base on your side if you do get the job.

We have to make a run at the big names. If we get one - great. If we don't get one - we, Jeff Long and John White, will take that heat from the fans. Then we turn to you Reggie Herring or Gus Malzahn and give you the job.

You go out and win big while the state is still complaining about the administration. A year from now - if you win - we are all heroes.

My thoughts for now on the coaching Rumors.

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