Nick Saban had quite a resume before he got to Alabama

Posted on: January 31, 2017 at 13:28:48 CT

Same with Urban Meyer before he got to tOSU (Bowling Green, Utah, Florida). I'm just saying you're taking quite a risk in hiring someone who's only been a top assistant for a couple years at a mid-major program like Memphis when the elite programs go out and hired proven commodities. Even then, there's no guarantee (see Charlie Strong at UT). But I'd have to say the odds are better when you hire someone with a proven track record.

Let's look at the teams that finished in the Top 10 this year:

1. Clemson: Dabo Swinney was an assistant at Alabama and held several assistant coaching positions at Clemson (including associate head coach) before taking over the top job.
2. Alabama: We all know that story
3. Ohio State: Ditto
4. Washington: Chris Peterson, successful head coach at Boise State
5. Penn State: James Franklin turned Vanderbilt's program around before going to PSU
6. Michigan: We know that story too
7. Oklahoma: Held DC positions at KSU and Florida before becoming the head man in Soonerland
8. Wisconsin: Paul Chryst was the head coach at Pitt before moving to Madison
9. USC: Clay Helton held OC positions at Memphis and USC, plus interim head coaching position, before being named head coach
10. Colorado: Mike McIntyre was a DC at Temple and Duke before becoming the head coach at San Jose State and then CU. Also was a DB coach with the Jets and Cowboys.

Compared to Odom, all of these guys have a ton more experience, including most with head coaching experience in either the college and/or NFL ranks. Odom might turn out great. But if I were an AD, I might take a page from a Top 10 program's book and hire a coach with a better pedigree.