Bobby Johnson resigning from Vandy..

#152
#152
yeah good read on this. going to go ahead and quote it for the lazy ones :), but you get the credit

Whoa, Bobby Johnson retired? Why?

He's retiring for "personal reasons" effective the end of July. He sounds like simply decided along with his wife that the life they're living now is not one they want to lead anymore. Given how it's very tough on both a person and on a marriage to be a college head coach, it does make sense. He sounds like he just wants to move on with his life without the daily grind of being a football coach.

We still don't know what prompted the decision or why it had to be now, other than he said that he didn't want a "lame duck" situation after the team struggled last year. He essentially said that he couldn't be the coach even for one season now that his heart isn't in it anymore. It also sounded like all the losing has worn him down.

What now?

For now, Vandy's going with an interim coach in assistant head coach Robbie Caldwell. Given that SEC Media Days is next week and summer practice is opening soon, they can't leave the position open like you would during a normal coaching search. From the sounds of the press conference, it seems likely that Vanderbilt is going to soldier on with the staff it has for now especially since Johnson's retirement doesn't officially take effect for another two weeks. There are no plans for a full-scale coaching search.

What is Johnson's legacy at Vandy?

Sterling. His overall record isn't stellar and he oversaw plenty of bad losses, but Vandy went from a doormat to a team that could beat you if you weren't playing attention. He beat every SEC team except Florida (EDIT: and Alabama and LSU), during his time there, and a questionable call saved the Gators' skins in a double overtime thriller in 2005. He also got Vandy to a bowl for the first time since 1982 and won a bowl for the first time since the '50s. His legacy is secure.

Who are the juicy names being thrown around at random for if/when a coaching search happens?

Given that Vanderbilt is in Nashville and Nashville is in Tennessee, the name Phillip Fulmer was one of the first ones anyone threw out. Pirate lovers have been promoting Mike Leach for the job, given that he's available and always an interesting guy. Those are the big two right now. Jokers are tossing out Ron Prince's name for fun, but there's no way Vandy even considers him.

Why won't they come?

Well for one, Vanderbilt doesn't pay well. No one knows what Johnson made, but every estimate I've seen put his salary at roughly $1 million a year. That puts VU in the top half of college football, but that level combined with Vandy's disadvantages (strict academic requirements, no AD, facilities, etc.) means that a big name likely isn't coming to Nashville. If either wants to coach again (Leach certainly, Fulmer maybe), they can find a better job seven months from now. Plus, Vandy may not want to embrace the controversial Leach, given how he left his last job.

Who likely is going to come?

Johnson himself came from Furman, so a I-AA head coach is a possibility. Also realistic would be a coordinator somewhere who's looking to make a name for himself. If Mississippi State could convince Dan Mullen to leave his plumb job at Florida to coach in Starkville for $200,000 a year more than what Vandy paid Johnson, Vanderbilt could find a good coordinator to take the job.

Less likely is a head coach at a non-BCS program. If a guy is a real up-and-comer (like MTSU's Rick Stockstill), he can wait to find a better job this winter. If a guy is not a real up-and-comer, then why would VU go hire him? It's not impossible, but I wouldn't count on it.

What should Vanderbilt look for?

A good offensive mind, for one. Vandy has never been that great offensively, but last year's 8.9 points per game in conference play was a nasty nadir. While perusing the offensive-minded candidates, it'd be worth it to find someone who has an unconventional offense that makes the most of limited talent. Vandy is always going to have limited talent compared to most of the rest of the conference.

Just for fun, pull a name from your rear. Who do you think Vandy should go for?

You want a guy who can win under pretty strict academic requirements. You want a guy with an offensive mind, and preferably one with an attack that maximizes its players. If possible, you want a guy who's not going to lose to Army again.

Putting Leach aside, that sounds an awful lot like Navy's Ken Niumatalolo to me. Vandy can give him more than Navy can, and the SEC is a step up from where the Naval academy is at. But, if Tennessee can't convince Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun to come to Knoxville, I wonder at Vanderbilt's chances at being able to get Niumatalolo out of Annapolis.
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#154
#154
Thanks,lol, I think they have a better chance at Fulmer than they do of getting stockstill from MTSU, he was offered ECU job earlier and stayed at MTSU, I think he is smart enough and young enough to know that vandy is not a destination job.
 
#155
#155
Sjernigan88 said:
Thanks,lol, I think they have a better chance at Fulmer than they do of getting stockstill from MTSU, he was offered ECU job earlier and stayed at MTSU, I think he is smart enough and young enough to know that vandy is not a destination job.
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honestly, I don't think they end up with either. I'm really thinking that whole "1-AA coach" thing he said as the way this most likely plays out
 
#156
#156
The real reason that he's leaving is that he landed Leslie Nielsen's role in the new Airplane movie.
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#157
#157
Not that he would even leave, but I would go after Eddie Gran, or another well respected (high character)coach that fits that same mold.
 
#158
#158
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#161
#161
615 Vol said:
Bobby Johnson is lying through his teeth right now about "just decided to retire." As if coaches just leave in the middle of July.
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Unless he wanted to make sure Caldwell got a chance to be the head coach.

I think it has to do with his wife. He stated in his presser that there was someone else at his home who meant a lot and helped make this decision. I wonder if there was problems with his wife from being away all the time and he basically felt like he had to choose between his coaching career or his wife.
 
#163
#163
SGMVols said:
That would require having credibility to begin with.
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Really going to have to let it go sometime. We all know the guy let the game pass him by, but he did more for the university than you and I both have or ever will have. You can only beat a dead horse so long before it decomposes. After that, you're just a guy outside hitting the ground with a stick.
 
#165
#165
MemphisVol1485 said:
Really going to have to let it go sometime. We all know the guy let the game pass him by, but he did more for the university than you and I both have or ever will have. You can only beat a dead horse so long before it decomposes. After that, you're just a guy outside hitting the ground with a stick.
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This ^^^^

Seriously, I wanted him out as much as anyone, but he did give his all for Tennessee everyday. And he did give us an undisputed, undefeated season culminating with a BCS national championship. The game past him by and it was hard to let go. It would have been hard for anyone who loves the Orange as much as he does. Show some respect.
 
#167
#167
Sucks to see Bobby go..he's always been a class act and what he did for Vanderbilt was great.

And lol @ Fulmer bashers.
 
#168
#168
I gotta say though I really liked him. I thought he was a very good coach and seemed like a good man. I hope he does coach again at a school where he can win. Good luck Bobby J! :hi:
 
#169
#169
I missed the part where he said he gave his all and is leaving Vandy better off than they were before he got there.. Thats how it works, right?
 
#170
#170
ihateflorida said:
I missed the part where he said he gave his all and is leaving Vandy better off than they were before he got there.. Thats how it works, right?
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honestly the guy's retiring from coaching, not getting pushed out at vandy. he's decided that he's done all this for too long and it's time for him to move on (i.e. it's a way of life but it's not my life)
 
#173
#173
Looking at Vandy's schedule. They were going to be 2-10 at BEST this year. And he realized he was going to be forced out at the end of the year. So he just went ahead and retired instead. Now he can kind of salvage his legacy instead of letting his last season be an embarrassment. I am going to guess that he turns up as an AD somewhere.
 
#174
#174
vols-1 said:
Looking at Vandy's schedule. They were going to be 2-10 at BEST this year. And he realized he was going to be forced out at the end of the year. So he just went ahead and retired instead. Now he can kind of salvage his legacy instead of letting his last season be an embarrassment. I am going to guess that he turns up as an AD somewhere.
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ummm....
 
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