Fuck it, need something optimistic to talk about. Iām officially off the Tony Elliott train after holding out for as long as I humanly could and am ready to move onto whatever our next option is, whether that happens this offseason or next offseason.
Wonāt go into detail but this is a preliminary list I have of guys who could be potential candidates here that I also like. Can explain my reasonings if people have questions.
Al Golden, Notre Dame DC
Barry Odom, UNLV HC
Bob Chesney, JMU HC
Alex Golesh, USF HC
Jeff Monken, Army HC
GJ Kinne, Texas State HC
Ryan Silverfield, Memphis HC
Glenn Schumann, Georgia DC
Mark Stoops, Kentucky HC
Brennan Marion, UNLV OC
Dan Mullen, ESPN analyst
Thereās some names that Iām not including intentionally, either because I donāt think they would be realistic candidates for us at this point or because I donāt personally want them to be. For example, guys like Jamey Chadwell and Jon Sumrall would be at or near the top of my wishlist but I have to imagine theyāre holding out for SEC jobs and looking for something bigger than weāre able to offer. On the flip side, guys like Tyson Helton and Jason Candle fail to make my list because for one reason or another their fanbases do not like them despite their success at the G5 level. Thatās a red flag to me.
We also have to factor in the financial side of this equation, nobody knows what the real buyout is and we likely wonāt get a definitive answer until TE is actually canned. With all of the uncertainty surrounding our athletic department right now, do we wanna risk eating a giant buyout in order to buy a new coach at the expense of potentially being able to afford a top flight basketball coach? And do we want to make those decisions now with an Athletic Director that is reportedly shopping around for other positions, and according to people in backchannels someone who wonāt be our AD for much longer? Lots of questions to be answered.
Will add that Schumann is a bit of a stretch, probably another guy holding out for a higher ceiling job. But he was included on UNCās hot board so not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Other than Golden, why are any coordinators on this list? Arenāt we still on that ride?
IMHO the contract is the buyout and the buyout is the contract. The purported contract details have been shared up here many times. If the contract details were not true then Elliott would be coaching with something like job pressure that he does not exhibit.
Schumann, Marion, and Golden are the only exceptions Iād make for a coordinator hire. Schumann and Marion because theyāre incredibly high ceiling hires who actually know what theyāre doing in terms of Xās and Oās, and Golden because he has prior HC experience.
For the record though I do think Marion in particular would be a major risk to hire as HC. High risk high reward, but not sure weāre in a position to make that move.
The one thing I will say is that whoever is next, Iād really prefer they were a HC prior to coming to Virginia. I was a big proponent of the Dex experiment in 2021 (and still stand by him being just as qualified as Elliott), but after the TE experience I donāt care to ever have a first time head coach again.
Odom is the one on the list that jumps out to me. I assume heāll have his choice of jobs though. Mark Stoops would probably be a really good hire if heās available. Heās laughably conservative and bound to annoy me but the guy turned Kentucky football into a consistent winner. Pretty sure UVA fans would take similar results.
Golden, Odom, and Stoops all seem like the most āfootball guysā to me. I want that kind of guy as our HC, someone who looks like they graduated college with a degree in Football and a minor in Winning the Point of Attack.
I wouldnāt worry about a coach. The problem starts with UVA. Fix that, have UVA take a more realistic approach to football, and then worry about a coach. Iāve said that or 20 years and I always hear about how the magic coach will fix everything. Itās not worth arguing about anymore. No one wants to coach at a school that does everything to make sure he canāt succeed.
Golden has to be the first call if they are making a move this offseason. Stoops should be 1A even as an exploritory option. I could be swayed into an Odom hire and if he has any interest then bump him up the list.
Iām a Monken guy. I think we need someone that has gotten it done with restrictions.
I like Odom if he brings Marion, but I think Marion is onto bigger and better things very soon.
One potentially unrealistic name that I still want to bring up is Lance Leipold. Absolutely love him, ideal coach for us IMO, but not sure weāre a better job than Kansas.
